2024 Legislative Session

HB24-1007 Prohibit Residential Occupancy Limits 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: M. Rutinel (D) | J. Mabrey (D) / T. Exum (D) | J. Gonzales (D)
Summary:

The act prohibits counties, cities and counties, and municipalities from limiting the number of people who may live together in a single dwelling based on familial relationship, while allowing local governments to implement residential occupancy limits based only on:

  • Demonstrated health and safety standards, such as international building code standards, fire code regulations, or Colorado department of public health and environment wastewater and water quality standards; or
  • Local, state, federal, or political subdivision affordable housing program guidelines.

APPROVED by Governor April 15, 2024

EFFECTIVE July 1, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 4/15/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1009 Bilingual Child Care Licensing Resources 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: J. Joseph (D) | B. McLachlan / J. Ginal | J. Rich (R)
Summary:

The act requires the department of early childhood (department) to provide education and information in plain language and in prevalent languages to help individuals complete the paperwork required to meet child care licensing compliance requirements. Prevalent languages is defined as the 2 most prevalent languages spoken in Colorado.

The department is required to provide services in prevalent languages to individuals seeking to open or otherwise participate in the operation of an early childhood program or facility licensed by the department.

The act creates the bilingual licensing unit in the department to help the department satisfy its duties to provide education, information, and services in prevalent languages and requires the general assembly to appropriate $235,000 from the general fund to the department for the 2024-25 state fiscal year and for each state fiscal year thereafter to pay the costs of the bilingual licensing unit's activities.

The act also requires the general assembly to appropriate $45,000 from the general fund to the department for the 2024-25 state fiscal year to pay costs associated with updating the department's mobile licensing application.

APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2024

EFFECTIVE June 6, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 6/6/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1012 Front Range Passenger Rail District Efficiency 
Position: Support
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: T. Mauro (D) | A. Boesenecker (D) / R. Zenzinger | C. Simpson (R)
Summary:

To improve the operational efficiency of the front range passenger rail district (district):

  • Section 1 of the act modifies:
  • The requirement that the board of the district (board) hold annual joint meetings with the transportation commission, the board of directors of the I-70 coalition or any successor entity, and the board of directors of the regional transportation district to require the board to provide an annual update, which may be provided by district staff, at the meeting and to allow the meeting to be held in a manner that allows members of the board and the entity it is meeting with to attend the meeting by electronic means; and
  • The boundaries of the district.
  • Section 2 clarifies when the terms of board members begin and end; and prohibits an advisory nonvoting member of the board from participating in an executive session if the board determines that a particular matter to be discussed in the executive session concerns the appointing authority for the advisory nonvoting member and should not be discussed when the advisory nonvoting member is present;
  • Section 3 establishes that the board exercises its powers by a majority vote of a quorum of its voting directors rather than by a majority vote of a quorum of its total membership and, in conjunction with section 4, clarifies that the board has discretion to delegate its power to enter into contracts and agreements other than intergovernmental agreements and contracts for public-private partnerships to the officers and employees of the district; and
  • Section 5 changes the name of a state-required district plan for developing rail service to avoid potential confusion that could be caused by similarity between the current name of the plan and the name of a federally required plan and specifies requirements for the certification of ballot measures referred by the board to the registered electors of the district.

APPROVED by Governor April 29, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 4/29/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1016 Defined Personnel for Emergency Telephone Services 
Position: Support
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: S. Lieder (D) | R. Armagost (R) / C. Kolker (D) | K. Van Winkle (R)
Summary:

The act defines "emergency communications specialist" as a first responder whose duties involve emergency and nonemergency dispatch services. The act also clarifies that the currently authorized use of the emergency telephone charge, the 911 surcharge, and the prepaid wireless 911 charge, for training for public safety answering point (PSAP) personnel includes training for emergency communications specialists, technical support PSAP personnel, and other personnel essential for the provision of emergency telephone services, emergency notification services, and emergency medical dispatch.

APPROVED by Governor March 15, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 3/15/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments:

HB24-1018 College Textbook Sales Use Tax Exemption 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: A. Boesenecker (D) / J. Marchman (D)
Summary:

The bill creates a state sales and use tax exemption commencing on July 1, 2024, for all sales, storage, use, and consumption of college textbooks. The bill allows a county or municipality to choose to adopt the exemption by express inclusion in its sales and use tax ordinance or resolution.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 5/14/2024 House Committee on Appropriations Lay Over Unamended - Amendment(s) Failed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1026 Local Government Tax Payers' Bill of Rights Prior Voter Approval Requirement 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: R. Bockenfeld
Summary:

Since section 20 of article X of the state constitution (TABOR) was approved by the registered electors of this state in 1992, local governments have successfully sought voter approval of revenue changes allowing the local governments to permanently retain revenue in excess of their TABOR fiscal year spending and property tax revenue limits. Current law does not limit the effective period of such voter-approved revenue changes, commonly referred to as waiver elections. The bill requires that, no later than the local elections to be held in November 2029, a local government that retains revenue in excess of either its fiscal year spending limit or property tax revenue limit pursuant to a waiver election held prior to November 9, 2020, must resubmit the ballot issue from the historic waiver election to the registered electors of the local government for re-approval.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 2/5/2024 House Committee on State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

HB24-1027 Exemption for Children's Products 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: T. Winter (R) / B. Pelton (R)
Summary:

Section 1 of the bill creates, beginning on January 1, 2025, and continuing indefinitely, a state sales and use tax exemption for baby and toddler products. A "baby and toddler product" is defined to include a baby crib, playpen, or play yard; a baby stroller; a baby safety gate, cabinet lock or latch, or electrical socket cover; a baby monitor; a bicycle child carrier seat, or trailer, including an adaptor or accessory; a baby exerciser, jumper, bouncer seat, or swing; a breast pump, bottle sterilizer, bottle, or nipple, pacifier, or teething ring; baby wipes; a changing table or pad; and baby and toddler clothing. Section 1 also creates a time-limited state sales and use tax exemption, or sales and use tax holiday, for back-to-school items. The tax holiday applies for 14 days beginning on January 1, 2025, and for an additional 14 days beginning on July 24, 2025. A "back-to-school item" is defined to mean an article of clothing, a bag, a school supply, a learning aid, or a personal computer or personal computer-related accessory that is purchased primarily for use by an individual who is a minor. The exemption for each item is limited by cost as follows:

  • $100 for an article of clothing or a bag;
  • $50 for a school supply;
  • $30 for a learning aid; and
  • $1,500 for a personal computer or a personal computer-related accessory.

Section 2 permits a town, city, or county to create sales and use tax exemptions that are identical to the state exemptions.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 5/14/2024 House Committee on Appropriations Lay Over Unamended - Amendment(s) Failed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1028 Overdose Prevention Centers 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: E. Epps / K. Priola
Summary:

The bill specifies that the governing body of a municipality, which includes a city, town, and city and county, may authorize the operation of an overdose prevention center within the municipality's boundaries for the purpose of saving the lives of persons at risk of preventable overdoses.


(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Status: 4/18/2024 Senate Committee on Health & Human Services Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1030 Railroad Safety Requirements 
Position: Support
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: J. Mabrey (D) | T. Mauro (D) / L. Cutter (D) | T. Exum (D)
Summary:

The length of the bill summary for this bill requires it to be published on a separate page here:

https://leg.colorado.gov/hb24-1030-bill-summary


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/10/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1033 Emergency Management Plan Individuals with Animals 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: M. Snyder (D) | E. Velasco (D) / L. Cutter (D) | S. Jaquez Lewis (D)
Summary:

The act strongly encourages a locally defined or interjurisdictional emergency management plan amended or created on or after July 1, 2024, and requires, when practicable, as determined after consideration of specified required factors, a locally defined or interjurisdictional emergency management plan amended or created on or after January 1, 2025, to address the needs of an individual with an animal during an emergency by:

  • Including provisions for the evacuation, shelter, and transport of an individual with an animal and that animal; and
  • Requiring, to the extent practicable, that at least one shelter established during an emergency is designated to accommodate an individual with an animal and that animal.

The act also strongly encourages a city, county, or city and county to make available to the public, on or after January 1, 2025, information for animal emergency preparedness, including:

  • Information for creating an evacuation plan and emergency checklist for individuals with animals consistent with recommendations publicly published by the United States department of agriculture and the federal emergency management agency;
  • Local organizations that may provide emergency animal assistance; and
  • Local emergency shelters, cooling centers, or warming centers, when active, that can accommodate an individual with an animal.

Lastly, the act also strongly encourages a city, county, or city and county, on or after January 1, 2025, to implement disability etiquette and service animal training to ensure that emergency response personnel are well prepared to interact with individuals with disabilities and their service animals during emergency situations.

APPROVED by Governor April 11, 2024

EFFECTIVE April 11, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 4/11/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1034 Adult Competency to Stand Trial 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: J. Amabile (D) | M. Bradfield (R) / R. Fields
Summary:

The act reforms and clarifies the criminal competency to proceed process. The act provides necessary parties with access to information related to the defendant's claim of incompetency to proceed. The act adds to the information that is included in a competency report. The act delineates a court's options when it finds that a defendant is incompetent to proceed. The act directs when competency services may be provided on an outpatient basis. The act sets forth the circumstances when a court has to dismiss the defendant's case based on the highest level of charge against the defendant and how long the defendant has been waiting for restoration services.

APPROVED by Governor June 4, 2024

PORTIONS EFFECTIVE June 4, 2024

PORTIONS EFFECTIVE July 1, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 6/4/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1037 Substance Use Disorders Harm Reduction 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: E. Epps | C. deGruy Kennedy / K. Priola
Summary:

The act excludes injuries involving the possession of drugs or drug paraphernalia from a physician's mandatory reporting requirements. The act also adds an exemption to the prohibition on possessing drug paraphernalia for possession of drug paraphernalia that a person received from an approved syringe exchange program or a program carried out by a harm reduction organization while the person was participating in the program.

With respect to opioid antagonists, the act:

  • Clarifies that the civil and criminal immunity that protects a person who acts in good faith to furnish or administer an opioid antagonist also protects a person who distributes the opioid antagonist;
  • Specifies that the mere presence of an opioid antagonist is insufficient to establish probable cause to perform a warrantless search or seizure; and
  • Updates the term "opiate antagonist" to "opioid antagonist" in current law.

The act specifies that money appropriated to the department of public health and environment to purchase non-laboratory synthetic opioid detection tests may also be used to purchase other drug testing equipment.

The act authorizes an organization operating a clean syringe exchange program to:

  • Purchase and distribute other supplies and tools intended to reduce health risks associated with the use of drugs, including smoking materials; and
  • Provide drug testing services through the program.

APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2024

EFFECTIVE June 6, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 6/6/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1038 High-Acuity Crisis for Children & Youth 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: M. Young | B. Bradley (R) / B. Kirkmeyer (R) | R. Fields
Summary:

The act requires the department of health care policy and financing (HCPF), in collaboration with the behavioral health administration (BHA) and the department of human services (CDHS), to develop a system of care (system of care) for children and youth who are less than 21 years of age and who have complex behavioral health needs. At a minimum, the system of care must include:

  • Implementation of a standardized assessment tool;
  • Intensive-care coordination;
  • Expanded supportive services; and
  • Expanded access to treatment foster care.

The act requires HCPF to convene a leadership team that is responsible for the decision-making and oversight of the system of care and to convene an implementation team to create a plan to implement the system of care. The act requires CDHS and HCPF to report progress on the development and implementation of the system of care to the general assembly.

The act creates the residential child care provider training academy in CDHS to create a pipeline of high-quality staff for residential child care providers and ensure that individuals hired to work at residential child care facilities receive the necessary training to perform the individual's job functions responsibly and effectively.

The act requires CDHS to expand the number of treatment beds available for children and youth whose behavioral or mental health needs require services and treatment in a residential child care facility.

The act requires CDHS to develop a system to establish and monitor quality standards for residential child care providers and ensure the quality standards are implemented into all levels of care that serve children and youth in out-of-home placement. The act requires CDHS to develop a system to incentivize residential child care providers to implement quality standards above CDHS' established minimum standards.

The act requires CDHS to make publicly available on the department's website a directory of each residential child care provider's quality assurance.

The CDHS program that provides emergency resources to certain licensed providers to help remove barriers the providers face in serving children and youth whose behavioral or mental health needs require services and treatment in a residential child care facility currently repeals on July 1, 2028. The act extends the program indefinitely and requires CDHS to contract with additional licensed providers for the delivery of services to children and youth who are eligible for and placed in the program.

The act requires CDHS and the BHA to increase the minimum reimbursement rates paid to qualified residential treatment programs for the purpose of aligning room and board payments across payer sources.

The act requires HCPF to contract with a third-party vendor to complete an actuarial analysis in order to determine the appropriate medicaid reimbursement rate for psychiatric residential treatment facilities.

The act requires CDHS to contract with one or more third-party vendors to implement a pilot program to assess the needs of, and provide short-term residential services for, juvenile justice-involved youth who do not meet the criteria for detention.

For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the act appropriates money to the department of human services and the department of health care policy and financing to implement the act.

APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2024

EFFECTIVE June 6, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 6/6/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1041 Streamline Filing Sales & Use Tax Returns 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: C. Kipp (D) | R. Taggart (R) / J. Bridges (D) | K. Van Winkle (R)
Summary:

The executive director of the department of revenue (executive director) has been authorized to permit taxpayers that remit sales and use tax to the department of revenue and whose monthly tax collected is less than $300 to make returns and pay taxes at quarterly intervals. The act increases this threshold amount from $300 to $600 for returns that must be filed on or after January 1, 2025, and allows the executive director to further increase the threshold amount by rule for returns that must be filed on or after January 1, 2026.

The act prohibits home rule cities, towns, and city and counties that collect their own sales and use taxes and do not use the electronic sales and use tax simplification system administered by the department of revenue from collecting sales and use tax from a retailer that does not have physical presence in the state unless the retailer elects to collect and remit sales and use tax or enters into a voluntary collection agreement with a home rule city, town, or city and county.

For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, $17,200 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of revenue for the implementation of the act.

APPROVED by Governor April 4, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 4/4/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1042 Fire & Police Pension Law Technical Corrections 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: M. Snyder (D) | R. Taggart (R) / C. Kolker (D) | K. Van Winkle (R)
Summary:

House Bill 22-1034, concerning the administration of retirement plans administered by the fire and police pension association, merged the statewide defined benefit plan, the statewide hybrid plan, and the social security supplemental plan into a single statewide retirement plan. Certain statutory cross references in House Bill 22-1034 were not properly updated to reflect the repeals and relocations of statutory provisions that were necessary to accomplish the merger. The act updates the obsolete statutory cross references.

The act also updates the definition of "member" in the new hire pension plan statute to clarify that a portion of the definition applies only for purposes of the statewide money purchase plan and repeals an inapplicable portion of the definition of "member" in the statewide retirement plan statute.

APPROVED by Governor March 6, 2024

EFFECTIVE March 6, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 3/6/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1043 State Contribution to Fire & Police Pension Association Death & Disability Fund 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: R. Taggart (R) | E. Hamrick (D) / C. Hansen (D) | K. Van Winkle (R)
Summary:

Beginning on July 1, 2025, and every July 1 thereafter through July 1, 2059, the act requires the state treasurer to issue warrants in the amount of $2,250,000 to the fire and police pension association. The association is required to deposit the warrants into the statewide death and disability trust fund so that there will be sufficient money to pay future death and disability benefits to members of the association.

APPROVED by Governor May 28, 2024

EFFECTIVE May 28, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/28/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1045 Treatment for Substance Use Disorders 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: R. Armagost (R) | C. deGruy Kennedy / K. Mullica (D) | P. Will
Summary:

The act prohibits an insurance carrier that provides coverage for a drug used to treat a substance use disorder under a health benefit plan from requiring prior authorization for the drug based solely on the dosage amount.

The act requires an insurance carrier to reimburse a licensed pharmacist prescribing or administering medication-assisted treatment (MAT) pursuant to a collaborative pharmacy practice agreement (collaborative agreement) at a rate equal to the reimbursement rate for other health-care providers. The act amends the practice of pharmacy to include prescriptive authority for any FDA-approved product indicated for opioid use disorder in accordance with federal law, if authorized through a collaborative agreement. The act requires the state board of pharmacy, the Colorado medical board, and the state board of nursing to develop a protocol for pharmacists to prescribe, dispense, and administer certain FDA-approved products for MAT. The act requires reimbursement to pharmacies of an enhanced dispensing fee for administering injectable antagonist medication for MAT that aligns with the administration fee paid to a provider in a clinical setting. The act requires the medical assistance program to reimburse a pharmacist prescribing or administering medications for opioid use disorder pursuant to a collaborative agreement at a rate equal to the reimbursement rate for other providers.

The act authorizes licensed clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, and licensed professional counselors (professionals) within their scope of practice to provide clinical supervision to individuals seeking certification as addiction technicians and addiction specialists, and directs the state board of addiction counselors and the state board of human services, as applicable, to adopt rules relating to clinical supervision by these professionals. Further, a licensed addiction counselor is authorized to provide clinical supervision to individuals seeking licensure as marriage and family therapists or professional counselors if the licensed addiction counselor has met the education requirements for those professions, or the equivalent, as determined by the respective boards regulating those professions.

The act expands the medication-assisted treatment expansion pilot program to include grants to provide training and ongoing support to pharmacies and pharmacists who are authorized to prescribe, dispense, and administer MAT pursuant to a collaborative agreement or drug therapy protocol to assist individuals with a substance use disorder.

The act requires the department of health care policy and financing (HCPF) to seek federal authorization to provide MAT, case management services, and a 30-day supply of prescription medication to medicaid members upon release from jail or a juvenile institutional facility.

The act adds substance use disorder treatment to the list of health-care or mental health-care services that are required to be reimbursed at the same rate for telemedicine as a comparable in-person service.

The act requires HCPF to seek federal authorization to provide partial hospitalization for substance use disorder treatment with full federal financial participation.

The act requires each managed care entity (MCE) that provides prescription drug benefits or methadone administration for the treatment of substance use disorders to:

  • Set the reimbursement rate for take-home methadone treatment and office-administered methadone treatment at the same rate; and
  • Not impose any prior authorization requirements on any prescription medication approved by the FDA for the treatment of substance use disorders, regardless of the dosage amount.

The act requires the behavioral health administration (BHA) to collect data from each withdrawal management facility on the total number of individuals who were denied admittance or treatment for withdrawal management and the reason for the denial and to review and approve any admission criteria established by a withdrawal management facility.

The act requires each MCE to disclose the aggregated average and lowest rates of reimbursement for a set of behavioral health services determined by HCPF and authorizes behavioral health providers to disclose reimbursement rates paid by an MCE to the behavioral health provider.

Beginning in the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $150,000 from the general fund to the Colorado child abuse prevention trust fund (trust fund) for programs to reduce the occurrence of prenatal substance exposure. For the 2024-25 and 2025-26 state fiscal years, the act also annually appropriates $50,000 from the general fund to the trust fund to convene a stakeholder group to identify strategies to increase access to child care for families seeking substance use disorder treatment and recovery services.

The act requires the BHA to contract with an independent third-party entity to provide services and supports to behavioral health providers seeking to become a behavioral health safety net provider with the goal of the provider becoming self-sustaining.

The act creates the contingency management grant program in the BHA to provide grants to substance use disorder treatment programs that implement a contingency management program for individuals with a stimulant use disorder.

The act authorizes the BHA to apply for federal funding for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder programs and to receive and disburse federal funds to public and private nonprofit organizations.

The act extends the opioid and other substance use disorders study committee until September 1, 2026.

The act appropriates money to implement the act.

APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2024

PORTIONS EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024

PORTIONS EFFECTIVE July 1, 2025
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 6/6/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1046 Child Welfare System Tools 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: M. Duran (D) | G. Evans / C. Kolker (D) | B. Kirkmeyer (R)
Summary:

Current law requires mandatory reporters to include certain information when reporting child abuse or neglect to the mandatory reporter's county department, local law enforcement, or through the statewide child abuse reporting hotline system (hotline system). The act requires a mandatory reporter to report any evidence of known domestic violence or intimate partner violence in the child's home, including any evidence of previous cases of known domestic violence or intimate partner violence in the child's home.

The act requires the state department of human services (state department) to develop and implement a consistent screening process for a county department to follow, when possible, in responding to a report or inquiry to the hotline system. The screening process must include questions about domestic violence or intimate partner violence. The state department is required to develop and implement a disclosure procedure that notifies callers to the hotline system that calls are recorded.

The act requires the state department to review the screening process used by county departments and hotline system operators to:

  • Determine race; ethnicity; disability status; LGBTQ identity, if applicable; and English proficiency in a screening report and recommend a process for improving the accuracy of determining the demographic information, which must include opportunities to update the TRAILS statewide case management system;
  • Understand the types of questions asked during the screening process to determine demographic information and recommend questions that reflect best practices and cultural competency; and
  • Understand the sequence of questions asked during a screening process to determine demographic information and recommend a sequence of questions that better reflects best practices.

The state department shall recommend and implement a screening process procedure to determine demographic information that reflects best practices and cultural competencies.

No later than January 15, 2025, the office of the child protection ombudsman (ombudsman) shall select a third-party evaluator to conduct an audit on the Colorado family risk assessment (risk assessment) and the Colorado family safety assessment (safety assessment). In conducting an audit of the risk assessment, the third-party evaluator shall:

  • Identify tools and resources to ensure the risk assessment is carried out consistently;
  • Identify gaps and solutions to enable caseworkers to complete the risk assessment in real time while in the field;
  • Examine the impacts of geography when using the risk assessment;
  • Examine the impacts of race and ethnicity when using the risk assessment and how they affect communities that are over-represented in the child welfare system;
  • Evaluate and recommend best practices for sharing the risk assessment with families, legal professionals, and the judicial branch;
  • Evaluate and recommend best practices for training on the risk assessment; and
  • Examine the risk assessment for domestic violence or intimate partner violence and recommend best practices.

In conducting an audit of the safety assessment, the third-party evaluator shall:

  • Examine the same issues set forth for the risk assessment;
  • Study the inter-rater reliability of the safety assessment; and
  • Study the required documentation for the planning and removal of a child from the child's primary caregiver.

The third-party evaluator shall create a report summarizing the results of the audit. On or before March 1, 2026, the ombudsman is required to submit the audit report to the house of representatives public and behavioral health and human services committee and the senate health and human services committee, or their successor committees, the speaker of the house of representatives, the minority leader of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, and the minority leader of the senate.

The act appropriates $109,392 from the general fund to the judicial department for use by the ombudsman to implement this act.

APPROVED by Governor May 28, 2024

EFFECTIVE May 28, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/28/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1050 Simplify Processes Regarding Certain Local Government Taxes 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: R. Taggart (R) | C. Kipp (D) / J. Bridges (D) | K. Van Winkle (R)
Summary:

The act requires local taxing jurisdictions that impose a local lodging tax or a sales or use tax on building or construction materials that integrate such taxes into building permits (applicable sales or use tax) to file with the executive director of the department of revenue (executive director) a copy of the resolution or ordinance, and any amendments thereto, imposing such taxes and, if not included in the resolution, ordinance or amendments and certain additional information related to each type of tax. For local lodging taxes, the act requires local taxing jurisdictions to report the rate of the tax, the types of lodging the tax applies to, the number of days after which a stay may be exempt from the tax, and the amount of tax that may be retained by the collector of the tax in exchange for timely filing. For the applicable sales or use tax, the act requires local taxation jurisdictions to report the rate and calculation, what information is included on building permits, the timing for remittance of the tax, and whether the tax is imposed on asphalt equipment, storage of equipment, or services.

By no later than July 1, 2025, and by no later than January 1 and July 1 of each year thereafter, the executive director must publish the information in the local taxing jurisdiction's reports relating to the local lodging tax and applicable sales or use tax.

