Did You Know That Texas State Agencies Have Doomsday Clocks?

State agencies have always had a very polarizing effect on citizens. Are they necessary for our general wellbeing and economic growth or are they a waste of taxpayer money?

However you feel about them, did you know that most state agencies have a built-in doomsday clock that will kill the agency after a certain period of time? That is, unless they are considered vital enough to live another day.

What is Sunset Review in Texas?

The process of evaluating whether or not a state agency is worth keeping after a set amount of time is called Sunset Review. In fact, there is an entire group of people who hold the fate of an agency in their hands called the Sunset Advisory Commission.

A pleasant-sounding name, but I prefer "Harbinger of the End Times." It just rolls off the tongue better, I think.

The process is commonly conducted once every 12 years in Texas, and public input is welcome in support of agencies within the crosshair.

You can always provide your opinions on which agencies are currently under Sunset review by completing the public input form online.

Don't worry, you can opt for your input to remain anonymous if you'd like.

How Sunset Works

It all starts with an in-depth evaluation of the agency in question. For our purpose, we'll discuss the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) which is, in fact, actually under Sunset review at the time this article is written.

This evaluation is conducted after first receiving input from interested parties and  publishing staff reports. The main goal is to see if the agency is still relevant in this ever-changing world.

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Next, the Sunset commission conducts a public hearing to take testimonies from staff. They then vote on which changes must be made and sent to the Texas Legislature.

Finally, the Texas Legislature takes into account the recommendations from the Sunset commission before declaring whether or not the agency should continue to live.

Best case scenario for the agency is that they get to continue operations, but with some mandatory changes. Worst case is the agency is abolished and their functions are dispersed among other agencies.