CPA’s contract lobbyist, Jennifer Mello, and CEO Tim Regan-Porter work daily to stay on top of the many bills that are introduced (or may be introuced) in the Colorado legislator. CPA’s advocacy committee meets weekly during session to set priorities, raise concerns and take positions on legislation.
See below for key priorities and legislation we are tracking. Calls for action, when necessary, will be issued via email. If you would like to be on our email list, contact us.
2024 Priorities
For 2024, CPA is working on legislation to support journalism for underserved communities in Colorado. Sponsors have requested late bill approval, but this may become a 2025 priority.
Much of our effort for 2024 is around transparency. Discussions of key bills began in 2023, and numerous other bills include some provisions that impact the public availability of information.
We are always on the lookout for bills that impact the operational and financial health of news organizations, which are often implicated (sometimes inadvertently) in bills that address data privacy, social media, consumer protection, workforce protections, etc.
Key Bills
Here are some of the bills consuming most of our efforts, based on their potential impact on journalism and news organizations. See below for a more extensive bill chart.
- Open meetings: There are two open meetings bills: SB24-157 and HB24-1303. The former is up for a hearing first. CPA and the broadcasters association are actively engaged in conversations with leadership on that bill. Read more about our position.
- CORA (HB24-1296): CPA and the broadcasters association have been in conversation with the bill sponsor since late 2023. While some problematic provisions have been improved, very serious concerns remain. We are opposed to the bill as introduced and continue to work to address those concerns. A call-to-action may be forthcoming.
- Child autopsy reports (HB24-1244): CPA and the broadcasters association have been in conversation with the bill sponsors and proponents since late 2023. Favorable changes have been made to the bill, but we insist that names remain available as a key piece of public information for the protection of victims of malfeasance by guardians, the state and others. We continue to work on this bill. A call-to-action may be forthcoming.
| Bill No. | Title | Sponsors (House and Senate) | Description | Intro Date | House Committee | Senate Committee | Status | Hearing Date | Comment |
| HB24-1022 | Publish Bill Drafts Online before Session | House: S. Luck (R) Senate: | Concerning publication of bill drafts online prior to the legislative session. | 01/10/2024 | State, Civic, Military and Veterans Affairs | House Committee on Legislative Council Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole: 04/26/2024 | 04/30/2024 | ||
| HB24-1054 | Jail Standards Commission Recommendations | House: J. Amabile (D) L. Garcia (D) Senate: R. Fields (D) J. Coleman (D) | Concerning implementation of jail standards in Colorado. | 01/10/2024 | Judiciary | House Committee on Legislative Council Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole: 04/26/2024 | 04/30/2024 | ||
| HB24-1090 | Privacy Protections Criminal Justice Records | House: N. Ricks (D) B. Titone (D) Senate: R. Fields (D) T. Exum Sr. (D) | Concerning release of identifying information in criminal justice records. | 01/18/2024 | Judiciary | Judiciary | Governor Signed: 02/20/2024 | Monitor | |
| HB24-1104 | Prohibiting Firefighter Personal Information on Internet | House: M. Snyder (D) R. Armagost (R) Senate: T. Exum Sr. (D) | Concerning protection of firefighters’ personal information from publication on the internet. | 01/25/2024 | Judiciary | Judiciary | Governor Signed: 04/11/2024 | monitor | |
| HB24-1133 | Criminal Record Sealing & Expungement Changes | House: M. Soper (R) J. Mabrey (D) Senate: R. Rodriguez (D) | Concerning matters related to access to criminal records. | 01/29/2024 | Judiciary | House Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole: 04/26/2024 | 04/30/2024 | Monitor | |
| HB24-1136 | Healthier Social Media Use by Youth | House: J. Amabile (D) R. Pugliese (R) Senate: J. Smallwood (R) L. Cutter (D) | Concerning measures to encourage healthier social media use by youth, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation. | 01/29/2024 | Education | Education | House Considered Senate Amendments – Result was to Concur – Repass: 04/19/2024 | 3/4 Monitor (previously amend) | |
| HB24-1151 | Disclose Mandatory Fees in Advertisements | House: N. Ricks (D) Senate: T. Exum Sr. (D) | Concerning prohibiting certain consumer transactions that do not include all mandatory charges. | 01/30/2024 | Business Affairs and Labor | Business, Labor and Technology | Senate Committee on Business, Labor, & Technology Postpone Indefinitely: 04/16/2024 | Amend – 3/18 | |
| HB24-1168 | Equal Access to Public Meetings | House: M. Froelich (D) M. Rutinel (D) Senate: N. Hinrichsen (D) | Concerning equal access to public meetings. | 01/31/2024 | Transportation, Housing and Local Government | House Committee on Transportation, Housing & Local Government Refer Amended to Appropriations: 03/20/2024 | Support | ||
