By State Rep. Ken Paxton
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas The Texas Sunset Review Commission was established by the Legislature in 1977 to review the functions and operations of state agencies. In 2012
the Sunset Commission is reviewing 24 of the following state agencies including the Texas Education Agency.
The Commission is charged with reviewing each state agency every 12 years to identify and eliminate waste duplication of services and inefficiencies in government agencies.
The Sunset Commission is comprised of 10 Legislators 5 Senators appointed by the Lt. Governor and 5 Representatives appointed by the Speaker as well as 2 public members.
In even-numbered years the Sunset Review Commission performs a review of the current agency laws functions and procedures and makes recommendations to the Legislature for approximately 25 agencies. During the ensuing legislative session the Legislature works on legislation that pertains to each of the agencies that were under review and makes decisions as to maintain or eliminate the agency or specific agency programs merge the necessary
functions of the agency and determine operating efficiencies within each agency.
In 2012 the Texas Sunset Review Commission is reviewing the following 24 state agencies:
- Texas Board of Architectural Examiners
- Texas Commission on the Arts
- Correctional Managed Health Care Committee
- Texas Board and Department of Criminal Justice
- Texas Education Agency
- Texas Board of Professional Engineers
- Texas Ethics Commission
- Texas Facilities Commission
- Office of Fire Fighters Pension Commissioner
- Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
- Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs
- Department of Information Resources
- State Commission on Judicial Conduct
- Texas Lottery Commission
- Board of Pardons and Paroles
- State Pension Review Board
- Port Authority of Houston
- State Preservation Board
- Procurement and Support Services Division of the Texas Comptrollers Office
- Public Utilities Commission of Texas
- Railroad Commission of Texas
- Self-Directed Semi-Independent Agency Project Act
- State Employee Charitable Campaign Policy Committee
- Windham School District within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice
The Texas Sunset Review Commission begins their public meeting schedule to take testimony and make recommendations on these agencies beginning in April.
Citizens are encouraged to participate in the process by either providing public testimony or submitting comments regarding the agency under review.
Please refer to the following link for information about the public participation opportunities:
http://www.sunset.state.tx.us/process.html.
