BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 1545 By: Bell, Keith Delivery of Government Efficiency Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE H.B. 1545 is the sunset schedule bill, which is filed each session to make necessary adjustments to better align agencies set for sunset review by the Sunset Advisory Commission in the upcoming biennia and to balance the sunset commission's review workload. The bill also makes certain updates to the Texas Sunset Act. CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS Sunset Review Cycle Changes Entities Given 2031 Sunset Date H.B. 1545 amends the Finance Code to move forward the sunset review of the Credit Union Department and the Credit Union Commission from the 2034-2035 review cycle to the 2030‑2031 review cycle. H.B. 1545 amends the Government Code to postpone the sunset review of the State Office of Administrative Hearings from the 2026-2027 review cycle to the 2030-2031 review cycle. H.B. 1545 amends the Human Resources Code to postpone the sunset review of the Texas Juvenile Justice Board and the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) from the 2026-2027 review cycle to the 2030-2031 review cycle. However, the bill requires the Sunset Advisory Commission to conduct a limited-scope review of TJJD for the 90th Legislature and does the following with respect to that limited-scope review: requires the sunset commission staff evaluation and report to be limited to assessing TJJD's administration of its regionalization duties aimed at prioritizing the use of local levels of the juvenile justice system over placement or commitment to secure facilities operated by TJJD; prohibits the sunset commission from reviewing TJJD's office of independent ombudsman as part of the review; authorizes the sunset commission's recommendations to the 90th Legislature to include any recommendation the sunset commission considers appropriate based on the review; and requires TJJD to submit a report not later than September 1, 2026, to the sunset commission, the speaker of the house of representatives, the lieutenant governor, and the standing committees of each house of the legislature with primary jurisdiction over juvenile justice that includes information about the following: o the status of the investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) into TJJD and TJJD's progress in addressing findings as detailed in the DOJ's report titled "Investigation of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department," published on August 1, 2024; o the waitlist of youth committed to TJJD awaiting transfer to state secure facilities from county facilities; o TJJD's staffing and turnover at state facilities for each fiscal year since fiscal year 2016; and o the progress on construction of additional state juvenile correctional facilities for which the legislature appropriated funding in the 2024-2025 biennium. Entities Given 2033 Sunset Date H.B. 1545 amends the Occupations Code to postpone the sunset review of the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners from the 2026-2027 review cycle to the 2032-2033 review cycle. Entities Given 2035 Sunset Date H.B. 1545 repeals the session law provision requiring the sunset commission to conduct a limited-scope review of the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board for the 90th Legislature regarding the dam structural repair grant program. Amendments to the Texas Sunset Act H.B. 1545 amends the Government Code to establish that the provisions of the Texas Sunset Act relating to the review of a state agency by the sunset commission apply to the review of a state agency that is not subject to abolishment in the same manner as the provisions apply to a state agency that is subject to abolishment. Additionally, the bill clarifies that a public member of the sunset commission acts on the legislature's behalf when participating on the sunset commission in furtherance of the legislature's duty to provide oversight of state agencies' implementation of legislative priorities, irrespective of the branch of state government in which that agency is located. Repealed Provision H.B. 1545 repeals Section 12, Chapter 358 (S.B. 1424), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
H.B. 1545
By: Bell, Keith
Delivery of Government Efficiency
Committee Report (Unamended)
H.B. 1545
By: Bell, Keith
Delivery of Government Efficiency
Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE H.B. 1545 is the sunset schedule bill, which is filed each session to make necessary adjustments to better align agencies set for sunset review by the Sunset Advisory Commission in the upcoming biennia and to balance the sunset commission's review workload. The bill also makes certain updates to the Texas Sunset Act.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS Sunset Review Cycle Changes Entities Given 2031 Sunset Date H.B. 1545 amends the Finance Code to move forward the sunset review of the Credit Union Department and the Credit Union Commission from the 2034-2035 review cycle to the 2030‑2031 review cycle. H.B. 1545 amends the Government Code to postpone the sunset review of the State Office of Administrative Hearings from the 2026-2027 review cycle to the 2030-2031 review cycle. H.B. 1545 amends the Human Resources Code to postpone the sunset review of the Texas Juvenile Justice Board and the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) from the 2026-2027 review cycle to the 2030-2031 review cycle. However, the bill requires the Sunset Advisory Commission to conduct a limited-scope review of TJJD for the 90th Legislature and does the following with respect to that limited-scope review: requires the sunset commission staff evaluation and report to be limited to assessing TJJD's administration of its regionalization duties aimed at prioritizing the use of local levels of the juvenile justice system over placement or commitment to secure facilities operated by TJJD; prohibits the sunset commission from reviewing TJJD's office of independent ombudsman as part of the review; authorizes the sunset commission's recommendations to the 90th Legislature to include any recommendation the sunset commission considers appropriate based on the review; and requires TJJD to submit a report not later than September 1, 2026, to the sunset commission, the speaker of the house of representatives, the lieutenant