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House committee and floor back confidentiality for ranchers filing wolf-depredation claims
Summary
Lawmakers approved a bill to keep rancher identities private when they file for state compensation after livestock losses tied to Colorado's wolf reintroduction; proponents said the change will increase reporting and protect ranchers from harassment.
The House approved Senate Bill 38, which would keep personal information of ranchers who file claims under the state's wolf-depredation compensation program confidential, sponsors said during committee and on the floor on Feb. 27, 2025.
Sponsor remarks and purpose
Representative (floor sponsor) (floor) said the bill responds to concerns from agricultural communities after Colorado voters approved Proposition 114 to reintroduce wolves. The bill mirrors earlier legislation that established a compensation fund and is intended to let ranchers file claims without fear of public backlash.
Assistant Majority Leader Winters, on the floor, said, "This is just the anonymity of their names," and emphasized that statistical data about payouts and county-level information would remain available while individual claimants' names would be protected.
Representative Johnson, who spoke in support, said the confidentiality would encourage ranchers to report depredation and provide better data for managing the program.
Why it matters
Supporters said the change will improve reporting and data quality by removing a barrier—fear of protest or harassment—that discourages ranchers from submitting claims. Sponsors noted that the state already created a compensation fund in 2023 and that anonymity is intended to preserve both transparency around public dollars and the privacy of affected families.
Action and outcome
The measure was moved and adopted on the floor. The chamber announced, "Senate Bill 25 38 passes," following the question and voice vote.
Context and limits
Sponsors emphasized that the bill preserves aggregated data about awards and county distributions so the public can still scrutinize how funds are used, and said the confidentiality applies only to claimant names and similar personal identifying information.
Proponents worked with media organizations to balance transparency and privacy, the sponsor said on the floor.
