House Bill 25-1126 Preamended

A Bill for an Act

• Page 1, Line 101Concerning an increase in the diversity of interests

• Page 1, Line 102represented in proceedings before the public utilities

• Page 1, Line 103commission, and, in connection therewith, increasing

• Page 1, Line 104the number of commissioners and establishing

• Page 1, Line 105geographic regions from which certain commissioners

• Page 1, Line 106are appointed.

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 increases the membership of the public utilities commission from 3 to 5, with 2 of the commissioners representing the state at large and 3 representing one district each. The 3 districts are defined to include named counties, with one consisting of the Denver metro area, one of the western region of the state, and one of the eastern region of the state.

• This Unofficial Version Includes Committee

• Amendments Not Yet Adopted on Second Reading

• Page 2, Line 1Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:

• Page 2, Line 2SECTION 1.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 40-2-101, amend (1)(b) and (2); and add(1)(c), (1)(d), and (4) as follows:

• Page 2, Line 340-2-101.  Creation - appointment - term - subject to

• Page 2, Line 4termination - repeal of part - repeal. (1) (b)  The public utilities

• Page 2, Line 5commission consists of three members appointed by the governor with the

• Page 2, Line 6consent of the senate. Persons Members holding office on July 1, 1993,

• Page 2, Line 7shall continue to serve in such office, but the term of one of these persons

• Page 2, Line 8shall expire members expires on the Monday preceding the second

• Page 2, Line 9Tuesday of January 1995, of another, the Monday preceding the second

• Page 2, Line 10Tuesday of January 1996, and of the third, the Monday preceding the

• Page 2, Line 11second Tuesday of January 1997, all as the governor shall designate;

• Page 2, Line 12except that such designation shall must not result in the extension of the

• Page 2, Line 13term of any member to more than four years' duration. Thereafter,

• Page 2, Line 14Subsequent appointments shall be made for terms of four years. This subsection (1)(b) is repealed, effective July 1, 2026.

• Page 2, Line 15(c)  On and after July 1, 2026, the commission consists of

• Page 2, Line 16five members appointed by the governor with the consent of the

• Page 2, Line 17senate. Members holding office on July 1, 2025, shall continue to

• Page 2, Line 18serve in such office, but the term of one of these members expires

• Page 2, Line 19on the Monday preceding the second Tuesday of January 2026, of

• Page 2, Line 20another, the Monday preceding the second Tuesday of January

• Page 2, Line 212027, and of the third, the Monday preceding the second Tuesday

• Page 3, Line 1of January 2029, all as designated by the governor; except that

• Page 3, Line 2the designation must not result in the extension of the term of

• Page 3, Line 3any member to more than four years' duration. Subsequent

• Page 3, Line 4appointments shall be made for terms of four years; except that

• Page 3, Line 5the initial term of one of the two members appointed to serve beginning July 1, 2026, is three years.

• Page 3, Line 6(d)  Effective July 1, 2026, the governor shall designate

• Page 3, Line 7three of the five commissioners to represent identified

• Page 3, Line 8geographic regions of the state. The other two commissioners

• Page 3, Line 9shall represent the state at large. The identified geographic

• Page 3, Line 10regions, each to be represented by one of the three commissioners so designated, are as follows:

• Page 3, Line 11(I)  Denver metro region, consisting of the counties of

• Page 3, Line 12Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Larimer, Weld, Douglas, Jefferson,

• Page 3, Line 13Park, Clear Creek, Gilpin, and Elbert, and the cities and counties of Denver and Broomfield;

• Page 3, Line 14(II)  Western region, consisting of the counties of Jackson,

• Page 3, Line 15Chaffee, Fremont, Custer, Teller, Costilla, Alamosa, Conejos,

• Page 3, Line 16Rio Grande, Mineral, Saguache, Archuleta, Hinsdale, Gunnison,

• Page 3, Line 17Pitkin, Lake, Eagle, Summit, Grand, Routt, Moffat, Rio Blanco,

• Page 3, Line 18Garfield, Mesa, Delta, Montrose, Ouray, San Juan, La Plata, Montezuma, Dolores, and San Miguel; and

• Page 3, Line 19(III)  Eastern region, consisting of the counties of

• Page 3, Line 20Huerfano, Pueblo, El Paso, Crowley, Otero, Bent, Kiowa,

• Page 3, Line 21Cheyenne, Prowers, Baca, Las Animas, Logan, Sedgwick, Phillips, Yuma, Washington, Morgan, Kit Carson, and Lincoln.

• Page 3, Line 22(2)  No more than two three members of the public utilities

• Page 4, Line 1commission shall be affiliated with the same political party, and any

• Page 4, Line 2appointment to fill a vacancy shall be for the unexpired term. Each

• Page 4, Line 3commissioner shall be a qualified elector of this state. The governor shall

• Page 4, Line 4designate one member of the commission as chair of the commission. The

• Page 4, Line 5commissioners shall devote their entire time to the duties of their office

• Page 4, Line 6to the exclusion of any other employment and shall receive such

• Page 4, Line 7compensation as is designated by law. A majority of the commission shall constitute constitutes a quorum for the transaction of its business.

• Page 4, Line 8(4) (a)  On or after July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027,

• Page 4, Line 9commissioners appointed pursuant to this section may hold virtual meetings to conduct business.

• Page 4, Line 10(b)  This subsection (4) is repealed, effective July 1, 2028.

• Page 4, Line 11SECTION 2.  Act subject to petition - effective date. This act

• Page 4, Line 12takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the

• Page 4, Line 13ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except

• Page 4, Line 14that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V

• Page 4, Line 15of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this

• Page 4, Line 16act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take

• Page 4, Line 17effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in

• Page 4, Line 18November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.