Lawmakers pass study bills during the session, and then prioritize which bills they’ll focus on during the interim. This year had 36 study resolutions. That’s an above-average number, says Legislative Services Executive Director Jerry Howe.
"I think as we look back over the study resolutions, we pass on average about 15-25 study resolutions on average, at least over the last five or six sessions," Howe says.
This week, lawmakers finalized which interim committees would carry out the work. Lawmakers rank the studies to decide what’s most important. Some priority studies this year target points of tension that came up during the session, including competitive bidding for government contracts, and which branch of government estimates the cost of a proposed law.
Republican Senate President Matt Regier said it’s up to committees whether all assigned studies are completed before the next session.
"It’s a matter, too, of not just if the interim committee wants to take on the study resolution, but how deep do they want to go," he said.
Other issues being looked at include water use, emergency medical services and artificial intelligence. Interim committee meetings will take place periodically over the next two years, and are open to the public.
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