Skip to Content
Questions or Comments: info@tceq.texas.gov

Chapter 4: Agency Resources

This chapter outlines the agency’s workforce and financial resources. (Biennial Report to the 89th Legislature, FY 2023-FY 2024)

This chapter outlines the agency’s workforce and financial resources. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has over 2,800 full-time employees, with more than 30% working outside of the Austin headquarters. The agency has 16 regional offices, as well as five satellite offices throughout Texas.

These field offices give TCEQ a statewide presence, enabling its staff to communicate firsthand with municipalities, businesses and industry, and community groups in all quarters of Texas.

TCEQ’s budgetary needs are based on the demands of state and federal laws concerned with protecting human health and the environment. The operating budget totaled $482.8 million in fiscal 2023 and $558.15 million in fiscal 2024. Most of the budget is supported by revenues collected from fees and includes funds not appropriated by the legislature, such as the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan Trust Fund.

TCEQ publishes its operating budget separately in even-numbered fiscal years, and it is included in the legislative appropriations request in odd-numbered fiscal years. Funds relating to the TERP Trust Fund are included in the agency’s annual reports to the legislature. Those documents are available on the agency’s website.

WORKFORCE

Size and Job Categories

In fiscal 2024, the agency was authorized to have 2876.3 full-time-equivalent (FTE) positions, and the average number of FTEs utilized was 2,721.6. In fiscal 2023, the authorized FTEs were 2,821.3; TCEQ averaged 2,657.7 during that time. TCEQ staff is composed largely of professionals trained in science, technology, engineering, computer science, and related fields, with over 300 job classifications and sub-specifications. In fiscal 2024, professionals represented 67.04% of the workforce; technical and administrative support staff made up 16.51%; and officials and administrators (managers) filled 12.52% of positions.

Equal Employment

TCEQ’s policy is to afford equal-employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or other status protected by law.

The agency is committed to recruiting, selecting, and retaining a multitalented, culturally diverse workforce that is representative of the state’s available labor force. In accordance with the Texas Labor Code, Chapter 21, all employees are trained on equal employment practices to make them aware of state and federal employment laws and regulations.

With regard to race and ethnicity, the agency’s workforce composition in fiscal 2024 was categorized as 56.26% white, 9.73% black, 20.82 Hispanic, and 13.20% other ethnicities (including Asian, Pacific Islander, American Indian, and Alaskan Native). With regard to gender, women continue to be in the majority at TCEQ: female employees represented 56.13% of the workforce; males, 43.87%.

Ethnicity and Gender

Each state agency must analyze its workforce by ethnicity and gender. TCEQ compares its workforce to the state civilian workforce using data provided by the Civil Rights Division of the Texas Workforce Commission. The TWC’s report on equal-employment opportunity hiring practices, which is published at the beginning of each legislative session, uses data sets based on the percentage of blacks, Hispanics, and females–by job category–within the civilian labor force in Texas.

In fiscal 2024, TCEQ exceeded the percentage of the available black labor force in the job category of administrative support by 9.38%. The agency’s female workforce exceeded the available female labor force in top management (officials and administrators/managers) by 14.26%, as well as in administrative support, by 6.95%.

Recruitment and Retention

TCEQ is a leading state agency employer for environmental science and other science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers. TCEQ actively recruits and hires highly educated and well-qualified new employees using a variety of programs, including:

  • Traditional recruiting at colleges and universities across the state;
  • Partnerships with veterans’ organizations to match military service members to TCEQ career paths;
  • TCEQ’s Mickey Leland Environmental Internship Program, which has for over 30 years created opportunities for minorities and women pursuing environmental, engineering, science-related, and public-administration careers;
  • TCEQ’s Transitions Hiring, which collects applications from candidates who are about to graduate or within 2 years of graduation to be considered for vacant and primarily entry-level positions;
  • TCEQ’s Express Interview Program, which allows supervisors to extend conditional job offers at recruiting events; and
  • TCEQ’s Engineer Hiring Program, which collects applications from engineers who hold a professional engineer (P.E.) license, expedites hiring for TCEQ vacancies, and offers a recruitment bonus for newly hired licensed engineers.

Retention is TCEQ’s biggest challenge. TCEQ hired 499 new staff in fiscal 2024 and 571 in fiscal 2023. Retention strategies include investing additional legislative funding in targeted salary increases, providing flexible and hybrid work schedules, recognizing employees for their exceptional work, and promoting employee wellness and engagement opportunities. TCEQ is also growing its next generation of leaders through the Leadership and Management Excellence and Mentor Programs as well as offering on-demand professional development opportunities for all staff.

