While the conservation community has outlined critical priorities for the year, there are many other bills conservationists are also supporting.
Proposed Legislation
House Bill 1018 – Increase Waste Tire Regulation - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Signed by Governor – Environment WIN
Allows Colorado officials to inspect pesticide refilling operations and brings us into compliance with new Federal regulations. Sponsored by Representatives Looper and Primavera and Senator Gibbs. YES is the pro-environment vote.
House Bill 1042 – Air Quality Permitting Program - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Signed by Governor – Environment WIN
Requires that Colorado produce an annual report tracking air quality and limits what can be burned in open air. Sponsored by Representative Peniston and Senator Hodge. YES is the pro-environment vote.
House Bill 1052 – Recycle Resources Economic Opportunity Fund - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Signed by Governor – Environment WIN
Continues the recycling resources economic opportunity program past its previous July 2010 expiration date. Sponsored by Representative Solano and Senator Newell. YES is the pro-environment vote.
House Bill 1060 – Penalty For Failing To Withhold Severance Tax - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Signed by Governor – Environment WIN
Creates a fee and penalty structure for failure to pay severance tax. Sponsored by Representative Kagan and Senator Steadman. YES is the pro-environment vote.
House Bill 1068 – White & Yellow Page Delivery - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Postponed Indefinitely – Environment LOSS
Prohibits a person from delivering documents weighing over one pound (ie. phone books) to a person’s property unless it is specifically requested. Sponsored by Representative Ferrandino. YES is the pro-environment vote.
House Bill 1088 – Devolve State Commuter Highways To Local Governments - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Postponed Indefinitely – Environment WIN
Enables the state to turn over maintenance of state highways that are deemed to be “commuter highways” to local governments, creating an unmanageable maintenance burden for local governments. Sponsored by Representative Vaad. NO is the pro-environment vote.
House Bill 1091 - Use Of Certain Documents As Identification For Voting - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Postponed Indefinitely – ENVIRONMENT WIN
Suppresses the vote by disallowing some currently accepted identification documents including utility bills, bank statements, and paychecks. Sponsored by Representative Summers. NO is the pro-environment vote.
House Bill 1098 – Rural Electric Association Transparency - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Signed by Governor – Environment WIN
Creates accountability for REA boards by requiring that they accept member comments at meetings, post meeting minutes, and publicize how members can be elected to the board. Sponsored by Representative Levy. YES is the pro-environment vote.
House Bill 1102 – Machinery Registration Fee Changes - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Postponed Indefinitely – Environment WIN
Lowers late registration fees for specialized machinery. Sponsored by Representative Murray and Senator Kopp. NO is the pro-environment vote.
House Bill 1107 – Urban Renewal Area Agricultural Lands - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Signed by Governor – Environment WIN
Prohibits any area that has been designated as an urban renewal area from containing any agricultural land unless it meets specific requirements. Sponsored by Representative Fischer and Senator Morgan Carroll. YES is the pro-environment vote.
House Bill 1124 - Animal Protection Enforcement - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Killed on House floor – Environment WIN
The bill would require that animal control officers for non-profit organizations would have to carry an unreasonably high insurance policy. Sponsored by Representative McKinley. NO is the pro-environment vote.
House Bill 1131 - Colorado Kids Outdoors Grant Program - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Signed by Governor – Environment WIN
Creates a program in the Department of Natural Resources to provide funding for hands on learning in the outdoors for Colorado students. Sponsored by Representative Scanlan and Senator Gibbs. YES is the pro-environment vote.
House Bill 1147 - Safer Streets For Nonmotorized Transport - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Signed by Governor – Environment WIN
Takes numerous steps to increase the safety of non-motorized transportation on roads throughout Colorado. Codifies the existing bicycle and pedestrian policy directive of the department of transportation into law. Sponsored by Representative Kefalas ans Senator Bacon. YES is the pro-environment vote.
House Bill 1169 – Conservation Easement Credit Validity - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Postponed Indefinitely – Environment WIN
Severely limits the ability of the executive director of the Department of Revenue to contest the claimed value of a conservation easement. Sponsored by Representative McKinley. NO is the pro-environment vote.
House Bill 1173 - Eliminating Late Vehicle Registration Fees in Month of Expiration - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Postponed Indefinitely – Environment WIN
Lowers funding for conservation programs by eliminating fees on late vehicle registrations in the month of the license expiration. Sponsored by Representative DelGrosso and Senator Renfroe. NO is the pro-environment vote.
