Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 14 creating a new office to cut through the state’s regulatory red tape, but not everyone agrees it’s the solution Texas needs.
At a Glance
- Governor Abbott signed the Regulatory Reform and Efficiency Act on April 23, creating the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office
- The new office will identify outdated regulations, simplify procedures, and provide public access to the rule-making process
- The initiative mirrors President Trump’s federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)
- Supporters call it essential for economic growth while critics argue it expands government unnecessarily
- The law removes judicial deference to agency interpretations, allowing judges to review agency rule-making
Abbott’s Bold Move Against Regulatory Burdens
Governor Greg Abbott has taken decisive action against what he describes as Texas’s increasingly burdensome regulatory environment. On April 23, he signed Senate Bill 14, also known as the Regulatory Reform and Efficiency Act, establishing the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office within the Office of the Governor. The new office will be dedicated to streamlining government processes and reducing regulatory burdens that impact businesses and residents across the Lone Star State.
The Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office draws inspiration from the federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) created by President Trump. It will be tasked with identifying outdated or duplicative rules, simplifying regulatory procedures, and creating a public portal for rule-making. The office will work alongside a consultative panel comprised of experts from business, academia, and regulatory law to enhance governance and transparency within state agencies.
Today, TAB President and CEO @GlennHamer issued the following statement after Governor @GregAbbott_TX signed Senate Bill 14 into law, establishing the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office, aka "Texas DOGE":
“As Co-Chair of the Governor’s Small Business Freedom Council, I applaud… pic.twitter.com/Gz1ZRJQQcU
— Texas Association of Business (@txbiz) April 23, 2025
Economic Concerns Drive Reform
Despite Texas’s strong economic standing, Governor Abbott pointed to growing concerns among business leaders about the regulatory climate. “Texas has won the national championship for economic development for 13 years in a row—business could not be doing better. With one exception. Among the CEOs that I talked to every single week, there were growing concerns that were repeated time and again. The regulatory environment in Texas is getting too burdensome,” Abbott explained at the signing ceremony.
“We are putting at the forefront of legislation the shaping, formation, and recalibration of government in the State of Texas to make it more responsive and more efficient. We in Texas will now have our own DOGE, known as the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office. This law will slash regulations, put stricter standards on new regulations that could be costly to businesses, and put a check on the growth of the administrative state,” added Abbott.
The law includes provisions for the office to produce regulatory analysis manuals and reduction guides while coordinating with state entities to enhance transparency and consistency. Another significant change removes judicial deference to agency interpretations of law, allowing judges to independently review agency rulemaking decisions. The legislation also mandates that rulemaking procedures be written in plain language accessible to the public.
Today, the Texas House passed SB 14 (companion to HB 10) & HB 12—two priority bills aimed at cutting red tape, boosting government efficiency, empowering the public with greater oversight over their government, and increasing transparency in Texas.
HB 12 received unanimous… pic.twitter.com/im4vx5Wsqq— Dustin Burrows (@Burrows4TX) April 8, 2025
Not Everyone Agrees With The Solution
While Republican leadership, including Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Speaker of the Texas House Dustin Burrows, strongly support the law as a means to cut red tape and enhance accountability, the bill has faced criticism. Some opponents argue it contradicts its stated purpose by expanding government and increasing spending rather than reducing it.
“The point of DOGE is to cut government, reduce spending, and shrink the bureaucracy. Unfortunately, this bill does the exact opposite,” said Republican state Rep. Brian Harrison.
Despite these criticisms, many business leaders view the law as beneficial, particularly for small businesses that often struggle most with regulatory compliance. The office will be required to produce a biennial report on its activities and their impact on regulatory efficiency, providing a measure of accountability. Supporters are promoting the Texas model as a potential blueprint for other states seeking to streamline their own government operations and regulatory frameworks.
