Bill Tracker

The Legislative Action Committee (LAC) monitors and lobbies many bills each Legislative Session. See below for all the bills LWVCO followed in 2021.  You may print the spreadsheet using the "download to spreadsheet" option.

Legislature Analysis

Track how the Colorado General Assembly votes. Using this tool, you can track individual votes on each bill and how those votes align with the LWVCO's positions. You will also find donor and contact  information.

2021 Legislative Session Comes to a Close

LWVCO Legislative Action Committee - June 30, 2021
  

The 2021 LWVCO Legislative Action Committee (LAC) included 22 members from six local leagues who conducted research, communicated with legislators and legislative staff, participated in stakeholder discussions, and provided testimony during committee hearings to further LWVCO positions and priorities in Colorado’s policy development process.  Much of the legislation introduced this session aligned closely with our organizational positions and the vast majority of the 122 bills followed by LAC passed or failed in accordance with our lobbying stance.  We believe that significant advances were made toward promoting affordable housing, alternative voting methods, education funding and equity considerations, supports for immigrant populations, gun safety, and environmental protection, as well as various other areas.  Important LWVCO-backed amendments were secured on SB 188 – Ballot Access for Voters with Disabilities, which facilitates voting for individuals with print disabilities while incorporating provisions to ensure the integrity of our elections security.  In addition, LAC arguments were a factor in Governor Polis’ decision to veto HB 1092 – Candidate Lt Governor Eligible for Other Office, which LAC opposed based on concerns over voter confusion and subversion of the democratic process.  In addition, LWVCO hosted legislator presentations and webinar discussions to educate on numerous bills and topics this session including the state budget and fiscal outlook (Sen. Moreno), multilingual ballot access (Rep. Caraveo), alternative voting methods (Rep. Kennedy), media literacy (Rep. Cutter and Rep. McLachlan), energy infrastructure modernization (Sen. Hansen), housing security (Sen. Gonzales), and immigration (Sen. Jacquez Lewis and Sen. Winter).

The 2021 session, which convened on January 13, included a 6-week temporary adjournment due to health and safety concerns relating to the COVID-19 pandemic and saw the introduction and consideration of over 600 bills before final adjournment on June 8. 

Beyond the temporary adjournment, COVID significantly impacted the work of the General Assembly in several other ways.  Many of the bills that had to be abandoned during the 2020 session as the pandemic hit and attention was turned to the state’s COVID response and the economic crisis were reintroduced in the 2021 session.  The state budget and fiscal outlook was a significant area of concern throughout the session as the economy went from a recession in the midst of the COVID lockdowns to a strong recovery by Spring 2021, enabling the Joint Budget Committee to restore essentially all of the dramatic budget cuts that were made the previous year, in addition to establishing a historically large rainy day fund to buffer against ongoing economic volatility and uncertainty over the pandemic.  The pandemic illustrated the deficiencies in many of our public systems and safety net services and the economic recovery remains uneven, with low-income populations, minority populations, and women faring worse economically and in the job market post-pandemic.  On the upside, this situation has fueled in an increased focus on equity and efforts by the General Assembly to promote state policy that attempts to build a stronger, more secure future for everyone.  Finally, the pandemic necessitated expanded remote testimony and participation and in response the General Assembly implemented a new system which now provides for remote participation by anyone with internet access. 

Key Legislation

The information that follows is a broad overview of some key issues and legislation followed by LAC this session.  It is not an exhaustive list and comprehensive information on LAC bills, as well as issue-specific bill lists, can be accessed on the Legislative Report page on the LWVCO website.

• Redistricting Process is underway. LWVCO has been heavily involved in this issue for some time, including the drafting and stakeholding process around the development of Amendments Y and Z, continuing through the establishment of the independent commissions. The commissions have been working on development of the maps using preliminary census data until the final data is received in August or September. Both the initial congressional and state legislative maps have been released and in July and August the commissions will seek public input on the maps, with the last public meeting taking place on Aug 28.For those interested in participating in this process, you can join the LWVCO Observer Corp, submit public comments or attend one of the public meetings. More redistricting information can be found on the LWVCO website.

   

• Immigration. Immigration and supports for immigrant populations received a lot of attention during the 2021 session and the LAC followed several bills in this area, including SB 199 – Removing Barriers to Certain Public Opportunities. This was a key bill that aims to address barriers for undocumented immigrants that resulted from legislation passed during the 2006 special session by repealing restrictions that limited access to state benefits and limited career opportunities by denying professional licenses.

   

• Elections & Voting. Among the many elections and voting bills followed by LAC this session is HB 1011 – Multilingual Ballot Access, requires the Secretary of State and county clerks to provide multilingual ballot access in counties where either 2,000 citizens or 2.5 percent of citizens ages 18 and up speak English less than very well. The Secretary of State is also required to establish a multilingual hotline to provide additional voter support and the Secretary of State and county clerks in affected counties are required to provide minority language sample ballots. It is anticipated that the counties impacted by this bill will include: Adams, Alamosa, Arapahoe, Bent, Boulder, Conejos, Costilla, Crowley, Denver, Eagle, El Paso, Garfield, Jefferson, Larimer, Lincoln, Montrose, Morgan, Philips, Pueblo, Rio Grande, Saguache, and Weld. In addition, HB 1071 – Ranked Choice Voting in Nonpartisan Elections gives county clerks authorization and key support to conduct instant-runoff voting (single-winner ranked choice voting) elections in municipalities.

  Fortunately, a number of other bills that LAC opposed that would restrict voter access and engagement were postponed indefinitely.

