Committee Summary
Committee Members (9)
- Chairman: State Sen. Brian Birdwell (R-Granbury)
- Vice-Chairman: State Sen. Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo)
- Members:
- State Sen. Carol Alvarado (D-Houston)
- State Sen. César Blanco (D-El Paso)
- State Sen. Kelly Hancock (R-North Richland Hills)
- State Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola)
- State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham)
- State Sen. Borris L. Miles (D-Houston)
- State Sen. Kevin Sparks (R-Midland)
Committee Partisan Split
5R – 4D
Committee Efficiency
| Legislation Referred to Committee | Legislation Voted Out of Committee | Overall Efficiency |
|---|---|---|
| 253 | 87 | 34.39% |
Number of Committee Meetings: 19
| Legislation Status | HBs | HJRs | HCRs | SBs | SJRs | SCRs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Referred to Committee | 90 | 0 | 1 | 162 | 0 | 2 |
| Voted Out of Committee | 46 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 2 |
| Efficiency | 51.11% | – | 0% | 24.07% | – | 100% |
Committee Jurisdiction
The Texas Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Economic Development is responsible for overseeing a variety of issues related to the state’s natural resources and economic growth. The committee’s key areas of jurisdiction include:
- Economic Development Programs: The committee reviews programs under Chapters 380 and 381 of the Local Government Code to assess their benefits in generating economic development. It makes recommendations for improvements to enhance transparency, accountability, and effectiveness.
- Hotel Occupancy Taxes: The committee studies the collection and use of hotel occupancy taxes, evaluates the effectiveness of rebates and incentives, and explores the feasibility of creating a standard legislative template to streamline the evaluation of related bills.
- Natural Gas Storage and Infrastructure: The committee examines the economic benefits of expanding Texas’s underground natural gas storage capacity and infrastructure. It investigates additional opportunities for natural gas transportation and makes relevant recommendations.
- Wildfire Management and Prescribed Burns: The committee looks into methods to reduce the risk and impact of wildfires. It monitors the role of the Prescribed Burning Board and recommends practices for public and private landowners to mitigate fire risks.
- Monitoring Implementation of Legislation: The committee monitors the implementation of significant legislation passed by the Texas Legislature, such as Senate Bill 13 (state contracts with energy boycotting companies), House Bill 1247 (work-based learning framework), House Bill 1284 (regulation of carbon dioxide storage), House Bill 3973 (study on abandoned oil and gas wells), and House Bill 4110 (registration of metal recycling).
Committee Contact Information
Capitol Location
Sam Houston Building, 325
Phone Number
(512) 463-0390
