Senate committee advances bill requiring 24-hour reporting for stolen or missing livestock

Senate President Coleman and Senator Rod Pelton won unanimous committee backing on an amended bill that requires faster, standardized reporting when livestock are suspected missing or stolen.

Sen. Coleman, a co-prime sponsor, told the committee the measure codifies consistent reporting practices to speed recovery and strengthen enforcement. "Improving how these incidents are reported is essential to ensuring timely response," he said during the hearing.

Why it matters: Witnesses described lengthy delays in reporting and coordination that they say allow stolen animals to be moved across county and state lines before recovery efforts begin. Nicole Mallory, who identified herself as representing Freedommakers Ranch and several state agricultural organizations, testified she has been a victim of cattle theft three times and said the delay cost her livestock and income. "When calves are missing ... it's my livelihood. They're my babies," Mallory said.

Multiple witnesses, including Larry Thompson, presented what they described as data showing increased losses and slow response times: Thompson said there were "85 reports in 2022" and "61 reports in 2023," and cited figures in the high hundreds for heads missing in recent counts. Those figures were presented as witness claims and were not adjudicated during the hearing.

The committee adopted amendment L002 to add a 24-hour reporting requirement for suspected theft to law enforcement and to require public-notification procedures for reported missing or stolen livestock. Brand Commissioner Todd Engley, appearing remotely, described ongoing agency reforms that parallel the bill: updated theft-investigation standard operating procedures, enhanced evidence collection, a law-enforcement liaison to the Brand Office, and a training schedule for brand inspectors the commissioner said is on track for completion by May 31. "We're in the process of updating our theft investigation process," Engley said, listing steps intended to improve case coordination.

Support and next steps: Testimony came from producers, community members and trade groups. Kellen Lanier, representing the Colorado Farmers and Ranchers Association, called the bill a necessary "baby step" to modernize reporting. After sponsor wrap-up remarks, Sen. Coleman moved SB 136 as amended to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation; the committee polled in support and the bill was set for the consent calendar.

Actions and outcome: The committee adopted amendment L002 by voice/without objection and voted to advance SB 136 as amended to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation. The clerk recorded affirmative responses from several senators during the poll and recorded Senator Danielson as excused; the committee chair announced the motion passed unanimously.

What remains unresolved: Witnesses' numerical claims about the scale of livestock losses and recovery rates were presented as testimony without independent verification at the hearing. The committee and the commissioner indicated a desire to monitor implementation and make further adjustments if necessary.

The committee placed the measure on the consent calendar for further floor consideration.