HB 1023 — Political Party Liability for Accessibility Requirements

SecondHOUSE RegularBILL Session26-1023 Seventy-fifthBY GeneralREPRESENTATIVE(S) AssemblyLuck STATEand OFWoodrow, COLORADOBottoms, REREVISEDBradley, ThisBrooks, VersionCaldwell, IncludesClifford, AllDeGraaf, AmendmentsDuran, AdoptedEspenoza, inGoldstein, theHartsook, SecondLindsay, HouseMartinez, LLSPhillips, NO.Richardson, Slaugh, Story, Suckla, Taggart, Velasco, Weinberg, Winter T.;

26-0621.01also RebeccaSENATOR(S) BayettiBaisley x4348 HOUSE BILL 26-1023 HOUSE SPONSORSHIP Luck and Woodrow,Rodriguez, Bottoms,Zamora Bradley,Wilson, Brooks,Benavidez, Caldwell,Carson,Cutter,Daugherty,Exum,Frizell,GonzalesJ.,Jodeh,Kipp,Kolker, Clifford,Marchman, DeGraaf,Mullica, Duran,Pelton Espenoza,R., Goldstein,Wallace, Hartsook,Coleman. Lindsay, Martinez, Phillips, Richardson, Slaugh, Story, Suckla, Taggart, Velasco, Weinberg, Winter T.

SENATEC SPONSORSHIPONCERNING BaisleyandRodriguez,CLARIFICATION ZamoraWilson,Benavidez,Carson,Coleman,Cutter,Daugherty,OF Exum, Frizell, Gonzales J., Jodeh, Kipp, Kolker, Marchman, Mullica, Pelton R., Wallace e n e 6 E a 0 A UPOLITICAL ,PARTY N'S gLIABILITY l S d ip House Committees Senate Committees e A State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs State, Veterans, & Military Affairs R r e A BILL FOR ANCERTAIN ACTACCESSIBILITY nREQUIREMENTS 6RELATING mTO 0BALLOT C ONCERNINGCLARIFICATIONOFAPOLITICALPARTY 'SLIABILITYFOR T n , N U 3 CERTAINACCESSIBILITYREQUIREMENTSRELATINGTOBALLOT E i c S a a ACCESS FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES .

R M n Bill Summary e (Note:

This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does n 2 notreflectanyamendmentsthatmaybesubsequentlyadopted.Ifthisbill m 2 E n 6 passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that U U 2 applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at O i a H a r http://leg.colorado.gov.) R e r F Undercurrentlaw,thegeneralassembly,thesecretaryofstate,and each political party must ensure that it remains an option for a candidate in the state to access the ballot through the caucus process or any future g 6 alternative process that is accessible to persons with disabilities.

A d 0 E e , political party must also ensure that any person, upon request, is able to S R 2 U d r H 2 u Shading denotes HOUSE amendment.

Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.

e b Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.n F Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.

e A participateinaprecinctcaucusorapartyassemblywiththeuseofavideo conferencing platform or alternative means of participation.

The failure of any political party to make a reasonable effort to comply with these accessibility requirements constitutes discrimination on the basis of disability in a place of public accommodation.

The bill clarifies that these duties are duties of the state political partyand that a person who is subjected to a violation of a state political party's duties regarding these accessibility requirements may file suit against the state political party.

An individual, including a member of or volunteer for a political party, or a local political party may not be held liable for a violation of the state political party's duties regarding these accessibility requirements.

6 (2) (a) Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, within six months of August 7, 2024, any person WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE INACCORDANCEWITHTHEPROVISIONSOFSECTIONIN 1-3-101,uponrequest,ACCORDANCE mustWITH beTHE ablePROVISIONS toOF participateSECTION in1-3-101, aupon precinctrequest, caucus________ orCapital aletters party assembly with the use of a video conferencing platform The political party holding the caucus or assemblybold must& allowitalic participationnumbers withindicate thenew usematerial ofadded ato videoexisting conferencinglaw; platform without requiring or requesting an explanation of the need for the use of the video conferencing platform.

