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First Regular Session | 75th General Assembly
Colorado General Assembly

PUBLIC
BILL SUMMARY For SB19-172

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Date Apr 3, 2019       Location LSB B

SB19-172 - Amended, referred to Senate Appropriations
10:55:00 AM  

Senator Danielson and Senator Ginal presented Senate Bill 18-172 and distributed a handout (Attachment A). Under current law, a person who commits caretaker neglect against an at-risk person commits a class 1 misdemeanor. This bill increases the penalty for caretaker neglect to a class 6 felony and expands crimes against an at-risk person by creating new offenses for unlawfully abandoning or confining an at-risk person.
11:17:00 AM  

Committee questions and discussion followed.
11:19:44 AM  
Maggie Conboy, Denver District Attorney, testified in support of the bill.
11:26:45 AM  
Tim Lane, Colorado District Attorneys' Council, testified in support of the bill and responded to questions.
11:32:07 AM  
Chris Merkle, representing himself, testified in support of the bill.
11:35:31 AM  
Deborah Hogfeldt, representing herself, testified in support of the bill.
11:39:50 AM  
Susan Pringle, representing herself, testified in support of the bill.
11:44:44 AM  
Cary Johnson, First Judicial District, testified in support of the bill.
11:51:37 AM  

Christiano Sosa, The Arc of Colorado, testified in support of the bill.
11:54:54 AM  
Jeanette Hensley, Colorado Senior Lobby, testified in support of the bill.
11:55:51 AM  
Dawn Howard, Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, testified in support of the bill.
11:56:32 AM  
Maureen Welch, representing herself, testified against the bill.
12:01:31 PM  
Luanne Fleming, representing herself, testified in a neutral position on the bill.
12:03:48 PM  

Tristan Gorman, Colorado Criminal Defense Bar, testified against the bill and distributed a handout (Attachment B).
12:07:35 PM  
Arlene Miles, Colorado Health Care Association, testified in support of the bill if amended.
12:12:01 PM  

Kris Zumalt, Colorado Bar Association, testified in a neutral position on the bill.
12:14:51 PM  
Senator Danielson distributed and discussed amendment L.002 (Attachment C).
12:18:57 PM  
Tim Lane return to the table to respond to committee concerns about the amendment. Committee discussion followed.

12:25:52 PM
 Motion Adopt amendment L.002 (Attachment C).
Moved Pettersen
Seconded
Crowder
Smallwood
Winter
Pettersen
Fields
YES: 0   NO: 0   EXC: 0   ABS:  0   FINAL ACTION:  Pass Without Objection
12:25:53 PM  
Senator Ginal made closing comments.
12:27:39 PM  
Committee members commented on the bill.

12:28:41 PM
 Motion Refer Senate Bill 19-172, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations.
Moved Pettersen
Seconded
Crowder Yes
Smallwood Yes
Winter Yes
Pettersen Yes
Fields Yes
Final YES: 5   NO: 0   EXC: 0   ABS:  0   FINAL ACTION:  PASS