< Back March 11, 2020 COMMITTEE PASSES BILL TO PROVIDE HOMELESS YOUTH SHELTER ON THEIR TERMS The House Committee on Public Health Care and Human Services today passed Representatives Cathy Kipp and Brianna Titone’s bill that allows youth who are 15-years-old, or older, to directly consent to receive shelter services from a licensed facility. The bill is also sponsored by Senators Joann Ginal and Rob Woodward. The committee passed the bill by a vote of 10-3. “Homeless youth are one of the most vulnerable populations in Colorado, and it’s up to us to protect them,” said Rep.Titone, D-Arvada . “This bill would remove barriers towards homeless kids receiving the support they need from licensed and regulated services. We can’t have teens falling through the cracks, and this bill puts their safety first.” “When it comes to homeless youth, safety is our concern,” said Rep. Kipp, D-Fort Collins . “This bill would allow homeless teens in our state to advocate for their own safety and well-being, and will no doubt lead to better outcomes.” SB20-106 would allow homeless youth facilities, including foster or family homes, to provide shelter and “crisis intervention” to homeless youths who are 15-years-old. The youths must consent, in writing, to receive these services and do not need the consent of a parent or legal guardian. The bill also states that a person who provides shelter to a homeless child without the consent of a legal guardian must notify the legal guardian and authorities within 24-hours after shelter has been provided. Additionally, if the authorities come to the conclusion that the youth cannot be returned to the legal guardian, they must notify the county so proper living arrangements can be made. The bill passed the Senate 32-1. ### Previous Next

< Back Rebekah Stewart Representative Rebekah Stewart represents House District 30, which encompasses the eastern half of Lakewood and the city of Edgewater. She currently serves on the Lakewood City council and is chair of the city’s Budget and Audit Board. Rep. Stewart serves as the Vice-Chair of the Transportation, Housing and Local Government Committee and a member of the House Finance Committee. Rep. Stewart spent most of her career as a board-certified music therapist working with kids and adults in the disability community. On city council, she has continued to fight for folks falling through the cracks by championing mental health and housing affordability policy and most recently spearheading Lakewood’s successful debrucing campaign. She looks forward to continuing this important work at the state Capitol.

< Back July 6, 2022 ESGAR, CARAVEO, MULLICA PRAISE POLIS ACTION TO PROTECT ABORTION PATIENTS AND PROVIDERS DENVER, CO – Majority Leader Daneya Esgar, sponsor of the Colorado Reproductive Health Equity Act , pediatrician Yadira Caraveo, and ER Nurse Kyle Mullica today released the following statements praising Governor Jared Polis’ executive order to protect health care providers and patients’ medical privacy. “I sponsored the Reproductive Health Equity Act to codify reproductive rights into Colorado law because the government should never interfere in a patient’s private medical decision,” said Majority Leader Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo . “Governor Polis’ action today will protect patients and providers from actions taken by Republican state legislatures to criminalize abortion, force rape victims and children to give birth, and prosecute patients who travel out of their states to access an abortion. With more people traveling to our state to get the care they need, Colorado is taking a stand to protect patients’ rights and their private medical information.” “As a doctor, I am appalled that GOP politicians in Republican-led states are limiting women’s freedom to choose and providers’ ability to provide care,” said Rep. Yadira Caraveo, D-Thornton, a primary-care physician. “It is a doctor’s responsibility to care for their patient, but five Republican-appointed justices on the Supreme Court have allowed nearly half of all states to imprison doctors for providing life-saving medical care. The executive order Governor Polis issued today will protect doctors and pregnant women seeking life saving care from the state and local governments wanting to use their private medical information to put them in prison. Congress must follow Colorado’s lead and protect women’s ability to choose their own reproductive futures.” “Colorado strongly supports reproductive freedom and the right to choose, and I am proud of our work at the state capitol to protect abortion access and codify these rights into state law,” said Rep. Kyle Mullica, D-Thornton, an ER nurse. “We now live in a terrifying reality where abortion patients in Colorado and the providers who care for them could be arrested in states where Republican legislatures have banned abortion. I serve on the House Health and Insurance Committee where earlier this year every Repubican lawmaker on the committee voted to ban abortion without exception and force rape victims and children to give birth. I’m proud that our governor is taking additional action today to protect providers’ licenses and patients’ privacy, and I’ll continue fighting bills from Republican lawmakers to ban abortion in Colorado.” The Reproductive Health Equity Act updates Colorado’s laws to protect reproductive rights and codifies the fundamental right to choose to continue a pregnancy and give birth, or to have an