Transcript Highlights:

• So we want people to focus on the important things, but we're all going to have to try to be efficient
• process is, current year, but there is still out years and what the regulatory process will be.
• We were able to drop the regulatory provisions. Those have funding guidelines associated with them.
• So we'll be able to get the money out the door much more efficiently.
• I would strongly encourage you to try to use technology to as efficiently as possible.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Climate, Crisis, Resources, Energy, and Transportation opened its first hearing on the governor’s natural resources budget with Secretary Wade Crowfoot of the Natural Resources Agency. Crowfoot reviewed California’s recent climate and environmental challenges—drought, wildfire, heat, sea level rise, and federal uncertainty—and highlighted progress on clean energy, zero-emission vehicles, wildfire resilience, water management, coastal planning, conservation, tribal land return, and streamlined project delivery. Members praised his engagement and the administration’s work with tribes, and Crowfoot emphasized that the administration is focused on finishing major projects, improving nature-based solutions, and considering whether some temporary streamlining measures should be codified. He also discussed the Mediterranean Climate Action Partnership and said the state is working with other Mediterranean-climate governments on wildfire, drought, and heat response. Members and the LAO then focused on budget conditions and priorities. The Legislative Analyst’s Office said the state budget remains precarious despite strong revenues, with the governor’s proposal relying on borrowing and reserves and leaving large out-year deficits unresolved. The LAO urged a high bar for new spending, especially in a deficit environment, and recommended prioritizing immediate health and safety needs, avoiding new ongoing commitments, and thinking carefully about special funds. On Proposition 4, the LAO said the administration’s approach generally appeared reasonable and consistent with the bond, but noted implementation has been slow and that the Legislature may want to use appropriations language to shape broad programs such as home hardening, outdoor recreation, and climate education. The chair stressed that climate and environmental funds should be used for their intended purposes and that wildfire spending should shift more toward community hardening and home protection. The hearing then turned to water resilience and Proposition 4 spending. Department of Finance and department staff outlined the bond’s water-related funding for safe drinking water, drought, flood, water recycling, stormwater, groundwater management, dam safety, and the State Water Project. Members pressed for details on how funds would be prioritized, how grants would reach disadvantaged communities, and how the state would track the bond’s 40% target for vulnerable communities. Staff said new tools and reporting systems are being used to monitor allocations, and that AB 107 and related changes should speed up grant implementation by reducing redundant regulatory steps. The committee also discussed dam safety needs, State Water Project repairs, groundwater implementation grants, and the risk of relying on uncertain future revenues from the Salton Sea lithium tax. No votes were taken, and the hearing was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think the Senator is really looking for what efficiencies we can achieve as a region.
• This audit will help ensure that public funds are used effectively and efficiently to support student
• 2025-11, Pesticide Use Regulatory Oversight by Assemblymember Connolly.
• Yes. 2025-111, Regulatory Oversight by Assemblymember Connolly. Assemblymember Harabedian?
• Let me just go. 2025-11, Pesticide Use Regulatory Oversight by Assemblymember Connolly.

Summary: The committee heard several audit requests and related testimony. The first major item was an audit of Coachella Valley Unified School District’s contract and fiscal management. The author and supporters described long-standing fiscal mismanagement, large budget shortfalls, layoffs, contracting concerns, and questions about the district’s foundation and use of public funds. District representatives and the Riverside County Office of Education said the district is already under fiscal oversight, has a stabilization plan, and is working to reduce deficits and improve student outcomes. After extensive debate and public comment, the motion to approve the audit was put on call because the committee did not have the required votes from both houses at that moment. The committee then approved an audit of East Bay transit agencies in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Senator Wahab argued the region’s many overlapping transit agencies create fragmentation, duplication, and inefficiency, especially amid a fiscal cliff and possible future tax increases. Transit agencies and labor representatives opposed the audit, saying the agencies already undergo multiple audits, serve distinct local needs, and are implementing regional coordination efforts. After testimony from agency leaders and public commenters, the committee voted to approve the audit. The next item was an audit of California Community Colleges’ unrestricted reserves. Senator Archuleta and supporting faculty representatives said reserves have grown substantially and may be diverting resources from student services, instruction, and workforce programs. They argued there is little oversight when reserves become too high. The Chancellor’s Office and Calbright College were invited to respond, and the audit objectives focused on reserve growth, reasons for high balances, oversight by the Chancellor’s Office, and effects on students and staff. The transcript cuts off during the Chancellor’s Office response, so the final committee action on this item is not shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• efficiency what is I believe my my understanding of that part it just means with a Certify that person
• change are going to combine. to create a more sustainable, safe, and transparent regulatory environment
• The question now is, how do you do that in the most effective, efficient way?
• What we're trying to do here is show consistency across regulatory, you know, And I have a witness that
• I did something similar last session with regulatory consistency throughout the state and that's the

