[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6277140,"mediaKeyId","2657083-d42133e3bfe67b1a80f790db39972ad3","parentId",2657083,"title","Committee approves bill to expand mold awareness, tenant and buyer disclosures; registry removed from amended bill","audioSeconds",2138,"startMs",3306000,"endMs",5444000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2657083-d42133e3bfe67b1a80f790db39972ad3&start=3306&end=5444","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2657083-d42133e3bfe67b1a80f790db39972ad3/thumbnail_3306000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6277140/Colorado/Committee-approves-bill-to-expand-mold-awareness-tenant-and-buyer-disclosures-registry-removed-from-amended-bill","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6277140-77d43672c649248e5ff34550e1494810/orig.mp4?Expires=1775356682&Signature=Wy0o3J~fvR3Daa197GDyDuw9q3MhpodWlsZWKEKIcaE0LcKrVl2hAey7gUHP6F5JXsNLx7iNisyMrlDrCoY~qU-WIPqfVV~S0oPbPBeDnV1ozfiBXtssEn-iIcMkEbURLXbbqDekMzM4xlyt7a~RBonqIhtMcxSHjW7z5mD5ZqdB78MFSjUFARsOjug4am8bCLVTt2pMH2Dzn6XqXeFIg8fDHrQMbL~lsPyIrZ0cMu-QL6gbXR59v0A-GaJ77ca0MciKpZ-8YF2N3v~76lQzQcDc0P8XD8oAu-LatReeTq5607onatPp3jHYPGJwlHbYnJg9ZqI3hchKb~5WBvnJ5w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Colorado State Legislature","date","2025-03-13T00:00:00Z","article","House Bill 12 02 would expand public information on mold and indoor dampness, require standard disclosure language for sellers and landlords, and require landlords to provide tenants with a written warning statement and known assessments or remediation summaries. Sponsors said the bill aims to raise awareness about a common indoor pollutant and to give renters and homebuyers information that can matter for health, particularly for people with asthma or immune sensitivity.

Sponsor Representative Pascoe said mold “is a critical indoor air pollutant” and described health impacts ranging from allergic symptoms to more severe outcomes in susceptible people. Representative Mabry, a co-sponsor, emphasized the bill’s focus on awareness and consumer information rather than creating a new permitting system.

Multiple tenant, public-health and medical witnesses described personal and clinical experiences linking concealed mold and water damage to debilitating illness. Jessica McQuade, who described herself as a toxic-mold survivor and now a practitioner, testified that hidden mold in a crawl space and inside walls left her “completely debilitated” before remediation. Other witnesses offered similar firsthand accounts of medical, financial and housing stress tied to mold exposure.

Industry and housing groups worked with sponsors on amendments. The Colorado Apartment Association moved from opposition to neutral after an amendment allowed a summary of mold reports (rather than entire voluminous reports) and clarified that once properties have been fully remediated they would not be indefinitely stigmatized. The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment testified in an amend position, saying it lacks funded capacity for a provider registry and warned that a department-run registry could appear to endorse private firms. The department said it currently handles several mold inquiries a month but has no funded mold program.

Amendments and committee action: The committee adopted three sponsor amendments that removed a proposed CDPHE registry of assessors/remediators, narrowed the outreach to website-based guidance and sample disclosure language, and added a requirement that property sellers and landlords provide a summary of any existing mold assessments and remediation rather than full reports. The amendments also moved the disclosure from the sales contract to the standard seller property-disclosure packet and added definitions for “mold remediation” to limit overbroad disclosures. After debate the committee voted 8–4 to send the bill, as amended, to the Appropriations Committee with a favorable recommendation.

What the bill does not do: As amended the bill does not create a credentialing or permit system, does not require CDPHE to run a registry or to conduct mold testing, and does not mandate state funds for remediation. Instead it requires public guidance and standardized disclosures and directs CDPHE to post resources and links to other agencies and organizations.

