The following list is a compilation of the upcoming interim legislative hearings. Hearing dates and times are subject to change. Please note that additional hearings dates may also be added at any time.

The standing committee hearings, live and archived, can be listened to at the following links:  House | Senate.

House

The Committee will meet jointly with the Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety to hear invited testimony on the following interim charge:

  • Monitor the activities of the Texas State Guard and the Texas National Guard participating in Operation Lone Star

House Business & Industry – 4/27/2022 at 1:00 PM

The committee will meet to hear public and invited testimony for the following interim charges:

  • Review operational changes and strategies employed by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC)
  • Study the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on unemployment trends, hurdles to workforce reentry, and industry-specific disruptions

House Homeland Security & Public Safety – 5/3/2022 at 10:00 AM

The committee will meet to hear invited testimony for the following interim charges:

  • Monitor and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation:
    • HB 3712 relating to the training of and policies for peace officers
    • SB 24 relating to the procedures required before a law enforcement agency hires a peace officer

House Higher Education – 5/5/2022 at 10:00 AM

The committee will meet to hear public and invited testimony for the following interim charges:

  • Review progress toward the goals of the 60x30TX plan, including institutional strategies for responding to changing workforce needs and demands, including workforce education, industry certification, and degree programs to address health care shortages

Senate

Senate Transportation – 5/3/2022 at 9:00 AM

The Committee will hear invited testimony only on the following interim charges:

  • Safety: Study the contributing factors leading to fatal crashes and make recommendations to prevent and reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries
  • Driver’s License Efficiency: Study the Department of Public Safety’s driver’s license program operations
  • Alternatively Fueled Vehicles: Review the Texas Department of Transportation’s plan for federal funding related to alternatively fueled vehicle infrastructure development

Senate Veteran Affairs – 5/3/2022 at 1:00 PM

The Committee will hear invited testimony only on the following interim charges:

  • State Veteran Cemeteries: Evaluate the current oversight of the Texas State Veteran Cemeteries to ensure that these sacred and essential grounds are being maintained, repaired, and treated with respect
  • Veteran Benefits: Explore and report on options to remove barriers for companies offering veteran benefits and consider policies that could leverage additional public-private-partnerships
  •  Veteran Mental Health: Review the currently accepted forms of treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and consider the creation of a program which would require completion of a multi-modality treatment plan including traditional talk therapy, limbic system therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and emotionally focused individual therapy (EFIT)
  • Veteran Mental Health: Identify the training and resources available to urban and rural first responders when assisting veterans experiencing a mental health crisis. Make recommendations for how to best support first responders in these crisis situations.

Senate Finance – 5/4/2022 at 10:00 AM

The committee will meet to hear invited and public testimony on the following interim charges:

  • Inflation: Review and report on the effect inflation is having on the business community and state government, including state salaries, retiree benefits, the state economy, and cost of state services
  • Inflation: Review and report on the impact of inflation on units of local governments’ revenue collections and property taxpayers’ tax bills, including the homestead exemption
  • Russia Divestiture: Examine and report on options for state asset owners to divest their positions in companies that invest in the Russian Federation
  • State Pension Reforms: Monitor the implementation of recent statewide pension reforms to the Employees Retirement System of Texas and the Teacher Retirement System of Texas

Senate Water, Agriculture & Rural Affairs – 5/10/2022 at 9:00 AM

The committee will meet to hear invited and public testimony on the following interim charges:

  • Water Utility Infrastructure: Study and make recommendations on options to upgrade and update state water infrastructure to address deferred maintenance, disasters, and water loss
  • Water Supply: Review and make recommendations to complete specific projects identified in the 2022 State Water Plan
  • Groundwater Management and Protection: Evaluate the status and effectiveness of the State’s groundwater management process, including data used to support regional water planning and conservation goals

Senate Higher Education – 5/10/2022 at 1:00 PM

The committee will meet to hear invited and public testimony on the following interim charges:

  • Monitor and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation:
    • SB 1102 relating to the establishment of the Texas Reskilling and Upskilling through Education (TRUE) Program to support workforce education
    • HB 3767 relating to measures to support the alignment of education and workforce development in the state with state workforce needs, including the establishment of the Tri-Agency Workforce Initiative
  • Evaluate state efforts to support access to work-based learning and microcredential opportunities, including apprenticeships, industry- based certificates and certifications, as well as competency-based education
  • Study the postsecondary enrollment trends across all sectors and levels of higher education in Texas, with a review on specific challenges to enrollment
  • Review the history and use of the Permanent University Fund for the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University, and explore the creation of a new legacy fund to address the needs of all other higher education institutions in Texas
  • Review financial aid and scholarship opportunities in Texas related to teaching, health care, and law enforcement, and examine methods to increase participation in these and other high-demand fields

Senate Water, Agriculture & Rural Affairs – 5/11/2022 at 9:00 AM

The committee will meet to hear invited and public testimony on the following interim charges:

  • Rural Employment: Study and make recommendations on rural small business development and workforce needs
  • Rural Immigration: Consider the Federal government’s open border policies and practices of releasing illegal immigrants in rural areas of the state
  • Meat Packing Facilities: Study the need for additional meat packing facilities in Texas
  • Agricultural Theft: Study the impact of cattle theft on farming and ranching operations throughout Texas and recommend cost-effective measures to mitigate loss and increase security

Senate Finance – 5/17/2022 at 10:00 AM

The committee will meet to hear invited and public testimony on the following interim charges:

  • Property Tax Relief:
    • Examine and recommend ways to reduce Texans’ property tax burden
    • Review and report on proposals to use or dedicate state revenues in excess of the state spending limit to eliminate the school district maintenance and operations property tax
  • Tax Exemptions: Examine Texans’ current tax exemptions and report on whether adjustments are merited because of inflation or any other factors

Senate Business & Commerce – 5/18/2022 at 9:00 AM

The committee will meet to hear invited and public testimony on the following interim charges:

  • Supply Chain: Examine the causes and impacts of recent supply chain disruptions on the Texas economy and individual industries. Study the factors that weaken links in the supply chain and the extent the pandemic has exposed those vulnerabilities
  • Cybersecurity: Review current state and federal laws regarding cybersecurity protections and requirements for local governments, state agencies, and critical industries of our state. Make recommendations for legislation to improve resilience and protection against cybersecurity attacks and ensure the privacy protection of the citizens of Texas
  • State Workforce: Study where state employees are located and the benefits and drawbacks of remote working. Evaluate the impact of the potential growth of remote work and proximity of employees to their place of employment on traffic studies over the next 10 years. Study and make recommendations for establishing uniform statewide standards for remote work