Legislative Intelligence
The Speaker Just Showed You Where to Show Up
Speaker Burrows' interim charges tell House committees what to study before the 2027 session. For data center developers, energy companies, and infrastructure investors, this is your window to shape the conversation.
By James Dickey | March 2026
What Are Interim Charges?
Interim charges are directives from the Speaker to sitting committees of the 89th Legislature. The second called session adjourned sine die September 4, 2025, but the Legislature's committees remain active during the interim. Their studies, hearings, and reports help guide what legislation gets filed when the 90th Legislature convenes January 2027.
The full charges are in the official PDF from the Speaker's office. What follows is our analysis of the charges that matter most for data center developers, energy companies, and infrastructure investors.
The committees to watch: State Affairs (data center regulatory streamlining, SB 6 review, microgrids, battery storage), Natural Resources (data center water use, Rio Grande Compact), Ways and Means (property tax relief, tax incentive review), and Homeland Security (foreign ownership of critical infrastructure, adversary influence). All four received charges that directly touch data center, energy, and infrastructure policy.
Why This Matters Now
The interim's when testimony gets heard, relationships get built, and positions get established. Companies that engage during interim hearings shape the text. Companies that wait until session starts react to it.
If you're building, investing, or operating in Texas, the next 10 months are your window. The committees are staffed. The hearing rooms are getting booked. The only question is whether you're in the room when the 2027 agenda takes shape.
Both chambers are looking at the same targets. Lt. Gov. Patrick's Senate charges (released January 30, 2026) share three priorities with the House: property tax relief, foreign threats, and government spending oversight. When both chambers study the same topic, legislation's more likely in the next session.
The Analysis
Data Centers, Water, and the Grid
Two committees received explicit data center charges. State Affairs studies regulatory streamlining, SB 6, and grid resilience. Natural Resources studies water. The window to influence is open.
Read ArticleProperty Tax, Tax Incentives, and Local Government Spending
The "economic impact of exemptions" language in Ways and Means is the sentence data center developers need to read. Ch312/Ch313 implications ahead.
Foreign Ownership, Critical Infrastructure, and Workforce Security
Four charges across two committees target foreign involvement in Texas critical infrastructure. Data centers are critical infrastructure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Texas House interim charges?
Interim charges are directives from the Speaker to House committees to study specific policy areas between legislative sessions. The 89th Legislature's second called session adjourned sine die on September 4, 2025, but committees remain active during the interim. Their studies, hearings, and reports help guide what legislation gets filed when the 90th Legislature convenes in January 2027. JD Key Consulting monitors interim hearings and advises clients on engagement strategy.
What did Speaker Burrows prioritize in his 2026 interim charges?
Speaker Burrows assigned charges covering data center development and water use, property tax relief and tax incentive review, foreign ownership of critical infrastructure, grid resilience, microgrids, battery storage, nuclear energy, and workforce security. He also created three new select committees on governmental oversight, health care affordability, and general aviation. JD Key Consulting analyzes these charges for their impact on data center, energy, and infrastructure clients.
How can companies participate in Texas interim hearings?
Companies can request invitations to testify before committees, submit written testimony, and build relationships with committee chairs and members during the interim. The window to influence the 2027 session agenda is during these studies, before bills are drafted. JD Key Consulting helps clients identify relevant committees, prepare testimony, and develop interim engagement strategies.
How do the House interim charges relate to the Senate's?
Lt. Gov. Patrick released Senate interim charges on January 30, 2026. Both chambers share priorities on property tax relief, foreign threats, and government spending oversight. When both chambers study the same topic, it increases the probability of legislation in the next session. JD Key Consulting tracks both chambers for clients working through Texas policy.
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The interim is where the 2027 session takes shape. Are you in the room?
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