Legislative Activity Between the Sessions:
Impacts on the Business and Legal Community

Wednesday, April 14, 2010
11:30am Registration & Lunch | 12-1pm Program
  
Club Giraud
701 N. Saint Mary’s Street, San Antonio, 78205

Speaker
Michael Jewell
Government Relations Counsel
Haynes and Boone, LLP

Between legislative sessions in Texas, there are no dead zones. Key activities that occur include the Sunset Advisory Commission Review Process and interim hearings of regular and special legislative committees. This year, as we near the 2011 session, is especially key. The Sunset Commission will review several key agencies including: Public Utility Commission of Texas, Railroad Commission, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, among many others. The Sunset Advisory Commission will  also  re-review agencies that were  examined last session, including the Texas Department of Transportation and  the Texas Department of Insurance. Not only will the existence and efficiency of  each of these agencies be reviewed, but fundamental policy directions will be at issue as well.  Any business that is regulated or otherwise impacted by the regulations of these agencies should pay close attention to the Sunset Advisory Commission process.  In addition, all of the House and Senate standing committees and several special interim committees have been charged with looking at issues that impact businesses in a variety of ways, including the evaluation of:

    • State tax systems, including the franchise tax, sales tax and property tax
    • Transportation funding
    • Municipal electric utility operations
    • State generation resources, including renewable resources
    • Expansion of energy efficiency programs
    • Broadband deployment throughout the state
    • Ground water management and the State Water Plan
    • Regulation of water and sewer utilities
    • EPA's regulation of GHGs
    • Health insurance issues including hospital billing and collection  practices 
    • Unemployment compensation fund
    • Licensing programs and potential creation of new programs
 
Our speaker will provide an update on the Sunset Advisory Commission and interim committee developments and their impacts on the business and legal communities.                                  

   MCLE

   1.0 Participatory Hour

                                                  Registration
                   Members & 1st time guests - FREE | Non-members - $50

                                     RSVP by Wednesday, April 7