Texas House
Select Committee
A select committee with broad jurisdiction over the accountability and integrity of the management and operation of state government and political subdivisions, including compliance with state and federal law, governmental immunity, open records and meetings laws, and territorial jurisdiction.
Committee Leadership
Committee Composition
Committee Size
13 Members
Republicans
8
Democrats
5
Committee Partisan Split
8R – 5D
Committee Membership
Interim Charges
- Texas Regulatory Consistency Act: Conduct a full-scale review of local ordinances repealed or modified since the effective date of the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act. Investigate and identify local ordinances that conflict with the Act and determine whether local governments are unlawfully enforcing such ordinances. Review any suits filed to enforce preemption and explore the need for alternative means of enforcement. Identify additional regulatory areas where local governments have sought to supplant the state as the exclusive or primary regulator, directly or indirectly, and make recommendations to help small businesses by reducing regulatory inconsistency.
- Texas-New Mexico Boundary: Study the constitutional, statutory, fiscal, and economic implications of adding to Texas one or more contiguous counties of New Mexico. Provide a detailed analysis of pertinent provisions of the United States Constitution, the Texas Constitution, the New Mexico Constitution, relevant federal and state statutes, and applicable judicial precedent. Identify and outline all procedural steps required at both the state and federal level necessary to admit territory currently part of New Mexico into Texas. Recommend drafts of any requisite legislation or resolutions to initiate the process.
- Texas Tort Claims Act: Examine governmental immunity and the Texas Tort Claims Act. Review relevant case law and determine whether amendments to the Act are warranted to clarify or update its provisions.
- Safeguarding Taxpayer Funds: Study how local governments appropriate public funds to, or otherwise contract with, third-party consultants and nongovernmental organizations for services, including those related to health and human services, public safety, and homelessness policies. Assess trends in third-party services spending and evaluate risks and benefits. Examine the degree of influence third-party consultants and nongovernmental organizations exert on matters of public policy and make recommendations to prevent conflicts of interest and ensure full transparency and accountability in the expenditure of taxpayer funds.
- Prosecutorial Integrity: Evaluate the involvement of for-profit and nonprofit nongovernmental organizations and consultants in local prosecutorial functions. Identify the impact on prosecutors’ independence and any ethical concerns. Review external entities’ access to case-related information, the allocation or utilization of public funds in support of their activities connected to prosecution, and any impact on prosecutorial policies or individual case decisions. Consider procurement practices, whether scope of work is clearly defined, and transparency sufficiency. Determine whether legislative measures are recommended to ensure that prosecutorial determinations remain grounded exclusively in applicable state law and case-specific facts, and are free from undue influence.
- Education Foundations: Examine the role and structure of education foundations that are affiliated with Texas public school districts, including the scope and sources of their revenues and the nature of their financial relationships with school districts. Review the practice of public funds being transferred to or used by these foundations. Assess the applicability of state transparency, reporting, and oversight laws, and determine whether existing law adequately ensures accountability, prevents conflicts of interest, and protects taxpayer resources.
- Texas Public Information Act: Study the applicability of the Texas Public Information Act, the entities currently subject to the Act, its effectiveness, and the necessity of current exemptions from public disclosure. Additionally, review requirements related to public notices and make recommendations to improve citizen awareness and transparency.
Committee Jurisdiction
The committee has broad jurisdiction over all matters pertaining to the accountability and integrity of the management and operation of state government and political subdivisions, including:
- Compliance (or non-compliance) with Federal and state law and regulations related to management and operation of state and local entities (and public and private instrumentalities and organizations utilized or relied upon to manage, direct, operate, or otherwise provide governmental services or perform governmental functions);
- Adequacy of Federal and state laws, including laws related to governmental immunity and liability, that adversely affect the health, welfare, and safety of Texas residents;
- Application of public information, public notice, and open meetings laws; and
- Designation of appropriate territorial jurisdictions for the state and local subdivisions to ensure effective provision of governmental services and functions and the protection of the state’s interests.
Committee Contact Information
Capitol Location
EXT E1.314
Phone Number
(512) 463-0564
Committee Clerk
Edward Jaaz
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