Next steps: The bill will go to the Appropriations Committee; sponsors indicated they intend to return with additional policy options if funding becomes available and stakeholders continue to negotiate disclosure timeframes and other details.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Energy & Environment [Mar 13, 2025]","oneSentenceSummary","House Bill 12 02 would require the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to post mold- and dampness-related public guidance, add standard disclosure language for sellers and landlords, and require tenants be given written warnings and summaries of recent mold assessments or remediation; the committee adopted amendments that removed a proposed CDPHE provider registry and narrowed scope.","taxTitle","Energy & Environment, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative, Colorado","taxId",43278,"location","Colorado","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6277152,"Committee advances bill letting municipal utilities keep unclaimed deposits for local utility-assistance programs",1069,77000,1146000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2657083-d42133e3bfe67b1a80f790db39972ad3&start=77&end=1146","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2657083-d42133e3bfe67b1a80f790db39972ad3/thumbnail_77000.jpg","/articles/6277152/Colorado/Committee-advances-bill-letting-municipal-utilities-keep-unclaimed-deposits-for-local-utility-assistance-programs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6277152-d94ed8395db740366e2c96128cb5102a/orig.mp4?Expires=1775356682&Signature=NWCGF0OxNGdCcBZ~PABGyGOhjvExPFZW4bzr4j0xzAEVYgYhM2~yy6cwPYKac90lONyQvV88964a6r~Tvs4R7o5laXmbMMsmH41DemsU8Df2U96ZR2FBqZtg318XQGKEg6yN~s9EXCFPnEfyq469f1fvqvvlXosOEaJBnJYGQ~f-ZcygqmhS3ifP7PHd7cIuMIolpjumSY~i7Q8oyDLQAcRRGGJscyUwdJ4IBW-iks1Twe2LMXi13cAEjV2P1ypV58PMwCIdcrasYGt0KpcyB3jN8d4vyU7reFLcCuCnJ2WPAIwNfLCh5a7cQl8TQMHQxa5d-2~NcDn0tZxOtevGnQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 68 would clarify how unclaimed utility deposits are handled when the utility is municipally owned, allowing municipal utilities to retain unclaimed deposits for locally run low-income utility assistance programs while leaving existing statewide channels open.

Representative Pasco, the bill’s sponsor, told the committee the measure aligns state law with Colorado’s constitution and current practice, arguing municipal utilities should be able to direct unclaimed deposits to local assistance programs. “It is an opportunity to get aligned constitutionally and to promote local control,” Pasco said.

Why it matters: The bill responds to a recent practice by Colorado Springs Utilities of directing unclaimed customer deposits to Project COPE, the utility’s local low-income assistance program. Project COPE provides direct bill support and is funded by customer and community donations; Colorado Springs Utilities also matches donations and covers administrative costs. April Conway, Community Relations Supervisor at Colorado Springs Utilities, said, “Last year… we provided over $1,700,000 in assistance to over 2,400 local families.”

Supporters, including municipal utilities’ trade group, said the change removes a statutory ambiguity that could conflict with home-rule and municipal-authority provisions of the Colorado Constitution. Daniel Hodges, executive director of the Colorado Association of Municipal Utilities, told the committee that constitutional provisions and case law protect municipalities’ authority over their utilities and that the amendment would harmonize state statute with those protections: “When it comes to providing utility services, it is a municipal function when done by a municipal utility.”

The amendment adopted by the committee clarified that the unclaimed utility account provisions do not apply to municipal utilities and reiterated that municipal utilities may voluntarily contribute unclaimed deposits to Energy Outreach Colorado (EOC) or to a municipally run program. Representative Pasco said the change “does still allow unclaimed account deposits to go to LEAP [the Low-income Energy Assistance Program] so it doesn't affect that program.”

Committee action: The committee adopted Amendment L001 without objection. Representative Pasco moved the bill as amended to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation; the committee vote was recorded as unanimous in favor.

What the bill does not do: The legislation does not require municipal utilities to keep unclaimed funds locally — it allows them to retain funds for local assistance programs or to send them to the statewide program — and it does not change eligibility rules for LEAP or other assistance programs.

Next steps: With committee approval the bill will go to the Committee of the Whole for further consideration and potential floor action.

