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The House Business Affairs & Labor Committee today passed bipartisan legislation aimed to prevent suicides by regulating sales of sodium nitrite products. The bill passed unanimously by a vote of 10-0. < Back January 25, 2024 Amabile Suicide Prevention Bill Passes Committee DENVER, CO - The House Business Affairs & Labor Committee today passed bipartisan legislation aimed to prevent suicides by regulating sales of sodium nitrite products. The bill passed unanimously by a vote of 10-0. “It is far too easy for people to access sodium nitrite products, which has unfortunately contributed to many suicide deaths in Colorado,” said Rep. Judy Amabile, D-Boulder. “Suicide by sodium nitrite is becoming increasingly common, and hundreds of sodium nitrite-related suicides have been linked to a single private seller. Regulating sodium nitrite purchases will prevent suicide across our state, saving countless Colorado lives.” Sodium nitrite “suicide kits” are easily accessible online and have been reported to be used by Colorado residents, especially youth, in recent years. Websites that sell these kits often have step-by-step instructions on how to use sodium nitrite to commit suicide. HB24-1081 , also sponsored by Representative Marc Catlin, would regulate the sale or transfer of products that contain 10 percent or greater of sodium nitrite. Sellers would be required to verify that commercial businesses require the product before a transaction could be made, and records of sales or transfers must be kept for three years. Violators could see $10,000 in civil penalties for a first violation, with up to $1 million for a second violation. Previous Next

< Back February 28, 2022 FAMILY AFFIRMATION ACT PASSES HOUSE DENVER, CO – Legislation to simplify the adoption process for parents conceiving through assisted reproduction today passed the House by a vote of 53-11. “When parents conceive using assisted reproduction, the law doesn’t always automatically recognize the parent-child relationship,” said Rep. Kerry Tipper, D-Lakewood. “In Colorado, there is a burdensome adoption process used to establish the parent-child legal relationship, which is costly, invasive and time consuming. The Family Affirmation Act would create a simplified legal process for parents so they can spend more time with their newborn and less time navigating the adoption process.” “Under Colorado’s laws, my wife still needs to go through the expensive and complicated adoption process just to be legally recognized as the mother of our child, even though she is Marlo’s biological parent,” said Majority Leader Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo. “My wife, and every parent that goes through assisted reproduction, should have the same parental rights that I do. It’s time to modernize our laws so that every parent in our state has equal protections under the law.” HB22-1153, sponsored by Representatives Kerry Tipper and Daneya Esgar, would create an accessible and streamlined adoption process for parents conceiving through assisted reproduction. Some parents, often LGBTQ+ couples, who conceive using assisted reproduction must currently go through the legal adoption process to be recognized as legal parents. This lengthy, expensive and complicated process is necessary just to be recognized as the legal parent of their child. The adoption process currently requires home visits, court appearances, criminal record checks and countless complicated forms to legally confirm the parent-child relationship. This is all required for a parent to legally adopt their child. This makes parenting exponentially more expensive and time consuming for LGBTQ+ and other non-traditional families. The bill would create a process for families to establish a legal parent-child relationship that must be recognized nationwide and instruct courts to confirm the adoption within 30 days. Previous Next

< Back November 10, 2021 MCCLUSKIE TAKES REINS OF THE JBC DENVER, CO — Representative Julie McCluskie today became the next chair of the Joint Budget Committee as the FY 2022-2023 budget process begins this morning. “It’s a true honor to lead the JBC as we craft a balanced budget that powers the Colorado comeback and boosts our economy in every community,” said JBC Chair Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon. “I’m excited to lead the charge as we make significant investments in public education and make responsible decisions to protect critical services in the coming years. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the General Assembly to pass a budget that protects our Colorado way of life, helps our small businesses and forges a recovery that leaves no one behind.” Passionate about public education, Rep.McCluskie spent more than a decade working in Summit School District and has championed efforts to increase funding for public education and target resources to at-risk students. She has led efforts to boost workforce training programs, improve wildfire mitigation and response, increase higher education funding, expand access to affordable housing and has created new programs to improve teacher retention. In 2019, Rep. McCluskie passed landmark legislation to create the state reinsurance program that has successfully lowered the cost of health insurance, most drastically in rural parts of the state and in mountain communities. She chairs the School Finance Committee where she has focused on reforming the school finance formula to make it more equitable and student centered. Last session, she passed legislation to invest $50 million in workforce training programs to help workers learn the skills they’ll need to thrive. Born and raised in Colorado and a graduate of Colorado State University, Rep. McCluskie and her husband Jamie have spent most of their married years in the Rocky Mountains. They are proud parents of two children, Ian and Cait, and enjoy spending family time in Colorado’s great outdoors. Previous Next

