Latest news with #TexasRegulatoryEfficiencyOffice
Epoch Times
24-04-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
Texas Governor Signs ‘Texas DOGE' Into Law to Cut Regulations, Boost Government Efficiency
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law on April 23 a sweeping regulatory reform Senate Bill 14 creates the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office within the Office of the Governor and has been characterized as the Texas version of the federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) created by President Donald Trump and led by businessman Elon Musk. The new office is tasked with identifying outdated or duplicative rules, assisting state agencies in simplifying regulatory procedures, and establishing public access to rulemaking processes through a centralized online portal. 'We are putting at the forefront of legislation the shaping, formation, and recalibration of government in the State of Texas to make it more responsive and more efficient,' Abbott The governor added that the office would make the government more efficient and less costly and that the state would operate 'at the speed of business.' The bill also establishes a Texas Regulatory Efficiency Advisory Panel composed of members of the business community, academia, and regulatory law to support the office's mission. The new office will produce regulatory analysis manuals and reduction guides, and coordinate with other state entities to improve transparency and consistency. Related Stories 4/22/2025 4/11/2025 Abbott said the measure is important for the state's economic health and limiting regulations. 'Texas has won the national championship for economic development for 13 years in a row—business could not be doing better,' Abbott Abbott added that although Texas is generally known as business-friendly when it comes to regulations, the regulatory environment was 'not as easy to navigate as it once was.' He cited a 2024 Critics of the bill questioned why it was necessary, as there is already a state Sunset Advisory Commission. According to its Republican State Rep Brian Harrison, who voted against the bill, said in a In a speech on the House floor earlier in the session, Harrison said, 'The point of DOGE is to cut government, reduce spending, and shrink the bureaucracy. Unfortunately, this bill does the exact opposite.' Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick dubbed the measure 'DOGE Texas-style,' and said it is about cutting red tape and saving taxpayer dollars. 'Texas DOGE will ensure the Texas Miracle continues long into the 21st century,' said Patrick in a statement. 'Texans understand that by cutting red tape, more money stays in the pocket of taxpayers. Our conservative approach to regulation will keep Texans prosperous and our state the best place to do business in America and across the globe.' Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows, also a Republican, called the law a win for transparency and government accountability. 'A major theme of this session is government efficiency, and today the state is delivering on its promise to cut red tape and empower Texans with greater oversight of their government,' said Burrows in the statement. 'As the first bill signed by Governor Abbott into law this session, the Regulatory Reform and Efficiency Act brings our state into the 21st century in terms of government rulemaking and will strengthen economic opportunity.' The law includes provisions for a biennial report from the office to state leadership and a mandate for rulemaking procedures to be written in plain language. It also removes judicial deference to agency interpretations of law in many court cases, allowing judges to review agency rulemaking. Jeff Burdett, state director for the National Federation of Independent Business, called the bill 'a historic step for Texas small businesses.' Glenn Hamer, president and CEO of the Texas Association of Business, said the law follows key recommendations from the Governor's Small Business Freedom Council and called it 'a model for the nation.'
Newsweek
24-04-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
Greg Abbott Launches 'Texas DOGE'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. On Wednesday Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed into law a bill to create a new Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office (TREO), which he dubbed "our own DOGE" on social media. Newsweek contacted Abbott for comment on Thursday via email outside of regular office hours. Why It Matters President Trump created the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), under the leadership of tech billionaire Elon Musk, shortly after his second presidential inauguration on January 20. The body, which despite its name is not a formal government department, has overseen a significant cut in the number of federal workers, with many probationary employees being dismissed, and is attempting to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development, though this is facing legal challenge. Abbott's creation of TREO indicates a similar desire to cut government spending. What To Know Abbott signed Texas Senate Bill 14, a piece of legislation proposed by Republican Senator Phil King, into law on Wednesday. He said commenting "Texas will now have our own DOGE" on X. The bill, which had already been approved by the Texas Legislature, creates the TREO along with an advisory council tasked with cutting what its supporters regard as excess bureaucracy and regulation. The new body, which Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick described as "DOGE, Texas-style," is due to begin operations in September and will be tasked with identifying "unnecessary and ineffective rules." Requirements included in Senate Bill 14 also include the creation of an online portal which Texans can use to search for rules by state agency, along with a requirement that agencies publish their regulations in easy to understand plain language. Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a bill signing in the State Capitol on April 23, 2025 in Austin, Texas. Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a bill signing in the State Capitol on April 23, 2025 in Austin, Texas. Brandon Bell/GETTY According to the Dallas Morning News Governor Abbott said: "There's low-hanging fruit all over the place. "When you look at the vast amount of regulations, there's so much slicing and dicing that needs to be done. So we will look to accelerate the process." Governor Abbott will be responsible for appointing members of TREO which will also have up to 18 full-time employees. In March the Texas House created a new 'Delivery of Government Efficiency' committee, under GOP chair Giovanni Capriglione, to search for wasted government spending though critics have suggested its work will overlap with the already existing Texas Sunset Advisory Commission. What People Are Saying In a post on X Abbott wrote: "Signed SB 14 into law today at the Texas Capitol. Texas will now have our own DOGE, known as the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office. "This will make government more efficient and less costly. Texas continues to move at the speed of business." Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, a Republican, said: "This is a fantastic bill to start with. Texas businesses, Texas citizens, they deserve regulations that are in plain English, and you can understand what they mean. They deserve to know what they actually do, and they deserve to make sure they're consistent and as few as possible." In a statement Lieutenant Governor Patrick said: "Texas DOGE will ensure the Texas Miracle continues long into the 21st century. Texans understand that by cutting red tape, more money stays in the pocket of taxpayers. Our conservative approach to regulation will keep Texans prosperous and our state the best place to do business in America and across the globe." However it was opposed in the Texas House by Republican Representative Brian Harrison who said: "The point of DOGE is to cut government, reduce spending and shrink the bureaucracy. Unfortunately, this bill does the exact opposite." What Happens Next It remains to be seen what impact TREO will have and whether it will prove as controversial as DOGE has on the national stage.
The Independent
23-04-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Texas governor signs bill creating another DOGE-inspired effort at the state level
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill Wednesday creating an office inspired by the Department of Government Efficiency and aimed at reducing state regulations, joining other Republican governors who have pledged their own versions of billionaire Elon Musk 's cost-cutting group. In establishing the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office, Abbott welcomed cutting regulations and putting stricter standards on new ones. He made no mention during a ceremonial bill signing at the state Capitol of intentions to slash jobs like DOGE, which has divided the country. 'The regulatory environment in Texas is getting too burdensome,' said Abbott, who made the bill the first he has signed this year. 'It will put a check on the growth of the administrative state in Texas." The law also states that courts are not required to comply with a state agency's interpretation of its rules or regulations in legal challenges. More than 20 states have initiated DOGE-style efforts to varying degrees. Most have done so by introducing legislation to create DOGE offices or have created their own legislative committees. Some, such as Texas, have done both; in January, Texas House lawmakers created a DOGE legislative committee, which has primarily worked to audit and modernize dated technology in state agencies. The governors of Montana, Oklahoma, Iowa, New Hampshire, Florida and Louisiana have issued executive orders to create state DOGE departments. In Texas, leaders of the state's employee union dismissed the bill as adding a layer of bureaucracy instead of eliminating one. 'The definition of 'efficiency' is being stretched beyond recognition,' Myko Gedutis, vice president of the Texas State Employees Union, said in a statement. Abbott's signing comes days after protests popped up across the country in opposition to Musk and the thousands of job cuts DOGE has initiated across the federal government. The measures have set off multiple court challenges and come under criticism for cutting essential services. In Wisconsin, Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, who created a bipartisan DOGE committee, has said its purpose is to rid of government fraud and waste. Texas lawmakers' focus — whose committee holds eight Republicans and five Democrats — has been to audit state agencies. More than 10 states, including Georgia, Connecticut and Arizona, have only introduced bills on the matter. The 'Red Tape Rollback Act of 2025' in Georgia would require state agencies to review the economic impact of their rules and regulations. ___
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Abbott signs first bill of session into law, creating a Texas DOGE
Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday signed the first law of this year's legislative session, a bill creating a new regulation-cutting agency inspired by Elon Musk's federal Department of Government Efficiency. 'Texas can have our own DOGE,' Abbott said Wednesday. 'What this law is going to do is make government more efficient and less costly.' Senate Bill 14, which passed both the House and Senate with bipartisan supermajorities, establishes the 'Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office' at a cost of $22.8 million over the next five years. Abbott signed the bill with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, House Speaker Dustin Burrows and the bill's sponsors — Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake, and Sen. Phil King, R-Weatherford — by his side. 