Provide Security For Certain Elected Officials

Current law requires the Colorado state patrol to provide protection for members of the general assembly when they are present in the state capitol buildings group and to respond to complaints relating to criminal activity or security threats against a member of the general assembly. Current law also authorizes the Colorado state patrol to provide additional protection and security services to a member of the general assembly in certain circumstances as requested by legislative leadership. After considering several factors, the Colorado state patrol determines whether the protection and security services are needed.

The bill requires the executive committee of the legislative council (executive committee) to establish a process that allows a member of the general assembly to appeal to the executive committee if the member requests protection and security services from the Colorado state patrol and the Colorado state patrol determines that the services are not needed. The bill requires the executive committee to review the reasons for the request for protection and security services and the reasons for the Colorado state patrol's determination that the services are not needed.If the executive committee determines that the protection and security services requested by the member of the general assembly are needed, the executive committee is required to coordinate with the Colorado state patrol to provide the protection and security services requested by the member of the general assembly. The executive committee is required to reimburse the Colorado state patrol for any costs incurred by the Colorado state patrol in providing protection and security services to a member of the general assembly when the Colorado state patrol or the executive committee determines that the protection and security services are needed. The executive committee is required to authorize the reimbursement from the legislative department cash fund.In addition to the protection and security services provided pursuant to current law, the bill authorizes the Colorado state patrol to provide other protection and security services to a member of the general assembly as requested by the executive committee of the legislative council and as deemed necessary by the chief of the Colorado state patrol. The executive committee of the legislative council is required to establish a process by which a member of the general assembly may request other protection and security services from the Colorado state patrol. The Colorado state patrol is required to ensure that members of the general assembly are aware of the protection and security services that may be requested from the Colorado state patrol.

In addition, the bill specifies that the Colorado state patrol is required to provide the same protection and security services to the secretary of state, attorney general, and state treasurer (statewide constitutional officers) when they are present in the state capitol buildings group as it provides to members of the general assembly and that statewide constitutional officers may also request that the Colorado state patrol provide additional protection and security services to a statewide constitutional officer upon request of the statewide constitutional officer.The bill establishes an appeal process for statewide constitutional officers that is similar to the process for members of the general assembly; except that the bill requires the executive director of the department of public safety (director) to establish a process that allows a statewide constitutional officer to appeal to the director. If the director determines that the protection and security services requested by the statewide constitutional officer are needed, the director is required to coordinate with the Colorado state patrol to provide the services and the Colorado state patrol bears the cost of providing the services.If the director determines that the protection and security services requested by a statewide constitutional officer are not needed but the statewide constitutional officer requests that the Colorado state patrol still provide the services, the statewide constitutional officer is required to reimburse the Colorado state patrol for the cost of providing the protection and security services.The Colorado state patrol is required to designate state patrol officers to be available to provide protection services to statewide constitutional officers and the chief of the Colorado state patrol is required to determine the priority in assigning state patrol officers among each statewide constitutional officer. The bill specifies that it is not intended to provide around-the-clock protection for a statewide constitutional officer unless there is a credible threat as determined in the discretion of the chief of the Colorado state patrol.

(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)

(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)