Committee delays House Bill 3656 after amendment error; schedules stakeholder follow-up
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Summary
Members voted to place House Bill 3656 in "simple adjourned debate" after a copy-and-paste problem in an amendment left unresolved questions about water and septic provisions. Sponsors will meet with municipal and county associations, the Farm Bureau and the Department of Environmental Services before returning the bill to the committee.
Representative Burns, discussing House Bill 3656 — authored by Representative Liggins — told the committee the measure had become more complex than expected after an amendment copy-and-paste error.
"Representative Liggins had a rather simple bill that turned out not to be so simple," Burns said. He moved to place the bill in "simple adjourned debate" to allow staff and stakeholders time to resolve the amendment issues; members approved the motion.
The committee agreed Burns and committee staff would meet with stakeholders, including the Municipal Association, the Association of Counties, the Farm Bureau and the Department of Environmental Services, to work through concerns about water and septic tanks. Burns said committee staff (Ellie Hayes) will schedule those follow-up meetings.
A member who identified herself as Annie asked to be included in the stakeholder meeting because the issue had been discussed in her district; Burns said he would "make sure that they put you down." The transcript did not provide additional bill text or the specific amendment language that generated the problem.
The motion to place HB 3656 in simple adjourned debate passed 14-0 with four members not present. Committee members said the goal is to resolve the outstanding technical and stakeholder issues before bringing the bill to the House floor.