Senate Committee on Natural Resources & Economic Development
NOTE: This is archived committee information from the 85th Legislative Session.
Committee Information
CHAIR
Brian Birdwell
VICE-CHAIR
Judith Zaffirini
MEMBERS
Konni Burton
Kelly Hancock
Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa
Don Huffines
Borris L. Miles
José RodrÃguez
Kel Seliger
Van Taylor
CLERK:
Paige McGhee
TEL:
(512) 463-0390
LOCATION:
Sam Houston Building, 325
Video/Audio — Archives
85th Session Interim
- September 5, 2018
- February 1, 2018 — Road Meeting in Houston, TX (audio only.)
85th Regular Session
- May 19, 2017 — Audio only.
- May 18, 2017
- May 17, 2017 — Audio only.
- May 16, 2017 (Part I, Part II)
- May 9, 2017
- May 3, 2017 — Audio only.
- May 2, 2017 (Part I, Part II)
- April 25, 2017
- April 18, 2017 (Part I, Part II)
- April 11, 2017 (Part I, Part II)
- April 4, 2017 (Part I, Part II)
- March 30, 2017
- March 28, 2017
- March 21, 2017 (Part I, Part II)
- March 14, 2017 (Part I, Part II)
- March 2, 2017
Interim Charges
- Hotel Occupancy Taxes: Study and make recommendations regarding the collection and use of hotel occupancy taxes to increase transparency in the imposition, rate, and use of such taxes.
- Regulatory Barriers: Identify options to maintain our state's competitive advantage and make recommendations to remove or reduce administrative or regulatory barriers hindering economic growth, including permitting or registration requirements and fees.
- Environmental Safety: Study the strategies and best practices for ensuring environmental safety during maintenance, startup, and shutdown activities due to emergencies. Recommend actions to improve safety without compromising compliance or penalizing good actors.
- Waste Disposal Regulation: Study the permitting and compliance processes for waste disposal and processing, including evaluating the criteria for approval, denial, and application return. Make recommendations for improving and streamlining the permitting and compliance processes while maximizing public participation for effective outreach and education. Review the allocation of the Municipal Solid Waste disposal fees and make recommendations regarding allocation methods to adequately support existing programs.
- Monitoring: Conduct legislative oversight and monitoring of the agencies and programs under the committee's jurisdiction and the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 85th Legislature, including:
- Texas Railroad Commission Sunset and funding;
- Environmental Regulatory and Legal Primacy; and
- The effectiveness of emission reductions recognized from the Texas Emissions Reduction Program (TERP) and grant flexibility.
