Senate committee advances bill to centralize disaster recovery, protect survivor data and reorganize emergency management offices

Senator Marchman, the bill sponsor, told the committee that House Bill 12-52 establishes a State Recovery Task Force within the Office of Emergency Management to coordinate damage assessments, unify recovery planning and direct a coordinated strategy to the governor's office after disasters such as wildfires, floods or cyber attacks.

"This bill creates a state recovery task force within the Office of Emergency Management," Marchman said. "When a disaster hits this task force will serve as the central hub pulling together state agencies, compiling damage assessments, and giving the governor's office a clear picture and a coordinated recovery strategy."

Co-prime sponsor Senator Carson said the bill clarifies which office leads disaster recovery and adds privacy protections for survivors' data entered into the survivor portal, which the sponsors said will be shielded from public disclosure. Carson described a 0 fiscal note and said the bill formalizes existing systems rather than creating entirely new ones.

Kevin Klein, director of the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (transcript spellings: Kline/Cline), testified in support and explained technical changes and the rationale for consolidation. Klein said the survivor portal was already established in statute and that this bill adjusts Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) treatment so that individual survivor information is not exposed in public records requests. He also described moving auxiliary emergency communications volunteers into the communications office and consolidating offices to place grant managers closer to operational staff.

Klein said the division administered roughly $2,200,000,000 in grants last year and argued the reorganization improves coordination and keeps grant administration near the operators who implement programs. Committee members pressed on transparency and segregation of duties; Klein said a separate recipient-monitoring unit will remain distinct and review awards to preserve oversight.

Sponsors offered amendment L004 during the hearing; members adopted the amendment by unanimous voice and the committee then voted to advance the amended bill to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation. Senator Marchman highlighted an L004 change that ensures the chief information security officer (CISO), Jill Frasier, or her delegate will be able to participate in cybersecurity oversight provisions in the bill.

The committee recorded the motion to advance the bill and registered assent; the transcript records the committee discussion and the chair's subsequent adjournment of the meeting. The committee did not place the bill on the consent calendar during this session.