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Lobbyists say amended extreme‑temperature bill is now a data‑collection measure after heavy edits
Summary
Elbert County lobbyists described how an originally broad extreme‑temperature worker protection bill was narrowed in committee to a data‑collection bill with a much smaller fiscal note and no immediate regulatory authority; they said state agencies and many stakeholders opposed earlier versions.
Steve Belsky and Tim Coleman briefed the Board on the status of an extreme‑temperature worker protection bill that was substantially amended in committee.
Originally the bill would have granted broad rule‑making authority to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) to create enforceable temperature‑related injury and illness prevention rules. The lobbyists said committee amendments removed regulatory authority and converted the proposal into a data‑collection bill with a reduced fiscal note (the lobbyists cited roughly $130,000 per year) and only a future option for a model prevention plan in 2028.
Why it matters: lobbyists said state agencies, local governments and many employers opposed the original measure because of its potential scope and fiscal impact. The transcript recorded the bill’s emotional committee hearing, where lobbyists said supporters read names of roughly 50 people in the landscape and farm industries who had died in heat‑related circumstances.
Specifics noted: lobbyists described the bill’s temperature thresholds as above 90°F or below 30°F in some iterations and recalled a prior version that contained prescriptive requirements (for example, water temperature standards and mandated breaks). They said the governor’s office and CDLE had opposed the bill in its earlier forms.
Board context: lobbyists said they were actively lobbying against broad rule‑making authority while acknowledging the political sensitivity of worker safety issues; no county directive or vote followed the briefing.
Next steps: lobbyists will continue to monitor changes and reported optimism they could defeat the legislation in its stronger forms.
