The hearings of interest before the General Assembly for the coming week are listed below. Our thanks to Denver Green Party member Bob May for the compilation.
HEARINGS OF INTEREST, FEB 23 – 26
(Republican legislators underlined)
Monday, Feb 23
SB15-175 Sens. Holbert & Cooke, Rep. Humphrey
Ammunition Magazines
1:30 p.m. Room 271, Senate Judiciary Committee
Repeals statutory provisions prohibiting the possession of large-capacity ammunition magazines and requiring identification markings to be placed upon large-capacity ammunition magazines that are manufactured in Colorado
HB15-1161 Rep. Klingenschmitt
Public Accommodation First Amendment Rights
1:30 p.m.. Room LSB-A, House State, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee
Specifies that person may be compelled to involuntary speech or acts of involuntary artistic expression or involuntary religious expression by a person when such speech or acts of artistic or religious expression would lead to that person directly or indirectly participating in, directly or indirectly supporting, or endorsing or impliedly endorsing an ideology, ceremony, creed, behavior, or practice with which the person does not agree.
HB15-1171 Reps. Neville P. & Humphrey, Sen. Neville T.
State Freedom of Conscience Protection Act
1:30 p.m.. Room LSB-A, House State, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee
Specifies that no state action may burden a person’s exercise of religion.
HB15-1190 Rep. Windholz
Assistance to Public Schools for Career Pathways
1:30 p.m.. Room LSB-A, House State, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee
Requires the state work force development council (state council) in the department of labor and employment and the department of education to coordinate efforts to promote career and workforce opportunities.
HB15-1162 Rep. Nordberg
Ban Sex-selection Abortions
1:30 p.m.. Room LSB-A, House State, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee
Prohibits abortion, coercion of an abortion, solicitation or acceptance of funds for the performance of an abortion, or transporting a woman into Colorado so the woman can receive an abortion for the purposes of sex selection.
HB15-1210 Rep. P. Neville, Sen. T. Neville
General Assembly Review of Environmental Rules Required in lieu of Federal Law
1:30 p.m.. Room LSB-A, House State, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee
Requires the air quality control commission, water quality control commission, and solid and hazardous waste commission to submit an annual report to the General Assembly regarding all new and amended rules that are required by new or amended regulations proposed or adopted by the federal environmental protection agency (EPA) A rule specified in the report cannot be submitted for EPA’s approval unless the General Assembly has acted by bill to approve the
submission of that particular rule.
Tuesday, Feb 24
HB15-1022 Rep. McCann, Sens. Steadman and Cooke
Juvenile Petty Offense Contracts
Upon Adjournment, SCR 352, Senate Judiciary Committee
For a juvenile 10 years of age or older alleged to have committed a petty offense, the bill allows a peace officer to issue a petty ticket requiring the juvenile to appear before a law enforcement officer, an assessment officer, or a screening team (screening entity). If the screening entity finds certain conditions have been met, the screening entity shall offer a petty offense contract to the juvenile and his or her parent or legal guardian. If the juvenile satisfies the conditions of the contract, the prosecuting attorney shall not file charges with the court.
HB15-1031 Rep. Windholz; Sen. Todd
Ban Use Sale Possession of Powdered Alcohol
Upon Adjournment, SCR 352, Senate Judiciary Committee
Makes the use, possession, sale, purchase, transfer, or manufacture of powdered alcohol a class 2 misdemeanor
HB15-1157 Reps. Willett & Pabon, Sens. Heath & Merrifield
Working Group for Economic Development in Distressed Regions
1:30 p.m. Room LSB-A, House Business Affairs & Labor Committee
Creates the economic development working group forhighly distressed rural and urban regions of the state. The bill requires the working group to discuss and evaluate other economic development efforts in the regions and their best practices, discuss and evaluate the possibility of creating tax-free zones or other economic development tools for the regions, and make detailed legislative recommendations to in order to quickly improve the economic vitality of those regions.