< Back June 3, 2020 REP. SINGER’S HELPING THE HELPER BILL READY FOR GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE Legislation that would provide benefits to workers who have experienced a traumatic event in the workplace passes DENVER, CO– The House today passed Representative Johnathan Singer’s bipartisan bill to provide worker’s compensation for employees who have experienced visual and audible psychological trauma. The bill is also sponsored by Senators Rhonda Fields and John Cooke. The bill passed 48-15. “This piece of legislation is crucial for the mental health of our 911 operators and dispatchers,” said Rep. Singer, D-Longmont . “When we call 911 we don’t think of the person on the other side of the line even though they save lives on a daily basis. Most of us can’t imagine the trauma that some of these individuals have to go through. Helping to treat PTSD that occurs on the job is just a small way that we can show our appreciation, and help them keep saving our neighbors’ lives by getting them back to work stronger and faster.” SB20-026 would expand worker’s compensation benefits for criminal justice employees who were exposed to death while they were working if they were diagnosed by a licensed psychiatrist or psychologist with PTSD. Under the bill, workers who experience either visual or audible death or serious bodily injury, or the immediate aftermath of these events would be eligible for worker’s compensation. The eligibility also extends to workers who were repeatedly exposed to these qualifying events. Previous Next

< Back January 27, 2020 LANDOWNER ASSISTANCE FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION ADVANCES Bipartisan interim committee legislation would expand tax deduction for mitigation efforts and raise awareness of mitigation resources available to landowners DENVER, CO– HB 20-1004 , bipartisan legislation sponsored by Representatives Lisa Cutter and Perry Will, today passed the House Committee on Rural Affairs and Agriculture by a vote of 11-0. The bill would help landowners in wildfire hazard areas protect their homes, by increasing outreach efforts between local experts and residents living in these areas. “We’ve heard from communities and residents that they often don’t know about all the resources available to them to protect their homes and other property from wildfires,” said Rep. Cutter (D-Jefferson County). “This bill would provide information on best practices and resources on wildfire mitigation available for landowners, as well as a tax credit for performing such mitigation on their properties.” Colorado currently offers landowners wildfire mitigation resources, but many residents in high hazard areas are unaware of the available resources and best practices. This bill would create a grant program to conduct outreach to landowners to spread information about the resources available to them and the best practices for wildfire mitigation. Local governments, special districts, tribal agencies, faith-based organizations, and nonprofits would be eligible for the grant funding. Currently, property owners can claim a tax deduction for 50 percent of the cost of wildfire mitigation measures up to $2,500. HB20-1004 would create a tax credit of 25 percent of the cost of wildfire mitigation efforts up to $2,500. For example, if a property owner spends $2,500 on mitigation efforts, they would receive $625 off their taxes. Previous Next

Legislation sponsored by Representative Judy Amabile, D-Boulder, and Senator Rhonda Fields, D-Aurora, that aims to streamline complicated processes in the competency system to increase efficiency and effectiveness and reduce waitlists goes into effect on July 1. < Back July 1, 2024 Legislation to Streamline Colorado's Competency System Goes Into Effect DENVER, CO - Legislation sponsored by Representative Judy Amabile, D-Boulder, and Senator Rhonda Fields, D-Aurora, that aims to streamline complicated processes in the competency system to increase efficiency and effectiveness and reduce waitlists goes into effect on July 1. "We must reform Colorado's competency system to get people the help they need to get better, which is why we passed this new law," said Amabile. "By streamlining our competency system, we can help provide crucial behavioral health services to Coloradans in need." “Colorado’s competency system is overwhelmed and overcomplicated,” Fields said. “Folks are struggling with difficult mental health issues, and they need help now. It’s past time we make updates to our competency system to ensure more people are getting the behavioral health care support they need to stay out of the criminal justice system and live more whole lives.” To help get people who are unlikely to be restored to competency into appropriate treatment, HB24-1034 imposes new time limits for when a defendant who has been deemed incompetent to proceed can remain in custody. Additionally, the bill directs when competency services may be provided on an outpatient basis. Previous Next

