After a slight slump in bill activity, state lawmakers rushed to introduce a flurry of bills this past week.
One of the bills would allow a local public body to cure a violation of the open meetings law if it takes the corrective action at its next meeting or at a meeting held at least 14 days after receiving notice of an intent to challenge the violation.
Another bill would set the hourly rate for attorneys who contract with the Office of Alternate Defense Counsel, the office of the child’s representative or the office of the respondent parents’ counsel.
Also introduced this week was a bill that would allow the Division of Labor Standards and Statistics to use a state wage theft enforcement fund to pay employees who are owed money from their employers.
Bill Number: HB23-1268
Title: Private Treatment For Out-Of-State Defendant
Introduced: March 29
Sponsors: M. Lukens, G. Evans, D. Roberts, B. Pelton
Summary: Colorado participates in an interstate compact that allows a person convicted of a crime in another state to have the person’s probation or parole supervised in Colorado. The bill would clarify the process for treating a supervised or unsupervised person in a private treatment program in the state.
Bill Number: SB23-252
Title: Medical Price Transparency
Introduced: March 28
Sponsors: K. Van Winkle, J. Gonzales, L. Daugherty, A. Hartsook
Summary: Among other specifications, the bill would require hospitals to make a list public of all standard charges for all hospital items and services provided to patients.
Bill Number: SB23-254
Title: Search Warrant Procedures
Introduced: March 28
Sponsors: R. Fields, J. Gonzales, E. Epps, M. Weissman
Summary: A court can grant a no-knock search warrant under certain circumstances. The bill would add a requirement of either probable cause or a finding of imminent danger. The bill would also require officers to execute the warrant between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. unless another time is authorized and the officer executing the warrant would need to be easily identifiable as an officer in uniform.
Bill Number: HB23-1259
Title: Open Meetings Law Executive Session Violations
Introduced: March 27
Sponsors: L. Daugherty, G. Evans
Summary: The bill would allow a local public body to cure a violation of the open meetings law if it takes the corrective action at its next meeting or at a meeting held at least 14 days after receiving notice of an intent to challenge the violation. The bill would also set requirements for standing to challenge a violation.
Bill Number: SB23-227
Title: State Agency Attorney Hourly Rate
Introduced: March 25
Sponsors: R. Zenzinger, B. Kirkmeyer, S. Bird, E. Sirota
Summary: The bill would set the hourly rate for attorneys who contract with the Office of Alternate Defense Counsel, the office of the child’s representative or the office of the respondent parents’ counsel. The rate for fiscal year 2023-24 would be $100 per hour and it would need to be increased annually by no more than $5 each year until it’s at least 75% of the rate set in the federal Criminal Justice Act Revision of 1986.
Bill Number: SB23-229
Title: Statewide Behavioral Health Court Liaison Office
Introduced: March 25
Sponsors: J. Bridges, B. Kirkmeyer, E. Sirota, R. Bockenfeld
Summary: The bill would establish the Office of the Statewide Behavioral Health Court Liaison as an independent agency within the judicial department to administer the new Bridges Program.
Bill Number: SB23-230
Title: County Assistance For 23rd Judicial District
Introduced: March 25
Sponsors: J. Bridges, B. Kirkmeyer, E. Sirota, R. Bockenfeld
Summary: The bill would direct the State Court Administrator’s Office to reimburse counties in the 18th Judicial District for expenses related to establishing a district attorney’s office in the new 23rd Judicial District.
Bill Number: SB23-231
Title: Amend Fund To Allow Payment For Overdue Wage Claims
Introduced: March 25
Sponsors: J. Bridges, R. Zenzinger, E. Sirota, R. Bockenfeld
Summary: Alongside other provisions, the bill would amend the wage theft enforcement fund to allow the Division of Labor Standards and Statistics to pay employees who are owed money from their employers.
Bill Number: SB23-235
Title: Department Of Law Funds For Unanticipated State Legal Needs
Introduced: March 25
Sponsors: R. Zenzinger, B. Kirkmeyer, S. Bird, R. Bockenfeld
Summary: The bill would allow the Department of Law to use money appropriated for litigation management to address unanticipated state legal needs.
Bill Number: HB23-1255
Title: Regulating Local Housing Growth Restrictions
Introduced: March 25
Sponsors: W. Lindstedt, R. Dickson, J. Gonzales
Summary: The bill would forbid the enactment or enforcement of any future local housing growth restriction unless the local government has experienced a disaster emergency.
Bill Number: SB23-211
Title: Federal Indian Child Welfare Act Of 1978
Introduced: March 23
Sponsors: J. Danielson, D. Moreno, B. McLachlan, E. Velasco
Summary: The bill would adopt federal regulations concerning the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 as state law.
Law Week’s legislative tracking is done through State Bill, a product of our publisher, Circuit Media.