First read about the sunset process in general; then find the schedule for the next round of sunset reviews. What topic or topics seem to be covered? In what year will education next be reviewed?
Sanctioned by the Texas Sunset Act, in August of 1977, the Texas Legislature created the Sunset Advisory Commission. The ten-member commission, appointed by the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, is charged with the task of identifying and eliminating waste, duplication, and inefficiency in government agencies. The commission reviews about 150 state agencies ranging from the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners and Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation.
The review process seeks to answer one basic question. Do the agency's functions continue to be needed? Commission staff members work extensively with an agency under review to determine if there is a need for the agency and what if any changes need to be made to the agency.
English: Education Service Center Region XIII
Sunset on Morro Strand State Beach at Morro Bay, C...
sunset from airplaneDepending on the size and complexity of the agency, a review generally takes between three and eight months. The evaluation phase of the review involves collection information from many sources, including an agency submitted Self-Evaluation Report, interest groups, professional organizations, and public input. Once the information has been gathered, a report containing recommendations for change is published. A public hearing is then conducted. This allows the Sunset staff to discuss the recommendations, the agency to respond to the recommendations, and the public to comment on the report and the agency. The commission then meets to review all the input, and makes the decision to abolish the agency or to let it continue with changes.
In the twenty six year history of the Sunset Advisory Committee, and Sunset Reviews, forty four agencies...