State-Commissioned Report Declares Texas Has Too Many State Reports

A new 668-page report by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission has declared that Texas has too many state reports.

The 18-month-long project surveyed over 170 agencies, public colleges, and universities, all of whom are required by the State Legislature to generate a periodic report of some sort. The task force anticipated dealing with about 400 of these reports; the final tally exceeded 1,600 before investigators evidently decided they'd had enough.

"At first, we were overwhelmed by the sheer number of reporting requirements," said state records administrator Michael Heskett to the Houston Chronicle. "We haven't begun our evaluation yet. But I think we can reach our goal of eliminating the deadwood without compromising the need for accountability in our state agencies."

The summary on the State Library and Archives homepage:

"The State Library and Archives has issued its inaugural report that evaluates the usefulness of reports that must be prepared and submitted by a state agency to other state agencies by law. The report recommends to the legislature the repeal or consolidation of statutory reporting requirements in order to reduce the volume of reports that must be prepared by state agencies, striking a balance between reducing the volume of reports and protecting the public interest and ensuring government accountability."

It's all so meta.

The behemoth document, available online as a PDF, lists most of the reports found. Some of the more interestingly-titled gems include "Disclosure of Nepotism" (State Employees Agency), "Report on Noncompliance With Report Requirements" (Higher Education Institutions Agency), and "Report on Alcoholic Beverages in the Capitol" (State Preservation Board)

Required Reports Prepared by State Agencies and Institutions of Higher Education (pdf)