The Inspector Committee met on Monday, February 26 at the agency headquarters in Austin. On the agenda was the election of officers for the upcoming year.  I was reelected as the Chair of the Committee and am honored to serve again in this capacity.  Lee Warren was reelected as Vice-chair and Brad Phillips was reelected as Secretary.  I am committed, as I am sure all members of the Committee are, to continue to do my very best to keep the Committee moving forward and to remain open all viewpoints as we make important recommendations to the Commission.

In additional to the elections of officers, the Committee voted to recommend a definition for “client” to the Commission at its next meeting. The Committee believe this much needed clarification will help with some of the recent confusion surrounding the inspector’s relationship with, and duties to, the client.  The Committee also discussed the best means to review and recommend a possible legislative change regarding inspector financial responsibility and insurance requirements as part of the agencies upcoming Sunset review.  The Committee has formed a working group and scheduled a meeting for March 26at 9:30 AM to discuss these matters further. Please check the TREC website for more detains as the meeting date approaches.

Speaking of the Sunset, as mentioned in the last newsletter, the agency  is going through the Sunset Review process this Spring. Inspector input is important to the process, so please provide input. Additional information about Sunset can be found on the TREC website. The agency’s biennial strategic planning listening tour is also under way. This listening tour is something the agency does every non-legislative year in preparation for updating the agency’s 5-year strategic plan.  It allows the agency to receive input directly from stakeholders across the state. This is the perfect opportunity to provide feedback directly to the executive director. Check the website for the dates and locations near you.

Finally, the Committee will begin the process reviewing and revising the 8 hours of SOP and Legal Ethics coursework in the upcoming year.  As part of the Sunset process, the Committee will also examine ways to possibly reduce redundancy in qualifying courses where applicable, and moving the emphasis onto the quality of education, rather than the quantity of hours.  In addition to any possible statutory recommendations made as part of Sunset, the inspector rules will be open for Rule Review in August of this year.  This provides inspectors the opportunity to weigh in on whether rules should be continued, amended, or repealed. 

As always, thank you for all for your continued support. It helps ensure the Committee and Commission remain true to their charge to protect and serve the people of Texas.