The bill now goes to the House floor, where it could be heard Thursday.

This is the second time such legislation has been proposed, said Jeff Roberts, executive director of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition.

That organization and others, including the American Civil Liberties Union, “have encouraged this type of legislation because we think that there’s a public interest in knowing how law enforcement officers conduct themselves while on duty,” Roberts said. “If there are allegations of misconduct and there’s an internal investigation … we feel like the public has an interest in knowing the outcome of that, especially … in some of these cases, there are tax dollars paid out to someone who makes an allegation.”

Colorado Springs police Lt. Howard Black declined to discuss the bill but said the department will comply with any requirements imposed by law.

In 2017, the department received 197 external or citizen complaints and 103 internal or directed complaints, Black said.

Many internal investigations are deemed unfounded, said Rep. Shane Sandridge, R-Colorado Springs, a former police officer and member of the House committee.

“It’s always easier to blame the police officer,” Sandridge said. “He planted it. He hit me… He broke my arm. He beat me.”

But the committee’s Vice Chair, Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver, said civilians have been hurt and beaten and biased policing has taken place. The fact that people sometimes lie does not negate the need for transparency, Herod said.

Don Sisson, an attorney for the Colorado Fraternal Order of Police, said an officer’s right to privacy sometimes outweighs the public’s right to transparency.

“This bill is really about eliminating the balancing test: Get rid of one side of the scale, the officer privacy side of the scale,” Sisson said.