| TO: | Honorable Rodney Ellis, Chair, Senate Committee on Government Organization |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB1959 by Isett (relating to the governmental entities subject to the sunset review process.), Committee Report 2nd House, Substituted |
The bill would extend the Sunset's review of the transfer of purchasing powers to the Comptroller of Public Accounts to be presented to the Eighty-third Legislature. In addition, the bill would move up the sunset date of the Texas Council of Purchasing from People with Disabilities to September 1, 2013. In addition, the Forest Service would be subject to the Sunset process, and a special purpose study of the Texas Education Agency would be required to assess the agency's compliance with mandates and requirements placed on it by the Legislature.
The bill changes the Sunset dates for the Board and Department of Criminal Justice, Health and Human Services Commission, transfer of purchasing powers to the Comptroller of Public Accounts, Health Services Authority, Department of State Health Services, Department of Family and Protective Services, Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities, Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities, Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services,Council on Purchasing from People with Disabilities, and Department of Aging and Disability Services, from 2011 to 2013.
The bill changes the Sunset dates for the State Soil and Water Conservation Board, On-Site Wastewater Treatment Research Council, Coastal Coordination Council, Commission on Environmental Quality, Texas Water Development Board, and Railroad Commission from 2013 to 2011.
The bill changes the Sunset date for the Texas Education Agency from 2012 to 2013.
The bill adds a special-purpose review of the capital area metropolitan rapid transit authority (CapMetro) in 2011 and 2017. The bill also requires CapMetro to pay the cost incurred by the Sunset Advisory Commission in performing the special-purpose reviews.
The bill would require a special purpose review of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), as part of the 2011 review of the Public Utility Commission, assessing ERCOT's governance, management, and operating structure, and compliance with certain duties and requirements. The bill also requires ERCOT to pay the cost incurred by the Sunset Advisory Commission in performing the special-purpose reviews.
The Sunset Advisory Commission has indicated that provisions of the bill would be implemented within existing resources.
The bill would be effective immediately upon a two-thirds vote of each house; otherwise the bill would be effective September 1, 2009.
| Source Agencies: | 116 Sunset Advisory Commission
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, KK, MS, KJG
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