April 28, 2026 · Appropriations · 4,151 words · 10 speakers · 242 segments
. Thank you. Thank you.
House Appropriations Committee will come. The House Appropriations Committee will come to order. Ms Pope please call the roll Representatives Basenacker Here Bottoms Here Joseph Yes McCormick Here Richardson
Here. Taggart.
Here. Tatone.
Here. Velasco.
Present. Zokai.
Here. Madam Vice Chair.
Here. Mr. Chair.
Here. All right, folks, we have a number of bills to get through today. We're going to go a little bit out of order. We're going to do 1033 first. The Majority Leader and Representative Gonzalez are here. Thanks for joining us. Welcome, sponsors. Committee members, do you have any questions for the sponsors? All right, seeing none. Sponsors, do you have any amendments? I understand you have one amendment that you would like. Is that correct?
Mr. Chair, yes, there is. It would be L011.
Great.
Madam Vice Chair. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move L011 to House Bill 1033.
Second.
Seconded by Representative Belasco. Committee members, are there any questions about L011? Are there any objections to L0? Okay.
No, no, no, I don't have an objection. I just. Well, there is an objection.
So Madam Vice Chair, go ahead. The objection is heard, but go ahead and ask the question.
I just want to look at someone and just explain the amendment.
Oh, yeah. Sponsors, would you like to explain your amendment?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So L011 provides two years of funding for the expanded cottage food program without an impact on general funds. Specifically, it creates a new cottage foods cash fund and initiates a one-time transfer of $300,000 into existing uncommitted cash fund reserve at CDPHE into the new fund. The transfer does not impact current CDPHE programs that draw from the existing cash funds. This will cover funding for the 26-27 and 27-28 as the expanded cottage food program gets up and running. And I ask for a yes vote, please.
Committee members, yeah, Representative Joseph.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I do have a question. It says that $200,000 from the Medication Administration cash fund and $100,000 from the Assisted Living Residents cash fund. How does that correlate to the bill, or does that even matter at all?
Madam Majority Leader, would you like to take that?
I can't answer that specifically for you, to be honest. Do we have our fiscal? I don't believe so. So I think the question, yeah, they're in the Senate, okay.
Go ahead, Madam Majority Leader.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm happy to follow up. If we are to get out of committee, I'm happy to follow up on that, unless one of you have a response.
Rep Sarota.
I, thank you, Madam Majority Leader. My understanding is only that this was, that these were funds already existing within CDPHE, that the administration had identified that could be used for this case given the tight fiscal environment that we are in. I don't think there is a direct association between these particular funds and the Cottage Foods Program, but this is all within CDPHE.
Representative Zocke.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So this 300,000 is what was within CDPHE. What was that currently allocated for? Madam Majority Leader.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I don't have those specifics, but I'm happy to get those for you. Madam Vice Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I thought I heard the Majority Leader say they're coming from uncommitted reserves. So I just was very curious. It's always funny at this point in the session when found money turns up after we felt like we shook all the couch cushions. And so I was also just wanting to better understand the reserve amount and what will happen with that fund. But my other question was why the continuous spending authority? That seems very unnecessary for a two-year cash fund that was just set up.
Madam Majority Leader.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, yes, just to reinforce what you had said, Representative, it is from the uncommitted cash fund. happy to get more specifics if members need that also um this is only for two years so we have other amendments that will be coming but it's only for a two-year time timeline and that is all i have this morning on that if you want more specifics happy to get those i didn't get any of these questions ahead of time so i could have happily answered them for you in a thorough way had I known. Thank you. Vice Chair. Thank you, Mr. Chair. And sincere apologies for
not noticing the continuous spending authority, but we have done a really, we've tried very hard, at least during the time that I have been on the budget committee, not to let bills go forward with continuous spending authority built into them if it's not essential. And I can't see any reason why continuous spending authority would be necessary for this. Madam Majority Leader. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So there is a two-year sunset that will be coming amendment. So without our fiscal analysis here, it's hard for me to answer that question. Like I said, had I known these ahead
of time, I would have been happy to get you the answers. Madam Vice Chair. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I think I would just appreciate, I don't feel comfortable being a yes on this amendment, actually unless I can have a commitment that we're going to remove that continuous spending authority if this goes forward because again I just see no necessity for that. It's already an unusual move to take these cash funds.
