Appropriations committee reports favorably on Senate bills 206–270; dozens recommended for consent calendar; several bills introduced

During a Colorado Senate floor session, the Committee on Appropriations reported favorably on a package of Senate bills and recommended that each be referred to the Committee of the Whole, with many placed on the consent calendar and several sent as amended.

After the committee "after consideration on the merits, the committee recommends the following," the clerk read recommendations for Senate Bills 206 through 270. The committee recommended referral of each bill to the Committee of the Whole; the committee also recommended that a large subset be placed on the consent calendar to expedite floor consideration. The committee announced amendments to a smaller group of bills before referral.

Why it matters: Referral to the Committee of the Whole and placement on the consent calendar are procedural steps that generally speed floor action. Bills placed on the consent calendar are typically taken up with limited debate unless a member objects.

The committee report covered 65 bills in sequence (Senate Bills 206–270). The committee recommended placement on the consent calendar for many bills (examples: SB207, SB209, SB215, SB216, SB217, SB218, SB219, SB220, SB221, SB222, SB223, SB224, SB225, SB227, SB230, SB232, SB233, SB234, SB236, SB237, SB238, SB239, SB240, SB241, SB243, SB244, SB246, SB247, SB249, SB250, SB252, SB253, SB256, SB258, SB259, SB262, SB264, SB265, SB266, SB267, SB268). The committee recommended amendments to several bills before referral (examples: SB229, SB247, SB258, SB262, SB264, SB266, SB270). The clerk’s recitation repeatedly used the phrase "after consideration on the merits, the committee recommends the following," which the committee used to introduce each bill recommendation.

The report did not record floor debate on the bills themselves in the excerpted segment. No roll-call votes on the individual bills were recorded in the readback; the session transcript in this segment shows only the committee recommendations and the reading of bill numbers and procedural dispositions.

Introductions and sponsors: Immediately after the committee report, the clerk announced the introduction of additional bills. The clerk read Senate Bill 271 (sponsors: Senators Ball and Rich; House sponsors: Representatives Espinosa and Luck), described as "concerning the repeal of part 3 of article 13.3 of title 8, Colorado Revised Statutes, containing obsolete provisions relating to the study of a paid family and medical leave program." The clerk then announced Senate Bill 272 (sponsors: Senators Winter and Catlin), described as "concerning a sales and use tax exemption for construction materials used in creating housing for a regional transportation authority," and a sequence of House bills (examples read aloud include House Bills 1004, 1013, 1117, 1213, 1236, 1245, 1289) with sponsors and brief subject lines as read to the body.

What happens next: The committee recommendations mean each listed bill will be placed on the calendar for further floor consideration in the Committee of the Whole. Bills recommended for the consent calendar may be considered with limited debate unless objected to on the floor. Introduced bills will be referred to the committees named by the clerk for initial consideration.

Quotes from the record: "After consideration on the merits, the committee recommends the following," the clerk read on behalf of the Committee on Appropriations.

Ending: The clerk closed the committee report sequence; later in the session the presiding officer accepted a motion to adjourn the Senate until 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 2, 2025. No final passage votes on the reported bills were recorded in the excerpted portion of the transcript, and the committee report itself does not constitute final passage of any bill.