DOGE Legislation Passes Texas Senate

Estimated Time to Read: 6 minutes

On Wednesday, the Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 14 (SB 14), the Regulatory Reform and Efficiency Act, with bipartisan support. Authored by State Sen. Phil King (R–Weatherford), SB 14 is a legislative priority of Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick aimed at reducing ‘red tape’ in Texas by improving the state’s regulatory process, increasing transparency, and restoring judicial independence from agency interpretations. At the heart of the legislation is the creation of the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office (TREO), which will work to identify unnecessary or ineffective state rules and promote a more accountable and accessible regulatory framework.

In passing SB 14, Patrick said,

Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office to Cut Red Tape and Promote Transparency

SB proposes the establishment of the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office within the Governor’s Office. The TREO will be tasked with identifying and eliminating outdated, duplicative, or overly burdensome regulations. The office will assist state agencies in evaluating the real-world cost and impact of their rules and promote alternatives that provide necessary protections without unnecessary bureaucracy. It will also develop publicly available resources like a Regulatory Economic Analysis Manual and a plain-language Regulatory Reduction Guide to help agencies better assess and reduce regulatory burdens.

Additionally, SB 14 mandates collaboration with the Texas Secretary of State and the Texas Department of Information Resources to build a centralized, searchable online portal for public access to rules, forms, and filings. This initiative reflects growing public demand for regulatory clarity, with recent polling showing that 94% of Texas voters support plain-language regulations and a centralized platform for accessing them.

Advisory Panel and Transparency Requirements Strengthen Regulatory Accountability

To guide the reform effort, SB 14 allows the creation of the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Advisory Panel. This panel will bring together experts from business, law, compliance, academia, and regulated industries to identify regulatory inefficiencies and advise the TREO and Governor’s Office. Panel members will not receive compensation but may be reimbursed for expenses, ensuring the focus remains on public service.

Further, SB 14 institutes a biennial reporting requirement. By December 1 of every even-numbered year, the TREO must publish a report detailing the progress made toward reducing regulatory burdens, along with legislative recommendations. This report will be made publicly accessible, helping to reinforce government transparency and agency accountability.

SB 14 Improves Judicial Oversight Over State Agency Rulemaking

In a significant departure from the status quo, SB 14 restores judicial independence in regulatory disputes by eliminating mandatory deference to state agencies’ legal interpretations. Courts will now evaluate questions of law de novo, meaning judges are free to interpret the law without automatically siding with agency positions. This reform is aimed at curbing the influence of unelected bureaucrats and ensuring that legal interpretations reflect the plain meaning of the law, not just the views of the agencies enforcing them.

Texas Regulatory Reform Supported, But Not Without Initial Concerns

Texas Policy Research initially recommended that lawmakers vote YES on SB 14 while also including some suggestions for amendments to improve the legislation, given its alignment with the principles of free enterprise, limited government, and individual liberty.

The legislation’s focus on streamlining the rulemaking process, increasing transparency, and restraining administrative overreach represented a meaningful effort to reduce regulatory barriers and restore government accountability. However, concerns were raised about whether SB 14 achieved regulatory reform at the expense of expanding government bureaucracy. The original version of the bill called for the creation of a new office within the Governor’s Office staffed with 35.5 full-time employees and carrying an ongoing fiscal impact of nearly $8 million annually. Critics argued that establishing a large new regulatory body to oversee regulatory reduction risked undermining the bill’s very purpose—limiting the growth of government.

To reconcile this contradiction, Texas Policy Research recommended that lawmakers either adjust the amount of supposedly needed full time employees or include an amendment to add a clear sunset provision—requiring a full performance review of the office within five years, not twelve—and enforce measurable performance standards to ensure the office would serve its stated goal of reducing regulation rather than sustaining itself as another layer of oversight.

Floor Substitute Resolves Bureaucracy Concerns and Aligns SB 14 with House Bill 10

Fortunately, before final passage in the Texas Senate, lawmakers adopted a floor substitute that addressed these concerns. The substitute version of SB 14 more aligns the legislation with House Bill 10 (HB 10), which includes a significantly reduced bureaucratic footprint. The number of full-time positions authorized for the new office was trimmed, alleviating fears of unnecessary government growth. This amendment preserves the spirit of the bill—reducing red tape and improving efficiency—while avoiding the creation of a bloated oversight mechanism.

This responsiveness to input reflects the legislative process at its best and reinforces SB 14’s legitimacy as a good-faith effort to reform how Texas regulates its citizens and businesses.

SB 14 Reflects Broader Push for Smarter Government in Texas

SB 14 passed the Texas Senate by a vote of 26 to 5, whereby the 5 nay votes were State Sens. Molly Cook (D-Houston), Sarah Eckhardt (D-Austin), Roland Gutierrez (D-San Antonio), Borris Miles (D-Houston), and Robert Nichols (R-Jacksonville).

The passage of SB 14 comes on the heels of growing momentum for regulatory reform in Texas. According to recent research, Texas is the fifth most regulated state in the country, with over 274,000 individual restrictions on the books. These layers of regulation, often duplicative or overly complex, disproportionately burden small businesses and stifle innovation. By creating a centralized office to audit, review, and streamline these rules, Texas lawmakers are taking a proactive step to make state government more transparent, accountable, and efficient.

Polls show that Texans overwhelmingly support efforts to simplify the regulatory process, increase access to rulemaking information, and ensure that rules undergo regular, objective review. SB 14 responds directly to that demand, and its successful passage—especially with improvements via the floor substitute—marks a pivotal moment in the state’s approach to governance.

Next Steps: SB 14 Heads to the Texas House for Consideration

Now that SB 14 has cleared the Texas Senate, attention turns to the Texas House of Representatives. If the House passes the measure, the Governor will have the opportunity to sign it into law and initiate the formation of the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office and Advisory Panel.

Should it become law, SB 14 will be a major milestone in Texas’s ongoing efforts to reform the administrative state, reduce the burden of regulation, and ensure that state government works for the people—not the other way around.

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