Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has issued seven additional interim charges directing Texas Senate committees to study a range of issues ahead of the legislative session next year.
The new charges, announced Monday, build on the 74 interim charges Patrick released earlier this year and span online consumer protection, religious liberty, online safety for minors, family court proceedings, and water management.
Interim charges direct legislative committees to study issues between sessions and often serve as the foundation for legislation considered when lawmakers return to Austin.
“Today, I released an additional seven interim charges for Texas Senate committees to study in preparation for the 90th Texas Legislature, reflecting issues facing Texans for the Senate to study,” Patrick said in a statement. “We released 74 charges earlier this year, many of which have already had public Senate hearings.”
“Come January, the Senate and I will advance the priorities of Texas’ conservative majority,” he added.
The Senate Business and Commerce Committee was directed to examine online ticket sales practices, including price transparency, deceptive practices in the secondary ticket market, and whether changes to state consumer protection laws are needed.
Patrick also assigned three additional charges to the Senate Religious Liberty Committee. Lawmakers will compare Texas and federal religious liberty protections, evaluate whether additional safeguards are needed, examine ways to educate Texans about their religious liberty rights, and monitor implementation of Senate Bill 1049, which expanded excused public school absences for students attending released-time religious instruction.
The Senate State Affairs Committee received two new charges. One directs lawmakers to study protections for minors on online gaming platforms, including age verification, advertising directed at children, violent and sexual content, and communications between minors and adult strangers. Another instructs the committee to examine inefficiencies in Texas divorce and child custody proceedings and recommend reforms aimed at improving consistency, while prioritizing the best interests of children.
Meanwhile, the Senate Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs Committee was charged with studying long-term water management challenges in the Pecos River Basin. The review will include water availability, declining river flows, governance of the Red Bluff Water Power Control District, implementation of the Pecos River Compact, and the anticipated reuse of treated produced water.
Earlier interim charges issued by Patrick included studies on foreign influence and the application of foreign law in Texas courts, artificial intelligence and data center growth, property tax relief, election integrity, and other priorities expected to receive attention during next year’s legislative session.
