(Deadline) Public comments to Sunset Advisory Commission on Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

AUSTIN – The Sunset Advisory Commission is reviewing the mission and performance of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and welcomes public comments on whether the agency is still needed and ideas to improve its operations and services. The Texas Sunset Act requires the Sunset Commission to periodically review TPWD and recommend whether to continue the agency and change s

tate law to improve the agency’s efficiency and effectiveness. The Legislature ultimately will decide whether to continue TPWD and adopt Sunset’s other statutory recommendations. The Sunset Commission also may adopt management directives for TPWD that do not require statutory change.

The Sunset process has three stages. First, Sunset staff will evaluate TPWD, seek public input, and issue a report recommending solutions to problems found. Second, the Sunset Commission will hold two public meetings: a hearing on the staff report and the agency, and a decision meeting to adopt recommendations to the Legislature based on the report and public comments. Third, the Legislature will convene in January 2021 and will consider Sunset’s statutory recommendations in a Sunset bill for TPWD.