Texas DOGE Cut 70,000 Words of Red Tape. Let It Cut More.
They say good things come to those who wait—and in the case of the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office (TREO), the wait was not long. Less than a year after its establishment, TREO has already saved Texans an estimated $123.2 million by reviewing more than 4,000 rules and cutting nearly 70,000 words of red tape. These results show that TREO has materially benefited Texans; they also justify the legislature giving it more to do.
TREO was established by Texas SB 14 (2025)—the first act Governor Abbott signed in the 89th legislature—to both highlight bureaucratic bloat and provide a roadmap for tackling it. As part of the law, TREO scrutinizes state agency rulesets to identify areas for improvement and reduce regulatory burden. It also publishes guidebooks to assist state agencies in improving going forward: the Regulatory Reduction Guide explains how to find rules that are duplicative or onerous; the Economic Analysis Manual details how to conduct economic impact studies for proposed rules; and the Rulemaking Guide highlights best practices for drafting clear, concise policy.
This two-pronged approach, which combines regulatory review with efficiency guidance to improve future rulemaking, has delivered substantial gains for Texan taxpayers—and will continue to do so for years to come. With those gains in hand, the legislature should continue supporting TREO and, better yet, consider expanding its remit.
TREO’s success has been driven in part by its usage of AI-powered tools. It has already experimented with integrating AI into government through its rule-search tool, SAM, which makes it easier for Texans to navigate the labyrinth of state information and government forms. Whether one wants to form an LLC or become a plumber, what used to take hours to compile now takes mere seconds. And TREO’s Regulatory Reduction Guide explains how state agencies can use AI to review rules and identify opportunities to streamline them. In light of this early success, the legislature should explore how TREO and other state agencies can deploy AI to maximize efficiency elsewhere.
With legislative backing, AI can further reduce superfluous administration by sifting through dense laws, reviewing documents, and providing actionable next steps to serve citizens more efficiently. Armed with AI, the Texas government could empower state workers to spend more time on fulfilling, skill-based tasks and on making decisions that improve the lives of Texans, rather than on tedious administrative work.
Given TREO’s accomplishments to date, the legislature should also consider expanding its powers beyond reviewing state agency rules. Empower it to audit local government spending of state dollars and review state university spending. Let it also examine state procurement processes so that our government can acquire the tools it needs to best serve Texans. By giving TREO greater reach, the legislature can help it compound taxpayer savings even more than it already has.
There is much cause to celebrate TREO’s achievements thus far. The legislature can build upon this success by ensuring the next chapter of Texan government efficiency is as impactful as the last.
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