90th Texas Legislature — Sunset Review Member Contact Matrix

16entities/programs currently listed for 2026–27 review

11Sunset stages in this legislative contact matrix

House + Senatesame general Sunset-contact framework applies to both chambers

No Sunset blackoutSunset review itself is not presented by the official process as a general no-contact period

Core rule: A legislator may continue ordinary oversight, policy, data, constituent-service, and implementation communications with an agency while it is under Sunset review. The separate caution is the type of matter: pending contested cases and certain proceeding-specific matters can have ex parte or other legal restrictions.

Green — ordinary legislative contact / oversight

Yellow — check counsel for proceeding-specific restrictions

Red — do not privately pressure the merits of a pending contested case

90th Legislature Sunset Contact Matrix

House and Senate lanes are displayed separately so this can be reused on individual member dashboards without implying that Sunset creates a special permission window.

Sunset stage & timing	House	Senate	Appropriate agency contact	Appropriate Sunset staff / Commission action	Record / process note
Before formal review / self-evaluation Before September 2025 / preparatory period	YES	YES	Ask questions; request data; raise district concerns; pursue constituent-service matters.	No special Sunset contact is required, but members may begin documenting issues and evidence for the coming review.	Ordinary legislative oversight / constituent service.
Agency self-evaluation submitted September 2025	YES	YES	Request clarification of the agency’s self-evaluation; ask for district-level data; identify service, regulatory, staffing, access, or implementation issues.	Review the posted self-evaluation and begin providing Sunset staff with relevant concerns, evidence, and questions.	Sunset begins its formal 90th-cycle review record.
Sunset staff evaluation September 2025 – January 2027	YES	YES	Meet with leadership or staff; request information; discuss program performance; identify district problems; ask what is statutory versus administrative.	Provide evidence and concerns directly to Sunset staff while staff evaluates the agency.	Input provided to Sunset staff before the staff report is published may be confidential under the Sunset participation process.
Before Sunset staff report is published During staff evaluation; varies by agency	YES	YES	Continue fact-finding and data requests. Ask the agency to explain policy, performance, expenditures, service standards, and barriers affecting constituents.	Members may provide concerns and proposed solutions directly to Sunset staff. Pre-report input may be confidential.	Important evidence-development window.
Staff report published / before public hearing Agency-specific during 2026–January 2027	YES	YES	Question the agency about Sunset findings and recommendations; request responses, corrective plans, costs, statutory needs, and implementation options.	Submit comments on the staff report; prepare testimony or recommendations for the public hearing.	Post-report comments are generally public and may be shared with Commission members and posted.
Sunset public hearing Agency-specific during the review cycle	YES	YES	Continue ordinary oversight and request supporting information for questions or testimony.	Testify; submit written comments; raise agency-related issues; support, oppose, or modify staff recommendations.	Public testimony and written comments are part of the public Sunset process.
Between public hearing and decision meeting Agency-specific	YES	YES	Continue fact-finding; test proposed solutions with agency staff; obtain cost, implementation, and statutory information.	Communicate policy recommendations subject to posted deadlines and Commission procedures.	Focus shifts from problem identification toward recommendation design.
After Sunset Commission decisions Through January 2027	YES	YES	Discuss implementation consequences, statutory language needs, fiscal impact, and operational feasibility.	Work with Sunset staff and Commission materials to understand final recommendations to the Legislature.	Commission recommendations are moving toward the legislative package.
Report to the 90th Legislature Expected February 2027	YES	YES	Request agency analysis of Commission recommendations and any implementation or fiscal issues.	Use the Commission’s report as the formal recommendation baseline for legislative consideration.	Formal handoff from Sunset review to legislative action.
90th Legislature considers Sunset bills January – June 2027	ABSOLUTELY	ABSOLUTELY	Question officials in hearings; request fiscal/operational information; negotiate implementation details; conduct oversight.	Work through Sunset bills, committee process, amendments, appropriations/riders, and related recommendations.	Legislature may change, remove, or add statutory recommendations in Sunset legislation.
After legislation / implementation After the 90th Regular Session	YES	YES	Monitor implementation; request status reports; assist constituents; evaluate whether statutory or administrative changes are working.	Use final-results and compliance reporting to monitor implementation of Sunset and legislative decisions.	Oversight and constituent-service phase.

Legal-contact boundary

The dashboard should distinguish Sunset status from proceeding-specific legal restrictions.

GREEN — Ordinary legislative work

Agency mission, performance, budget, programs, statistics, district service delivery, implementation, rulemaking generally, constituent trends, Sunset recommendations, and requests for data or explanation.

YELLOW — Check before intervening

A specific pending procurement, enforcement matter, license dispute, disciplinary proceeding, permit controversy, or another proceeding where special statutes, procurement rules, ethics rules, or adjudicative restrictions may apply.

RED — Contested-case merits

Do not use an off-record communication to pressure an agency decision-maker about an issue of fact or law in a pending contested case where Texas Government Code §2001.061 applies.

Entities currently listed for the 2026–27 review cycle

These are the entities/programs shown by the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission as under review for the 90th Legislative Session.

Statewide Interagency Aging Services Coordinating CouncilUnder review

Texas Civil Commitment OfficeUnder review

Texas Council for Developmental DisabilitiesUnder review

Department of Family and Protective ServicesUnder review

Texas Funeral Service CommissionLimited-scope review

Health and Human Services CommissionUnder review

Texas Health Services AuthorityUnder review

Department of State Health ServicesUnder review

Texas Juvenile Justice DepartmentLimited-scope review

Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review CommitteeUnder review

Governor's Committee on People with DisabilitiesUnder review

Perinatal Advisory CouncilUnder review

Public Health Funding and Policy CommitteeUnder review

Purchasing from People with Disabilities ProgramUnder review

Texas Workforce CommissionUnder review

Texas Workforce Investment CouncilUnder review

How this plugs into the member dashboard

This keeps the website spacious: the member page can show a compact Sunset card, while the deeper page handles the problem-solving workflow.

1 • DistrictIdentify the constituent condition

2 • EvidenceSupported, context-only, or inconclusive

3 • AgencyIdentify the responsible Texas entity

4 • SunsetShow current review stage and deadlines

5 • JurisdictionConnect House / Senate committees

6 • ActionOversight, rider, bill, administrative, constituent service

Important legal and intelligence disclaimer

This matrix is a legislative-intelligence and workflow guide, not legal advice. It summarizes the official Texas Sunset review process and a key Administrative Procedure Act restriction. It does not determine the legality of communication in every agency-specific proceeding.

Before intervening in a specific pending procurement, enforcement action, license case, permit matter, contested case, disciplinary matter, or other formal proceeding, a member or staff should check the governing statute/rule and, where appropriate, legislative or agency counsel.

Sunset status should never be used by itself to infer that a district has a policy problem. District evidence should first be classified as SUPPORTED, CONTEXT ONLY, or INCONCLUSIVE before the dashboard recommends a problem-solving pathway.

Sunset Review — House & Senate Member Contact Matrix