Senate finance committee sends wildfire detection bill to appropriations after privacy, funding debate

The Colorado Senate Finance Committee voted unanimously to send Senate Bill 25-011 to the Committee on Appropriations after a hearing that focused on the bill's funding assumptions and privacy safeguards.

Senator Doherty, who sponsored the measure, told the committee the bill creates a Fire Technology Fund within the Division of Fire Prevention and Control in the Department of Public Safety and "does not appropriate state dollars to the Fire Technology Fund." She said the division may issue a request for qualifications if public or private funds are credited to the fund, and the measure creates a mechanism for private funds to be used for deployment of fire technologies.

The bill's supporters describe it as a way to expand early-detection tools for growing wildfire risk. "Any sort of tool in the toolbox we can give to our fire department, I think is a great idea," Senator Doherty said, referencing recent large wildfires, including the Marshall Fire.

The bill drew opposition focused on surveillance and data access. Corey Unasorg, testifying remotely and identifying himself as a candidate and a board member of Colorado Union Taxpayers, urged the committee to "vote no," saying the measure could enable a "private AI data collection system we can't audit" and called for public registers and broader transparency measures. Mike Rawlick, another remote witness, urged the committee to consider whether private vendors operating under this model could become "state actors," citing Manhattan Community Access Corp. v. Halleck (2019) as a relevant court case that sets tests for when private entities perform public functions.

Legislative fiscal staff told the committee the fiscal note shows potential state expenditures of up to $1 million in 2025-26 and $2 million in 2026-27, but that those figures are discretionary. Clayton Mayfield, legislative council staff, said any appropriation would be at the General Assembly's discretion and that the fiscal note used default assumptions because "no source of gifts, grants, or donations has been identified." Senator Marchman and others pressed sponsors on whether the bill should explicitly prohibit general fund appropriations; Senator Doherty said she would not add such a restriction "at this time."

Committee members and witnesses described how the fund is intended to work: private donors or other entities could put money into the Fire Technology Fund and the Division of Fire Prevention and Control would contract with vendors from a qualified list or solicit proposals. David Flynn, speaking on the bill's mechanics, said that approach was intended to limit grant-writing burdens on municipalities: "If a private donor comes in ... that private donor would actually go to DFPC and give money to the fire technology fund," and the department would enter vendor agreements or establish a qualified list.

Senators also asked whether vendors could both supply technology and fund pilot deployments; the panel said that could occur, provided vendors met the division’s procurement requirements. The bill includes language that vendors and agreements must comply with state privacy and data laws, and sponsors said draft amendments require that vendor agreements specify who may view any live feed.

After discussion, Senator Simpson moved to refer SB 25-011 to the Committee on Appropriations with a favorable recommendation. The committee recorded a unanimous aye vote and the bill advanced to appropriations.

The bill previously received testimony in another committee and will continue through the legislative process. The record contains testimony both in support — including prior statements from local fire chiefs who use detection technology — and in opposition focused on privacy, transparency and potential vendor control of data.