Committee trims membership, adds drafting group as it advances water-program task force bill

The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources voted to advance a Senate substitute for House Bill 21-72 after adopting amendments that reduce the proposed task force's membership and add a small technical working group charged with drafting potential statutory updates to the Water Planning Act.

Revisor Lawrence told the committee House Bill 21-72 "would establish the water program task force to evaluate the state's water program and funding" and initially drafted the panel with 23 voting members and 10 nonvoting members. Committee members expressed concern that a large membership could make deliberations unwieldy.

Senator Titus presented an amendment to reduce voting membership to 12 (later adjusted to 13) and to add flexibility for chair designees and for joint selection of public members by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate. Titus said the amendment also replaces the phrase "multi generational promise of water" with "future supply of water," explaining, "I've been uncomfortable with that language... I don't know what it means and in some places there's just not enough water, so I'm hesitant to put that into statute." He further proposed that the co-chairs appoint a five- (later amended to six-) member technical group of lawyers, geologists and engineers to draft updates to the Water Planning Act so the task force's recommendations can include actionable legislation.

Committee members supported a slightly smaller, more nimble task force. Senator Bowser and others praised the amendment as responsive to earlier testimony that the original panel was too large. There was also discussion about ensuring an odd number of members to reduce the risk of ties; the committee adopted a conceptual amendment changing appointed public members from five to six and increasing total voting members from 12 to 13.

After debate the committee voted to report the bill out favorably as a Senate substitute. Senator Titus moved the substitute; Senator Shane seconded. The motion passed by voice vote.

The bill as amended directs co-chairs (a House member selected by the Speaker and a Senate member selected by the President) to appoint a small technical drafting group and requires the task force to evaluate risks to water quantity and quality, define long-term supply goals and assess current water funding.

Committee members asked that the conference process consider specific stakeholder representation and left room for adjustments in conference committee negotiations.