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Senate Oversight Committee outlines review schedule for six newer agencies, plans subcommittee hearings in February
Summary
Committee staff outlined planned reviews of six agencies—Department of Children’s Advocacy, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department on Aging, Office of Resilience, Office of the Attorney General and others—with requests for information and subcommittee appearances expected in January–February.
Committee staff on Thursday provided a status update and timeline for oversight reviews of six agencies the Senate Legislative Oversight Committee will examine this year, with requests for information and subcommittee hearings planned in the coming weeks.
Staff member Mason Thomas asked members to consult tab 3 of their binders and summarized the committee’s approach: several agencies that are relatively new to state cabinet-level organization will be the focus of this year’s reviews so the oversight committee can monitor their rollout and compliance. The agencies specifically mentioned were: the Commission on Higher Education (status update discussed separately), the Department of Children’s Advocacy, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department on Aging, the Office of Resilience, and the Office of the Attorney General.
According to staff, the Department of Children’s Advocacy has already received a detailed request for information and responded promptly; staff are currently reviewing that material and intend to ask the agency to appear before a subcommittee in February. Staff said they will send a request for information to the Department of Veterans Affairs by the end of January and meet with a subcommittee in February. The Department on Aging had not yet been formally notified but will receive formal notice after the meeting and be asked for information by the end of January with a planned subcommittee meeting in early February. Staff reported ongoing coordination with the Office of Resilience staff and the legislative Fish, Game and Forestry Committee staff to assemble detailed information requests ahead of a February review. The Office of the Attorney General received formal notification last year and staff stated the AG review will begin immediately, with subcommittee activity by January or February.
During the update, Senator Collin asked, “What is the Office of Resilience and what does it do?” Senator Jones (recognized from Charleston) described the office’s mission as drawing down federal funds for resilience work—flood mitigation and other natural disaster resilience—helping to fund property acquisition or other measures rather than constructing projects directly. Jones cited the office’s role in conservation and a past example involving the Black River and Georgetown flood protection.
Committee leaders said they will assign subcommittee members this week and expect agencies to comply with information requests. No formal votes were taken on the schedule; the committee later moved and approved the separate recommendation on the Commission on Higher Education.
