Texas built something rare among states: a standing, public process to keep government lean. Through the Sunset Advisory Commission, agencies are placed on a schedule, examined in depth, and required to fix duplication, modernize operations, and, when warranted, merge, move, or wind down. On paper, that should slow the natural tendency of government to expand. In practice, the map gets cleaned up and re-stacked while the list of responsibilities grows. Duties rarely disappear; they transfer to larger departments. New priorities, such as broadband, grid reliability, school safety, data governance, and emerging technologies, arrive with new capacity attached. The result is clearer wiring, not a smaller house.
The Promise vs. the Pattern
Sunset is an accountability tool. Commission staff study agencies, gather public input, and recommend reforms. The Commission votes, and the Legislature enacts a bill that usually continues an agency with improvements, sometimes consolidates it with a larger body, and, less often, abolishes it. Even when a board or office is abolished, its duties almost always continue in a new home. When two agencies are merged into one, the work that made each necessary survives inside the new shell. That is why, as the session summaries below show, Texas regularly adds responsibilities or shifts them rather than retiring them. The newly created DOGE Committee in the Texas House is a recent and concrete example: it was sold as efficiency, but it also added a new layer of oversight, reporting, staff time, and appropriations. Reform can improve how government works without reducing how much government does.
The Budget as Scoreboard
Organizational charts can be renamed and redrawn; the biennial budget cuts through the relabeling. Over successive sessions, Texas appropriations have set new highs in nominal terms, and even after accounting for population, inflation, and federal pass-throughs, the long trend line runs upward. That trajectory reflects policy choices as well as cost pressures: the state has taken on more to do in education, health care, transportation, energy, border, and public safety. Transfers are not exits; they are reassignments. Consolidations simplify reporting lines; they do not reduce the number of services the state administers. Each new priority layered on top of the old ratchets the baseline higher.
For the full trend, see our budget series here:
How to Read the Session Summaries
Use the accordion below to scan each session’s structural story. Start with the summary to see what changed and why, then look at which entities were abolished, which responsibilities were transferred, and which agencies were continued or left intact. When an item is “abolished,” check whether its work moved elsewhere; in most cases, it did. When a function is “transferred,” note the direction of travel; responsibilities tend to move into larger, better-resourced regulators. When an agency is “continued,” look for the specific reforms attached; those tell you how the Legislature expects the work to be done going forward. If you want to know whether the state actually got smaller, pair the structural view with the appropriation for that biennium. If the budget grew overall, so did the government, no matter how tidy the organizational chart looks.
Session Summaries
89th Legislature (2025)
Summary: Lawmakers abolished the Texas Lottery Commission but transferred its functions to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, showing how abolishment typically means movement rather than exit. The Department of Information Resources was continued while cybersecurity functions were placed with the new Texas Cyber Command—added capacity responding to a real need. The newly created House DOGE Committee, billed as an efficiency effort, added oversight responsibilities that now require new reporting, staff time, and appropriations across agencies.
All Funds appropriations (2026–27): ~$339,044,200,000
Abolished (with notes)
- Texas Lottery Commission — abolished; duties moved (see “Transferred / Consolidated”).
Transferred / Consolidated
- Lottery operations → Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation (TDLR).
- Selected statewide cybersecurity functions → Texas Cyber Command (new), operating alongside DIR.
Continued / Left Intact
- Department of Information Resources (DIR) — continued; mission refocused in tandem with Cyber Command.
- Texas Department of Criminal Justice; Board of Pardons and Paroles; Windham School District; Correctional Managed Health Care Committee — continued per Sunset action.
- River Authorities (e.g., Lower Neches, Sabine, Trinity) — not subject to abolishment.
DOGE analysis: Read the deep dive.
88th Legislature (2023)
Summary: The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality was continued for twelve years with broader transparency, enforcement, and permitting reforms. The Public Utility Commission was continued for six years with stronger guardrails around grid reliability and ERCOT oversight. The Anatomical Board of the State of Texas was abolished, but its duties moved to the Texas Funeral Service Commission. New capacity appeared in fast-moving areas such as artificial intelligence and the space economy.
All Funds appropriations (2024–25): ~$321,300,000,000
Abolished (with notes)
- Anatomical Board of the State of Texas — abolished; duties moved to TFSC.
Transferred / Consolidated
- Willed body and anatomical donation oversight → Texas Funeral Service Commission (TFSC).
Continued / Left Intact
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) — continued with reforms.
- Public Utility Commission (PUC) — continued with reliability and ERCOT oversight measures.
- Multiple agencies — continued with “fix-the-plumbing” improvements (procurement, rules, complaints).
87th Legislature (2021)
Summary: Texas created the Broadband Development Office to close access and adoption gaps and enacted major ERCOT/PUC reforms after Winter Storm Uri. The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement was continued with additional reform work scheduled, and several Sunset bills tightened contracting, rule review, and complaint handling across multiple agencies.
All Funds appropriations (2022–23): ~$264,800,000,000
Abolished (examples)
- Advisory Board on Barbering; Advisory Board on Cosmetology — retired in favor of a unified board structure.
- Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission — replaced by the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission.
Transferred / Consolidated
- Selected program and advisory functions realigned among agencies via Sunset legislation.
Continued / Left Intact
- Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) — continued on a reform path.
- Core regulatory bodies — continued with tightened processes and reporting.
86th Legislature (2019)
Summary: The Behavioral Health Executive Council was created to align licensing and enforcement across psychology, professional counseling, social work, and marriage and family therapy. The Governor’s Broadband Development Council was formed to advise on long-term connectivity strategy. Most Sunset outcomes continued agencies with operational improvements rather than subtracting responsibilities.
All Funds appropriations (2020–21): ~$248,300,000,000
Abolished (with notes)
- Texas Board of Professional Land Surveying — abolished as a standalone entity.
Transferred / Consolidated
- Land Surveying regulation → Texas Board of Professional Engineers & Land Surveyors (TBPELS).
Continued / Left Intact
- Multiple agencies — continued with procurement, complaint, and governance reforms.
85th Legislature (2017)
Summary: Operational reforms dominated Sunset work, while policy priorities in education, public safety, and economic development added programs and oversight lines. Where boards were retired, their duties typically moved into larger departments with broad mandates, reinforcing consolidation without net subtraction.
All Funds appropriations (2018–19): ~$216,800,000,000
Abolished (examples)
- Selected advisory bodies and small entities retired as part of portfolio maintenance.
Transferred / Consolidated
- Targeted licensing and oversight functions moved into umbrella agencies for consistency.
Continued / Left Intact
- Major service and regulatory agencies — continued with stronger standards.
84th Legislature (2015)
Summary: Texas re-stacked health and human services by moving major pieces of the former DADS and DARS into the Health and Human Services Commission. The consolidation simplified the diagram and aimed to improve front-door access, but benefit, compliance, and federal match obligations did not shrink.
All Funds appropriations (2016–17): ~$209,400,000,000
Abolished (with notes)
- Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) — abolished as a standalone agency.
- Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) — abolished as a standalone agency.
Transferred / Consolidated
- DADS and DARS functions → Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC).
Continued / Left Intact
- HHSC and related service agencies — continued; access and reporting lines modernized.
83rd Legislature (2013)
Summary: The Legislature emphasized tighter rule review, clearer scopes, and board governance across licensing and regulatory arenas. Agencies were largely continued with cleaner statutes and better processes rather than a smaller slate of state work.
All Funds appropriations (2014–15): ~$200,400,000,000
Abolished (examples)
- Office of the Fire Fighters’ Pension Commissioner — abolished; functions redistributed through a new oversight framework.
Transferred / Consolidated
- Targeted responsibilities refit into larger, better-resourced regulators.
Continued / Left Intact
- Major regulatory and service agencies — continued with upgraded processes.
82nd Legislature (2011)
Summary: Texas unified juvenile justice by replacing the Texas Youth Commission and the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission with the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. Oversight strengthened and fragmentation eased, while baseline responsibilities remained.
All Funds appropriations (2012–13): ~$172,400,000,000
Abolished (with notes)
- Texas Youth Commission (TYC) — abolished; duties moved to TJJD.
- Texas Juvenile Probation Commission (TJPC) — abolished; duties moved to TJJD.
Transferred / Consolidated
- Juvenile justice functions → Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD).
Continued / Left Intact
- TJJD — continued as the unified authority for juvenile justice operations and oversight.
81st Legislature (2009)
Summary: The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles was created to centralize titles, registration, dealer regulation, and motor-carrier functions, signaling the state’s move toward larger, more specialized operational hubs. Sunset reforms improved operations across the map; total scope did not contract.
All Funds appropriations (2010–11): ~$182,300,000,000
Abolished (with notes)
- Legacy TxDOT handling of titles/registration superseded by creation of TxDMV.
Transferred / Consolidated
- Titles, registration, dealer and certain motor-carrier functions → Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV).
Continued / Left Intact
- Core transportation and public-safety agencies — continued with process improvements.
80th Legislature (2007)
Summary: The modern cancer-research architecture took shape through CPRIT oversight, while environmental and economic development tools were refined. These were substantive shifts with substantial dollars, adding to the portfolio of what Texas does rather than retiring responsibilities.
All Funds appropriations (2008–09): ~$152,500,000,000
Abolished (examples)
- Selective wind-down of outdated advisory entities as portfolios were updated.
Transferred / Consolidated
- Targeted programs repositioned under CPRIT and aligned regulators.
Continued / Left Intact
- Core health, education, and economic-development agencies — continued with added mandates.
79th Legislature (2005)
Summary: Multiple boards were retired and their duties moved to larger agencies; other functions were modernized or renamed; and operational improvements were enacted across the map. The state took on more to do even as the wiring became more coherent.
All Funds appropriations (2006–07): ~$138,700,000,000
Abolished (examples)
- Selected licensing and advisory bodies retired as part of statutory modernization.
Transferred / Consolidated
- Retired board functions → larger umbrella departments (regulatory alignment).
