Texas Senate Expands Interim Charges for 2027 Session

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With less than six months remaining before lawmakers convene for the 90th Texas Legislature in January 2027, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) has released seven additional Senate interim charges, further expanding the Senate's legislative work during the interim. These new assignments build on the first round of interim charges issued in January and the much broader package announced in March. Taken together, the three rounds now provide one of the clearest roadmaps yet for the Senate's legislative priorities heading into the next regular session.

As we explained in our earlier overview of Texas interim charges, these directives do not create law on their own. Instead, they instruct Senate committees to study policy issues, gather testimony, evaluate existing laws, and recommend legislation for consideration during the upcoming session. Increasingly, they also serve as an early signal of where legislative leadership intends to devote time and political capital.

This latest round is narrower than the March release but still provides important insight into several emerging policy debates, including online protections for minors, religious liberty, family law, consumer protection, and water management in West Texas.

Online Regulation Continues to Grow as a Legislative Priority

One of the most significant additions comes through the Senate Committee on State Affairs, which has been directed to examine online gaming platforms used by minors.

The committee will study advertising practices aimed at children, age verification requirements, exposure to violent and sexual content, and communications between minors and adult strangers. Recommendations are expected on potential restrictions designed to reduce these risks. This charge builds upon an issue that has steadily gained momentum over the past several legislative sessions. Texas lawmakers have repeatedly debated proposals addressing children's online activity, social media platforms, app stores, and digital safety.

From a policy perspective, this issue continues to present a difficult balancing act. Protecting children from genuine online harms remains an important public concern. At the same time, lawmakers must carefully consider whether proposed regulations can be implemented without unnecessarily burdening constitutional rights, limiting lawful speech, undermining privacy, or creating broad government oversight of online platforms.

As discussions continue, many proposals will likely raise familiar questions about parental responsibility, technological feasibility, and the proper role of government in regulating digital expression.

Religious Liberty Receives Expanded Legislative Attention

Another major focus of the new interim charges is religious liberty.

The newly established Senate Select Committee on Religious Liberty received three separate directives, including a broad review of existing constitutional and statutory protections, an examination of ways Texans can better understand their religious liberty rights, and oversight of recently enacted legislation concerning released-time religious instruction for public school students.

The committee's work also comes as Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick concludes his service as chair of the U.S. Department of Justice's Religious Liberty Commission, a federal advisory body established by President Donald Trump (R) to study religious liberty issues and recommend ways to strengthen protections nationwide. While the commission's work was conducted at the federal level, Patrick's leadership there provides additional context for why religious liberty continues to receive significant attention in Texas policymaking.

The scope of these interim charges suggests Senate leadership intends to continue evaluating whether Texas law provides sufficient protections for the free exercise of religion and whether additional statutory safeguards may be appropriate.

One aspect of the charges, however, warrants closer consideration. The committee has also been directed to study ways to educate Texans about their religious liberty rights. While ensuring citizens understand their constitutional freedoms is certainly valuable, policymakers should carefully distinguish between making legal information readily accessible and assigning government the role of actively educating or promoting constitutional rights. Texans have broad access to constitutional protections through schools, courts, attorneys, civic organizations, and public resources, and any legislative recommendations should avoid unnecessarily expanding the role of government beyond protecting those rights.

Texas has frequently positioned itself as a leader on religious liberty issues, and these studies indicate the subject will likely remain an active component of the legislative agenda during the 90th Texas Legislature.

Consumer Protection Shifts Toward the Ticket Marketplace

The Senate Committee on Business and Commerce received a targeted assignment to study online ticket sales and the secondary ticket marketplace. The committee has been asked to evaluate pricing transparency, deceptive sales practices, and potential changes to Texas consumer protection laws affecting ticket purchases.

Unlike many of the broader policy questions assigned during the interim, this charge is highly focused on a specific market. Depending on the committee's recommendations, lawmakers could consider legislation aimed at improving transparency while attempting to preserve competition within the marketplace.

The challenge for legislators will be determining whether consumer concerns stem primarily from insufficient enforcement of existing law or whether new regulations are necessary.

Family Court Reform Remains on the Radar

The State Affairs Committee was also instructed to examine delays and inconsistencies within Texas divorce and child custody proceedings. The charge specifically references prolonged timelines, repetitive child evaluations, inconsistent procedures, and other inefficiencies that may create unnecessary burdens for families navigating the court system.

Family law reform has periodically surfaced during previous legislative sessions, but this directive suggests Senate leadership is interested in identifying procedural improvements that could create greater consistency while maintaining the best interests of children.

Rather than signaling sweeping changes to substantive family law, this charge appears more focused on improving the administration and efficiency of existing court processes.

Water Policy Continues to Be a Long-Term Legislative Focus

Water infrastructure remains one of Texas's most significant long-term policy challenges, and this latest announcement reinforces that reality.

The Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs has been tasked with studying management of the Pecos River Basin, including declining water availability, interstate coordination under the Pecos River Compact, governance of local water districts, environmental flow requirements, and the potential beneficial reuse of treated produced water.

Although geographically focused, the issues raised extend well beyond West Texas. Population growth, economic expansion, energy production, agricultural demands, and prolonged drought continue placing increasing pressure on Texas water resources. Legislative discussions surrounding water infrastructure, storage, conservation, and long-term planning have expanded considerably over recent sessions, and these new directives suggest that trend will continue into 2027.

What the New Interim Charges Signal

Viewed alongside the January and March interim charges, a broader picture begins to emerge. The Senate continues to devote significant attention to issues involving public safety, education, property taxes, energy, infrastructure, government accountability, technology, and constitutional rights. This latest package adds additional emphasis on consumer protection, religious liberty, digital policy, family court administration, and regional water management.

Just as importantly, the charges reflect an effort to address both immediate policy concerns and longer-term structural issues that may require legislative action over multiple sessions.

Not every interim charge will ultimately produce legislation, and not every committee recommendation will become law. However, these studies often shape the conversation months before bills are formally filed, making them one of the earliest indicators of where legislative leadership intends to focus its attention.

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