1. Between September first and December first of the calendar year prior to the year in which a program subject to sections 23.250 to 23.298 is scheduled to sunset, the committee shall conduct public hearings concerning but not limited to the application to the program of the criteria provided in section 23.268.

2. The committee may hold the public hearings prior to September first if the evaluation of the program required in subdivision (3) of subsection 1 of section 23.259^* is complete and available to the public.