Madam Majority Leader.
Thank you Mr. Chair and we are happy to do that representative for you. So if we get out of committee we're happy to make that commitment.
However, you would like to see that. Thank you. Okay. Additional questions from the committee on L011. There was an objection to L011. Ms. Boak, please call the roll.
Representatives Basinecker.
Yes.
Bottoms. No.
Joseph. Yes.
McCormick. No. Richardson. Yes. Taggart. Yes. Tatone. No. Velasco. Yes.
Zocay. Yes.
Madam Vice Chair. Yes, with the caveat that the continuous spending authority will be amended out.
Mr. Chair. Yes.
That passes on a vote of 8 to 3. Oh, thank you. Committee members, are there any other amendments?
I have one. Hopefully handed out for you this morning are two different amendments that I would like to offer. And I wanna thank in advance the sponsors for their collaboration with these amendments. I think that these amendments go a long way toward helping to put additional guardrails in that will help to protect public health. So at this moment, I will move L013 to House Bill 1033.
Seconded.
Seconded by Representative Belasco. Committee members, this amendment gives local public health authorities the ability to implement some sort of local control over this program. Specifically, it gives them a limited set of things that they can do to help implement the program at the local level. Specifically, it gives them the authority to conduct inspections, establish training requirements, and establish a local complaint response. That there's a typo in the amendment that we need to fix for the floor. It says compliant response, but it's supposed to be complaint response procedures, and corrective action plans. It also ensures data sharing between CDPHE and the local governments so that the local public health authorities on the ground have the best, most accurate information about the vendor list. Madam Majority Leader and Representative Gonzales, would you like, do you have any comments about this particular amendment?
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Members, we would ask for a yes vote on this amendment.
Thank you very much, Madam Majority Leader. Are there any questions? Seeing none, are there any objections to this amendment? Seeing none, L013 is passed. All right, moving on to the next amendment, I move L014 to House Bill 1033.
Second.
Seconded by Representative Blasco. This amendment, committee members, ensures that given that the funding sources for this bill are limited in nature and that we are setting up a specific and limited cash fund that only can sustain the program for two years, this adds a sunset clause to the bill that will ensure that the bill is reviewed under the sunset process in two years after that funding, at the time that that funding would expire. So Madam Majority Leader, Representative Gonzalez, Representative Gonzalez. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Committee members, we would ask for a yes vote on this amendment.
Thank you, Representative Gonzalez. Committee members, are there any questions? Seeing none, are there any objections to L014? Seeing none, L014 is passed. Are there any additional amendments, committee members? Seeing none, the amendment phase is closed. wrap up sponsors anything from the sponsors? Representative
Gonzalez. Thank you Mr. Chair I would just say I appreciate the work working with some of the people, stakeholders and continuous stakeholders and you have my commitment representative that we will get the provision taken care of on the floor as well as any other concerns that you may have I'm happy to address them but I asking for you guys just to get out of a committee because we have the appropriations for it using creating cash when using existing funds so we not pulling from the general fund And I happy to have conversations with you off on the floor if you have any questions and we would ask for an aye vote.
Madam Majority Leader.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I also just want to say thank you to the chair of the committee for engaging and collaborating with us and working to get this bill through. And we are committed to Representative Sirota for your ask. We'll make sure we get that done and just for everyone who is involved in this process, in this work. So thank you.
Thank you, Madam Majority Leader. Additional comments from the committee? Representative McCormick.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And I appreciate the passion that the two of you have put into this and listening to your community. And as you know, I continue to have serious concerns about the public health aspect of expanding the Cottage Food Act in such a way that will allow so many new items that require temperature controls and the impact it may have on community and also the local public health entities that would be burdened with mitigating potential outbreaks. And so as well as the concern about the finding of funds today, both of those concerns continue to weigh heavily on me, So I will be a respectful no today.
Representative Tatone.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I don't have a problem with expanding the program, but my issue at this point is just where the money comes from, because there doesn't seem to be a lot of explanation as to how this money got overlooked when the budget committee was doing all the budget things that this money just randomly came out in the open. So I'm not comfortable with that without knowing more information. So I will be a respectful note today.
