The Texas state government includes about 150 state agencies that operate as distinct administrative units, each with its own budget, structure, and mandate.
State agencies include boards, commissions, offices, and departments in the executive, judicial, or legislative branches of state government. Public universities are sometimes considered state agencies, though they excluded from this list. In total, Texas has about 70 public institutions of higher education, including the University of Texas and Texas A&M Systems.
Political subdivisions, such as counties, cities, and school districts are not considered state agencies. One key difference is that these subdivisions set their own budgets and generate their own revenue, whereas state agencies depend on appropriations from the legislature.
The leadership and organizational structure of state agencies varies widely. Some are headed by boards that are appointed by the governor, others are led by legislators, and still others are headed by elected executive branch officials.
Most state agencies belong to the executive branch of government. However, unlike federal departments, which fall under the control of the U.S. president, not all Texas agencies within the executive branch are under the direct control of the governor. For instance, the Texas Agriculture Department is headed by an elected commissioner of agriculture, and the General Land Office is headed by an elected land commissioner.
A handful of state agencies belong to the judicial or legislative branches, such as the Texas Legislative Council (legislative branch) and the Office of Court Administration (judicial).
State agencies are created by acts of the Texas Legislature, or by the Texas Constitution.
List of Texas State Agencies
- Accountancy, Board of Public
- Administrative Hearings, Office of
- Affordable Housing Corporation
- Agriculture, Department of
- AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M
- AgriLife Research, Texas A&M
- Alcoholic Beverage Commission
- Angelina and Neches River Authority
- Animal Health Commission
- Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board
- Architectural Examiners, Board of
- Arts, Commission on the
- Attorney General
- Auditor
- Banking, Department of
- Bar of Texas, State
- Blind and Visually Impaired, School for the
- Bond Review Board
- Brazos River Authority
- Canadian River Municipal Water Authority
- Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas
- Chiropractic Examiners, Board of
- Comptroller of Public Accounts
- Consumer Credit Commissioner, Office of
- County and District Retirement System
- Court Administration, Office of
- Courts of Appeals (1st – 15th)
- Credit Union Department
- Criminal Appeals, Court of
- Criminal Justice, Department of
- Deaf, School for the
- Dental Examiners, Board of
- Developmental Disabilities, Council for
- Education Agency
- Education, Board of
- Edwards Aquifer Authority
- Emergency Communications, Commission on State
- Emergency Services Retirement System
- Employees Retirement System
- Engineering Experiment Station, Texas A&M
- Engineering Extension Service, Texas
- Engineers, Board of Professional
- Environmental Quality, Commission on
- Ethics Commission
- Facilities Commission
- Family and Protective Services, Dept. of
- Finance Authority, Public
- Finance Commission
- Fire Protection, Commission on
- Forest Service, Texas A&M
- Funeral Service Commission
- Geoscientists, Board of Professional
- Groundwater Protection Committee
- Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority
- Gulf Coast Waste Disposal Authority
- Headwaters Groundwater Conservation District
- Health and Human Services Commission
- Health Professions Council
- Health Services, Dept. of State
- High Plains Underground Water Conservation District
- Higher Education Coordinating Board
- Historical Commission
- Housing and Community Affairs, Dept. of
- Information Resources, Dept. of
- Injured Employee Counsel, Office of
- Insurance Counsel, Office of Public
- Insurance, Department of
- Jail Standards, Commission on
- Judicial Branch Certification Commission
- Judicial Conduct, Commission on
- Judicial Council
- Juvenile Justice Department
- Land Office, General
- Lavaca-Navidad River Authority
- Law Enforcement, Commission on
- Law Examiners, Board of
- Law Library
- Legislative Budget Board
- Legislative Council
- Legislative Reference Library
- Library and Archives Commission
- Licensing and Regulation, Dept. of
- Lottery Commission
- Lower Colorado River Authority
- Medical Board
- Military Department
- Municipal Retirement System
- North Plains Ground Water Conservation District
- North Texas Tollway Authority
- Nueces River Authority
- Nursing, Board of
- Office of Capital and Forensic Writs
- Optometry Board
- Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District
- Pardons and Paroles, Board of
- Parks and Wildlife Department
- Pension Review Board
- Pharmacy, Board of
- Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Examiners, Executive Council of
- Plumbing Examiners, Board of
- Preservation Board
- Prosecuting Attorney, Office of State
- Psychologists, Board of Examiners of
- Public Finance Authority
- Public Safety, Department of
- Public Utility Commission
- Public Utility Counsel, Office of
- Racing Commission
- Railroad Commission
- Real Estate Commission
- Red River Authority
- Rio Grande Regional Water Authority
- Risk Management, Office of
- Sabine River Authority
- San Jacinto River Authority
- Savings and Mortgage Lending, Dept. of
- Secretary of State
- Securities Board
- Soil and Water Conservation Board
- Sulphur River Basin Authority
- Sunset Advisory Commission
- Supreme Court
- Teacher Retirement System
- Transportation Institute
- Transportation, Dept. of
- Trinity River Authority
- Upper Colorado River Authority
- Upper Guadalupe River Authority
- Veterans Commission
- Veterans Land Board
- Veterinary Medical Examiners, Board of
- Water Development Board
- Windham School District
- Workforce Commission
This article is part of Texapedia, the Encyclopedia of Texas Government.