< Back May 29, 2020 HOUSE WILL NOT CONVENE UNTIL MONDAY DENVER, CO — Speaker KC Becker and House Majority Leader Alec Garnett today announced that the House would not convene Friday, May 29 or Saturday, May 30. “I feel a deep sense of grief for our great city, and for all our communities who are experiencing profound pain, anger and sadness,” said House Majority Leader Alec Garnett, D-Denver . “I know our city is hurting tonight, and I hope that our grief turns into peaceful action, rather than vandalism and violence. To allow space for protests that we expect to continue on Friday and into the weekend, the House will not convene tomorrow or Saturday.” “Tonight, the pain and rage brought on by the death of yet another black man in America at the hands of law enforcement came to a boiling point in Denver,” said Black Caucus Chair Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver. “What began as a peaceful call for justice after the death of George Floyd and far too many others before him turned to chaos when the shots rang. By the end of the night, highways were taken over and protestors had been targeted and intentionally run over. My heart breaks for our community, our city, and our nation tonight.” Previous Next

< Back March 30, 2021 PROTECTIONS FOR RENTERS ADVANCE IN THE HOUSE Critical eviction and rent protections pass the House on second reading DENVER, CO– The House today advanced Representatives Dominique Jackson and Iman Jodeh’s critical legislation to provide renters with additional protections before facing eviction and limit the frequency of rent increases. “Today we took an important step toward ensuring justice in the renter-landlord relationship and limiting unaffordable rent hikes that can devastate tenants,” said Rep. Dominique Jackson, D-Aurora. “Far too often, renters in Colorado are at the mercy of their landlords. This bill stands up for renters by giving them more time before law enforcement takes action in an eviction, limiting rent increases to once a year, and requiring landlords to give people without a written rental agreement at least 60 days notice before raising rent.” “With so many Colorado families living on the verge of housing insecurity or homelessness, it’s more important than ever to build back stronger and protect Colorado’s renters,” said Rep. Iman Jodeh, D-Aurora. “Far too many families and people of color in my community and across the state live in fear of an eviction or a rent hike that will put them out on the street. The bill we advanced today will give renters necessary and common-sense protections under the law, like preventing monthly rent hikes and giving families facing eviction more time to find accommodations.” HB21-1121 would provide renters with additional time before law enforcement can assist in an eviction. It also prohibits residential landlords from increasing rent more than once in a 12 month period and increases the notification timeline for rent increases when there is not a written tenancy agreement, for example, under a month-to-month agreement. Under current law, if a landlord wins a judgement in an eviction action, the court must wait 48 hours to direct the county sheriff to assist in the eviction, which provides a minimum of two days between an eviction order and the actual sheriff-assisted eviction. Under the bill, courts can still finalize an eviction order, but sheriffs may not carry it out for an additional eight days after the initial 48 hours, providing renters with 10 days before they have to move out and find a new home after an eviction has been finalized, instead of two. Under current law, when there is month-to-month tenancy where there is no written agreement, landlords must give 21 days written notice prior to increasing the rent; the bill extends the notice period to 60 days. Previous Next

