The Sunset Advisory Commission met for the first time today. Members approved without objection the review schedule and the proposed meeting schedule. They also made some changes to rules and across the board recommendations.

Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa (D-McAllen) raised the question of whether going forward the Sunset Commission would limit its review of agencies to the structure and process under which they operate. Chairman Glenn Hegar (R-Katy) said that sunset members need to talk to their colleagues in both chambers to try to keep sunset bills focused on the sunset recommendations, rather than allowing the bills to become, as happened in several cases last session, "Christmas Trees."

The basic question, as Hegar put it, is, "What do we want as the role of Sunset?"

Sunset staff has begun reviewing the first slate of agencies, including the Texas Public Finance Authority, the Capitol Metropolitan Transit Authority, the Texas Department of Insurance, the Office of Public Insurance Counsel, the Public Utility Commission, the Office of Public Utillity Counsel and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. Reports on and recommendations regarding those and other agencies will be published on March 1.

The commission will meet again to hear those reports and recommendations from Sunset staff on April 6.