First Regular Session

Sixty-second General Assembly

LLS NO. R99­0866.01 Robert Neill

STATE OF COLORADO

BY REPRESENTATIVES Tate, Chavez, Clarke, Coleman, Gordon, Gotlieb, Grossman, Leyba, Mace, and Veiga;

also SENATORS Hernandez, Pascoe, and Tanner.

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 99-1021

CONCERNING A REQUEST TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TO DIRECT THE CHAIRMAN OF THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION NOT TO CLOSE THE DENVER REGIONAL OFFICE OF THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION.

WHEREAS, The decision to close the Denver Regional Office of the Federal Trade Commission will have a substantial adverse effect on both consumers and small businesses in the state of Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region; and

WHEREAS, For over 20 years the Denver Regional Office has provided a Federal Trade Commission presence in the Rocky Mountain region, enforcing consumer protection and anti­trust laws; and

WHEREAS, The Denver Regional Office of the Federal Trade Commission receives in excess of 5,000 consumer complaints and inquiries annually that are mediated and adjusted to the satisfaction of consumers and small businesses; and

WHEREAS, The Denver Regional Office of the Federal Trade Commission acts as a liaison for state and local consumer and regulatory agencies concerning credit, consumer protection, and anti­trust issues in addition to other related regulatory matters; and

WHEREAS, Closing the Denver Regional Office of the Federal Trade Commission will leave the Rocky Mountain region underrepresented in comparison to other regions and will significantly diminish the level of consumer protection throughout the Denver metropolitan area, the state of Colorado, and the Rocky Mountain region; and

WHEREAS, Denver is a rapidly growing metropolitan area and technology center, is quickly becoming an international trade center and a world leader in the field of cable and satellite television programming services, is the capital of the rapidly growing Rocky Mountain region, and is the home of many high­tech companies, and the continued existence of the Denver Regional Office of the Federal Trade Commission is important to these industries and to the city, state, and region; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Sixty­second General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the Senate concurring herein:

That the General Assembly requests the President to direct the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission not to close the Denver Regional Office of the Federal Trade Commission as the closure of the Office would be contrary to the public interest.

Be it further resolved, That a copy of this resolution be sent to the President of the United States, to the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, and to each member of the Colorado congressional delegation.