abortion. Colorado Democrats are committed to ensuring abortion remains safe, legal, and accessible. Recently, House Democrats defeated three Republican-led bills that would have jeopardized that right, including: HB22-1079 , which would have banned abortion in Colorado with no exceptions. The bill explicitly directed Colorado to disregard federal law and federal court rulings and would subject Colorado judges who support access to abortion to impeachment. In addition, it would have allowed a private right of action against abortion providers, and potentially patients too. HB22-1047 , which would have banned abortion in Colorado with no exceptions. The bill would have also criminalized miscarriages and would have subjected abortion providers to imprisonment. The bill would have forced rape victims and children to give birth. HB22-1075 , which would have established a registry to track and surveil abortion patients and providers. It also would have created a roadmap for abortion opponents to identify and further threaten abortion patients and providers, and facilitate their prosecution should Colorado ban ever abortion. Previous Next

< Back April 28, 2021 BILL TO REDUCE WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS, MAKE SHOWUPS MORE FAIR CLEARS HOUSE DENVER, CO– The House today passed HB21-1142, legislation sponsored by Representative Bacon that would ensure fairness in police showups and reduce wrongful convictions based on unreliable identifications. “When most people hear about a showup, they think of Law and Order or other police shows, but in reality, these practices are often abused in unfair ways that lead to convictions based on unreliable identifications of people who did not commit a crime,” said Rep. Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver. “Charles Battle spent six months trying to clear his name for a crime he did not commit. We cannot allow bias in eyewitness identifications and unreliable showup practices to ruin people’s lives. There have been too many times where law enforcement has unfairly influenced the outcome of the process by engaging in tactics like dressing suspects in the specific clothes described by a witness or even asking the individual in custody to speak a certain way.” A showup is a tactic used by law enforcement to identify a suspect. An eyewitness is asked if the lone individual in police custody is the person they saw commit the crime. It is not the same as a lineup where an eyewitness chooses a suspect from a group of individuals. The Battle family has worked closely with the Denver Police Department to help develop new procedures for showups. The bill was developed in close collaboration with police chiefs and community leaders and passed on a bipartisan vote of 45-17. It requires law enforcement agencies to adopt written policies and procedures aligning their use of show-ups with research-based best practices. This includes explaining the parameters of the protocol to the eyewitness, not making suggestive comments, separating eyewitnesses from one another if there are multiple, and obtaining the services of an interpreter when appropriate. HB21-1142 also directs law enforcement to collect specific information on each showup, including the date and location, the individual’s gender and race, and whether the technique leads to an identification. It would also prohibit courts from admitting evidence from a showup unless the court finds the showup was conducted according to Colorado law. Previous Next

Today, Governor Polis, Rep. Cathy Kipp, Rep. Ruby Dickson, Rep. Mike Weissman, Senator Chris Hansen, state lawmakers, and community members discussed a historic bill package that will save people money, cut red tape to accelerate the clean energy transition, and advance Colorado’s position as a leader in clean energy nationwide. The legislative package will help achieve 100% renewable energy in Colorado by 2040 and save Coloradans by increasing opportunities and renewable energy tax incentives for people and businesses including reducing the cost of electric vehicles in Colorado by $5,000, electric bikes by $800, and between $3,000 and $500 for heat pumps depending on the technology type. < Back March 9, 2023 Governor Polis, State Legislators Announce Plans to Save People Money on Energy, Cut Red Tape to Accelerate Clean Energy Transition & Ensure that Colorado Continues to be a National Leader DENVER- Today, Governor Polis, Rep. Cathy Kipp, Rep. Ruby Dickson, Rep. Mike Weissman, Senator Chris Hansen, state lawmakers, and community members discussed a historic bill package that will save people money, cut red tape to accelerate the clean energy transition, and advance Colorado’s position as a leader in clean energy nationwide. The legislative package will help achieve 100% renewable energy in Colorado by 2040 and save Coloradans by increasing opportunities and renewable energy tax incentives for people and businesses including reducing the cost of electric vehicles in Colorado by $5,000, electric bikes by $800, and between $3,000 and $500 for heat pumps depending on the technology type. “We can save people money, cut red tape to help accelerate the renewable energy transition and ensure Colorado continues to lead on clean energy solutions,” said Governor Polis. “Together, with our legislative partners and community leaders, we can put in place the right way to achieve our shared goal of 100% renewable energy by 2040, save people money, and utilize clean energy