'The fewer regulations we have, the more efficient they are, the easier they are to understand — is going to help Texas business and economy continue to boom, which is why I'm excited this is the first bill that is being signed,' Burrows said. With five weeks left in the biennial legislative session, SB 14 is the first bill to reach Abbott's desk. The Senate and House have each passed other priority measures — including a school voucher program that Patrick put on a glide path last week when he endorsed the House's proposal — but some, like the budget, differ slightly across chambers and still require final approval before they can go to the governor. The 'Big Three' — Abbott, Patrick and Burrows — all touted the bill signing as one of the earliest in recent sessions, which have been bogged down in part by bitter relationships between the governor's office, Patrick and former House Speaker Dade Phelan. Patrick called the early bill signing 'the first proof of efficiency.' The 'Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office' will be charged with helping other state agencies identify 'unnecessary and ineffective rules.' It will also advise agencies on ways to make regulations more effective, streamline the regulatory process, reduce department costs and increase public access to regulatory information. The governor will be responsible for appointing members of the panel, which will be supported by up to 18 full-time staff members. The new law also states that courts in Texas are not required to defer to a state agency's interpretation of the law in legal challenges of regulations. It follows the U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of the Chevron doctrine, which for 40 years required the court to follow government agencies' determination of the law when statutes were ambiguous, as long as it was reasonable. The doctrine was a prime target for those looking to roll back the power of federal agencies. SB 14, which was designated a priority bill in the Senate, is part of a broader push by Republican elected officials to continue to make Texas more attractive to businesses and corporations. In 2023, the Legislature created a specialized business court, and lawmakers this session are looking to pass tighter restrictions on lawsuits. Some Democrats in opposition to the bill questioned why the new agency was necessary on top of the state's Sunset Advisory Commission, which already regularly assesses the continued existence and performance of state agencies and regulations. Republicans who opposed the measure, including Rep. Brian Harrison, R-Midlothian, called the bill an expansion of government. 'The point of DOGE is to cut government, reduce spending and shrink the bureaucracy,' Harrison said on the House floor. 'Unfortunately, this bill does the exact opposite.' Other states have also established groups inspired by DOGE, including Kentucky, Iowa, Oklahoma, New Hampshire and Louisiana. The Texas House created its own Delivery of Government Efficiency committee this session with the goal of eliminating waste, fraud and abuse in government. During the bipartisan committee's first hearing in March, Capriglione, the panel's chair, said: 'At times, we will use a scalpel, carefully dissecting inefficiencies to make government work smarter. At other times, we will wield a sledgehammer, tearing down systemic waste and corruption that may have gone unchallenged.' Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. Get tickets before May 1 and save big! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'DOGE, Texas style': How new efficiency law is different from DOGE, Sunset Commission
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill Wednesday creating a permanent office dedicated to government efficiency in Texas. Senate Bill 14, referred to as the Regulatory Reform and Efficiency Act, was passed on April 14 and authorized the creation of the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office. The newly formed office will be separate from the committee formed in the Texas House of Representatives in February, called the Delivery of Government Efficiency (Texas DOGE) committee. While the spirit of the DOGE acronym refers broadly to government efficiency, Texas is taking a different approach to streamlining government processes. While the Federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is defined as a Temporary Service Organization in a presidential executive order, the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office will be a permanent part of the state government. Meanwhile, the 13-member, bipartisan Texas DOGE committee will continue its broad goal to eliminate waste, fraud and corruption within the state government. It's unclear how the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office and the House's DOGE committee will interact. As for the goals of the federal and state efforts toward government efficiency, the federal DOGE aims to modernize 'technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity.' The Texas Regulatory Reform and Efficiency Act says the new office will focus on reducing regulations and streamlining the process to establish governing rules within government agencies. Texas already has an agency dedicated to analyzing the efficiency of government agencies. The Texas Sunset Advisory Commission was established in 1977. Since then, it has saved Texas $1 billion by 'evaluating the need for state agencies and their effectiveness, efficiency, and responsiveness to the public.' The Sunset Advisory Commission periodically reviews and audits government agencies, and then makes recommendations to the Legislature about changes that need to be made, up to and including abolishing a particular part of the government. The Sunset process must include state congressional approval before any action is taken. READ MORE: 'Change is coming': Texas DOGE hosts first meeting The bill being signed by Abbott on Wednesday empowers the newly formed office to reduce rules, regulations, required trainings and other 'inefficiencies resulting from rules or other regulatory requirements.' The Texas Regulatory Reform and Efficiency Act does not include a defined relationship between the new Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office and the Sunset Advisory Commission. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
