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Senate Government Operations Committee reviews reports due for five‑year repeal, defers decisions pending staff input
Summary
The Senate Committee on Government Operations reviewed a spreadsheet of reports subject to Title 2's five‑year repeal process, flagged several reports to retain (including IT/cybersecurity and the State Ethics Commission) and postponed final determinations while awaiting staff clarifications; members must return a survey by Jan. 23.
The Senate Committee on Government Operations met Thursday to review reports that state law requires be evaluated every five years to determine whether they should be repealed, retained temporarily or kept permanently.
Unidentified Speaker 1, presiding over the committee, told members the General Assembly "established an intent to repeal certain reporting requirements after 5 years" and that "the failure to respond by January 23 will be taken to mean the report requirement should be repealed." The committee was reviewing an Office of Legislative Counsel spreadsheet listing reports from 2017 to 2028 that fall within the committee's jurisdiction.
Members repeatedly noted they had not read many of the reports and asked for staff briefings before making retention decisions. "Who is the best person to speak to what the report addresses and why it's implied?" asked Unidentified Speaker 3, who urged waiting for staff member Tucker to explain specific entries. The chair agreed and asked that decisions be delayed until Tucker could join to provide background.
On substantive items, members signaled agreement to keep several reports. Unidentified Speaker 2 said the annual IT and cybersecurity report "is probably always needed" and should remain on the schedule. Members also described the State Ethics Commission report and the treasurer's local investment advisory committee report as essential oversight documents that should be retained.
Other items received mixed treatment. The report on drone use by law enforcement agencies drew support for retention; reports on temporary‑employee usage at the Department of Corrections and the judiciary were described as useful for now but potentially unnecessary if staffing trends change. Several separate reports about licensure for service members and veterans prompted discussion about whether the lists could be consolidated or moved to biannual reporting, but members noted the complexity if different agencies (for example, DPS and the Secretary of State) produce the separate reports.
Committee members also flagged accountability gaps: Unidentified Speaker 2 said the last reports from the court administrator on some topics were from 2020 and that at least one listed report "has never come in," raising questions about agencies that do not submit required reports. Members asked staff to confirm which reports have actually been filed and which have not.
No formal votes or motions were taken during the session. The committee agreed to pause review and reconvene when staff (Tucker) could provide clarifications. Members were instructed to return the completed survey by Friday, Jan. 23; failure to respond will be interpreted as a recommendation to repeal the report requirement.
The committee recessed briefly pending staff arrival and is scheduled to continue review at a later meeting.
