Second Regular Session
Seventy-third General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
INTRODUCED
LLS NO. 22-0856.02 Kristen Forrestal x4217
HOUSE BILL 22-1313
House Committees Senate Committees
Agriculture, Livestock, & Water
A BILL FOR AN ACT
C
ONCERNING HOUSING REQUIREMENTS FOR AGRICULTURAL WORKERS101
DURING A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY .102
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
http://leg.colorado.gov
.)
Current law specifies housing requirements for agricultural
workers with which agricultural employers must comply during a public
health emergency. The bill clarifies that these requirements apply only
during a statewide public health emergency that concerns COVID-19.
The bill allows an alternative to compliance with the existing housing
requirements by authorizing a person engaged in agricultural employment
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
McCormick and Caraveo,
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
(None),
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing statute.
Dashes through the words indicate deletions from existing statute. to instead comply with alternative protections identified in a public health
order issued by the department of public health and environment.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 8-14.4-109, amend2
(1)(a), (1)(b), and (1)(c); and add (2) as follows:3
8-14.4-109. Agricultural employers - responsibilities during4
public health emergency - worker safety protections - definition.5
(1) During a public health emergency, in addition to the other protections6
and rights afforded to workers, a principal engaged in agricultural7
employment shall:8
(a) (I) E
XCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION (1)(a)(II) OF THIS9
SECTION, provide each worker living in employer-provided housing with:10
(I)
(A) In a single-occupancy unit where the worker is housed11
alone, at least eighty square feet of combined sleeping and living quarters;12
(II) (B) In multiple-occupancy housing, at least one hundred13
square feet of sleeping quarters per worker and one hundred twenty14
square feet of space per worker in areas used for combined purposes such15
as meal preparation and eating; and16
(III) (C) In all housing, screened windows that open to the outside17
or living space that has an air filtration system.18
(II) A
PRINCIPAL ENGAGED IN AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYMENT MAY ,19
AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO COMPLYING WITH SUBSECTION (1)(a)(I) OF THIS20
SECTION, COMPLY WITH ALTERNATIVE PROTECTIONS APPLICABLE TO21
HOUSING IDENTIFIED IN A PUBLIC HEALTH ORDER ISSUED BY THE22
DEPARTMENT.23
(b) Provide each worker actively engaged in the open-range24
production of livestock with:25
HB22-1313-2- (I) A single occupancy mobile housing unit, regardless of any1
variances otherwise available pursuant to 20 CFR 655.235;
OR2
(II) A
LTERNATIVE PROTECTIONS APPLICABLE TO HOUSING3
IDENTIFIED IN A PUBLIC HEALTH ORDER ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT ;4
(c) Allow the department of public health and environment to5
routinely inspect employer-provided housing to ensure compliance with6
guidelines issued by the department of public health and environment
7
applicable to a public health emergency; and any applicable executive8
orders issued by the governor during a disaster emergency declared9
pursuant to section 24-33.5-704 (4);10
(2) A
S USED IN THIS SECTION, "PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY "11
MEANS A STATEWIDE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY DECLARED BY12
EXECUTIVE ORDER REGARDING COVID-19, THE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE13
CAUSED BY THE SEVERE ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME CORONAVIRUS14
2,
ALSO KNOWN AS SARS-COV-2.15
SECTION 2. Safety clause. The general assembly hereby finds,16
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate17
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety.18
HB22-1313
-3-