Recreate Wildfire Matters Interim Committee

Second Regular Session Seventy-fifth General Assembly STATE OF COLORADO INTRODUCED SENATE BILL 26-089 LLS NO. 26-0201.01 Alison Killen x4350 SENATE SPONSORSHIP Cutter and Baisley, HOUSE SPONSORSHIP Velasco, Senate Committees House Committees Agriculture & Natural Resources A BILL FOR AN ACT CONCERNING THE RECREATION OF THE WILDFIRE MATTERS REVIEW COMMITTEE.

Bill Summary (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at http://leg.colorado.gov.) The bill recreates the wildfire matters review committee (interim committee) to succeed the wildfire matters review committee that repealed on September 1, 2025. The purpose of the interim committee is to review the implementation and effectiveness of state policies and resources for wildfire prevention and mitigation and to consider and recommend legislation or other policy changes to address all matters Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.

Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law. Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.

relating to wildfire prevention and mitigation including public safety, forest health, and cooperation with appropriate federal agencies and local governments. The interim committee consists of 10 members of the general assembly appointed as follows: ! 5 members of the senate: 3 appointed by the president of the senate and 2 appointed by the minority leader of the senate; and ! 5 members of the house of representatives: 3 appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and 2 appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives. The appointing authorities must make their original appointments to the interim committee no later than June 1, 2026. The term of appointment is 2 years. Incumbent members may be reappointed to the committee. The bill requires the interim committee to meet at least twice and allows the committee to take 2 field trips during every interim. The committee's duties are to: ! Review the implementation and effectiveness of state policies and resources for wildfire prevention and mitigation; ! Seek presentations and comments from individuals with professional expertise relating to wildfire prevention and mitigation and from representatives of relevant state agencies, local governments, private industry, and impacted communities; and ! Recommend legislation or other policy changes to address matters related to wildfire prevention and mitigation, including public safety, forest health, and cooperation with appropriate federal agencies and local governments. The bill allows the committee to recommend up to 5 bills during each interim. The committee is repealed, effective June 30, 2031.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado: SECTION 1.

In Colorado Revised Statutes, recreate and reenact, with amendments, part 16 of article 3 of title 2 as follows:

PART 16 WILDFIRE MATTERS REVIEW COMMITTEE

2-3-1601. Legislative declaration.

(1) THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FINDS THAT:

(a) WILDFIRES ARE PART OF THE NATURAL CYCLE OF COLORADO'S FORESTS, YET INCREASINGLY POSE A SEVERE THREAT TO HUMAN LIFE AND PROPERTY;

(b) PEOPLE ARE ATTRACTED TO THE FOREST AND MOUNTAIN AREAS OF THE STATE AND INCREASINGLY CHOOSE TO MAKE THEIR HOMES IN WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE WILDLAND AREAS MEET RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT;

"WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE", WHERE

(c) THESE AND OTHER RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS LOCATED IN NUMEROUS PARTS OF THE STATE ARE REGULARLY THREATENED BY CLOSE PROXIMITY TO WILDFIRES AND, TRAGICALLY, DURING THE WINTER OF 2021 AND THE SPRING AND SUMMER OF 2012, COLORADO WILDFIRES RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF LIFE AND EXTENSIVE PROPERTY DAMAGE, INCLUDING THE DESTRUCTION OF HOMES, AFFECTING THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE; AND

(d) SINCE WILDFIRES CAUSE ANNUAL HARM TO MANY AREAS OF THE STATE AND THE RESIDENTS OF THOSE AREAS, WILDFIRE PREVENTION AND MITIGATION IS A MATTER OF EXTREME AND STATEWIDE IMPORTANCE THAT DEMANDS CRITICAL ATTENTION FROM THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON A REGULAR BASIS.

(2) ACCORDINGLY, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY DECLARES THAT THE RECREATION OF THE WILDFIRE MATTERS REVIEW COMMITTEE IS CRITICAL TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE A PUBLIC FORUM FOR LEGISLATIVE SCRUTINY OF STATE POLICIES AND RESOURCES ADDRESSING WILDFIRE PREVENTION AND MITIGATION WITH PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.

2-3-1602. Wildfire matters review committee - creation membership - duties - repeal. (1) NOTWITHSTANDING SECTION 2-3-303.3, THE WILDFIRE MATTERS REVIEW COMMITTEE IS CREATED.

THE PURPOSE OF THE COMMITTEE IS TO REVIEW THE IMPLEMENTATION AND EFFECTIVENESS OF STATE POLICIES AND RESOURCES FOR WILDFIRE PREVENTION AND MITIGATION AND TO RECOMMEND LEGISLATION OR OTHER POLICY CHANGES TO ADDRESS ALL MATTERS RELATED TO WILDFIRE PREVENTION AND MITIGATION INCLUDING PUBLIC SAFETY, FOREST HEALTH, AND COOPERATION WITH APPROPRIATE FEDERAL AGENCIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.