| HB24-1244 | Minor Autopsy Report Release Requirements | House: M. Snyder (D) T. Winter (R) Senate: D. Michaelson Jenet (D) R. Gardner (R) | Concerning the circumstances under which an autopsy report prepared in connection with the death of a minor may be released to certain parties. | 02/12/2024 | Judiciary | Judiciary | House Considered Senate Amendments – Result was to Concur – Repass: 04/19/2024 | Changed to Amend 3/11/24 | |
| HB24-1260 | Prohibition Against Employee Discipline | House: M. Duran (D) T. Hernandez (D) Senate: J. Danielson (D) | Concerning a prohibition against disciplining an employee for refusing to participate in employer speech, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation. | 02/13/2024 | Business Affairs and Labor | House Second Reading Special Order – Passed with Amendments – Committee, Floor: 04/26/2024 | 04/29/2024 | Amend | |
| HB24-1296 | Modifications to the Colorado Open Records Act | House: M. Soper (R) C. Kipp (D) Senate: J. Marchman (D) | Concerning modifications to lessen the burdens of responding to records requests for custodians of records under the “Colorado Open Records Act”. | 02/14/2024 | State, Civic, Military and Veterans Affairs | House Third Reading Passed – No Amendments: 04/20/2024 | Will go neutral once amendments adopted in first committee | ||
| HB24-1303 | Colorado Open Meetings Law for the General Assembly | House: E. Epps (D) Senate: | Concerning the applicability of the Colorado open meetings law to the Colorado general assembly. | 02/14/2024 | Judiciary | House Committee on Judiciary Postpone Indefinitely: 04/09/2024 | Amend – 3/18 | ||
| HB24-1336 | Sunset Broadband Deployment | House: J. Parenti (D) R. Weinberg (R) Senate: K. Priola (D) R. Rodriguez (D) | Concerning the deployment of broadband through grants administered by the Colorado broadband office, and in connection therewith, making and reducing an appropriation. | 02/23/2024 | Transportation, Housing and Local Government | Finance | Senate Committee on Finance Refer Amended to Appropriations: 04/25/2024 | ||
| HB24-1460 | Law Enforcement Misconduct | House: L. Herod (D) J. Bacon (D) Senate: | Concerning measures to strengthen responses to law enforcement misconduct. | 04/17/2024 | Judiciary | House Second Reading Laid Over Daily – No Amendments: 04/26/2024 | 04/29/2024 | ||
| SB24-064 | Monthly Residential Eviction Data & Report | Senate: K. Mullica (D) J. Marchman (D) House: S. Bird (D) | Concerning requiring the judicial department to make residential eviction-related information available to the public, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation. | 01/19/2024 | Judiciary | Senate Second Reading Special Order – Passed with Amendments – Committee: 04/26/2024 | 04/29/2024 | Support | |
| SB24-084 | Attorney General Duties to Prevent Mis- & Dis-information | Senate: L. Cutter (D) House: L. Garcia (D) | Concerning a requirement that the attorney general undertake certain measures in an effort to prevent the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation. | 01/24/2024 | Judiciary | Senate Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to Appropriations: 02/14/2024 | Monitor | ||
| SB24-132 | Evaluation Protections & Educators | Senate: R. Zenzinger (D) J. Rich (R) House: B. McLachlan (D) M. Lukens (D) | Concerning extending evaluation protections to all educators. | 02/07/2024 | Education | Education | Governor Signed: 04/19/2024 | Amend | |
| SB24-153 | News Access for Consumers Who Are Print-Disabled | Senate: J. Danielson (D) House: | Concerning free audio news services for persons who are print-disabled. | 02/07/2024 | Business, Labor and Technology | Senate Committee on Business, Labor, & Technology Refer Amended to Appropriations: 03/28/2024 | Monitor | ||
| SB24-157 | Colorado Open Meetings Law for the General Assembly | Senate: S. Fenberg (D) House: C. deGruy Kennedy (D) J. McCluskie (D) | Concerning clarifying the application of the Colorado open meetings law to the Colorado general assembly. | 02/13/2024 | Judiciary | State, Veterans and Military Affairs | Governor Signed: 03/12/2024 | Amend | |
| SB24-158 | Social Media Protect Juveniles Disclosures Reports | Senate: C. Hansen (D) D. Michaelson Jenet (D) House: M. Lukens (D) L. Frizell (R) | Concerning social media companies, and, in connection therewith, establishing requirements for the operation of social media platforms by social media companies, authorizing the attorney general to enforce the new requirements under the “Colorado Consumer Protection Act”, and making an appropriation. | 02/13/2024 | Education | Business, Labor and Technology | Introduced In House – Assigned to Education: 04/17/2024 | 05/01/2024 | Amend |
| SB24-160 | Records of Workplace Discrimination Complaints | Senate: P. Lundeen (R) S. Fenberg (D) House: J. McCluskie (D) R. Pugliese (R) | Concerning records related to complaints of discriminatory workplace practices. | 02/15/2024 | Judiciary | State, Veterans and Military Affairs | House Second Reading Laid Over Daily – No Amendments: 04/14/2024 | 04/29/2024 | Neutral Moved from amend to neutral 3/18 |
| SB24-210 | Modifications to Laws Regarding Elections | Senate: S. Fenberg (D) House: E. Sirota (D) | Concerning modifications to laws regarding elections. | 04/17/2024 | State, Veterans and Military Affairs | Senate Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Refer Amended to Appropriations: 04/25/2024 |