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Legislation passed today includes strengthening consumer protections during the ticket buying process and legalizing water-wise landscaping options for Coloradans living in HOAs
DENVER, CO – The House today passed legislation to protect Coloradans from deceptive ticket sale prices and combat drought through removing barriers to water-wise landscaping in Homeowner Associations (HOAs).
“Between hidden fees and deceptive sales practices, it’s no secret that ticket purchasing can be a frustrating process to navigate,” said Rep. Lindsey Daugherty, D-Arvada, sponsor of SB23-060. “People travel from all over the country to visit our famous venues, and sometimes they’re turned away because they unknowingly purchased a counterfeit ticket on a third-party website. Our bill improves fans’ protections in the ticket purchasing process and prevents fraudulent tickets from ending up in the marketplace.”
"We need to keep tickets in the hands of fans and this bill works to address the deceptive practices that lead to sky-high ticket prices which keeps Coloradans from seeing their favorite artists or teams," said Rep. Mandy Lindsay, D-Aurora, sponsor of SB23-060 and SB23-178. “I’m proud we also passed SB23-178, which will allow water-wise landscaping for homeowners in HOAs, saving them money and conserving water right in their backyard. Property owners should be able to swap their water-intensive lawn for beautiful native landscaping without HOAs standing in the way.”
SB23-060 passed by a vote of 49 to 16 and would implement new protections for consumers purchasing tickets online, including against “speculative ticketing”, a process where brokers sell tickets they do not yet possess. The bill would require a ticket reseller to have actual possession of a ticket before making it available for resale. It also requires online companies to clearly and transparently display “all-in prices”, which are inclusive of all service charges and other fees required to purchase the ticket.
“As Colorado combats historic drought conditions, water-wise landscaping is a great place to cut back our freshwater usage,” said Rep. McCormick, D-Longmont, sponsor of SB23-178. “Our legislation allows Coloradans living in HOAs the opportunity to have drought-tolerant landscaping options for their lawns, which supports biodiversity and saves Coloradans money. Beautiful yards don’t have to be water-intensive lawns, and this bill reduces barriers to having landscaping that’s eco-conscious and sustainable.”
SB23-178, passed by a vote of 48 to 17 and would reduce barriers facing Colorado homeowners in homeowners associations (HOAs) who wish to replace their lawns with water-wise landscaping. SB23-178 would promote water-wise landscaping, emphasizing native plants that better sustain Colorado’s local ecosystem while requiring little or no irrigation. The bill would require HOAs to select and pre-approve three water-wise landscape designs for homeowners to choose from. The bill would also prevent an HOA from requiring hardscape on more than 20 percent of a landscape area and prohibiting vegetable gardening in a homeowner’s front yard.
About half of the water used in single-family homes in Denver goes toward “outdoor use,” according to Denver Water. Last year, the legislature passed legislation to create the Turf Replacement Program, which provides financial incentives for voluntary replacement of irrigated turf with water-wise landscaping. SB23-178 complements that initiative by helping homeowners who may not need financial incentives but are hindered by HOA regulations.