Committee continues federal compliance panel for air pollution; 10‑year sunset added

Representative Velasco introduced a sunset continuation for the CDPHE Compliance Advisory Panel, which supports the department’s small business assistance work under the federal Clean Air Act. CDPHE witnesses said the panel has not met regularly since January 2020 but is still a required element under federal rules and could be useful in responding to future compliance challenges.

Jessica Furco, Planning and Policy Program Manager at the Air Pollution Control Division, told the committee the panel’s continuation is a low‑cost way to preserve federal compliance and the state’s flexibility. The sponsor offered an amendment to set a ten‑year sunset review (repeal/review date 09/01/2036) so the panel will be re‑examined in a decade; the committee adopted that amendment and then voted to send the bill to the Committee of the Whole.

Outcome: The committee adopted the sponsor amendment setting a 10‑year review and voted to advance the bill to the Committee of the Whole. No fiscal impact was reported for continuing the panel.

Why it matters: Maintaining a compliance advisory panel keeps Colorado aligned with a federal element of the Clean Air Act and preserves an established mechanism for advising CDPHE’s small‑business assistance program if future needs arise.