The act also modifies the scope of the sales and use tax simplification task force (task force) to include simplification of local lodging tax systems and requires that, in the 2024 interim, the task force shall receive testimony and proposals related to the feasibility and implementation of an electronic system for the collection and remittance of local lodging taxes in the same manner or in a manner similar to the electronic sales and use tax simplification system. The task force may propose legislation for the 2025 legislative session to implement or create such an electronic portal.

APPROVED by Governor June 4, 2024

EFFECTIVE June 4, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 6/4/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1057 Prohibit Algorithmic Devices Used for Rent Setting 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: S. Woodrow (D) | J. Mabrey (D) / J. Gonzales (D) | N. Hinrichsen (D)
Summary:

The bill states that a landlord, may not employ or rely upon an algorithmic device in setting the amount of rent to be charged to a tenant for the occupancy of a residential premises, may not employ or rely upon an algorithmic device that uses, incorporates, or was trained with nonpublic competitor data . A violation of the prohibition is person who violates or assists another person in violating the prohibition commits an unfair or deceptive trade practice under the "Colorado Consumer Protection Act" and may be punished accordingly.

(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)


(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Status: 5/1/2024 Senate Considered House Adherence - Result was to Adhere
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1061 Marijuana Industry & Social Equity 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: N. Ricks (D) | R. English (D)
Summary:

The bill creates a medical marijuana independent delivery license and a retail marijuana independent delivery license (licenses) to deliver and sell respective marijuana and marijuana products to consumers at permissible delivery locations. A person must have a social equity license to be issued the licenses. The department of revenue (department) is required to promulgate rules concerning the licenses.

The bill creates an accelerator independent deliverer license, accelerator hospitality business license, and accelerator transporter license for social equity licensees qualified to participate in the accelerator program.

The bill defines "permissible delivery locations" to establish where licensees with delivery privileges may deliver to consumers.

The bill adds mandatory and permissive rule-making authority to the department concerning social-equity-related matters.

The bill allows a marijuana hospitality licensee with a mobile facility to temporarily suspend its license privileges related to mobility in order to conduct non-marijuana commercial activities. The bill adds mandatory rule-making authority to the department concerning these matters.

Beginning January 31, 2026, the bill requires the state licensing authority to provide an annual report to the finance committees of the house of representatives and the senate concerning active social equity or accelerator licenses and licensees, recommendations for new social equity or accelerator licenses, and recommendations for new or innovative funding sources for the social equity program. The department is required to convene a new, or utilize an existing, working group of persons to develop recommendations for the annual report.

Effective April 1, 2025, the bill amends the eligibility requirements for a person to qualify as a social equity licensee. The new eligibility requirements do not apply to licensee applications or licenses issued before April 1, 2025, except for a limited exception.

The bill eliminates the $1 surcharge applied on deliveries.

The bill requires the department of regulatory agencies, as part of its sunset review of the "Colorado Marijuana Code" in 2028, to review social equity licensing and the licenses.

Under current law, there is the marijuana entrepreneur fund within the office of economic development that provides grants and loans to support marijuana industry entrepreneurs. The bill creates a new permissible grant for local jurisdictions that establish a social equity licensing program.

The bill creates a tax credit for an accelerator-endorsed licensee who hosts and offers technical and capital support to a social equity licensee for at least 12 consecutive months. An eligible accelerator-endorsed licensee may claim up to $50,000 and may carry it forward as a credit against subsequent years' income tax liability for a period not exceeding 5 years. The tax credit may be claimed for tax years 2026 through 2035.

The bill amends the statutory provision concerning the retail marijuana sales tax to state that a retailer is not allowed to retain any portion of the retail marijuana sales tax collected to cover the expenses of collecting and remitting the tax.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 3/21/2024 House Committee on Business Affairs & Labor Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

HB24-1065 Reduction of State Income Tax Rate 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: S. Bottoms (R) | R. Pugliese (R) / B. Kirkmeyer (R)
Summary:

For income tax years commencing on and after January 1, 2025, the bill reduces both the individual and the corporate state income tax rates from 4.40% to 4.0%. The bill also exempts the rate reductions from the existing statutory requirements that tax expenditure legislation include a tax preference performance statement in a statutory legislative declaration and repeal after a specified period of tax years.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 2/12/2024 House Committee on Finance Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

HB24-1067 Ballot Access for Candidates with Disabilities 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: D. Ortiz / F. Winter (D) | L. Liston (R)
Summary:

The bill requires the general assembly, the secretary of state, and each political party to ensure that the caucus process or any future alternative process by which candidates may access the ballot that is accessible to persons with disabilities remains an option in the state. The bill specifies that the petition process is not a means of ballot access that is accessible to persons with disabilities. In addition, the bill requires that, within 6 months of the effective date of the bill, any person, upon request, must be able to participate in a precinct caucus or a party assembly with the use of a video conferencing platform that is accessible to persons with disabilities unless the precinct caucus or party assembly is held in a geographic location that lacks broadband internet service. When a precinct caucus or party assembly occurs in a geographic location that lacks broadband internet service, participation must be allowed by an alternative means such as a telephone conference. Any alternative means used by a political party must be accessible to persons with disabilities. The failure of a political party to make a reasonable effort to comply with the requirements in the bill constitutes discrimination on the basis of disability in violation of current law. Action taken pursuant to the bill does not limit or preclude any other available legal remedy.

(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)


(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Status: 4/4/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1069 Recycling of Single-Use Electronic Smoking Devices 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: A. Valdez (D)
Summary:

The bill establishes the electronic smoking device recycling strategies advisory group (advisory group). The advisory group is tasked with conducting an analysis of methods and strategies for the recycling of single-use electronic smoking devices (devices). The advisory group shall develop a report that:

  • Evaluates the extent of pollution caused by the disposal of devices;
  • Reviews existing practices and capacity for the recycling of devices;
  • Considers methods and strategies for recycling devices that are protective of the public health and environment;
  • Considers whether Colorado should establish a deposit and recycle program that charges consumers a fee for recycling devices;
  • Recommends any state or local government policies related to the recycling of devices; and
  • Identifies any existing state or federal grant programs or other programs that may be available to assist in the development of strategies for the recycling of devices.

The advisory group must submit the report to the general assembly, the department of public health and environment, and the governor's office on or before October 31, 2025.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 5/14/2024 House Committee on Appropriations Lay Over Unamended - Amendment(s) Failed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1071 Name Change to Conform with Gender Identity 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: L. Garcia (D) / D. Michaelson Jenet (D) | K. Priola
Summary:

Current law specifies the conditions a person must meet in order to change the person's name if the person was convicted of a felony. Among those conditions is that the person must show good cause to be able to change the person's name to a name different from the name the person was convicted under. The act states that good cause includes changing the petitioner's name to conform with the petitioner's gender identity.

The act authorizes the court to require a petitioner to give public notice of a name change if the name change was requested by a petitioner with a felony conviction and is for the purpose of changing the petitioner's name to conform with the petitioner's gender identity.

APPROVED by Governor April 19, 2024

EFFECTIVE April 19, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 4/19/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1072 Protection of Victims of Sexual Offenses 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: S. Bird (D) | L. Frizell (R) / B. Kirkmeyer (R) | R. Fields
Summary:

Under current law, certain evidence of a victim's or witness's prior or subsequent sexual conduct is presumed irrelevant, but there is an exception for evidence of the victim's or witness's prior or subsequent sexual conduct with the defendant. The act eliminates this exception.

The act expands the criminal rape shield law to prohibit the admission of evidence of the victim's manner of dress or hairstyle as evidence of the victim's consent.

The act amends what a moving party must show to the court and to opposing parties and what the court must find in order to introduce evidence that is presumed to be irrelevant under the criminal rape shield law.

Under current law, a defendant may move to introduce evidence that the victim or a witness has a history of false reporting of sexual assaults, upon a sufficient showing to the court and opposing parties. The act allows the defendant to offer evidence concerning at least one incident of false reporting of unlawful sexual behavior and also articulate facts that would, by a preponderance of the evidence, demonstrate that the victim or witness has made a report that was demonstrably false or false in fact.

APPROVED by Governor April 24, 2024

EFFECTIVE July 1, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 4/24/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1074 Aggravated Cruelty to Law Enforcement Animals 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: R. Armagost (R) | M. Duran (D) / J. Ginal | B. Gardner
Summary:

Under current law, aggravated cruelty to animals is a class 4 felony. The act specifies that a person commits the offense of aggravated cruelty to animals if the person knowingly kills or causes serious bodily injury resulting in death to a law enforcement animal whether the of a law enforcement animal is on duty or not.

The act creates an affirmative defense stating that a person is justified in using physical force upon a law enforcement animal to defend their own person or a third person when the person reasonably believes that a law enforcement animal is an application of unreasonable or excessive force.

The act requires an on-duty peace officer to intervene to prevent or stop another peace officer who is the handler of a law enforcement animal from allowing the law enforcement animal from using the degree of excessive physical force permitted by law while carrying out the peace officer's duties. A peace officer who witnesses the use of excessive force by a law enforcement animal, as permitted by the animal's handler, must report the excessive force to the officer's or handler's supervisor.

The act specifies situations in which a licensed veterinarian or a person who owns or is charged with the care of a law enforcement animal has immunity from liability when it is necessary to euthanize or provide immediate veterinary care to a law enforcement animal.

APPROVED by Governor April 17, 2024

EFFECTIVE April 17, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 4/17/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1075 Analysis of Universal Health-Care Payment System 
Position: Support
Calendar Notification: Wednesday, May 8 2024
SPECIAL ORDERS - SECOND READING OF BILLS
(2) in senate calendar.
Sponsors: K. McCormick (D) | A. Boesenecker (D) / J. Marchman (D) | S. Jaquez Lewis (D)
Summary:

The bill requires the Colorado school of public health to analyze draft model legislation for implementing a single-payer, nonprofit, publicly financed, and privately delivered universal health-care payment system for Colorado that directly compensates providers. The Colorado school of public health must submit a report detailing its findings to the general assembly by October 1, 2025 December 31, 2025 .

The bill also creates the statewide health-care analysis advisory task force collaborative ("analysis collaborative") consisting of 21 members appointed 20 members invited by the general assembly and the governor executive director of the department of health care policy and financing, four members of the general assembly appointed by the president of the senate, minority leader of the senate, speaker of the house of representatives, and the minority leader of the house of representatives , as well as executive directors of specified state departments, the commissioner of insurance, and the chief executive officer of the Colorado health benefit exchange or any designees of the executive directors, the commissioner, and the chief executive officer. The advisory task force analysis collaborative is created for the purpose of advising the Colorado school of public health during the analysis.

(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)


(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Status: 5/7/2024 Senate Second Reading Special Order - Laid Over to 05/08/2024 - No Amendments
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1079 Persons Detained in Jail on Emergency Commitment 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: J. Amabile (D) | R. English (D) / R. Fields
Summary:

The act prohibits a law enforcement officer or emergency service patrol officer who takes a juvenile into protective custody from detaining the juvenile in jail.

Beginning July 1, 2024, the act requires each local law enforcement agency that has taken a person into protective custody to provide an annual report to the behavioral health administration that includes disaggregated and nonidentifying information concerning persons who were taken into protective custody in an approved treatment facility or detained in an emergency medical facility or jail.

Beginning July 1, 2024, the act requires each approved treatment facility or emergency medical services facility that detains a person under protective custody or detains or holds a person on an emergency commitment to provide a quarterly report to the behavioral health administration that includes information about the persons detained or held at the facility.

The act appropriates $64,738 from the general fund to the department of human services for use by the behavioral health administration.

APPROVED by Governor May 17, 2024

EFFECTIVE May 17, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/17/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1088 Modifications to the Child Fatality Prevention Act 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: T. Winter (R) / R. Pelton (R)
Summary:

The "Child Fatality Prevention Act" establishes state and local or regional child fatality prevention review teams to conduct multidisciplinary reviews of child abuse, neglect, and fatalities. The bill:

  • Repeals the requirement that a local or regional review team conduct reviews of child fatalities related to motor vehicle incidents;
  • Requires that members of a local or regional review team be appointed by a board of county commissioners;
  • Repeals the requirement that a local or regional review team review the cause and manner of a child fatality, as determined by the local coroner, pathologist, or medical examiner;
  • Requires a local or regional review team to provide the parent or guardian of a deceased child with written notice of a review, an opportunity to be heard, and an opportunity to obtain legal representation during the review process; and
  • Repeals the requirement that a state review team review a child fatality case that has not been reviewed by a local or regional review team.
    (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 2/7/2024 House Committee on Health & Human Services Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

HB24-1090 Privacy Protections Criminal Justice Records 
Position: Oppose
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: B. Titone (D) | N. Ricks (D) / T. Exum (D) | R. Fields
Summary:

Subject to limited exceptions, current law requires that a victim's name and identifying information be deleted from criminal justice records released to the public if the person was a victim of certain sexual offenses. The act permits the release of unredacted records to the named victim, victim's designee, or victim's lawful representative.

Subject to limited exceptions, current law requires that a child's name and identifying information be deleted from criminal justice records released to the public if the child was a victim of or witness to a criminal offense. The act permits the release of unredacted records to the office of the state public defender, the office of the alternate defense counsel, the office of respondent parents' counsel, the office of the child's representative, municipal attorneys, county attorneys, and a named child victim's lawful representative. This release requirement must be implemented by July 1, 2024.

The act clarifies that changes in 2023 to the law related to records of child victims and child witnesses apply to records pertaining to offenses committed on or after January 1, 2024. For records pertaining to earlier offenses, the law in effect prior to January 1, 2024 applies.

APPROVED by Governor February 20, 2024

EFFECTIVE February 20, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 2/20/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1091 Fire-Hardened Building Materials in Real Property 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: K. Brown (D) | B. Titone (D) / L. Cutter (D) | S. Jaquez Lewis (D)
Summary:

The act generally prohibits covenants and other restrictions that disallow the installation, use, or maintenance of fire-hardened building materials in residential real property, including in common interest communities. However, the act allows a unit owners' association of a common interest community to develop reasonable standards regarding the design, dimensions, placement, or external appearance of fire-hardened building materials used for fencing within the community.

APPROVED by Governor March 12, 2024

EFFECTIVE March 12, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 3/12/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1092 Minimum Sentence Crimes against Prostituted Children 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: B. Bradley (R) | R. English (D) / K. Van Winkle (R)
Summary:

Under current law, various crimes related to child prostitution are class 3 felonies. These crimes include soliciting for child prostitution, one type of pandering of a child, procurement of a child, keeping a place of child prostitution, pimping of a child, inducement of child prostitution, and patronizing a prostituted child. The bill requires a court to sentence a person convicted of one of these crimes to the department of corrections for a term of at least the minimum of the presumptive range for a class 3 felony, which is 4 years.

Under current law, the crime of pandering of a child is either a class 2 or a class 3 felony, depending on the conduct involved. Pandering that uses menacing or criminal intimidation to induce a child to commit prostitution is a class 2 felony. The bill requires a court to sentence a person convicted of this type of pandering to the department of corrections for a term of at least the minimum of the presumptive range for a class 2 felony, which is 8 years.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 2/15/2024 House Committee on State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

HB24-1093 Peace Officer Provisional Certification Requirements 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: R. Armagost (R) | M. Martinez (D) / N. Hinrichsen (D)
Summary:

Under existing law, the peace officer standards and training board may grant a person a provisional certification as a peace officer if the person satisfies the requirements for a provisional certificate. One of the requirements is that the person must have been a peace officer in another state or federal jurisdiction, excluding the armed forces, within the preceding 3 years. The act removes the exception for the armed forces, so that being a peace officer in the armed forces satisfies that requirement for a provisional certificate.

APPROVED by Governor March 22, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 3/22/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments:

HB24-1098 Cause Required for Eviction of Residential Tenant 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: J. Mabrey (D) | M. Duran (D) / J. Gonzales (D) | N. Hinrichsen (D)
Summary:

With certain exceptions, the act prohibits a landlord from evicting a residential tenant unless the landlord has cause for eviction. Cause exists only when:

  • A tenant or lessee is guilty of an unlawful detention of real property under certain circumstances described in existing law, as amended by the act;
  • A tenant or lessee engages in conduct that creates a nuisance or disturbance that interferes with the quiet enjoyment of the landlord or other tenants at the property or an immediately adjacent property, or where the tenant negligently damaged the property; or
  • Conditions exist constituting grounds for a "no-fault eviction".

The following conditions constitute grounds for a "no-fault eviction" of a residential tenant, with certain limitations:

  • Demolition or conversion of the residential premises;
  • Substantial repairs or renovations to the residential premises;
  • Occupancy of the residential premises is assumed by the landlord or a family member of the landlord;
  • Withdrawal of the residential premises from the rental market for the purpose of selling the residential premises;
  • A tenant refuses to sign a new lease with reasonable terms; and
  • A tenant has a history of nonpayment of rent.

If a landlord proceeds with an eviction of a tenant without cause, the tenant may seek relief as provided in existing laws concerning unlawful removal of a tenant and may assert the landlord's violation as an affirmative defense to an eviction proceeding.

Current law allows a tenant to terminate a tenancy by serving written notice to the landlord within a prescribed time period, based on the length of the tenancy. For the purpose of such notices, certain provisions apply, including the following:

  • Any person in possession of real property with the assent of the owner is presumed to be a tenant at will until the contrary is shown; and
  • Certain provisions concerning notices to quit do not apply to the termination of a residential tenancy if the residential premises is a condominium unit.

The act eliminates these provisions.

Current law requires the management of a mobile home park to make a reasonable effort to notify a resident of the management's intention to enter the mobile home space at least 48 hours before entry. The act increases this notice period to 72 hours.

APPROVED by Governor April 19, 2024

EFFECTIVE April 19, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 4/19/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1101 Empower Victims through Access Restorative Justice 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: J. Mabrey (D) | M. Snyder (D)
Summary:

The bill makes changes to increase access to restorative justice practices (restorative justice) in Colorado, specifically by:

  • Creating a victim-survivor right to participate in restorative justice in the criminal and juvenile justice systems;
  • Requiring that victim-survivors be informed of their statutory right to restorative justice and how to exercise it;
  • Creating a victim-survivor right to request restorative justice as an alternative to, or in addition to, prosecution;
  • Establishing the victim-survivor's right to accept or decline participation in restorative justice, and the right to change that decision, at any stage in the proceedings;
  • Creating a victim-survivor right to restorative justice with trained facilitators who adhere to the Colorado restorative justice coordinating council's code of conduct and standards of training and practice, as amended;
  • Requiring that, in cases of domestic violence or unlawful sexual behavior, when a victim-survivor requests restorative justice, the victim-survivor has a right to restorative justice with a facilitator who has specialized training and experience to address the issues specific to those cases;
  • Requiring that participation in restorative justice by a responsible party is voluntary;
  • Mandating that restorative justice is confidential and information obtained through a restorative justice practice must not be disclosed by any party to the practice without the agreement of all parties involved;
  • Requiring the state restorative justice coordinating council to develop, on or before August 30, 2024, 2 standardized forms to advise victim-survivors of their right to restorative justice in criminal and juvenile cases and a confidentiality agreement to use in restorative justice;
  • Clarifying that the legal authority of a prosecutor to make decisions about prosecution is preserved;
  • Creating a funding source for restorative justice through the offender services fund;
  • Eliminating language in statute that prohibits the use of restorative justice in cases involving domestic partner violence, protective orders, stalking, and unlawful sexual behavior;
  • Requiring the department of corrections to accommodate victim-survivor requests for victim-offender dialogues; maintain an accountability letter bank for inmates to send letters of accountability, apology, or remorse to victim-survivors; inform victim-survivors of the availability of such letters; and adopt policies requiring adherence to the principles of victim empowerment; and
  • Eliminating outdated language related to fees for restorative justice in multiple statutes.
    (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 4/2/2024 House Committee on Judiciary Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

HB24-1103 Prohibiting Term Excited Delirium 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: J. Amabile (D) | L. Herod / J. Gonzales (D) | J. Buckner (D)
Summary:

The act prohibits training for law enforcement personnel, emergency medical service providers, or other first responders from including the term "excited delirium"; except that in an emergency medical service provider training the term may be used in teaching the history of the term. A peace officer is prohibited from using the term "excited delirium" to describe a person in an incident report. A coroner or other person authorized to determine a cause of death shall not register "excited delirium" as the cause of death on a death certificate.

APPROVED by Governor April 4, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 4/4/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1107 Judicial Review of Local Land Use Decision 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: W. Lindstedt (D) | S. Bird (D) / J. Bridges (D) | F. Winter (D)
Summary:

The act requires a court to award reasonable attorney fees to a prevailing governmental entity in an action for judicial review of a local land use decision involving residential use with a net project density of 5 dwelling units per acre or more, except for an action brought by the land use applicant before the governmental entity. Filing an action for judicial review of a local land use decision does not affect the validity of the local land use decision. The act authorizes a governmental entity and the public to rely on the local land use decision in good faith for all purposes until the action for judicial review is resolved.

APPROVED by Governor May 30, 2024

EFFECTIVE May 30, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/30/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1109 Detention of Parolee Arrested for Violent Crime 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: R. Bockenfeld / R. Pelton (R)
Summary:

The bill requires a parolee who is arrested for allegedly committing a crime of violence while on parole to be detained at a state correctional facility while awaiting a parole revocation hearing. The bill requires the department of corrections to reimburse a county or city and county for one-half the cost of transporting the parolee from the county or city and county to a state correctional facility.

Under existing law, a community parole officer who is informed by a law enforcement agency that a parolee has been arrested for a criminal offense is required to request that a parole revocation proceeding be deferred pending a disposition of the criminal charge. The bill repeals this requirement and instead permits the community parole officer to request that the parole revocation proceeding be deferred.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 2/20/2024 House Committee on Judiciary Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

HB24-1113 Credit for Paid Health Insurance Deductible 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: K. Brown (D) | A. Boesenecker (D) / D. Roberts (D)
Summary:

For small group and individual health benefit plans, if an individual who is entitled to receive benefits or services under a health benefit plan has incurred any out-of-pocket expenses, including payments for a deductible or other coinsurance amount, under the health benefit plan during a plan year, and the individual's health insurance carrier exits the health insurance market and can no longer provide coverage to the individual, the bill requires the individual's new health insurance carrier to credit all of the out-of-pocket expenses paid by the individual in accordance with the original health benefit plan in the given plan year to the new health benefit plan if the individual enrolls in the new health benefit plan in the established special enrollment period.

The bill grants rule-making authority to the commissioner of insurance.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 2/14/2024 House Committee on Health & Human Services Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

HB24-1117 Invertebrates & Rare Plants Parks & Wildlife Commission 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: K. McCormick (D) | M. Soper (R) / J. Marchman (D) | J. Bridges (D)
Summary:

The act adds rare plants and invertebrates to the species that may be studied and conserved under the current "Nongame, Endangered, or Threatened Species Conservation Act", which is renamed the "Nongame, Endangered, or Threatened Wildlife and Rare Plant Conservation Act". The division of parks and wildlife in the department of natural resources (department) may undertake voluntary programs to conserve, protect, and perpetuate invertebrates. The department is required to include, in the department's SMART Act hearing, information about the investigations conducted under the act. The general assembly is required to make an appropriation from the general fund or the wildlife cash fund to study invertebrates.

$774,788 is appropriated to the department for use by the division of parks and wildlife to implement the act.

APPROVED by Governor May 17, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/17/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1120 Resources for Persons in Child Welfare System 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: G. Evans
Summary:

The bill requires that prior to adding a person found responsible for child abuse or neglect (person) to the automated child welfare system (system), a county department of human or social services must provide, within 14 days, a written notice to the person of the opportunity for a hearing to appeal the finding. The written notice must include, among other things:

  • Information about the factual history of the case and detailed information about the appeals process;
  • Information about how the person may obtain, at no cost to the person, a complete copy of the record that will be added to the system, subject to redactions required by law;
  • Information about how the person may request a complete copy of the law enforcement record, if any, of the alleged incident of child abuse or neglect;
  • Information about the office of the child protection ombudsman; and
  • Information about the office of the respondent parents' counsel.

