House Committee on General Investigating #
Website #
Membership; jurisdiction; bills in committee; and meeting schedule, minutes, handouts, witness lists, and broadcast archives available on website.
Purpose/Jurisdiction #
“(a) The committee shall have five members of the house appointed by the speaker. The speaker shall appoint the chair and the vice-chair of the committee.
“(b) The committee has all the powers and duties of a general investigating committee and shall operate as the general investigating committee of the house according to the procedures prescribed by Subchapter B, Chapter 301, Government Code, and the rules of the house, as applicable.
- “(b-1) The committee may begin work as soon as it desires after its members are appointed. The committee shall meet, organize, and adopt rules of evidence and procedure and any other necessary rules. The committee rules may not conflict with Section 301.025, Government Code.
- “(b-2) Whether or not the legislature is in session, the committee may meet at any time or place in the state determined necessary by the committee.
- “(b-3) If the committee decides not to conduct joint hearings as provided by Section 301.019, Government Code, the committee shall establish a liaison to fully inform the chair of the senate committee of the nature and progress of any inquiry by the other committee.
- “(b-4) On a majority vote of the committee, the committee may conduct joint hearings and investigations.
- “(b-5) The committee may:
- “(1) initiate or continue inquiries and hearings concerning:
- “(A) state government;
- “(B) any agency or subdivision of government within the state;
- “(C) the expenditure of public funds at any level of government within the state; and
- “(D) any other matter the committee considers necessary for the information of the legislature or for the welfare and protection of state citizens; and
- “(A) state government;
- “(2) inspect the records, documents, and files and may examine
the duties, responsibilities, and activities of each state department, agency, and officer and of each municipality, county, or other political subdivision of the state.
- “(1) initiate or continue inquiries and hearings concerning:
- “(b-6) If a person disobeys a subpoena or other process that the committee lawfully issues, the committee may cite the person for contempt and cause the person to be prosecuted for contempt according to the procedure prescribed by Subchapter B, Chapter 301, Government Code, or by other law.
- “(b-7) The committee shall make reports to members of the legislature that the committee determines are necessary and appropriate.
- “(b-8) Information held by the committee that if held by a law enforcement agency or prosecutor would be excepted from the requirements of Section 552.021, Government Code, under Section 552.108 of that code is confidential and not subject to public disclosure.
- “(b-9) If for any reason it is necessary to obtain assistance in addition to the services provided by the state auditor, attorney general, Texas Legislative Council, or Department of Public Safety, the committee may employ and compensate assistants to assist in any investigation, audit, or legal matter.
“(c) The committee may investigate a matter related to the misconduct, malfeasance, misfeasance, abuse of office, or incompetency of an individual or officer under Chapter 665, Government Code. The committee has all the powers and duties conferred by that chapter for the purpose of conducting the investigation, including the authority to propose articles of impeachment.
“(d) The committee has original jurisdiction over the receipt, processing, investigation, and resolution of complaints related to appropriate workplace conduct under Rule 15, the housekeeping resolution, and policies adopted by the Committee on House Administration. If a complaint relates to the conduct of a member of the committee, that member’s employee, or an individual related to the member or the member’s employee within the third degree by consanguinity or within the second degree by affinity as determined under Chapter 573, Government Code:
- “(1) the member shall not participate in any committee proceedings related to the complaint; and
- “(2) the speaker shall designate a member of the house drawn by lot under Subsection (e) of this section to act in the place of the disqualified member. The designation of a member under this subsection ends when the committee makes its final disposition of the complaint.
“(e) When a member of the committee is disqualified under Subsection (d) of this section, the chief clerk shall prepare a list of the currently qualified members of the house, omitting the names of the speaker, the disqualified member, each other member of the committee, and any member elected from the same county as the disqualified member. The chief clerk shall write on a separate piece of paper of uniform size and color the name of each member that appears on the prepared list. The chief clerk shall deposit the pieces of paper in an opaque container that is designed to permit the random distribution of the pieces of paper after their initial deposit and to prevent the viewing of any of the pieces of paper at any time. After the pieces of paper are randomly distributed in the container, the sergeant-at-arms shall draw a single piece of paper and deliver that piece of paper to the chief clerk. The chief clerk shall inform the speaker of the name drawn by the sergeant-at-arms for designation under Subsection (d)” (House Rules, 87th Legislature, 2021).
Joint Legislative Audit Committee #
Website #
Membership available on website.
Purpose/Jurisdiction #
“The State Auditor serves under the general guidance of, and is responsible to, the six-member Legislative Audit Committee (LAC), a permanent standing joint committee of the State Legislature” (Texas State Auditor’s Office website).
“(a) The legislative audit committee consists of:
- “the lieutenant governor;
- “the speaker of the house of representatives;
- “the chairman of the senate finance committee;
- “one member of the senate appointed by the lieutenant governor;
- “the chairman of the house appropriations committee; and
- “the chairman of the house ways and means committee.
“(b) In the absence of the chairman of a house or senate committee, the vice-chairman of the respective committee shall act.
“(c) Members of the committee serve without compensation but are entitled to actual and necessary expenses incurred in performing official duties.
“(d) The committee shall employ necessary clerical assistants as allowed by legislative appropriation.
“(e) The lieutenant governor and the speaker are joint chairs of the committee. The committee shall elect one member to serve as secretary” (TX Govt Code § 321.002).
