House Finance advances insurance, transmission and safety bills and postpones private security measure; TABOR lawsuit debated

The House Finance Committee on June 1 considered a full slate of bills affecting insurance markets, energy transmission, road safety, wildlife collisions and criminal justice procedures, sending most measures to the Committee on Appropriations after votes largely along policy/technical lines.

The committee postponed House Bill 12‑62 — a bill that would have created baseline state regulation for the private security industry — at the sponsor’s request, clearing it “postponed indefinitely.” Representative Brooke Mabry, the bill sponsor, told the panel she wants to pause the proposal because the fiscal and administrative costs cannot be covered right now. “I’ll be asking the committee to postpone this bill today,” she said, noting the measure’s intent to require background checks and training but adding the state lacks startup funding.

The panel advanced several other bills, moving them to appropriations with recorded roll calls: House Bill 13‑02 (insurance enterprises to stabilize homeowners markets and subsidize home hardening) cleared committee 9–4; House Bill 12‑92 (state‑highway corridor access for high‑voltage transmission, with conditions) advanced 9–4; House Bill 13‑03 (crash‑prevention enterprise to fund vulnerable‑road‑user safety and wildlife crossings) advanced 8–5; and House Bill 12‑14 (narrow parole and short‑term incarceration reporting and alternatives) advanced 7–6. Separately the committee also approved House Bill 12‑68 (a clean‑energy retrofit funding package using unclaimed property funds under the terms adopted) 7–6.

The insurance package (HB 13‑02), presented by Representative Brown and supported by the state Insurance Commissioner, would establish two enterprises: one to fund home‑hardening grants to reduce hail and wind losses (the “Strengthen Colorado Homes” enterprise) and a wildfire catastrophe reinsurance enterprise to stabilize the wildfire insurance market. Sponsors described a modest fee on certain homeowner policies to seed the programs and multiple negotiated amendments that reduced the proposed fee and tightened board authorities. “By investing in impact resistant roofing and other proven measures, homeowners can reduce their out‑of‑pocket deductible expenses,” sponsor Representative Brown said in introducing the measure.

On energy and transmission (HB 12‑92), the committee took up legislation easing use of existing state highway rights of way for some high‑voltage lines. Sponsors and proponents said using longitudinal highway corridors can speed permitting, reduce new greenfield impacts, and reduce delays that impede the build‑out of capacity needed to meet Colorado’s clean‑energy goals. CDOT testified it will retain safety and operations discretion and flagged where right‑of‑way geometry makes co‑location impractical.

HB 13‑03 created a crash‑prevention enterprise funded by a small, itemized fee on automobile insurance (structured in committee amendments), intended to support grants for vulnerable‑user safety projects (sidewalks, crossing signals, protected bike lanes) as well as wildlife crossing projects. Proponents, including county commissioners and traffic‑safety groups, cited data on rising pedestrian deaths and the relatively large cost of wildlife collisions in Colorado. “The ability to walk or bike safely enhances quality of life,” said Bicycle Colorado; the Colorado Municipal League backed the bill for grant opportunities at the local level.

The committee also heard an extended and heavily attended hearing on House Joint Resolution 10‑23 — a proposal directing the General Assembly to authorize counsel to sue in state court to seek a judicial determination whether the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) violates the Republican‑form guarantee in Article IV of the U.S. Constitution. Witnesses on both sides of that debate spoke at length; proponents argued the legislature is uniquely hamstrung by TABOR’s spending formula and by frequent ballot measures that cap and constrain budgets, while opponents said the measure would be a costly attempt to undo a longstanding voter‑approved constitutional limit.

Votes at a glance - HB 12‑62 (private security; regulation): Postponed indefinitely on sponsor’s request. Roll call result recorded as “pass,” sponsor asked for postponement because the state cannot yet fund the proposed regulatory board and operations. (Transcript discussion: Representative Mabry and roll call.) - HB 13‑02 (Strengthen Colorado Homes enterprise; Wildfire Catastrophe Reinsurance enterprise): Approved 9–4 to Committee on Appropriations after sponsor amendments that reduced fee levels and clarified board composition and standards. (Sponsor: Representative Brown; Insurance Commissioner Michael Conway testified in support.) - HB 12‑92 (Transmission corridor access/incidental co‑location on state highway rights of way): Approved 9–4 to Appropriations with amendments clarifying high‑voltage scope and permit/compensation provisions; CDOT maintained final safety/operations discretion. (Sponsor: Representative Clifford; proponents included transmission advocates and CDOT witness Emily Hathaway.) - HB 13‑03 (Crash Prevention Enterprise — grants for vulnerable‑user safety and wildlife crossings): Approved 8–5 to Appropriations with amendments on allocation and reporting; backers said local grants can deliver proven safety infrastructure. (Sponsor: Representative Lukens; supporters included county commissioners and conservation groups.) - HB 12‑14 (Sentencing, parole and short‑term incarceration reporting and alternatives): Approved 7–6 to Appropriations after amendments removing contested parole presumption language and adding court notice/reporting requirements; sponsors said the change will let courts consider alternatives where a person would otherwise serve only a very short period in prison. (Sponsor: Representative Clifford; public‑defender and reentry advocates testified.) - HB 12‑68 (Clean energy retrofit/consumer financing pilot using unclaimed property funds): Approved 7–6 to Appropriations with a package of amendments that standardize program language, allow third‑party administration and set borrowing/reporting mechanics; sponsors proposed an initial loan/disbursement plan tied to the Unclaimed Property Trust Fund. (Sponsor: Representative Froelich.)

What the committee did not decide - The committee did not vote to adopt the TABOR‑challenge resolution (HJR10‑23) at this meeting; it was considered in a lengthy separate hearing with multiple panels of witnesses earlier in the agenda (see transcript). That measure drew dozens of witnesses on both sides and remains a subject of continuing debate.

What's next Most of the bills the committee advanced were sent to the Committee on Appropriations for fiscal review and budget action. Sponsors said they will continue negotiating technical edits with stakeholders and with state agencies to ensure programs have clear implementation paths.

Ending note Committee debate spanned technical fixes (third‑party administrator language, fee mechanics, reporting triggers) and large policy disputes (whether to create new enterprises funded by small surcharges and, separately, whether the state should seek a court ruling on TABOR’s constitutionality). The committee’s work advanced a number of program bills while postponing the private‑security measure and leaving the broader TABOR legal question the subject of a long public hearing with no immediate final legislative action recorded in this meeting.