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THE TEXAS DISPATCH

Under the Dome

Inside the Texas Legislature -- bills, votes, and committee action from the Texas House and Senate.

Latest in Under the Dome
Interim Hearings

House Natural Resources Panel to Take Water Planning to the Valley, Weigh New-Supply Fund

The Texas House Committee on Natural Resources will gavel in at 10 a.m. Aug. 24 at Weslaco City Hall to hear invited testimony on the state and regional water planning process, the project types eligible for the New Water Supply for Texas Fund, oversight of the Texas Water Development Board and implementation of a 2025 law on jointly operated water and sewer utilities.

By The Texas Dispatch · Aug 17 · 4 min read
Economy

House Ag Committee to Review Farm-Loan Overhaul, Weigh Future of Texas Agriculture

The Texas House Committee on Agriculture & Livestock will gavel in at 11 a.m. Aug. 18 to take invited and public testimony on three interim charges: implementation of last year's overhaul of the state's farm-lending authority, the long-term resiliency of Texas agriculture, and oversight of the 14 state agencies under the panel's jurisdiction.

By The Texas Dispatch · Aug 14 · 3 min read
Health Care

Rep. Katrina Pierson Details 12-Part Texas Women’s Health Initiative Built on Prevention and Early Detection

State Representative Katrina Pierson has laid out a 12-part legislative package under the banner of the Texas Women's Health Initiative, pairing six women's health proposals with six broader medical measures aimed at prevention, early detection, treatment access and protecting the physician-patient relationship, according to an Aug. 12 news release and initiative materials from her office.

By The Texas Dispatch · Aug 13 · 4 min read
Agencies

Texas House Government Efficiency Committee to Review Cyber Command, AI Fraud Detection and Data Privacy

The Texas House Committee on Delivery of Government Efficiency will gavel in at 9 a.m. Aug. 19 to hear invited and public testimony on the rollout of three laws it shepherded through the 89th Legislature — including the one that created the Texas Cyber Command — plus interim charges on using artificial intelligence to catch fraud, the effectiveness of the state's data privacy law and oversight of three agencies under its jurisdiction.

By The Texas Dispatch · Aug 12 · 3 min read
Agencies

‘Fire almost doubles in size every 60 seconds’: Texas takes stock of its wildfire defenses

Two and a half years after a snapped utility pole ignited the largest wildfire in Texas history, the Senate Committee on Natural Resources spent more than three hours Tuesday auditing every layer of the state's wildfire defenses — and heard that the machinery lawmakers built in 2025 is largely on schedule, but that the hardest questions, from powerline liability to who approves a utility's mitigation plan, are already queued up for the next Legislature.

By The Texas Dispatch · Aug 12 · 6 min read