Independent institutions that check this jurisdiction's own power — audit, ombudsman, inspector general, civilian review, ethics, and grand-jury bodies established by statute.
The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (Tex. Gov't Code Ch. 511) sets standards and enforces compliance for all county jails in Texas. Nine members are appointed by the governor with Senate advice...
Read scorecard → 02 AuditThe Texas State Auditor is appointed by the Legislative Audit Committee, a bipartisan legislative body, and reports to the Legislature. The office audits state agencies and entities receiving...
Read scorecard → 03 AuditTCOLE is Texas's peace-officer licensing and standards body. Nine members are appointed by the governor with Senate advice and consent: three agency heads (sheriffs, constables, or chiefs), three...
Read scorecard → 04 Inspector GeneralThe Texas Office of Inspector General investigates fraud, waste, and abuse within the Health and Human Services Commission programs, including Medicaid, SNAP, and TANF. The IG is appointed by the...
Read scorecard → 05 Inspector GeneralThe TDCJ OIG is established under Texas Gov't Code §493.019 as an independent law-enforcement agency within the Texas Board of Criminal Justice (TBCJ). The Inspector General — a TCOLE-certified...
Read scorecard → 06 Ethics CommissionThe Texas Ethics Commission is constitutionally established and enforces campaign finance, lobbying, and personal financial disclosure laws. Eight members are appointed equally by the Governor,...
Read scorecard →Texas law-enforcement oversight has three primary statutory mechanisms. TCOLE (Tex. Occ. Code Ch. 1701) is the state's POST: a nine-member commission (six LE, three public) appointed by the governor with Senate consent that holds binding authority to revoke or suspend peace-officer licenses and agency employment authority, though it does not independently investigate use-of-force incidents. The TDCJ Office of the Inspector General (Tex. Gov't Code §493.019) is a TBCJ-appointed independent law-enforcement agency that investigates criminal misconduct and use-of-force by correctional officers in state prisons. The Commission on Jail Standards (Tex. Gov't Code Ch. 511) — nine members, majority civilian — sets standards and enforces compliance for all county jails, with subpoena power and full records access, but refers UOF matters to sheriffs rather than investigating independently. No statewide civilian review board exists over municipal police or county sheriffs.