Current law requires the Colorado state patrol to provide
protection for members of the general assembly when they are present in the state capitol buildings group and to respond to complaints relating to criminal activity or security threats against a member of the general assembly. Current law also authorizes the Colorado state patrol to provide additional protection and security services to a member of the general
assembly in certain circumstances as requested by legislative leadership. After considering several factors, the Colorado state patrol determines whether the protection and security services are needed.
The bill requires the executive committee of the legislative council
(executive committee) to establish a process that allows a member of the general assembly to appeal to the executive committee if the member requests protection and security services from the Colorado state patrol and the Colorado state patrol determines that the services are not needed. The bill requires the executive committee to review the reasons for the request for protection and security services and the reasons for the Colorado state patrol's determination that the services are not needed.
If the executive committee determines that the protection and
security services requested by the member of the general assembly are needed, the executive committee is required to coordinate with the Colorado state patrol to provide the protection and security services requested by the member of the general assembly. The executive committee is required to reimburse the Colorado state patrol for any costs incurred by the Colorado state patrol in providing protection and security services to a member of the general assembly when the Colorado state patrol or the executive committee determines that the protection and security services are needed. The executive committee is required to authorize the reimbursement from the legislative department cash fund.
In addition, the bill specifies that the Colorado state patrol is
required to provide the same protection and security services to the secretary of state, attorney general, and state treasurer (statewide constitutional officers) when they are present in the state capitol buildings group as it provides to members of the general assembly and that statewide constitutional officers may also request that the Colorado state patrol provide additional protection and security services to a statewide constitutional officer upon request of the officer.
The bill establishes an appeal process for statewide constitutional
officers that is similar to the process for members of the general assembly; except that the bill requires the executive director of the department of public safety (director) to establish a process that allows a statewide constitutional officer to appeal to the director. If the director determines that the protection and security services requested by the statewide constitutional officer are needed, the director is required to coordinate with the Colorado state patrol to provide the services and the Colorado state patrol bears the cost of providing the services.
If the director determines that the protection and security services
requested by a statewide constitutional officer are not needed but the statewide constitutional officer requests that the Colorado state patrol still provide the services, the statewide constitutional officer is required to reimburse the Colorado state patrol for the cost of providing the protection and security services. 1
