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Second Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
INTRODUCED
LLS NO. 26-0447.01 Jacob Bennington x2371 HOUSE BILL 26-1118
House Committees Senate Committees
State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING THE CREATION OF THE COLORADO-IRELAND101
INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION.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.)
The bill creates the Colorado-Ireland trade commission
(commission) in the Colorado legislature. The commission is comprised
of 11 members.
Members of the commission serve without compensation and do
not receive reimbursement for expenses incurred in furtherance of the
commission's responsibilities.
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Hartsook and Stewart R.,
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Frizell and Snyder,
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.
The commission is required to:
! Meet twice per year, with a quorum of at least 6 members;
! Annually submit a report to the members of the general
assembly and the governor with the number of times the
commission met in the preceding 12 months, the minutes
of commission meetings, and any recommendations or
requests that may assist the commission's work; and
! Work to advance bilateral economic interests and
investments between Colorado and Ireland.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add part 26 to article2
2 of title 2 as follows:3
PART 264
COLORADO-IRELAND INTERNATIONAL TRADE 5
COMMISSION6
2-2-2601. Colorado-Ireland international trade commission -7
creation - membership - duties - report.8
(1) Commission created. THERE IS CREATED THE COLORADO-9
IRELAND INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION , REFERRED TO IN THIS10
SECTION AS THE "COMMISSION", IN THE COLORADO OFFICE OF ECONOMIC11
DEVELOPMENT.12
(2) (a) Membership. T HE COMMISSION CONSISTS OF THE13
FOLLOWING ELEVEN MEMBERS:14
(I) EIGHT VOTING MEMBERS APPOINTED AS FOLLOWS:15
(A) TWO MEMBERS OF THE SENATE , WITH ONE MEMBER OF THE16
MAJORITY PARTY APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND ONE17
MEMBER OF THE MINORITY PARTY APPOINTED BY THE MINORITY LEADER18
OF THE SENATE;19
(B) TWO MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, WITH ONE20
HB26-1118-2-
MEMBER OF THE MAJORITY PARTY APPOINTED BY THE SPEAKER OF THE1
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND ONE MEMBER OF THE MINORITY PARTY2
APPOINTED BY THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE HOUSE OF3
REPRESENTATIVES;4
(C) O NE INDIVIDUAL WHO IS RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR5
ACHIEVEMENTS AND EXPERIENCE IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS, APPOINTED6
BY THE GOVERNOR;7
(D) O NE INDIVIDUAL WHO IS ACTIVE IN IRISH-AMERICAN8
CULTURAL AND CIVIC AFFAIRS, WITH A PREFERENCE FOR AN INDIVIDUAL9
WITH A HISTORY OF COOPERATION IN THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS ,10
APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE;11
(E) O NE INDIVIDUAL WHO IS ACTIVE IN ONE OR MORE STATE12
INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION WHO HAS AN INTEREST IN13
COLORADO-IRELAND TRADE RELATIONS, APPOINTED BY THE COLORADO14
COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION; AND15
(F) ONE INDIVIDUAL WHO REPRESENTS BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC16
DEVELOPMENT INTERESTS APPOINTED BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF17
THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL; AND18
(II) THREE VOTING EX OFFICIO MEMBERS AS FOLLOWS:19
(A) ONE MEMBER OF THE SENATE WHO IS THE CHAIR OF THE STATE,20
VETERANS, AND MILITARY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE OF THE SENATE OR ITS21
SUCCESSOR COMMITTEE, OR THE CHAIR'S DESIGNEE;22
(B) ONE MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WHO IS THE23
CHAIR OF THE STATE , CIVIC , MILITARY , AND VETERANS AFFAIRS24
COMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OR ITS SUCCESSOR25
COMMITTEE, OR THE CHAIR'S DESIGNEE; AND26
(C) T HE DIRECTOR OF THE COLORADO OFFICE OF ECONOMIC27
