S_LGH_2023A 03/16/2023 11:35:27 AM Committee Summary

Senators Cutter and Exum, prime sponsors, introduced and explained Senate Bill 23-166. The bill creates the Wildfire Resiliency Code Board in the Department of Public Safety to adopt statewide building codes and standards for preventing damages caused by wildland fires in urban areas. Local governments must adopt building codes that meet or exceed the state codes.

Chief Brad White, representing the Grand Fire Protection District and Colorado State Fire Chiefs, testified in support of the bill.

Jefferson County Commisioner Lesley Dahlkemper, representing herself, testified in support of the bill.

Tawnya Somauroo, representing herself, testified in support of the bill.

The panelists continued to respond to questions from the committee.

Heather Stauffer, representing the Colorado Municipal League, testified in opposition to the bill.

Nicholas DeSalvo, representing himself, testified in opposition to the bill.

Commissioner Carrie Geitner, representing El Paso County, testified in opposition to the bill.

Mayor Anna Stout, representing the City of Grand Junction, testified in opposition to the bill.

The panelists responded to questions from the committee.

The panelists continued to respond to questions from the committee.

Megan Kemp, representing Healthy Air & Water Colorado, testified in support of the bill.

Tim Coleman, representing the Colorado Rural Electric Association, testified in support of the bill.

Keith Berlin, representing State Farm, testified in support of the bill.

Michael Newman, representing the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, testified in a neutral position on the bill.

Town Council Member Patrick Berry, representing Mountain Village, testified in support of the bill.

Rebecca Samulski, representing Fire Adapted Colorado, testified in support of the bill.

Ted Leighty, representing the Colorado Association of Home Builders, testified to amend the bill.

Jim Reid, representing the Pikes Peak Regional Office of Emergency Management, testified to amend the bill.

David Dazlich, representing the Colorado Springs Chamber & Economic Development Corporation, testified to amend the bill.

Roger Lovell, representing the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department, testified to amend the bill.

Ryan Mahoney, representing the Town of Basalt, testified in opposition to the bill.

County Commissioner Randall Wheelock, representing Clear Creek County, testified in support of the bill.

Matt Gonzales, representing Counties & Commissioners Acting Together (CCAT), testified in support of the bill.

The panelists responded to questions from the committee.

Todd Dixon, representing the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments, testified to amend the bill.

Nikolaus Remus, representing the Colorado Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, testified to amend the bill.

Christopher Green, representing the American Institute of Architects - Colorado Chapter, testified in opposition to the bill.

Scott Rodwin, representing the Colorado Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, testified to amend the bill.

The panelists responded to questions from the committee.

Michael Valdez, representing the Special District Association of Colorado, testified in support of the bill.

Dr. David Wolf, representing Colorado State Fire Chiefs - Volunteer & Combination Section, testified in support of the bill.

Jacob Smith, representing Colorado Communities for Climate Action, testified in support of the bill.

The committee recessed.

The committee reconvened.

The bill sponsors responded to questions from the committee.

The bill sponsors made closing remarks.

The committee made closing comments.