HB15-1175 Rep. Rosenthal
Prohibit Conversion Therapy
1:30 p.m. Room 0107, House Public Health Care and Human Services Committee
Prohibits conversion therapy (efforts that seek to change an individual’s sexual orientation, including efforts to change behaviors or gender expressions or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attraction or feelings toward individuals of the same sex) for minors by psychiatrists or licensed mental health providers. A licensee who engages in these efforts is subject to disciplinary action by the appropriate licensing board.
Wednesday, Feb 25
HB15-1132 Reps. Coram and Becker K
Residential Energy Efficiency Tax Credit
1:30 p.m. Room LSB-A, House Finance Committee
Creates a residential energy reduction income tax credit for any resident individual who makes qualified improvements to their home that result in improved energy efficiency
HB15-1170 Rep. Kraft-Tharp & Wilson, Sens. Heath & Hill
Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness
Upon Adjournment, Room 0112, House Education Committee
Adds as a measure for postsecondary and workforce readiness the percentages of high school graduates who enroll in a career and technical education program, community college, or 4-year institution of higher education in the school year immediately following graduation.
HB15-1098 Reps. Humphrey and Van Winkle, Sen. T. Neville
Red Light Cameras
1:30 p.m. Room 0112, House Transportation & Energy Committee
Repeals the authorization for the state, a county, a city and county, or a municipality to use automated vehicle identification systems to identify violators of traffic regulations and issue citations based on photographic evidence, and creates a prohibition on such activity.
SB15-006 Sen. Woods; Rep. Saine
Prohibit Forfeitures without Criminal Conviction
1:30 p.m. SCR 356, Senate Judiciary Committee
Repeals the provisions authorizing a forfeiture action to proceed without a conviction unless it is part of a settlement agreed upon by all parties. The bill gives the party who had items seized the right to a preliminary hearing or writ of replevin to determine the validity of the seizure or to require the return of the property.
Thursday, Feb 26
SB15-014 Sen. Aguilar, Rep. Singer
Medical Marijuana
1:30 pm, SCR 352, Senate Health & Human Services Committee
A comprehensive bill, establishing regulatory control over the medical marijuana industry.
HB15-1202 Rep. Singer
Alcohol Beverage License Reissuance
1:30 pm, Room LSB-A, House Business Affairs & Labor Committee
Allows an alcohol beverage licensee whose license has been expired for more than 90 days but less than 180 days to apply for a reissued license.
HB15-1041 Reps. Humphrey & Ransom, Sen. Lundberg
Protect Human Life at Conception
1:30 pm, Room 0112, House Judiciary Committee
Prohibits abortion except by accident or to save the life of the mother, and makes a violation a class 3 felony
SB15-052 Rep. Keyser, Sen. Crowder
Benefit Exchange Review Committee Approval
1:30 pm, Room 0107, House Health, Insurance & Environment Committee
Requires the health benefit exchange implementation review committee to approve any salary increase, bonus, or other additional monetary benefits for employees of the Colorado health benefit exchange prior to their implementation.
HB15-1143 Rep. Conti, Sen. Crowder
Tax Incentive for Home Health Care
1:30 pm, Room 0107, House Health, Insurance & Environment Committee
Creates a five-year income tax credit for a percentage of the costs incurred by a qualifying senior for durable medical equipment, telehealth equipment, home modifications, or home health care services in each income tax year, subject to a maximum amount, in order to assist the qualifying senior with seeking health care in his or her home.
HB15-1025 Rep. Rosenthal, Sen. Newell
Competency to Proceed Juvenile Justice System
1:30 pm, Room 0112, House Judiciary Committee
Establishes a juvenile-specific definition of incompetent to proceed for juveniles involved in the juvenile justice system, as well as specific definitions for developmental disability, intellectual disability, mental capacity, and mental disability when used in this context. The bill also clarifies the procedures for establishing incompetency, as well as for establishing the restoration of competency.