solutions that protect our planet and our pocketbooks.” Gov. Polis and legislative leaders are presenting renewable energy solutions that work to stabilize and lower energy costs by investing in reliable clean energy alternatives statewide. By increasing access to clean energy upgrades for people and businesses and accelerating processes to implement clean energy transitions, these transformative proposals will save people money on energy costs and further reduce harmful emissions. Today, Governor Polis and state lawmakers were joined by Coloradans who have utilized clean energy technologies resulting in significantly lower energy costs for them and their families. “During the cold snaps we’ve experienced this year, not only has the heat pump been incredibly efficient in heating our home, but we also didn’t see the same spikes in our home heating bills that so many other people around the state did,” said Errin, a Marshall Fire survivor and recently switched to a heat pump said today. “With this legislative package, we hope to see more families like ours get access to these more efficient pumps and save money on their utility bills. The tax credits being proposed can help lower costs for families, saving them money on upfront installation, as well as in the long run. ” The Governor in partnership with the state legislature has taken bold climate action and under his leadership, Colorado is well on its way toward achieving 100% renewable energy by 2040. The new clean energy tax incentives included in this proposal will increase money-saving opportunities and increase access to electric vehicle purchases, electric bikes, heat pumps, heating and cooling technology, and industry and building improvements. The proposed legislation also invests in new technologies that will expand clean energy options and continue to position the state as a leader in transformative clean energy development and usage. “As the effects of climate change become more and more pronounced, it is clear we must implement bold policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impacts on our climate and our environment,” said Senator Chris Hansen, D-Denver. “Coloradans are demanding we act, and we plan to tackle this challenge head on by implementing policy that will reduce emissions, set achievable goals, and put our state on a path to climate sustainability for generations to come.” “This plan will create jobs while helping us meet our climate goals and lower energy costs for businesses and families,” said Rep. Ruby Dickson, D-Centennial . “Highlighted in this energy package are bills that will invest in innovative clean energy sources to power our economy and heat our buildings, as well as reducing emissions even in hard-to-decarbonize sectors. These bills will boost businesses, increase access to clean energy alternatives and ultimately cut back on our harmful carbon emissions.” “Many of the bills in this package take an innovative approach for Colorado to lead the transition to clean energy and meet our climate goals while creating jobs and saving consumers, property owners and businesses money,” said Rep. Cathy Kipp, D-Fort Collins. “This proposal prioritizes reliable, clean energy sources and works to attract new businesses to the state while ensuring we are well-positioned to receive federal funding. Our focus is making Colorado a nationwide leader in energy innovation and reducing the use of fossil fuels.” Colorado is leading a multi-state consortium with Utah, Wyoming, and New Mexico to gain additional federal investment as a hydrogen hub . Colorado ranks fifth in the nation for electric vehicle sales. Saving People Money on Energy HB23-XXXX: Tax Incentives For Decarbonization - Representatives Weissman and Joseph and Senator Fenberg - This package of clean energy tax credits draws down the costs of clean energy technologies for residents and businesses across Colorado. The package includes investment incentives in geothermal electricity and high-efficiency heat pumps, efforts to reduce pollution from industrial facilities, and extension and expansion of tax credits for light, medium, and heavy-duty electric vehicles, and electric bikes. SB23-016 Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Measures - Representative McCormick and Sirota and Senator Hansen - This establishes new statewide greenhouse gas emissions targets including net-zero emissions by 2050 and importantly enables the possibility of net-zero emissions by giving authority to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) over injection wells for carbon dioxide, a potentially critical tool to permanently remove GHG pollution from the atmosphere. Other provisions include a 30% tax credit on the purchase of electric-powered lawn equipment and technical changes to the community solar garden and electric transmission policy. The bill expands the disclosure of climate risks by insurance companies and encourages the Colorado Public Employees' Retirement Association to consider long-term climate-friendly investment strategies. HB23-1134: Electric Options in Home Warranties - Representatives Joseph and Kipp and Senator Cutter - This bill gives consumers more choices if a warrantied home appliance like a gas furnace breaks. Rather than requiring a like-for-like replacement, this bill ensures appliance warranties allow switching from a gas to an electric appliance if the consumer chooses. HB23-1005: New Energy Improvement Program Changes - Representatives Willford