Rep. Katrina Pierson introduced HB 3971, a bill on State Finances, to the Texas House on Thursday, March 6 during the 89(R) legislative session, according to the Texas Legislature website.
More specifically, the official text was summarized by the state legislature as ’’relating to renaming the Sunset Advisory Commission the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and to the duties of that department’’.
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
This bill seeks to rename the Sunset Advisory Commission as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and outlines its duties. Effective Jan. 1, 2026, all responsibilities, powers, rights, and obligations of the Sunset Advisory Commission will transfer to DOGE. The bill requires multiple state agencies to be subject to review under the Texas DOGE Act. It specifies abolition dates for various agencies unless reauthorized. The bill also mandates DOGE to evaluate potential cost savings for state agency headquarters relocations from Travis County, encourages use of technology for efficiency, and permits acceptance of certain gifts and grants. Section 189 details transitional provisions for the renaming and rebranding of the commission. The provisions take effect Sept. 1, 2025.
Katrina Pierson, a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans’ Affairs, proposed another seven bills during the 89(R) legislative session. She is also a member of the House Committee on Public Health and a member of the House Committee on S/C on Disease Prevention & Women’s & Children’s Health.
Pierson graduated from Kilgore College in 2003 with an AS and again in 2006 from the University of Texas at Dallas with a BS.
Katrina Pierson is currently serving in the Texas State House, representing the state’s 33rd House district. She replaced previous state representative Justin Holland in 2025.
Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.
You can read more about the bills and other measures here.
| Legislative Session | Author | Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 89(R) | Katrina Pierson | HB 3878 | 03/05/2025 | Relating to the authority of a physician to provide and dispense and to delegate authority to provide and dispense certain drugs |
| 89(R) | Katrina Pierson | HB 3814 | 03/05/2025 | Relating to health benefit plan coverage for perimenopause and menopause medications |
| 89(R) | Katrina Pierson | HB 3614 | 03/03/2025 | Relating to nurse profiles and certain information concerning nurses maintained on the Texas Board of Nursing’s Internet website |
| 89(R) | Katrina Pierson | HB 3560 | 02/28/2025 | Relating to the licensing of mental hospitals and mental health facilities and the definition of facility for the purposes of the employee misconduct registry |
| 89(R) | Katrina Pierson | HB 3253 | 02/24/2025 | Relating to the rural constable’s office salary assistance grant program |
| 89(R) | Katrina Pierson | HB 2561 | 02/07/2025 | Relating to the meeting place of the board of a municipal utility district |
| 89(R) | Katrina Pierson | HB 1076 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the unauthorized entry, occupancy, sale, rental, lease, advertisement for sale, rental, or lease, or conveyance of real property, including the removal of certain unauthorized occupants of a dwelling; creating criminal offenses; increasing a criminal penalty; authorizing a fee |
| 88(4) | Justin Holland | HB 12 | 11/07/2023 | Relating to county requirements for the creation of a special district located in the county |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 1540 | 03/27/2023 | Relating to the San Jacinto River Authority, following recommendations of the Sunset Advisory Commission; specifying grounds for the removal of a member of the board of directors |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 5305 | 03/15/2023 | Relating to the dissolution of the Rockwall County Municipal Utility District No. 10 |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 1620 | 03/10/2023 | Relating to the review date for certain governmental entities subject to the sunset review process and the regulation of horse racing by the Texas Racing Commission |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 4842 | 03/10/2023 | Relating to municipal civil service for fire fighters and police officers |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 4843 | 03/10/2023 | Relating to increasing the minimum term of imprisonment and changing the eligibility for community supervision and parole for certain felony offenses in which a firearm is used or exhibited, to certain consequences on conviction of certain of those offenses, and to increasing the criminal penalty for the offense of unlawful possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a felony |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 4873 | 03/10/2023 | Relating to the licensing and regulation of peace officers |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 4879 | 03/10/2023 | Relating to incident-based reporting of information and statistics concerning offenses committed in this state and the establishment of the Texas crime information system by the Department of Public Safety |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 4917 | 03/10/2023 | Relating to the regulation of third-party data collection entities; providing a civil penalty and authorizing a fee |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 1570 | 03/07/2023 | Relating to the sunset review process and certain governmental entities subject to that process |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 3668 | 03/06/2023 | Relating to the expiration and extension of certain provisions relating to engaging outside council for Federal Energy Regulatory Commission matters |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 3437 | 03/03/2023 | Relating to the authority to approve change orders for certain contracts for the construction, repair, and renovation of water district facilities |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 3507 | 03/03/2023 | Relating to contracts for the construction, repair, and renovation of certain conservation and reclamation district facilities |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 3350 | 03/02/2023 | Relating to the purchase and sale of vintage distilled spirits by the holder of a package store permit or local distributor’s permit |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 1500 | 03/01/2023 | Relating to the continuation and functions of the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Office of Public Utility Counsel, and the functions of the independent organization certified for the ERCOT power region; increasing an administrative penalty |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 1560 | 03/01/2023 | Relating to the regulation of the practice of veterinary medicine by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 3165 | 03/01/2023 | Relating to the establishment, administration, and use of the Texas land and water conservation fund |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 2789 | 02/24/2023 | Relating to regulation of accessory dwelling units by political subdivisions |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 2777 | 02/23/2023 | Relating to the contracting authority of the Parks and Wildlife Department |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 2783 | 02/23/2023 | Relating to reporting of the names of the directors of water supply or sewer service corporations; authorizing an administrative penalty |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 2784 | 02/23/2023 | Relating to the issuance of certain bonds by municipal utility districts |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 2785 | 02/23/2023 | Relating to county plat approval requirements related to fire protection for certain residential subdivisions |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 2405 | 02/16/2023 | Relating to photo identification for certain debit or credit card transactions |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 2419 | 02/16/2023 | Relating to disclosure under the public information law of information related to a competitive matter involving the provision of cable, Internet, or broadband services by a public power utility |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 2297 | 02/14/2023 | Relating to compensation and leave for certain peace officers |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 2299 | 02/14/2023 | Relating to increasing the criminal penalty for election fraud |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 2200 | 02/13/2023 | Relating to the sale of spirit coolers by certain alcoholic beverage permittees |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 1836 | 02/03/2023 | Relating to the pledge of allegiance to the state flag |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 1852 | 02/03/2023 | Relating to the authority of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to issue an order to create a special district |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 1916 | 02/03/2023 | Relating to approval of subdivision plats, improvement projects, and certain special districts by certain counties |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 1674 | 01/26/2023 | Relating to certain sales or purported sales of homestead property that are classified as loans |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 1675 | 01/26/2023 | Relating to a border operations training program for peace officers employed by local law enforcement agencies |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 1514 | 01/23/2023 | Relating to protesting changes to municipal zoning regulations and boundaries |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 1357 | 01/17/2023 | Relating to Medicaid reimbursement for certain medication-assisted treatments for opioid or substance use disorder |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 1256 | 01/10/2023 | Relating to seller’s disclosure notice concerning special districts in which residential real property is located |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 1257 | 01/10/2023 | Relating to a seller’s notice of special district ad valorem taxes or assessments on newly constructed residential real properties |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 1195 | 01/05/2023 | Relating to the authority of certain county and district clerks to obtain and retain information that identifies a person filing a document or requesting services |
| 88(R) | Justin Holland | HB 697 | 11/15/2022 | Relating to seller’s disclosures regarding fuel gas piping in residential real property |