All right. Seeing no further comments, Madam Vice Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move House Bill 1033 as amended to the Committee of the Whole.
Second.
Seconded by Representative Velasco. Ms. Pope, please call the roll.
Representative Spacenecker.
Yes. Bottoms.
Yes. Joseph.
Yes. McCormick.
No. Richardson. Yes. Taggart. Yes. Tatone.
No. Velasco.
Yes. Zocay. Respectfully, no.
Madam Vice Chair. Yes.
Mr. Chair. Yes for today.
That passes on a vote of 8 to 3. Thank you, sponsors. You're on to the Committee of the Whole. All right, let's move back to the top of our docket for today, we have 1015. We have 1015, Representative McCormick and Representative Taggart. Do we have any questions for our bill sponsors today, committee? Seeing none, bill sponsors, do we have any amendments? No amendments. Committee, any amendments? Seeing none, the amendment phase is closed. Wrap up, additional comments? Seeing none, Representative McCormick.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move House Bill 26-1015 to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation. Second.
Seconded by Representative Taggart. Ms. Pope, please call the roll.
Representative Spasenecker.
Yes. Bottoms.
No. Joseph.
Yes. Yes, Richardson. Yes, Taggart. Yes, to tone. Yes, Lasco. Yes, so Kai. Yes, Madam Vice Chair. Yes, Mr. Chair. Yes
That passes on a vote of 10 to 1 All right moving on to 1077 represent Gonzales and Representative Wilford oh Maybe just represent Gonzales, okay
Representative Wilford is sick, so she's doing on the weather so I will handle this
Okay, thank you, Representative Gonzalez. Committee members, do we have any questions for our bill sponsor?
Yes, Madam Vice Chair. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Representative Gonzalez, can you maybe speak to the issue that has been brought up about this change and what it might do to the funds incoming that support MED that is, you know, supposed to be doing the regulatory and safety work in this industry.
Representative Gonzalez. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you, Representative Sirota. So the reason why we have this bill is because right now outdoor growers are facing a lot of inventory shortage and a lot of turnover. So because they're losing revenue, we decided to create an average market rate to make sure that outdoor growers have a more fair tax rate versus indoor growers because indoor growers use more overhead versus outdoor growers. and so the systems that we put in place i think for the fiscal note specifically um we're hearing a lot from people outdoor cultivators where i think they're just leaving colorado so i think we brought this bill forward to make sure that we have outdoor growers in the state of colorado because ultimately what's going to happen is if we have outdoor growers leave or just shut down in colorado we're going to potentially lose millions of dollars worth of revenue in the long run so that would affect obviously med and the funding specifically for the cannabis industry so that is why um we're running this bill and so i think right now with the fiscal note of 22,359, we're basically asking DOR to absorb it to make sure that we have the systems in place to have the outdoor growers versus the indoor growers. So I think there's just some, like, system processes. I don't know if fiscal analysis here. Oh, perfect. For that, so I don't know if that makes sense to address for the cannabis industry. That advice, Chair?
Well, I'm not sure. Essentially what you're telling me is your assessment is more money is going to come into MED than less if you pass this bill. But did I also hear you say you don't want us to adopt the J Amendment?
Oh, no. Sorry, Mr. Chair. No, I do want you to adopt the J Amendment. I just think right now we are potentially looking on the long run of we're going to be losing revenue from the cannabis injuries, specifically outdoor growers, if they cannot continue to stay operating in business. So that's why we're having this bill to make sure we preserve the funds that are coming in and not lose the revenue, which then in turn would affect kind of the budget overall process with the cannabis excise tax that we collect as a state.
Additional questions from the committee? Okay. In our packet, we have a J amendment. Madam Vice Chair, would you like to move that?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move J001 to House Bill 1077.
Second.
Seconded by Representative Velasco. Are there any objections to the J amendment? Seeing none, the J001 has passed. Are there any additional amendments? Seeing none, the amendment phase is closed. Committee, is there any additional wrap up?
I will just say that I do think that it is worth noting that we probably will need to monitor how this is impacting our revenue. The fiscal note indicates that the bill may have a minimal impact on revenue, but the amount of excise tax owed for individual transactions may be higher or lower, depending on then current law, depending on whether unprocessed marijuana was cultivated indoors, outdoors, or is frozen or allocated to direct to the consumer. On net, it may not have a significant impact, but it is worth noting that it may.
