Ballot Title Setting Board
2021-2022

The title as designated and fixed by the Board is as follows:

A change to the Colorado Revised Statutes concerning expanding crimes relating to cruelty to animals, and, in connection therewith, expanding the definition of “livestock” to include fish; expanding the definition of “sexual act with an animal” to include intrusion or penetration, however slight, into an animal’s anus or genitals with an object or part of a person’s body and removing the existing exception for animal husbandry practices and creating an exception for care to improve the animal’s health; defining the “natural lifespan” for certain species of livestock and providing that slaughtering those animals is not criminal animal cruelty if done according to accepted animal husbandry practices after the animal has lived 1/4 of the natural lifespan; removing the exception to the animal cruelty statutes for animal husbandry practices used in the care of companion or livestock animals; eliminating some exceptions to certain sentencing requirements; and providing that, in case of a conflict with animal care otherwise authorized by law, the criminal cruelty to animals statutes control.

The ballot title and submission clause as designated and fixed by the Board is as follows:

Shall there be a change to the Colorado Revised Statutes concerning expanding crimes relating to cruelty to animals, and, in connection therewith, expanding the definition of “livestock” to include fish; expanding the definition of “sexual act with an animal” to include intrusion or penetration, however slight, into an animal’s anus or genitals with an object or part of a person’s body and removing the existing exception for animal husbandry practices and creating an exception for care to improve the animal’s health; defining the “natural lifespan” for certain species of livestock and providing that slaughtering those animals is not criminal animal cruelty if done according to accepted animal husbandry practices after the animal has lived 1/4 of the natural lifespan; removing the exception to the animal cruelty statutes for animal husbandry practices used in the care of companion or livestock animals; eliminating some exceptions to certain sentencing requirements; and providing that, in case of a conflict with animal care otherwise authorized by law, the criminal cruelty to animals statutes control?

Hearing March 17, 2021

Single subject approved; staff draft amended; titles set.
Hearing adjourned 12:38 PM.

Rehearing April 7, 2021

Motion for Rehearing (Riley, et al.) granted only to the extent that the Board made changes to the title; denied in all other respects.
Motion for Rehearing (VanWinkle, et al.) granted only to the extent that the Board made changes to the titles; denied in all other respects.
Board Members: Theresa Conley, Julie Pelegrin, LeeAnn Morrill
Hearing adjourned: 12:07 PM.

Hearing July 7, 2021

Title setting denied on the basis that the measure does not constitute a single subject. The Board moved to strike the title previously set on the grounds that the measure contains multiple subjects and the Board therefore lacks jurisdiction over the measure.
Board Members: Theresa Conley, Julie Pelegrin, David Powell
Hearing adjourned 11:00 AM.

* Unofficially captioned "Laws Concerning Cruelty to Animals" by legislative staff for tracking purposes. This caption is not part of the titles set by the Board.