House Bill 1188 – Clarify River Outfitter Navigation Right - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Not passed – Environment LOSS
Allows river rafting guides on waterways used for commercial float to make incidental contact with the beds and banks of the waterway without fear of trespassing. Sponsored by Representative Curry and Senator Hodge. YES is the pro-environment vote.
House Bill 1196 - Eliminates Tax Credit for Vehicles That Get Less Than 40 MPG - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Signed by Governor – Environment LOSS
Ends a state tax credit for certain vehicles that get between 30 and 40 mpg. Sponsored by Representative Ferrandino and Senator Heath. NO is the pro-environment vote.
House Bill 1197 – Reduce Conservation Easement Cap Amount - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Signed by Governor – Environment WIN
Maintains the Conservation Easement Tax Credit caped for 3 years at 26 million. The CETC is one of the only meaningful tools available in Colorado to incentivize private land conservation, help reduce the impact of population growth on priority habitats and species and enable ranching, farming and other rural families to retain their land in traditional uses. Sponsored by Representative Ferrandio and Senator Heath. YES is the pro-environment vote.
House Bill 1204 – Plumbing Code Water Conservation Standards - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Signed by Governor – Environment WIN
Requires the plumbing code to include standards for water efficiency and conservation, water-efficient fixtures and installation guidelines, and the use of locally produced materials. Sponsored by Representative Soper and Senator Tochtrop. YES is the pro-environment vote.
House Bill 1221 – Sunset Licensing River Outfitters - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Signed by Governor – Environment WIN
Extends the successful river outfitting licensing program until 2019 and clarifies some of the program terms. Sponsored by Representative Curry and Senator Schwartz. YES is the pro-environment vote.
House Bill 1238 – Wildlife Crossing Zones Traffic Safety - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Signed by Governor – Environment WIN
Allows the establishment of areas within public highways as wildlife crossing zones with lower speed limits than the rest of the road. Sponsored by Representative Curry and Senator Schwartz. YES is the pro-environment vote.
House Bill 1248 - CO Safe Personal Care Products Act - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Postponed Indefinitely – Environment LOSS
Prohibits the manufacture or sale of cosmetics that contain carcinogens or reproductive toxins. Sponsored by Representative Primavera and Senator Boyd. YES is the pro-environment vote.
House Bill 1276 – Sale RR Right-of-way Public Rail Service - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Signed by governor – Environment WIN
Permits any railroad company to sell its right-of-way for the operation of a public passenger rail service. Sponsored by Representative Levy and Senator Mitchell. YES is the pro-environment vote.
House Bill 1280 - CO Nonprofit Job Growth Income Tax Credit - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Postponed Indefinitely – Environment LOSS
Creates a tax credit for individuals funding job creation at not for profit organizations. Sponsored by Representative Summers and Senator Romer. YES is the pro-environment vote.
House Bill 1326 – Increase Severance Tax Appropriation Div Parks - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Signed by Governor – Environment WIN
Allows funding from severance taxes to replace general funding for the parks division. Sponsored by Representative Pommer and Senator Tapia. YES is the pro-environment vote.
House Bill 1329 – Solid Waste User Fees - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Signed by Governor – Environment WIN
Establishes and imposes a solid-waste user fee and requires 100% of fees collected are credited to the same site. Sponsored by Representative Peniston and Senator Boyd. YES is the pro-environment vote.
House Bill 1333 – Green Jobs CO Training Pilot Program - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Signed by Governor – Environment WIN
Creates a pool of grant money for training programs in renewable energy fields. Sponsored by Representative Vigil and Senator Schwartz. YES is the pro-environment vote.
House Bill 1361 – Habitat Stamp Real Property Acquisitions - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Postponed Indefinitely – Environment WIN
Limits the ability of the wildlife commission to use Habitat Stamp revenue for critical land acquisition. Sponsored by Representative Sonnenberg. NO is the pro-environment vote.
House Bill 1365 – Colorado Clean Air/Clean Jobs Act - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Signed by Governor – Environment WIN
Switches 900 megawatts of coal generated power over to cleaner burning natural gas. Sponsored by Representatives Solano and Roberts and Senators Whitehead and Penry. YES is the pro-environment vote.
House Bill 1398 – Species Conservation Trust Fund - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Signed by Governor – Environment WIN
Allocates money from the Species Conservation Capital Fund to its operating fund to enable the Trust to protect threatened species. Sponsored by Representative Fischer and Senator Whitehead. YES is the pro-environment vote.