When a hearing is requested, the bill requires an administrative law judge to contact the parties to schedule the hearing, which must take place no later than 120 days after the date the person requests a hearing.

The bill describes the rights accorded to the person.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 5/14/2024 House Committee on Appropriations Lay Over Unamended - Amendment(s) Failed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1130 Privacy of Biometric Identifiers & Data 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: L. Daugherty (D) | M. Lynch / P. Lundeen (R) | C. Hansen (D)
Summary:

The act amends the "Colorado Privacy Act" to add protections for individuals' biometric data by requiring a person that controls or processes one or more biometric identifiers (controller) to adopt a written policy that:

  • Establishes a retention schedule for biometric identifiers and biometric data;
  • Includes a protocol for responding to a data security incident that may compromise the security of biometric identifiers or biometric data; and
  • Includes guidelines that require the deletion of a biometric identifier on or before certain dates.

With certain exceptions, a controller must make its written policy available to the public.

The act also:

  • Prohibits a controller from collecting a biometric identifier unless the controller first satisfies certain disclosure and consent requirements;
  • Specifies certain prohibited acts and requirements for controllers that process biometric identifiers and biometric data;
  • Requires a controller to disclose to a consumer certain information concerning the collection and use of the consumer's biometric identifier;
  • Restricts an employer's permissible reasons for obtaining an employee's consent for the collection of biometric identifiers; and
  • Authorizes the attorney general to promulgate rules to implement the act.

APPROVED by Governor May 31, 2024

EFFECTIVE July 1, 2025
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/31/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1140 Workers' Comp for Complex Trauma 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: R. Weinberg (R)
Summary:

For the purpose of determining eligibility for workers' compensation benefits for a mental impairment caused by an accidental injury that consists of a psychologically traumatic event arising out of and sustained in the course of employment, the bill establishes that a worker who, while working, experiences complex trauma that causes posttraumatic stress disorder is experiencing a "psychologically traumatic event".
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 2/14/2024 House Committee on Business Affairs & Labor Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

HB24-1141 Local Government Control over Burn Barrel Regulation 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: T. Winter (R) / R. Pelton (R)
Summary:

The bill clarifies that local governments, rather than the air quality control commission or the department of public health and environment, control the regulation of burning in burn barrels. Burning in burn barrels is permitted as regulated by or unless prohibited by the local government.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 4/18/2024 House Committee on Energy & Environment Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

HB24-1145 Modify Voter Registration Page on Secretary of State Website 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: K. DeGraaf (R)
Summary:

By July 1, 2024, the secretary of state is required to include, on the voter registration page on the secretary of state's official website (website), places for a registered elector to:

  • Confirm the registered elector's mailing address;
  • Select whether to receive a mail ballot or to vote in person; and
  • Select which major political party's ballot to receive for a primary election.

The secretary of state is required to ensure that the default selection for every registered elector for each election is to vote in person. The secretary of state is required to add a notice to the website to explain the costs incurred in sending mail ballots to registered electors, and the amount of taxpayer money that is wasted by sending mail ballots that will not be used.

On or after July 1, 2024, every registered elector is required to access the registered elector's voter registration through the website at least one time during each election cycle to verify the registered elector's address and make the selections regarding the registered elector's voting and ballot preference (selections). Each registered elector is required to make the selections only once for an election cycle but may alter the selections as many times as the registered elector wishes prior to specified elections. The secretary of state is required to allow electors who first register to vote on or after July 1, 2024, to make selections when registering to vote. If a registered elector does not make the selections for an election cycle, the registered elector is presumed to have opted to vote in person and the registered elector will not receive a mail ballot.

The secretary of state and the designated election official in each county (election official) are required to provide written notice, in specified places, of the requirements that a registered elector confirm the registered elector's address and make the selections.

For the 2024-2025 state fiscal year and for each state fiscal year thereafter, the staff of the joint budget committee of the general assembly is required to determine whether there is a reduction as a result of the bill, compared to the previous fiscal year, in the amount appropriated to the department of state to reimburse counties for the costs of conducting elections. The general assembly is required to appropriate an amount equal to 50% of any such reduction for programs that combat food vulnerability among children in the state.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 2/12/2024 House Committee on State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

HB24-1147 Candidate Election Deepfake Disclosures 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: J. Joseph (D) | B. Titone (D) / C. Hansen (D) | J. Buckner (D)
Summary:

The act creates a statutory scheme to regulate the use of deepfakes produced using generative artificial intelligence in communications about candidates for elective office.

Distribution of a communication that includes an undisclosed or improperly disclosed deepfake with knowledge or reckless disregard as to the deceptiveness or falsity of the communication related to a candidate for elective office is prohibited. Proper disclosure requires the statement: "This (image/audio/video/multimedia) has been edited and depicts speech or conduct that falsely appears to be authentic or truthful". The disclosure statement must satisfy the requirements in the act, and any rule adopted by the secretary of state in accordance with the act, for a clear, conspicuous, and understandable disclosure statement regarding a deepfake. The disclosure statement must be included in the communication's metadata and, to the extent technically feasible, must be permanent or unable to be easily removed by subsequent users.

Any person who believes there has been a violation of the statutory or regulatory requirements for disclosure of the use of a deepfake may file a complaint with the office of the secretary of state. The secretary shall hear such complaints in accordance with existing complaint and administrative hearing procedures under the "Fair Campaign Practices Act", and a hearing officer may impose a civil penalty of at least $100 for each violation involving unpaid advertising or at least 10% of the amount paid or spent to advertise the communication that includes an undisclosed or improperly disclosed deepfake.

A candidate who is the subject of a communication that includes an undisclosed or improperly disclosed deepfake may bring a civil action for injunctive or other equitable relief or for compensatory and punitive damages, or both. The plaintiff-candidate may also seek reasonable attorney fees, filing fees, and costs of action, and any other just and appropriate relief necessary to enforce the prohibition on undisclosed deepfakes and to remedy the harm caused by violation of the prohibition. The plaintiff-candidate must prove the defendant's knowledge or reckless disregard as to the falsity or deceptiveness of the communication that includes the deepfake by clear and convincing evidence.

Liability for a violation of the act does not extend to an interactive computer service, a radio or television broadcasting station, including a cable or satellite television operator, programmer, producer, or streaming service, an internet website, a regularly published newspaper, magazine, or other periodical of general circulation, or a provider of technology used in the creation of a deepfake as specified in the act and in accordance with immunities provided by federal law.

APPROVED by Governor May 24, 2024

EFFECTIVE July 1, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/24/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1150 False Slates of Electors 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: L. Garcia (D) | J. Parenti / N. Hinrichsen (D)
Summary:

The act applies conduct pertaining to false slates of electors to 5 existing crimes that make it unlawful for an individual to:

  • Offer a false instrument for recording;
  • Commit forgery;
  • Conspire to offer a false instrument for recording or to commit forgery;
  • Commit perjury; or
  • Commit subornation of perjury.

Each crime is punishable by a fine of no more than $10,000. In addition, a defendant who is convicted of the crime of perjury or subornation of perjury for knowingly and falsely swearing or attesting to the oath required by law for presidential electors or inducing another to knowingly and falsely swear or attest to the oath required by law for presidential electors is disqualified, as required by the state constitution, from being a member of the general assembly and from holding any office of trust or profit in the state.

APPROVED by Governor April 19, 2024

EFFECTIVE July 1, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 4/19/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1152 Accessory Dwelling Units 
Position: Support
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: J. Amabile (D) | R. Weinberg (R) / K. Mullica (D) | T. Exum (D)
Summary:

Section 1 of the act creates a series of requirements related to accessory dwelling units. Section 1 establishes unique requirements for subject jurisdictions and for qualifying as an accessory dwelling unit supportive jurisdiction (supportive jurisdiction).

As established in section 1, a subject jurisdiction is either:

  • A municipality that has a population of 1,000 or more and that is within the area of a metropolitan planning organization; or
  • The portion of a county that is both within a census designated place with a population of forty thousand or more, as reported in the most recent decennial census, and within the area of a metropolitan planning organization.

Section 1 requires a subject jurisdiction, on or after June 30, 2025, to allow, subject to an administrative approval process, one accessory dwelling unit as an accessory use to a single-unit detached dwelling in any part of the subject jurisdiction where the subject jurisdiction allows single-unit detached dwellings. Section 1 also prohibits, on or after June 30, 2025, subject jurisdictions from enacting or enforcing certain local laws or otherwise acting in certain ways that would restrict the construction or conversion of an accessory dwelling unit.

In order to qualify as a supportive jurisdiction, a local government must submit a report on or before June 30, 2025, to the department of local affairs (department) demonstrating that the local government:

  • Has complied with the accessory dwelling unit requirements section 1 imposes on subject jurisdictions as a subject jurisdiction or, if the local government is not a subject jurisdiction, as if the local government were a subject jurisdiction; and
  • Has implemented one or more specified strategies to encourage and facilitate the construction or conversion of accessory dwelling units.

Section 1 also creates the accessory dwelling unit fee reduction and encouragement grant program within the department. The purpose of this grant program is for the department to provide grants to supportive jurisdictions for offsetting costs incurred in connection with developing pre-approved accessory dwelling unit plans, providing technical assistance to persons converting or constructing accessory dwelling units, or waiving, reducing, or providing financial assistance for accessory dwelling unit associated fees and other required costs. In addition to providing grants, the department is required to develop a toolkit to support local governments in encouraging accessory dwelling unit construction. Section 1 requires the state treasurer to transfer $5 million to the accessory dwelling unit fee reduction and encouragement grant program fund created for purposes of implementing the grant program.

Section 2 requires the department to create, and for local governments to consider and adopt, model public safety code requirements related to geographic or climatic conditions for factory-built structures, including those structures that would be considered accessory dwelling units.

Section 3 grants the Colorado economic development commission the power to expend $8 million to contract with the Colorado housing and finance authority to operate and establish the following programs to benefit low- to moderate-income residents of supportive jurisdictions:

  • An accessory dwelling unit credit enhancement program that supports lenders offering affordable loans to eligible low- and moderate-income borrowers for the construction or conversion of accessory dwelling units;
  • A program that allows for the buying down of interest rates on loans made to eligible low- and moderate-income borrowers in connection with the construction or conversion of accessory dwelling units;
  • A program that offers down payment assistance in connection with accessory dwelling units, principal reduction on loans to eligible low- and moderate-income borrowers made in connection with accessory dwelling units, or both; and
  • A program through which the Colorado housing and finance authority offers loans, revolving lines of credit, or grants to eligible non-profits, public housing authorities, and community development financial institutions to make direct loans or grants to support the construction or conversion of accessory dwelling units for low- and moderate-income borrowers or tenants.

Section 4 directs the state treasurer to transfer $8 million from the general fund to the Colorado economic development fund for the purpose of the contracting described in section 3.

Section 5 prohibits a subject jurisdiction's planned unit development resolution or ordinance for a planned unit development from restricting the permitting of an accessory dwelling unit more than the local law that applies to accessory dwelling units outside of the planned unit development.

Section 6 states, subject to a reasonable restriction exception, that any prohibition on accessory dwelling units or the implementation of restrictive design or dimension standards by a unit owners' association in a supportive jurisdiction is void as a matter of public policy.

Section 7 makes appropriations to the department, the division of local government within the department, and the office of the governor for use by the office of information technology for the purpose of implementing the act.

APPROVED by Governor May 13, 2024

EFFECTIVE May 13, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/13/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1155 Management of Certain Public Safety Emergencies 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: E. Velasco (D) / L. Cutter (D)
Summary:

The act defines "reimbursement" for purposes of reimbursing the expenditure of money from state emergency reserve as a repayment of expenditures for which the state previously designated emergency money and specifies that federal cost share provided through a federal emergency management agency public assistant grant is not reimbursement.

To specify the authority of all fire response agencies, rather than just a fire protection district, to transfer the management of a wildland fire to the county sheriff (sheriff) when the fire exceeds the capability of the fire response agency to manage, the act authorizes a fire department, as defined in law, to transfer the management of a wildland fire and repeals references to transfers by a fire protection district. The act also specifies that the sheriff may develop a wildfire preparedness plan for the unincorporated area of a county as required by law, in cooperation with any fire department, rather than only with a fire district, with jurisdiction over the unincorporated area.

The act repeals references to the community wildfire protection plan (CWPP) in the statutes that address the response to and management of wildland fires, as the CWPP addresses the identification and reduction of hazards and is not focused on the response to or management of wildland fires. Instead, the act specifies that the sheriff and the fire chief of a fire protection district (fire chief) are subject to any relevant plans or agreements in the response to and management of wildland fires.

To allow the division of fire prevention and control in the department of public safety (division) and the sheriff to determine the most appropriation management strategy when the management of a wildland fire has been transferred from the sheriff to the division, the act repeals the requirement that the division and the sheriff use the unified command management strategy when the management of a wildland fire has been transferred to the division. The act also repeals the requirement that the unified command management strategy be used in a hazardous substance incident to allow responding agencies to determine the most appropriate response to and management of such an incident.

The act repeals the requirement that a sheriff appoint a local incident management team to provide command control to manage a wildland fire and instead requires the sheriff to appoint an incident commander for a wildland fire. In addition, the act specifies that the agency that has jurisdiction over any wildland fire in the state is required to manage the fire using the incident command system as defined in law.

The act repeals references to the Colorado state emergency operation plan (SEOP) in the statute designating the division as the lead state agency for wildland fire response and suppression, as the SEOP can only be activated by an executive order and does not apply to the majority of wildland fire operations. In addition the act repeals inaccurate references to the state forest service in that statute.

APPROVED by Governor April 4, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 4/4/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1156 Chamber of Commerce Alcohol Special Event Permit 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: A. Hartsook (R) | W. Lindstedt (D) / J. Smallwood | R. Zenzinger
Summary:

Under Colorado law, a special event permit allows the service of alcohol beverages during special events. The act authorizes a special event permit to be issued to a chamber of commerce. Certain types of business are excluded from participating in the special event. The holder of a retail establishment permit may participate in the special event if the permit holder is not serving complimentary alcohol beverages sold at the same date and time as the special event.

The act also requires the executive director of the department of revenue (department) to promulgate rules to authorize age-restricted tobacco festivals by means of a permit issued by the department. Standards are set for the rules.

The executive director of the department may establish by rule an application fee for the tobacco festival permit. The application fee must be set at an amount that offsets the direct and indirect cost of implementing and enforcing the tobacco festival permit rules.

APPROVED by Governor June 4, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 6/4/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1162 Penalty for Theft of Firearms 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: R. Armagost (R) | M. Snyder (D)
Summary:

In current law, the sentencing structure for theft, except for auto theft, is based on the value of the item stolen. The bill exempts theft of firearms from that sentencing structure and makes theft of a firearm a class 6 felony, regardless of its value. Subsequent violations, including multiple firearms stolen in the same criminal incident, are separate class 5 felonies.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 2/14/2024 House Committee on Judiciary Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

HB24-1163 Pet Animal Registration System 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: R. English (D)
Summary:

The bill requires the commissioner of the department of agriculture (commissioner) to develop, implement, and maintain an online pet animal registration system (system).

The bill establishes the pet animal registration enterprise (enterprise) in the department of agriculture to provide business services to pet animal owners who pay pet registration fees to the enterprise by developing, implementing, maintaining, and administering the pet animal registration system, connecting pet animals with their owners and designated caregivers when and after emergencies occur, and protecting pet animals by supporting animal shelters that are caretakers of last resort.

A pet animal owner must register the pet animal in the system annually for a fee set by the enterprise, which must be no more than $8.50 annually per pet animal with a designated caregiver, $16 annually per pet animal that is a dog or cat that is not neutered or spayed and has a designated caregiver, and $25 annually per pet animal without a designated caregiver. The fee set by the enterprise is in addition to any pet registration or licensing fee assessed by any other jurisdiction. The enterprise will collect both state and local fees and transmit any fee levied by another jurisdiction to that jurisdiction and the fee levied by the state to the newly created pet animal registration cash fund. The state's fee will be used to develop, implement, maintain, and administer the system and reimburse animal shelters for the cost of taking custody of a pet animal for which a caregiver cannot be located or has refused to take custody.

The bill also requires a pet animal owner to designate a caregiver for the owner's pet animal. The caregiver is responsible for the care and safekeeping of the pet animal during an emergency that incapacitates the pet animal owner. First responders will use the system to identify the designated caregiver of the pet animal and notify the caregiver of the incapacitation of the pet animal's owner. A caregiver must agree to be responsible for the pet animal. If a caregiver later refuses to take custody of the pet animal or cannot be located, a first responder will place the pet animal in an animal shelter. Only first responders and the department of public health and environment are allowed to use the system.

The bill specifies that to own a pet animal without registering the pet animal; to refuse or fail to comply with the provisions of the bill; to make a material misstatement in a registration application, a registration renewal application, or to the department of agriculture; or to refuse or fail to comply with any rules or regulations adopted by the commissioner is unlawful. An unlawful act is punishable by a civil penalty in an amount set by the commissioner but not to exceed $100 per unlawful act. If the commissioner is unable to collect the civil penalty, the commissioner may sue to recover the civil penalty or refuse to renew a registration.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 2/8/2024 House Committee on Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

HB24-1166 Expand Homestead Exemptions 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: K. DeGraaf (R) | S. Luck (R)
Summary:

For property tax years commencing during property tax reassessment cycles (cycles) that begin on or after January 1, 2025, the bill changes the amount of the exemptions for the owner-occupied primary residence (residence) of a qualifying senior, a veteran with a disability, or the surviving spouse of a United States armed forces service member who died in the line of duty or veteran whose death resulted from a service-related injury or disease (exemptions) from 50% of the first $200,000 of actual value of the residence to 50% of an amount of actual value of the residence equal to 50% of the estimated state median home value (median home value) for the state; except that, if the median home value declines, the exemption amount continues to be calculated based on the median home value used to calculate the exemption amount for the property tax years included in the prior cycle.

The state constitution currently only allows a senior who has owned and occupied the senior's residence for 10 years, or the surviving spouse of such a senior, to claim the exemption. If at the 2024 general election the voters of the state approve a referred constitutional amendment to allow a senior, or the surviving spouse of such a senior (surviving spouse), who has previously qualified for the exemption for 2016 or any later year for a prior residence to claim the exemption for the senior's or surviving spouse's current residence regardless of how long the senior or surviving spouse has owned and occupied that residence, the bill makes the statutory changes needed to conform to the constitutional amendment.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 3/4/2024 House Committee on Finance Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

HB24-1168 Equal Access to Public Meetings 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: M. Froelich (D) | M. Rutinel (D) / N. Hinrichsen (D)
Summary:

The bill requires state and local public bodies (public bodies) to ensure that the following accessibility requirements are implemented by July 1, 2025:

  • Any public meeting at which public business is discussed, formal action may be taken, or recommendations to the governing body of the public body may be discussed (meeting) held by a public body is required to be accessible in real time by live streaming video or audio that is recorded and accessible to individuals with disabilities;
  • A public body is required to post on its website, at least 24 hours before a meeting, any documents that will be distributed during the meeting;
  • For any meeting of a public body during which public testimony will be heard, the public body is required to allow any individual to participate in the meeting and offer public testimony by using a video conferencing platform unless the meeting occurs in a geographic location that lacks broadband internet service; and
  • A public body is required to provide any auxiliary aids or services requested in time for the meeting for which they were requested. A public body may require that a request for auxiliary aids or services to attend a meeting of the public body with the use of the video conferencing platform be made up to 7 days before the date of the meeting.

Nothing in the bill prohibits a public body from promulgating rules for the administration of public testimony so long as the rules apply to both in-person and remote testimony, and nothing in the bill requires a public body to provide hardware or software or internet or phone access at an individual's home.

The failure of any public body to comply with the applicable requirements of the bill constitutes discrimination on the basis of disability. Any individual who is subjected to a violation is entitled to seek relief as currently provided in law.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 5/14/2024 House Committee on Appropriations Lay Over Unamended - Amendment(s) Failed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1173 Electric Vehicle Charging System Permits 
Position:
Calendar Notification: Wednesday, May 8 2024
THIRD READING OF BILLS - FINAL PASSAGE - CONT'D
(5) in senate calendar.
Sponsors: A. Valdez (D) / K. Priola | S. Jaquez Lewis (D)
Summary:

The act establishes permitting procedures for electric vehicle (EV) charging systems for counties with a population of 20,000 or more (covered county) and municipalities with a population of 10,000 or more (covered municipality). On or before December 31, 2025, a board of county commissioners of a covered county or the governing body of a covered municipality must do one of the following:

  • Adopt an ordinance or resolution that incorporates the same standards and permitting process or less restrictive standards and permitting process as the standards and permitting process described in the Colorado energy office's EV charger permitting model code that the office is required to publish on or before March 31, 2025;
  • Adopt an ordinance or resolution that establishes the covered county's or covered municipality's own objective standards and administrative review process to be used by the covered county or covered municipality permitting agency in the agency's review of EV charger permits, which ordinance or resolution must comply with certain requirements; or
  • Adopt an ordinance or resolution that establishes that the covered county or covered municipality does not intend to adopt the EV charger model code or adopt the standards and administrative review process required by the act, but instead will continue to utilize the covered county's or covered municipality's existing permitting review process for EV charging systems.

If a covered county or covered municipality establishes its own objective standards and administrative review process, the covered county or covered municipal permitting agency must provide a checklist to prospective applicants of all requirements that must be included in an application for an EV charger permit.

The covered county or covered municipality may deny an application if the application does not comply with the objective standards for EV charging systems set forth by the covered county or covered municipality or for health or safety reasons. A covered county or covered municipality must also notify an EV charger permit applicant of the covered county permitting agency's or covered municipal permitting agency's decision to approve, conditionally approve, or deny an applicant within 3 business days after the date the agency makes such determination.

The Colorado energy office, in addition to developing the model code regarding the approval of EV charger permits, is required to provide covered counties and covered municipalities technical assistance in developing and administering the expedited EV charger permitting process. If a board of county commissioners of a covered county or governing body of a covered municipality adopts the model code, it is not subject to the other requirements specified in the act.

APPROVED by Governor May 21, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/21/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1175 Local Goverments Rights to Property for Affordable Housing 
Position:
Calendar Notification: Wednesday, May 8 2024
THIRD READING OF BILLS - FINAL PASSAGE - CONT'D
(4) in senate calendar.
Sponsors: A. Boesenecker (D) | E. Sirota (D) / F. Winter (D) | S. Jaquez Lewis (D)
Summary:

The act creates a right of first refusal and a right of first offer for local governments to make an offer to purchase certain types of multifamily rental properties. Both the right of first refusal and the right of first offer terminate on December 31, 2029, and a local government is not entitled to exercise either right after that date unless the local government exercised the right before December 31, 2029 and the process has not concluded.

For multifamily rental properties that are existing affordable housing consisting of not less than five units, a local government has a right of first refusal to make a matched offer for the purchase of such property, subject to the local government's commitment to using the property as long-term affordable housing. Existing affordable housing is housing that is subject to one or more restricted use covenants or similar recorded agreements to ensure affordability consistent with affordable housing financial assistance requirements.

The act requires the seller of such property to give notice to the local government and to the Colorado housing and finance authority at least 2 years before the final expiration of the last remaining affordability restriction on the property of the date of such expiration, a second notice not less than 6 months before the final expiration of the last remaining affordability restriction, and additional notice when the seller takes certain actions as a precursor to selling the property. Sharing information provided by the seller in certain notices is subject to execution of a nondisclosure agreement.