","Senate Bill 68 would let municipally owned utilities keep unclaimed customer deposits for local low-income utility assistance programs while preserving the option to send funds to statewide programs.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6277147,"Committee backs amended bill requiring utilities to notify customers before smart-meter installation",1966,1331000,3297000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2657083-d42133e3bfe67b1a80f790db39972ad3&start=1331&end=3297","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2657083-d42133e3bfe67b1a80f790db39972ad3/thumbnail_1331000.jpg","/articles/6277147/Colorado/Committee-backs-amended-bill-requiring-utilities-to-notify-customers-before-smart-meter-installation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6277147-c2755b22ab2babac3af3b6d55dc68e54/orig.mp4?Expires=1775356682&Signature=dp1u~fPBttznhXba6RI-N-UHNbm9UVNvJylYdqFtQo41Hi5dp2TNlTkDGgSHkhPak7vYT7MW~vvHRnbkDIMSY2gq-4kloN8PcO8-NnEpGn3LduwcVX9bwfsqar~nijDQpjH~r~a4llkIuZGDFm5ZIYRKmAEEVMdJ59xzYF422dm63Fqvvd-~wv06hwzXEgfM5n~MSL77vNizYSaWMzZIX5EMK01AEmuB4qWn-QJzhdGE9Bdcy8Vc3UpEbHLk2i~EWGxr3ofCORcOzmllZqcrMlokUbT0gE9NreoZaQ7aNSiyU3zR0-nS~teiUgDCHLb--cFofQO-52zfFOQXIAr5SQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House Bill 11 75 would require qualified retail utilities to provide clear, advance communications to residential customers before installing advanced metering equipment (smart meters), and to maintain publicly accessible information about customers' data and safety rights. The sponsor described the bill as establishing communications plans and customer choice, while preserving utilities’ ability to install smart meters for grid modernization.

Sponsor Representative Leader opened by saying the bill “lays the foundation for communication plans. Utilities must provide clear and timely notices of 30, 60, and 90 days before installing advanced meters, ensuring residents know their rights to defer or reject installation.” The sponsor emphasized the measure is intended to improve notice and preserve customers’ right to choose a non-communicating meter where the utility offers that option.

Utility and clean-energy stakeholders presented competing perspectives. Mike Pascucci, director of regulatory policy at Xcel Energy, said smart meters are “an integral part of our ability to continue driving down carbon emissions and offering new customer programs and services,” and described an extensive Public Utilities Commission review of the company’s deployment program. He noted Xcel expected to complete residential installations in its territory by the end of the upcoming summer.

Justin Brandt of the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project said smart meters deliver large system benefits, citing earlier analyses that estimated hundreds of millions in benefits from outage restoration, energy-management programs and system optimization. “Smart meters are the backbone of a modern electric grid,” Brandt testified.

Environmental and public-health groups urged caution. Claire Valentine of Western Resource Advocates said advanced metering infrastructure is “a safe and beneficial technology,” and said additional statutory language should not undercut deployment. Conservation Colorado’s Paul Sherman said his organization opposed the bill as introduced but would move to neutral if the sponsor’s amendment were adopted.

Consumer witnesses described health, privacy and installation concerns. Several residents and health advocates told the committee they had experienced health or property problems they attributed to meters or were concerned about RF emissions and data privacy. Multiple speakers urged clearer communications and an easier, transparent opt-out process.

Amendments and committee action: The committee adopted Amendment L001, which the sponsor said incorporated many of the utilities’ requested changes and clarified communications expectations and customer-facing materials. The committee then moved the bill as amended to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation. The roll-call result recorded in committee was 11 in favor, 2 opposed.

What the bill does not do: The amended bill does not ban advanced meters, nor does it force utilities to remove meters already installed. It preserves the existing regulatory opt-out procedures (with regulated fees where applicable) while requiring standardized communications and a public website describing customer data practices.

Next steps: The bill proceeds to the Committee of the Whole; stakeholders said they will continue negotiations on technical and cost details, including whether communications requirements should be broader than the amendment now requires.

","The committee approved House Bill 11 75 as amended, requiring utilities to provide advance communications and customer-facing information before installing advanced (smart) meters. The amended bill codifies a 90/60/30-day communications practice and leaves existing opt-out options in place; it passed the committee by roll call.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee approves bill to expand mold awareness, tenant and buyer disclosures; registry removed from amended bill

Committee advances bill letting municipal utilities keep unclaimed deposits for local utility-assistance programs

Committee backs amended bill requiring utilities to notify customers before smart-meter installation