Colorado Legislature 2017 session information The Colorado Legislature’s website, which includes information about the content and current status of bills once they’re introduced, is leg.colorado.gov

Colorado should protect consumers’ rights to install electricity storage systems on their own properties, says Boulder Democratic Sen. Steve Fenberg.

Fenberg has introduced a bill he said would prohibit utilities from charging discriminatory or burdensome fees or impose unreasonable requirements on residential and small-commercial customers who want to install batteries or other systems to store electricity that they can tap for later use or in the event of power outages.

“The use of electrical storage systems is not just cost saving for the consumer but it helps reduce costs for all of Colorado’s ratepayers,” Fenberg said in announcing his Senate Bill 17-89.

“This bill protects consumer storage rights, enhances the reliability of the electric grid, saves money, and reduces the need for additional generation facilities, like coal power plants,” Fenberg said Friday.

Fenberg’s bill’s first test will be a hearing by the Senate Business, Labor and Technology Committee. The date and time of that hearing hasn’t yet been announced.

The electricity-storage bill is one of 23 measures introduced during the first week and a half of this year’s legislative session by lawmakers whose districts include parts of Boulder, Broomfield and southwest Weld counties.

Among other bills area lawmakers have introduced since the Jan. 11 start of the 2017 session:

• Boulder Democratic Rep. Edie Hooton’s House Bill 17-1015, which would clarify how inmates serving sentences in Colorado’s county jails can earn “good-time” reductions in their jail sentences. Hooton’s bill, which she’s sponsoring at the request of Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle and the County Sheriffs of Colorado, has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee for a hearing.

• Longmont Democratic Rep. Jonathan Singer’s House Bill 1026, which would give a homeowner who has taken out a reverse mortgage a longer period of protection against a lender’s mandatory foreclosure proceedings after the home has been rendered uninhabitable because of a natural disaster such as a flood or fire. The bill is being heard by the House Local Government Committee.

• Lafayette Democratic Rep. Mike Foote’s House Bill 17-1040, which would allow judges to authorize law enforcement agencies to wiretap or electronically eavesdrop on communications during investigations of possible trafficking of humans for involuntary or sexual servitude. The bill will be heard by the House Judiciary Committee.

• Broomfield Democratic Rep. Matt Gray’s House Bill 17-1075, which would set conditions under which probation officers can arrest defendants who have been granted deferred judgments and sentences, such as when the defendant is believed to have violated the conditions of the deferred sentence. The bill will be heard by the House Judiciary Committee.

• Firestone Republican Rep. Lori Saine’s House Bill 17-1097, which would repeal a 2013 state law that prohibits possessing ammunition magazines that hold 15 or more rounds. The bill will be heard by the House State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee.

• Louisville Democratic Sen. Matt Jones’ Senate Bill 17-34, which would extend the number of years — from the current four years to as many as eight years — in which Colorado counties can shift money from their budgets’ general funds into their road and bridge accounts to pay for recovery and repair work after state-declared disasters such as floods. The bill will be heard by the Senate Local Government Committee.

• Jefferson County Republican Sen. Tim Neville’s Senate Bill 17-62, which would prohibit public colleges and universities to restrict a student’s constitutional rights to speak verbally, hold a sign or distribute flyers or materials in a public forum, or from imposing unreasonable restrictions on the time place and manner of student speech in public forums. The bill will be heard by the Senate Education Committee.

• Fort Collins-area Republican Sen. Vicki Marble’s Senate Bill 17-63, which would create a state marijuana club license and requirements and restrictions for establishments proposing the consumption of recreational marijuana on the premises. The bill will be heard by the Senate Business, Labor and Technology Committee.

John Fryar: 303-684-5211, jfryar@times-call.com or twitter.com/jfryartc