Committee rejects Kelty's squatting bill after wide testimony from landlords, advocates and criminal‑justice groups

Representative Kelty told the Judiciary Committee House Bill 11‑04 is intended to deter serial squatters and give property owners confidence to rent homes. "We need more properties," she said, arguing that owners are leaving the rental market because they do not feel protected.

Kelty described the bill as a tool for "bad actors" who "knowingly" take over homes — not a measure to penalize lawful renters. Her amendments, L001 and L002, added definitions of "legal tenancy" and a "binding contractual relationship," and reduced penalties in response to committee concerns.

Dozens of witnesses testified on both sides. Landlords and realtors described break‑ins, property damage and prolonged civil processes. Sunny Banka, who testified she had to re‑clean a freshly rehabbed house after unauthorized occupants left human waste and other damage, told the committee police had told her they could not act because the property owner was out of state. Karen Esquivel said her elderly mother's triplex suffered an extended stay by a…