Senate Finance advances audits, building decarbonization and on-bill financing; road-safety fee postponed

Senate Finance members on Thursday adopted amendments to a performance-audit bill, voted to postpone a proposed fee intended to fund vulnerable-road-user infrastructure, and advanced two energy bills that would change Colorado's building performance standards and create an on-bill financing program for home energy upgrades.

The committee adopted several technical and scope amendments to Senate Bill 306, then moved the bill to the Committee of the Whole. Senators later voted 6'to'2 to postpone House Bill 13-103 indefinitely (the road-safety infrastructure proposal). The committee also advanced House Bill 25-1269, which revises the building performance program, to Appropriations on a 6'to'3 vote, and advanced House Bill 25-1268, which funds and authorizes on-bill financing pilots, to Appropriations on a 5'to'4 vote.

Votes at a glance

- SB 306 (performance audits as amended): Committee adopted three amendments that narrow the audit focus and limit audit discretion; bill was recommended to the Committee of the Whole (committee action recorded as adopted). - HB 13-103 (vulnerable road-user / wildlife crossings funding): Motion to postpone indefinitely carried, 6'to'2. - HB 25-1269 (building performance program amendments / building decarbonization enterprise): Advanced to Appropriations, 6'to'3. Key changes: 2026 interim targets made a goal rather than a mandatory compliance deadline, 2019 energy baselines allowed for some buildings, and creation of a building decarbonization enterprise for technical assistance. - HB 25-1268 (on-bill financing): Advanced to Appropriations, 5'to'4. The bill provides state capital and program guidance to support utility on-bill repayment programs; sponsors and stakeholders adopted four committee amendments to address third-party administration, repayment priority and reporting.

What the committee did

SB 306: Committee amendments reworked the bill's audit language to focus the state auditor on the unemployment insurance division and to require audit review of compliance with statutory requirements, stakeholder access, and funding and staffing sufficiency. The committee adopted three amendments in the amendment phase and moved the bill forward.

HB 13-103: Sponsor Senator Winter framed the bill as a safety measure backed by the governor and multiple local governments; the measure proposed a small monthly charge (described in testimony as 25 cents per month, or roughly $3 per year) to fund infrastructure to reduce wildlife and vulnerable-user collisions. After a short wrap-up, Senator Wenner moved to postpone the bill indefinitely and the motion passed 6'to'2. Sponsors said they will continue work over the interim.

HB 25-1269: Sponsors described the bill as a negotiated rewrite that preserves the state's building performance program while giving building owners more time and flexibility to comply. The committee accepted a technical amendment and then voted the bill to Appropriations 6'to'3. Witnesses who testified in support included the Colorado Energy Office (CEO), building-owner organizations, local governments, environmental groups and architects. Supporters said the bill: allows use of a 2019 energy baseline instead of 2021 for some compliance paths; makes 2026 targets a goal rather than an enforceable compliance requirement; provides deemed compliance for buildings meeting local standards (for example, Denver's local program); creates a building decarbonization enterprise to provide technical assistance and (per testimony) to distribute federal grant funds; and establishes a task force to advise later 2040 targets.

HB 25-1268: Sponsors described the bill as an on-bill repayment pilot to help households finance weatherization and electrification measures with no upfront cost, repaid through the utility bill. The bill sets program guardrails, allows CEO to contract with utilities or third-party program administrators, and provides two possible capital sources described in the legislation: loaned capital from the Unclaimed Property Trust Fund (UPTF) or proceeds from the sale of tax-credit certificates if TABOR revenue conditions are met. The committee adopted four sponsor amendments (L21'L24) addressing program administration, ensuring that financed debt would be held by a third-party administrator, directing that customer utility service payments be applied to the utility portion of the bill first with remaining amounts applied to financed obligations, and adding reporting requirements.

What's next

Each advanced bill is routed to Appropriations for committee consideration. Sponsors of the paused road-safety bill said they will continue to work with stakeholders over the interim.

Transparency note: This summary is based solely on the committee hearing transcript and on testimony presented there. It does not add facts that were not stated on the record.