governor, and the standing committees of each house of the legislature with primary jurisdiction over juvenile justice that includes information about the following: o the status of the investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) into TJJD and TJJD's progress in addressing findings as detailed in the DOJ's report titled "Investigation of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department," published on August 1, 2024; o the waitlist of youth committed to TJJD awaiting transfer to state secure facilities from county facilities; o TJJD's staffing and turnover at state facilities for each fiscal year since fiscal year 2016; and o the progress on construction of additional state juvenile correctional facilities for which the legislature appropriated funding in the 2024-2025 biennium. Entities Given 2033 Sunset Date H.B. 1545 amends the Occupations Code to postpone the sunset review of the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners from the 2026-2027 review cycle to the 2032-2033 review cycle. Entities Given 2035 Sunset Date H.B. 1545 repeals the session law provision requiring the sunset commission to conduct a limited-scope review of the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board for the 90th Legislature regarding the dam structural repair grant program. Amendments to the Texas Sunset Act H.B. 1545 amends the Government Code to establish that the provisions of the Texas Sunset Act relating to the review of a state agency by the sunset commission apply to the review of a state agency that is not subject to abolishment in the same manner as the provisions apply to a state agency that is subject to abolishment. Additionally, the bill clarifies that a public member of the sunset commission acts on the legislature's behalf when participating on the sunset commission in furtherance of the legislature's duty to provide oversight of state agencies' implementation of legislative priorities, irrespective of the branch of state government in which that agency is located. Repealed Provision H.B. 1545 repeals Section 12, Chapter 358 (S.B. 1424), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023.
EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
H.B. 1545 is the sunset schedule bill, which is filed each session to make necessary adjustments to better align agencies set for sunset review by the Sunset Advisory Commission in the upcoming biennia and to balance the sunset commission's review workload. The bill also makes certain updates to the Texas Sunset Act.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
Sunset Review Cycle Changes
Entities Given 2031 Sunset Date
H.B. 1545 amends the Finance Code to move forward the sunset review of the Credit Union Department and the Credit Union Commission from the 2034-2035 review cycle to the 2030‑2031 review cycle.
H.B. 1545 amends the Government Code to postpone the sunset review of the State Office of Administrative Hearings from the 2026-2027 review cycle to the 2030-2031 review cycle.
H.B. 1545 amends the Human Resources Code to postpone the sunset review of the Texas Juvenile Justice Board and the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) from the 2026-2027 review cycle to the 2030-2031 review cycle. However, the bill requires the Sunset Advisory Commission to conduct a limited-scope review of TJJD for the 90th Legislature and does the following with respect to that limited-scope review:
requires the sunset commission staff evaluation and report to be limited to assessing TJJD's administration of its regionalization duties aimed at prioritizing the use of local levels of the juvenile justice system over placement or commitment to secure facilities operated by TJJD;
prohibits the sunset commission from reviewing TJJD's office of independent ombudsman as part of the review;
authorizes the sunset commission's recommendations to the 90th Legislature to include any recommendation the sunset commission considers appropriate based on the review; and
requires TJJD to submit a report not later than September 1, 2026, to the sunset commission, the speaker of the house of representatives, the lieutenant governor, and the standing committees of each house of the legislature with primary jurisdiction over juvenile justice that includes information about the following:
o the status of the investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) into TJJD and TJJD's progress in addressing findings as detailed in the DOJ's report titled "Investigation of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department," published on August 1, 2024;
o the waitlist of youth committed to TJJD awaiting transfer to state secure facilities from county facilities;
o TJJD's staffing and turnover at state facilities for each fiscal year since fiscal year 2016; and
o the progress on construction of additional state juvenile correctional facilities for which the legislature appropriated funding in the 2024-2025 biennium.
Entities Given 2033 Sunset Date
H.B. 1545 amends the Occupations Code to postpone the sunset review of the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners from the 2026-2027 review cycle to the 2032-2033 review cycle.
Entities Given 2035 Sunset Date
H.B. 1545 repeals the session law provision requiring the sunset commission to conduct a limited-scope review of the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board for the 90th Legislature regarding the dam structural repair grant program.
Amendments to the Texas Sunset Act
H.B. 1545 amends the Government Code to establish that the provisions of the Texas Sunset Act relating to the review of a state agency by the sunset commission apply to the review of a state agency that is not subject to abolishment in the same manner as the provisions apply to a state agency that is subject to abolishment. Additionally, the bill clarifies that a public member of the sunset commission acts on the legislature's behalf when participating on the sunset commission in furtherance of the legislature's duty to provide oversight of state agencies' implementation of legislative priorities, irrespective of the branch of state government in which that agency is located.
Repealed Provision
H.B. 1545 repeals Section 12, Chapter 358 (S.B. 1424), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023.
EFFECTIVE DATE
On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.