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DEVELOPMENT, OR THE DIRECTOR'S DESIGNEE.1
(b) THE MEMBERS APPOINTED PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (2)(a)(I)2
OF THIS SECTION SHALL SERVE TERMS OF THREE YEARS AND ARE ELIGIBLE3
FOR REAPPOINTMENT TO THE COMMISSION FOLLOWING THE EXPIRATION OF4
THEIR TERMS.5
(c) A LL APPOINTMENTS DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (2)(a)(I) OF6
THIS SECTION SHALL BE MADE NO LATER THAN AUGUST 31, 2026. IN7
MAKING APPOINTMENTS TO THE COMMISSION , THE APPOINTING8
AUTHORITIES SHALL MAKE REASONABLE EFFORTS TO ENSURE THAT THE9
COMMISSION MEMBERSHIP IS INCLUSIVE AND REFLECTS THE GEOGRAPHIC10
AND DEMOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY OF THE STATE.11
(d) M EMBERS OF THE COMMISSION APPOINTED PURSUANT TO12
SUBSECTION (2)(a)(I) OF THIS SECTION SERVE AT THE PLEASURE OF THE13
APPLICABLE APPOINTING AUTHORITY OR UNTIL THE MEMBER NO LONGER14
SERVES IN THE POSITION FOR WHICH THAT MEMBER WAS APPOINTED TO15
THE COMMISSION. IF A VACANCY OCCURS, THE APPROPRIATE APPOINTING16
AUTHORITY SHALL APPOINT A REPLACEMENT MEMBER WHO MEETS THE17
REQUIREMENTS SET FORTH IN SUBSECTION (2)(a)(I) OF THIS SECTION FOR18
THE VACANT POSITION NOT LATER THAN NINETY DAYS FROM THE DATE19
THE VACANCY IS DEEMED TO EXIST.20
(e) M EMBERS OF THE COMMISSION SERVE WITHOUT21
COMPENSATION AND ARE NOT ENTITLED TO REIMBURSEMENT FOR TRAVEL22
EXPENSES OR OTHER EXPENSES RELATED TO THEIR WORK ON THE23
COMMISSION.24
(3) Meetings. 25
(a) THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SHALL CALL26
THE FIRST MEETING OF THE COMMISSION , TO BE HELD NO LATER THAN27
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SEPTEMBER 1, 2026, AT WHICH THE MEMBERS SHALL ELECT A CHAIR AND1
VICE-CHAIR FROM AMONG THE LEGISLATIVE MEMBERSHIP AND ASSIGN2
STUDY AND REPORTING RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE MEMBERS.3
(b) T HE COMMISSION SHALL POST ON THE WEBSITE OF THE4
COLORADO OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT A NOTICE OF ALL5
MEETINGS, THE NAME OF EACH MEMBER SERVING ON THE COMMISSION ,6
AND A COPY OF ALL REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS PRODUCED BY THE7
COMMISSION.8
(c) THE COMMISSION SHALL MEET AT LEAST TWICE PER YEAR.9
(d) A QUORUM FOR A MEETING IS SIX MEMBERS.10
(e) T HE COMMISSION MAY MEET BY ELECTRONIC MEANS ,11
INCLUDING FOR ITS FIRST MEETING.12
(4) Duties. THE PURPOSE OF THE COMMISSION IS TO:13
(a) A DVANCE BILATERAL TRADE AND INVESTMENT BETWEEN14
COLORADO AND IRELAND;15
(b) E NCOURAGE MUTUAL INVESTMENT IN COLORADO AND16
IRELAND, ESPECIALLY IN INFRASTRUCTURE AND HUMAN CAPITAL;17
(c) P ROMOTE BUSINESS , EDUCATIONAL , AND CULTURAL18
EXCHANGES BETWEEN COLORADO AND IRELAND;19
(d) TAKE JOINT ACTION ON POLICY ISSUES OF MUTUAL AGREEMENT20
BETWEEN COLORADO AND IRELAND; AND21
(e) ADDRESS OTHER ISSUES AS DETERMINED NECESSARY BY THE22
COMMISSION.23
(5) Reports. 24
(a) O N OR BEFORE JANUARY 15, 2027, AND ON OR BEFORE25
JANUARY 15 EACH YEAR THEREAFTER, THE COMMISSION SHALL SUBMIT A26
REPORT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND THE GOVERNOR . THE REPORT27
HB26-1118-5-
MUST INCLUDE:1
(I) T HE NUMBER OF TIMES THE COMMISSION MET DURING THE2
PRECEDING TWELVE MONTHS;3
(II) THE MINUTES OF THE COMMISSION'S MEETINGS; AND4
(III) ANY RECOMMENDATIONS OR REQUESTS THAT MAY ASSIST THE5
COMMISSION'S WORK.6
(b) N OTWITHSTANDING SECTION 24-1-136 (11)(a)(I), THE7
REPORTING REQUIREMENT IN THIS SUBSECTION (5) CONTINUES8
INDEFINITELY.9
SECTION 2. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act10
takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the11
ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August12
12, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13, 2026); except that, if a13
referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the14
state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act15
within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect16
unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in17
November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the18
official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.19
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