Capitol Update

Lt. Governor Dan Patrick released the second round of Senate Interim Charges ahead of the 90th legislative session. Patrick released the first round of interim charges back in January for five committees. Those charges focused on opposing Sharia law, furthering property tax cuts, and the Texas electric grid. The new charges released today are a more extensive list, addressing a number of issues including data center growth, criminal justice, surrogacy exploitation, prediction market gambling, Texas' electric grid, and government accountability.

Patrick also continued to focus on banning hemp-based THC products, charging the Health and Human Services Committee with studying “the impact of THC on increased health care costs, mental health emergency detentions, and the risk of being diagnosed with a THC-induced psychotic disorder.”

There is some overlap between Speaker Burrows ' priorities that were released Thursday in the House Interim charges and the Senate Interim charges released today.

Data center growth is an issue for both chambers as the facilities expand throughout the state and demand resources. The committees on Business and Commerce, Finance, and Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs will each be examining and studying different aspects of data centers, including the growth, investment and state fiscal effects, and water demands of the energy-intensive technologies, respectively. Similar to the House's charges, Patrick included a focus on insurance companies aimed at ensuring a fair market and affordable coverage for Texans, as well as weeding out "fraud, waste, and abuse" in state-funded agencies and programs.

The Business and Commerce and Economic Development Committees each have a charge on Artificial Intelligence. Economic Development will be looking at preparing the Texas Workforce for AI while Business and Commerce will be monitoring the legislation implemented during the 89th legislative session.

In his press release, Patrick said, "There may be additional interim charges released for Senate committees to study in the coming months. He also mentioned a focus on property tax relief via his "Operation Double Nickel," which would lower the age to qualify for the senior homestead exemption from 65 years to 55, increase the standard homestead exemption by $40,000 to $180,000 in total, and place more restrictions on local governments' ability to tax and spend while still allowing for growth. Lt. Gov. Patrick and Gov. Greg Abbott differ in their plans for property tax relief, as the latter's plan focuses on an appraisal cap and local spending limits, which will likely result in a wedge between the two during the session.

Patrick concluded, "When the 90th Regular Legislative Session begins in January 2027, the Texas Senate will move quickly to address these priorities, and many more.”

WHAT'S NEXT?
The Senate has several interim committee hearings scheduled in the coming weeks. Starting next week, the Business and Commerce Committee is scheduled to meet on April 1st at 10 am; a full schedule of hearings can be found here.

Following the completion of interim hearings, committees will submit reports detailing their specific findings and policy recommendations before the 90th session is set to begin on January 12, 2027.