The Lt. Governor has recently released the list of issues to be studied by Senate committees during the legislative interim.  For a complete listing, view the entire document here:

http://www.senate.state.tx.us/assets/pdf/InterimCharges2008.pdf 

Here is a brief run-down of some of the topics to be reviewed, arranged by committee:

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

• implementation of Senate Bill 103, the TYC reform bill 
• drug prevention, esp. "cheese" heroin and meth
• effectiveness of TDCJ's increased budget for rehabilitation
• oversight and accountability for local asset forfeiture funds
• deferred adjudication
• delays in resolution of criminal cases involving child victims
• inmate re-entry to free society
• joinder/severance of capital murder defendants
• mentally ill offenders (*joint charge with STATE AFFAIRS committee)
• impact of Senate Bill 909, the TDCJ sunset legislation
• copper theft

FINANCE

• funding of county public hospitals

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

• CPS caseloads
• foster care
• preventing child abuse

JURISPRUDENCE

• SAPCRs involving non-parents/grandparents
• new tools for child abuse cases, including changes to the rules of evidence
• increasing jury participation through note-taking, asking questions, etc.

STATE AFFAIRS

• voting fraud
• illegal gambling, including eight-liners

TRANSPORTATION AND HOMELAND SECURITY

• HPD crime lab and other urban crime labs 
• illegal immigration, drug trafficking, human smuggling, and border crime (*joint charge with INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND TRADE committee)
• compliance and collection under Driver Responsibility Program (aka "surcharges")