House Judiciary

Tuesday, February 24, 2026·4h 55m·▶ Watch / Listen

The House Judiciary Committee advanced two contested bills — a pet custody framework (HB 26-1131) narrowly referred to Appropriations, and an Aurora jail compliance bill (HB 26-1039) passed 9-2 — while HB 26-1047, a sweeping eviction process reform, drew overwhelming landlord opposition and remained in testimony with no vote taken.

Key Actions

·HB 26-1131 – Custody of Pet Animals in Dissolution ProceedingsNo Vote

+ 3 more actions

Controversies

Whether HB 26-1047's suppression provisions allow tenants to lie to future landlords

Peter Muccio argued that suppressing eviction records tells people 'hey, you can lie about your eviction past' and amounts to 'putting a blindfold on the landlord.' Christie Bunge stated she has 'deep concerns about advocating for somebody to say I can put false, misleading or inaccurate information on an application.' Stephen Hennessey countered that suppression is a standard negotiating tool in which tenants confess judgment in exchange for suppression, and the bill simply ensures those agreements are honored.

+ 2 more controversies

Notable Quotes

“Every moment that a judicial officer spends on a pet allocation issue is a moment that they are not spending on children and a moment that they are not spending on domestic violence victims and a moment that they are not spending on allocating financials between parties so they can go forward and live independently.”
Kayla Zelman, Colorado Bar Association Family Law Section — Zelman testified in opposition to HB 26-1131, arguing that adding pet custody determinations to domestic relations dockets would divert scarce judicial resources from higher-priority matters.

Votes

Postpone HB 26-1108 indefinitely at sponsor's requestPassed

Yes (9)Rebecca Keltie, Chad Clifford, Cecelia Espenoza, Ava Flanell, Lorena Garcia, Javier Mabrey, Matt Soper, Yara Zokaie, Michael Carter

Absent (2)Scott Slaugh, Jennifer Bacon

Move HB 26-1039 as amended to Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendationPassed

Yes (9)Lorena Garcia, Scott Slaugh, Yara Zokaie, Jennifer Bacon, Chad Clifford, Cecelia Espenoza, Javier Mabrey, Michael Carter, Matt Soper

No (2)Ava Flanell, Rebecca Keltie

Move HB 26-1131 to Committee on Appropriations with a favorable recommendation (moved by Vice Chair Carter, seconded by Rep. Clifford)Passed

Yes (6)Jennifer Bacon, Chad Clifford, Lorena Garcia, Yara Zokaie, Michael Carter, Javier Mabrey

No (5)Cecelia Espenoza, Ava Flanell, Rebecca Keltie, Scott Slaugh, Matt Soper

Absent (2)Bacon — Pass, [UNCLEAR — transcript reads 'SL' — no roster Rich

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TranscriptPreview

Is your co prime coming? Rev. Carter. The committee will come to order. Ms. Shipley, please call the roll representatives. Bacon. Excuse. Clifford. Here. Espinoza. Flinella. Present. Garcia. Kelty. Here. Slaw. Excused. Soper. Excused. Zokai. Here. Carter. Mr. Chair. Here. Okay. Okay. Committee. First. We are going to Hear House Bill 1108. I do just want to make clear for the record, I do know we had a few people signed up to testify. We're not going to be hearing testimony on the bill because it is going to be postponed indefinitely. And so I just want to put that on the record. But. Representative lukens. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you. Members of the Judiciary Committee, I respectfully request that you postpone indefinitely House Bill 1108. Any questions or discussion, committee members? No. Well, that's not a motion. Rep. Carter, at the request of the sponsor, I move to postpone 1108 indefinitely. Second. Okay, that's proper. Motion seconded by Rep. Espinoza. Ms. Shipley, please call the roll. Representatives. Bacon. Excused. Clifford. Yes. Espinosa. Yes. Linnell. Yes. Garcia. Yes. Kelty. Yes. Slot. Excused. Soper. Soper. Yes. Zokai. Yes. Carter. Yes. Mr. Chair. Yes. Okay. On a vote of nine to…

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