House Bill 1418 – Community Based Renewable Energy Projects - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Signed by Governor – Environment WIN
Allows each kilowatt-hour of electricity generated from eligible energy resources at a community-based project to be counted as 2 kilowatt hours. Sponsored by Representative McFadyen and Senator Sonnenberg. YES is the pro-environment vote.
Senate Bill 004 – Repeal Late Registration Fees (Related to FASTER) - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Postponed Indefinitely – Environment WIN
Repeals the late vehicle registration fees adopted last year, creating a severe funding shortfall for maintaining our roads and bridges. Sponsored by Senator White. NO is the pro-environment vote.
Senate Bill 019 – Valuation Of New Hydroelectric Facilities - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Signed by Governor – Environment WIN
Requires a new hydroelectric energy facility to be valued for the purpose of property taxation in the same manner in which new wind energy facilities and new solar energy facilities are valued for that purpose. Sponsored by Senator Schwartz and Representative Fischer. YES is the pro-environment vote.
Senate Bill 029 – Create Efficiencies In State & Local Government - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Killed in Senate – Environment WIN
Eliminates critical state support for environmental work including eliminating the Department of Local Affairs and putting a two year hiring freeze on all state employees not directly linked to safety. Sponsored by Senator Penry. NO is the pro-environment vote.
Senate Bill 034 – Pesticide Act Amendment - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Signed by Governor – Environment WIN
Allows Colorado officials to inspect pesticide refilling operations and brings us into compliance with new Federal regulations. Sponsored by Senator Whitehead and Representative Looper. YES is the pro-environment vote.
Senate Bill 044 – Repeal Late Registration Fees - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Postponed Indefinitely – Environment WIN
Similar to SB004, this bill repeals the late vehicle registration fees adopted last year, creating a severe funding shortfall for maintaining our roads and bridges. Sponsored by Senator Lundberg and Representative Lambert. NO is the pro-environment vote.
Senate Bill 057 – Nonmotorized Vehicle Late Registration Fee - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Postponed Indefinitely – Environment WIN
Similar to SB004, this bill would repeal the late vehicle registration fees on non-motorized vehicles adopted last year, creating a severe funding shortfall for maintaining our roads and bridges. Sponsored by Senator Cadman. NO is the pro-environment vote.
Senate Bill 067 – Exempting School Wells From Water Rights Laws - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Postponed Indefinitely – Environment WIN
Exempts smaller schools from the “Water Right Determination and Administration Act of 1969″. Sponsored by Senator Hodge. NO is the pro-environment vote.
Senate Bill 090 – Create CO Capital Investment Bulletin Board - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Postponed Indefinitely – Environment LOSS
Creates a virtual marketplace for early stage clean technology and bioscience projects on the economic development office’s official website. Sponsored by Senator Johnston and Representative Riesberg. YES is the pro-environment vote.
Senate Bill 095 – Repealing AIR Program Provisions - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Postponed Indefinitely – Environment WIN
Repeals air quality protections passed by the legislature last year. Sponsored by Senator Renfroe and Representative Vaad. NO is the pro-environment vote.
Senate Bill 096 – Transparency In Gas Elec Utility Bills - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Postponed Indefinitely – Environment WIN
Would require utilities to include information detailing the source of their power and the costs for power generation with utility bills four times a year. Unfortunately, the bill allows the companies to pass along the cost of producing these reports to the customer. Sponsored by Senator Renfroe and Representative DelGrosso. NO is the pro-environment vote.
Senate Bill 104 – Conduct of Voter Registration Drives - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Postponed Indefinitely – Environment WIN
Makes voter registration drives more difficult to execute by requiring the organizer to submit a list of circulators, along with a circulator affidavit and a copy of photo identification of each circulator, to the secretary of state. Sponsored by Senator Lundberg and Representative Murray. NO is the pro-environment vote.
Senate Bill 177 – Promote Biomass Energy Development - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Signed by Governor – Environment WIN
Defines biomass and biosolids for purposes of renewable energy generation. Sets taxes for biomass energy facilities equal to taxes for solar and wind and exempts property taxes for forestry equipment used in producing biomass. Sponsored by Senators Gibbs and Schwartz and Representative Scanlan. YES is the pro-environment vote.
Senate Bill 180 – Colorado Smart Grid Task Force - Full Text of Bill – Bill Details and Votes
Status – Sent to Governor – Pocket Signature – Environment WIN
Creates a 9-member Colorado smart grid task force to gather information and report to the general assembly and the Colorado public utilities commission on issues related to the implementation of a smart energy grid in Colorado. Sponsored by Senator Whitehead and Representative Looper. YES is the pro-environment vote.