Itdashes isthrough inwords aor politicalnumbers party'sindicate discretiondeletions tofrom determineexisting whichlaw video conferencing platform will be used for precinct caucuses and partyassembliessuch somaterial longis asthenot platformispart accessibleof topersonswithdisabilities.Each political party shall establish policies regarding the procedureact. and timeline for a person to request to participate in a precinct caucus or a party assembly with the use of a video conferencing platform.

-2-mustbeabletoparticipateinaprecinctcaucus 1023or (b)apartyassemblywiththe TheuseofavideoconferencingplatformThepoliticalpartyholdingthecaucus requirementsor ofassembly subsectionmust (2)(a)allow ofparticipation thiswith sectionthe douse notof applya whenvideo aconferencing precinctplatformwithout caucusrequiring or partyrequesting assembly occurs in a geographic location that is in an unservedexplanation area of the state,need asfor definedthe inuse sectionof 40-15-102(32);EXCEPTTHATANYPERSONINSUCHUNSERVEDAREAWHOthe ISvideo ELIGIBLEconferencing TOplatform. PARTICIPATE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 1-3-101UPONREQUEST ,MUSTBEABLETOPARTICIPATEINSUCH PRECINCT CAUCUS OR PARTY ASSEMBLY WITH THE USE OF AN ALTERNATIVE TO A VIDEO CONFERENCING PLATFORM , SUCH AS A TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CALL.

TIt HEis ALTERNATIVEin MEANSa OFpolitical PARTICIPATIONUSEDINACCORDANCEWITHTHISSUBSECTIONparty's (2)(b)MUSTdiscretion BEto ACCESSIBLEdetermine TOwhich PERSONSvideo WITHconferencing DISABILIT.ESplatform (c)will Abe politicalused partyfor holding a precinct caucuscaucuses orand party assemblyassemblies thatso islong exemptas pursuant to subsection (2)(b) of this section from the requirementsofplatform subsection(2)(a)ofis thissectionmustallowparticipationaccessible with the use of an alternative to apersons videowith conferencingdisabilities. platform, such as a telephone conference call.

TheEach alternativepolitical meansparty ofshall participationestablish usedpolicies byregarding the procedure and timeline for a politicalperson partyto inrequest accordanceto withparticipate thisin subsectiona (2)(c)precinct mustcaucus beor accessiblea toparty personsassembly with disabilities.the use of a video conferencing platform.

(d)(b) AThe politicalrequirements partyof maysubsection require(2)(a) thatof this section do not apply when a personprecinct requestcaucus toor participateinaprecinctcaucusorapartyassemblywiththeuseofavideoparty conferencingplatform,oranalternativetoavideoconferencingplatformassembly asoccurs providedin a geographic location that is in subsectionan (2)(c)ECTIONunserved (2)(b)area of thisthe section,state, notas morethanthirtydaysinadvanceoftheprecinctcaucusorpartyassembly.defined in section 40-15-102 (32);

(3)EXCEPT TheTHAT failureANY ofPERSON anyIN politicalSUCH partyUNSERVED toAREA makeWHO aIS reasonableELIGIBLE effortTO toPARTICIPATE complyIN withACCORDANCE theWITH requirementsTHE ofPROVISIONS thisOF sectionSECTION constitutes1-3-101, discriminationonthebasisofUPON disabilityinviolationofsection24-34-602REQUEST SECTION,MUST 24-34-601.BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN SUCH PRECINCT CAUCUS OR PARTY ASSEMBLY WITH THE USE OFANALTERNATIVE TOAVIDEOCONFERENCINGPLATFORM ,SUCHASATELEPHONECONFERENCE CALL .

AnyTHE personALTERNATIVE whoMEANS isOF subjectedPARTICIPATION toUSED aIN violationACCORDANCE ofWITH thisTHIS -3-SUBSECTION 1023(2)(b) sectionisentitledtoseekallreliefprovidedinsection24-34-SECTIONMUST 24-34-602BE (1.5)ACCESSIBLE ONLYTO AGAINSTPERSONS THEWITH CENTRALDISABILITIES. COMMITTEE OF THE POLITICAL PARTY HOLDING THE CAUCUS OR ASSEMBLY .