Upon receiving the third notice indicating an intent to sell the property or of a potential sale of the property, the local government has 14 calendar days to preserve its right of first refusal and an additional 30 calendar days to make an offer and must agree to close on the property within 60 calendar days of the acceptance of the local government's offer; except that, if the seller has received an entirely cash offer from a third-party buyer, then the local government must agree to close within the same time period as is set forth in the third-party buyer's offer. If the price as listed in the seller's notice is reduced by 5% or more or if the required terms and conditions of an acceptable offer that has been communicated to the local government materially change, the seller must provide notice of the change within 7 days and the local government may exercise or re-exercise its right of first refusal. If the seller rejects an offer by the local government, the seller must provide a written explanation of the reasons, invite the local government to make one subsequent offer within 14 days, and must accept or reject the local government's subsequent offer within 14 days of the subsequent offer being made.

For all other multifamily rental properties that are 30 years or older and have not more than 100 units and not less than 15 units, a local government has a right of first offer. A seller of such property must provide notice of intent to sell the property to the local government before the seller enters into an agreement with a licensed broker to solicit and procure purchasers or otherwise lists the property for sale on the multiple listing service. After receipt of the notice, the local government has 7 days to respond by either indicating the local government is interested in receiving due diligence information on the property to evaluate whether it wants to make an offer, which response must include a nondisclosure agreement in a form acceptable to the seller, or waiving any right to purchase the property. If the local government does not respond within this time period, it is deemed to have waived its right of first offer with respect to the property.

The local government's right of first offer is subject to the property being used or converted for the purpose of providing long-term affordable housing or mixed-income development. If the local government has requested due diligence information, the seller has 5 days to provide the information to the local government and the local government then has 14 days to make an offer or waive its right of first offer. If a response is not provided in this period, the right of first offer is deemed waived. The seller has 14 days to accept or reject the local government's offer, and, if the seller does not provide notice, the offer is deemed rejected. If the seller accepts the offer, the parties have 30 days to negotiate and execute a contract for the purchase of the property and then 60 days to close on the transaction, unless both parties agree to other terms.

In exercising its right of first refusal or first offer, the local government may partner with certain other entities for the financing of the transaction and may also assign either right with respect to all applicable properties in the local government's jurisdiction or with respect to a single property to certain other entities that are then subject to all the rights and requirements of the local government in exercising either right.

The act allows certain sales of property to be exempt from the right of first offer or from both the right of first refusal and the right of first offer. Upon completion of the requirements of the seller for the right of first refusal and for the right of first offer, the local government, or its assignee if it has assigned either right, is required to execute and record a certificate of compliance stating that the seller has complied with all applicable provisions for the right of first refusal or right of first offer.

The act also requires the attorney general's office to enforce the provisions of the act and grants the attorney general's office, the local government, or a local government's assignee standing to bring a civil action for violations of the right of first refusal or first offer established by the act. If a court finds that a seller has materially violated the law with respect to the right of first refusal or first offer, respectively, the court must award a statutory penalty of not less than $10,000 for a first offense and not less than $30,000 for any subsequent offenses but the court cannot award a statutory penalty that is more than $100,000.

APPROVED by Governor May 30, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/30/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1178 Local Government Authority to Regulate Pesticides 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: C. Kipp (D) | M. Froelich (D) / L. Cutter (D) | S. Jaquez Lewis (D)
Summary:

Current law prohibits a local government from creating laws that regulate the use of pesticides by pesticide applicators regulated by state or federal law. The bill allows a local government to create and enforce laws regulating the sale or use of pesticides to protect the health and safety of the community with certain exceptions.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 5/6/2024 House Second Reading Special Order - Laid Over to 05/09/2024 - No Amendments
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1179 2023 Property Tax Year Updated Abstract 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: C. deGruy Kennedy | L. Frizell (R) / C. Hansen (D) | M. Baisley (R)
Summary:

A county assessor is required to complete an assessment roll of all taxable property within the assessor's county and an accompanying abstract of assessment (abstract) on or before either August 25 or November 21 of every year, depending on certain conditions. During the first extraordinary session of the seventy-fourth general assembly, the general assembly enacted, and the governor signed on November 20, 2023, Senate Bill 23B-001, which modified the valuation for assessment for residential real property for the 2023 property tax year and accordingly rendered inaccurate the abstracts completed on or before August 25, 2023, and November 21, 2023.

The act requires a county assessor to prepare an updated abstract and file a copy of that abstract, along with updated versions of other information that a county assessor is required to append to an abstract, with the property tax administrator no later than February 20, 2024.

APPROVED by Governor February 15, 2024

EFFECTIVE February 15, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 2/15/2024 Signed by the President of the Senate
Amendments:

HB24-1216 Supports for Youth in Juvenile Justice System 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: J. Bacon (D) | T. Hernandez / J. Coleman (D)
Summary:

The act establishes a bill of rights for a K-12 student who is involved in any capacity with the juvenile or criminal justice system (justice-engaged student). School districts, boards of cooperative services, charter schools, and institute charter schools (local education providers) must follow the bill of rights for justice-engaged students.

The bill of rights includes, but is not limited to:

  • Providing the justice-engaged student with alternative solutions to a general education, when appropriate;
  • Prompt enrollment or re-enrollment no later than 10 business days after the first request to the local education provider, so long as the student is eligible for enrollment, as determined by the local education provider;
  • Appropriate credit for coursework completed while justice-engaged, and for that coursework to be applied toward graduation or school continuation;
  • Providing the justice-engaged student with a graduation plan, developed in consultation with the justice-engaged student, the student's family, caregiver or advocate;
  • Privacy, including privacy when related to diversion, probation, or questioning about a crime;
  • Protection by the federal "Individuals with Disabilities Act", section 504 of the federal "Rehabilitation Act of 1973", applicable foster care regulations, and the federal "McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act";
  • Creating evidence of and being evaluated for giftedness; and
  • Allowing the justice-engaged student to participate in school activities or career readiness pathways in accordance with rules promulgated by the state board of education (board).

Each local education provider shall publish on its website an explanation of the services and resources available for justice-engaged students, including the name, phone number, and email address of a designated, trained point-of-contact person (contact person) at the local education provider. For small and rural school districts that are not members of a BOCES, a designated support person within the department of education (department) may act as a contact person. The contact person shall read and understand the guidance developed by the department and be knowledgeable about alternative education options and wraparound services.

Upon notification or request, a local education provider will work with the team of professionals, including the multi-tiered systems of supports, and appropriate intervention teams, families, and justice-engaged students to ensure a pathway to graduation, including workforce development opportunities, access to alternative educational programming, and mental health and other supports as and if appropriate and available.

On or before July 1, 2024, the department shall convene an interagency working group to review and make recommendations to the department and joint education committees of the house of representatives and the senate no later than December 1, 2024 regarding justice-engaged students.

The board shall promulgate rules to establish a process and framework for interpreting and transferring credits and schoolwork completed by a justice-engaged student while in custody. Local education providers retain the right to suspend or expel a justice-engaged student pursuant to applicable laws.

The department shall provide guidance to local education providers on how to allow a justice-engaged student to receive an accommodation to participate in school activities, including, but not limited to, graduation ceremonies, sporting events, after-school activities, and college or career readiness pathways.

On or before September 1, 2026, the act requires the department to select and contract with an entity to establish and maintain a statewide hotline for justice-engaged students, families and caregivers, justice system personnel, and education personnel. Each justice-engaged student shall be provided information about the hotline by law enforcement after ticketing or arrest, by the division of youth services after release from the division, and by local education providers after notification that a student has become justice-engaged.

The act requires the entity operating the hotline to submit a written report to the department and board on or before June 30, 2025, and each June 30 thereafter. The report must categorize and summarize the number of calls received, the type of person calling, types of supports or referrals provided, and the geography of calls received so that service gaps can be identified.

Beginning July 1, 2025, the department shall assist students from small and rural school districts who have been denied re-entry into school by a local education provider.

Under current law, if a child or youth is within a court's jurisdiction, a preliminary investigation is made to determine whether further actions be taken to protect the interests of the child or youth or the community. The court or judge or magistrate is encouraged to take into consideration a juvenile's educational progress and ability to achieve credits toward graduation when considering release options.

If the court commits a justice-engaged student to the department of human services who does not include a physical threat or bodily injury to another person, the court is encouraged to order that the commitment take place in a manner that allows the justice-engaged student to continue to attend school prior to commitment to avoid disruption of the justice-engaged student's academic progress and ability to achieve credits for a semester.

The act appropriates $82,883 from the general fund for the 2024-25 state fiscal year to the department of education for use by student pathways.

APPROVED by Governor May 31, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/31/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1218 Ground Ambulance Service Rates & Billing 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: K. McCormick (D) | M. Soper (R) / K. Mullica (D) | M. Baisley (R)
Summary:

For ground ambulance services, the bill:

  • Allows a political subdivision, or an ambulance service providing ambulance services on behalf of the political subdivision, to submit to the division of insurance the established rates for the ambulance services;
  • Establishes reimbursement rates for ambulance services that are out-of-network; and
  • Prohibits an out-of-network ambulance service from billing a covered person any outstanding balance for a covered service not paid for by a carrier, except for any coinsurance, deductible, or copayment amount required to be paid by the covered person.
    (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 3/19/2024 House Committee on Health & Human Services Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

HB24-1220 Workers'Compensation Disability Benefits 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: L. Daugherty (D) / J. Marchman (D)
Summary:

The act allows a claimant for workers' compensation benefits to refuse an offer of modified employment if the employment requires the claimant to drive to or from work and the treating physician has restricted the claimant from driving.

The act adds the loss of an ear to the list of other body parts for which an injured worker can receive whole person permanent impairment benefits.

The act increases the current limitations on the amount of money a claimant may claim based on the claimant's impairment rating as follows:

  • For an impairment rating of 19% or less, from $75,000 to $185,000; and
  • For an impairment rating greater than 19%, from $150,000 to $300,000.

The act requires a workers' compensation insurer to pay benefits to a claimant by direct deposit upon request by the claimant.

APPROVED by Governor June 4, 2024

PORTIONS EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024

PORTIONS EFFECTIVE January 1, 2025
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 6/4/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1223 Improved Access to the Child Care Assistance Program 
Position:
Calendar Notification: Wednesday, May 8 2024
THIRD READING OF BILLS - FINAL PASSAGE
(2) in senate calendar.
Sponsors: J. Willford (D) | L. Garcia (D) / L. Cutter (D) | D. Michaelson Jenet (D)
Summary:

The act overhauls the Colorado child care assistance program (CCCAP). The act simplifies the application process by:

  • Limiting the application requirements to only what is necessary to determine eligibility;
  • Prohibiting counties from adding eligibility requirements; and
  • Requiring recipients to provide only information that has changed when applying for redetermination.

Income qualifications are changed to correspond with universal preschool program requirements. A county may exclude state and federal assistance program income eligibility guidelines in eligibility determinations.

An employee of a child care provider may apply to the CCCAP and be granted full benefits for children from 6 weeks of age to 13 years of age, regardless of the employee's income.

The act directs that child care providers be paid based on enrollment and not on attendance and be paid a weekly rate in advance. Employers are permitted to cover copayments, and copayments are limited to 7% of a family's income. The act authorizes grants and contracts for underserved populations.

Starting July 1, 2025, the department shall create a pilot program for unlicensed providers to seek license-exempt status and establishment as an eligible CCCAP provider separate and distinct from the parent-initiated process.

A CCCAP recipient is required to engage in an eligible activity to receive benefits. The act includes substance use disorder treatment programs, job training, and education activities as eligible activities.

The department of early childhood education, in consultation with the department of public health and environment, shall conduct or contract for a study to determine the feasibility of de-linking eligibility for the federal child and adult care food program from the CCCAP. The act appropriates $100,000 from the general fund to the department of early childhood for the child and adult care food program study.

APPROVED by Governor June 4, 2024

EFFECTIVE June 4, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 6/4/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1230 Protections for Real Property Owners 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: J. Parenti | J. Bacon (D) / F. Winter (D) | L. Cutter (D)
Summary:

Current law declares void any express waivers of or limitations on the legal rights or remedies provided by the "Construction Defect Action Reform Act" or the "Colorado Consumer Protection Act". Sections 1 and 4 make it a violation of the "Colorado Consumer Protection Act" to obtain or attempt to obtain a waiver or limitation that violates the aforementioned current law. Section 4 also requires a court to award to a claimant that prevails in a claim arising from alleged defects in a residential property construction, in addition to actual damages, prejudgment interest on the claim at a rate of 6% from the date the work is finished to the date it is sold to an occupant and 8% thereafter.

Current law requires that a lawsuit against an architect, a contractor, a builder or builder vendor, an engineer, or an inspector performing or furnishing the design, planning, supervision, inspection, construction, or observation of construction of an improvement to real property must be brought within 6 years after the claim arises. Section 2 increases the amount of time in which a lawsuit may be brought from 6 to 10 years. Current law also provides that a claim of relief arises when a defect's physical manifestation was discovered or should have been discovered. Section 2 also changes the time when a claim of relief arises to include both the discovery of the physical manifestation and the cause of the defect. Section 3 voids a provision in a real estate contract that prohibits group lawsuits against a construction professional. Section 5 of the bill prohibits governing documents of a common interest community from setting different or additional requirements than those in current law for a construction defect action.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 5/7/2024 Senate Second Reading Laid Over to 05/09/2024 - No Amendments
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1235 Reduce Aviation Impacts on Communities 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: K. Brown (D) | S. Bird (D) / S. Fenberg | R. Zenzinger
Summary:

Section 2 of the act creates a state income tax credit for owners of aircraft that incur qualifying expenses to enable an aircraft that is powered by leaded aviation gasoline to be certified to instead be powered by unleaded aviation gasoline.

Sections 3 and 6 provide explicit authority in the existing state aviation grant program for aviation fund grants:

  • To general aviation airports and commercial airports at which there is significant general aviation activity to fund the design, engineering, construction, installation, acquisition, and inspection of infrastructure, including equipment, that allows the sale of unleaded aviation gasoline at such airports and to subsidize purchases of unleaded aviation gasoline at such airports;
  • For airport noise monitoring devices;
  • For evaluation, provision of education and technical assistance to airports about, prevention, or mitigation of adverse impacts to the health, safety, and welfare of individuals who reside or work near an airport; and
  • At a time that electric aircraft technology has been appropriately certified by the federal aviation administration, for on-airport electric aircraft charging infrastructure.

Section 6 also:

  • Requires the lesser of 10% of the amount awarded in grants per year or $1,500,000 per year in grants to be designated for the aviation purposes of aiding and accelerating the transition from leaded aviation gasoline to unleaded aviation gasoline with priority given to airports with significant general aviation traffic in urban and suburban areas where surrounding communities may be disproportionately impacted by such traffic; and
  • Subject to specified exceptions, prohibits grants from being awarded to an airport that is located in a densely populated residential area or has a significant number of flights over a densely populated residential area unless the airport or entity operating the airport demonstrates to the satisfaction of the aeronautics division of the department of transportation (division) that:
  • By January 1, 2026, it has adopted a plan, in accordance with applicable federal requirements and guidance, for phasing out sales of leaded aviation gasoline at the airport by January 1, 2030;
  • It has established, in consultation with flight schools and pilots that regularly use the airport, a voluntary noise abatement plan that meets specified requirements; and
  • It complies with the requirements of any avigation easements or contracts that it has entered into.

Section 4 adds to the division's duties:

  • Working with the department of public health and environment (CDPHE) as it continues to provide data and information about the effects of leaded aviation fuel on human health to the department of transportation and airports; and
  • Educating airports with significant general aviation activity, as determined by the division, regarding:
  • The need to expedite the transition from leaded aviation gasoline to unleaded aviation gasoline; and
  • Specified funding opportunities for projects and unleaded aviation gasoline subsidies, if offered by the division, that support the transition from leaded aviation gasoline to unleaded aviation gasoline and impose requirements for accessing that funding and, if offered, those subsidies.

Section 5 increases the Colorado aeronautical board (board) from 7 to 9 voting members by requiring the appointment of 2 members who are residents of communities that are affected by general aviation airport traffic or traffic at a commercial airport at which there is significant general aviation activity and makes the executive director of CDPHE, or the executive director's designee, an ex officio nonvoting member of the board. In appointing the 2 new voting members, the governor is required to give priority to individuals who are not trained pilots, are familiar with airport infrastructure, aviation, and the mission of the board, and reside in a community that is significantly impacted by noise or lead emissions by a high-traffic airport with significant general aviation activity. The governor is also required to make appointments to the board so as to ensure a balance broadly representative of the activity level of airports throughout the state and further ensure that the racial, ethnic, and gender makeup of the board is representative of communities that are disproportionately impacted by general aviation airport traffic or traffic at a commercial airport at which there is significant general aviation activity.

Section 7 requires the division to evaluate, educate, and provide technical assistance to airports about the adverse impacts of aircraft noise on health, safety, and welfare and requires the division to prioritize these activities at airports with significant general aviation activity that are located in densely populated residential areas or have a significant number of flights over such areas.

Section 8 appropriates $44,609 from the general fund to the department of revenue and reappropriates $2,591 of the appropriation to the department of personnel for implementation of the act.

APPROVED by Governor May 17, 2024

EFFECTIVE May 17, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/17/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1237 Programs for the Development of Child Care Facilities 
Position: Support
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: M. Bradfield (R) | M. Lukens (D) / J. Marchman (D) | J. Rich (R)
Summary:

The act creates 3 new programs to be implemented and administered by the division of housing in the department of local affairs (division). The division is required to adopt policies, procedures, and guidelines for each program on or before November 1, 2024; except that, if there is insufficient funding before July 1, 2025 to implement and administer the child care facility development capital grant program, then the division is required to adopt policies, procedures, and guidelines for this program on or before November 1, 2025. For each program, consultation between the division and the department of early childhood is required for the policies the division develops and adopts to implement the programs. Additionally, the division is required to publish on its website and submit an annual report regarding the programs to specified legislative committees and to the department of early childhood.

The child care facility development toolkit and technical assistance program is created to provide technical assistance from consultants and related professionals to enable interested child care providers, developers, employers, public schools, institutions of higher education, and local governments to understand the technical aspects of planning, developing, building, and co-locating child care facilities. The division must prioritize applications for projects that will meet a demonstrable need for child care in the areas of greatest need across the state and that satisfy one or more purposes of the program. The division's annual report must contain information regarding the assistance provided under this program and the uses of such assistance by program recipients. This program is available until July 1, 2028.

The child care facility development planning grant program is created to incentivize and support local governments in identifying and making regulatory updates or improvements to community planning, development, building, zoning, and other regulatory processes to support the development of child care facilities. The division must develop a menu of recommended policy or regulatory tools, and eligible recipients for the grant must intend to implement one or more of such tools off the menu or identify other local policies or programs to implement to streamline the eligible recipient's regulatory environment for the development of child care facilities. The division's annual report must contain information regarding the amount of grants distributed and a description of recipients' use of the grants. This program is available until July 1, 2028.

The child care facility development capital grant program is created to provide eligible entities, which are local governments, public schools, institutions of higher education, or public-private partnerships, with money to support the development of licensed child care and to construct, remodel, renovate, or retrofit a child care facility to meet a demonstrated need for child care in an eligible entity's community. The division shall utilize the state housing board within the division to review and make recommendations on grant applications. Grant recipients are required to provide a financial match. The financial match required from a grant recipient is 50% for a center-based facility and 25% for a home-based facility. More weight is given to applications that represent geographic diversity, will serve a high percentage of families below the area's median income, commit to providing a well-compensated staff, co-locate with or repurpose facilities with other uses, plan to serve children in regions with low child care capacity, or plan to serve infants and toddlers. The division's annual report must contain information regarding the amount of grants distributed and a description of recipients' use of the grants.

The act also creates the child care facility development cash fund (fund) for use by the division to administer and implement the 3 programs and to make grants under the child care facility development planning grant program and the child care facility development capital grant program. On August 15, 2024, the state treasurer shall transfer $250,000 from the general fund to the fund. The money from the transfer must be used before June 30, 2025, to implement the child care facility development toolkit and technical assistance program and the child care facility development planning grant program, and the division must prioritize money first for the toolkit and technical assistance program. Then, after June 30, 2025 but before June 30, 2028, money from the transfer can be used for all 3 programs, and after July 1, 2028, but before June 30, 2029, money from the transfer may be used for the child care facility development capital grant program. Additionally, the division may receive gifts, grants, or donations to implement and administer and make grants under the child care facility development capital grant program. The division may also use $70,000 from the general fund transfer for administrative costs.

For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $250,000 from the child care facility development cash fund to the department of local affairs for child care facility development.

APPROVED by Governor May 29, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/29/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1239 Single-Exit Stairway Multifamily Structure 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: A. Valdez (D) | A. Boesenecker (D) / K. Priola
Summary:

On or before December 1, 2026, the bill requires a board of county commissioners or the governing body of a municipality to adopt a building code, or amend an existing building code, to allow up to 5 stories of a multifamily residential building to be served by a single exit. To satisfy this requirement, a local government shall incorporate by reference and adopt or adapt and adopt language from a portion of an existing building code that allows a single exit to serve no more than 5 stories of a group r-2 occupancy in the same building. If a local government so requests, the department of local affairs shall provide technical assistance to the local government in satisfying this requirement.

The bill also clarifies that the adoption or amendment of a building code to satisfy the requirements of the bill does not qualify as adopting or enforcing a building code for the purpose of determining whether a board of county commissioners or the governing body of a municipality is required to adopt an energy code.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 4/10/2024 House Committee on Transportation, Housing & Local Government Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

HB24-1241 Alignment of Petty Property Crime Threshold 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: E. Epps | J. Mabrey (D) / R. Rodriguez (D)
Summary:

Under current law, if a defendant is charged with a traffic offense, a petty offense, or a comparable municipal offense, a court shall not impose a monetary condition of release. Specifically, the provision applies to a comparable municipal offense that is a property crime and reflects a value of less than $50. The act removes the monetary threshold and instead states that the court cannot impose a monetary condition of release for a comparable municipal offense that would be a petty offense property crime under state law.

APPROVED by Governor April 11, 2024

EFFECTIVE April 11, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 4/11/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1246 Electric Grid Resilience Temporary Carbon Dioxide Regulation 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: K. DeGraaf (R)
Summary:

The bill requires the public utilities commission (commission) to develop a contingency plan to create electrical generation and grid resilience against geomagnetic storms. Standards are set for the plan. The commission shall promulgate rules requiring an electrical utility to:

  • Incorporate the resiliency plan;
  • Monitor the space weather prediction center of the national oceanic and atmospheric administration in order to isolate large power transformers and power generation from the grid;
  • Mechanically isolate critical components if or when the coronal mass ejection is likely to cause geomagnetically induced currents;
  • Restrict or close fuel pipeline valves to mitigate damage in a sectional failure;
  • Install automatic neutral ground blocking devices in large power transformers;
  • Ensure computer equipment can be mechanically isolated from the grid and sheltered from geomagnetically induced surges;
  • Require all networked systems that operate electrical generation and distribution to be electronically and physically separable from the outside networks; and
  • Require cyber-certification of hardware and software that operate electrical generation and distribution.

Current law sets carbon dioxide emission reduction goals for the years 2030 and 2050. The bill extends these goals to 2040 and 2060 and makes these goals a lower priority than the electrical generation and distribution resilience provisions of the bill.

The bill prohibits the classification of carbon dioxide as an air pollutant and establishes, notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, that state statute, executive agency rules, and any regulations of political subdivisions of the state must not include the regulation of carbon dioxide emissions as a pollutant. Any portion of an executive agency rule that treats carbon dioxide emissions as a pollutant is void.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 3/13/2024 House Committee on Energy & Environment Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

HB24-1250 Driving Improvement Course Driver's License Points 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: R. Armagost (R) | C. Kipp (D) / C. Hansen (D) | J. Smallwood
Summary:

The act allows an individual who has been convicted of a traffic infraction or a misdemeanor traffic offense to attend a driving improvement course for the purpose of waiving license suspension points for the conviction. The individual must complete a driving improvement course that is offered by a commercial driving school and is approved by the department of revenue (department). The department must adopt rules that:

  • Set the number of points assessed for a conviction that may be waived for an individual who successfully completes a driving improvement course;
  • Specify how often a points waiver may be claimed;
  • Set procedures for claiming a points waiver;
  • Establish a process for a commercial driving school to have a driving improvement course approved by the department; and
  • Set fees that the department may charge a commercial driving school to offset the direct and indirect costs to implement the act.

