Speaker Straus Assigns House Interim Charges
Rep. Joe Straus, Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, issued interim charges to each committee in the House on Monday, October 23, 2017. The charges list areas that the committees will study and discuss prior to the 86th legislative session, which begins in January 2019. Of the 35 committees that received charges, 31 will consider issues related to Hurricane Harvey.
The House Committee on Insurance is tasked with assessing Harvey’s impact on the insurance market in Texas, including an evaluation of the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) and Texas FAIR Plan Association. The committee is also responsible for clarifying common homeowners’ insurance policy forms and examining the status of the health insurance market in Texas, among others, but no charges specifically related to the surplus lines market were assigned.
Due to the devastating floods caused by Harvey, the House Committee on Natural Resources has been tasked with examining projects designed to control flooding and mitigation efforts, as well as studying available data related to flood risk and determining the best methods to provide state funds for flood infrastructure needs.
Each committee will present their findings to the House prior to the next legislative session. A list of the charges in their entirety can be viewed online.