HB 3816 would require regulatory impact analysis (RIA) of all environmental rules. By whatever label—cost-benefit analysis, cost-effectiveness, impact analysis—regulatory analysis is a widely accepted step in the rule-making process.Unlike most other states, Texas has lacked a mechanism to estimate the regulatory costs imposed on the private sector and the general public. HB 3816 would require a simple cost-benefit analysis of proposed environmental rules to provide such transparency for all Texans. Such analysis should help in legislative oversight of agency implementation of state law.
Higher Education
A New Birth of Excellence: Independent Colleges and the Recovery of Academic Freedom
This week, five independent colleges—Benedictine College, Merrimack College, the University of Mount Saint Vincent, Bellevue University, and Houston Christian University—announced that they have joined as founding members of the National Association for Academic Excellence (NAAE). Their move could be momentous. Spanning New England to Texas and the Great Plains, these institutions are helping to build...
October 20, 2026