Committee hears committee bill to extend Game and Parks commissioners' term limit from two to three terms

Senator Tom Brandt opened the hearing on LB377, a committee bill to extend Nebraska Game and Parks commissioners' allowable service from two four-year terms to three four-year terms. "Extending the limit to three terms would allow experienced commissioners to continue contributing their expertise while still maintaining opportunities for new members to serve," Brandt said. The sponsor said commissioners serve in a volunteer capacity and that the commission’s work is specialized and benefits from continuity.

Dan Hughes, who testified in support as a private citizen, said the purpose is to reduce loss of institutional knowledge if many commissioners turn over in a short period. Hughes told the committee that the commission manages a large budget and complex programs where continuity across appointments matters: "There are 9 commissioners and the way the Board sits today, within 1 year...we will go from 50 years of experience on the board today to a year from now, we could have only 24 years of experience on the commission." He described the change as a modest extension to allow commissioners more time to gain experience and provide consistent oversight.

Committee members asked about broader implications for term limits on other boards and commissions. Hughes said this was intended as a narrow change for Game and Parks and described it as an experiment that, if successful, could inform changes elsewhere. Timothy McCoy, director of Nebraska Game and Parks, came forward to be available for questions but did not register opposition.

The committee did not take a vote at the hearing. Senator Brandt noted the bill was presented as a committee bill and explained the procedural background for committee-sponsored legislation. The hearing record showed no formal opponents and no neutral witnesses recorded at the time the clerk closed the LB377 hearing. No committee action on LB377 was recorded during the session.