Texas lawmakers receive new priorities for 90th legislative session

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has published the latest update on recommended interim legislative charges for the Texas House of Representatives. The five-page document contains new additions to the House’s priorities for the upcoming legislative session, covering directives across four committees. 

The interim charges highlight the highest priorities for lawmakers for the 90th Legislative Session. Lawmakers will refer to the dockets to resolve critical points during the session, either passing them into law or ensuring proper execution to maintain effective budgetary, operational, regulatory and policymaking efficacy. 

Business and Commerce Committee 

The 90th session will evaluate the operations of online ticket platforms to better regulate consumer exploitation by preventing unfair sales practices. Lawmakers will recommend solutions to enhance consumer price transparency and protect residents from unfair or deceptive practices within and without the secondary ticket market. Changes may also be needed for consumer protection laws to further cement a fair, competitive and accessible live entertainment ticket marketplace. 

Religious Liberty Committee 

As religious liberties continue to reign as a major priority for Texas leadership, the House will further assess the current condition of these liberties in the state. The evaluation will start with comparing state and federal laws regarding protections for religious liberties. These will primarily address similarities and differences between Article 1, Section 6 of the Texas Constitution – Freedom of Worship – and the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. 

Following the House’s evaluation, lawmakers will deliver recommendations to protect Texas residents’ rights to practice their religion free from discrimination, persecution or government interference. Additional work will be needed to determine if additional protections are needed. 

Lawmakers will also examine options for educating residents on their rights to religious liberty. Motions will include recommendations to ensure all Texans know and understand how they are allowed to practice religious liberty in all settings, including education, the workplace, government and healthcare sectors. 

The Religious Liberty Committee will monitor the implementation of laws passed during the 89th Legislature, including relevant agencies and programs under its jurisdiction. Committee members will make specific legislative recommendations to improve or complete implementation of Senate Bill 1049 – a bill relating to excused absences from public school for the purpose of attending a released time course. 

State Affairs Committee 

The House will place greater emphasis on protecting minors in online spaces and families in divorce and child custody proceedings. Measures will include studying online gaming platforms catered to children and determining which advertise to minors, if those advertisements are appropriate and if platforms have adequate protections in place. Lawmakers will recommend solutions to prevent minors from accessing violent and sexual content in games and prohibit communications between children and adult strangers in online gaming spaces. 

Additionally, the committee will examine burdens placed on children and families struggling through inefficient or inconsistent divorce and child custody proceedings. As lawmakers identify issues with the system that result in ineffective processes, they will make recommendations to provide families with access to fair and consistent procedures that promote predictable timelines, timeliness, consistent child evaluations and other improvements. 

 Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee 

The committee will prioritize efforts to enhance management of the Pecos River Basin, starting with a study on associated water availability, flow decline and administrative challenges. In tandem with the study, additional efforts will include evaluating the Red Bluff Water Power Control District and its constituent irrigation districts’ current purposes, operations and functions. 

Additional measures will consist of reviewing state accounting under the Pecos River Compact, implementing environmental flow standards and assessing the anticipated discharges and beneficial reuse of treated produced water in the basin. Lawmakers will then make recommendations to modernize special district governance, improve interstate coordination and ensure long-term basin reliability. 

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