Sunset Legislation

Sunsetting establishes the process to evaluate the performance of federal agencies. The law will also promote accountability and customer service within agencies that have not demonstrated either in the past.

The Federal Agency Sunset Review Act of 1998 (H.R. 1227) would place an expiration date on every federal agency, department and program. This would require them to justify their existence to taxpayers and Congress, or face elimination. A similar law is used in nearly half of the states including Texas, which has eliminated 44 agencies, saving Texas taxpayers $720 million.

Every agency, regardless of whether they were created 100 years ago or 20 years ago, must prove they deserve our precious tax dollars today. Under sunset, not only do you abolish federal agencies and streamline others, you force agencies to become more responsive to the taxpayers and the customers they serve.

The act creates a 12-member bi-partisan commission composed of eight members of Congress and four private citizens. The commission - to be paid for by cutting a portion of the current federal budget - will evaluate each agency and recommend to Congress if it should be abolished streamlined, consolidated or reauthorize with recommendations for improvements.
This legislation would ensure that our federal agencies perform functions that bests serve the public need and justify every tax-dollar in their budget.

H.R. 1227 has attracted an impressive 57 co-sponsors, including House Budget Committee Chairman Jim Jussle and Dan Burton. Recently, the House adopted Brady's Sunset Act (italics) as an amendment to the Spending Control Act , 272-140. While the spending Control Act ultimately failed, the victory of a strong bi-partisan vote on the Sunset Act was crucial to future progress on implementing a Federal Sunset Act.

Sunset Executive Summary Update