89R11991 BCH-D

By: Hancock S.B. No. 1594

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to renaming the Sunset Advisory Commission as the Sunset Legislative Initiative for Cost Efficiency Advisory Commission and the duties of that commission.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. The heading to Chapter 325, Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

CHAPTER 325. SUNSET LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE FOR COST EFFICIENCY

(SLICE) LAW

SECTION 2. Section 325.001, Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 325.001. SHORT TITLE. This chapter may be cited as the Texas Sunset Legislative Initiative for Cost Efficiency (SLICE) Act.

SECTION 3. Section 325.002(3), Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

(3) "Commission" means the Sunset Legislative Initiative for Cost Efficiency Advisory Commission.

SECTION 4. The heading to Section 325.003, Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 325.003. SUNSET LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE FOR COST EFFICIENCY ADVISORY COMMISSION.

SECTION 5. Section 325.003(a), Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

(a) The Sunset Legislative Initiative for Cost Efficiency Advisory Commission is a legislative agency that consists of five members of the senate and one public member appointed by the lieutenant governor and five members of the house of representatives and one public member appointed by the speaker of the house. The lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house may serve as one of the legislative appointees.

SECTION 6. Chapter 325, Government Code, is amended by adding Section 325.0035 to read as follows:

Sec. 325.0035. REFERENCES IN LAW. (a) A reference in law to the Sunset Advisory Commission is a reference to the Sunset Legislative Initiative for Cost Efficiency Advisory Commission.

(b) A reference in law to the Texas Sunset Act is a reference to the Texas Sunset Legislative Initiative for Cost Efficiency (SLICE) Act.

SECTION 7. Section 325.011, Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 325.011. CRITERIA FOR REVIEW. The commission and its staff shall consider the following criteria in determining whether a public need exists for the continuation of a state agency or its advisory committees or for the performance of the functions of the agency or its advisory committees:

(1) the efficiency and effectiveness with which the agency or the advisory committee operates, including:

(A) an assessment of efficiency in delivering programs and services to entities and other persons; and

(B) an assessment of appropriated funds and spending to determine potential spending efficiencies and identify waste in the delivery of programs and services;

(2)(A) an identification of the mission, goals, and objectives intended for the agency or advisory committee and of the problem or need that the agency or advisory committee was intended to address; and

(B) the extent to which the mission, goals, and objectives have been achieved and the problem or need has been addressed;

(3)(A) an identification of any activities of the agency in addition to those granted by statute and of the authority for those activities; and

(B) the extent to which those activities are needed;

(4) an assessment of authority of the agency relating to fees, inspections, enforcement, and penalties;

(5) whether less restrictive or alternative methods of performing any function that the agency performs could adequately protect or provide service to the public;

(6) the extent to which the jurisdiction of the agency and the programs administered by the agency overlap or duplicate those of other agencies, the extent to which the agency coordinates with those agencies, and the extent to which the programs administered by the agency can be consolidated with the programs of other state agencies;

(7) the promptness and effectiveness with which the agency addresses complaints concerning entities or other persons affected by the agency, including an assessment of the agency's administrative hearings process;

(8) an assessment of the agency's rulemaking process and the extent to which the agency has encouraged participation by the public in making its rules and decisions and the extent to which the public participation has resulted in rules that benefit the public;

(9) the extent to which the agency has complied with:

(A) federal and state laws and applicable rules regarding equality of employment opportunity and the rights and privacy of individuals; and

(B) state law and applicable rules of any state agency regarding purchasing guidelines and programs for historically underutilized businesses;

(10) the extent to which the agency issues and enforces rules relating to potential conflicts of interest of its employees;

(11) the extent to which the agency complies with Chapters 551 and 552 and follows records management practices that enable the agency to respond efficiently to requests for public information;

(12) the effect of federal intervention or loss of federal funds if the agency is abolished;

(13) the extent to which the purpose and effectiveness of reporting requirements imposed on the agency justifies the continuation of the requirement; and

(14) an assessment of the agency's cybersecurity practices using confidential information available from the Department of Information Resources or any other appropriate state agency.

SECTION 8. (a) Effective January 1, 2026:

(1) the name of the Sunset Advisory Commission is changed to the Sunset Legislative Initiative for Cost Efficiency Advisory Commission, and all powers, duties, rights, and obligations of the Sunset Advisory Commission are the powers, duties, rights, and obligations of the Sunset Legislative Initiative for Cost Efficiency Advisory Commission;

(2) a member of the Sunset Advisory Commission is a member of the Sunset Legislative Initiative for Cost Efficiency Advisory Commission; and

(3) any appropriation to the Sunset Advisory Commission is an appropriation to the Sunset Legislative Initiative for Cost Efficiency Advisory Commission.

(b) Effective January 1, 2026, a reference in law to the Sunset Advisory Commission is a reference to the Sunset Legislative Initiative for Cost Efficiency Advisory Commission.

(c) The Sunset Legislative Initiative for Cost Efficiency Advisory Commission is the successor to the Sunset Advisory Commission in all respects. All personnel, equipment, data, documents, facilities, contracts, items, other property, rules, decisions, and proceedings of or involving the Sunset Advisory Commission are unaffected by the change in the name of the commission.

(d) The Sunset Advisory Commission shall adopt a timetable for phasing in the change of the commission's name so as to minimize the fiscal impact of the name change. Until January 1, 2026, to allow for phasing in the change of the commission's name and in accordance with the timetable established as required by this section, the commission may perform any act authorized by law for the Sunset Advisory Commission as the Sunset Advisory Commission or as the Sunset Legislative Initiative for Cost Efficiency Advisory Commission. Any act of the Sunset Advisory Commission acting as the Sunset Legislative Initiative for Cost Efficiency Advisory Commission on or after the effective date of this Act and before January 1, 2026, is an act of the Sunset Advisory Commission.

SECTION 9. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.