Bills in the News - Week Ending 02/03/2006,

--HB 1011 by Rep. Bob McCluskey (R-Fort Collins)/Sen. Paula Sandoval (D-Denver) would create two new felonies concerning sexual exploitation of a child involving the Internet. The first would let police arrest an online sexual predator who tries to lure a minor to a physical meeting. Currently, police can make an arrest only after a physical meeting has already taken place. The second felony would prohibit a person from using a computer network to entice a child to expose or touch their own or another person's intimate parts. Awaiting action by the House Appropriations Committee. Previously, amended version had passed been unanimously by the House Judiciary Committee on 1/31.

HB 1026 by Rep. Bill Berens/Sen. Shawn Mitchell (both R-Broomfield) would have increased the penalty for sex offenders who assault a child to at least 24 years in prison. PI'd 6-5 by the House Judiciary Committee on 2/2.

--HB 1045 by Rep. Bob McCluskey (R-Fort Collins)/Sen. Maryanne Keller (D-Wheat Ridge) would make information about infection rates at hospitals and other health facilities available to patients. HB 1045 would require hospitals to disclose the number of patients who incur three common types of infections during surgery. This would save Colorado taxpayers up to $3 million a year in Medicaid payments. Awaiting action by the House Appropriations Committee. Previously, amended version had been passed 12-1 by the House Health and Human Services Committee on 1/23.

--HB 1049 by Rep Rob Witwer (R-Golden)/Sen. Dan Grossman (D-Denver) would make some of the state's 14,000-foot mountain summits more accessible to hikers. Last year, trails that cross private land to Mt. Lincoln, Mt. Democrat and Mt. Bross were closed due to property owners' concerns over potential lawsuits. HB 1049 would give landowners "good Samaritan" limited liability protection as long as there is a marked trail around abandoned mines and warnings about the dangers. Awaiting a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Previously, amended version had been passed 65-0 by the House on Third Reading on 1/30; and amended version had been passed 11-0 by the Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources Committee on 1/11.

--HB 1053 by Rep. Jack Pommer (D-Boulder) would allow Colorado cities and counties to make their master plans for future development legally binding and enforceable. The ability to do this would give them power to ensure that land-use and transportation plans are consistent with zoning regulations. Awaiting Second Reading in the House. Previously, amended version had been passed 7-4 by the House Local Government Committee on 1/31.

--HB 1056 by House Majority Leader Alice Madden (D-Boulder)/Sen. Deanna Hanna (D-Lakewood) would require that at least 50 percent of all items offered in school vending machines meet acceptable nutritional standards, starting with the 2008-09 school year. Current law, adopted in 2005, "encourages" schools to meet this standard. Awaiting a hearing by the Senate Education Committee. Previously, had passed 36-28 by the House on Third Reading on 2/1; and had been passed 10-3 by the House Education Committee on 1/26.

--HB 1067 by Rep. Mike Cerbo (D-Denver) would have imposed a statewide ban on the retail sale and use of most fireworks, while continuing to allow for public fireworks displays at fairgrounds and sports stadiums. PI'd 7-4 by the House Local Government Committee on 1/31.

--HB 1080 by Rep. Terrance Carroll/Sen. Dan Grossman (both D-Denver) would clarify who can conduct court-ordered mental health exams. Under HB 1080, these exams must be conducted by a psychiatrist, while exams to determine a defendant's competency to proceed in a trial must be performed by a licensed psychiatrist, a psychologist with training in forensic competency assessments or a psychiatrist or psychologist in forensic training. Awaiting a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee.

--HB 1084 by Rep. Larry Liston (R-Colorado Springs)/Sen. Ken Kester (R-Las Animas) would crack down on "street racing." A person convicted of participating in, aiding or facilitating a "speed contest" would have their driver's license assessed 12 points, while those engaged in, aiding or facilitating a "speed exhibition" would have their license assessed five points. Awaiting Second Reading by the House. Previously, had been passed unanimously by the House Transportation and Energy Committee on 2/2.

--HB 1088 by Rep. Rosemary Marshall/Sen. Paula Sandoval (both D-Denver) would remove the 10 year statute of limitations for pursuing criminal cases and civil lawsuits against certain sexual abusers who prey on children. The bill would apply to private institutions, including churches and private colleges, but not to public institutions, including schools or police. Awaiting Second Reading in the House. Previously, amended version had been passed unanimously by the House Judiciary Committee on 2/2.

--HB 1101 by Rep. Bill Crane (R-Arvada) would prohibit awarding public contracts to contractors who knowingly employ illegal aliens or who contract with subcontractors which use them in performing their subcontracted work. Awaiting a hearing in the House State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee.