and Titone and Senators Jaquez Lewis and Marchman - Expands options for building owners to pay off cost-saving energy retrofits on their property tax bill while immediately reducing utility bills. Expands the eligibility of building upgrades to include resilience and water-saving investments. HB23-XXXX: Including Thermal Energy As A Clean Heat Resource - Representatives Lieder and Kipp - This bill continues Colorado’s work to reduce emissions from gas utilities by providing a pathway for those utilities to transition away from expensive fuel commodities like natural gas. HB23-XXX: EV Charging and Parking Requirements - Representatives Mauro and Valdez and Senators Faith Winter and Priola - This bill ensures Coloradans across the State have access to high-quality EV charging, especially for renters or those living in multifamily housing. HB23-1161: Environmental Standards for Appliances - Representative Kipp and Willford and Senator Cutter - This bill updates and modernizes Colorado's water and energy efficiency standards for appliances sold in Colorado. Cutting Red Tape to Accelerate Clean Energy Transitions HB23-XXXX: Assessing Reliable and Affordable Energy in Rural Colorado - Representatives Ty Winter and Lukens and Senator Roberts - This bill helps evaluate existing and potential future infrastructure investments across rural Colorado, with a focus on clean energy and transmission infrastructure opportunities, and next-generation energy production technologies. HB23-XXX: Clean Firm Electricity - Representatives Dickson and Velasco - This bill provides a framework for Colorado to invest in the clean energy technologies of the future like geothermal, hydrogen, and long-duration battery storage which will be critical to completely clean up the power grid while ensuring affordable and reliable electricity. HB23-XXXX: Streamlined Solar Permitting & Inspection Grants - Representative Brown and Soper and Senator Roberts - This bill develops new technology to help local governments accelerate processing time for solar, reduce staff time and costs for local governments, and reduce the time and cost of installing solar. This bill also provides grants for local governments to adopt this tool – which means faster, easier, and cheaper local approvals for rooftop solar projects. HB23-1039: Electric Resource Adequacy Reporting - Representative Bird and Senators Rodriguez and Winter - This bill proactively ensures that electric utilities serving end-use retail customers have adequate resources to provide the energy that homes and businesses rely on each day. Ensuring Colorado Continues to Lead on Clean Energy Solutions HB23-1210: Carbon Management - Representative Dickson and Senator Hansen - This bill helps Colorado companies build and scale the technologies needed for the capture, removal, storage, and use of carbon dioxide pollution which is an area of emerging technology. The bill will also identify early investment opportunities to de-risk projects that hold the promise of reducing emissions from the most challenged sectors of the economy. HB23-XXXX: Advancing Clean Hydrogen - Representative Titone - This bill creates a clear regulatory framework and incentives to spur the production of green hydrogen, from renewable energy to power sectors of the Colorado economy like industrial processes, long-haul trucking, and aviation. This bill creates a hydrogen usage credit to encourage the production of the cleanest possible hydrogen fuel and direct it toward these end-uses. Previous Next

< Back April 27, 2019 HOUSE APPROVES MULLICA BILL TO KEEP KIDS SAFE Colorado ranks last in kindergarten immunizations (Apr. 27) – The House gave final approval to Rep. Kyle Mullica’s bipartisan bill to address Colorado’s low vaccination rates. Higher vaccination rates decrease the risk of outbreaks of preventable contagious and deadly diseases. “We have an obligation to be proactive – not reactive. This is a public health crisis. Waiting for a tragedy to happen is not an option. This is about the safety of our students and experts have been consulted in crafting this important legislation. Colorado ranks last in the country for kindergarten immunizations. We need to do better.” said Rep. Mullica, D-Northglenn. “I urge the Senate to take up and pass this bill.” Rep. Mullica is a trained trauma nurse by profession. What HB19-1312 does: · Creates a standardized exemption form and requires all exemptions be submitted to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) or the local public health agency. Non-medical exemptions must be submitted in person to the CDPHE or local health agency; subsequent renewals can be submitted in person or online. · Directs CDPHE to include immunization exemption information in its annual presentation to the General Assembly. · Directs CDPHE to develop educational materials for health agencies and schools addressing the medical benefits of immunizations. · Gives the Board of Health authority to determine school-required immunizations, based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This bipartisan bill strengthens Colorado’s vaccination exemption process by incorporating strategies known to increase vaccination rates without removing personal or religious exemptions. During House debate on the bill earlier this week, Rep. Yadira Caraveo, the legislatures only doctor and the daughter of immigrant parents, refuted a statement from a House Republican alluding that the issue with low vaccination rates is