The Regulatory Reform and Efficiency Act is designed to improve the efficiency of state agencies in rule adoption and regulatory requirements. It establishes the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office and the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Advisory Panel, both subject to the Texas Sunset Act, which mandates their continuation or abolition by 2037. The office will focus on identifying regulatory efficiencies, assisting agencies in eliminating unnecessary rules, and enhancing public access to regulatory information. Additionally, it will prepare a regulatory economic analysis manual and a regulatory reduction guide to aid agencies in reducing regulatory burdens. The bill also creates a forum for stakeholder engagement and requires collaboration between the office and panel to assess the impact of regulations.

Moreover, the bill amends various sections of the Government Code to improve the transparency and clarity of proposed rules. It mandates that notices of proposed rules be written in plain language to ensure accessibility for the general public, including those with limited English proficiency. Agencies are now required to solicit information on the cost, benefit, or effect of proposed rules from affected parties. The bill also modifies procedural requirements for contesting agency rules, allowing courts to remand rules for revision if they do not comply with specified sections of the Government Code. It repeals outdated provisions and establishes a timeline for the appointment of the advisory panel by January 1, 2026, with the changes applying only to rules proposed after the Act's effective date.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Government Code 2001.007, Government Code 2001.024, Government Code 2001.035, Government Code 2001.040, Government Code 2001.022 (Government Code 2001)