[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-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",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_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",6118586,"mediaKeyId","2723343-cf7809799e1b2c4cf289a74dd5c98454","parentId",2723343,"title","Senate committee amends Colorado Pet Overpopulation Fund law; removes TNR mandate and changes board makeup","audioSeconds",2592,"startMs",1488000,"endMs",4080000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2723343-cf7809799e1b2c4cf289a74dd5c98454&start=1488&end=4080","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2723343-cf7809799e1b2c4cf289a74dd5c98454/thumbnail_1488000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6118586/Colorado/Senate-committee-amends-Colorado-Pet-Overpopulation-Fund-law-removes-TNR-mandate-and-changes-board-makeup","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6118586-70992137c26e0704bd568e7af2eeaee4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184082&Signature=h2dZEYYUObKzScMpPOMwYpjv7eN~Bs5bNbk36H1VU5Ad0-zA2O2bHYeb04Uv0i2i7h5NrcGSziF-eRVwY-h9nahbSaX6vU1urjQAQTOA9XAsd0LqLFwsuXBoV3P8XvqsFrTOwoFXBf8MW1BzD8JNjDZMk0PPGuf5KsZcFwu9KBaguh3ZKQitCA-ntLPY3Q5~d7STAC902K8g7SbkwZarCKtygd06e6xlJNz0RvGWivyDMP3aeIlnOBvfoueLchC6DW6bdmUHvyWZ2vMduDli7dAI2jePI903S3dAVG6t5RIC47-VWX0Otj416er1JJLylAP-4cLZoQOT66nvFfAXYg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Colorado Legislature","date","2025-03-20T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee on Monday adopted amendments to House Bill 1137 (HB 1137) that change how the Colorado Pet Overpopulation Fund (CPOF) is governed and remove a statutory requirement that a fixed portion of the fund be awarded to trap‑neuter‑return (TNR) programs.

Sponsor Senator Winter told the committee HB 1137 is designed to increase transparency and geographic equity in how CPOF distributes grants and to allow optional funding for TNR programs in communities that request it. Winter said legislative staff had found that “only 58 organizations have been awarded out of 350 potential organizations” over four years and that the fund’s membership lists and awards information were not readily available until the legislature requested them.

Two amendments were adopted in committee. Amendment L007 revised board composition to remove designated activist seats and add representation for eastern and southern shelter, rescue and veterinary professionals; it also required board members to recuse themselves on conflicts of interest and clarified that rural satellite organizations could qualify for rural allocations even if the headquarters are not located in that same locale. Amendment L008 removed a statutory requirement that 10 percent of the fund be awarded to TNR programs, changing that use from mandatory to optional.

Witnesses for and against the bill testified for about three hours. Small spay‑neuter clinics and TNR volunteers urged senators to reject the changes, saying many rural providers lack veterinary capacity and that shifting formulae could remove funds from existing high‑volume clinics. Stacy Baum of Feline Fix described her Commerce City clinic’s work and told the committee “changes in funding will abolish currently funded already successful and proven spay‑neuter initiatives across Colorado.”

Supporters — including No Kill Colorado, MaxFund and several rural TNR advocates — argued the bill increases transparency and expands access to underfunded rural programs and all‑volunteer rescue groups. As MaxFund Executive Director Kathy Gaines told the committee, “CPoF dollars only go to the same small number of almost exclusively large shelters year after year,” and the amendment’s transparency provisions would require award amounts and board membership to be posted consistently.

Committee members discussed concerns about permitting backlogs at the Department of Public Health and Environment and the sunset review of the Pet Overpopulation Authority, but the committee ultimately approved HB 1137 as amended and moved it to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation. The committee recorded a vote of 5‑2 in favor of the amended bill.

The bill’s amendments do not appropriate new money; rather they change board membership, require conflict recusal and turn the TNR allocation into an optional allowable use. The bill also directs CPOF to post award amounts and board membership information, and expands eligibility definitions to better include satellite rural providers.