not because parents are opting out of vaccinating their children, but rather that diseases are being spread by individuals who have immigrated to the United States. Colorado is seeing an increase in vaccine preventable diseases that are endangering public health. According to a recent report, Coloradans paid $55 million on childhood diseases that vaccinations could have prevented in 2017 alone. Medical experts testified at a House hearing earlier this month in support of this common-sense legislation. Public health and medical experts have raised serious concerns about Colorado’s low vaccination rate . Contagious disease outbreaks are happening around the country, most recently in Washington and New York states. According to the CDC, less than 89 percent of kindergarten-aged children in Colorado have received vaccines for diseases like measles, mumps and rubella. Colorado ranks last in country in this category. That’s below the national average of 94.3 percent and below the level of reaching “herd immunity,” the percentage of the population that needs to be vaccinated to avoid a widespread, public outbreak and protect those with compromised or vulnerable immune systems. Herd immunity is essential in protecting vulnerable people, including newborn babies, seniors and people living with ongoing medical issues. The Senate co-prime sponsors are Sen. Kevin Priola, R-Henderson, and Sen. Julie Gonzales, D-Denver. The bill passed the House Health and Insurance committee hearing by a vote of 7-4 on April 15. HB19-1312 was approved on a final vote of 39-20. It now heads to the Senate. Previous Next

< Back May 2, 2019 BILL TO ADDRESS CAMPUS SEXUAL MISCONDUCT HEADS TO GOVERNOR’S DESK One in five women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in college (May 2) – The House approved a bill sponsored by Rep. Janet Buckner and Rep. Barbara McLachlan that would add more guidelines and protections around sexual misconduct and violence in higher education institutes in Colorado. “Our current policy has a problem when we are seeing studies that one in five women and one in 16 men experience sexual assault during college. And what’s even more troubling is that only about 12 percent of victims actually report their assault,” said Rep. Janet Buckner, D-Aurora. “Sexual misconduct poses a serious threat to the safety of our students and interferes with our students’ ability to learn. This bill ensures a fair and consistent response to sexual misconduct in higher education settings and creates equal rights for reporting and responding to parties in an incident.” SB19-007 creates a fair and consistent response to sexual misconduct in higher education settings to ensure that all students know how to report abuse and know that the administrative process will be fair for both parties. It requires institutions of higher learning to adopt policies that clearly outline the process for survivors of sexual misconduct, to provide support services for survivors and to distribute information across campus to inform students of the institution’s policies and procedures. Additionally, the bill requires the Department of Higher Education to convene a biennial working group that will study best practices in order to prevent and raise awareness surrounding sexual misconduct. “This bill will help get rid of sexual violence and abuse on campus. While we are waiting for the federal government to adopt and clarify the law, we are making sure our state laws are ready to follow and maintain protections for survivors,” said Rep. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango. “This is not a one-size-fits-all bill but rather puts minimum requirements for policies regarding reporting and procedures for investigations for all higher education institutions.” In 2017, the Trump administration rescinded guidance for institutions of higher education on how they should address sexual assault under the federal law, Title IX. The lack of federal direction means that states like Colorado have to step up to develop policies that promote and ensure the safety of students on campuses around the state or risk losing important protections. SB19-007 passed by a bipartisan vote of 54-9. It passed unanimously out of the House Education committee. The bill now heads to the Governor’s desk. Previous Next

< Back Rep. McLachlan: Legislators work on tax relief, protecting funding during special session Aug 27, 2024 See more The article was originally posted in the Durango Herald here . As a former educator, I ran for office in 2016 with the priority of passing legislation to increase funding for our public schools and support the needs of both our students and educators. I spent six years as chair of the House Education Committee, overseeing legislation to improve student academic performance, boost the teacher and school personnel workforce, and support our students during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 2024 legislative session, I had my biggest win at the Capitol – the 2024 School Finance Act. This bipartisan law buys down the Budget Stabilization Factor, fully funding Colorado’s public schools and increasing total funding for public schools by more than $500 million to $9.7 billion. Colorado’s K-12 public education is funded by state General Fund money, local property tax revenue and income tax revenue via the State Education Fund. More than 52% of local property taxes go to our K-12 public education, giving us the capital to hire more