Continued / Left Intact
- Major service and regulatory agencies — continued; processes tightened.
78th Legislature (2003)
Summary: Structural adjustments refit economic development and aligned several functions with the Governor’s Office, while prior environmental reforms continued their implementation. Duties were reassigned rather than retired.
All Funds appropriations (2004–05): ~$117,400,000,000
Abolished (examples)
- Selected entities discontinued as part of the economic-development realignment.
Transferred / Consolidated
- Economic-development functions → Governor’s Office (consolidated strategy and oversight).
Continued / Left Intact
- Environmental and core service agencies — continued with evolving enforcement and standards.
77th Legislature (2001)
Summary: Environmental regulation moved into a more modern posture emphasizing enforcement, public participation, and clearer standards. The result was an agency with updated tools and broader expectations, not a smaller footprint.
All Funds appropriations (2002–03): ~$113,800,000,000
Abolished (examples)
- Legacy advisory mechanisms pared back in statute updates.
Transferred / Consolidated
- Regulatory responsibilities aligned within the environmental regulator to reduce fragmentation.
Continued / Left Intact
- Lead environmental agency — continued with strengthened enforcement and transparency.
76th Legislature (1999)
Summary: Modernization continued across program areas, refining service delivery and regulatory expectations and setting up the larger consolidations that would follow in the next decade. Responsibilities stayed intact as systems improved.
All Funds appropriations (2000–01): ~$98,100,000,000
Abolished (examples)
- Limited retirements of outdated committees as functions were standardized.
Transferred / Consolidated
- Targeted services aligned under better-resourced agencies to simplify delivery.
Continued / Left Intact
- Core education, health, and infrastructure agencies — continued with incremental improvements.
75th Legislature (1997)
Summary: Standardization and incremental reform characterized this period, as the state aligned statutes and processes while maintaining core responsibilities. Groundwork was laid for future reorganizations rather than completed.
All Funds appropriations (1998–99): ~$86,100,000,000
Abolished (examples)
- Selective discontinuation of low-value boards as part of housekeeping.
Transferred / Consolidated
- Administrative functions redistributed to streamline program delivery.
Continued / Left Intact
- Most agencies — continued; capacity strengthened for later reforms.
74th Legislature (1995)
Summary: The mid-1990s set the baseline from which Texas would expand services, strengthen oversight frameworks, and prepare for the consolidation era. This period is best understood as foundational — not a point of contraction.
All Funds appropriations (1996–97): ~$79,900,000,000
Abolished (examples)
- Limited retirements of inactive or duplicative panels as statutes were standardized.
Transferred / Consolidated
- Early alignment of scattered administrative duties under clearer lines of authority.
Continued / Left Intact
- Core statewide services and regulators — continued as the platform for later growth.
Why “Abolish” Usually Means “Transfer”
State programs exist because statutes assign the state a responsibility. Abolishing the unit that carries a responsibility does not end the responsibility unless the law also ends the work. In most cases, the Legislature moves the work and updates the governance, so Texans still get the service, but now inside a larger department. This is the practical reason the state’s footprint grows over time, even when legislation that touts abolishments and consolidations: the output persists, the compliance and reporting persist, and the oversight persists, just under a different roof.
What the DOGE Committee Changed
The Texas House DOGE (Delivery of Government Efficiency) Committee is a clear example of how new oversight can add layers even when it promises savings. Agencies now produce new reports, attend new hearings, and comply with new expectations; staff and appropriations follow the mandate. The committee may sharpen reporting or uncover efficiencies, but its creation still expands the number of boxes on the chart and the total workload the state coordinates. For the analysis of how DOGE affected spending and structure, see our report here.
What to Watch Each Biennium
There are three questions worth asking at the end of every session. Did any change truly end a state’s responsibility, or did it simply move it? Did a newly created body represent a time-limited study or a permanent capacity? Did total appropriations rise even if a particular article showed savings? Those answers will tell you more about the state’s trajectory than press releases about “streamlining.” The session summaries above are designed to make those answers visible in one place.
Methodology and Sources
This page synthesizes two official sources that are updated every session. The Sunset Advisory Commission’s site explains the statutory process, the role of Commission staff, public input, and the kinds of changes frequently recommended; it also highlights what the Commission regards as its impact. Read those alongside the Texas Legislative Council’s session-by-session reports on new, renamed, and abolished entities, and you get both the accountability picture and the structural map.
For the Commission’s overview and its impact claims, see:
- How Sunset Works
- Sunset Commission’s Self-Proclaimed Impact
For the Texas Legislative Council’s analyses of legislative enactments, see:
A Note on Scope and Updates
The session summaries focus on structural facts that matter for scale: which entities were abolished, which responsibilities were moved, and which agencies were continued or left intact, along with the biennial All Funds appropriation for context. After each session, we refresh those entries once the Sunset bills are final and the Legislative Council’s entity report is published. If a reader spots a discrepancy or has documentation that clarifies where a responsibility landed, we welcome corrections; this page is designed to reflect the record, not any single press release about it.
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