Straus Announces Interim Charges for Texas House

by: admin
2011-10-20
Source: texasinsider
01/08/2020

Jobs & economic growth top priorities as House prepares for 83rd Session Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas From our growing population to the severe drought that is plaguing our state Texas is in a period of significant change. We are responsible for handling these changes in a way that makes our state government more efficient and responsive to the evolving needs of our changing communities" said Texas House Speaker Joe Straus (R-San Antonio) earlier today while charging members of the Texas House with studying a wide range of issues prior to the next Legislative Session. In a letter introducing the charges to House Members & Committees Straus challenged each and laid out the broader areas he views as being crucial to Texas future including ways to:

Attract more Manufacturing Jobs & build on Economic Development efforts;
Enhance Public & Higher Education;
Improve Wildfire Response and
Address Water Needs made more critical by the Drought;
Improve the states Transportation Infrastructure;
Reduce State Debt; and
Make government more efficient & effective.

House committees will conduct comprehensive studies of the issues outlined in the interim charges during the 15 months between now and the next legislative session. Each committee is required to submit a final report no later than December 1 2012.

The findings often form the basis of legislation to be considered during the 83rd Legislative Session beginning in January 2013. Members of the Texas House are dedicated public servants whose jobs extend well beyond the 140 days the Legislature is in session every two years" said Straus. During the next year Members will look at ways to strengthen our states economy improve our transportation infrastructure address our water challenges improve public and higher education and work toward a stronger and more prosperous future for all Texans. During a time of ongoing budget challenges I am also especially interested in greater transparency accountability and efficiency in our state budget and greater effectiveness in state services such as reducing wait times for drivers licenses" said Straus. The interim charges are developed in two ways:

Members of the Legislature submit priorities for study and
the Speaker includes his own priorities for review.

Each of the Houses standing committees study specific areas of potential or needed Texas public policy. The charges also include areas of special focus driven by pressing current events such as the ongoing drought and its impact on the state water plan

which will be reviewed by the House Committee on Natural Resources. In addition to charges for each of the standing committees of the Texas House Speaker Straus also identified two comprehensive charges that every substantive committee is to consider during the interim. These charges focus on economic growth by: