Committee holds bill on civil liability for damage to government property after agencies cite duplicative authority

The Committee on Homeland Security, Justice, and Public Safety held Bill 36-0139 on June 4, 2026, after testimony from agency witnesses who urged the Legislature to consider existing law before adding statutory language. The bill would add provisions to Title 31 to make individuals financially responsible for damage to government property caused by negligence or willful acts.

Lisa Maria Alejandro, Commissioner of the Department of Property and Procurement (DPP), said the department "recognizes the intent" of the bill to increase accountability for government assets but argued the proposed sections duplicate existing statutory authority, including Title 31 subsection 167B, which she said already makes government employees financially responsible for damage to government motor vehicles. Commissioner Alejandro described draft standard operating procedures, incident-reporting tools and interagency coordination the department is rolling out to strengthen recovery of costs and improve reporting.

Patricia Lynn Prior, director of the White Collar Crime and Public Corruption Unit (appearing for the Attorney General), testified that civil actions and existing tort remedies are available and cautioned that duplicative laws can create inconsistency and arbitrary enforcement. "The Department of Justice believes that this measure is duplicative and therefore unnecessary," she told the committee.

Sponsor Senator Avery L. Lewis said the legislation is about stewardship and protecting taxpayer investments. He argued there are gaps in consistent accountability across agencies and asked the committee for support; several senators expressed interest in stronger reporting and coordination rather than immediately enacting new statutory penalties.

The committee approved a motion by Senator Lewis to hold Bill 36-0139 in committee at the call of the chair; roll call recorded six 'Yea' votes and one absence. Agency witnesses said they would continue interagency work on SOPs, reporting forms and coordination to ensure claims are pursued efficiently and that existing remedies are applied where appropriate.

The committee record shows the bill will remain in committee while staff and agencies continue coordination and while the Rules and Judiciary committee evaluates draft language and gaps in current statutory remedies.