Lawmakers in the House and Senate introduced a flurry of bills in the last week. While one bill addresses requirements to file a nuisance suit against agricultural operations, one is focused on tweaking public official campaign reporting requirements. Within the past week, a bill was introduced that would extend deadlines for committees of candidates for county, special district and municipal offices to submit reports disclosing contributions and expenditures.
House Bill 1141 — Nuisance Suits Agricultural Operations
Description: Nuisance Suits Agricultural Operations
Sponsors: R. Holtorf, J. Sonnenberg
Summary: The bill would require anyone who wants to file a nuisance suit against an agricultural operation to occupy land that is within 2,640 feet of the operation. Punitive damages wouldn’t be allowed unless the agricultural operation has violated certain environmental laws against pollution, the nuisance arises from the violation and the action is brought within a year after the operation committed the violation. The bill would also only allow awarding court costs and attorney fees if an agricultural operation has prevailed in the suit. The bill would also require municipalities to pay an agricultural operation if it loses agricultural use only if the government brought forward the nuisance action and that action caused the enjoinment of the operation, or if the operation has already been using the land for 10 years or longer.
House Bill 1147 — Sheriffs' Authority In Relation To Federal Gov
Description: Sheriffs' Authority In Relation To Federal Gov
Sponsors: S. Luck
Summary: The bill would require a federal government employee who isn’t designated as a peace officer in Colorado to receive permission from the sheriff, or the sheriff's designee, before executing an arrest or search warrant within the sheriff's jurisdiction, with exceptions.
House Bill 1150 — Eliminate Signature Requirement Certain Citations
Description: Eliminate Signature Requirement Certain Citations
Sponsors: R. Bockenfeld, T. Exum, J. Cooke, R. Fields
Summary: Under current law, a defendant is required to execute the defendant's signature on citations for a misdemeanor, petty offense, misdemeanor traffic offense or traffic infraction to signify agreement to pay the penalties or appear in court. The bill would eliminate the defendant signature requirement.
House Bill 1156 — Public Official Reporting Requirements Modification
Description: Public Official Reporting Requirements Modification
Sponsors: C. Kennedy, D. Williams, J. Bridges, B. Gardner
Summary: Under the Fair Campaign Practices Act, committees considering candidates for statewide offices need to submit a post-election report disclosing contributions and expenditures 30 days after the major election in election years. The committees of candidates for county, special district and municipal offices have to submit a post-election report 30 days after the primary election, where applicable, and 30 days after the major election in election years. The bill would change the post-election report filing deadline from 30 days to 35 days and exempt candidates who have filed their personal disclosure statement within 180 days before Jan. 10 from having to file an annual personal disclosure statement for that year.
House Bill 1164 — Limit Applications And Consideration For Clemency
Description: Limit Applications And Consideration For Clemency
Sponsors: D. Williams
Summary: The bill wouldn’t allow a person to apply for clemency if a resentencing hearing is scheduled or has been requested or if the person has not exhausted all state appeal and administrative processes before applying or being considered for clemency.
House Bill 1187 — Office Of Economic Development COVID Relief Program Extension
Description: Office Of Economic Development COVID Relief Program Extension
Sponsors: L. Herod, C. Hansen, B. Rankin
Summary: The bill would extend deadlines related to COVID-19 relief programs within the Colorado Office of Economic Development from June 30 to Dec. 31, 2023. The bill would also extend the reporting deadline from Nov. 1 to Nov. 1, 2023 and adds another report due on Nov. 1, 2024, among other stipulations for deadlines.
House Bill 1201 — Standards For Immunization Requirements
Description: Standards For Immunization Requirements
Sponsors: T. Van Beber
Summary: The bill would allow individuals who are required to receive an immunization for any purpose to claim an exemption from the requirement if the immunization hasn’t been approved by the FDA, the immunization has only received emergency use authorization, the immunization manufacturer isn’t liable for injury or death caused by the immunization or if the clinical trial the FDA relied on to approve the immunization didn’t evaluate the immunization's safety for at least one year after the immunization was first administered against a control group.
House Bill 1216 — Uniform Restrictive Employment Agreement Act
Description: Uniform Restrictive Employment Agreement Act
Sponsors: K. Tipper, J. Bridges
Summary: The bill would enact the Uniform Restrictive Employment Agreement Act as drafted by the Uniform Law Commission, which regulates agreements between an employer and a worker or employee that prohibit or limit the worker or employee from working after the work relationship with the employer ends.
Senate Bill 128 — Implicit Bias In Jury Selection
Title: Implicit Bias In Jury Selection
Sponsors: J. Gonzales, P. Lee, J. Bacon, S. Woodrow
Summary: The bill would allow courts and opposing counsel to raise objections to the use of peremptory challenges with the potential to be based on racial or ethnic bias in criminal cases. The bill also provides a list of presumptively invalid reasons for peremptory challenges.
