CAR’s Legislative Policy Committee (LPC) held its first meeting of the session last week. Vice-President for Public Policy Ted Leighty and contract lobbyist Jason Hopfer told the LPC that the Homeowner Opportunity Alliance (HOA), of which CAR is a member, is still debating some compromises to the proposed construction defect bill and is waiting to introduce its package of bills.
There is good news on home inspector licensing. Last year the Senate’s GOP leadership wouldn’t support CAR’s bill because it disagreed that licensing was necessary. Now the GOP leadership indicates it may support a bill, provided it requires registration and background checks versus full-blown licensing.
So far over 150 bills have been introduced. Here’s a sample of some of the official CAR positions taken to date:
HB 1052 “Wildfire Tax Credit” LPC Position – Support. Rep. KC Becker (Boulder) sponsored this bill last year at CAR’s request. This year she is sponsoring the bill again, which will offer a 100 percent tax deduction to homeowners who increase their properties’ defensible space.
SB 12 “Time to Reconstruct Residential Improvements” LPC Position – Support. Sponsored by Boulder County legislators, Rollie Health and Jonathan Singer, this bill gives homeowners additional time to rebuild after disaster at the lower residential property tax rate (versus the rate for vacant land).
HB 1145 “Documentary Fee for Residential Real Property” LPC Position – Support. Currently, there are variations in the manner in which doc fees are calculated by Colorado counties. TRID requires the fee be disclosed at closing, so there is a need for clarity and consistency in the formula used to calculate the fee.
HB 1088 “Fire Protection District Impact Fee on New Development” LPC Position – Oppose. This bill would create an impact fee on new development to support fire protection activities. The LPC argues this is a bad time to require another fee just as developers are getting back on their feet.
HB 1108 “Residential Real Estate Disclose Large Plant Grow” LPC Position – Oppose: This bill would require homeowners to disclose if pesticides were used in the cultivation of six or more plants (read marijuana). The LPC’s position is that the implementation of yet another disclosure is unnecessary, especially considering the likelihood of homeowners using pesticides indoors. The sponsor has said she will probably kill the bill if CAR opposes it, so expect this one to be withdrawn.
HB 1020 “No Drones Near Airports or Jails” LPC Position – Oppose. Co-sponsored by Greeley Senator John Cooke, this bill would prohibit the use of drones near airports or jails. This bill would duplicate federal regulations and stop REALTORS from using drones to market properties.
IRES MLS: Come Home to Colorado 