August 20, 2026

Texas’ Sunset Review Process Moves Forward: How Texans with IDD Can Make Their Voices Heard

Sabrina Gonzalez Saucedo

The Texas Sunset Advisory Commission reviews state agencies once every 10 years to determine whether they should continue to operate and how they can better serve Texans. (Check out our October 2025 blogpost for additional background.)

The process is particularly important this cycle because several agencies that play a critical role in the lives of Texans with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are under review, including the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).

The sunset review process is entering its next major phase—out of agency self-evaluations and staff reviews and into the Commission’s public hearings—and Texans with IDD, their families, and advocates will soon have another important opportunity to make their voices heard.

What Has Happened

The members of the Commission were appointed by the Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick (R) and Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock), with Senator Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham) serving as Chair and Representative Lacey Hull (R-Houston) serving as Vice Chair.

Following several months reviewing the agencies under consideration, and gathering input from stakeholders, Sunset staff are releasing their findings and recommendations for each agency on a rolling basis.

The staff report on TWC was published in June, and the Commission held its first public hearing on August 12, 2026, focusing on TWC’s review. The report found that TWC’s Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program continues to face challenges with integration, administration, and staff training, making it difficult to serve customers consistently and effectively. Sunset staff recommended several changes, including:

Better integration of VR into the broader workforce system

Restructuring the program’s regional organization

Improving training for new VR counselors

Sabrina Gonzalez Saucedo, The Arc of Texas’ Director of Public Policy & Advocacy, provided verbal comments at the TWC hearing, noting The Arc of Texas agrees with these findings and recommendations, drawing on feedback shared by Texans with disabilities and their families through our statewide listening session and survey.

What Happens Next

The next major milestone is the release of additional Sunset staff reports with public hearings to follow. Reports for HHSC, the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities (TCDD), and Texas Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities (GCPD) are expected to be public by October 5, 2026.

To receive updates directly from the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission, join their mailing list.

Public Hearings: Upcoming Advocacy Opportunities

Public hearings are an important opportunity for Texans with IDD, their families, and advocates to participate directly in our state’s sunset review process, allowing the public to respond to findings and recommendations, and share their own experiences with the agencies under review.

Public hearings will be held on November 18 and 19, 2026, on the review of multiple agencies, including HHSC, TCDD, and GCPD. Finalized agendas will be posted to the Sunset Advisory Commission’s Meetings page in the coming weeks.

As public hearings begin, there are two ways to make your voice heard:

Testify at a Texas Sunset Advisory Commission public hearing in Austin: When preparing testimony, members of the public can identify the Sunset staff finding or recommendation they want to address, share a specific experience that illustrates the issue, and explain what that experience tells us about a broader systemic challenge or needed change.

Submit written comments through the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission’s Public Input Form: Members of the public can submit comments any time during the sunset review process, including during the public hearing phase and on the day of a public hearing until close of business. Like testimony given verbally in-person, written comments should respond to the Sunset staff report and its recommendations, while using personal experiences to illustrate broader systemic challenges and needed changes.

The Road Ahead
Following the release of Sunset staff reports and public hearings, the Commission will meet again to vote on changes to include in its final recommendations to the Texas Legislature.

Then, during the 90th Texas Legislative Session, beginning in January 2027, lawmakers will consider the Commission’s recommendations and make final decisions about the future of the agencies and any proposed changes.

We will continue to monitor this process, analyze reports and recommendations, and keep disability advocates informed about opportunities to participate. Stay tuned to our emails (subscribe) and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn @TheArcOfTexas for the latest updates.