--HB 1113 by Rep. Anne McGihon/Sen. Dan Grossman (both D-Denver) would have allowed Colorado to set more stringent air quality standards than required by the federal government. It would have allowed the Colorado Air Quality Commission to include these tougher standards in the state implementation plan (SIP), which tells how the state will comply with Environmental Protection Agency requirements. Amended version lost 33-32 on a COW amendment during Second Reading by the House. Previously, had been passed 7-6 by the House Health and Human Services Committee on 1/30. (Note: Following the defeat of HB 1113, Rep. McGihon and Sen. Grossman, introduced a new bill, HB 1309, on 2/3. It was assigned to the House Health and Human Services Committee.)

--HB 1119 by Rep. Rosemary Marshall (D-Denver)/Sen. Moe Keller (D-Wheat Ridge) would require companies and individuals to make a "good faith" effort to notify customers whose computerized personal data has been compromised. Data covered by the bill include social security numbers, driver's license numbers, identification card numbers, financial account numbers, credit or debit card numbers and passwords that allow access to financial accounts. Awaiting action by the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee.

--HB 1120 by Rep. Bernie Buescher (D-Grand Junction)/Sen. Ron Tupa (D-Boulder) would allow out-of-state customers to purchase wine directly from Colorado producers upon their return home. Currently, out-of-state customers must make such purchases while visiting a Colorado vineyard or wine festival. Passage would bring Colorado into compliance with a 2005 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. Awaiting Second Reading by the House. Previously, had been passed 13-0 by the House Finance Committee on 2/1; and had been passed 12-0 by the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee on 1/25.

--HB 1123 by Rep. Ted Harvey (R-Highlands Ranch) would make running away from home a misdemeanor offense. The bill would allow police to get involved in runaway cases for children 17 and younger who leave home without permission and don't return within six hours. For the first offense, parents would have the option of dismissing the charge against their child. Awaiting a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee.

--HB 1124 by Rep. Mary Hodge (D-Brighton)/Sen. David Owen (R-Greeley) would allow farmers to lease water they don't use as part of their rotational crop management plans. The bill would make it easier for farmers to sell a portion of their water to cities while retaining enough to continue farming. Awaiting a hearing by the House Finance Committee. Previously, amended version had been passed 10-1 by the House Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources Committee on 1/30.

--HB 1125 by Rep. Fran Coleman/Sen. Peter Groff (both D-Denver) would toughen state seat belt laws. Currently, police cannot ticket a motorist for not wearing a seat belt, or making sure that others such as children or front seat passengers wear theirs, unless they stop the motorist for another reason. HB 1125 would change this by making it a "primary offense" not to wear seat belts. Awaiting Second Reading in the House. Previously, had passed 8-3 by the House Transportation and Energy Committee on 2/1.

--HB 1131 by House Minority Leader Joe Stengel (R-Littleton)/Senate Minority Leader Andy McElhany (R-Colorado Springs) would prohibit a bondsmen from posting bail for a defendant known to be an illegal immigrant. Awaiting a hearing by the House State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee.

--HB 1134 by Rep. Dave Schultheis/Sen. Ed Jones (both R-Colorado Springs) would require Colorado's police agencies to work with federal immigration agents to train and authorize troopers, deputies and others to identify and if appropriate, detain a person suspected of an immigration offense. Awaiting a hearing by the House State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee.

--HB 1147 by Rep. Tom Plant (D-Nederland)/Sen. Steve Johnson (R-Fort Collins) would the Public Utilities Commission to require natural gas utilities to offer conservation programs to help customers save on their natural gas bills. Awaiting action by the House Appropriations Committee. Previously, had been passed 6-5 by the House Transportation and Energy Committee on 2/2.

--HB 1149 by Rep. Morgan Carroll (D-Aurora)/Sen. Ron Tupa (D-Boulder), as amended, would ban lobbyists from raising campaign funds or acting as campaign managers. The bill also would require lobbyists to disclose bills they are working on and report whether they have a financial relationship with the lawmaker carrying the bill. Awaiting action on amended bill by the House Appropriations Committee. Previously amended version had been passed 6-5 by the House State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee on 1/31.

--HB 1150 by Rep. Lynn Hefley (R-Colorado Springs)/Sen. Peter Groff (D-Denver) would standardize the school year calendar for public schools in Colorado. Beginning with the 2006-07 school year, the first day of school would be on the Tuesday following Labor Day and the spring semester would end no earlier than the Friday before Memorial Day. Year-round schools and four-day-a-week schools would be exempted. Awaiting a hearing by the House Education Committee.