The act sets standards for the approval of driving improvement courses.

The department may charge a commercial driving school both a fee to approve a driving improvement course and a fee for each individual who claims a points waiver. The fee must be set in an amount sufficient to offset the direct and indirect cost of administering the waiver program.

APPROVED by Governor June 4, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 6/4/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1260 Prohibition Against Employee Discipline 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: M. Duran (D) | T. Hernandez / J. Danielson (D)
Summary:

The act prohibits an employer from subjecting or threatening to subject an employee to discipline, discharge, or an adverse employment action on account of the employee's refusal to attend or participate in an employer-sponsored meeting concerning religious or political matters or for declining to listen to the speech of or view religious or political communications from the employer or the agent, representative, or designee of the employer. With regard to state employees, the prohibitions apply only to meetings and communications relating to state employees' decisions to join or support a fraternal or labor organization.

Certain employer communications are exempt from the prohibition, including communications:

  • Required by law, a court order, or an agreement with a governmental entity to communicate to employees, but only to the extent of a legal requirement;
  • That are necessary for an employee to perform the employee's job duties; or
  • That are required to prevent unlawful discrimination or harassment.

Certain communications from institutions of higher education and K-12 schools and school districts are also exempt when the communication is related to coursework, symposia, or an academic program.

The act does not apply to certain religious corporations, entities, associations, educational institutions, societies, or nonprofit faith-based health systems or facilities.

The act authorizes an aggrieved person to seek relief by filing a complaint with the department of labor and employment (department) or by filing an action in district court after the person has exhausted all administrative remedies and has filed a complaint with the department. The act also creates an affirmative defense for employers.

Each employer is required to distribute, at the employer's workplace or through e-mail or a regularly used communication system, a notice to each employee of the employee rights outlined in the act.

For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, $278,564 is appropriated from the general fund to the department for use by the division of labor standards and statistics to implement the act.

VETOED by Governor May 17, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/17/2024 Governor Vetoed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1266 Local Government Utility Relocation in Right-of-Way 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: E. Hamrick (D) | L. Frizell (R) / R. Zenzinger
Summary:

The act establishes a process by which local governments and investor-owned utility companies with more than 250,000 customers may coordinate on utility relocation work that is necessitated by a road improvement project. A road improvement project does not include a project in a roadway under the control of the Colorado department of transportation (CDOT) unless the construction is performed by or under the direction of the local government pursuant to an agreement with CDOT.

Under the process established by the act, a local government is required to notify any affected utility company of the details of a road improvement project before beginning the project and in the event of a change in the scope of the proposed project. These details include the proposed design, funding details, the specifics of the utility conflict, and the estimated timeline for the road improvement project and utility relocation. If local governments and utility companies so choose, they may coordinate on road improvement projects necessitating the removal, relocation, or alteration of utility lines in a local government's right-of-way and commit to a schedule for utility relocation by means of a clearance letter. The required components for a clearance letter include the scope of the utility relocation, schedule and coordination requirements for the utility relocation, accountability for traffic management and the discovery of hazardous materials, a dispute resolution mechanism, and requirements for prompt performance, staking, and project approval. A clearance letter must also provide that the utility company pay for actual damages associated with its delay in the performance of the utility relocation, except those caused by a force majeure, the discovery of hazardous materials, or a change in the scope or schedule of the road improvement project. The act also outlines the timeline and process for a local government to accept or reject a completed utility relocation.

The utility relocation coordination process outlined by the act does not prevent a local government from pursuing alterative arrangements for road improvement projects, in which case the local government and utility company need not follow the process requirements outlined in the act. The act does not cover a local government that has granted a franchise to a utility company and does not alter the terms of any franchise or license granted pursuant to statute or the state constitution.

APPROVED by Governor June 3, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 6/3/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1268 Financial Assistance for Certain Low-Income Individuals 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: M. Weissman (D) | D. Ortiz / T. Exum (D) | R. Fields
Summary:

The act modifies the "Property Tax/Rent/Heat Credit Rebate" (PTC),which is available to qualifying seniors and individuals with a disability who earn income below a threshold amount and who pay real property tax, or a tax equivalent through rent, or heat or fuel expenses, or an equivalent through rent, by:

  • Merging the separate statutory sections that provide the PTC for assistance in the payment of real property tax and provide the PTC for assistance in the payment of heat or fuel expenses into a single statutory section;
  • Updating certain dollar values used to calculate the PTC to their current levels; and
  • For tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2025, allowing the PTC only to qualifying seniors.

Qualified individuals with a disability for tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2025, are allowed an income tax credit. Eligibility with respect to disability mirrors the eligibility as it exists under current law for the PTC. The income tax credit is allowed in the following amounts:

  • $1,200 for a qualified individual filing a single return with federal adjusted gross income less than or equal to $10,000 or for 2 qualified individuals, or a qualified individual and a nonqualified individual, filing a joint return with federal adjusted gross income less than or equal to $16,000;
  • $1,000 for a qualified individual filing a single return with federal adjusted gross income between $10,001 and $12,500 or for 2 qualified individuals, or a qualified individual and a nonqualified individual, filing a joint return with federal adjusted gross income between $16,001 and $20,000;
  • $800 for a qualified individual filing a single return with federal adjusted gross income between $12,501 and $15,000 or for 2 qualified individuals, or a qualified individual and a nonqualified individual, filing a joint return with federal adjusted gross income between $20,001 and $24,000;
  • $600 for a qualified individual filing a single return with federal adjusted gross income between $15,001 and $17,500 or for 2 qualified individuals, or a qualified individual and a nonqualified individual, filing a joint return with federal adjusted gross income between $24,001 and $28,000; and
  • $400 for a qualified individual filing a single return with federal adjusted gross income between $17,501 and $20,000 or for 2 qualified individuals, or a qualified individual and a nonqualified individual, filing a joint return with federal adjusted gross income between $28,001 and $32,000.

The department of revenue must adjust the amounts of the credit and the amounts of adjusted gross income annually for inflation.

An individual who is both a qualifying senior and a qualified individual with a disability and meets the eligibility requirements to claim both the income tax credit and the PTC can only claim one or the other in the same income tax year.

APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 6/6/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments:

HB24-1279 Vote Tracking Number Elections 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: K. DeGraaf (R)
Summary:

A distributed ledger is a permanent database that is consensually shared, synchronized, and publicly accessible. A distributed ledger allows information to be entered into a publicly available common database from multiple locations at different times. The bill establishes a system for the use of distributed ledgers in elections.

In the case of an elector who votes in person:

  • A vetting registrar, in the presence of a vetting registration observer team, verifies that the elector is eligible to vote and updates the voter eligibility status distributed ledger to reflect this process;
  • A token assignment registrar, in the presence of a token assignment observer team, assigns the elector a vote tracking number, which is a unique, randomly assigned, anonymous, text identifier, and updates the token assignment status which causes the vetting registrar to update the voter eligibility status distributed ledgers to reflect the assignment. This vote tracking number is part of the ballot.
  • The elector completes the elector's ballot and the vote tracking number is attached to that ballot whether beforehand or at that time; and
  • An election official ensures that the elector is provided with a copy of the elector's ballot and the elector's vote tracking number.

In the case of an elector who votes by mail:

  • A vetting registrar, in the presence of a vetting registration observer team, notifies the elector that the elector's ballot which contains a unique, randomly assigned, anonymous vote tracking number has been received and will only be counted after the elector acknowledges the ballot's receipt;
  • If the elector confirms the receipt of the elector's ballot with the vetting registrar, in the presence of the vetting registration observer team, the vetting registrar shall indicate this confirmation on a voter eligibility form attached to the ballot and update the voter eligibility status distributed ledger to reflect the confirmation; and
  • A token assignment registrar, in the presence of a token assignment observer team, assigns the ballot a vote tracking number, and updates the token assignment status, which causes the vetting registrar to update the voter eligibility status distributed ledgers to reflect the assignment.

Before any ballot is counted, it is verified, in the presence of a token assignment observer team, that a unique vote tracking number is attached to the ballot. Upon counting a ballot, unless the ballot is counted as part of a manual count, a cast vote record of the ballot including the vote tracking number must be created and entered into the cast vote record distributed ledger.

The public may access the various distributed ledgers described in the bill to confirm that the approach in the bill is followed and that votes are counted accurately. The public may also access a tally status report distributed ledger as votes are counted to track election results.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 2/26/2024 House Committee on State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

HB24-1283 Secretary of State Review of Municipal Campaign Finance Complaints 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: J. Willford (D) | J. Marvin / K. Mullica (D)
Summary:

The clerk of a municipality (clerk) is authorized to refer a campaign finance complaint (complaint) that was filed with the clerk and that arises out of a municipal campaign finance matter to the secretary of state (secretary) if the municipality in which the complaint was filed has adopted an ordinance that:

  • Authorizes the municipality to refer a complaint to the secretary based on an actual or potential conflict of the clerk or the clerk's staff, as determined in writing by the clerk; or
  • Authorizes the municipality to refer a complaint to the secretary because the municipality does not have a complaint and hearing process.

Before referring a complaint to the secretary, a clerk is required to review the complaint to determine if it was filed in writing, signed by the complainant, and identifies one or more respondents. If the complaint does not satisfy these 3 criteria, the clerk is required to dismiss it, and if it does, the clerk is required to refer it to the secretary.

To refer a complaint to the secretary a municipality must provide a copy of the ordinance that authorizes such referral to the secretary within 180 days of the election. The act specifies certain criteria that the ordinance must satisfy. A clerk is required to provide notice to a person who files a complaint if the clerk dismisses the complaint or refers the complaint to the secretary. A municipality is required to cooperate with the secretary in the review, investigation, and determination of any complaint referred to the secretary.

If the secretary receives a complaint referred by a clerk, the secretary is required to deem the complaint filed with the secretary on the date of receipt from the clerk and ensure that the complaint is addressed in accordance with the requirements of the act. In addition, if the complaint is referred by a home rule municipality, the secretary is required to apply the substantive provisions of the home rule municipality's local law in processing, investigating, and resolving the complaint.

For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, $170,723 is appropriated to the department of state from the department of state cash fund for the implementation of the act.

APPROVED by Governor June 3, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 6/3/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1284 Pretrial Release for Repeat Violent Offenses 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: G. Evans | S. Bird (D) / B. Pelton (R) | D. Roberts (D)
Summary:

The bill prohibits a court, without the consent of the district attorney, from releasing a person on any unsecured personal recognizance bond if the person is accused of committing a crime of violence and the court finds probable cause to believe that the person has committed the offense, and:

  • The person has a record of conviction for a crime of violence within the prior 2 years; or
  • There are at least 2 pending criminal charges against the person that allege that the person committed a crime of violence and the court finds probable cause to believe that the person has committed the prior alleged offenses (repeat violent offender).

Existing law requires any monetary condition of pretrial release to be reasonable. The bill states that a reasonable monetary condition for a repeat violent offender is at least $7,500.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 4/2/2024 House Committee on Judiciary Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

HB24-1292 Prohibit Certain Weapons Used in Mass Shootings 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: T. Hernandez | E. Epps / J. Gonzales (D)
Summary:

The bill defines the term "assault weapon" and prohibits a person from manufacturing, importing, purchasing, selling, offering to sell, or transferring ownership of an assault weapon. The bill further prohibits a person from possessing a rapid-fire trigger activator. A person in violation of the prohibitions will be assessed a first-time penalty of $250,000 and $500,000 for each subsequent violation. The bill prohibits the sale or transfer by an individual on or after July 1, 2024, to anyone within the state, except to:

  • An heir by bequest or intestate succession; or
  • A licensed gun or firearms dealer, who shall render the weapon inoperable within ninety days of the transfer.

An individual or entity that does not have a permit to sell firearms but sells or attempts to make a private sale of an assault weapon or rapid-fire trigger activator in violation of the requirements of the bill on or after July 1, 2025, shall be assessed a civil penalty in the amount of $750. A licensed gun dealer, licensed firearms dealer, gun show vendor, or other person who has a permit to sell firearms who sells or attempts to sell an assault weapon or rapid-fire trigger activator in violation of the requirements of the bill on or after July 1, 2025, shall be reported to the department of revenue. The department of revenue shall take appropriate actions as required by law. A licensed gun dealer, licensed firearms dealer, gun show vendor, or other person who has a permit to sell firearms who purchases an assault weapon or rapid-fire trigger activator from a manufacturer of assault weapons that operates in Colorado shall be reported to the department of revenue. The department of revenue shall take appropriate actions as required by law.

The prohibition does not apply to:

  • A member of the United States armed forces, a peace officer, or other government officer or agent, to the extent that the person is otherwise authorized to acquire or possess an assault weapon and does so while acting within the scope of the person's duties; A person who is an active member of the United States armed forces while on duty and serving in conformance with the policies of the United States armed forces;
  • The manufacture, sale, or transfer of an assault weapon or rapid-fire trigger activators by a licensed firearms manufacturer to any branch of the United States armed forces, or to an entity that employs peace officers, for use by that entity or its employees a peace officer or to an entity that employs peace officers;
  • The manufacture, sale, or transfer of an assault weapon by a licensed firearms manufacturer to any branch of the Unites States armed forces;
  • The transfer of an assault weapon to a licensed firearms dealer or gunsmith for the purposes of maintenance, repair, or modification, and the subsequent return of the assault weapon to the lawful owner;
  • Any federal, state, or local historical society, museum, or institutional collection that is open to the public, provided that the assault weapon is securely housed and unloaded;
  • A forensic laboratory, or any authorized agent or employee of the laboratory, for use exclusively in the course and scope of authorized activities;
  • An entity that operates an armored vehicle business and an authorized employee of the entity while in the course and scope of employment;
  • A licensed gun dealer who has remaining inventory of assault weapons as of August 1, 2024, and sells or transfers the remaining inventory only to a non-Colorado resident and the sale or transfer takes place out of state; or
  • A peace officer.

The prohibition does not apply to the transportation of assault weapons through the state by a person who is not otherwise prohibited by state or federal law from transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm. A person is entitled to transport an assault weapon for any lawful purpose from any place where the person may lawfully possess and carry the assault weapon to any other place where the person may lawfully possess and carry the assault weapon, provided the transportation is in accordance with federal law.

(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)


(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Status: 5/7/2024 Senate Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1294 Mobile Homes in Mobile Home Parks 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: A. Boesenecker (D) | E. Velasco (D) / L. Cutter (D)
Summary:

The act modifies the"Mobile Home Park Act" as follows:

  • Specifies that a home owner of a mobile home (home owner) includes a resident of a mobile home park (park) who is under a current rent-to-own contract;
  • Modifies the definition of "park" to specify that a park does not have to be operated for the pecuniary benefit of the owner of the land on which the park is located and that the management or landlord of the park (landlord) must have a rental agreement with a tenant for a mobile home or lot or must be receiving rent payments for a mobile home or lot from a tenant or third party;
  • Clarifies that beginning June 30, 2024, the landlord may terminate a tenancy for failure of the home owner to comply with all rules and regulations established by management that are enforceable pursuant to the act and that are necessary to prevent damage to real or personal property or to the health or safety of individuals;
  • Specifies that beginning June 30, 2024, if a park is condemned for reasons that are the responsibility of the park owner, the landlord is required to provide the same remedies to any displaced homeowner as when the landlord intends to change the use of the land comprising a park;
  • Beginning June 30, 2024, prohibits a landlord from issuing a notice of a rent increase under the same conditions in which a landlord is prohibited from increasing rent;
  • Beginning June 30, 2024, prohibits a landlord from increasing rent or issuing a notice of a rent increase if the landlord has not fully complied with any government order or has been found by the division of housing in the department of local affairs (division) or by a court to have failed to comply with the act;
  • Beginning June 30, 2024, requires a landlord to provide certain notices to home owners in 12-point font and pursuant to language access requirements specified in the act;
  • If a home owner is a defendant in a forcible entry and detainer complaint and the home owner has submitted a related administrative complaint through the "Mobile Home Park Act Dispute Resolution and Enforcement Program" (dispute resolution program), allows the home owner to take action to stay any hearing on the forcible entry and detainer complaint to allow for review, assessment, and adjudication of the administrative complaint;
  • Beginning June 30, 2024, upon the reasonable request of a home owner, requires a landlord to provide an interpreter for certain meetings and to provide translated copies of meeting materials pursuant to language access requirements specified in the act and requires the landlord to bear the cost of the interpreter and the cost of translating meeting materials;
  • Prohibits a landlord from charging a home owner any fee or penalty for refusing to sign a new lease or for residing under a periodic tenancy;
  • Requires a landlord to provide potable water for all members of the household under certain circumstances, including when a park is subject to a boil water advisory, to maintain existing or constructed sidewalks, and to remove snow on specified sidewalks and roadways;
  • Beginning June 30, 2024, requires a landlord to establish a unique mailing address and mailbox for each park lot;
  • Beginning June 30, 2024, specifies that in an action or administrative proceeding by or against a home owner, the landlord's action is presumed to be retaliatory if, within the 120 days preceding the landlord's action, the home owner requested that the landlord provide communications in a language other than English pursuant to the language access requirements specified in the act;
  • Beginning June 30, 2024, requires a landlord to comply with language access requirements, including providing any communication that the landlord is required to provide pursuant to law in English and Spanish and in one additional language spoken by a resident upon request of the resident, providing written notice verbally in English upon request of a resident, providing notice in plain language, and providing an interpreter in one language in addition to English and Spanish upon request;
  • Beginning June 30, 2024, requires a landlord to adequately disclose the terms and conditions of a tenancy in writing in a rental agreement in English, Spanish, or both English and Spanish to any prospective home owner;
  • Beginning June 30, 2024, requires a landlord to provide a home owner with a written copy of the adopted park rules and regulations in English and Spanish;
  • Clarifies that a mobile home or any accessory building or structure that is owned by a person other than the landlord are each a separate unit of ownership and that the accessory building or structure are each presumed to be owned by the owner of the mobile home unless a written agreement establishes ownership by another person;
  • Specifies that a rule or regulation that requires a home owner to incur a cost or imposes restrictions or requirements on the homeowner's right to control what happens in or to the homeowner's mobile home or any accessory building or structure is presumed unreasonable except under specified circumstances;
  • Requires a notice to quit to include a statement that sets forth the basis for enforceability;
  • The landlord is required to allow a buyer of a mobile home reasonable access to the mobile home during the time the buyer is required to bring the mobile home into compliance with park rules;
  • Specifies the conditions under which the buyer of a mobile home satisfies the financial requirements to buy the mobile home, and under which the landlord is prohibited from interfering with the homeowner's right to sell the mobile home;
  • Specifies that a landlord is not required to provide a new or subsequent notice of intent to sell for certain triggering events if the landlord is only considering an offer from a group or association of homeowners who reside in the park;
  • Authorizes a court to order, after a review of the filings or at any point thereafter, that a landlord cease from increasing rent on a park lot or issuing a notice of a rent increase if the landlord has been named as a defendant in a pending lawsuit or administrative complaint that alleges a violation of specified laws and requires a court to order a landlord to refund any unlawfully retained rent;
  • Beginning June 30,2024, requires a landlord to retain a payment ledger that documents rent or other payments from a home owner and allows a homeowner to request a copy of the payment ledger during the homeowner's tenancy and for 12 months after the tenancy has ended;
  • Beginning June 30,2024, requires a landlord to retain communications provided to a home owner in a language other than English and to retain the homeowner's request to provide the communications in a language other than English; and
  • Specifies prior conditions of a sale or change of control of a park for a landlord if there is a pending complaint filed pursuant to the dispute resolution program before the division or prior to the landlord's compliance with all remedial actions ordered by the division in a complaint that was previously filed pursuant to the dispute resolution program.

In addition, the act specifies the duties and rights of the purchaser and the seller of a mobile home in connection with an agreement in which the purchaser agrees to purchase a mobile home over a period of time that is mutually agreed upon by the seller of the mobile home (rent-to-own contract) and specifies the terms and conditions that must be included in a rent-to-own contract. However, these provisions of the act apply only to a rent-to-own contract for a mobile home that is located in a mobile home park and only when the seller of the mobile home is the owner of the mobile home park or owns more than one mobile home within the mobile home park. The provisions regarding rent-to-own contracts take effect June 30, 2024. Specifically, the act:

  • Requires a rent-to-own contract to be in writing, in either English or both English and Spanish as requested by the purchaser, and signed by the purchaser and the seller of the mobile home;
  • Requires the seller to provide proof of ownership of the mobile home and a disclosure that the purchaser has the right to have the mobile home professionally appraised at the buyer's expense before entering into a rent-to-own contract for the mobile home;
  • Requires certain information to be included in a rent-to-own contract;
  • Provides the purchaser of a mobile home in a rent-to-own contract with rights to pay the balance of the contract early without penalty and to terminate the contract after providing written notice to the seller and, in the latter case, requires the seller to return to the purchaser all purchase payments made by the purchaser;
  • Allows the seller of a mobile home to terminate a rent-to-own contract only if the purchaser fails to make a purchase payment under the rent-to-own contract and does not cure the payment deficit or if the purchaser commits an action related to the purchaser's lot lease or mobile home lease that leads to a valid and executed writ of restitution;
  • Specifies actions that the seller of a mobile home is required to take if the seller cannot comply with a rent-to-own contract because the mobile home becomes encumbered due to other legal action or because the park is condemned or changes use;
  • Specifies the duties of the seller of a mobile home in connection with the habitability of the mobile home in a rent-to-own contract;
  • Specifies the conditions under which the seller of a mobile home must immediately return to the purchaser any purchase payments or other money that the seller has received from the purchaser;
  • Requires the seller to offer the purchaser a mobile home lease for a period equivalent to the period in which the purchaser has to complete the purchase of the mobile home;
  • For a rent-to-own contract when the seller is the owner of more than one mobile home within the same park and is not the landlord of the park, prohibits the seller from entering into a rent-to-own contract unless the seller's rental agreement with the landlord specifically permits the seller to sublease and sell the mobile home;
  • Requires the seller of a mobile home to maintain separate financial records for each rent-to-own contract and to provide the purchaser with an annual accounting, or a disclosure that the purchaser is entitled to an annual accounting, related to the rent-to-own contract;
  • Binds a successor owner of a park to the terms of a rent-to-own contract entered into by the prior owner of the park;
  • If the seller of a mobile home that is subject to a rent-to-own contract evicts or attempts to evict a purchaser for any wrongful or retaliatory reason or any reason that is unsupported by specified provisions of law, allows the purchaser to recover treble damages and attorney fees;
  • Specifies the requirements regarding the transfer of the title of the mobile home under a rent-to-own contract and requires the seller of the mobile home to pay any then-owed property taxes assessed on the mobile home or provide a credit to the purchaser prior to transferring the title; and
  • If the seller of a mobile home failed to properly repair or maintain the mobile home at the time the purchaser of a mobile home makes the final payment under the rent-to-own contract, allows the purchaser to exercise the purchaser's right of private action pursuant to current law.

Beginning June 30, 2024, the act authorizes the attorney general to independently initiate and bring civil and criminal action to enforce the provisions of the rent-to-own mobile home contract law.

For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $40,966 to the department of law for the implementation the act. The appropriation is from reappropriated funds received by the department of local affairs from the "Mobile Home Park Act" dispute resolution and enforcement program fund.

