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DENVER, CO — The House Agriculture, Water and Natural Resources Committee today passed bills to protect Colorado agriculture, save farmers money and prevent livestock harm.
“As tariffs negatively impact Colorado farmers and cut them off from critical markets, we’re making sure when a product says ‘Colorado Grown’ that it is actually grown in Colorado,” said Rep. Matthew Martinez, D-Monte Vista, sponsor of HB26-1031. “Coloradans buying San Luis Valley potatoes or Pueblo green chile expect the products to come from those regions of our state. Mislabeled products undercut our farmers and take profits away from the hardworking people who grow the world-class foods our state is famous for. In the midst of federal tariffs and ongoing trade wars, this bill protects the integrity of Colorado-grown products and supports Colorado agriculture.”
HB26-1031, passed committee by a unanimous vote of 13-0, and would protect the integrity of Colorado-made products and ensure Colorado producers aren’t undercut by mislabeled products imported from other states. This bill prohibits identifying an agricultural product as being produced in Colorado when selling, marketing, advertising or distributing the product unless the product is grown in the state. First approved by the interim Water Resources and Agriculture Review Committee, HB26-1031 would ensure fairness for local producers by cracking down on deceptive trade practices that allow out-of-state products to carry Colorado-made labeling and take market share away from real Colorado-grown foods.
Also sponsored by Representative Matt Soper, R-Delta, the bill boosts consumer protections by reassuring Coloradans that their dollars are getting them the local, premium products they expect.
The Trump Administration’s tariffs have driven up costs for Colorado’s businesses, farmers, ranchers, and consumers and limited the available international markets for producers to sell their products. HB26-1031 aims to protect Colorado markets for farmers and ranchers to sell their locally-made products and food.
“As our farmers and ranchers know, diseases or infections can wipe out an entire herd and spread across the state, which is not only devastating but expensive,” said Rep. Karen McCormick, D-Longmont, sponsor of HB26-1067. “This bipartisan bill would save farmers and ranchers money by extending the permissible uses of a livestock disease management fund to include preparations and responses to emerging threats to livestock health. Stopping the spread of harmful diseases is good for our greater agricultural ecosystem, and this bill makes it possible for our livestock owners to get ahead of the problem and keep their herds healthy.”
HB26-1067, also sponsored by Representative Ty Winter, R-Trindad, passed committee unanimously by a vote of 13-0. To save farmers money and help prevent the spread of livestock diseases, this bill would authorize the Department of Agriculture to expend money in support of agricultural workers preparing for and responding to certain emerging threats to livestock health. Under current law, the fund can only be used to reimburse a farmer or rancher if they are forced to euthanize their livestock after it was exposed to or diagnosed with an infectious or contagious disease. This bill adds flexibility to the use of the fund so farmers and ranchers can take proactive measures to treat or prevent disease before it damages the herd.
This bill also renames the fund to the "livestock health preparedness, response, and diseased livestock indemnity" fund to capture its new role in preventative action and encouraging healthy herds.
Last year, the Trump Administration announced that it would quadruple the amount of beef the U.S. imports from Argentina, which drastically undermined Colorado beef producers during peak season.
The Colorado Department of Agriculture recently warned farmers and ranchers about the New World Screwworm, a parasitic fly that is “a threat to the livestock industry” in Colorado. Bird flu, formally known as the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, has been negatively impacting livestock in Colorado and across the nation.