State Agencies Undergo Sunset Review Process – Public Utilities Commission
Through the summer and over the last few months, I have been outlining Texas’ sunset review process. The agencies I have covered include the State Employee Charitable Campaign Policy Committee, State Commission on Judicial Conduct, the Texas Pension Review Board, Procurement and Support Service Division of the Comptroller of Public Accounts, the Department of Information Resources and numerous others. As a reminder, in order to identify and eliminate government waste, duplication and general inefficiencies in state agencies, the Texas Legislature established the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission in 1977. The sunset review process is designed to review each of these agencies every twelve years. This review is done by taking up a certain number of the state agencies each session when the Texas Legislature convenes.
In my previous article covering the sunset process, we examined the Procurement and Support Service Division of the Comptroller of Public Accounts which has undergone a partial sunset review. The Procurement and Support Service Division is responsible for managing and awarding hundreds of statewide contracts on behalf of more than 200 state agencies and approximately 1,900 local government co-op members. In this week’s article, the final article this year covering the sunset review process, we are going to review the Public Utility Commission of Texas which is currently under a partial sunset review process following its full sunset review prior to the 82nd Texas Legislative session.
The Public Utility Commission was established in 1975 along with the passage of the Public Utility Regulatory Act. The Public Utility Regulatory Act provided for and has expanded the statewide regulation of both the rates and services of monopoly electric and telecommunication companies. Due to the complex nature of the electric and telecommunication industries in Texas, the Public Utility Commission serves as the most reviewed of all the state agencies subject to the sunset review process.
During the 82nd Texas Legislative Session, the bill allowing for the continued operation of the Public Utility Commission was filed as Senate Bill 661. Unfortunately due to the limited time bills have to be passed during the legislative process, Senate Bill 661 failed to be passed. The failure of Senate Bill 661 to pass would have resulted in the Public Utilities Commission being shut down. As a result of the need for the functions in which the Public Utilities Commission provides, the Legislature allowed for it to continue for two more years. This gives the 83rd Texas Legislature the opportunity to review a comprehensive Public Utility Commission bill. This is the reason why the Public Utility Commission is currently under a partial sunset review process.
If you are interested in learning more about the Public Utilities Commission, you can go to their website at https://www.puc.texas.gov/. On their site you can find information specific to consumers and industry along with information about the Public Utility Commission. Some of the information you can find in regards to consumer information is information regarding your electricity or your telephone, to include information on no call list or knowing what your rights are.
If you would like to learn more on your own about the Sunset Advisory Commission or other agencies undergoing the sunset review process, you can go to www.sunset.state.tx.us .
If you have any questions regarding the Public Utility Commission of Texas or the sunset review process, please don’t hesitate to contact either my Capitol or District office.
