Date: 04/15/2015

Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB15-1264

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STATE, VETERANS, & MILITARY AFFAIRS

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
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12:50 PM -- HB15-1264

Representatives Melton and Salazar, co-prime sponsors, presented House Bill 15-1264. This bill establishes a set of rights held by persons experiencing homelessness. A person experiencing homelessness is permitted to use public space in the same manner as any other person. Public spaces subject to the bill include any property partially or wholly owned by a state or local government and any other property with an easement for public use.

The rights of a person experiencing homelessness are enforceable against both public and private parties, and include the right to:

The bill creates a private right of action for civil relief if a person's rights under the bill are violated. A person experiencing homelessness may seek various remedies, including injunctive and declaratory relief, restitution for the loss of property, actual damages, and compensatory damages up to $1,000 per violation.

Providers of services to homeless persons are not obligated to provide shelter or other services that are unavailable.

12:54 PM -- Stuart Hill, representing the Ft. Collins Homeless Coalition, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Hill discussed his experience with homelessness. He submitted a poem that he wrote (Attachment E).

15HouseState0415AttachE.pdf15HouseState0415AttachE.pdf

12:59 PM -- Nicole Sisneros, representing the Boulder County homeless community, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Sisneros discussed her experience with homelessness. She spoke about urban camping bans and the criminalization of homelessness.

01:03 PM -- Paul Boden, representing the Western Regional Advocacy Center, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Boden discussed violent interactions between citizens and law enforcement officers. He spoke about the criminalization of homelessness.

01:07 PM -- Eric Niederkruger, representing himself, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Niederkruger spoke about his experience working with homeless individuals in the Grand Junction area.

01:11 PM -- Robert Bowen, representing himself, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Bowen spoke about his life before and after his experience with homelessness.

01:16 PM -- Randle Loeb, representing himself, testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. Loeb related information about his experience with homelessness. He expressed his opinion that the bill is not the way to help homeless individuals and distributed information about his position (Attachment F).

15HouseState0415AttachF.pdf15HouseState0415AttachF.pdf

01:18 PM -- Regina Huerter, representing the City and County of Denver, testified in opposition to the bill. Ms. Huerter spoke about Denver's Road Home and the supports and services it provides to the homeless population in Denver. She expressed her opinion that the bill is not the best way to help this population. She responded to questions from the committee.


01:28 PM

The chair announced that the bill would be laid over to a later date and that anyone signed up to testify would be allowed to testify at that time.


01:28 PM

The committee adjourned.