teachers and school personnel, provide after-school programs, and improve student achievement. Complications resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation, growth and other factors have made our state less affordable, especially in rural areas like Southwest Colorado. Colorado legislators have responded with landmark legislation to reduce the cost of housing, health care and child care. We have taken steps to avoid steep property tax increases by extending and expanding 2021 property tax relief in 2023. Last session, we also passed a bipartisan solution to Colorado’s property tax code to reduce property tax costs. Recently, Gov. Jared Polis called the Colorado General Assembly to convene into a special session beginning on Aug. 26 to pass further property tax relief to avoid two devastating initiatives appearing on the November 2024 ballot. One of these initiatives, lobbied by dark money special interest groups, would reduce revenue for public schools, fire departments, health care, libraries, water infrastructure and public outdoor recreation by nearly $3 billion. The two goals of our special session are saving Colorado homeowners money on property taxes and protecting funding for our communities – like schools and fire districts. We have been working diligently since Polis’ call for a special session to deliver property tax relief for hardworking Coloradans while protecting funding for vital institutions, especially for our public schools and special districts. Colorado has the third lowest property tax in the nation; the bipartisan proposal would reduce the local government residential assessment rate by 0.15 points and the school district assessment rate by 0.1 points. It would also reduce the local government growth cap by 0.25% and set the schools growth cap to 6%. Our priority is to make our state a more affordable place to live for all Coloradans, and these reductions will help homeowners better afford the rising cost of living. Constituent requests have been forwarded to House leadership and property tax committee; as of this writing, we are still waiting to see how all concerns are addressed. As I end my eight-year service to Southwest Colorado, I’m proud to look back on everything we were able to accomplish. We bought down the Budget Stabilization Factor, provided two years of free college and boosted the incomes of hardworking Coloradans with new tax credits. I’m happy to get back to work at the Colorado Capitol to save property owners money while maintaining funding for our public K-12 schools, fire departments and other important community services. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango, is serving her fourth term representing La Plata, Montezuma, Archuleta and San Juan counties. She has been a journalist and teacher. Previous Next

< Back April 16, 2025 House Approves Bipartisan Bill to Address CBI Employee Misconduct DENVER, CO - The House today passed bipartisan legislation that would establish clear procedures for reporting misconduct in Colorado crime laboratories. HB25-1275, sponsored by Representative Yara Zokaie, passed unanimously by a vote of 65-0. “The CBI scandal has had devastating consequences for survivors of sexual violence, and it is crucial that we do everything we can to prevent this situation from ever happening again,” said Rep. Yara Zokaie, D-Fort Collins. “This bipartisan solution will inform defendants if evidence in their case was implicated in the scandal, and gives them the opportunity to fight for the truth through post-conviction relief. With this bill passing today, we’re one step closer to a criminal justice system that is transparent and just.” HB25-1275 , also sponsored by Rep. Matt Soper, R-Delta, would establish a clear process within the CBI and the court system to address intentional and wrongful misconduct by crime laboratory workers. The bill would require crime laboratory employees who witness or discover misconduct or a wrongful action to notify their supervisor or the crime laboratory director within 14 days. It would also require both defendants and victims to be notified if there was lab misconduct in their case. Under the bill, defendants would have the right to return to court to challenge their conviction if the CBI misconduct interfered with substantial evidence in obtaining their conviction. Lastly, this bill mandates all crime laboratory directors to review all records to identify wrongful actions committed by current or former employees before July 1, 2025. Earlier this year, a former Colorado Bureau of Investigation forensic scientist was charged with manipulating and mishandling data in the DNA testing process of more than 800 criminal cases dating back as far back as 2014. This has contributed to the 558-day wait to receive results for a sexual assault kit. HB25-1275 is a direct response to misconduct by CBI crime laboratory workers and will help uphold the integrity of Colorado’s forensic system. Previous Next

< Back Eliza Hamrick Representative Eliza Hamrick is a member of the House Education and Health & Human Services committees. Rep. Hamrick represents House District 61 which includes southeast Aurora and Centennial. Rep. Hamrick is a career-long educator and has championed legislation to promote apprenticeship programs, support Colorado’s workforce and boost funding for K-12 education. She also sponsored legislation to raise the minimum age to purchase a firearm to help keep our schools and communities safer.

