S.B. No. 14, the Regulatory Reform and Efficiency Act, seeks to improve the efficiency of state agencies in rulemaking and regulatory processes by establishing the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office within the governor's office. This office will focus on streamlining the rulemaking process, assisting agencies in eliminating unnecessary regulations, and enhancing public access to information about state agency rules. The bill also introduces the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Advisory Panel, which will provide recommendations to the governor's office on improving regulatory processes and assessing the economic impact of regulations. To promote transparency, proposed rules will now require a plain language explanation and a request for information on their costs and benefits.

The bill amends various sections of the Government Code to improve the clarity and accessibility of proposed rules, including a new definition of "plain language" to ensure comprehensibility for the general public. It modifies procedural requirements for contesting rules, stating that a rule is voidable unless adopted in substantial compliance with specified sections, and allows courts to remand rules for revision if noncompliance is found. Additionally, the bill establishes that courts are not required to defer to state agencies' legal determinations, allowing for a de novo review of legal questions. Certain existing sections are repealed, and the new provisions will apply only to rules proposed and proceedings initiated after the Act's effective date, with implementation dependent on legislative appropriations.

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)
Senate Committee Report: Government Code 2001.007, Government Code 2001.024, Government Code 2001.035, Government Code 2001.040, Government Code 2001.022 (Government Code 2001)
Engrossed: Government Code 2001.007, Government Code 2001.024, Government Code 2001.035, Government Code 2001.040, Government Code 2001.022 (Government Code 2001)
House Committee Report: Government Code 2001.007, Government Code 2001.024, Government Code 2001.035, Government Code 2001.040, Government Code 2001.022 (Government Code 2001)
Enrolled: Government Code 2001.007, Government Code 2001.024, Government Code 2001.035, Government Code 2001.040, Government Code 2001.022 (Government Code 2001)