APPROVED by Governor June 4, 2024

PORTIONS EFFECTIVE June 4, 2024

PORTIONS EFFECTIVE June 30, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 6/4/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1296 Modifications to the Colorado Open Records Act 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: C. Kipp (D) | M. Soper (R) / J. Marchman (D)
Summary:

The bill makes the following changes to the "Colorado Open Records Act" (CORA):

  • Requires a custodian to evaluate a request for public records promptly and for no longer than 2 days. Within the 2-day period the custodian shall notify the requester whether or not any costs or fees that may apply to the request and if extenuating circumstances exist that allow for an extension of the reasonable time to respond to a CORA request (response period). If there are costs or fees that may apply, the response period does not begin until the custodian receives a response from the requester acknowledging acceptance of the costs or fees. Alternatively, a requester may revise their request and the custodian shall evaluate the revised request within the 2-day evaluation period. Otherwise, the response period begins after the custodian has provided notice to the requester. Changes the reasonable time to respond to a CORA request, except for requests from a mass medium or a newsperson, from 3 working days to 5 working days and changes the extension of time for the response period if extenuating circumstances exist from not exceeding 7 additional days to not exceeding 10 additional days;
  • Adds an extenuating circumstance that allows for an extension of the response period when the custodian is not scheduled to work within the response period;
  • Requires public entities to post any rules or policies adopted pursuant to CORA, including what the public entity's records retention policy, and to post information for members of the public regarding how to make a public records request;
  • If public records are in the sole and exclusive custody and control of someone who is not scheduled to work within the response period, a custodian shall provide all other available responsive public records within the response period and notify the requester of the earliest date on which the person is scheduled to return to work and make best efforts to make responsive records available for inspection within the response period or extended response period, as applicable expected to be available or that the person is not expected to return to work . The requester may make a subsequent request for additional responsive records, if any, on or after the date the person who is authorized to have custody and control of the records is scheduled to return to work custodian provides .
  • Allows a custodian to determine that a requester is a vexatious requester, requires the custodian to make a sworn statement in support of the determination to provide to the requester, allows the custodian a 30-day response period when a requester is a vexatious requester, and permits the requester to appeal the determination that the requester is a vexatious requester to the district court;
  • Excludes a mass medium or newsperson from being a vexatious requester;
  • Allows a custodian , subject to certain exceptions, to determine that a request is made for the direct solicitation of business for pecuniary gain, requires the custodian to make a sworn statement in support provide written notice of the determination to provide to the requester, allows the custodian a 30-day response period for such a request, permits the requester to submit a signed statement affirming the request is not for the direct solicitation of business for pecuniary gain which the custodian must consider in making their determination, permits the requester to appeal the determination that the request is made for the direct solicitation of business for pecuniary gain to the district court, and allows a custodian to charge the requester for the full cost of responding to the request notwithstanding the allowance for the first hour of research and retrieval to otherwise be free of charge and notwithstanding the statutory cap on fees, which otherwise would apply;
  • Prohibits disclosure of any other contact information of students in any public elementary or secondary school in addition to the prohibition of disclosure of addresses and telephone numbers that is in current law;
  • Allows a custodian to deny the right of inspection of public records that are an employee's calendar, unless the public record is an elected official's calendar or the calendar of an employee who is in a leadership position or the request is made by a mass medium or newsperson; and
  • Clarifies that if a custodian imposes any requirements concerning the pre-payment of fees or the payment of fees in connection with a request for inspection of public records, the requirements must be in accordance with the custodian's adopted rules or written policies and must not be inconsistent with the provisions of CORA; and
  • Allows a custodian to treat a CORA request made within 14 calendar days of another CORA request made by the same person as one request for purposes of calculating the fee that the custodian may charge to the requester for research and retrieval of responsive public records.

In addition, the bill requires that members of the general assembly retain public records for a minimum of 60 days.

(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)


(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Status: 5/1/2024 Senate Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1299 Short-Term Rental Unit Property Tax Classification 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: S. Bird (D) / K. Mullica (D)
Summary:

The bill defines a short-term rental unit as a building that is designed for use predominantly as a place of residency by a person, a family, or families, is leased or available to be leased for short-term stays, and includes the land upon which the building is located. A commercial short-term rental unit is defined as a short-term rental unit that is not the owner's primary or secondary residence.

A commercial short-term rental unit is classified as lodging property, which is a subclass of nonresidential property for purposes of valuation for assessment. A short-term rental unit that is the owner's primary or secondary residence will continue to be classified as residential property.

On or before November 15, 2024, and on or before November 15 of each year thereafter, an owner of a short-term rental unit shall submit to the assessor of the county in which the property is located an affidavit signed by the owner, under the penalty of perjury in the second degree, identifying whether the property will continue to be used as a short-term rental unit in the following property tax year commencing on January 1, and if so, whether it will be the owner's primary or secondary residence. Absent contrary information, the assessor shall use the information in the affidavit to determine whether the property is a commercial short-term rental unit. If a commercial short-term rental unit is sold, the new owner shall submit an affidavit to the county assessor if the property will no longer be a commercial short-term rental unit for the classification of the property to change for the subsequent property tax year.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 4/22/2024 House Committee on Finance Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

HB24-1303 Colorado Open Meetings Law for the General Assembly 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: E. Epps
Summary:

The bill makes several modifications and clarifications to the application of the "Colorado Open Meetings Law" (COML) to any state public body of the general assembly. The bill clarifies that a meeting of any political party caucus, which are the caucuses associated with each major political party in each chamber of the general assembly, is subject to the provisions of the COML if the meeting relates to the public business of the general assembly and excludes any other type of caucus made up of members of the general assembly from the provisions of the COML. Additionally, the bill establishes that serial meetings, which are a series of meetings between 2 or more members of a state public body that individually do not constitute a meeting of a quorum of the body but collectively constitute a meeting of a quorum of the body, are a violation of the COML.

The bill modifies the provisions of the COML concerning written electronic communication between members of a state public body of the general assembly by excluding such communication, regardless of the length of time the communication is available for, from the requirements of the COML unless the communication occurs contemporaneously between a quorum of a state public body of the general assembly during a meeting of the body and is concerning public business and unless the communication constitutes a serial meeting. In both instances, such communication is a violation of the COML. The bill clarifies that written electronic communication may be subject to the provisions of the "Colorado Open Records Act".

The bill also modifies certain requirements for notice and minutes required for meetings of state public bodies of the general assembly. Notice must specify any applicable statutory provisions for the notice. Minutes must include the names of all members of the general assembly in attendance, whether their attendance was in-person, virtual, or a hybrid of both, and note if a recording of the meeting was made.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 4/9/2024 House Committee on Judiciary Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

HB24-1304 Minimum Parking Requirements 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: S. Vigil | S. Woodrow (D) / K. Priola | N. Hinrichsen (D)
Summary:

The act prohibits a municipality that is within a metropolitan planning organization (MPO) or a county that has unincorporated areas within an MPO (local government), on or after June 30, 2025, from enacting or enforcing minimum parking requirements that apply to a land use approval for a multi-family residential development, adaptive re-use for residential purposes, or adaptive re-use mixed-use purposes which include at least 50% of use for residential purposes that is within, as applicable, the unincorporated area of the county or the municipality, within a metropolitan planning organization, and at least partially within an applicable transit service area. An applicable transit service area is an area identified by a map published by the department of local affairs as an area that is one-quarter mile of certain transit stops.

The prohibition on enacting or enforcing minimum parking requirements does not lower the protections provided for persons with disabilities or prohibit a local government from:

  • Enacting or enforcing a maximum parking requirement;
  • Enforcing any agreement made before the effective date of the act in connection with a land use approval to provide regulated affordable housing in exchange for reducing minimum parking requirements;
  • Being awarded funding for affordable housing that requires a ratio of a certain number of parking spaces;
  • Enacting or enforcing a minimum parking requirement for bicycles; or
  • Imposing the following requirements on a parking space that is voluntarily provided in connection with a development project:
  • That the owners of such a parking space charge for the use of the space;
  • That the owner of such a parking space contribute to a parking enterprise, permitting system, or shared parking plan; and
  • That such a parking space allow for electric vehicle charging stations in accordance with existing law.

Furthermore, notwithstanding the prohibition on enacting or enforcing minimum parking requirements, a local government may impose or enforce a minimum parking requirement in connection with a housing development project that is intended to contain twenty unity or more or contain regulated affordable housing. To impose or enforce such a minimum parking requirement, a county or municipality must publish certain written findings and annually report to the department of local affairs.

Lastly, the act requires the department of local affairs:

  • In consultation with the department of transportation, and the Colorado energy office, to develop and publish best practices and technical assistance materials concerning optimizing parking supply and managing parking; and
  • In consultation with the department of transportation, the Colorado energy office, metropolitan planning organizations, and transit agencies that operate within metropolitan planning organizations, to publish a map that designates applicable transit service areas to be used by local governments in complying with the act.

APPROVED by Governor May 10, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/10/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1308 Effective Implementation of Affordable Housing Programs 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: L. Frizell (R) | W. Lindstedt (D) / J. Gonzales (D)
Summary:

The division of housing (division) within the department of local affairs must submit an annual public report on the funding of affordable housing preservation and production (public report). The act requires that the division include in the report specific information on uses of existing state and federal funds to provide best use of subsidies to maximize unit production and confirmation of rules and practices to ensure developments are not disqualified for funding support from the division if the development has previously received money from funds established by proposition 123. The act further requires the division to add to the public report information on applications for affordable housing programs that the division administers, including the number of applications approved, denied, and pending, the amount of money awarded from approved applications, and the amount of money applied for but not awarded from denied applications. The act also requires the division to add to the public report information regarding money in the housing development grant fund, including amounts in the fund and the use of the money in the preceding year, and information about the timing for drafting, delivering, and executing contracts that are required in connection with receiving money from the fund.

The act also establishes procedures and timelines for the division to follow for affordable housing programs administered by the division. The act requires that the division accept applications once a quarter, with the cycle beginning at the start of a state fiscal year, and requires that the division review applications and issue any requests for additional information, forms, or questions to applicants within 10 calendar days of an application period closing. The division is required to publish the application schedule by May 1 for the upcoming cycle and update the schedule 60 days before the start of the next quarter; except that the division must publish the application schedule for the second half of the 2024-25 state fiscal year by November 1, 2024. If the division will not be accepting applications for any affordable housing program for an upcoming quarter, the division must publish notice of this with an explanation as to why applications won't be accepted for the program. The division must either issue final decisions on applications or submit applications to the board of housing for final decision within 45 days following the submission of completed applications. If applications are submitted to the state housing board, the state housing board must make a final decision on an application at its next regularly scheduled meeting.

After a final decision approving an application, the division shall issue an award letter that includes information on the timeline for issuing money to the applicant, any terms for a loan or grant period, and any conditions that must be met before a contract in connection with the approval is executed. The division shall also provide a draft contract to the approved applicant within 30 days of the application being approved. Within 90 days of the division receiving a substantially complete post-award due diligence package from an approved applicant, the division shall execute any required contracts for the affordable housing program and send it to the approved applicant within 10 days of execution; except that the 90 day period pauses for the period from when an approved applicant receives a preliminary draft contract from the division until the division receives the executed contract from the approved applicant.

The act also amends existing grant, loan, and other affordable housing programs administered by the division to require the application process to be followed for any applications submitted under these programs and requires any programs that have adopted policies, procedures, or guidelines for the application process to be amended if they are inconsistent with the application process established by the act.

The act also modifies the "City Housing Law". The act expands the term "housing project" to include the provision of dwelling accommodations to persons without regard to income as long as the housing project substantially benefits persons of low income. The act clarifies that, in addition to the authority to construct a housing project, a city is authorized to acquire, own, or lease a housing project and that a city can manage, operate, and maintain, or contract for the management, operation, and maintenance of any housing project owned or leased by the city. The act adds an alternative option to the requirement that the city deliver possession of a housing project to a housing authority within the city's boundaries to instead allow the city to contract with a nonprofit or private entity to manage, maintain, and operate the housing project.

The act also allows a community land trust or nonprofit affordable housing homeownership developer or its authorized agent that is applying for a property tax exemption with the division of property taxation to submit only one application and one annual report if the property that is the subject of the exemption application and report has been subdivided. However, the application and the report must be accompanied by payment not to exceed the aggregate amount of payments that would be required if individual applications or reports were filed for each parcel and once a subdivided parcel has been split into a separate taxable parcel from the improvements and is leased to the owner of the improvements, the developer or their designee must file an individual annual report for the subdivided parcel.

APPROVED by Governor May 31, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/31/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1313 Housing in Transit-Oriented Communities 
Position: Oppose
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: S. Woodrow (D) | I. Jodeh (D) / C. Hansen (D) | F. Winter (D)
Summary:

Section 1 of the act establishes a category of local government: A transit-oriented community. As defined in the act, a transit-oriented community is either a local government that:

  • Is either entirely or partially within a metropolitan planning organization;
  • Has a population of 4,000 or more; and
  • Contains at least 75 acres of certain transit-related areas; or

If the local government is a county, contains either a part of:

  • A transit station area that is both in an unincorporated part of the county and within one-half mile of a station that serves a commuter rail service or light rail service; or
  • A transit corridor area that both is in an unincorporated part of the county and is fully encompassed by one or more municipalities.

The act requires a transit-oriented community to meet its housing opportunity goal. A housing opportunity goal is a zoning capacity goal determined based on an average zoned housing density of 40 dwelling units per acre multiplied by the number of acres of transit-related areas within a transit-oriented community. On or before September 30, 2024, the department of local affairs (department) shall develop a map that identifies the transit-related areas necessary for the calculation of a housing opportunity goal and the various reports required by the act. To accomplish its housing opportunity goal, a transit-oriented community shall ensure that the zoning capacity within certain areas of the transit-oriented community meets or exceeds the transit-oriented community's housing opportunity goal.

The main category of area that the act requires a transit-oriented community to increase the zoning capacity of to meet the transit-oriented community's housing opportunity goal is a transit center. In order to qualify as a transit center, an area must:

  • Be composed of zoning districts that uniformly allow a net housing density of at least 15 units per acre;
  • Identify the effective net housing density for the area by accounting for dimensional or other restrictions used to regulate density in the area, accounting for minimum parking requirements, and assuming an average housing unit size;
  • Not include any area where local law exclusively restricts housing occupancy based on age or other factors;
  • Have an administrative approval process for multifamily residential property development on parcels that are 5 acres or less in size; and
  • Be located wholly or partially within a transit area or optional transit area and not extend more than one-quarter mile from the edge of a transit area or optional transit area.

In addition to designating an area as a transit center for purposes of meeting a housing opportunity goal, the act allows local governments to designate areas as neighborhood centers for that purpose.

The act requires transit-oriented communities to submit a series of reports to the department regarding the calculation, satisfaction, and implementation of a transit-oriented community's housing opportunity goal. The act requires a transit-oriented community to submit the following to the department:

  • On or before June 30, 2025, a preliminary transit-oriented community assessment report to the department that includes the transit-oriented community's housing opportunity goal, the data and method used to calculate that housing opportunity goal, and the areas within the transit-oriented community that may need to be zoned to accomplish that housing opportunity goal;
  • On or before December 31, 2026, an identification of the affordability strategies from the standard and long-term affordability strategies menus in the act that the transit-oriented community will implement;
  • On or before December 31, 2026, an identification of the displacement mitigation strategies from the long-term displacement mitigation strategies menus in the act that the transit-oriented community will implement; and
  • On or before December 31, 2026, a housing opportunity goal report for the department's review and approval that demonstrates that the transit-oriented community has met its housing opportunity goal and complied with the affordability and displacement mitigation requirements of the act.

Additionally, on or before December 31, 2026, a transit-oriented community may notify the department that the transit-oriented community has an insufficient water supply to accomplish its housing opportunity goal, and the transit-oriented community may make a corresponding request for the department to modify the transit-oriented community's housing opportunity goal.

If the department approves a transit-oriented community's housing opportunity goal report on or before December 31, 2027, the department shall designate the transit-oriented community as a certified transit-oriented community. A certified transit-oriented community is the only eligible entity for the transit-oriented communities infrastructure fund grant program (grant program) created within the department. The purpose of the grant program is to assist transit-oriented communities in upgrading infrastructure within transit centers and neighborhood centers. In administering the grant program, the department shall prioritize grant applicants based on the information in the reports described in the act. Grants from the grant program are awarded from money in the transit-oriented communities infrastructure fund (fund). The fund consists of gifts, grants, and donations along with money that the general assembly may appropriate or transfer to the fund and money in the account described in the act. The fund is continuously appropriated. On July 1, 2024, the state treasurer shall transfer $35 million from the general fund to the fund.

Section 2 prohibits a planned unit development resolution or ordinance that is adopted on or after the effective date of the act and that applies within a transit center or neighborhood center from restricting the development of housing more than the local law that applies to that transit center or neighborhood center.

Section 3 requires a local government, when requiring a real property owner to dedicate real property to the public, to provide a private property owner the option of paying a fee, rather than dedicating the private real property to the public, if the real property does not meet local government standards for dedication.

Section 4 makes any restriction by a unit owners' association within a transit center or neighborhood center on the development of housing that is adopted on or after the effective date of the act and is beyond the local law that applies to that transit center or neighborhood center void as a matter of public policy.

Section 5 requires the department of transportation to conduct a study that identifies both:

  • Policy barriers and opportunities within the department of transportation including an examination of policies within the state access code, roadway design standards, and the treatment of pedestrian and bicycle crossings. The study must examine the impact of these policies on neighborhood centers and transit centers; and
  • The portions of state highway that pass through locally-identified transit centers and neighborhood centers that are appropriate for context-sensitive design, complete streets.

In addition to the $35 million appropriated to the fund, section 7 makes 2 appropriations. First, section 7 appropriates $183,138 to the governor for use by the Colorado energy office to implement the act. Second, section 7 appropriates $70,000 to the governor for use by the office of information technology to provide information services for the department.

APPROVED by Governor May 13, 2024

EFFECTIVE May 13, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/13/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1314 Modification Tax Credit Preservation Historic Structures 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: M. Lukens (D) | M. Martinez (D) / J. Gonzales (D) | P. Will
Summary:

The act modifies the income tax credit for qualified costs incurred in preservation of historic structures (credit) by:

  • Modifying the requirement that a qualified commercial or residential structure be at least 50 years old to instead require a qualified commercial or residential structure to be at least 30 years old;
  • Extending the period for which a taxpayer may claim the credit through income tax years commencing prior to January 1, 2037;
  • Extending the period for which the Colorado office of economic development may reserve the credit through December 31, 2032;
  • Limiting the credit to apply to past rehabilitation expenditures that occurred 12, rather than 24, months prior to the submission of an application for the credit on or after January 1, 2026;
  • Preventing a person from submitting an application for the credit on or after January 1, 2025, in connection with an already completed rehabilitation project;
  • Increasing the amount of the credit that may be awarded for residential rehabilitation expenditures from $50,000 to $100,000, beginning with credits that are awarded on or after January 1, 2025;
  • Removing the 5% increase in the percentage of applicable rehabilitation expenses incurred in a rehabilitation in a disaster area under the credit for rehabilitations made in connection with an application for the credit submitted on or after January 1, 2025;
  • Creating the commercial historic preservation tax credit program cash fund that consists of gifts, grants, donations, any revenue generated by the issuance fee charged in connection with the issuance of a credit, and any other money that the general assembly credits to the fund;
  • For tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2027, allowing the credit for qualified residential structures to be refundable rather than able to be carried forward; and
  • For calendar years commencing on or after January 1, 2025, but before January 1, 2030, establishing a second income tax credit pool of up to $5 million annually that is reserved for an owner of a qualified commercial structure that is rehabilitated so that at least 50% of the square footage of the qualified commercial structure will be net new housing rental units, and, if the qualified commercial structure is subject to a deed restriction that requires the owner to lease rental housing to individuals with an income below a certain amount, the taxpayer claiming the credit may claim 5% more of the qualified expenditures.

To implement the act, for the 2024-25 state fiscal year:

  • $74,244 is appropriated from the general fund to the office of the governor for use by economic development programs for general incentives and marketing by the economic development commission; and
  • $54,419 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of higher education for use by history Colorado for the office of archeology and historic preservation.

APPROVED by Governor May 24, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/24/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1315 Study on Remediation of Property Damaged by Fire 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: K. Brown (D) | J. Amabile (D) / L. Cutter (D)
Summary:

The act requires the division of insurance (division) to conduct or cause to be conducted a study regarding the remediation of residential premises that have been damaged from smoke, soot, ash, and other contaminants as a result of a fire. The study focuses on existing practices for the remediation of homes that have been damaged by smoke, soot, ash, and other contaminants as a result of a fire and requires the division to make recommendations for establishing uniform standards related to such remediation. The division may contract with a third party to conduct all or part of the study. The division must submit a report of the study's findings and recommendations to certain committees of the general assembly by January 1, 2026.

For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, $219,909 is appropriated to the department of regulatory agencies for use by the division.

APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 6/5/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1316 Middle-Income Housing Tax Credit 
Position: Support
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: W. Lindstedt (D) | M. Lindsay (D) / J. Bridges (D)
Summary:

The act creates a pilot program for an income tax credit for owners of qualified housing developments focused on rental housing for middle-income individuals and families. Middle-income individuals and families have an annual household income between 80% and 120% of the area median income of the households of the same size in the county in which the housing development is located; except that, for rural resort counties, the annual income is between 80% and 140% of the respective area median income.

During the calendar years commencing on January 1, 2025, and ending on December 31, 2029, the owner of a qualified housing development may be allocated a credit by the Colorado housing and finance authority (CHFA). The amount of the credit is determined by CHFA. The allocation of credits must follow CHFA's published allocation plan and the aggregate amount of credits allocated in one calendar year, not including any unallocated credits from preceding years that may be allocated, cannot exceed:

  • $5 million for calendar year 2025;
  • $5 million for calendar year 2026;
  • $10 million for calendar year 2027;
  • $10 million for calendar year 2028; and
  • $10 million for calendar year 2029.

The aggregate amount of any unallocated credits remaining as of December 31, 2029, is added to the amount of credits that CHFA may allocate for the state affordable housing tax credit.

The allocated credit amount may be used to offset a qualified taxpayer's income taxes each year for a period of 5 years, beginning in the year that the qualified housing development is placed in service. Although the credit may only be claimed for a 5-year period, the owner is required to provide middle-income housing in the qualified housing development for 15 years. A portion of the credit may be recaptured under certain conditions, for instance when the owner reduces the number of units serving middle-income individuals and families. In addition, the credit is allowed against insurance premium taxes for eligible taxpayers that are not subject to income taxes. A governmental or quasi-governmental entity, including the middle-income housing authority, may be allocated a credit if it owns a qualified housing development. A credit allocated to a governmental or quasi-governmental entity is subject to the same conditions, allocation rights, and recapture as a credit allocated to a qualified owner; except that a governmental or quasi-governmental entity may also transfer credits to any qualified taxpayer.

The act also requires CHFA to annually report on the middle-income housing tax credit pilot program to the general assembly, to make the report publicly available, and, as part of CFHA's final annual report, to provide certain information summarizing the overall success of the pilot program.

The middle-income housing tax credit is repealed on January 1, 2055.

APPROVED by Governor May 30, 2024

EFFECTIVE May 30, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/30/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1317 Workforce Data Collection 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: M. Young | S. Lieder (D)
Summary:

The bill requires the director of the division of employment and training (director) in the department of labor and employment to annually collect, analyze, and make recommendations to the general assembly based on data from workforce centers; the state, in relation to data it has collected concerning workers in specific age categories, beginning at age 50; and individuals with disabilities.

