Texas Department of Insurance Sunset Review

 

The mission and performance of the Texas Department of Insurance (“TDI”) is currently being reviewed by the Legislature as required under the Texas Sunset Act. 

The Act provides that the Sunset Commission, composed of legislators and public members, periodically evaluates a state agencies to determine if each is still needed, and what improvements are needed to ensure that state funds are well spent.  Based on the recommendations of the Sunset Commission, the Texas Legislature ultimately decides whether an agency continues to operate into the future.

The Sunset review involves three steps.  First, Sunset Commission staff will evaluate the Texas Department of Insurance and, in May 2008, will issue a report recommending solutions to problems found.  The Sunset Commission will then meet to hear public testimony on the agency and the recommendations of the Sunset Commission staff. 

Based on public input and the staff report, the Sunset Commission will adopt recommendations for the full Legislature to consider when it convenes in January 2009.

The sunset process allows the Texas Legislature to review the mission and operations of state agencies and determines whether the for each continues to exist. About 130 agencies are subject to the Texas Sunset Act, and agencies are typically reviewed once every 12 years. The Sunset Advisory Commission (“SAC”) is charged with reviewing agencies subject to sunset. Important timeframes for agencies subject to the Texas sunset process in 2009 are presented in the following timetable:

August 2007:  Agencies submit Self-Evaluation Reports
September 2007-January 2009:  Sunset Commission staff prepares reports; Sunset Commission holds public hearings and makes decisions
February 2009: Report to 81st Texas Legislature on agencies subject to sunset in 2009
January 2009-May 2009: Texas Legislature considers Sunset recommendations

To read the TDI Self-Evaluation Report (“SER”), click here.

The SER describes the agency’s functions and identifies issues that the agency feels should be considered during the Sunset review.

To guide TDI’s review process, Texas Insurance Commissioner Mike Geeslin named a steering committee, which employed a variety of methods to prepare the agency’s SER, including:

• developed an online employee survey to collect employee input about services in each TDI program area
• initiated an intranet resource page to invite employee input and inform staff of SER progress
• created an email account to capture employee input and ideas
  encouraged information sharing between management and employees
• used workgroup discussions and staff meetings to identify improvement opportunities
• established various subcommittees to collect information, and
• organized a discussion series focused on the future landscape of Texas.

To access the Texas Sunset Review Feedback Form, click here.

 

Should you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact this office.