All right, Madam Vice Chair,
would you like to move the bill? Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move House Bill 1077 to the Committee of the Whole as amended.
Second.
Seconded by Representative Velasco. Ms. Pope, please call the roll.
Representative Spasenecker.
Yes. Bottoms.
Joseph. Yes. McCormick. Yes. Richardson.
No. Haggart. No. Titone. Yes. Velasco. Yes.
Zocay. Yes. Madam Vice
Chair. Yes. Mr. Chair. Yes.
All right. You're on to
the Committee of the Whole. Congratulations. Moving on to 1147. All right. Committee members, do you have questions for Mr. Chair? Seeing no questions, Mr. Chair, there is a J amendment? Yes. I move J001 to House Bill 1147. Seconded by Representative Velasco. Are there any objections to J001? Seeing none, the amendment is adopted. Any further amendments to House Bill 1147? Seeing none, the amendment phase is closed. Any? Mr. Chair, would you like to move the bill?
I move House Bill 1147 to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation. Second.
Seconded by Representative Velasco.
Any final discussion on House Bill 1147? Seeing none, Ms. Pope, please pull the committee.
Representative Spasenecker.
Yes. Bottoms.
No. Joseph.
Yes. McCormick.
Yes. Richardson. No. Taggart. No. Titone.
Yes. Velasco.
Yes. Zokai. Yes.
Madam Chair Sirota. Yes. Mr. Chair Brown. Yes. That passes eight to three. All right. Thank you very much, committee. Moving on to 1221, Representative Zokai and Representative Sirota. Are there any questions for our bill sponsors, committee? Seeing none, sponsors, do we have any amendments? No amendments. Committee, amendments? Seeing none, the amendment phase is closed. Wrap up.
Representative Zocchi. I was not raising my hand, Mr. Chair, but I...
Would you like to move the bill?
Sure. Great. I will also say, great bill. And you should. I move House Bill 1221 to the community at home.
Second.
Seconded by Madam Vice Chair. Ms. Pope, please call the roll.
Representative Spasenecker.
Yes. Bottoms.
No. Joseph.
Yes. McCormick.
Yes.
Richardson No Taggart No Tatone Velasco Yes Zocay Vice Chair Mr Chair Yes passes on a vote of eight to three All right, moving on to 1222, Representative Garcia and Representative McOwen, welcome. Do we have any questions for our bill sponsors? All right, seeing none, bill sponsors, do we have any amendments? Committee, seeing none, the amendment phase is closed. Wrap up, any questions or any comments? Seeing none, Representative McCormick,
would you like to move the bill? Also a great bill. I move House Bill 26-1222 to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation. Second.
Seconded by Representative Velasco. Ms. Pope, please call the roll.
Representative Spasenecker.
Yes. Bottoms.
No. Joseph.
Yes. No. McCormick. Yes. Richardson. No. Taggart. No.
Tatone. Yes.
Velasco. Yes. Sochi. Yes.
Madam Vice Chair. Yes.
That bill passes on a vote of eight to three. All right, congratulations. We are on to 1223. Representative Woodrow, welcome. Committee members, do we have any questions for our bill sponsor? All right, seeing none, are there any amendments from the sponsors? Not at this time. Any from the committee? Seeing none, the amendment phase is closed. Wrap up, any additional comments?
This bill is better than the last two.
Representative Basin-Ecker, would you like to move the bill?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move House Bill 1223 to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation.
Second.
Seconded by Representative Zocay. Ms. Pope, please call the roll.
Representative Spaceenecker.
Yes.
Bottoms.
No.
Joseph.
Yes.
McCormick.
Yes.
Richardson.
No.
Taggart.
No.
Tatone.
Yes.
Velasco.
Yes.
Zocay.
Yes.
Madam Vice Chair.
Yes.
Mr. Chair.
Yes.
That bill passes on 8-3. Moving on to House Bill 1282. Representatives Phillips and Goldstein, welcome. Committee members, do we have any? Committee members, do we have any questions for our bill sponsors? All right, seeing none, to sponsors, I understand you have an amendment. Representative Phillips.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We're requesting the committee moves L12, which gets us to a zero fiscal note.