The bill also requires the director, every 3 years, to conduct, or contract with an another entity to conduct, a survey to better understand the experiences and needed tools and resources of individuals in Colorado who are 55 years of age or older and are considering entering or reentering the workforce, are unemployed, underemployed, or are looking for a career change.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 5/14/2024 House Committee on Appropriations Lay Over Unamended - Amendment(s) Failed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1318 Modify Rental Premises Person with Disability 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: D. Ortiz / J. Danielson (D)
Summary:

Under current law, it is unlawful for a person to discriminate against a renter in the rental of a dwelling because the renter has a disability. Discrimination includes a refusal to permit reasonable modifications of existing premises occupied or to be occupied by an individual with a disability if the modifications are necessary to afford the individual with full enjoyment of the premises.

The act removes the provision that allows a landlord to condition permission for a modification on the renter agreeing to restore the interior of the premises. The act also removes the provision that requires a modification to be at the expense of the individual with a disability.

APPROVED by Governor May 28, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/28/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments:

HB24-1330 Air Quality Permitting 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: J. Bacon (D) | J. Willford (D) / L. Cutter (D)
Summary:

Section 1 of the bill clarifies that a request for general permit registration does not constitute having a valid construction permit (permit). Section 1 also requires the division of administration in the department of public health and environment (division) or the air quality control commission (commission), in evaluating a permit application for an emitting source (source) that includes an oil and gas system (oil and gas system), to:

  • Aggregate emissions from the oil and gas system; and
  • Include emissions from exploration and preproduction activities.

Section 2 requires that the division or the commission only grant permits for certain proposed sources in a nonattainment area if:

  • The division or commission determines that the proposed source will not contribute to an exceedance of any applicable national ambient air quality standard (determination);
  • The owner or operator of the proposed source achieves emissions reductions of each air pollutant for which the nonattainment area is in nonattainment that are equal to or greater than the anticipated emissions of the proposed source; and
  • The proposed source is not in a disproportionately impacted community.

On and after January 1, 2025, the division or commission must base any determination on the modeling of air quality impacts from emissions (air quality modeling).

If a permit is granted after air quality modeling is conducted:

  • Any assumption used in the air quality modeling must be included in the permit as a permit condition; and
  • Any averaging time utilized for a permit condition must be no greater than the averaging time for any applicable national ambient air quality standard.

Section 3 requires the energy and carbon management commission to require that an oil and gas operator obtain a permit from the division or the commission before making a final determination on an oil and gas permit application.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 5/14/2024 House Committee on Appropriations Lay Over Unamended - Amendment(s) Failed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1331 Out-of-School Time Grant Program 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: R. Taggart (R) | J. Bacon (D) / B. Kirkmeyer (R) | J. Bridges (D)
Summary:

The act creates the out-of-school time program grant program (grant program) to provide grants to eligible 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organizations to provide academic enrichment and related services to public school students during times when school is not in session. The department of education (department) is required to administer the grant program.

Grants must be used for:

  • Academic enrichment;
  • Opportunities for development in literacy, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and other subject matters for students and families;
  • A safe learning environment and resources to increase student engagement in school and reduce chronic absenteeism;
  • Programs and services that provide a well-rounded education and are designed to reinforce and complement school-based academic programs, including youth development activities, art, music, outdoor programs, recreational programs, technology education programs, physical health activities, and social and emotional wellness services; and
  • Opportunities to develop meaningful workforce readiness and life skills.

Grantees are required to annually report to the department, and the department is required to annually provide a report to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate.

For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $3.5 million from the general fund to the department for the grant program. The act requires the general assembly to appropriate $3.5 million to the department for the grant program in the 2025-26 and 2026-27 state fiscal years.

APPROVED by Governor May 23, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/23/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1334 Broadband Service for Multiunit Buildings 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: A. Boesenecker (D) / C. Hansen (D)
Summary:

The act prohibits a property owner (owner) of a multiunit building, including a multidwelling and multitenant building and a mobile home park, from denying a broadband provider (provider) access to the property to install the necessary infrastructure to provide broadband service. The act specifies the legal obligations and rights of both broadband providers and owners regarding the deployment of broadband infrastructure.

APPROVED by Governor May 22, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/22/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1338 Cumulative Impacts & Environmental Justice 
Position:
Calendar Notification: Wednesday, May 8 2024
THIRD READING OF BILLS - FINAL PASSAGE - CONT'D
(8) in senate calendar.
Sponsors: M. Rutinel (D) | E. Velasco (D) / D. Michaelson Jenet (D)
Summary:

The environmental justice action task force was created in the department of public health and environment (CDPHE) to develop recommendations for measures to achieve environmental justice in the state. The task force completed its work and published a final report on November 14, 2022, which report included a recommendation for the development of environmental equity and cumulative impact analyses (EECIA) in the state.

The act creates the office of environmental justice (office) in CDPHE and requires the office to oversee a process to develop at least 2 EECIAs for specific geographic locations in the state. Once an EECIA is developed, various state agencies will be able to rely on the EECIA in conducting cumulative impact analyses regarding certain activities that may result in pollution.

The office must choose as locations for the EECIAs communities that are disproportionately impacted communities, with priority given to communities that have a heightened potential for widespread human exposure to environmental contaminants. After selecting a location for an EECIA, CDPHE must contract with an academic institution or other third party to develop an EECIA. In developing an EECIA, the applicable contractor must perform a scientifically rigorous analysis that includes most of the recommendations made by the environmental justice action task force. Within 9 months after completing the first EECIA, CDPHE is required to prepare a report, which includes identifying any recommendations or resources needed for implementing the findings of the EECIA. CDPHE must submit the report to certain legislative committees.

On or before January 1, 2025, the division of administration (division) in CDPHE is required to hire a petroleum refinery regulation expert to examine whether a rule establishing petroleum refinery control regulations should be adopted by the air quality control commission and examine other regulatory or nonregulatory measures performed.

After January 1, 2025, a petroleum refinery in the state must comply with certain monitoring requirements to provide real-time emissions monitoring data to the division.

The division is required to establish a rapid response inspection team to respond quickly to air quality complaints received. Once the team is established, the team must develop processes and best practices for quickly responding to such complaints, engage in outreach to communities regarding events and conditions that lead to excess air pollution emissions in those communities, and track and report on the division's website the number of complaints filed and the formal action, if any, taken on each complaint.

$1,829,087 is appropriated from the general fund to CDPHE for implementation of the act. Of the amount appropriated:

  • $310,449 is reappropriated to the department of law to provide legal services to CDPHE; and
  • Up to $959,310, if not expended before July 1, 2025, is further appropriated to the division through the 2028-29 state fiscal year for implementation of the act.

APPROVED by Governor May 28, 2024

EFFECTIVE May 28, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/28/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1339 Disproportionately Impact Community Air Pollution 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: M. Weissman (D) | M. Rutinel (D) / F. Winter (D)
Summary:

Under current law, the air quality control commission (commission) consists of 9 members. As of October 1, 2024, section 2 of the bill increases the membership of the commission to 11 members to include:

  • One member who represents a disproportionately impacted community and the interests of communities of color and who does not derive income from an entity that the commission regulates; and
  • One climate scientist employed by an organization that does not derive income from an entity that the commission regulates.

Under current law, the commission is required to adopt rules regulating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the industrial and manufacturing sector (sector). Section 3 requires the commission to adopt rules, to be implemented by January 1, 2025, that:

  • Prohibit GHG emissions from the sector from increasing in the near term and require sector-wide emissions not to exceed 97 million metric tons of total carbon dioxide equivalent cumulatively between 2025 and 2030;
  • Prohibit a sector source from complying with GHG emissions compliance obligations by making a payment unless the payment is made in exchange for GHG credit that is surrendered as part of a GHG credit trading program; and
  • Establish source-specific GHG emission reduction requirements that must be met through direct reductions of GHG emissions for a sector source that adversely affects a disproportionately impacted community.

Section 3 also clarifies the definition of "GHG credit", as applied to the requirement for commission rule-making, to include an allowance to emit one metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent of GHG by a regulated source.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 5/14/2024 House Committee on Appropriations Lay Over Unamended - Amendment(s) Failed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1341 State Vehicle Idling Standard 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: J. Marvin | J. Willford (D) / L. Cutter (D)
Summary:

Current law imposes a uniform state idling standard on an owner or operator of a covered vehicle that prohibits the vehicle from idling for more than 5 minutes within any 60-minute period, except in certain situations. Current law also prohibits a local government from enacting a resolution or ordinance concerning the idling of a covered vehicle that is more stringent than the state idling standard.

The act authorizes a local government to enact a resolution or ordinance concerning the idling of a covered vehicle that is at least as stringent as, but not less stringent than, the state idling standard and requires any local government with an idling standard to include certain exemptions. The act also exempts a critical service or utility provider when performing the functions of the provider's duties from the idling standard and declares that the idling standard is a matter of mixed local and statewide concern.

APPROVED by Governor April 29, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 4/29/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1343 Wildfire Evacuation Modeling Grant Program 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: M. Snyder (D)
Summary:

The bill creates the wildfire evacuation modeling grant program (program) within the office of emergency management (office) for the purpose of awarding grants to eligible recipients to perform wildfire evacuation modeling and generate reports that include times, maps showing evacuation routes, and any other relevant metrics for the area for which the modeling is being conducted. The program is initially administered as a pilot program and the office must establish a limited number of eligible recipients to receive grants. On or before December 1, 2025, the office must submit a report to the house of representatives agriculture, water, and natural resources committee and the senate agriculture and natural resources committee, or their successor committees, regarding the pilot program, which may include recommendations for improving the program and recommendations on whether to continue the program.

The bill also creates the wildfire evacuation modeling grant program cash fund (fund) for the purposes of awarding grants and covering administrative costs of the office for administering the program. On August 15, 2024, the state treasurer shall transfer $120,000 from the general fund to the fund.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 5/14/2024 House Committee on Appropriations Lay Over Unamended - Amendment(s) Failed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1346 Energy & Carbon Management Regulation 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: B. Titone (D) | K. McCormick (D) / C. Hansen (D) | K. Priola
Summary:

The act expands the authority of the energy and carbon management commission (commission) to include the regulation of activities performed for the purpose of engaging in the injection and underground sequestration of injection carbon dioxide in pore space (geologic storage operations).

The commission may:

  • Reimpose any regulatory responsibility or financial assurance obligation imposed on a person that exercises the right to control the conduct of geologic storage operations (geologic storage operator) if the geologic storage operator makes a material misrepresentation or omission that causes the commission to approve a site closure; and
  • Assess and collect regulatory and permitting fees from geologic storage operators.

Current law requires the commission to promulgate rules that evaluate and address the cumulative impacts of oil and gas operations by April 28, 2024. The act changes current law by extending the deadline for the rule-making to September 30, 2024, and requiring the evaluation of cumulative impacts to address impacts from all operations regulated by the commission. Wells drilled for the exclusive purpose of obtaining subsurface data or information to support operations are not subject to a cumulative impact analysis.

The act also allows the director of the commission to hire and designate employees of the commission as administrative law judges who have the authority to administer proceedings on behalf of the commission.

Current law provides a statute of limitations of one year after the date of an alleged violation of energy and carbon management laws (violation). The act changes this statute of limitations to 3 years after the discovery of the alleged violation and provides that the 3-year statute of limitations period does not apply if information regarding the alleged violation is knowingly or willfully concealed by the alleged violator.

The act also expands the following energy and carbon management law areas to include geologic storage operations:

  • Enforcement and civil penalty procedures;
  • Use of the energy and carbon management cash fund by the commission;
  • Mitigation of adverse environmental impacts by the commission or an operator; and
  • State agency and local government authority over oil and gas development.

The act also establishes that:

  • Ownership of a portion of a pore space necessary for geologic storage (sequestration estate) is vested in the owner of the overlying surface estate if the sequestration estate has not been separately severed, conveyed, or reserved;
  • Any conveyance of the ownership of an overlying surface estate also conveys the grantor's ownership of any sequestration estate except in certain circumstances; and
  • A conveyance of the ownership of a mineral estate does not convey the grantor's ownership in the sequestration estate unless the conveyance instrument provides for the conveyance.

Upon application of any interested person, the commission must hold a hearing and enter an order (order) providing for the formation of a unit of one or more geologic storage resources (geologic storage unit) if the commission finds that the geologic storage unit is reasonably necessary to effectuate a geologic storage project. The order must include terms and conditions that are just and reasonable and establish a plan for operations of the geologic storage unit (plan). An order is effective only if the plan has been approved by those persons that collectively own at least 75% of the geologic storage resources included in the geologic storage unit area (required approval) and the commission makes a finding in the order of the required approval.

The act also allows a local government to request that the director of the commission appoint a technical review board to assist the local government in analyzing and answering any technical questions regarding the local government's land use regulations.

The act also requires the department of public health and environment (department) to develop carbon dioxide accounting procedures for geologic storage operations. The commission must compile relevant data to support the carbon dioxide accounting procedures and work collaboratively with the department in implementing the carbon dioxide accounting procedures. The commission and the department must also work collaboratively to address air emissions from geologic storage operations.

APPROVED by Governor May 21, 2024

EFFECTIVE May 21, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/21/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1348 Secure Firearm Storage in a Vehicle 
Position:
Calendar Notification: Wednesday, May 8 2024
CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT(S) RECEIVED
(1) in house calendar.
Wednesday, May 8 2024
CONSIDERATION OF CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORTS
(2) in senate calendar.
Sponsors: E. Velasco (D) | L. Garcia (D) / S. Jaquez Lewis (D) | R. Fields
Summary:

The act prohibits knowingly leaving a handgun in an unattended vehicle unless the handgun is stored in a locked hard-sided container that is placed out of plain view and the container is in a locked vehicle, the locked trunk of the locked vehicle, or a locked recreational vehicle.

The act prohibits knowingly leaving a firearm that is not a handgun in an unattended vehicle unless the firearm is stored in a locked hard-sided or soft-sided container that is placed out of plain view and the container is in a locked vehicle, the locked trunk of the locked vehicle, or a locked recreational vehicle. A firearm that is not a handgun that is stored in a soft-sided container must have a locking device installed on the firearm while stored in the soft-sided container.

A person who is considered to have a disability who stores a firearm in a locked soft-sided container does not violate the requirement to store a firearm in a hard-sided container. The act includes exceptions from the storage requirement for storing antique firearms, storing a firearm that is a not a handgun in a vehicle being used for farm or ranch operations, a person who lives in a vehicle or in a recreational vehicle, peace officers and active members of the armed forces, and certain activities related to lawful hunting.

Unsafe storage of a firearm in a vehicle is a civil infraction.

APPROVED by Governor May 15, 2024

EFFECTIVE January 1, 2025
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/15/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1357 Pipeline Safety 
Position: Support
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: T. Story (D) | K. Brown (D) / K. Priola
Summary:

Current law requires the pipeline safety rules of the public utilities commission (commission) to address the mapping of all pipelines within the commission's jurisdiction. The bill clarifies current law by requiring the commission's mapping requirements for all pipelines within its jurisdiction to be available at a scale of 1 to 6,000 or greater.

On or before December 31, 2024, the commission must adopt rules that require:

  • An owner or operator of a transmission line, a distribution system, or a gathering line to use advanced leak detection technology in accordance with certain requirements;
  • An owner or operator of a transmission line, a distribution system, or a gathering line or an investor-owned natural gas utility (owner or operator) to repair grade 1 gas leaks immediately upon detection, grade 2 gas leaks no later than 60 days after detection, and grade 3 gas leaks no later than one year after detection; and
  • That all pipeline road and railroad crossings are inspected with advanced leak detection technology on a monthly basis for damage caused from traffic.

The bill also requires a section of pipeline that has not been used for 2 or more years to be removed or abandoned in place. An owner or operator may abandon a section of pipeline in place only in certain circumstances. If an owner or operator intends to remove a section of pipeline or abandon a section of pipeline in place, the owner or operator must notify the commission no less than 30 days before the owner or operator commences the removal or abandonment in place. The commission may review a notice of abandonment in place to determine whether the proposed abandonment in place is less impactful than removal.

The bill also requires the commission to develop a user-friendly, public-facing website (website) for pipeline safety data in the state. The website must include the location, date, and owner or operator for the following data:

  • Reportable safety events;
  • Violations;
  • Compliance actions;
  • Pipeline inspection data; and
  • How to access the mapping of pipelines within the commission's jurisdiction.

Current law provides that any person that violates certain pipeline safety laws is subject to a penalty of up to $200,000 dollars per violation. The bill changes this maximum penalty to $500,000 per violation. The amount of the penalty must also be no less than $5,000 for each day of a violation and, in the event that the commission deems that the penalty is necessary for the protection of public health, safety, welfare, the environment, or wildlife resources, no less than $15,000 per day of a violation. Beginning in 2026, the commission is required to adjust the penalty amounts for inflation every 2 years.

Current law allows the commission to reduce penalties based on certain metrics and factors (factors). The bill changes current law to allow the commission to also increase penalties based on the factors and adds additional factors that the commission must consider. Except with respect to an owner or operator of a distribution system serving fewer than 1,000 customers in the state, the commission is prohibited from reducing a penalty based on the factors by more than 15% and the violator is required to conduct certain compliance actions before a reduction occurs.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 5/14/2024 House Committee on Appropriations Lay Over Unamended - Amendment(s) Failed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1362 Measures to Incentivize Graywater Use 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: M. Lukens (D) | M. Catlin (R) / D. Roberts (D) | C. Simpson (R)
Summary:

Under current law, a board of county commissioners or governing body of a municipality (local government) may authorize the use of graywater within its jurisdiction. Graywater refers to certain types of wastewater that is collected from fixtures before it is treated and put to certain beneficial uses.

The act authorizes the installation of graywater treatment works in new construction projects and the use of graywater statewide; except that a local government:

  • May adopt an ordinance or a resolution prohibiting the installation of graywater treatment works or the use of all graywater or categories of graywater use within its jurisdiction; and
  • Shall notify the division of administration in the department of public health and environment of any such local ordinance or resolution adopted and of any local ordinance or resolution adopted that authorizes a use of graywater previously prohibited.

APPROVED by Governor May 29, 2024

EFFECTIVE January 1, 2026
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/29/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1366 Sustainable Local Government Community Planning 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: M. Froelich (D) | K. Brown (D)
Summary:

Section 1 of the bill requires state agencies to prioritize awarding grants that satisfy a list of criteria described in the bill. Sections 2 and 3 require, beginning January 1, 2025, upon updating a county or municipal master plan, a county or municipality (local government) to include a climate action element in its master plan. A climate action element must include climate-related goals, plans, or strategies and a description of any money from the federal, state, or a local government that a local government has received for the implementation of any of the plans or goals described in the climate action element.

The bill requires a local government to provide the Colorado energy office (office) with the climate action element and then requires the office to deliver a copy of any climate element it receives to the department of local affairs, the Colorado department of transportation (CDOT), and any other state agency that the office determines.

Section 4 requires CDOT to coordinate with metropolitan planning organizations to establish criteria that define growth corridors and identify these growth corridors. Having identified these growth corridors, the department and metropolitan planning organizations shall coordinate with local governments to develop transportation demand management plans for these growth corridors. Section 5 makes 2 changes related to the statewide transportation plan. First, the bill requires the statewide transportation plan to include:

  • An examination of the impact of transportation decisions on land use patterns;
  • The identification of highway segments where promotion of context-sensitive highway permitting and design can encourage the development of dense, walkable, and mixed-use neighborhoods in transit-oriented centers and neighborhood centers; and
  • An emphasis on integrating planning efforts within CDOT to support multimodal transportation, neighborhood centers, and transit-oriented centers in infill areas as well as growth corridors through the associated transportation demand management corridor planning.

Second, the bill requires CDOT to conduct a study in connection with the statewide transportation plan that identifies:

  • Policy barriers and opportunities for the implementation of context-sensitive design, complete streets, and pedestrian-bicycle safety measures in locally-identified urban centers and neighborhood centers; and
  • The portions of state highways that pass through locally identified transit-oriented centers and neighborhood centers that are candidates for context-sensitive design, complete streets, and pedestrian-bicycle safety measures.
    (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 5/14/2024 House Committee on Appropriations Lay Over Unamended - Amendment(s) Failed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1370 Reduce Cost of Use of Natural Gas 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: C. Kipp (D) | J. Willford (D) / F. Winter (D)
Summary:

The act requires the Colorado energy office to issue a request for information by December 1, 2024, to solicit interest from local governments that are served by a dual-fuel utility (utility) in becoming a gas planning pilot community (community). A gas planning pilot community is defined in the act as a local government in which constituents have gas service provided by a utility and an active franchise agreement with the utility, which local government formally indicates an interest in working with the utility to mutually explore opportunities for neighborhood-scale alternatives projects. A neighborhood-scale alternatives project geographically targets decommissioning a portion of the gas distribution system or avoids expanding the gas distribution system in order to serve new construction projects and provides alternative energy service to buildings within the project area that reduces future greenhouse gas emissions required to serve buildings.

By April 30, 2025, the Colorado energy office and a utility must jointly file with the public utilities commission (commission) the results of the request for information, identifying up to 5 proposed communities. In identifying proposed communities, the Colorado energy office and the utility must prioritize local governments that are interested in pursuing thermal energy network or geothermal energy projects as part of the proposed community's evaluation of potential neighborhood-scale alternatives projects. The Colorado energy office and the utility must also jointly file a draft agreement between the utility and a proposed community to identify and pursue a neighborhood-scale alternatives project. The commission must approve or modify the list of proposed communities by June 30, 2025.

By October 1, 2025, though a utility and local government may agree to extend this deadline, a utility and each approved community must enter into an agreement, and the utility must submit to the commission a list of the communities with which the utility has entered into an agreement. For each approved community, the utility is required to disclose certain data and information to the Colorado energy office, the commission, and the community to inform the evaluation of potential neighborhood-scale alternatives projects.

The act requires the utility to work with an approved community to rank neighborhood-scale alternatives projects and, before June 1, 2026, to submit at least one neighborhood-scale alternatives project to the commission for approval if the neighborhood-scale alternatives project has the full support of potentially affected customers. The filing must also contain a list of potential neighborhood-scale alternatives projects that are ranked highly but do not have full customer support at the time of the filing. Prior to June 1, 2027, a utility and a local government must jointly submit an application for commission approval of the neighborhood-scale alternatives projects included on this list, which projects may lack full customer support if the local government has determined that a reasonable majority of customers supports each project. The joint application must also include the net costs of the projects.

If a utility will not pursue a neighborhood-scale alternatives project in one or more communities, the utility and local government, prior to June 1, 2027, are required to jointly file a report with the commission explaining why a project will not be pursued in that community.

The commission must allow a utility to recover costs incurred from the implementation of a neighborhood-scale alternatives project. In approving a neighborhood-scale alternatives project, the commission may modify the gas utility's service requirement for select premises with an alternative energy service requirement. A utility may propose to fund conversion of existing gas appliances or equipment to nonemitting thermal resources and may also propose to offer new rate structures to pay for thermal energy networks or other nonemitting thermal resources as an alternative energy service.

By June 1 of each year following approval of a neighborhood-scale alternatives project, a utility is required to submit a report to the commission on the implementation of any approved neighborhood-scale alternatives projects. By July 1, 2028, or another time determined by the commission, the commission must hire a third-party consultant to conduct an analysis of all approved and proposed neighborhood-scale alternatives projects and present the findings of the analysis to the commission and the general assembly.

For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the act appropriates:

  • $43,650 to the office of the governor for use by the Colorado energy office from the general fund for program administration; and
  • $29,678 to the commission from the public utilities commission fixed utility fund for personal services and operating expenses.

APPROVED by Governor May 22, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/22/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1371 More Uniform Local Massage Facilities Regulation 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: A. Hartsook (R) | M. Lukens (D) / R. Fields | B. Gardner
Summary:

The law has allowed, but has not required, a county or a municipality to adopt a resolution or ordinance that either establishes business licensure requirements for massage facilities or regulates and prohibits unlawful activities to prevent the operation of illicit massage businesses that engage in human trafficking-related offenses.

