House Energy & Environment panel advances bill to label gas stoves, 9-4

The House Energy & Environment Committee voted 9 to 4 to advance House Bill 11 61, which would require a label on gas cooking appliances advising users to “vent to the exterior when in use,” sending the measure to the committee of the whole.

Sponsor Representative Joseline Valdez told the committee the measure is narrow and purely informational. “This bill is a very simple bill...it places a label ‘ventilated to the exterior when in use,’” she said, calling the label a reminder to “turn on their fan.”

The bill drew pro and con testimony. Gail Nordheim of Denver, who testified in support, said studies link gas-stove emissions to respiratory and cardiovascular problems and argued the label could increase use of ventilation and reduce indoor pollution. “Gas stoves are associated with numerous adverse health effects in both children and adults,” Nordheim said. Jan Rose of the Colorado Coalition for a Livable Climate, a statewide environmental coalition, told the committee the measure simply “reminds people to use ventilation when they’re cooking.” She cited a figure she attributed to the American Lung Association that only about 8 percent of people use range hoods while cooking.

Industry representatives opposed the bill. Jacob Cassidy, director of government relations for the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, said manufacturers and existing standards already address ventilation and cautioned that singling out gas ranges could give consumers a false sense of security about other cooking sources. “Simply putting a label on one type of cooking product gives consumers the false sense of security that they don’t need to ventilate while cooking food with other fuel sources,” Cassidy said. He also flagged unanswered implementation questions, including where and how a sticker would be affixed and which agency — if any — would enforce such a requirement.

Heidi Leathwood of 350 Colorado supported the bill and cited federal guidance on indoor air. “According to the EPA, indoor levels of pollutants may be 2 to 5 times higher than outdoor levels and sometimes more than a hundred times,” she told the committee, urging members to approve the reminder as an easy step to improve indoor air quality.

Committee members asked about evidence, costs and practical effects. Representative De Graaf questioned which combustion byproducts are specific to gas versus electric stoves; Valdez and witnesses named nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, benzene, formaldehyde and fine particulates as possible byproducts of combustion. Representative Aron asked whether the grid could support statewide electrification if consumers switched away from gas; Gail Nordheim said grid expansion would be needed but said she did not have data on immediate capacity. Representative Gonzales asked whether manufacturers might stop selling gas ranges in Colorado if labeling requirements proliferated; Cassidy said he could not predict market exits but said the sticker places “a thumb on the market” for one product over another.

Members also debated practical limits to ventilation. Representative De Graaf raised that many modern range hoods recirculate air rather than vent directly outdoors in some jurisdictions, which could leave pollutants inside homes. Cassidy and others said user manuals and existing building codes address ventilation; Representative Valdez and supporters said the label is intended as a simple consumer reminder and does not ban or mandate fuel choice.

Votes at a glance

- House Bill 11 61 (labeling gas stoves to advise ventilation to exterior when in use): Motion to advance made by Representative Joseline Valdez; second stated in the record as Verone. Outcome: advanced to committee of the whole, approved by the committee on a 9-4 vote.

What’s next

The bill will be considered by the committee of the whole. Committee discussion and testimony at that stage will determine whether the measure proceeds to the full House.

Source notes: Committee testimony and floor discussion occurred during the House Energy & Environment Committee meeting; direct quotes in this article are attributed to speakers who testified or spoke during the committee hearing.