Legislation would safeguard voting rights in Colorado law amid federal uncertainty < Back April 28, 2025 Colorado Voting Rights Act Passes Legislation would safeguard voting rights in Colorado law amid federal uncertainty DENVER, CO - The House today passed legislation sponsored by Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon and Representative Junie Joseph to codify stronger voter protections into Colorado law. SB25-001 passed by a vote of 43-22. “With courage, conviction and sacrifice, generations of Black Americans fought for the Voting Rights Act, transforming democracy and ensuring equal access to the ballot for Black Americans and other minority groups,” said Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver. “With voter suppression and voter dilution tactics being used throughout the country, it’s imperative that we act now to protect the constitutional right to vote. This bill makes it clear to Coloradans that, while the federal government continues to chip away at the Voting Rights Act, Colorado Democrats are committed to protecting voting rights.” “I would not be here today as a member of the Colorado House without the Voting Rights Act, and I’m proudly sponsoring this legislation so future Coloradans like me have the opportunity to engage in the political process,” said Rep. Junie Joseph, D-Boulder. “Voting is one of the most important ways Coloradans can make their voices heard, and it’s crucial that we ensure voter protections are in place in Colorado in the event that this federal administration rolls them back. I’m proud to carry this bill to expand access to the ballot, especially for tribal members and the LGBTQ+ community, and codify protections for our vulnerable community members.” In anticipation of efforts to dismantle the national Voting Rights Act of 1986, which prohibits discriminatory election practices, SB25-001 would protect and strengthen the right to vote in Colorado. This bill would codify stronger voter protections, expand access to voting information for historically excluded communities, and prohibit discriminatory election practices, even if federal protections are rolled back. The bill would expand access to multilingual ballots in certain local elections, protect access for eligible voters confined in local jails, require residential facilities that house people with disabilities to provide nonpartisan voter information, and empower the Attorney General to enforce voting rights. The bill would also prohibit impairing an individual’s right to vote based on their gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation and would create a publicly available, statewide database of election information without compromising any personal voter data. On March 25, President Trump signed an executive order requiring voters to provide proof of citizenship in order to vote. The order also allows federal review of voter registration lists to verify citizenship and withholds funding from states that do not comply. Colorado joined 18 other states to challenge the constitutionality of this executive order. This month, the US House of Representatives passed the SAVE Act that would require in-person proof of citizenship to register to vote, threatening the future of mail voter registration and disenfranchising millions of eligible voters, especially the almost 70 million Americans who have changed their name. This would make it impossible for many Americans who do not have a passport, REAL ID, or access to their birth certificates to vote. Colorado is a national role model for administering secure, accessible and fair elections. Colorado Democrats have passed legislation to reduce barriers to voting access for Native Americans and Indigenous people, incarcerated Coloradans and college students. In 2021, Colorado Democrats also passed a law to expand minority language ballot access beyond federal requirements. Colorado has one of the highest voter turnout rates in the country and voter registration rates. Over 93-percent of eligible Coloradans are registered to vote, which is nearly 10-percent higher than the national average. Previous Next

Governor Jared Polis yesterday signed legislation into law administratively that will improve flexibility, fairness, safety, and transparency for gig transportation network company (TNC) workers and consumers. < Back June 6, 2024 ICYMI: Bill to Improve Gig Worker Rights, Boost Transparency Becomes Law DENVER, CO – Governor Jared Polis yesterday signed legislation into law administratively that will improve flexibility, fairness, safety, and transparency for gig transportation network company (TNC) workers and consumers. “All workers deserve to know how much they get paid and what their job entails, but currently rideshare and delivery gig workers aren’t given that information,” said Senate Majority Leader Robert Rogriguez, D-Denver. “Our new law gives basic rights to TNC drivers and provides much-needed transparency for customers.” “Gig workers deserve to know how much they will get paid before they accept a job, and this law will give them better clarity so they can make informed workplace decisions,” said Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver. “Many gig workers rely on this industry as their main source of income, and providing better transparency in their workplace gives them more freedom and better support. This law improves gig workers’ rights while providing much-needed transparency and collecting data that will give us a better picture of the gig working industry to make future improvements for workers.” “I’m proud of the work we’ve done to craft this legislation, which increases transparency for drivers and the public as it relates to TNCs,” Senator Kevin Priola, D-Henderson, said. “SB 75 will provide essential details, like pay, destination, and direction, that all app-based drivers deserve.” “The gig economy has exploded in recent years, and we must address the lack of worker protections and consumer transparency to ensure fair wages and autonomy,” said Rep. Naquetta Ricks, D-Aurora. “This new law aims to address these issues by requiring companies to disclose the distance, direction, and fare of a ride to drivers before they accept it and share fare information with customers so they know how much of their rideshare fee is going to their driver. Without this information, drivers and customers are left in the dark and are vulnerable to being over-charged or underpaid.” Gig work has risen over the last decade, but many workers struggle to make ends meet or plan for their financial future due to the volatile nature of their earnings and unjust terminations. SB24-075 addresses a number of issues gig workers and consumers face by requiring the following: Companies must disclose terms and grounds for termination or deactivation of drivers and communicate their reconsideration process; Companies must disclose the fare, distance, and direction to all drivers before they accept a ride, which can prevent last-minute ride cancellations initiated by drivers; Companies must disclose fare information to customers, including the total amount paid and the amount the driver received; and Companies must disclose some ride and app activity-related information to the state of Colorado, such as total mileage driven, deactivations and reconsideration results, and more. The law aims to provide TNC drivers with transparent information about tasks and earnings while providing customers with the information needed to make decisions about how much to tip. Additionally, it protects drivers by giving them a basic level of transparency about how deactivations are considered and can be appealed. Previous Next

