H_AWN_2024A 02/12/2024 01:33:08 PM Committee Summary

Representative Velasco, bill co-prime sponsor, gave opening comments on the bill.

The bill sponsors responded to questions from the committee.

Sabrina Pacha, representing
Healthy Air and Water Colorado, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Diana
Dalager, representing Colorado and Wyoming American Red Cross, testified
in support of the bill. Dr. Michael Neil, representing Colorado Cross-Disability
Coalition, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Brittany Benesi, representing
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, testified in
support of the bill. Ms. Lori Mason, representing themself, testified in
support of the bill.



Ms. Dalager responded to questions from the committee.



Submitted written
testimony can be found in Attachment A.

Bill sponsors provided final comments on the bill.

Committee members made final comments on the bill.

Representative Velasco,
bill sponsor, introduced House Bill 24-1155. This bill makes several changes
to laws related to the emergency response for managing wildland fires.
Notably, the bill:

- specifies the
ability of all fire response agencies to transfer management of a wildland
fire to the county sheriff when a fire exceeds the capability of a fire
response agency to manage;

- repeals obsolete
language requiring that emergency responses to wildfires adhere to a community
wildfire protection plan, which is primarily a preventative planning document
and not an emergency response tool;

- provides flexibility
to the Division of Fire Prevention and Control in the Department of Public
Safety to determine when to use a unified command management strategy;
and

- repeals obsolete
language referencing the division as the lead state agency for wildland
fire response and suppression to align with the state emergency operations
plan.

The bill sponsor responded to questions from the committee.

Chief Vaughn Jones, representing the Division of Fire Prevention and Control, responded to questions from the committee.

Representative Velasco gave final comments on the bill.