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Right Now at the Capitol: The Interim Work You Don’t See

Why AARP Texas stays active at the Capitol - even when it's quiet

Erik Estrada,

AARP Texas

Published June 08, 2026

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AUSTIN — On weekday spring and summer mornings of even-numbered years when the Legislature isn’t in session, the Texas Capitol can feel subdued. The crowds are gone. Committee rooms sit empty. The long debates and late‑night votes of a legislative session are a blurred memory.

But for advocates at AARP Texas and lawmakers at the Capitol, the work has not stopped.

“This is really the lead‑up to the next legislative session,” said Kathy Green, AARP Texas’ director of state and federal strategy. Issues studied during the interim, she said, often resurface later as legislation.

Texas lawmakers meet in regular session every two years, capped at 140 days — a narrow window to introduce bills, debate policy and pass a state budget.

Because of that tight schedule, much of the groundwork happens during the interim period, when legislative committees study issues, hear testimony and develop recommendations that shape what lawmakers will debate when they return in January 2027.

“The interim really affects what shows up in session,” Green said. “It’s basically generating ideas for the next session…ideas that then move through the legislative process.”

During the interim, committees in both the Texas House and Senate receive formal assignments issued by legislative leaders that direct lawmakers to examine specific topics.

“There’s a lot of opportunity throughout the interim for us to weigh in,” Green said. “We’re able to speak before committees, talk with members and really represent the 50‑plus population of Texas.”

Andrea Earl, associate state director who focuses on long‑term care, Medicaid, caregiving and consumer protections, said AARP Texas often serves as one of the few groups consistently speaking from a consumer perspective.

“Every day, we’re meeting with legislative offices,” said Stephanie Mace, associate state director whose advocacy areas include broadband, utilities and consumer protections. “Even when it’s not formal testimony, it’s about having conversations, sharing our members’ concerns and understanding what legislators are hearing from their districts.”

One issue emerging as a leading concern this interim is cryptocurrency kiosk fraud.

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“There are interim charges in both the House and the Senate,” Earl said. “That already tells you this is something lawmakers are paying attention to.”

The issue, she said, is not abstract.

“In plain terms, these machines are being used largely for criminal activity,” Earl said. “They’re taking advantage of people and transferring stolen money quickly and irreversibly.”

The interim isn’t just about what comes next. For AARP Texas, it’s also about ensuring laws passed in the last session are implemented properly.

That means frequent meetings with state agencies, particularly in health and human services, and monitoring leadership changes that can affect how programs operate.

“We’re constantly checking on progress and making sure priorities don’t fall through the cracks,” Earl said, adding that another major interim process happens simultaneously: sunset reviews when certain state agencies are evaluated on a scheduled cycle and can be restructured or eliminated.

“These reviews can completely change how services are delivered,” she said. “That’s why it’s critical for us to be paying attention and advocating during the interim.”

Advocates say interim work also comes with challenges.

“The interim is where a lot of decisions quietly take shape,” Earl said. “If you’re not paying attention then, it can be too late once session begins.”