--HB 1171 by Rep. Jim Riesberg (D-Greeley) would lower the blood alcohol content for classifying a "persistent drunk driver" from .20 to .17 and require those convicted of this offense to wear an interlock device for two years before getting their license back. Awaiting action by the House Judiciary Committee.

--HB 1173 by Rep. Matt Knoedler (R-Lakewood)/Sen. Bob Hagedorn (D-Aurora) would have kept Internet phone service, also known as Voice Over Internet Protocol, free from state and local taxes in Colorado. PI'd 7-6 by the House Finance Committee on 2/1.

--HB 1175 by Rep. Mike May (R-Parker)/Sen. Dan Grossman (D-Denver) would institute a uniform statewide smoking ban in most indoor public places in Colorado. These would include restaurants, bars, public buildings, sports arenas, grocery stores, casinos, theaters and common areas in apartment buildings. Exceptions, as introduced, would include private homes, certain hotel and motel rooms, automobiles, tobacco shops, cigar bars and Denver International Airport. Awaiting Second Reading in the House. Previously, amended version had been passed 9-4 by the House Health and Human Services Committee on 1/30.

--HB 1184 by Rep. Bill Crane (R-Arvada) would grant further tax relief to senior homeowners. As the result of a ballot measure passed by voters in 2000, qualifying seniors are exempt from paying property taxes on 50 percent of the first $200,000 of the actual value of their home. HB 1184 would increase that exemption to 50 percent of the first $350,000. Awaiting action by the House Finance Committee.

--HB 1185 by Rep. Kathleen Curry (D-Gunnison) would give private property owners additional compensation for damage to property and land values that occurs when oil and natural gas operators drill on their property. As introduced, HB 1185 would address issues related to "split estate" lands, where property owners own surface rights but others own the underlying mineral rights. The bill would require a signed surface-use agreement or a bond of at least $25,000 per drilling permit, along with a signed offer of settlement that would address a decrease in fair market of the property "reasonably expected" to result from energy-related activities. Awaiting action by the House Transportation and Energy Committee.

--HB 1200 by Rep. Bernie Buescher (D-Grand Junction)/Sen. Ken Kester (R-Las Animas) increases public assistance to help needy families pay their home heating bills. HB 1200 authorizes an additional $20 million this year for home heating assistance and $4 million to weatherize homes or make them more energy efficient. The bill authorizes an additional $21 million for heating assistance and $15 million for weatherization over the next three years. Signed into law by the governor on 2/3. Previously, had been passed 29-6 by the Senate on Third Reading on 2/3; and amended version had been passed 58-7 by the House on Third Reading on 1/31.

--HB 1201 by Rep. Tom Plant (D-Boulder) and Rep. Al White (R-Winter Park)/Sen. Kiki Traylor (R-Littleton) and Sen. Jim Isgar (D-Hesperus) would spend an estimated $20 million extra to promote travel and tourism. The money would come state gaming taxes. Awaiting a hearing by the House Finance Committee.

--HB 1206 by Rep. Gary Lindstrom (D-Breckenridge) would prevent the Coilorado Tolling Enterprise from issuing junk bonds to build toll roads and require the authority to notify the General Assembly any time existing toll bonds are reduced to junk status. Awaiting a hearing by the House Finance Committee.

--HB 1212 by Rep. Betty Boyd (D-Lakewood)/Sen. Jennifer Veiga (D-Denver) would allow Colorado pharmacists to prescribe a "morning after pill" (emergency contraception medication). The bill does not apply to RU-486, mifepristone or any other drug that induces a medication abortion. Awaiting a hearing by the House Health and Human Services Committee.

--SB 2 by Sen. Brandon Shaffer (D-Fort Collins) would require homeowners who sell their property to disclose in sale contracts whether the property had ever been used to house a methamphetamine lab. The notification would have to be set in large, bold-faced type. Awaiting a hearing by the Senate Business, Labor and Technology Committee.

--SB 9 by Sen. Shawn Mitchell (R-Broomfield)/Rep. Anne McGihon (D-Denver) would require that an executive session of a local or state public body be electronically recorded. Under current law, the only requirement is that written minutes be kept. Under the bill, if it is later determined that officials talked about issues in the executive session that are not permitted to be discussed behind closed doors, it would be up to a judge to determine whether the recording should be made public. Awaiting a hearing by the House State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee. Previously, amended version had been passed 34-0 by the Senate on Third Reading on 2/2.

--SB 16 by Sen. Lewis Entz (R-Hooper)/Rep. Ray Rose (R-Montrose) would require that state-owned diesel vehicles use a fuel blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel, starting on 1/7/07. The bill would apply to 37 vehicles in the state fleet. Awaiting a hearing by the House Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources Committee. Previously, had been passed 30-4 by the Senate on Third Reading on 2/1.

