Sunset staff reports for the Texas Animal Health Commission, Prepaid Higher Education Tuition Board, and Teacher Retirement System of Texas are now available.
In light of recent events surrounding COVID-19 and with the health and safety of the public of the utmost importance, the first meeting of the Sunset Commission scheduled for Thursday, April 30, 2020 has been cancelled. The meeting will be rescheduled at a later date. Please visit our meetings page for updated meeting information as it becomes available.
About the Sunset Commission
The Process
Sunset works by setting a date on which an agency is abolished unless the Legislature passes a bill to continue it. Sunset staff evaluates the agency and issues recommendations for positive change. The Commission considers the recommendations, hears public testimony, and decides on a package of changes to bring to the full Legislature.
The People
The Commission has five senators, five representatives, and two members of the public, appointed by the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the House. The Sunset staff is composed of evaluation and administrative professionals that support the Commission by performing agency reviews and assisting in the legislative process.
The Impact
Since 1977, changes enacted through Sunset reviews have abolished 41 agencies, consolidated another 51, and had an estimated positive fiscal impact of $1 billion, returning $19 for every $1 spent on Sunset. The Legislature typically passes about 80 percent of the Sunset Commission's recommendations, positively affecting every area of state government through 551 reviews.