Hello all,

I wanted to provide a summary of the 2016 Legislative Session, which

ended on Wednesday, May 11.

Like last year, the split chambers created a dynamic where only bills
approved by both the Republican-led Senate and the Democrat-led House
reached the Governors desk.

Ultimately, I was the prime or co-prime sponsor of sixteen bills this

year. Of those sixteen, nine have reached the Governors desk and will
become law. I was also the House sponsor of an important resolution to
support the liquefied natural gas industry and tremendous economic
opportunity it provides for the Western Slope. Below is a brief summary
of the legislation I sponsored this year.

Prime Sponsorship by Rep. Yeulin Willet, House District 54

2015 Legislative Session, January 13 May 11, 2016

HB 16-1058 Misuse of Electronic Images By A Juvenile Creates a

misdemeanor crime for juveniles electronically sending explicit images,
also known as sexting, offering prosecutors an alternative punishment
to felony child pornography charges. Killed in committee, on a very
politically charged and manipulated basis.

HB 16-1082 Change Name Area Vocational Schools Changes the

name of area vocational schools to area technical colleges and add
representation for area technical colleges to the concurrent enrollment
board and the state work force development council. Signed into law.

HB 16-1139 Allow Electronic Cmt Participation During Interim

Allows electronic participation at certain committee meetings during the
legislative interim. Successfully passed out of the House with only a few
no votes, but killed in Senate.

HB 16-1201 Health Professionals Companion Animals Requires

medical professionals, when approached by a patient for an emotional
assistance animal, to make a written finding of a disability and whether
the need for an animal is related to that disability. Killed in committee but
brought back through HB 16-1426 and sent to the Governor.

HB 16-1220 Black Bear Hunting August Extends the black bear

hunting season by changing the legal start date to August 2 instead of
September 2. Killed in committee; a typical conflict of urban values
versus the West Slope way.

HB 16-1326 Consumer Access To Physical Rehab Services

Changes the requirements imposed on health insurance carriers
providing benefits for physical rehabilitation services and intermediaries
who contract with the carriers. Killed in Senate committee after getting
through the House.

HB 16-1426 Intentional Misrepresentation Assistance Animal

Requires medical professionals, when approached by a patient for an
emotional assistance animal, to make a written finding of a disability and
whether the need for an animal is related to that disability, and also
creates a petty offense for the intentional misrepresentation of
entitlement to an assistance animal. Awaiting action by the Governor.

SB 16-004 Enactment of 2015 CRS Enacts the softbound volumes of

the Colorado Revised Statues 2015 as the positive and statutory law of
the state of Colorado. Signed into law.

SB 16-068 Hunter Safety Pink Allows hunters another color option

while hunting big game, i.e. to wear fluorescent pink, which is safer than
orange, opens up new markets for business, and can be used to
promote cancer awareness. Signed into law.

SB 16-085 Uniform Trust Decanting Act Enacts the Colorado

Uniform Trust Decanting Act which allows a trustee to reform an
irrevocable trust document within reasonable limits that ensure the trust
will achieve the settlors original intent and prevents decanting when it
would defeat a charitable or tax-related purpose of the settlor. Awaiting
action by the Governor.

SB 16-088 Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access To Digital Assets

Enacts the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
which sets forth the conditions under which fiduciaries may access
certain electronic assets of a decedent. Signed into law.

SB 16-131 Overseeing Fiduciaries Mgmt Of Assets Clarifies that a

fiduciary's authority is suspended as soon as a petition for the fiduciary's
removal is filed, protects an adult ward or protected person's right to an
attorney post-adjudication, and prevents a fiduciary from paying court
costs or fees from out of an estate after receiving notice of
removal. Awaiting action by the Governor.

SB 16-133 Transfer of Property Rights At Death Concerns the

transfer of property rights upon the death of a person, and, in connection
therewith, clarifying determination-of-heirship proceedings in
probate. Signed into law.

SB 16-145 Colorado River District Subdistrict Formation Provides

an alternative mechanism for creating a subdistrict of the Colorado river
water conservation district. Awaiting action by the Governor.

SB 16-184 Market-Based Interest Rates On Judgments Changes

the law on lawsuit judgments so that the determination of market-based
rates for interest on judgments is within 2 points of the index, rather than
the current 8 to 9 percent. Killed in committee, due to the politics of trial
lawyers and their influence.

SJR 16-039 Jordan Cove Liquefied Natural Gas Export Facility

Recognizes the importance of oil and natural gas industry jobs to

western Colorado, including the positive economic and national security
impacts the industry brings to both Colorado and the United States, and
expresses support for the Jordan Cove LNG facility in Oregon, to which
our local gas would flow through the pipeline and then be shipped to
Pacific Rim countries. Awaiting final action on the House floor.

I am proud to have completed my first full session (two years) and have
applied as the incumbent candidate for re-election. It has been a
successful rookie season, having passed seven bills last year and nine
this year for a total of sixteen pieces of mostly bi-partisan legislation on
which I took the lead. Also, I was honored to receive a number of
legislative awards, including awards from the Colorado Civil Justice
League, the American Conservation Union, the University of Colorado,
and Colorado Competitive Council. Additionally, I was appointed as the
House delegate to the Colorado Bar Associations Board of Governors
and also the House delegate to the Colorado Commission on Uniform
State Laws and its national counterpart, The Uniform Law Commission.
At the end of April, I was one of two representatives who hosted the first
ever legislative climate change debate at the Capitol. Scott Denning, a
professor at Colorado States Department of Atmospheric Sciences,
argued that manmade global warming is a real, major issue that we can
work to solve while Jay Lehr, Ph.D., science director from conservative
think tank The Heartland Institute argued the opposite position. The event
went well and hopefully swayed some of the listeners. After the debate,
The Heartland Institute contacted me to be featured in the Legislative
Pulse section of an upcoming issue of their environmental newsletter.
I successfully petitioned the Executive Council for an interim committee
(during the 2016 off-session) to study the pros and cons of the
legalization of marijuana. I hope this is the start of a long process to
regain control of dangerous activities and inject some common sense to
this troublesome issue.
On the local front, I have successfully convinced CDOT to widen Highway

340/Broadway between the Redlands and Fruita. Also, I have petitioned

the Governor and CDOT to take over the Delta bypass as part of Highway
50. Also, I petitioned the Governor and Colorado State University to
reimagine its Extension Service near Hotchkiss and reinvigorate the local
traditional and organic agriculture and tourism business. In further
support of local industry and economy, on the last day of session I
cohosted a very special event on the west deck of the House Chamber
where my fellow legislators and I, as well as many House staff members,
enjoyed products from District 54 including wines and peach products
from Palisade, Enstroms toffee, lavender, and hard apple cider from
Delta. Hopefully this will turn into an annual event.
I look forward to continuing to represent the great people of western
Colorado. I will keep pushing hard for the West Slope way. In the
meantime, click on the links below the visit my official website, as well as
my Facebook and Instagram pages, which I will be updating periodically
throughout the rest of the year. I hope to see many of you this summer
and fall.
Sincerely,
Representative Yeulin Willett, HD 54

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