Committee advances technical fix to welder certification language and updates energy terminology

Sponsor introduced House Bill 26‑1303 on the committee floor, saying the measure makes two technical revisions to Colorado statutes related to energy and carbon management. The sponsor said the bill replaces an inaccurate reference to the International Code Council F31 (a journeyman mechanical exam) with the appropriate terminology for the exam welders must pass to obtain certification for oil and gas process piping work.

"The 31 the f 31 exam is not applicable to welders," the sponsor said, explaining the change is to correct the statute and to require the commission to adopt rules that reflect the proper certification standard. The bill also replaces instances of "oil and gas operations" with "energy and carbon management operations" where appropriate, to align terminology across statutes.

The committee noted one online witness listed from the Colorado Energy and Carbon Commission who was present for questions only; no substantive questions to the witness were recorded and the witness phase was closed. The sponsor moved the bill to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation; the committee treated the motion as proper and, after a roll call/voice procedure, the measure passed and was placed on the consent calendar.

The bill, as presented, is described by the sponsor as technical and focused on statutory language alignment; no fiscal impact or appropriation was reported on the record. The committee recorded the outcome and placed the bill on the consent calendar for future floor consideration.