NOTE: The governor signed this measure on 5/31/2014.
      
      
      HOUSE BILL 14-1303
      
      
      BY REPRESENTATIVE(S) Scott and Ferrandino, Conti, Court, Exum,
      Fields, Foote, Garcia, Hamner, Hullinghorst, Kraft-Tharp, Labuda,
      Lawrence, Lee, Mitsch Bush, Pabon, Peniston, Pettersen, Primavera, Priola,
      Rankin, Ryden, Salazar, Sonnenberg, Tyler, Williams, Wright, Young,
      Becker, Holbert, Melton, Murray, Rosenthal, Singer;
      also SENATOR(S) Schwartz, Aguilar, Guzman, Heath, Hodge, Kefalas,
      Kerr, King, Newell, Nicholson, Rivera, Roberts, Steadman, Todd, Carroll.
      
      
      Concerning the receipt of public testimony from remote locations
           around the state by legislative committees, and, in
           connection therewith, making and reducing appropriations.
      
      
      Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
      
           SECTION 1.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 2-3-303, amend (2)
      introductory portion; and add (2) (g) as follows:
      
           2-3-303.  Functions - report - definitions. (2)  In addition to any
      other powers and duties set forth in law, the executive committee shall have
      of the legislative council has the following powers and duties:
      
           (g) (I) (A)  To consider, recommend, and establish policies
      allowing legislative committees to take remote testimony from
      one or more centralized remote sites located around the state.
      
           (B)  If remote testimony is approved, at least one remote site
      established pursuant to sub-subparagraph (A) of this
      subparagraph (I) must be located in the western slope area of the
      state.
      
           (C)  The video teleconferencing technology need not
      televise, nor otherwise allow testifying members of the public to
      see, the committee of reference proceedings, so long as the
      members of the public are able to hear such proceedings and
      communicate with the committee.
      
           (II)  In implementing this paragraph (g), the executive
      committee may enter into agreements with state institutions of
      higher education to use those institutions as the centralized
      remote sites and to use the resources, including facilities,
      equipment, and staff, of those institutions.
      
           (III)  The executive committee may, in its discretion,
      implement the use of video teleconferencing in phases.
      
           (IV)  Nothing in this paragraph (g) supersedes the power of
      the house of representatives or the senate to adopt rules or joint
      rules, or both, for the orderly conduct of their affairs.
      
           (V)  After the adjournment of the second regular session
      of the seventieth general assembly, but prior to August 1, 2016,
      the director of research of the legislative council shall submit
      to the members of the general assembly a report containing the
      following information pertaining to remote testimony taken
      pursuant to this paragraph (g):
      
           (A)  The total number of persons who testified remotely;
      
           (B)  The locations of the sites from which such persons
      testified;
      
           (C)  The average length of hearings at which remote
      testimony was accepted;
      
           (D)  The estimated calculation of travel miles saved by
      allowing persons to testify remotely;
      
           (E)  The cost to implement the remote testimony process;
      
           (F)  The technological or other issues, if any, that arose;
      
           (G)  Identification of other suitable sites from which remote
      testimony can be taken, in a manner that ensures that adequate
      geographic distribution of sites is achieved;
      
           (H)  Any recommendations that the director believes would
      improve the taking of remote testimony; and
      
           (I)  Any other information that the director believes
      relevant or useful.
      
           SECTION 2.  Appropriation - adjustments to 2014 long bill.
      (1)  For the implementation of this act, the general fund appropriation made
      in the annual general appropriation act to the controlled maintenance trust
      fund created in section 24-75-302.5 (2) (a), Colorado Revised Statutes, for
      the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2014, is decreased by $135,354.
      
           (2)  In addition to any other appropriation, there is hereby
      appropriated, out of any moneys in the general fund, not otherwise
      appropriated, to the legislative department, for the fiscal year beginning
      July 1, 2014, the sum of $135,354 and 1.0 FTE, or so much thereof as may
      be necessary, to be allocated to legislative council staff for the
      implementation of this act.
      
           SECTION 3.  Act subject to petition - effective date. This act
      takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
      ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August
      6, 2014, if adjournment sine die is on May 7, 2014); except that, if a
      referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the state
      constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act within
      such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect unless
      approved by the people at the general election to be held in November 2014
      and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of
      the vote thereon by the governor.
      
      
      
      
      ________________________________________________________
      Mark Ferrandino                        Morgan Carroll
      SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE                     PRESIDENT OF
      OF REPRESENTATIVES                         THE SENATE
      
      
      
      
      
      
      ____________________________  ____________________________
      Marilyn Eddins                      Cindi L. Markwell
      CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE                 SECRETARY OF
      OF REPRESENTATIVES                         THE SENATE
      
      
      
      
                  APPROVED________________________________________
      
      
      
      
      
                                    _________________________________________
                                    John W. Hickenlooper
                                    GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF COLORADO