With the L007 and L008 amendments adopted, HB 1137 moves to the Committee of the Whole for further legislative consideration.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources [Mar 20, 2025]","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee on Monday adopted amendments to House Bill 1137 that change governance of the Colorado Pet Overpopulation Fund and convert a statutory 10% allocation to trap‑neuter‑return programs into an optional allowable use.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature CO, Colorado","taxId",77676,"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},6118591,"Senate committee advances confirmations for coal mine, mine reclamation and water-quality boards",286,59000,345000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2723343-cf7809799e1b2c4cf289a74dd5c98454&start=59&end=345","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2723343-cf7809799e1b2c4cf289a74dd5c98454/thumbnail_59000.jpg","/articles/6118591/Colorado/Senate-committee-advances-confirmations-for-coal-mine-mine-reclamation-and-water-quality-boards","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6118591-fdb558e42c8b5ce048d2f407d8bdceb8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184082&Signature=dTujaIK40KvwEwUYRfk15Usjh~I1gyWe9GioNtbRFTtB4o8ao4bH3hnFtn57yV0vwj127dofnrXCOj3HMDpJNZXjbwruO8qgJnpesVEwEpsYr03SDTirDF~mH0DvajHzPbyA0V~N35t6zirVgjsqtvHB5bmW8sv9tKEAZ7fBjScrT4PoS6cOwt03OZ9YlbXauWyD-VyfFXqvcAZB26gerZODtu4PUhtVkdjL33ISR1GpzwmN62ig2HIuCGf6nduygIrcLC817vti9SmljjvzLjaAMk9EzFVeLE3hxr9kvfvYKqK5qUc2HhDrgTukag1WyDSttiZtwIkDQquazmJ~kw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee voted unanimously Monday to recommend several gubernatorial appointees to boards that regulate mining safety, mine reclamation and water quality and placed the confirmations on the committee’s consent calendar.

The nominees included a reappointment to the Colorado Coal Mine Board of Examiners, two reappointments to the Mine Land Reclamation Board and four appointees — including three reappointments — to the Water Quality Control Commission.

The reappointment recommended for the Colorado Coal Mine Board of Examiners was Nick Armando, introduced to the committee by Michael Cunningham, director of the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety. Cunningham told the committee the board “provides critical safety training to coal miners,” and said Armando, who manages technical services at the 20 Mile Mine and previously served a four‑year term, had helped modernize exam drawings and review the electrical exam. The committee moved Armando’s reappointment to the full Senate with a favorable recommendation and placed the nomination on the consent calendar.

The committee also recommended reappointments to the Mine Land Reclamation Board for Jill Nelson and Doug Orin. Director Cunningham told senators the Mine Land Reclamation Board, created by the Colorado General Assembly in 1976, sets regulations, standards and policies for mine reclamation and includes members with experience in agriculture, conservation and mining. Nelson and Orin introduced themselves to the committee and described their industry and conservation backgrounds. The committee sent their nominations to the full Senate with a favorable recommendation and placed them on the consent calendar.

Finally, the committee endorsed four nominations to the Water Quality Control Commission, introduced by Jojo Law, director of Colorado’s environmental boards and commissions. Nominees included Kathy Chandler Henry (formerly an Eagle County commissioner), Jenny Arndt and Julie Zahringer (reappointments) and Christine Johnston (joining remotely). Each nominee described water-quality and permitting experience; Chandler Henry emphasized protecting water for agriculture and communities, while Johnston noted her permitting and compliance work with discharge permits. The committee moved the four appointees to the full Senate with a favorable recommendation and placed the appointments on the consent calendar.

All four confirmation items were advanced without recorded dissent and will appear on the consent calendar for consideration by the full Senate.

The committee’s action sends the named nominees to the full Senate for final confirmation. The committee record shows each appointment placed on the consent calendar, a common step when nominations are unopposed and broadly supported.","The Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee held confirmation hearings Monday for appointees to the Colorado Coal Mine Board of Examiners, the Mine Land Reclamation Board and the Water Quality Control Commission and recommended the nominees to the full Senate, placing the appointments on the consent calendar.",{"_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},6118571,"Committee backs bill to protect wild bison crossing into Colorado; tribes and conservationists urge safeguards",5568,7242000,12810000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2723343-cf7809799e1b2c4cf289a74dd5c98454&start=7242&end=12810","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2723343-cf7809799e1b2c4cf289a74dd5c98454/thumbnail_7242000.jpg","/articles/6118571/Colorado/Committee-backs-bill-to-protect-wild-bison-crossing-into-Colorado-tribes-and-conservationists-urge-safeguards","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6118571-0baa0d4996b589e67aa144fe2d548b2a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184082&Signature=dmitm6nIbiXjGbufbl0eqaMo9Qn6o2-OXIqQYhvR2lsEs30kdlC11AMsVH1WHuGWfaK0dF~OuM3nuO4H8lZdHYv9O6-MqmVqfYeMnb5rZGodt5c4t-28GBwAFQU5uSdJPz0p72E6VflG6YRMDxnokoI2aWFJfmZ~-ZiK--kdWm8UCHglrVwvrVdPVbbPSyl7iS-j0o7mjryVu0aXFM-xtjM8w9UmIhtLNe1BLGpqewOWb5lBNHh902CCWMU9qwYupOoSp-4~z93p4HLKA63y1imhFo8nPrVTehqJUhwxw9JN6WDHe437-UEut6KH95Sr2umTdUBZ~cHxdunCLo38Gg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","After extensive testimony from tribal leaders, conservation groups, hunters and local residents, the Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee voted 4‑3 Monday to advance Senate Bill 53 to the Committee on Appropriations with amendments that extend an effective date and clarify legislative findings.