< Back April 29, 2019 HOUSE APPROVES EXPANSION OF RURAL BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE House Democrats have long been working to expand rural broadband access (Apr. 29) – The House approved Rep. Dylan Roberts’ bill to expand the broadband infrastructure in Colorado, especially in rural areas. In parts of rural Colorado, broadband services are inadequate and in some instances nonexistent. “Access to the internet is an indispensable part of our lives and it’s important we create equity between the rural and urban areas,” said Rep. Roberts, D-Avon. “Improving broadband infrastructure will help close the digital divide in communities from the Eastern Plains to the Western Slope. We can save millions of dollars on new infrastructure if we allow electrical easement holders to deliver internet services to communities through already-existing transmission corridors. That’s what this bill allows.” Rep. Roberts is the Chair of the Rural Affairs and Agriculture committee and the Capital Development committee. This bill allows electrical easement holders to lease existing fiber resources on these easements for the purpose of delivering broadband internet services to communities. It will allow the utilization of dark fiber by providers to connect areas without having to spend money on costly new infrastructure or easement negotiation. Similar legislation has been passed in Indiana, Missouri and Tennessee. SB19-107 passed the Senate on a 35-0 vote and passed the House today with a bipartisan vote of 62-2. It now heads back to the Senate for approval of amendments. The Senate co-prime sponsor is Sen. Kerry Donovan, D-Vail. Previous Next

Legislation protects consumers from health insurer insolvency and adds biometric data protections to the Colorado Privacy Act < Back February 20, 2024 Bills to Improve Consumer Protections Pass House Legislation protects consumers from health insurer insolvency and adds biometric data protections to the Colorado Privacy Act DENVER, CO – The House today passed two pieces of legislation to improve consumer protections in Colorado. HB24-1258 passed by a vote of 43 to 17 and would ensure that Coloradans who reached their health care deductible and out-of-pocket maximums are credited by their new insurer if their old insurer goes out of business. HB24-1130 passed unanimously and would amend the Colorado Privacy Act to include protections for biometric data. “While it’s rare for health insurers to go bankrupt, we need to ensure Coloradans don’t lose the money they already spent reaching their deductible,” said Rep. Kyle Brown, D-Louisville, HB24-1258. “This legislation protects Coloradans if their insurer files for bankruptcy by allowing them to credit any out-of-pocket payments and deductibles toward their new insurer. Our bill saves Coloradans money by not requiring them to pay their health care deductible twice and honors the health care payments they’ve already made.” “When Friday Health unexpectedly closed over the summer, it left thousands of Coloradans uninsured, frustrated and worried about the money they’d already spent reaching their health care deductible and out-of-pocket costs,” said Rep. Andrew Boesenecker, D-Fort Collins, sponsor of HB24-1258. “This important legislation removes unnecessary barriers to receiving health care coverage and makes sure insurance companies honor previously paid out-of-pocket maximums and deductibles. We’re stepping up to protect Coloradans from insurer insolvency, save them money and make accessing everything from routine to life-saving health care easier.” HB24-1258 comes as a direct response to the recent Friday Health insurer shutdown and aims to protect and save Coloradans money by not requiring them to pay their health insurance deductibles twice. Specifically, Coloradans would be able to credit all out-of-pocket expenses and deductibles paid to a previous, out of business insurer to their new health insurer with a new benefit plan. “From fingerprint scanners to the facial recognition that unlocks our smartphones, our biometric data is intertwined with current and emerging technology,” said Rep. Lindsey Daugherty, D-Arvada, sponsor of HB24-1130. “Biometric data is incredibly personal, and this legislation would amend the Colorado Privacy Act to ensure our biometric data is protected and stored safely. This bill improves consumer protections of some of our most personal, individualistic data and reduces the risk of our biometric data being used improperly.” HB24-1130 , also sponsored by Rep. Mike Lynch, R-Wellington, would amend the Colorado Privacy Act to require protections for biometric data. Biometric data is highly unique to an individual and includes fingerprints, facial recognition used to unlock smartphones, and iris scanning. Specifically, this bill would require biometric data to be destroyed within a year of collection or upon request and stored at a higher level of security. Previous Next