Executive Committee approves bill to limit interim committees during the 2026 interim

The Executive Committee voted to advance LLS 26-0914, a draft bill that would suspend most statutory interim committees for the 2026 interim and prohibit prioritizing interim committee bill requests for the 2026 interim.

Michael Dorr of the Office of Legislative Legal Services explained the draft: it suspends existing statutory interim committees for the 2026 interim, prohibits the legislative council from prioritizing interim committee requests for the 2026 interim, and—different from the prior year—also suspends the Transportation Legislation Review Committee and the Water Resources and Agricultural Review Committee for the 2026 interim and the 2026–27 fiscal year because they have authority to meet year-round. The draft also limits any interim committees that do meet to requesting five bill drafts and moving only three forward for introduction, and prohibits per diem and travel reimbursement for members attending interim committee meetings during the 2026 interim.

Minority Leader Simpson said he was “fully supportive of limiting or reducing” interim committees but raised concern about the Water Resources and Agriculture Review Committee given low statewide snowpack and asked about fiscal effects on budgets already approved. Staff responded that fiscal notes and appropriations would be adjusted and that a reduction in appropriations would be reflected in later budget figures. A motion to approve the draft as an executive committee bill and to authorize OLLS to make technical corrections was moved and seconded; the roll-call vote was unanimous.