The House today passed legislation to save consumers money and combat electronic waste. < Back March 12, 2024 Titone’s Right to Repair Electronic Equipment Bill Passes House DENVER, CO – The House today passed legislation to save consumers money and combat electronic waste. HB24-1121, sponsored by Representative Brianna Titone and Steven Woodrow, would extend the current right to repair laws to certain electronic equipment, including cell phones, gaming systems, computers and televisions. “Cell phones are a part of our daily lives, we should have more choices on how to fix them when they break,” said Rep. Brianna Titone, D-Arvada. “This bill would give consumers the tools they need to fix their broken electronics, saving them money and time on costly repairs. Right to repair laws, like this one, are important for empowering consumers and keeping e-waste out of our landfills. From tractors to mobility devices, I’m proud to carry another consumer-focused right to repair law through the legislature and save Coloradans money.” “Consumers should have the right to fix their stuff—computers and cell phones included,” said Rep. Steven Woodrow, D-Denver. “This bill strengthens our state’s right to repair laws so that consumers can access the tools and tech they need. This bill saves Coloradans money while reducing waste and pollution.” HB24-1121 would require certain digital electronic equipment manufacturers to comply with existing consumer right to repair laws. Specifically, original equipment manufacturers (OEM) such as Amazon, Apple, Google, and others would need to provide software and physical tools to consumers and independent repair providers upon request so they can fix their broken electronics. HB24-1121 passed the House by a vote of 39 to 18. Under this bill, OEMs can charge a fee for physical tools but software tools must be made available free of charge for the consumer. This bill aims to save electronics consumers money on necessary equipment repairs while speeding up the repair process. HB24-1121 also prohibits parts pairing, a technology used by manufacturers to program certain parts together which restricts the consumer's ability to independently repair their devices and allows OEMs to monopolize replacement parts. . Last year, Rep. Titone championed a first-in-the-nation law for the right to repair agricultural equipment. This law saves farmers and ranchers money and time on costly agricultural equipment repairs. In 2022, Representatives Titone and Ortiz passed two trailblazing right to repair laws specifically for wheelchair users. These laws require wheelchair manufacturers to provide parts and software to consumers and eliminate the need for prior authorization to repair powered wheelchairs and other complex mobility devices for Medicaid recipients. These laws provided the framework for HB24-1121. Previous Next

The House Transportation, Housing & Local Government today passed legislation to improve safety and traffic flow on Colorado’s mountain highways. < Back April 10, 2024 Bipartisan Bill to Improve Mountain Highway Safety, Ease Traffic Passes Committee DENVER, CO – The House Transportation, Housing & Local Government today passed legislation to improve safety and traffic flow on Colorado’s mountain highways. SB24-100, sponsored by Representative Elizabeth Velasco, is focused on improving safety on the western slope, including through Glenwood Canyon. “Living in Glenwood Springs, our community is incredibly reliant on mountain highways, specifically I-70, to keep our economy running, emergency services accessible and to ensure our stores are well-stocked,” said Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, D-Glenwood Springs . “While we cannot control bad winter weather, improving preparedness and strengthening safety precautions on our mountain roads will help prevent speed-related crashes, spin-outs and accidents that completely shut down our mountain highways. This bill is about improving mountain highway safety which will keep the flow of traffic moving so everyone, from tourists to locals, can travel more efficiently along the mountainous areas of I-70.” SB24-100 , also sponsored by Representative Rick Taggart, R-Grand Junction, would improve safety by allowing the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to establish a zone with increased speeding fines for commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in Glenwood Canyon. The bill would also ban CMVs from driving in the left lane on I-70 in several key stretches where crashes are most frequent and disruptive, except to pass vehicles going under the speed limit. SB24-100 passed committ ee by a vote of 11-0. According to CDOT , CMVs represent about 7-percent of traffic, but account for more than 52-percent of traffic incidents. Wrecks involving CMVs take nearly twice as long to clear as passenger incidents. SB24-100 would further expand locations where CDOT may require traction equipment from parts of I-70 to key mountainous stretches of other state and U.S. highways. The bill would also give port of entry officers the powers of a peace officer when enforcing highway closures and direct CDOT to study additional locations for chain-up and chain-down stations. Previous Next