The State Commission for the Deaf was established in 1971 (House Bill 1293, 62nd Texas Legislature, Regular Session), its board composed of six members. It was renamed the Texas Commission for the Deaf in 1979 (House Bill 1834, 66th Texas Legislature, Regular Session), and its board was increased to nine members. In 1991 (House Bill 2353, 72nd Texas Legislature, Regular Session), its name was changed to Texas Commission for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired. One last name change in 1995 made it the Texas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (House Bill 2859, 74th Texas Legislature, Regular Session). Its goal was a statewide program of advocacy and education to break down communication barriers and guarantee equal access to persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. It established contracts with community-based councils for the deaf and hard of hearing, to provide communication access, information and referral, early intervention services, services to the elderly, and interpreter mentoring services. It certified and maintained a registry of interpreters, and provided financial assistance for telephone access equipment to persons with disabilities. In short, the commission was responsible for rendering all services to the deaf except those which are by law the responsibility of the welfare, educational, or other agencies of the state.

Members of the commission were appointed by the governor with the concurrence of the Senate for six-year overlapping terms. Two of the original six members (1971-1979) were required to be deaf persons. When the number of commissioners was raised to nine in 1979, three were required to be deaf or hard of hearing, two the parents of deaf or hard of hearing children, two professionals serving the deaf or hard of hearing, and two representatives of the general public. The commission appointed an executive director, preferably deaf or hard of hearing. In 1971 the commission had three employees, and by 1991 it had thirteen employees. In 1991 the commission was one of eleven (eventually thirteen) state agencies placed under the oversight of the Health and Human Services Commission.

House Bill 2292 (78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003) merged twelve state health and human services agencies into five, officially abolishing the Texas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and creating the new Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS). This new agency combined the duties of the Commission for the Blind, Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Texas Rehabilitation Commission and the Interagency Council on Early Childhood Intervention. It began its new functions on March 1, 2004. The Texas Assistive and Rehabilitative Services Council assists the agency in developing rules and policies. The council is made up of nine members appointed by the governor with the consent of the Texas Senate. To be eligible for appointment to the council, a person must have knowledge in programs and issues related to early childhood intervention services, services for people with disabilities or services for people who are blind, deaf or hard of hearing. Functions of the former Texas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing are now conducted by DARS, Division for Rehabilitative Services, Office for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DHHS).

(Sources include: Guide to Texas State Agencies, 11th edition (2001); the article on Texas Commission for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired by John G. Johnson, in The Handbook of Texas Online; the DARS agency web site (http://www.dars.state.tx.us/dhhs/index.shtml), both accessed June 2006; and the enabling legislation, 1971, 1979, 1991, 1995, and 2003.)