   

• Media Literacy. HB 1103 - Media Literacy Implementation, will require media literacy instruction in schools. The bill directs Colorado Department of Education to maintain online materials and a resource bank, in addition to providing technical assistance, policies and procedures for implementation, best practices, and recommendations to K-12 local education providers to support media literacy instruction. These materials are not a curriculum and their use is optional.

LAC support for this bill was premised on our education positions but also on the premise that the League believes that democratic government depends on informed and active participation at all levels of government, and we believe that media literacy skills will contribute to a more informed citizenry for the future. 

• Transportation. SB 260 – Sustainability of the Transportation System aims to raise $5.4 billion by 2032 for transportation infrastructure projects. The revenue will largely come from new fees that will begin in July 2022 on gasoline, retail deliveries, ride-sharing services, electric vehicle (EV) registrations and car rentals. Approximately 1/3 of the funding generated will go toward new transportation projects, approximately 10% will support improvements to public transit and bike and pedestrian paths, and the remainder will support a variety of other things including more EV charging stations and incentives to EV purchase, air pollution mitigation efforts, as well as local government projects. Another significant transportation bill support by LAC is SB 238 – Front Range Passenger Rail District. This bill is the enabling legislation for the Front Range Passenger Rail District establishing the governing structure, funding sources, and powers and duties of the district. The bill sets forth the general area of the proposed district along the front range of Colorado from the Wyoming border to the New Mexico border, mostly along I-25.

   

  LAC support for this bill is premised on our transportation position that states the League believes that a balanced transportation system is one that includes a variety of modes in an appropriate mix for each area and helps improve mobility and quality of life for all residents.  We also premised our support of the bill on our air quality and land use positions, specifically our support of measures that reduce vehicular pollution including the development of more energy efficient transportation systems.

   

• Environmental Protection. One of the major environmental quality bills supported by LAC this session was HB 1162 – Management of Plastic Products. This bill has been in work since last session when it had to be abandoned in the midst of the pandemic.It passed this year and sets out a timeline for reduced use of plastic products in the state including imposing a 10-cent fee on paper and plastic bags beginning January 2023.Beginning in January 2024, single-use plastic bags will be banned at most stores and polystyrene containers will be banned at restaurants. The 10-cent fee on paper bags will remain. Also in January 2024, local governments will be allowed to impose stricter rules on plastic products within their boundaries.

   

• Gun Safety. LAC supported six gun safety measures this session, three that were introduced early on in the session and three that were introduced following the Boulder King Soopers shooting. HB 1106 mandates safe storage of firearms when not in use, SB 78 requires firearm owners to report lost or stolen weapons within 5 days, and HB 1255 requires those with protection orders filed against them in connection with a domestic violence arrest file an affidavit with the court indicating the number, type, and location of firearms in their possession. Bills introduced following the Boulder King Soopers tragedy include HB 1298 which strengthens and expands background check requirements, HB 1299 which creates the office of gun violence prevention, and SB 256 which allows local governments to pass stricter gun laws in their localities.

   

• Health Care. HB 1232 – Standardized Health Benefit Plan Colorado Option, was a key bill in the health care realm this session. This bill will require health care providers and hospitals to reduce premiums by 15% by 2023 or the commissioner of insurance will create a standardized healthcare plan for the individual and small group market that insurance companies will be mandated to offer and doctors and hospitals mandated to accept.  Our support of this bill was tied to our League program policy to support health care reform that promotes affordability, quality and access and the hope is that this bill will lead to more affordable health care options as it is implemented.

   

• Affordable Housing. A number of bills were introduced during the 2021 session to address housing insecurity and key among them was SB 173 – Rights in Residential Lease Agreements. This bill provides protections for Colorado tenants regarding late fees, eviction court proceedings, and rental agreements. For late fees, this bill establishes rules on fees charged to tenants or mobile home owners including:

• Limits the amount of late fees that a landlord may charge
• Establishes a grace period for late rent payments
• Prohibits a landlord from initiating eviction procedures on the sole basis of failure to pay late fees
• Requires that any late fees be disclosed in the rental agreement
• Establishes penalties for violation of late-fee provisions

For eviction court procedures, this bill:

• Specifies what the summons must contain, including a list of available legal aid and rental assistance resources
• Specifies that the landlord and tenant must provide any documentation requested that is related to the tenancy or current action
• Extends the amount of time tenants can pay back rent during the eviction process
• Prohibits the court from entering a default judgment for possession before the close of business on the date when the appearance is due
• Establishes a financial penalty for landlords who illegally lock out tenants, among other things.

Our support for this bill is premised on our position that every American family should have a decent home and a suitable living environment.   One in four Colorado renters spend more than 50% of their income on housing, and this financial burden can be exacerbated by excessive late fees.  This bill seeks to mitigate the hardship faced by so many Colorado families and individuals and alleviate housing insecurity.

• Fiscal Policy. Tax reform was an area of significant progress this legislative session.One of the key contributing measures is HB 1311 – Income Taxes, which makes several adjustments to our tax system, increasing tax credits for those with lowest incomes and decreasing deductions for those with highest incomes.The bill aims to generate approximately $375 million in state revenue by eliminating certain tax credits for businesses and top earners with incomes over $400,000 while increasing the earned income tax credit from 15 percent to 20 percent of the federal EITC and funding the child tax credit for single income tax filers with an income less than $75,000 and joint income tax filers with income less than $85,000.

As we enter the 2021 interim period and work shifts to policy discussions, determinations around spending priorities, and bill development, you can follow the activity of the General Assembly’s interim committees and monitor hearings in person or remotely.

The 2022 Legislative session will convene on January 12.