Newsletter of Ernest Bailes for his constituents in district 18 discussing news, activities, and various updates related to work in the Texas legislature. It focuses on welcoming the 85th legislative session, a recap of Texas' biennial legislature, priorities for the 85th legislative session, committee assignments, and developing youth leaders.

This report has been prepared to fulfil requirements in the Stewardship and Oversight Agreement on Project Assumption and Program Oversight by and between Federal Highway Administration, Texas Division and the State of Texas Department of Transportation in 2017. This report describe local government interchangeable with local public agencies. Local government transportation project phase of project development environmental, design, right of way, utility relocation or construction.

Provides the hydro-geologic framework and characterization of the groundwater system in Lower Rio Grande Valley. Primary objective is to develop a numerical model to simulate impacts of brackish groundwater pumping by current and recommended future desalination plants in Lower Rio Grande Valley.

"This report provides a summary of the procedures used to analyze the existing flood problems and presents results and recommendations that were derived from the analyses."

Annual financial report of the Texas Optometry Board documenting income, expenditures, and other relevant financial information for fiscal year 2017.

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Authority of a municipality to use hotel occupancy tax revenue to fund a feasibility study and the construction; operation, and maintenance of a performing arts center (RQ-0122-KP).

Concurrent resolution introduced by the Texas House of Representatives and Senate authorizing the lieutenant governor and the speaker to appoint interim joint committees.

Joint resolution introduced by the Texas House of Representatives and Senate proposing a constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of part of the market value of the residence homestead of a partially disabled veteran or the surviving spouse of a partially disabled veteran if the residence homestead was donated to the disabled veteran by a charitable organization for less than the market value of the residence homestead and harmonizing certain related provisions of the Texas Constitution.

Concurrent resolution introduced by the Texas House of Representatives and Senate requesting the creation of a joint interim committee to study state judicial salaries.

Joint resolution introduced by the Texas House of Representatives and Senate proposing a constitutional amendment on professional sports team charitable foundations conducting charitable raffles.

Annual financial report of the State Pension Review Board documenting income, expenditures, and other relevant financial information for fiscal year 2017.

Annual financial report of the Texas Health Professions Council documenting income, expenditures, and other relevant financial information for fiscal year 2017.

This report provides background information and issues for Congress on the John Lewis (TAO205) class oiler shipbuilding program, previously known as the TAO(X) program, a program to build a new class of 20 fleet oilers for the Navy. The report also discusses budget requests for FY2018 and FY2019.

This report provides an overview of the third U.S. Treasury publiscation in a series of reports describing regulations of the financial system and ways that it could be improved. This report specifically addresses asset management and insurance with background information and recommendations for improvements.

This report discusses senate vacancies created by a member resigning, dying, or transferring to another position as well as the the procedures to fill them.

This report addresses the issue of concurrent receipt, which is when a person receives both military retirement pay and Veterans Administration (VA) disability pay in the full amounts due to them. It discusses the two primary components of the concurrent receipt program: Combat Related Special Compensation (CRSC) and Concurrent Retirement and Disability Payments (CRDP), and also reviews the possible legislative expansion of the program to additional populations with several potential options for Congress to consider.

This report provides a general discussion of legislative provisions and proposals relating to the military benefits for former spouses. Questions that this report seeks to answer include: What benefits can former spouses of members or retirees of the uniformed services receive under law? What role do the services play in facilitating delivery of those benefits? What practical problems arise in the implementation of and service involvement in claims on those benefits? How does the current system for a divorce-related division of military retired pay work?

This report provides background information and issues for Congress on the Navy's Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program. A total of 29 LCSs have been procured through FY2017. For FY2018, the Navy is requesting the procurement of 30th and 31st LCSs.

This report provides an overview of the elements of federal criminal money laundering statutes and the sanctions imposed for their violation. It includes an extensive overview and analysis of elements as well as legal attributes and consequences of violating various federal criminal statues related to money laundering, most specifically 18 U.S.C. § 1956, 1957, and 1952. The end of the report provides text of the statutes discussed, citations of state money laundering and money transmission statutes, and a list federal predicate offenses with their accompanying maximum terms of imprisonment.

This report discusses federal efforts to assist local law enforcement in adult missing persons cases. It discusses demographics and record keeping of missing adults and unidentified remains; federally-funded databases that are used to track data on missing adults and unidentified individuals; federal programs and initiatives to assist in locating missing adults, including funding data; and issues regarding the federal role in missing adult cases.

This report provides background information and issues for Congress on the LX(R) program, a program to build a new class of amphibious ships for the Navy. The report discusses the requested research and development funds in Navy's proposed FY2018 budget, with the intent of procuring the first LX(R) in FY2020.

This report provides an overview of Social Security financing and benefits under current law. The report covers a brief history of the program; Social Security financing and the status of the trust funds; how Social Security benefits are computed; the types of Social Security benefits available to workers and their family members; the basic eligibility requirements for each type of benefit; the scheduled increase in the Social Security retirement age; and the federal income taxation of Social Security benefits.

This report discuses the November 26, 2017 Honduran presidential elections including allegations of irregularity in the voting count and uncertainty over who the election winner is with only 89% of the vote counted as a of November 30th. It provides an overview of implications of the results of the election for the United States and their relations with Honduras.

This report presents background information and potential oversight issues for Congress on the Navy's Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) and Zumwalt (DDG-1000) class destroyer programs. The Navy's proposed FY2018 budget requests funding for the procurement of two DDG-51s, and authority for a new multiyear procurement (MYP) contract covering DDG-51s to be procured in FY2018-FY2022.