Senate Bill 709 and House Bill 1865 preserve the good intentions of previous legislatures by streamlining the contested case hearing process while continuing to allow for public participation. With these changes, contested case hearings can be protective, predictable, efficient, and economically beneficial for Texas.
Shortening the contested case hearing timeframe will allow Texas to be economically competitive with other Gulf Coast states and will limit the ability of those seeking to manipulate the process and cause protracted delays. Contested case hearings could then be used for what they were created: allowing directly affected parties a public opportunity to voice their concerns.