Bills: HB741, HB 1199, HB2070, HB2402, HB2542, HB2665, HB2789, HB3096, HB3396, HB3595, HB3747, HB4116, HB4127

Keywords: child welfare, relative caregiver, monetary assistance, Department of Family and Protective Services, child custody, family law, emergency power, nursing facilities, assisted living, generator requirements, health and safety, emergency generators, power outage, emergency generator, assisted living facilities, power source, child abuse, neglect registry, court findings, Medicaid

Transcript Highlights:

• The regulatory body has the authority to assess fees to support licensing and regulatory oversight.
• Any regulatory body will need a significant ramp-up period.
• </c> going to be placed with the regulatory going to be placed with the regulatory responsibility<02:
• </c><04:00:37.159><c> uh</c> standing up of of um the regulatory uh standing up of of um the regulatory
• Thank you. efficient efficiently um I'll just note efficient efficiently um I'll just note to<05:19:45.600

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• /c><03:49:21.279><c> smallest</c> regulatory requirements for the smallest regulatory requirements for
• </c> institutions to provide regulatory institutions to provide regulatory relief<03:57:15.199><c> for
• </c><04:05:50.319><c> and</c> It will also improve efficiency and It will also improve efficiency and
• </c><08:35:15.920><c> that</c> through the regulatory chokeold that through the regulatory chokeold that
• ><c> burden</c><09:04:02.718><c> will</c> And finally, the regulatory burden will And finally, the regulatory

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, February 9, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Both the current regulatory standards and the newly proposed modifications will continue to cause serious
• standards and the newly regulatory standards and the newly proposed<00:04:07.760><c> modifications</
• </c><00:04:20.600><c> standards</c><00:04:21.359><c> in</c><00:04:21.560><c> my</c> economy regulatory
• standards in my economy regulatory standards in my experience<00:04:22.720><c> should</c><00:04:23.160
• This reality is governed by regulatory issues and, in addition to the child care operational challenges

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I will tell you, as chairwoman of a regulatory agency, there is not an agenda or a hearing that goes
• I will tell you, as chairwoman of a regulatory agency, there is not an agenda or a hearing that goes
• ...opportunities where we might be able to partner with the legislative committees looking at efficiencies
• There's probably some efficiencies of scale and synergies that you can take advantage of.
• being able to pick up some really qualified attorneys who are being right-sized out of federal regulatory

Summary: The Senate Committee on Nominations met with a quorum and first took up pending nominations from an earlier agenda. Members severed Douglas McReecken, nominated to the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents, from the rest of the list and then voted to report the remaining nominees to the full Senate by a 7-0 vote. The committee then voted on the severed nomination itself and reported Douglas McReecken to the full Senate as well, by a 5-2 vote. The committee heard testimony from Brooke Pop, reappointed as chair of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and later from Commissioner Katarina Gonzalez, also of TCEQ. Questions focused on whether TCEQ rules comply with state law, ex parte restrictions, public transparency, concrete batch plant permitting, MUD approvals, water availability, illegal dams, enforcement, and the agency’s role in local environmental disputes. Both nominees said they follow the law as written, described internal legal review of rules, and emphasized transparency, public outreach, and enforcement; Gonzalez said she had already sent back two rules she believed did not comply with legislation. Members also discussed TCEQ’s authority limits and the need for clearer public communication about what the agency can and cannot regulate. The committee also considered Alethea Sullivan, nominated to the Texas Southern University Board of Regents. Questions centered on TSU’s status as an independent institution, the role of HBCUs amid DEI-related legal changes, and student outcomes. Sullivan said she would focus on ensuring taxpayer and student resources produce valuable credentials and noted concerns from her review of graduation and bar passage rates. The committee then heard from Benjamin Barkley, appointed chief executive and public counsel of the Office of Public Utility Counsel. Barkley said OPUC’s main need is additional funding to recruit and retain attorneys and expert witnesses, reduce turnover, and continue representing residential and small commercial consumers in utility rate cases; he said the office was involved in 73 contested cases and saved Texans $2.2 billion in FY 2024. No final action was taken on the later nominees, and the committee recessed with nominations left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• We must make sure that government is more efficient and ensure that our programs are durable.
• When I talk about the regulations, we currently have a notice of intended regulatory action that is out
• And when I talk about the regulations, we currently have a notice of intended regulatory action that
• So you can hear directly from us when we're taking another regulatory action or when we're having another
• VEC is really rocking a lot of efficiencies and carrying on, and I would just hope that we could don't