--SB 19 by Sen. Lois Tochtrop (D-Thornton)/Rep. Morgan Carroll (D-Aurora) would raise auto insurance rates to pay for accident-related medical care. SB 19 would mandate $40,000 in emergency medical coverage for every Colorado in addition to the bodily injury and property damage liability coverage now required. Awaiting action by the Senate Appropriations Committee. Previously, amended version had been passed 4-3 by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on 2/1.

--SB 25 by Sen. Dave Owen (R-Greeley)/Rep. Fran Coleman (D-Denver) would amend the state's dangerous dog statute to allow for the prosecution of owners after the first offense, rather than waiting until a second incident. In addition, SB 26 would extend protections under the dangerous dog law to veterinarians, pet groomers, kennel staffers and other dog-related workers. Awaiting a hearing by the House Judiciary Committee. Previously, amended version had passed 23-12 by the Senate on Third Reading on 2/1.

--SB 51 by Sen. Ron Tupa (D-Boulder)/Rep. Paul Weissmann (D-Louisville) would prohibit state elected officials from receiving money for office accounts. This would apply to the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state treasurer, members of the state Board of Education, regents of the University of Colorado, members of the General Assembly and district attorneys. As introduced, the bill would not apply to in-kind expenditures. Awaiting Second Reading in the Senate. Previously, had been passed 5-2 by the Senate State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee on 1/18.

--SB 55 by Sen. Ed Jones (R-Colorado Springs)/Rep. Michael Garcia (D-Aurora) would require every school district to have a safe school plan. This would include establishing a conduct and discipline code, requirements for reporting information about each school's safety and an Internet safety plan. SB 55 also would add disorderly conduct, vehicular assault and third-degree assault to the categories of information schools must report as "criminal assaults." Awaiting action by the Senate Education Committee.

--SB 78 by Sen. Tom Wiens (R-Sedalia)/Rep. Wes McKinley (D-Walsh) would prevent private corporations from using eminent domain to secure rights-of-way for a private toll road such as the proposed Super Slab project which would run through the Eastern Plains from Fort Collins to Pueblo. Awaiting hearing by the House Transportation and Energy Committee. Previously, had been passed 33-0 by the Senate on Third Reading on 1/31.

SB 81 by Sen. Jennifer Veiga (D-Denver)/House Majority Leader Alice Madden (D-Boulder) would make it illegal for employers and labor organizations to discriminate against individuals based on sexual orientation. Under SB 81, employers could not discriminate against gays and lesbians when making hiring, firing and promotion decisions. Current non-discrimination laws apply to disability, race, creed, color, sex, age, national origin and ancestry. Awaiting action by the Senate Appropriations Committee. Previously, had been passed 5-2 by the Senate Business, Labor and Technology Committee on 2/1.

--SB 90 by Sen. Tom Weins (R-Sedalia)/Rep. Ted Harvey ( R-Highlands Ranch) would prevent governments from adopting so-called "sanctuary" policies. The bill would require local police and local officials who think an individual is an illegal alien to hand that person over to federal authorities. Awaiting a hearing by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

--SB 91 by Sen. Ron Tupa (D-Boulder)/Rep. Jim Riesberg (D-Greeley) would make it illegal to trade or sell phone records. The measure would apply to both land-line and wireless phones. Awaiting a hearing by the Senate Business, Labor and Technology Committee.

--SB 101 by Sen. Ron Teck (R-Grand Junction) would phase out Medicaid health treatment benefits for tobacco-related head, neck and lung cancer. Awaiting a hearing by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.

--SB 104 by Sen. Ron May (R-Colorado Springs) would have required the legislature to repay $300 million in cash funds that were used in 2002 and 2003 to balance the state budget. PI'd 4-3 by the Senate State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee on 1/23.

--SB 143 by Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald (D-Golden)/House Majority Leader Alice Madden (D-Boulder) would lift the statute of limitation for two years for filing of child sexual abuse lawsuits. Awaiting a hearing by the Senate State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee.

--SB 166 by Sen. Shawn Mitchell (R-Broomfield) would extend a range of legal rights to certain unmarried people who register themselves as "reciprocal beneficiaries." Covered legal rights would include property-sharing rights, decision-making powers over funerals and organ donations, and health care insurance coverage. It would apply to same-sex couples, adults who are related by blood or adoption and friends but would not apply to heterosexual couples who are eligible to marry. Awaiting a hearing by the Senate Business, Labor and Technology Committee.