By Julie Tomascik
Editor
The new year signals the start of interim studies and committee work for the Texas Legislature. As freshman legislators and seasoned colleagues return to Austin, Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) leaders and staff prepare to advocate for agriculture and the organization’s priority issues.
During the non-legislative year, policy issues are assigned to committees in the Texas Senate by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and in the Texas House by Speaker Dennis Bonnen. Associations and other experts are invited to testify on issues pertaining to the various committees.
“The interim studies are a starting point for preparing for the next legislative session,” Billy Howe, TFB associate director of Government Affairs, said. “It’s also an opportunity for Texas Farm Bureau to give our input early before they start drafting legislation.”
Eminent domain, rural broadband, business personal property tax, rural health care and groundwater regulations are among the interim topics the Senate is studying.
“The Senate Natural Resources and Economic Committee and Water and Rural Affairs Committee have been charged with studying eminent domain,” Howe said. “They’ll be looking at the current law regarding the balance of private property rights and continued improvement in oil and gas infrastructure.”
TFB led a strong effort to reform eminent domain in the previous legislative session that was, unfortunately, unsuccessful.
“We have not given up on this issue,” Howe said. “We asked for both the House and Senate to study eminent domain abuse and private property rights. This is a start to continuing the conversations next session and finding legislative recommendations that support strengthening private property rights.”
The House’s eminent domain interim charge will focus on the landowner’s bill of rights in the condemnation process.
“We are disappointed that the House study is limited to the landowner’s bill of rights,” Howe said. “We need changes in the law to fix eminent domain abuse. Modifying the landowner bill of rights won’t fix low-ball offers or ensure landowners get basic protections in the easement document.”
The Senate Finance Committee is charged with studying the economic and fiscal effects of increased exemptions to the business personal property tax versus its elimination.
Ways to improve health care delivery in rural and medically-underserved areas of the state is one of the issues the Senate Health & Human Services Committee will examine and research during the interim.
The House is studying hemp production, potential drift effects of pesticide application, food labels, growth challenges of energy-producing regions, infrastructure at seaports and land ports, regional and state water plans, rural health care, drone technology and property taxes, among others.
The House Committee on Agriculture & Livestock will study food labels. The focus will be on how traditional agriculture is effected by labeling food products in Texas—particularly when using terms to describe products from animals, products produced in labs and other imitation products. The charge also includes dairy and produce.
Howe noted the House Committee on Energy Resources will study the impact energy explorations and production have on state and county roads, infrastructure, health care, education and public safety.
Throughout the year, the committees will ask for testimony and information regarding the various topics.
“We will be invited to testify on several of these topics since they pertain to farmers, ranchers and rural Texas. If we’re not invited, we’ll request to testify in order to provide information from our members’ points of view,” Howe said.