Summary: The Commission on Unemployment Compensation met, established a quorum, and elected Delegate Destiny LeVere Bolling as chair and Senator Mike Jones as vice chair. The commission also adopted its electronic meeting policy and heard introductions from new members, staff, and officials from the Secretary of Labor’s office and the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC). Secretary Jessica Lumen outlined the administration’s workforce and labor priorities, including supporting workers, employers, and program transparency, while members raised concerns about business climate, job losses, labor participation, and the implementation of paid family and medical leave. Staff provided legislative updates on recent unemployment-related bills. These included increases to the weekly unemployment benefit amount enacted in 2025 and 2026, a bill on labor dispute disqualification that changed how lockouts are treated for benefit eligibility, and a budget item providing $75,000 for actuarial support to the commission. The commission also discussed the 2025 work group on annual adjustments to weekly benefit amounts; staff reported that the work group did not complete its charge, and members agreed to revisit whether to reconstitute it at a future meeting. Delegate Martinez expressed support for continuing the work, and the chair said the issue would be taken up at the next meeting. Deputy Commissioner Joanna Darkus gave a detailed presentation on Virginia’s unemployment insurance system, including current claims data, eligibility rules, employer tax structure, benefit levels, trust fund solvency, fraud prevention, and customer service operations. She reported that Virginia’s unemployment rate remains low, weekly claims are modest, the current weekly benefit range is $160 to $478, and the trust fund balance factor is projected at 50.9 percent, near the threshold for additional employer charges. Members asked about the taxable wage base, trust fund solvency, the effect of benefit increases, fraud controls, and the planned paid family and medical leave program. VEC said it is implementing that program through regulations, staffing, IT procurement, public listening sessions, and consultation with other states. A public commenter from the Virginia Poverty Law Center urged the commission to strengthen state investment in unemployment insurance and warned that federal support is uncertain. The commission then adjourned without taking further action.

Transcript Highlights:

• Clarkson also worked on Regulatory Enforcement at the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs and
• America's producers are the most efficient for a reason.
• The President's agenda will free our farmers from unnecessary or anachronistic regulatory burdens.
• to maximize the efficiency of the department?
• I get that, so it's efficiency.

Keywords: USDA, nominations, Judge Vaden, Tyler Clarkson, agriculture policy, rural America, tariffs, farmer advocacy

Summary: The meeting focused on the nominations of Judge Stephen Alexander Vaden for Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Mr. Tyler Clarkson for General Counsel at the USDA. Members expressed concerns regarding the challenges farmers and ranchers face, especially in navigating the impacts of recent tariffs imposed by the President. Significant attention was given to how these nominations could influence agriculture policy and support rural communities amidst economic uncertainty. The committee emphasized the necessity for strong leadership in the USDA to advocate for farmer needs and ensure the proper implementation of assistance programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• And after that, if it's a tax credit project, it's got a regulatory At initial occupancy, and after that
• , if it's a tax credit project, it's got a regulatory period or deed restrictions, there shouldn't need
• So what we're suggesting is if we are operating affordable housing and in compliance with our regulatory
• On the regulatory side, this legislature's streamlining record of the last several sessions speaks for
• It's not efficient and it's outdated. Couldn't have summed it up better. Literally, my job.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• necessary information and documentation to meet their planning needs and ensure an effective and efficient
• necessary information and documentation to meet their planning needs and ensure an effective and efficient
• necessary information and documentation to meet their planning needs and ensure an effective and efficient
• oversight of our schools, whether it is providing the regulatory oversight for charter schools, whether
• it is providing the regulatory oversight for charter schools, whether it is our schools... ...regulatory

