Sunset 2011: Energy and Environment in the Spotlight
Review schedule includes nearly a dozen energy and environmental agencies.
The just-ended special session of the Texas Legislature resulted in the passage of just two bills, but one of them sets the agenda for Texas environmental and energy advocates for the next two years.
The bill lists the 27 state agencies that will be up for "sunset review" in 2010-11 as well as five agencies that went through sunset reviews in 2008-09 but whose sunset legislation failed to pass in the legislative session that ended June 1.
Of the 27 agencies up for review over the next two years, at least 11 play some role in implementing Texas' energy and environmental policies, including:
- Coastal Coordination Council
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
- ERCOT
- Texas Forest Service
- Department of Housing and Community Affairs
- On-site Wastewater Treatment Council
- Public Utility Commission
- Office of Public Utility Counsel
- Railroad Commission
- State Soil and Water Conservation Board
- Texas Water Development Board
The entire list of agencies up for review including the five that were originally up in 2009 includes:
Capital Metropolitan Transit Authority, Coastal Coordination Council, Electronic Government Program Management Office, Commission on State Emergency Communications, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, ERCOT, Texas Forest Service, State Committee of Examiners in the Fitting and Dispensing of Hearing Instruments, Department of Housing and Community Affairs, Department of Information Resources, Office of Injured Employee Counsel, Texas Juvenile Probation Commission, On-site Wastewater Treatment Council, Texas Public Finance Authority, Public Utility Commission, Office of Public Utility Counsel, Railroad Commission, State Soil and Water Conservation Board, State Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Texas Water Development Board, Division of Workers’ Compensation, Texas Youth Commission, Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation, Department of Insurance, Office of Public Insurance Counsel, Racing Commission, Texas Department of Transportation
The sunset process includes multiple opportunities for public participation. To find out more about sunset and how you can be involved, visit www.sunset.state.tx.us.
