Summary of Sunset Legislation 82nd Legislature (July 2011)
Report to the 82nd Legislature (February 2011)
The 82nd Legislature examined 29 entities under Sunset review, including four entities not subject to abolishment. Six entities were abolished during this cycle. The Legislature passed legislation that continued the remaining 19 agencies, making significant changes to many of these agencies. Changes enacted through Sunset legislation resulted in more than $161 million in expected savings and revenue gains over the next biennium.
Most significantly, the Legislature abolished and merged the functions of the Texas Youth Commission and Texas Juvenile Probation Commission into a single new agency, the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. The Legislature also abolished the Coastal Coordination Council, On-site Wastewater Treatment Research Council, and Equine Research Account Advisory Committee. The Electronic Government Program Management Office of the Department of Information Resources expired without legislative action due to its inactive status.
Four agencies were continued for only two years and placed under Sunset review again for the 2012-13 biennium. This included the Railroad Commission of Texas and Public Utility Commission of Texas, whose Sunset bills failed to pass; and the Department of Information Resources and Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, whose Sunset bills passed but were later vetoed by the Governor, a historic first. Subsequent legislation allowed these two agencies to continue for two years.
Agencies Continued in 2011
- Emergency Communications, Commission on State
- Environmental Quality, Texas Commission on
- Forest Service, Texas
- Hearing Instruments, State Committee of Examiners in the Fitting and Dispensing of
- Housing and Community Affairs, Texas Department of
- Housing Corporation, Texas State Affordable
- Information Resources, Department of
- Injured Employee Counsel, Office of
- Insurance, Texas Department of
- Insurance Counsel, Office of Public
- Public Finance Authority, Texas
- Public Utility Commission of Texas
- Public Utility Counsel, Office of
- Racing Commission, Texas
- Railroad Commission of Texas
- Soil and Water Conservation Board, Texas State
- Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, State Board of Examiners for
- Transportation, Texas Department of
- Workers’ Compensation of TDI, Division of
Agencies Abolished in 2011
- Electronic Government Program Management Office of the Department of Information Resources
- Equine Research Account Advisory Committee
Agencies Abolished with Functions Transferred in 2011
- Coastal Coordination Council
- Juvenile Probation Commission, Texas
- On-site Wastewater Treatment Research Council
- Youth Commission, Texas