Senate Committee on Finance - 86th R.S. (2019)
Committee: | Senate Finance | |
Title: | Interim Report | |
Subjects: | Business taxes | Community Development Block Grants | Computer networks | Disaster relief | Investment of public funds | Property taxes | State government contracts | Tax and expenditure limits | University finance | University research | | |
Library Call Number: | L1836.86 F49 | |
Session: | 86th R.S. (2019) | |
Online version: | View report [41 pages File size: 3,210 kb] | |
Charges: | This report should address the charges below. | |
1. | Investment of State Funds: Review the investment strategies and performance of funds invested through the Teacher Retirement System, the Permanent School Fund, and university funds. Make recommendations to better coordinate and leverage Texas' purchasing power to maximize investment income to the state. | |
2. | Agency Technology: Review current and prospective technology related purchases and upgrades in state agencies. Identify areas of overlap and make recommendations to eliminate duplication, improve efficiency, save costs, and improve performance. | |
3. | Spending Limit: Examine options and make recommendations for strengthening restrictions on appropriations established in Article VIII, Section 22, of the Texas Constitution, including related procedures defined in statute. Consider options for ensuring available revenues above spending limit are reserved for tax relief. | |
4. | Higher Education Research Programs: Create a comprehensive list of research projects conducted by higher education institutions that are funded by state expenditures, including an inventory of funding streams and programs supporting identified research projects. Identify best practice methods to improve efficiency and coordination of research among university systems, eliminate duplication, and align research projects with the goals of the state. | |
5. | Business Personal Property Tax: Study the economic dynamics of the current business personal property tax. Consider the economic and fiscal effects of increased exemptions to the business personal property tax, versus its elimination. Following such study, make recommended changes to law. | |
6. | Natural Disaster Funding: Review federal, state, and local eligibility and receipt of disaster funds from Community Development Block Grants -Disaster Relief and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Identify any barriers to the effective utilization of those funds and recommend any changes to statute, rule, or practice to promote the efficient deployment of those funds and expedite recovery by affected citizens, businesses, and communities. |
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