It’s DOGE, Texas style.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday signed a bill to create the state’s own version of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in an effort to get rid of unnecessary rules and slash regulations.
In Austin, Abbott signed SB 14, which would create the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office and streamline the way state agencies establish and enforce regulations.
“The regulatory environment in Texas is getting too burdensome,” Abbott said before putting pen to paper. “The regulatory environment in Texas is well-known for being good, but it seems like it’s not as easy to navigate as it once was.”
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An advisory panel would be created to work with the governor’s office to streamline processes. It would be made up of business owners, researchers, state agencies and the public.
The bill also aims to create an accessible online portal, so the public can look up state regulations.
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“Texas businesses, Texas citizens, they deserve regulations that are in plain English that you can understand what they mean,” said Dustin Burrows, the Republican speaker of the Texas House. “They deserve to know what they actually do, and they deserve to make sure they’re consistent and as few as possible.”
The legislation was authored by state Republican Sen. Phil King and backed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
It passed the Texas House with a 97-51 vote and the Senate 26-5.
The bill is similar to what the Trump administration has aimed to do with DOGE by getting rid of unnecessary rules, as well as rooting out fraud and wasteful spending.
Abbott said DOGE “crystalized” what Texas lawmakers were seeking to achieve.
“It gave strategies to it,” he said. “Texas DOGE will lead to spending cuts, regulation cuts and a more user-friendly government.”