(3) (a) THE COMMITTEE CONSISTS OF TEN MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY APPOINTED AS FOLLOWS:

(I) FIVE MEMBERS OF THE SENATE, THREE MEMBERS APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND TWO MEMBERS APPOINTED BY THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE SENATE; AND

(II) FIVE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, THREE MEMBERS REPRESENTATIVES AND TWO MEMBERS APPOINTED BY THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

APPOINTED BY THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF

(b) THE APPOINTING AUTHORITIES SHALL MAKE THEIR INITIAL APPOINTMENTS TO THE COMMITTEE NO LATER THAN JUNE 1, 2026.

(c) THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE SHALL APPOINT THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE IN EVEN-NUMBERED YEARS AND THE VICE-CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE IN ODD-NUMBERED YEARS. THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SHALL APPOINT THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE IN ODD-NUMBERED YEARS AND THE VICE-CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE IN EVEN-NUMBERED YEARS.

(4) EACH MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE SERVES AT THE PLEASURE OF THE APPOINTING AUTHORITY AND CONTINUES UNTIL A SUCCESSOR IS APPOINTED. THE TERM OF APPOINTMENT IS TWO YEARS. THE TERM OF EACH MEMBER TERMINATES ON THE CONVENING DAY OF THE FIRST REGULAR SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY NEXT FOLLOWING THEIR APPOINTMENT OR REAPPOINTMENT TO THE COMMITTEE; EXCEPT THAT THE TERM OF EACH MEMBER APPOINTED INITIALLY PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (3)(b) OF THIS SECTION TERMINATES ON THE CONVENING DATE OF THE FIRST REGULAR SESSION OF THE SEVENTY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY. THE APPOINTING AUTHORITIES SHALL MAKE ALL NECESSARY APPOINTMENTS SUBSEQUENT TO TERMINATION AS SET FORTH IN THIS SUBSECTION (4) AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE AFTER THE RELEVANT CONVENING DATE.

INCUMBENT MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE MAY BE REAPPOINTED WITHOUT LIMITATION.

COMPENSATION;

REIMBURSEMENT FOR ACTUAL AND NECESSARY EXPENSES IN CONNECTION WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF THE MEMBER'S DUTIES AND RECEIVES THE SAME PER DIEM AS OTHER MEMBERS OF INTERIM COMMITTEES IN ATTENDANCE AT MEETINGS.

MEMBERS OF EXCEPT THE THAT COMMITTEE EACH MEMBER SERVE IS WITHOUT ENTITLED TO

(6) (a) THE COMMITTEE SHALL MEET AT LEAST TWICE AND MAY TAKE UP TO TWO FIELD TRIPS EVERY INTERIM. THE CHAIR MAY CALL SUCH ADDITIONAL MEETINGS AS ARE NECESSARY FOR THE COMMITTEE TO COMPLETE ITS DUTIES.

(b) THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE SHALL SCHEDULE THE FIRST MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE NO LATER THAN JULY 31 OF EACH YEAR.

(7) THE COMMITTEE MAY RECOMMEND UP TO FIVE BILLS DURING EACH INTERIM. LEGISLATION RECOMMENDED BY THE COMMITTEE MUST BE TREATED AS LEGISLATION RECOMMENDED BY AN INTERIM COMMITTEE FOR PURPOSES OF APPLICABLE DEADLINES, BILL INTRODUCTION LIMITS, AND ANY OTHER REQUIREMENTS IMPOSED BY THE JOINT RULES OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

(8) THE COMMITTEE SHALL:

(a) REVIEW THE IMPLEMENTATION AND EFFECTIVENESS OF STATE POLICIES AND RESOURCES FOR WILDFIRE PREVENTION AND MITIGATION;

(b) SEEK PRESENTATIONS AND COMMENTS FROM INDIVIDUALS WITH PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE RELATING TO WILDFIRE PREVENTION AND MITIGATION, AND FROM REPRESENTATIVES OF RELEVANT STATE AGENCIES, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, PRIVATE INDUSTRY, AND IMPACTED COMMUNITIES;

AND

(c) RECOMMEND LEGISLATION OR OTHER POLICY CHANGES TO ADDRESS MATTERS RELATED TO WILDFIRE PREVENTION AND MITIGATION INCLUDING PUBLIC SAFETY, FOREST HEALTH, AND COOPERATION WITH APPROPRIATE FEDERAL AGENCIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.

(9) THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND THE OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE LEGAL SERVICES SHALL PROVIDE STAFF ASSISTANCE TO THE COMMITTEE.

(10) THIS PART 16 IS REPEALED, EFFECTIVE JUNE 30, 2031.

SECTION 2.

Safety clause. The general assembly finds, determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state institutions.