Natural Resources committee sets hearing procedures, schedule and exhibit rules for 2025 session

The Senate Committee on Natural Resources set its operational procedures for the 2025 session during its first meeting.

Senator Michelle Shelly Cruz Crawford, chair of the committee, said meetings “will begin promptly at 03:30PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays.” She instructed members to notify staff if delayed and asked members to be courteous and professional. The chair asked that electronic devices be turned off or silenced because vibrations can interfere with recording.

Staff and analysts presented several procedural rules for members and members of the public: exhibits must be submitted in electronic format at least 24 hours before a meeting; presenters should provide ten hard copies of any handouts for the committee secretary and the public (the committee reduced the prior hard-copy requirement from 20 to 10); witnesses should sign in at the table by the door and provide a business card if available; and testifiers should turn on their microphone, clearly state their name and affiliation for the record, and then turn their microphone off when finished.

The committee set a default 15-minute time limit for informational presentations and for bill hearings; presenters may request more time if needed and the chair said requests will be considered. Chair Cruz Crawford said public comment will be taken at the end of each meeting and she may limit individual public comment to ensure everyone has an opportunity to speak.

Other practical points included encouraging members to bring reusable water bottles to meetings and a note that the audio/visual unit is referred to as “AVH” in committee materials.

These procedural directions are intended to standardize hearings and clarify expectations for agencies, presenters and members of the public as the committee moves through the 2025 session.