FINANCES

In fiscal 2023, the approved operating budget totaled $499 million. Of that, $248.8 million was appropriated from dedicated fee revenue, $167.2 million from the TERP Trust Fund, $38.1 million from federal funds, and $15.8 million from general revenue. Other sources supplied the remaining $13.1 million.

In fiscal 2024, the agency’s approved operating budget was $558 million. Of that, $297.6 million was appropriated from dedicated fee revenue, $167.7 million from the TERP Trust Fund, $41.6 million from federal funds, and $29.3 million from general revenue. Other sources provided the remaining $21.8 million.

Remediation, reimbursement and grants accounted for 44% of the agency’s operating budget in fiscal 2023 and 41% in fiscal 2024. These funds support programs such as the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan, air monitoring grants, municipal solid waste programs, and the cleanup of Petroleum Storage Tank and Superfund sites.

Funds other than those passed through are devoted to day-to-day agency operations. Salaries accounted for 39% in fiscal 2023 and 40% in fiscal 2024. The remaining operating funds support professional services, supplies, utilities, rent, travel, training, and capital needs.

Fees

TCEQ collects more than 100 separate fees. The fees listed below each generated revenue of more than $16 million a year:

  • Texas Emissions Reduction Plan Trust Fund ($272.9 million in fiscal 2023, $292.6 million in fiscal 2024). The TERP Trust Fund (1201) consists of revenue from five fees and surcharges assessed on the sale, registration, titling, and inspection of vehicles, as well as a surcharge on the rental or purchase of diesel equipment in the state. The Comptroller of Public Accounts, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles collect the fees on behalf of TCEQ.
  • Petroleum-Product Delivery Fee($17.8 million in fiscal 2023, $17.6 million in fiscal 2024). The fee is assessed on the bulk delivery of petroleum products. The CPA collects and deposits the fee to the Petroleum Storage Tank Remediation Account (0655).
  • Air Emissions Fee($36.7 million in fiscal 2023, $40.5 million in fiscal 2024). The fee recovers the costs of developing and administering the Title V Operating Permit Program. Revenue is deposited to the Operating Permit Fees Account (5094).
  • Solid-Waste Disposal Fee($36.7 million in fiscal 2023, $36.3 million in fiscal 2024). The fee is assessed on the operators of municipal solid-waste facilities for the disposal of solid waste. Revenue is deposited in the Waste Management Account (0549).
  • Motor-Vehicle Safety-Inspection Fee($49.4 million in fiscal 2023, $49.3 million in fiscal 2024). The fee, assessed per vehicle, is assessed on the sale of state safety-inspection stickers at inspection stations, auto dealers, and other service providers. Revenue is deposited to the Clean Air Account (0151).
  • Consolidated Water Quality Fee($30.1 million in fiscal 2023, $30.2 million in fiscal 2024). The fee is assessed against each permit, issued under the Texas Water Code, Chapter 26, authorizing the treatment and/or discharge of wastewater. It is calculated based on factors including flow volume and type, traditional pollutants, toxicity, and whether a facility is designated as major or minor. The fee revenue is deposited to Water Resource Management Account 0153.
  • Public Health Service Fee($27 million in fiscal 2023, $27.6 million in fiscal 2024). This fee, based on the number of connections, is assessed on owners or operators of public drinking water supply systems. Revenue is deposited to Water Resource Management Account 0153.
  • Lead Acid Battery Fee($27.1 million in fiscal 2023, $27.8 million in fiscal 2024). The fee is assessed on the retail sale of lead acid batteries. A fee of $2.00 is assessed on the purchase of lead acid batteries less than 12 volts—the surcharge on batteries 12 volts and higher is $3.00. The CPA collects and deposits the revenue to the Hazardous and Solid Waste Remediation Account (0550) on behalf of TCEQ.

Fee Revisions

State legislation passed in 2023 changed TCEQ’s fees and funding structure as follows:

  • HB 3461 from the 88th Legislative Session abolished the solid waste disposal fee account 5000 and required the obligations of and unobligated account balances to be transferred to the waste management account 0549. The consolidation required solid waste fee revenue related to Health and Safety Code 361.013 to be fully deposited to waste management account 0549 beginning Sept. 1, 2023.