KOLKHORST SELECTED TO CHAIR SUNSET COMMISSION, RE-APPOINTED CHAIR OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE
State Senator Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham) has been named chair of the Sunset Advisory Commission and re-appointed chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services.
a Legislative Wrap-Up Luncheon in November at
the Blinn College Student Center in Brenham.
Lt. Governor Dan Patrick announced the committee and chair assignments on Monday. Kolkhorst also received committee assignments during the interim for Finance; Business and Commerce; Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Administration; and the Senate Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding. Additionally, she will serve on the Senate Select Committee on Civil Discourse & Freedom of Speech in Higher Education and the General Investigating Committee on the July 2025 Flooding Events.
The Sunset Advisory Commission is comprised of five state senators and five state representatives, plus two public members, who are appointed to evaluate and review all state agencies, determining whether they are operating as efficiently as possible or need to be reformed, downsized or eliminated. In the upcoming 90th Legislative Session, the commission will review nine agencies, among those being the Health and Human Services Commission, Department of State Health Services, Department of Family and Protective Services, Texas Health Services Authority, Statewide Interagency Aging Services Coordinating Council, and Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities.
Kolkhorst said she is honored to be named chair of the Sunset Advisory Commission, calling it “one of the most important and sought-after positions in the Legislature.” She said, “Together, we will approach each agency review with diligence and a commitment to strengthening good governance across our state and making sure that the hard-earned tax dollars of the citizens are not wasted.”
Kolkhorst said she is grateful to continue in her role as chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, and that she is ready to tackle the first interim charge focusing on eradicating fraud. The committee will meet on April 8th to examine and propose new methods to prevent healthcare fraud and abuse within Texas, including but not limited to Medicaid and Child Care Services. She also said her focus will “aim at lowering health insurance costs while improving access and quality.”