Committee advances bill requiring life‑or‑death wireless alerts in predominant local minority language starting 2027

Representative Velasco introduced Senate Bill 31, a measure to require alerting authorities to issue life‑or‑death emergency alerts (including wireless emergency alerts where available) not only in English but also in the predominant minority language in the affected community when a population threshold is met. Velasco tied the bill to lessons from the 2020 Grizzly Creek Fire and to a 2023 legislative study on inclusive emergency communication (House Bill 12‑37), saying the measure addresses a life‑or‑death language‑access gap.

"No one should be left behind," Representative Velasco said, describing alerts as "life or death decisions" and urging the committee to support multilingual alerts that also meet the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. The bill sets a compliance start in 2027 and uses the same population‑threshold approach the state has used for multilingual ballot access (statutory threshold language in the bill mirrors previous voting‑access thresholds). SB 31 directs the 9‑1‑1 enterprise board to provide grant funding to support alerting authorities that need technical upgrades or translations.

Researchers and local officials who testified in support included Dr. Carson McPherson Kretsky of the Natural Hazard Center at the University of Colorado Boulder and Summer Laws, reading testimony from Boulder County Commissioner Marta Loachamin. The Natural Hazard Center’s 2023 study—commissioned under House Bill 12‑37—surveyed 222 alerting authorities and 36 subject‑matter participants and found interest in multilingual alerts but widespread constraints: limited personnel, varied alerting platforms, staff turnover, and differing software capabilities for translations. Dr. Kretsky told the committee multilingual capability varies by vendor and noted wireless emergency alerts currently support English and Spanish only but are expected to expand languages in coming years.

Supporters said many jurisdictions rely on opt‑in alert systems with participation often below 40 percent, leaving non‑English speakers without timely notification; proponents argued a state standard is needed to ensure equitable life‑safety communications. Witnesses and the sponsor also said the bill was negotiated with stakeholders since September and that a 30‑month on‑ramp gives communities time to comply. Alex Sanchez, CEO of Wosa Unidos (advocacy organization on the Western Slope), said a 2.5 percent population threshold in a county or city should trigger multilingual alerts for predominant languages and make emergency communications broadly accessible.

Opponents, including several county associations in earlier discussions, argued the measure effectively mandates local governments to upgrade costly alerting systems and that the fiscal note did not sufficiently explain the local cost impact. Representative Kelty and other members said the committee should be mindful that many small jurisdictions have limited budgets and that the state’s fiscal position limited the Legislature’s ability to fund a full statewide rollout.

Representative Linstead introduced adopted amendment L010, which reverted the bill’s definition of “prepaid wireless telecommunication service” back to current law to align Colorado’s definition with other states. Following further discussion the committee moved Senate Bill 31 as amended to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation; the roll call vote was 7‑6.

Supporters said grant funding from the 9‑1‑1 enterprise and use of existing multilingual systems where available should limit costs and that the bill provides an important, incremental step toward inclusive emergency communication statewide.