Sponsor Senator Danielson told the committee the bill aims to protect wild bison that occasionally cross into Colorado from neighboring Utah. He and supportive witnesses said the animals are culturally important to Native American tribes, ecologically valuable and have occasionally been shot without regulation because under current Colorado law these transient animals are treated as livestock rather than wildlife.

Tribal leaders and Native advocates provided the committee with lengthy testimony about cultural and spiritual ties to bison. Ute and other tribal council members said their herds and tribal conservation programs maintain buffalo as family and ceremonial resources; Daisy Blue Star told senators, “They helped our ancestors survive so that we could be here today,” and several speakers asked the legislature to respect tribal consultations and to exclude tribally‑owned herds from any statutory change classifying unmanaged bison as wildlife.

Conservation organizations — including Defenders of Wildlife, Colorado Wildlife Federation, Western Watersheds Project and Sierra Club — urged the committee to treat wild, free‑ranging bison as wildlife so Colorado Parks and Wildlife could manage and protect them in concert with neighboring states. Scientists and nature groups cited genetic and ecological benefits of protecting wild herds and noted that several Western states manage wild bison as wildlife with hunting and formal herd plans.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials said they support the concept but requested additional time and technical amendments so the agency can develop a robust herd management plan and associated regulations; CPW asked for an effective date later in 2026 to allow a public, science‑based management process and sought statute language to permit appropriate license fees and stiffer penalties for illegal take. Committee amendments adopted in the hearing extended the effective date to January 1, 2026 and added legislative findings reflecting cultural and ecological concerns; CPW asked for a further extension to May 2026 and additional technical fixes before full agency support.

The committee approved the bill as amended and sent it to the Committee on Appropriations by a 4‑3 vote. Sponsors and tribal leaders emphasized the measure is a first step in a broader process of consultation and management planning; local county and grazing stakeholders asked the committee to consider impacts to livestock and grazing systems as the process moves forward.

Senate Bill 53 now heads to the appropriations committee with a requirement that Colorado Parks and Wildlife coordinate a management planning process with tribes, federal land managers and local stakeholders.","Senate Bill 53 was amended and advanced out of the Senate Agriculture Committee on a 4‑3 vote after extensive testimony from tribal leaders, conservation groups and local stakeholders calling for legal protection of wild bison that occasionally cross into Colorado from Utah’s Book Cliffs herd.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6118576,"Senate committee clears bill requiring clear labeling of cultivated meat products",1710,4863000,6573000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2723343-cf7809799e1b2c4cf289a74dd5c98454&start=4863&end=6573","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2723343-cf7809799e1b2c4cf289a74dd5c98454/thumbnail_4863000.jpg","/articles/6118576/Colorado/Senate-committee-clears-bill-requiring-clear-labeling-of-cultivated-meat-products","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6118576-c908703c7e573e285745e2d2d54ba9d0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184083&Signature=VBGWRcz-zvdj3-tO5oldRhyI-PCvBwX7fAJLxEx5lHX1n90zRgQXp2tltN838fIycrWpHB70xmR6pudRfUcpYgKWc9g3iHRByTIxzAcO0WF6vftWScvfdk9YQEaeQtHOdvHYhKS4YLor-XyP05i8Wa9ZL2oPhet2-sBNOo~X-BSxsAT~pN~Z2mRQJF7gyDkvhB5hwqZm8k7atTonhKtV1aujyAIptd4WzD5jRQTfyp7D-wNpHLVVWjz4qNv1jfeWMsDFD8LFOlouxY7JhOhcmMH9dR173tfv~upt5-H3eDX2RXsqz1i8SbJrMQiIzl69Rr0EZA52VP00BvXzTLOJdw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee unanimously recommended House Bill 1203 for the Committee of the Whole Monday and placed the measure on the consent calendar. The bill would require cultivated or cell‑cultured meat products to be labeled so that consumers are not misled into thinking they are conventional meat derived from livestock.

Sponsor Senator Pelton framed the bill as a consumer‑protection and transparency measure for Colorado shoppers and for agricultural producers. Agricultural witnesses and industry groups told the committee they did not seek to ban cultivated or engineered meat products but wanted to ensure consumers could distinguish lab‑produced products from meat raised and processed by Colorado farmers and ranchers.