Bills: HB1662, HB1683, HB2534, HB2557, HB2594

Keywords: education agencies, administrative independence, superintendent, education reform, agency authority, education, school boards, district adjustments, administrative boundaries, educational governance, military families, child stability, transitional schooling, support services, special education, parental rights, educational access, evaluation reports, disability services, unhoused

Transcript Highlights:

• This system is highly regulated, and our rates are regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
• The regulatory inspection program is internal line inspection every five years.
• Those are, as we talked about, regulatory.
• those are, as we talked, anomalies and corrosion and then those are as we talked about those are regulatory
• It's like Washington that are isolated, production directly correlates to improved efficiency.

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• However, we know that there are often significant regulatory delays, bureaucratic delays.
• However, there are often significant regulatory delays and bureaucratic delays.
• We're under significant burden from a very complicated regulatory space and the compliance space.
• That type of consolidation gives you cost efficiency as opposed to anti-competitive consolidation.
• I respectfully ask... ...while making efficient use of public funds.

Bills: HB216

Keywords: HB216, Texas abortion law, abortion-inducing drug, medication abortion, mifepristone, misoprostol, telemedicine, in-person exam, physician presence, out-of-state physician, reproductive healthcare, abortion regulation, Health and Safety Code, Occupations Code, consultation services, remote prescribing, pro-life, pro-choice

Summary: The Committee on Public Health met with a quorum and heard public testimony on a long agenda, with members repeatedly reminded of a two-minute limit for witnesses. Several bills were voted out favorably, including HB 2588 on cottage food, HB 1639 on cancer incidence and female firefighters, HB 2581 on a reporting form for contracted services for pregnant women, and SB 922 on electronic disclosure of certain sensitive medical information. Those measures generally passed on party-line or near-unanimous votes, while HB 216 on itemized medical statements was left pending after the committee substitute was withdrawn. The committee also left pending HB 5141, HB 4638, HB 2035, HB 4813, HB 2264, HB 4014, and HB 3829 after hearing testimony and questions. The final item introduced in the excerpt was HB 4408 on health care market transparency and corporate consolidation, but the discussion was cut off before testimony or action was completed. A major theme of the hearing was mental health diversion and access to treatment. HB 5141, by Rep. Howard, would allow Travis County to use vacated Austin State Hospital property for a local mental health jail diversion center; law enforcement, the Travis County sheriff, county judge, and urban counties group all testified in support, describing the lack of alternatives for people in crisis and the burden on jails and emergency rooms. Members asked about eligible offenses, bed capacity, and whether the facility would serve only Travis County, and the bill was left pending. HB 2264, by Rep. Schoolcraft, would create a friends-and-family form for loved ones to provide information to providers during emergency mental health treatment; NAMI and hospital groups supported it, while one neutral witness and several members raised concerns about patient control, credibility of information, and liability protections. The bill was also left pending. The committee also heard multiple psychedelic-therapy and drug-policy bills. HB 4813 would speed Texas rescheduling of Schedule I substances if the FDA reclassifies them, with testimony focused on psilocybin and MDMA and their potential use for PTSD and depression; members questioned whether the bill was too broad and how state rescheduling works, and it was left pending. HB 4014 would direct HHSC to study psychedelic therapies, building on prior state research, and witnesses said Texas should prepare regulatory and clinical infrastructure before FDA approval; it too was left pending. HB 2035 would require parents to be informed that they may seek substance-use treatment for a child even if one facility turns them away, prompted by a constituent’s account of a fatal fentanyl overdose after receiving incorrect advice; it was left pending. HB 4638 would extend and expand the Texas Pharmaceutical Initiative board and timeline, with the author saying the program is still in early implementation and needs more time, and it was left pending as well. Other bills addressed public health administration and animal welfare. HB 3829 would require a study of the animal-friendly account and its grant process for spay/neuter funding, with the author arguing that the current application and reimbursement process is too burdensome for shelters and nonprofits; no opposition was heard and the bill was left pending. HB 2581 and HB 1639 were reported favorably, while HB 216 drew discussion about enforcement of itemized medical billing and was held after the committee substitute was withdrawn. Throughout the hearing, members also discussed broader concerns about homelessness, competency restoration waitlists, jail overcrowding, and the need for more treatment options outside the criminal justice system.

