This coming Monday we will kick off National Consumer Protection Week. This is a time where we help people understand their consumer rights and avoid frauds and scams. I am fortunate that one of my bills aimed at protecting consumers online, HB22-1099, will be under consideration of the full Senate on Monday, just in time for this important week.

The Intergirty, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers Act (INFORM), will make it more difficult for fraudsters and criminals to anonymously sell counterfeit and stolen goods on online marketplaces such as Facebook or Amazon. Criminals are increasingly turning to online marketplaces to illegally sell massive quantities of stolen merchandise they lifted from retail stores. HB22-1099 will help legitimate small businesses, whether they sell through their storefront or online.

The bill simply requires online marketplaces to collect and verify high volume third-party sellers' information and then disclose certain information to consumers. These basic accountability measures will protect consumers from illicit goods, aid law enforcement in their efforts to track organized crime, and make it harder for bad actors to build an illegal business and profit by selling stolen or counterfeit merchandise.

Looking to protect yourself from fraud, identity theft, and scams? Click HERE to learn how to get free consumer education materials and read the latest from consumer protection experts. Also, here are some more links to assist you:

To learn more about HB22-1099, visit the Denver Business Journal, Denver Post, or KDVR Fox 31.

I first met my legislative intern, Will Nix, when he visited the Capitol with his German class from Standley Lake High School. Will is a senior at the University of Colorado Boulder where he is majoring in both international affairs and German. He lives in Westminster and attended several schools within the Senate District 19 area.

Will was interested in becoming a legislative intern because he wanted to broaden his understanding of state government and in politics overall. He wants to learn how our democratic systems function so that he can work toward being a change agent in our state and in our world. In fact, given his background in foreign languages, he is considering moving into international relations and pursuing a career in diplomacy. Will's internship, so far, has opened up his eyes to new career opportunities that he wasn't aware of prior to working at the Capitol and he is considering some possible new pathways post-graduation.

When Will is not attending class, working at his part-time job, or helping us out in the office, he devotes his time toward learning foreign languages (I've already noted his proficiency in German!) and connecting with people of other cultures. He also enjoys international cooking (Korean, Turkish, and Italian are among his favorites), and playing the piano.

Supplemental budget bills signed into law: My colleagues and I have been working hard to craft a sensible budget for our state, and I am pleased to report that we have recently signed into law an important package of supplemental budget bills. These bills will boost support for Colorado's public schools, ensure first responders and health care providers have the resources they need, aid in mitigation efforts to address the Marshall Fire, and more. Here is a short list of the most notable bills:

I was particularly pleased that we were able to increase funding to our schools mid year, especially considering the enormous challenges our schools have faced recently. This additional investment is a huge step forward and will definitely lead to better education outcomes for our students.

The Center Square: Colorado committee advances legislation addressing retail theft, online crime

Yahoo Finance: Four Colorado Lawmakers Win 2022 Safe Student Protection Awards From Child Safety Network™

The Center Square: Colorado Senate passes bill giving schools pathway back to accountability standards

Axios Denver: High-stakes school testing returns with a caveat

Chalkbeat Colorado: How to help Colorado student teachers across the finish line? Pay them.

Denver Channel 7: Students with college credit but no degree get a second chance at graduation

For a full list of this week's press and videos visit rachelforcolorado.com/news.

Not a morning person? Busy on the weekends? Then 'What's Brewing at the Capitol' is the event for you! This is a casual meet-and-greet with your State Senator over a pint of beer from a local brewery. Due to a conflict, the date has changed to Tuesday, March 15 at 6:30 pm at Kokopelli Beer Company, 8931 N Harlan St, Westminster, CO 80031. For details, click HERE.

Due to a conflict with the Jefferson County Democratic Assembly, the next town hall meeting will move to Saturday, March 26 at 10:30 am. We will be joined by a member of the Joint Budget Committee to discuss this year’s state budget proposal. We will meet Covenant Living of Colorado, 9153 Yarrow St, Westminster. For more information, click HERE.

SB22-011 America 250 - Colorado 150 Commission: Concerning the establishment of the America 250 - Colorado 150 commission. Passed unanimously out of Senate Appropriations and the Senate on Second Reading.

SB22-137 Transition Back to Standard K-12 Accountability: Concerning measures related to the transitional return to standard education accountability. Passed unanimously out of the Senate.

SB22-142 Repeal Municipal Bond Supervision Advisory Board: Concerning the repeal of the municipal bond supervision advisory board. The bill will be heard in the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday, March 9 at 1:30 pm.

SB22-144 Public and Nonprofit Entities Rideshare Contracts: Concerning the provision of transportation services by a transportation network company not in connection with a business operated for profit. The bill will be heard in the Senate Transportation & Energy Committee on Thursday, March 10 upon adjournment.

HJR-1002 Study State and Interstate Highway Vehicle Weight: Concerning a request that Congress allow the state of Colorado to conduct an analysis of and possibly move forward on harmonzing the gross vehicle weight for trucks on the Interstate Highway System in Colorado with that of other state highways. Passed unanimously out of the Senate.

HB22-1101 Public Employees’ Retirement Association Service Retiree Employment in Rural Schools: Concerning the expansion of a program that allows a public employees’ retirement association service retiree to work full-time without any reduction in the service retiree’s retirement for benefits for a rural school district that has a critical shortage of qualified individuals with specific experience, skills, or qualifications that the service retiree has. Passed the Senate on Second Reading.

HB22-1057 Public Employees' Retirement Association Employment After Teacher Retirement: Concerning public employees' retirement association employment after retirement limitations. Passed the Senate on Second Reading.

HB22-1099 Online Marketplaces and Third-party Sellers: Concerning mandatory disclosures of third-part sellers selling through online marketplace. Passed the Senate on Second Reading.

SB22-017 Fluid Milk Products Not Divisible Load: Concerning the determination that a load of fluid milk products hauled by a vehicle is not a divisible load under the vehicle weight limits permitted by law. This bill was signed into law by the Governor.

The red font indicates a new bill or a change in status. For a full list of active bills, visit rachelforcolorado.com/capitol or the Colorado General Assembly's website.