By Kingsville Independent Staff

KINGSVILLE — When the Texas Legislature gavels out at the end of its 140-day session, it may seem like state government goes quiet. In reality, a long stretch of planning and budget work begins. The period between sessions, known as the interim year, is when lawmakers study major issues, agencies prepare budget requests and groundwork is laid for the next two-year state budget.

Much of what will be debated in the next session begins here.

Texas has a biennial Legislature, which means lawmakers meet in regular session once every two years. The Texas Legislative Council explains that interim committees receive “charges”, topics they are directed to study, after the session ends. Committees then hold hearings, gather testimony and publish reports that can guide legislation once the next session convenes.

Interim charges often involve areas that affect daily life, including school finance, property taxes, water and infrastructure, border issues, public safety, higher education and health care.

Although no bills are passed during the interim, information gathered during this period can influence how future legislation is written and funded.

Early budget groundwork

The interim year overlaps with the first phase of the state’s two-year budget cycle. The Legislative Budget Board directs state agencies to prepare Legislative Appropriations Requests, or LARs, detailing how much funding they believe they will need for the next biennium and how it will be used.

These decisions matter locally. State funding affects public schools, universities, transportation, health programs and local government budgets across the Coastal Bend.

Later in the year, the state comptroller releases a revenue estimate outlining how much money is available to appropriate. That estimate sets parameters for the budget debate once lawmakers return to Austin.

Election-year overlap

Interim periods often coincide with election cycles. Candidates and officeholders spend this time traveling, meeting with residents and testing policy ideas that may eventually appear in bill form. Debates over taxes, education or infrastructure frequently circulate during the interim before any bill language is drafted.

Why the interim matters here

For Kingsville and Kleberg County, interim decisions can shape:

• school district funding and accountability
• higher education programs and university budgets
• drought response and water infrastructure planning
• property tax rules and appraisal policies
• rural health programs and Medicaid reimbursement rates

Local participation can also carry more weight now than during regular session. Hearings move at a slower pace; testimony can be more easily heard, and information submitted months in advance can influence how bills are drafted.

How to follow interim work

Residents who want to track interim activity can:

• watch committee hearings through the Texas Legislature’s online portal
• read interim committee reports once they are released
• review agency budget requests submitted to the Legislative Budget Board
• monitor revenue estimates issued by the state comptroller

Kingsville Independent News will follow interim developments affecting the Coastal Bend, especially in education, infrastructure and state funding.