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Committee advances bill shifting caucus‑accessibility liability from volunteers to political parties
Summary
The State Veterans and Military Affairs Committee advanced House Bill 26‑102.03, which would move legal liability for providing remote access during party caucuses and assemblies from volunteer workers to county or state party organizations; the motion to send the bill to the committee on the whole passed and the measure was placed on the consent calendar.
The State Veterans and Military Affairs Committee advanced House Bill 26‑102.03 after sponsors described the measure as a narrow technical fix to election‑access rules.
Senator Bazely, the bill sponsor, told the committee the bill clarifies who may request remote access to party caucuses and assemblies, limits that right to people eligible to participate in the caucus or assembly, and reorganizes language in the statute to remove an apparent oversight. He said the bill also designates that monetary damages for violations — up to $3,500 — would be payable by the county or state party that committed the violation rather than by individual volunteers.
“Volunteers need to know that that is going to into effect as soon as possible,” Senator Bazely said in closing remarks, arguing the change will relieve volunteers who have withdrawn from service out of liability concerns.
Majority Leader Rodriguez described the measure as a “pretty simple, straightforward fix” intended to direct accountability to party organizations rather than unpaid volunteers.
The vice chair moved to send the bill to the committee on the whole with a favorable recommendation; the committee adopted the motion (recorded in the transcript as 5 to 0) and placed the bill on the consent calendar.
The committee did not receive public witness testimony on this bill.
