STATE AGENCIES UNDERGO SUNSET REVIEW PROCESS – TEXAS FACILITIES COMMISSION
One of the subjects that I like to highlight for our readers is the sunset review process. 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 this week’s article, we are going to review the Texas Facilities Commission.
The Texas Facilities Commission was originally created in 1919 by the 36th Texas Legislature as the State Board of Control. The State Board of Control was then replaced in 1979 by the State Purchasing and General Services Commission. In 1991, this agency again underwent a name change to become the General Services Commission. The agency maintained this name until 2001 when the 77th Texas Legislature abolished the General Service Commission and replaced it with the Texas Building and Procurement Commission. In 2007, the Texas Legislature removed the agency’s statewide procurement function and renamed it the Texas Facilities Commission. As you can see, since the agency’s initial creation in 1919, the agency has under gone multiple name changes and has had its duties and responsibilities changed and transferred to and from other state agencies.
Today, the Texas Facilities Commission is tasked with and responsible for over 100 state agencies, located in roughly more than 290 cities throughout the State of Texas. It provides for the planning, provision and management of these agencies’ facilities. Currently, the Texas Facilities Commission is responsible for over 28.4 million square feet of leased and state owned facilities space which support approximately 62,000 state employees. The expense associated with the maintenance and operation of these spaces cost roughly $230 million dollars annually. In Corpus Christi, the Texas Facilities Commission is responsible for the Carlos F. Truan National Resource Center which is a state owned building.
The Texas Facilities Commission is overseen by a board composed of seven commissioners. Three of the Commissioners are appointed by the Texas Governor, two are chosen from a list of nominees provided by the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives to the Texas Governor, and two are appointed by the Lieutenant Governor. The day to day operations of the agency are overseen by the executive director who employs staff and discharges the duties and responsibilities of the agency as directed by the board or Texas statute. To learn more visit Texas Facilities Commission.
Some of the other agencies we will review in the upcoming weeks include the State Office of Administrative Hearings, the Texas Education Agency, the Health and Human Services Commission, the Department of State Health Services, the Department of Aging and Disabilities Services, the Workforce Commission as well as a number of other agencies currently going through the sunset review process. To learn more visit Sunset Advisory Commission.
If you have any questions regarding the Texas Facilities Commission or the sunset review process, please don’t hesitate to contact either my Capitol or District office. My offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).
– State Representative Todd Hunter, District 32
Rep. Hunter represents Nueces (Part) County. He can be contacted at todd.hunter@house.state.tx.us or at 512-463-0672.