Transcript Highlights:

• They want to enhance their operational efficiency.
• </c> their operational efficiency. their operational efficiency.
• :20.720><c> or</c> If regulatory filings, approvals, or If regulatory filings, approvals, or disclosures
• From a Department of Health perspective, our regulatory role would be quite limited.
• </c> express during the regulatory process. express during the regulatory process.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• can ensure USDA has the staffing capacity necessary to get assistance out the door quickly and efficiently
• west coast or across the country, we need to pass this legislation to make the process work more efficiently
• continue this challenge so that they can continue adopting the digital tools they need to work efficiently
• ownership affordable again for countless Texas families by expanding housing supply, restoring efficiency
• to... housing supply, restoring efficiency to outdated HUD programs, supporting our veterans seeking

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• . efficiency. efficiency.
• </c> excuse me, can work more efficiently. excuse me, can work more efficiently.
• </c><00:37:03.599><c> approvals</c> receive related regulatory approvals receive related regulatory approvals
• </c> serve this area safely and efficiently serve this area safely and efficiently and<00:37:53.040><
• ,</c> exist that can improve efficiency, exist that can improve efficiency, reduce<00:59:15.119><c> operating

Bills: HF4680, HF4047, HF4590, HF3757, HF3569, HF4507, HF4426, HF4927, HF4788, HF4757, HF4747, HF3561, HF4014, HF4013, HF4689, HF4766, HF4589

Keywords: wastewater treatment, improvements, capital investment, Greenfield, bonds, water treatment, infrastructure, municipal funding, state bonds, public utilities, HF4590, Tamarack, municipal infrastructure, bonding bill, general obligation bonds, Public Facilities Authority, sewer system, collection system, street reconstruction, local infrastructure

Transcript Highlights:

• these elections have been conducted in partnership with industry professionals to ensure a fair and efficiently
• Like, are there some red tape or regulatory burdens?
• Like, are there some red tape or regulatory burdens?
• I thank you. ...significant time, expense, and stress simply to install an efficient and reasonable cooling
• , we will continue to lose housing investments to other states that offer a more predictable and efficient

Summary: The Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee heard a full agenda of housing-related bills, with most measures receiving broad support and advancing on unanimous or near-unanimous votes. Early in the hearing, AB 2035 by Assembly Member Dixon was presented as a narrowly tailored fix for a large senior HOA in Laguna Woods Village, allowing a lower vote threshold to amend outdated CC&Rs after repeated failed elections; members raised questions about broader impacts, but the bill passed 12-0 to Judiciary. AB 1684 by Assembly Member Ward would bar HOAs from restricting homeowners’ ability to install or replace cooling systems; supporters cited heat-related health risks and a constituent’s experience, while HOA representatives sought amendments to preserve reasonable rules on drainage, electrical capacity, and common-area protection. The committee discussed those concerns and advanced the bill 8-0 to Judiciary. AB 1710 by Assembly Member Carrillo would extend SB 330-style vesting protections to state and regional permitting agencies so housing projects are not subjected to shifting post-entitlement standards, with supporters arguing it would improve predictability and speed housing production. Special districts and utilities opposed unless amended, warning about conflicts with changing state and regional rules, but the bill passed 9-0 to Local Government. AB 1738 by Assembly Member Crewe would require remote virtual inspections for certain simple home renovations; supporters from SPUR and Placer County described faster, lower-cost inspections already in use, while labor groups raised concerns and sought amendments. Members emphasized keeping inspections jurisdiction-based and not replacing safety oversight, and the bill passed 8-0 to Local Government. The committee also approved AB 1890 by Assembly Member Curry, which increases state matching support for Napa County farmworker housing centers from $250,000 to $500,000 annually through 2036; supporters described the centers as a successful public-private model providing housing and services for farmworkers, and the bill passed 8-0 to Appropriations. AB 2433 by Assembly Member Alvarez would modernize the density bonus law by improving notice, clarifying eligibility and ministerial approval, and adding incentives for for-sale affordable housing; it drew strong support from housing and business groups and passed 10-0 to Local Government. AB 1567 by Assembly Member Ta would allow assisted living communities to be counted in housing element reporting and RHNA-related planning, and it passed 10-0 to Local Government. The consent calendar, including AB 1573 and AB 2162, was also approved unanimously, and the committee adjourned after taking roll-call votes on the remaining items.