Testimony in favor came from ranching and farm groups, including the Colorado Independent Cattle Growers Association and the Colorado Farm Bureau, and from producers and processors who stressed beef’s economic importance to Colorado. Tyler Garrett of Rocky Mountain Farmers Union said the bill “does not ban cultivated meat or engineered products, but simply requires that the organizations producing and selling cultivated meat ensure consumers have the best information for them to make an informed decision.”

Health and consumer advocates also urged clear labeling and noted regulatory gaps in federal oversight of novel, lab‑grown proteins. County Commissioner Felix Lopez told the committee that clear labeling “provides information to consumers to determine for themselves what meat products to purchase” and protects Colorado ranchers and their markets.

The committee unanimously approved the bill and placed it on the consent calendar. Committee members said they wanted consumers to have clear information to make purchasing decisions. The legislation now moves forward with broad bipartisan committee support.","House Bill 1203, which would require cultivated or cell‑cultured meat products to be labeled so consumers understand they are not conventional meat from livestock, moved out of the Senate Agriculture Committee unanimously and was placed on the consent calendar.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6118581,"Senate committee deadlocks on allowing veterinarians to establish VCPR via telemedicine; bill postponed",429,4391000,4820000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2723343-cf7809799e1b2c4cf289a74dd5c98454&start=4391&end=4820","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2723343-cf7809799e1b2c4cf289a74dd5c98454/thumbnail_4391000.jpg","/articles/6118581/Colorado/Senate-committee-deadlocks-on-allowing-veterinarians-to-establish-VCPR-via-telemedicine-bill-postponed","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6118581-adcf8404a7e2e0bacbd50643ad58e25b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184083&Signature=ND9zLoaFW3SJzJAzz7Ymqy335Ex3k6VJ9195UewDsUBxqsziplUsHiZfmU2G12ZHjyUO2mUgJ2ZAodqHL5aShkvv1iRttRNsKxXhNw53FjIgolBF55DX~-m~IOxP8lRpnR971m8~4prK4o7i10uH5U8-4VIcOWYgKA2~vF7EQOR1U3MUDxIN21zyTg8qzjADYZem0MgQ4nIS4O4DTrvNEbmaTFaaouxrDFpuyLfi7cGRQy3LiPR-yY8ml~81ydwu-IX4FnZYK8tbCnTcs84RFcPh4qk3RJrpy87BgsaPFeK9fH~PMLFXxyaj9OvzY6o~5ELdFINz~bYZUiKVYm4rSQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 159, a proposal to allow Colorado veterinarians to establish a veterinarian‑client‑patient relationship (VCPR) via telemedicine, failed to advance out of the Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee Monday and was later postponed indefinitely.

Sponsor testimony framed the measure as a tool to increase access to veterinary care in a state that faces provider shortages, especially in rural areas. Senator Cutter told the committee Colorado ranks poorly for access to veterinary care and that allowing a licensed Colorado veterinarian to form a VCPR by telemedicine would give licensed veterinarians another tool without removing the requirement that veterinarians see an animal in person when clinically necessary.

Opponents, including some committee members, voiced concern that creating a remote VCPR could reduce in‑person examinations that are important for diagnosis and animal safety. Senator Winter and other speakers said the first‑visit in‑person VCPR has been a longstanding safeguard given the differences between human and animal medicine.

Committee action on a motion to move SB159 to the Committee of the Whole failed on a 3‑4 roll call. The committee then voted on a motion to postpone the bill indefinitely; that motion passed on a reverse roll call, effectively removing SB159 from consideration during this session.

Senators who supported the bill argued it was a modest modernization that would not force veterinarians to use telemedicine but would allow licensed Colorado veterinarians discretion to do so when appropriate. Opponents cited concerns about patient safety, enforcement and the potential for outside companies to offer services without appropriate local oversight.

The bill’s sponsor and veterinary stakeholders indicated they hoped to continue discussions with the veterinary community about possible middle‑ground language, but for now SB159 will not advance this session.","Senate Bill 159, which would allow Colorado veterinarians to establish a veterinarian‑client‑patient relationship remotely, failed to advance in committee after a 3‑4 vote and was subsequently postponed indefinitely on a reverse roll call.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senate committee amends Colorado Pet Overpopulation Fund law; removes TNR mandate and changes board makeup

Senate committee advances confirmations for coal mine, mine reclamation and water-quality boards

Committee backs bill to protect wild bison crossing into Colorado; tribes and conservationists urge safeguards

Senate committee clears bill requiring clear labeling of cultivated meat products

Senate committee deadlocks on allowing veterinarians to establish VCPR via telemedicine; bill postponed