Great. Always a pleasure to see a zero fiscal note. Madam Vice Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move L012 to House Bill 1282.
Seconded.
Seconded by Representative Velasco. Is there any objections to L012? Seeing none, L012 is passed. Do we have any additional amendments?
No.
Any from the committee? Seeing none, the amendment phase is closed. Madam Vice Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move House Bill 1282 as amended to the committee of the whole.
Second.
Seconded by Representative Velasco. Any additional comments? Seeing none, Ms. Pope, please call the roll.
Representative Spacenecker.
Yes.
Bottoms.
No.
Joseph.
Yes.
McCormick.
Yes.
Richardson.
Yes.
Haggard.
Yes.
Tatone.
Yes.
Velasco.
Yes.
Zokai.
Yes.
Madam Vice Chair.
Yes.
Mr. Chair.
Yes.
That bill passes 10 to 1. All right. Final bill this morning is Senate Bill 132. We're, we've moved, sorry, that was, I had to remove that from the calendar this morning. I'm sorry, Representative Froehlach. Okay, Senate Bill 132. Representative, do we have any questions for our bill sponsor? Seeing none, we have a J amendment in our packet. Representative Joseph, would you like us to move that?
I move J001.
Second.
Okay, seconded by Representative Velasco. Is there any objection to J001? Oh, Representative Taggart?
A question.
A question, okay, take a question.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm just concerned that we've already had one of these bills that, again, we have departments pleading poverty on their cash funds for other purposes, and all of a sudden we have $240,000 available out of cash funds where poverty was being stated to us in the JBC, and I'm just wondering how did this come about to have this $240,000?
Representative Joseph, do you want to take that?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. My understanding CPW is here to speak to this particular J Amendment, and my understanding they're seeking that fund because they want to be able to buy the breathalyzers, and they already have the money available, but they can speak for themselves. Would it be helpful to bring up CPW if they're here? I don't know that they are here, actually.
Go ahead.
Madam Vice Chair. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Well, I was only going to comment that I'm not sure that DNR has ever pled poverty, merely that they have their own ideas for how those cash funds will be spent. My understanding is, Representative Taggart, is that this is enterprise funding that is one time within DNR. And again, as Representative Joseph said, it pays for these breathalyzers. It's specific to DNR because they are often law enforcement in our state parks and other places. And so while other law enforcement agencies already carry these, these are not necessarily carried by DNR officers and therefore need this one-time expenditure out of their cash funds. My understanding also from talking with staff is that their cash fund can handle this one-time fund, or this one-time expenditure. Any additional?
Go ahead, Representative Taggart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that. But this bill is all about vehicle collisions that result in death or severe bodily injury. I have a hard time believing that's going to take place in a state park with a vehicle. It just does not seem like a direct correlation to me at all.
Thank you, Representative Taggart. Are there additional questions on this amendment? Seeing none, it sounds like there is an objection to the amendment.
so Ms. Pope please call the roll. Representative Spasenecker. Yes. Bottoms. No. Joseph. Yes.
McCormick. Yes. Richardson. No. Taggart. No. Titone. Yes. That's okay. We're having a little technical difficulty?
Velasco.
Yes.
Zokai.
Yes.
Madam Vice Chair.
Yes.
Mr. Chair.
Yes.
That passes on a vote of eight to three. Are there additional amendments from our sponsor?
No.
Are there additional amendments from the committee? Seeing none, the amendment phase is closed. Additional comments from the committee? All right, seeing none, Representative Joseph.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Senate bill 26 132 as amended to the committee of the whole with favorable recommendations second
Seconded by representative Velasco
Miss Pope, please call the roll
Representative Spaceenecker yes
Bottoms no Joseph yes McCormick yes Richardson no
Taggart no for today to tone yes
Velasco yes Zokai yes, madam vice-chair. Yes, mr. Chair. Yes
That passes on a vote of eight to three.
All right, committee members, that concludes our work for today. We will reconvene Thursday or Friday this week. With that, House Appropriations is adjourned.
Which day?
Thursday or Friday.
Thank you. Thank you.