Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Final Results of Last Sunset Review

Continue

• Continue the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) for 12 years.

Permits and Licenses

• Authorize the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission to provide an opportunity to access an informal review panel process for nonrecreational license and permit types at its discretion. (Management action – nonstatutory)
• Require TPWD to establish a risk-based approach to inspections.
• Direct the agency to adopt policies for using its full range of existing enforcement authority, including revocation and suspension in appropriate cases. (Management action – nonstatutory)
• Direct TPWD to clearly and actively communicate enforcement processes and outcomes to licensees. (Management action – nonstatutory)
• Direct TPWD to standardize administration of its regulatory programs to the extent feasible and appropriate. (Management action – nonstatutory)
• Direct TPWD to review and update all reporting deadlines and timeframes for licenses. (Management action – nonstatutory)

Strategic Planning

• Require TPWD to refine the scope of the Land and Water Plan and measure its effectiveness every five years.
• Direct TPWD to improve and use the Natural Agenda as the agency’s sole, agencywide strategic plan. (Management action – nonstatutory)
• Direct TPWD to institute processes to better ensure consistent, actionable policies and practices across the agency’s divisions. (Management action – nonstatutory)
• Direct the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission to establish a conservation and recreation planning subcommittee. (Management action – nonstatutory)

Internal Audit

• Direct TPWD to fully identify and prioritize the risks of all of the agency’s activities in its risk assessment process. (Management action – nonstatutory)
• Direct TPWD to develop a more complete and diversified internal audit plan. (Management action – nonstatutory)
• Direct the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission to formally establish an internal audit subcommittee. (Management action – nonstatutory)
• Direct TPWD to use its newly developed quarterly audit status report to provide more information about the status and implementation of audit recommendations. (Management action – nonstatutory)

Public Input and Transparency

• Direct the agency to ensure there is an opportunity for the public to submit written comments online for every Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission action item that requires a vote. (Management action – nonstatutory)
• Direct the agency to improve transparency of its advisory committees by providing easy access to the names of the advisory committees, the members and who they represent, and the committees’ meeting dates and minutes. (Management action – nonstatutory)

Governance

• Direct TPWD to actively monitor its efforts to increase workforce diversity and report success measures to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. (Management action – nonstatutory)
• Apply the standard across-the-board requirement regarding board member training.
• Apply the standard across-the-board requirement regarding developing and maintaining a complaints system and making information on complaint procedures available to the public. Specify TPWD may not inform parties of the status of complaints if doing so would jeopardize an ongoing investigation.
• Update TPWD’s statute to reflect the requirements of the person-first respectful language initiative.