N(c) INDIVIDUAL,Apoliticalpartyholdingaprecinctcaucusorpartyassemblythat INCLUDINGis Aexempt MEMBERpursuant OFto THEsubsection CENTRAL(2)(b) COMMITTEEof OFthis THEsection POLITICALfrom PARTYthe ORrequirements Aof VOLUNTEERsubsection FOR(2)(a) THEof POLITICALthis PARTY,section MAYmust NOTallow BEparticipation HELDwith LIABLEthe FORuse Aof VIOLATIONan OFalternative THISto SECTIO.a video conferencing platform, such as a telephone conference call.

SECTION2.The alternative means of participation used by apoliticalpartyinaccordancewiththissubsection(2)(c)mustbeaccessible to persons with disabilities.

InColoradoRevisedStatutes,24-34-602,add(1.5)(d) asA follows:political partymayrequire that a person request to participate in a precinct caucus or a party assembly with the use of a video conferencing platform, or an alternative to a video conferencing platform asprovidedinsubsection(2)(c) SUBSECTION (2)(b)ofthissection,notmore than thirty days in advance of the precinct caucus or party assembly.

(3) The failure of any political party to make a reasonable effort to comply with the requirements of this section constitutes discrimination on PAGE 2-HOUSE BILL 26-1023 thebasisofdisabilityinviolationofsection24-34-602SECTION 24-34-601.

Anypersonwhoissubjected to a violation of this section is entitledtoseek all relief provided in section 24-34-602CTION 24-34-602 (1.5)ONLY AGAINST THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE POLITICAL PARTY HOLDING THE CAUCUS OR ASSEMBLY .

AN INDIVIDUAL , INCLUDING A MEMBER OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE POLITICAL PARTY OR A VOLUNTEER FOR THE POLITICAL PARTY ,MAY NOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR A VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION .

SECTION 2.

In Colorado Revised Statutes, 24-34-602, add (1.5) as follows:

(1.5)(1.5)(a) (a)APERSONAGGRIEVEDBYAVIOLATIONOFSECTION A PERSON AGGRIEVED BY A VIOLATION OF SECTION 1-1-116 MAY BRING AN ACTION IN ANY COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION.JURISDICTION .

UPON FINDING A VIOLATION OFOFSECTION SECTION 1-1-116,THE PLAINTIFFIS ENTITLED TO A COURT ORDER REQUIRING COMPLIANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE APPLICABLE SECTION AND EITHE:EITHER :

(I) THE RECOVERY OF ACTUAL MONETARY DAMAGES ;OR (II) A STATUTORY FINE OF THREE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS ,PAYABLE TO EACH PLAINTIFF FOR EACH VIOLATION.VIOLATION .

(b) FORACLAIMBROUGHTF FORAVIOLATIONOFSECTIONOR 1-1-116,A EACHCLAIM CAUCUSBROUGHT ORFOR ASSEMBLYA ISVIOLATION CONSIDEREDASINGLEOF INCIDENTSECTION AND1-1-116, NOTEACHCAUCUSORASSEMBLYISCONSIDEREDASINGLEINCIDENTANDNOTAS AS SEPARATE VIOLATIONS .

The general assembly finds, determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate preservationofthepublicpeace,health,orsafetyorforappropriationsforpreservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for PAGE 3-HOUSE BILL 26-1023 the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state institutions.

-4-____________________________ 1023____________________________ Julie McCluskie James Rashad Coleman, Sr.

SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE PRESIDENT OF OF REPRESENTATIVES THE SENATE ____________________________ ____________________________ Vanessa Reilly Esther van Mourik CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE SECRETARY OF OF REPRESENTATIVES THE SENATE APPROVED________________________________________ (Date and Time) _________________________________________ Jared S.

Polis GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF COLORADO PAGE 4-HOUSE BILL 26-1023