Similarly, the Lieutenant Governor assigns interim charges in the Senate.  Each committee will typically hold hearings in order to study the issues to which they were assigned and will conclude the studies with a report submitted to the Speaker prior to the legislative session.

Speaker Tom Craddick recently announced the charges for House committees.   This interim, there are thirty-six regular committees to which interim charges are assigned.  This week's column will begin a series of Capitol Watches in which I will share some highlights of the interim charges for a few legislative committees of interest.  The charges are good indicators of what legislation the legislature will take up during the next session.  Legislators rely on public input when crafting legislation, and it is important that they hear from people during the interim. 

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY:

·  Study the problem of identity theft and the impact of identity theft legislation enacted in recent legislative sessions. Examine the problem of electronic data breaches, as well as the feasibility of requiring periodic destruction of records for businesses and state entities to limit exposure to identity theft. Examine the issue of personal information contained in publicly available government records. Recommend any legislative changes needed to combat the problem.

·   Study the original purposes, development, and current need for the Subsequent

Injury Fund and determine whether this fund should be continued or altered. Study the problem of digital piracy and make recommendations for legislative changes to address the problem facing movie producers and distributors, retailers, book publishers, the music industry, universities, and other copyright holders of creative content. This review should include an examination of the impact on state and local government sales tax revenues.

·  Monitor the Texas workers' compensation system, and the continued

implementation of the reforms passed by the 79th Legislature, by the Texas Department of Insurance and other state agencies. (Joint Interim Charge with the House Committee on Insurance)

·   Monitor the agencies and programs under the committee's jurisdiction:

State Office of Risk Management; the Risk Management Board; the Division of Workers' Compensation of the Texas Department of Insurance; and the Texas Mutual Insurance Company Board of Directors.

The House Committee on Business and Industry can be reached at 512-463-0766.  For more information on these charges or any other matter of state government, please contact my office by writing to P.O. Box 2910, Austin, TX 78768-2910 or by emailing me at larry.phillips@house.state.tx.us.   

My district office phone number is (903) 891-7297.