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, I can improve efficiency and accuracy.
• The Office of Financial Regulation provided regulatory oversight, Florida's financial services industry
• We are a regulatory agency.
• She is a primary leadership role in market development projects and all legal and regulatory work for
• I know you're the treasure and that the regulator, but any regulatory issues that you're aware of that

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Probably more interested in how the LUC has been improving the efficiency of the process.
• You improve those codes, you lessen the chance of fires and you improve efficiency.
• Here's a little contradiction: the state has zero regulatory power.
• All the regulatory power exists with the counties. So it becomes a state code.
• Must be RRB, please. >> Um, Small Business Regulatory Review Board, that is seven.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So we've certainly been working towards that over the past few years and trying to find efficiencies
• This led the Governor's Regulatory Review Council to mandate five-year rule reviews and rulemaking in
• Are you trying to do something different than what we're already doing above the 85% efficiency type
• So while our efficiency in processing the applications has gone up, it's still not enough.
• But unfortunately, the department cannot decide whether it wants to be regulatory or not.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The Joint Natural Resources and House Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committees of Reference heard the Arizona Auditor General’s sunset review of the Arizona State Veterinary Medical Examining Board. The audit found the board generally met some licensing requirements, but it did not timely investigate and resolve 49 of 159 complaints in fiscal year 2024, and it did not fully comply with conflict-of-interest disclosure and filing requirements. The Auditor General also identified weaknesses in continuing-education verification and other sunset-factor areas, and the board agreed to implement all 21 recommendations. Board staff said complaint volume has risen sharply since the pandemic, that the board’s process is slower because every case goes through an investigative committee and then the full board, and that it has already corrected some conflict-of-interest issues and is adding tools to improve continuing-education audits. The committee then heard testimony from the board’s executive director and from the Arizona Veterinary Medical Association. The executive director emphasized the board’s public-protection mission, described the shortage of veterinarians and veterinary technicians, and said the board is working to improve efficiency through a new e-licensing system and staff training. Members asked about the shortage of large-animal veterinarians, complaint backlogs, and whether the board could do more to recruit rural practitioners; the board said it lacks direct recruiting authority but supports multiple licensure pathways and loan-assistance efforts. The veterinary association supported the board’s oversight and said it is also working on rural and large-animal workforce issues through partnerships and advocacy. The committee then voted to recommend continuing the board for eight years, until July 1, 2034. The committee next took up the Arizona State Land Department, beginning with the Auditor General’s presentation on the department’s sunset review and prior special audit. The audit found the department had not updated its required five-year disposition plan since 2011, had sold more than 48,000 acres without an active plan, had allowed agricultural rental rates to go unchanged since 2006 despite market increases, and had not consistently inspected mineral-related leases or properly managed reclamation bonds. The Auditor General said these issues created risks of lost revenue, reduced transparency, and public-safety hazards, and recommended 18 corrective actions in the main review plus 34 additional recommendations on other issues; the department agreed to most recommendations but declined to adopt a written policy for commissioner-initiated land sales. Commissioner Robin Sahid said the department is working through audit recommendations, has created a rules team, improved its customer portal, and is pursuing new policies on water use, transportation-basin leases, and disposition planning. Members questioned the department about agricultural leases, groundwater valuation, the Fondomonte leases and reimbursement for improvements, the canceled Coyotes land auction, backlog and processing times, and the use of consultants and administrative funds. The commissioner said the department had over 2,000 applications in queue when she arrived, that it has made progress reducing the backlog, and that it is conducting stakeholder outreach on water-efficiency standards and lease addenda. No final vote on the land department continuation was taken in the portion provided.