The act:

  • Makes a legislative finding and declaration that it is a matter of mixed statewide and local concern to establish a statewide requirement that a massage facility operator, owner, or employee, including an independent contractor who is involved in the routine operations of a massage facility (employee), submit to a background check, which generally means a fingerprint-based criminal history record check (background check);
  • Requires every county, city and county, and municipality (local government) that has a massage facility within its jurisdictional boundaries to adopt a local process that ensures that the required background checks are conducted;
  • Requires such a local process to also require, as a condition for a person remaining as or becoming a massage facility operator, owner, or employee, that:
  • Every current operator, owner, and employee submit to a background check on or before the earlier of October 1, 2025, or any other date specified in the local process; and
  • Every prospective operator or owner to submit to a background check at least 30 days before being granted a license to operate the massage facility or assuming an ownership interest in a massage facility;
  • Prohibits a person from being a massage facility owner if the person either has not submitted to a required background check or has either:
  • Been convicted of or entered an accepted plea of nolo contendere for a felony or misdemeanor of solicitation of a prostitute, a human trafficking offense, or money laundering; or
  • Is registered as a sex offender or is required by law to register as a sex offender;
  • Prohibits a massage facility operator or owner from employing at a massage facility a person who has not submitted to a required background check;
  • Authorizes an operator or owner to employ at a massage facility a person who has been convicted of or entered an accepted plea of nolo contendere for a felony or misdemeanor of solicitation of a prostitute, a human trafficking offense, or money laundering, or who is registered as a sex offender or is required by law to register as a sex offender, if the operator or owner believes that the person does not pose a threat to customers or employees of the massage facility;
  • Authorizes the local licensing authority for a local government that has established massage facility business licensure requirements to suspend or revoke the license of any massage facility that has an owner or an employee who is prohibited from being a massage facility owner or employee;
  • Requires a county and a municipality within the county to consult with each other when developing, as is still authorized but not required, a resolution or ordinance to establish business licensure requirements for massage facilities or regulate and prohibit unlawful activities to prevent the operation of illicit massage businesses that engage in human trafficking-related offenses, and, by mutual agreement between a county and a municipality within the county, allows a municipality to elect to have a county's resolution or ordinance apply to massage facilities operating within the jurisdictional boundaries of the municipality in lieu of adopting its own ordinance or resolution; and
  • Because a massage therapist is required by current law to submit to a background check to obtain a license to practice massage therapy, exempts a licensed massage therapist from the act's background check requirement.

APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 6/6/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1372 Regulating Law Enforcement Use of Prone Restraint 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: S. Woodrow (D) | L. Herod / R. Fields | J. Gonzales (D)
Summary:

Current law subjects a peace officer who uses unlawful force or fails to intervene in the unlawful use of force to criminal and civil penalties as well as disciplinary measures through the peace officers standards and training board (P.O.S.T. board). The act defines prone restraint as a use of force.

The act requires law enforcement agencies to adopt written policies and procedures concerning use of the prone position and prone restraint by officers certified by the P.O.S.T. board; sheriff's deputies, regardless of P.O.S.T. board certification; and Colorado state patrol officers. Law enforcement agencies must post the adopted policies and procedures on their publicly accessible websites or make them available upon request. The policies and procedures must address how and when to request or render medical aid for use of force involving prone restraint, when to get medical clearance for use of force involving a prone restraint when there are injuries or complaints of injuries, how and when to render appropriate medical aid within the scope of a peace officer's training for any use of force involving prone restraint, and how and when to transition a person placed in a prone position into a recovery position that allows the person to breathe normally.

The act requires law enforcement agencies to review the adopted policies and procedures at least every five years and, beginning on or before July 1, 2026, to implement and train peace officers on their contents. The P.O.S.T. board must make its training on the use of the prone position available to all law enforcement agencies in the state.

APPROVED by Governor June 3, 2024

EFFECTIVE June 3, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 6/3/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1373 Alcohol Beverage Retail Licensees 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: J. Amabile (D) | N. Ricks (D) / D. Roberts (D) | P. Will
Summary:

Sections 1 and 2 of the bill eliminate the liquor-licensed drugstore license, effective January 1, 2025. All active liquor-licensed drugstore licenses will convert to a fermented malt beverage and wine retailer license on that date; except that a licensee with a single location may choose to convert the liquor-licensed drugstore license to a retail liquor store license. Section 3 of the bill prohibits the state and local licensing authorities from issuing new liquor-licensed drugstore licenses. The state and local licensing authorities may renew liquor-licensed drugstore licenses that are in effect on the effective date of the bill. Sections 18 21 through 29 make conforming amendments to account for the removal of the liquor-licensed drugstore license prohibition on the issuance of new liquor-licensed drugstore licenses . Sections 3 and 4 require 4 and 5 prohibit fermented malt beverage and wine retailers to display from displaying alcohol beverages for sale in a single location in certain locations on the licensed premises and prohibit fermented malt beverage and wine retailers from selling alcohol fermented malt beverages with greater than 14% 17% alcohol by volume. Sections 5 and 6 6 and 7 expand on a wholesaler's duty not to discriminate when selling products to retailers and allows the state licensing authority to recover the cost of enforcing the anti-discrimination laws from a person found in violation of the anti-discrimination laws.

Current law limits the amount of alcohol beverages certain retailers can purchase from retail liquor stores, liquor-licensed drugstores, and fermented malt beverage and wine retailers to $2,000 dollars' worth of alcohol beverages each calendar year . Sections 7 through 17 remove 8 through 18 and 22 increase the cap as it applies purchases by certain retailers from retail liquor stores to $5,000 worth of alcohol beverages each calendar month . Section 22 allows retail liquor stores to purchase $5,000 worth of alcohol beverages from other licensed retail stores each calendar month.

For the delivery of alcohol beverages:

  • Section 4 5 prohibits fermented malt beverage and wine retailers from delivering alcohol beverages to another person licensed to sell alcohol beverages; and
  • Section 24 22 removes the prohibition on a retail liquor store delivering alcohol beverages to another retail liquor store.

Section 18 19 allows automated teller machine (ATM) cards associated with public assistance programs to be used at ATMs in grocery stores.

(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)


(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Status: 5/7/2024 Senate Committee on Finance Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1374 Judicial Contractor Loan Forgiveness Eligibility 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: J. Marvin | M. Rutinel (D) / D. Michaelson Jenet (D)
Summary:

Independent contractors (contractors) were previously ineligible for the federal public service loan forgiveness program (program), which forgives remaining federal student loan liability for government and nonprofit full-time employees after 10 years of qualifying service, but in 2023 the federal government made contractors who perform work for a government agency eligible for the program if the work cannot be performed by a government employee. Three independent judicial agencies, the office of the alternative defense counsel, the office of the child's representative, and the office of respondent parents' counsel (agencies) primarily use contractors to provide legal representation on behalf of the agencies because providing the same services through state employees would create ethical conflicts.

To enable these contractors to qualify for the program if they otherwise meet program requirements, the act:

  • Clarifies that state employees cannot provide the legal services that the independent contractors provide;
  • Allows the agencies to certify that a contractor appears to be eligible for the program; and
  • Because some contractors provide or have provided legal services on behalf of more than one of the agencies, authorizes the agencies to share contractor information to the extent necessary to certify a contractor's eligibility for the program.

APPROVED by Governor May 15, 2024

EFFECTIVE May 15, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/15/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments:

HB24-1379 Regulate Dredge & Fill Activities in State Waters 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: J. McCluskie (D) | K. McCormick (D) / D. Roberts (D) | B. Kirkmeyer (R)
Summary:

The act requires the water quality control commission (commission) in the department of public health and environment (department) to promulgate rules by December 31, 2025, as necessary to implement a state dredge and fill discharge authorization program (program) and requires the division of administration (division) in the department to administer and enforce authorizations for activities that will result in discharges of dredged or fill material into state waters. The rules must focus on avoidance and minimization of adverse impacts and on compensation for unavoidable adverse impacts of dredge and fill activity (activity) and must incorporate the guidelines developed pursuant to section 404 (b)(1) of the federal "Clean Water Act", unless the commission determines, based on a demonstration at a public rule-making hearing, that the guidelines are not protecting state waters. The act specifies certain content that the commission must include in the rules and other content that the commission may include in the rules.

The act establishes duties for the division in administering the program. The division must issue individual authorizations consistent with the rules promulgated by the commission. The division must act upon an application for an individual authorization within 2 years after receiving a complete application, although this period may be extended under certain circumstances.

The division must issue general authorizations for the discharge of dredged or fill material into state waters from certain categories of activities that are similar in nature and have minimal individual and cumulative adverse impacts on state waters and the environment. Beginning January 1, 2025, until the rules are promulgated and the division issues general authorizations under the rules, the nationwide and regional general permits issued by the United States Army corps of engineers constitute valid authorizations to discharge dredged or fill material into state waters that are not subject to federal jurisdiction.

As expeditiously as is prudent and feasible, the division must issue a statewide general authorization for discharges to isolated wetlands, isolated ponds and impoundments, and isolated ordinary highwater mark reaches (isolated state waters). The statewide general authorization to isolated state waters does not include certain state waters, must identify best management practices to protect isolated state waters, must not require preconstruction notification, and must not authorize a project where the entire project's unavoidable adverse impacts exceed one-tenth of an acre of wetlands or three-hundredths of an acre of streambed. The authorization term of the statewide general authorization for discharges to isolated state waters is 5 years.

The division must include compensatory mitigation requirements in all individual authorizations and in general authorizations where the division determines that the proposed discharge of dredged or fill material will result in greater than one-tenth of an acre of unavoidable adverse impacts to wetlands or greater than three-hundredths of an acre of unavoidable impacts to streams. Compensatory mitigation must compensate for all functions of state waters that will be lost as a result of the authorized activity.

The division must utilize the existing structure of preconstruction notifications in the nationwide and regional permits established by the United States Army corps of engineers, including general authorizations for categories of activities that do not require preconstruction notification.

The division may include conditions in a notice of authorization, on a case-by-case basis, to clarify the terms and conditions of a general authorization or to ensure that an activity will have only minimal individual and cumulative adverse impacts on state waters.

The division may establish guidance to assist in administering the program. The division may, to the extent resources allow, establish one or more staff positions in the western slope region of the state to assist with dredge and fill program administration in that geographic area.

Until the rules become effective and the division issues general authorizations under the rules:

  • The division's Clean Water Policy 17, "Enforcement of Unpermitted Discharges of Dredged and Fill Material into State Waters", continues to be effective;
  • For certain activities, the division may issue temporary authorizations for the discharge of dredged or fill material into state waters; and
  • Temporary authorizations must not exceed 2 years and must include conditions necessary to protect the public health and the environment and to meet the intent of the act.

The act deems certain activities exempt and therefore does not require a discharge authorization for, or otherwise require regulation of, such activities. The act also excludes certain types of waters from the act's regulatory requirements. The act clarifies that "state waters" includes wetlands.

For the 2024-25 state fiscal year and for each state fiscal year thereafter, if the total number of issued authorizations exceeds or is projected to exceed 110 authorizations, the department must seek a supplemental appropriation from the general assembly to pay the costs of processing the authorizations and to ensure that authorizations are processed in a timely manner.

The act requires the commission to establish by rule on or before December 31, 2025, authorization fees for the program. Collected fees are credited to the existing clean water cash fund.

In current law, with certain exceptions, an applicant for any water diversion, delivery, or storage facility that requires an application for a permit, license, or other approval from the United States must inform the Colorado water conservation board, the parks and wildlife commission, and the division of parks and wildlife of its application and submit a mitigation proposal. The act extends the same requirement to applicants for certain activities that require an individual authorization from the division.

Current law requires the division to report annually to the general assembly concerning water quality control matters. The act requires the division to include in this annual report certain specific information concerning the implementation of the program. On a quarterly basis, the division must also report to the joint budget committee the number of individual dredge and fill authorizations and notices of authorization that the division projects to issue for the fiscal year.

For the 2026-27 state fiscal year and for each state fiscal year thereafter, the state treasurer must transfer $248,304 from the general fund to the clean water cash fund. On July 1, 2024, the state treasurer must transfer $748,000 from the severance tax operational fund to the clean water cash fund for use by the department in administering the program.

For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $747,639 to the department from the clean water cash fund. Any money not expended prior to July 1, 2025, is further appropriated to the department for the 2025-26 state fiscal year.

APPROVED by Governor May 29, 2024

EFFECTIVE May 29, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/29/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1434 Expand Affordable Housing Tax Credit 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: S. Bird (D) | R. Weinberg (R) / R. Zenzinger | C. Simpson (R)
Summary:

The act increases the amounts of the affordable housing tax credit that the Colorado housing and finance authority may allocate to qualified taxpayers by:

  • $20,000,000 for credits allocated in 2024;
  • $16,000,000 for credits allocated in 2025;
  • $12,000,000 for credits allocated in 2026;
  • $12,000,000 for credits allocated in 2027;
  • $16,000,000 for credits allocated in 2028;
  • $20,000,000 for credits allocated in 2029;
  • $20,000,000 for credits allocated in 2030; and
  • $20,000,000 for credits allocated in 2031.

The act accelerates the credit by requiring that a qualified taxpayer claim 70% of the total amount of the credit in the first year of the credit period and claim 6% of the total amount of the credit in each of the second through sixth years of the credit period.

The act also creates the Colorado affordable housing in transit-oriented communities income tax credit (tax credit). The tax credit is refundable and administered in the same manner as the Colorado affordable housing tax credit; except that the tax credit:

  • Is awarded in connection with qualified low-income housing projects in certified transit-oriented communities;
  • Must be claimed over a 5-year credit period; and
  • Must be claimed in an accelerated manner such that 70% of the total amount of the tax credit is claimed in the first year of the credit period, 8% in both the second and third years, and 7% in both the fourth and final years.

The act allows the following tax credit amounts to be awarded:

  • $2,000,000 for the 2025 calendar year;
  • $2,000,000 for the 2026 calendar year;
  • $2,000,000 for the 2027 calendar year;
  • $11,000,000 for the 2028 calendar year; and
  • $13,000,000 for the 2029 calendar year.

The act reduces the amount of money transferred to the housing development grant fund by $35 million for state fiscal year 2024-25 through 2031-32.

APPROVED by Governor May 30, 2024

EFFECTIVE May 30, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/30/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1435 Colorado Water Conservation Board Projects 
Position: Support
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: K. McCormick (D) | M. Catlin (R) / D. Roberts (D) | C. Simpson (R)
Summary:

The act appropriates the following amounts for the 2024-25 state fiscal year from the Colorado water conservation board (CWCB) construction fund to the CWCB or the division of water resources in the department of natural resources for the following projects:

  • Continuation of the satellite monitoring system, $380,000 (section 1 of the act);
  • Continuation of the floodplain map modernization program, $1,000,000 (section 2);
  • Continuation of the weather modification permitting program, $500,000 (section 3);
  • Continuation of the Colorado Mesonet project, $200,000 (section 5);
  • Continuation of the water forecasting partnership project, $2,000,000 (section 6);
  • Support of modeling and data analyses for the upper Colorado river commission's development of operational guidelines for Lake Powell and Lake Mead, $500,000 (section 7);
  • Support for the division of water resources' statewide diversion telemetry project, $1,827,500 (section 8);
  • Support of a study update and scenario analyses for groundwater resource goals for the southern high plains designated groundwater basin, $250,000 (section 9); and
  • Support for projects that support drought planning and mitigation, $4,000,000 (section 11).

Section 4 directs the state treasurer to transfer up to $2,000,000 from the CWCB construction fund to the CWCB litigation fund on July 1, 2024.

The CWCB is authorized to make loans from the severance tax perpetual base fund or the CWCB construction fund:

  • In an amount up to $155,650,000 to the Windy Gap firming project (section 12); and
  • In an amount up to $101,000,000 to the northern integrated supply project water activity enterprise owned by the northern Colorado water conservancy district to develop a new regional water supply project (section 13).

Section 10 directs the state treasurer to transfer $2,000,000 on July 1, 2024, from the CWCB construction fund to the turf replacement fund to finance the state turf replacement program.

Section 14 directs the state treasurer to transfer $20,000,000 on July 1, 2024, from the severance tax perpetual base fund to the CWCB construction fund for the purchase and sale agreement between the Colorado river water conservation district and the public service company of Colorado for the purchase of the water rights associated with the Shoshone power plant.

Section 15 appropriates $23,300,000 from the water plan implementation cash fund to the CWCB to fund grants that will help implement the state water plan.

Sections 16 and 17 amend current law, under which the state treasurer is directed to make 2 transfers of $2.5 million each from the economic recovery and relief cash fund to the CWCB construction fund. Under current law, the CWCB is required to use the $2.5 million from one of the transfers for the direct and indirect costs of providing assistance to political subdivisions and other entities applying for federal "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act" money and other federally available money related to water funding opportunities (water funding purposes). The CWCB is required to use the $2.5 million from the other transfer for issuing grants to political subdivisions of the state or other entities for the hiring of temporary employees, contractors, or both that will assist those political subdivisions and other entities in applying for federal "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act" money and other federally available money related to natural resource management (natural resource management purposes).

Sections 16 and 17 amend current law by allowing the CWCB, on or after July 1, 2024, to expend money from either of the 2 transfers for either the water funding purposes or the natural resource management purposes.

APPROVED by Governor May 29, 2024

EFFECTIVE May 29, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/29/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments:

HB24-1447 Transit Reform 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: W. Lindstedt (D) | M. Froelich (D) / F. Winter (D)
Summary:

The length of the bill summary for this bill requires it to be published on a separate page here:

https://leg.colorado.gov/hb24-1447-bill-summary


(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Status: 5/4/2024 Senate Committee on Transportation & Energy Refer Amended to Appropriations
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1449 Environmental Sustainability Circular Economy 
Position:
Calendar Notification: Wednesday, May 8 2024
THIRD READING OF BILLS - FINAL PASSAGE
(1) in senate calendar.
Sponsors: J. Joseph (D) | M. Lindsay (D) / L. Cutter (D) | K. Priola
Summary:

The act repeals the pollution prevention advisory board and the pollution prevention advisory board assistance committee when the act takes effect, repeals the recycling resources economic opportunity program on October 1, 2025, and repeals the front range waste diversion enterprise and replaces it with the Colorado circular communities enterprise (enterprise). The enterprise, in merging and modernizing the purposes of the recycling resources economic opportunity program and the front range waste diversion enterprise, awards grants and other funding and provides technical assistance to local governments, nonprofit and for-profit businesses, public and private schools, and institutions of higher education throughout the state that pursue a circular economy for waste management, including waste diversion and aversion. The act also creates the statewide voluntary sustainability program to support businesses engaging, or looking to engage, in sustainability efforts.

Under current law, user fees are imposed on operators of attended solid waste disposal sites (operators) to finance the recycling resources economic opportunity program and the front range waste diversion enterprise. The act applies those fees to the enterprise, requiring operators of sites located outside of the front range to pay a fee of either 2 or 4 cents per load transported for disposal and requiring operators of sites located in the front range, between July 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024, to pay a fee of 74 cents per cubic yard per load transported for disposal and, on and after January 1, 2025, to pay a fee of 78 cents per cubic yard per load transported for disposal.

APPROVED by Governor May 17, 2024

EFFECTIVE July 1, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/17/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

HB24-1454 Grace Period Noncompliance Digital Accessibility 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: D. Ortiz | R. Pugliese (R) / P. Lundeen (R)
Summary:

Current law requires state agencies and public entities to comply with digital accessibility standards on or before July 1, 2024. The act provides a one-year extension to July 1, 2025, of immunity from liability for failure to comply with the digital accessibility standards for an agency that demonstrates good faith efforts toward compliance or toward resolution of any complaint of noncompliance. To be eligible for the extension, the act requires the agency to post quarterly reports on progress and create a process for redress for inaccessible digital products.

APPROVED by Governor May 24, 2024

EFFECTIVE May 24, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/24/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments:

HB24-1460 Law Enforcement Misconduct 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: L. Herod | J. Bacon (D) / J. Danielson (D)
Summary:

The bill requires a law enforcement agency (agency) that receives an allegation of misconduct, criminal conduct, or other unprofessional conduct regarding a peace officer employed by the agency to investigate the allegation. If a peace officer receives an allegation of misconduct, criminal conduct, or other unprofessional conduct (misconduct) or is reasonably aware of the misconduct of another peace officer, the peace officer shall report the allegation to the subject of the allegation's employing agency. A peace officer who fails to make the report commits a class 2 misdemeanor. A person who makes an allegation has a private right of action if the allegation is not investigated.

The bill clarifies that patterns and practices investigations may also be related to deprivation of rights by a peace officer against another peace officer.

Current law requires agencies to report certain information regarding officers' misconduct to a database maintained by the P.O.S.T. board. The attorney general may audit the reports made to the database to verify reporting compliance. The bill requires the attorney general to accept reports of non-reporting to the database and requires those reports to be investigated within available resources.

Current law requires unedited video and audio recordings of incidents of alleged misconduct to be released the public upon request. The bill states that a law enforcement agency shall not charge a fee to the requestor related to releasing the recording.

Current law provides a peace officer with whistle-blower protection. The bill allows a peace officer who is subject to whistle-blower discipline a private right of action against the officer's employing agency.

The bill requires each agency to retain all reports regarding allegations of misconduct and all investigation files, notes, and reports related to those reports. The bill also requires the investigating agency to provide a copy of the investigation file to the subject of the investigation after the investigation is completed.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 5/3/2024 House Third Reading Lost with Amendments - Floor
Amendments: Amendments

HCR24-1001 Senior Property Tax Exemption Portability 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: K. DeGraaf (R) | S. Luck (R)
Summary:

The state constitution currently only allows a senior who has owned and occupied the senior's primary residence for 10 years, or the surviving spouse of such a senior, to claim a property tax exemption for 50% of the first $200,000 of actual value of the primary residence (exemption). If approved by the voters of the state at the 2024 general election, the concurrent resolution will allow a senior, or the surviving spouse of such a senior, who has previously qualified for the exemption for 2016 or any later year for a prior primary residence to claim the exemption for the senior's current owner-occupied primary residence regardless of how long the senior has owned and occupied that residence.


(Note: This summary applies to this concurrent resolution as introduced.)

Status: 4/22/2024 House Committee on Finance Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

HCR24-1006 Property Tax Revenue Growth Limit 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: B. Marshall (D)
Summary:

If approved by the voters of the state at the 2024 general election, the concurrent resolution will amend the state constitution to create a new annual property tax revenue growth limit (district limit) for each jurisdiction that levies property tax (district). The district limit limits a district's property tax revenue growth for any property tax year commencing on or after January 1, 2025, to an amount equal to the sum of:

  • The amount of revenue generated by the district's mill levy for the immediately preceding property tax year (base revenue); plus
  • An amount equal to the base revenue multiplied by a percentage equal to the percentage change allowed for state revenue growth under the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR) plus 2 percentage points; plus
  • The net dollar amount of district property tax revenue gained from newly taxed property such as new construction and lost from newly untaxed property such as taxable improvements to real property that are destroyed.

If the estimated amount of property tax revenue subject to the district limit that will be generated by a district's current mill levy will exceed the district limit, then the mill levy must be reduced so that the amount of property tax revenue generated does not exceed the district limit unless maintenance of the current mill levy is approved:

  • By the voters of the district for a district that has not received voter approval to exceed its TABOR fiscal year spending and property tax revenue limits; or
  • By the governing body of the district for a district that has received such voter approval.

Notwithstanding the TABOR voter approval for a mill levy increase above the mill levy for the prior year, if a district's mill levy is reduced as required to comply with the district limit, the district may increase the mill levy to any rate up to the pre-reduction rate without voter approval so long as the increase does not cause the district's property tax revenue to exceed the district limit.


(Note: This summary applies to this concurrent resolution as introduced.)

Status: 5/14/2024 House Committee on Appropriations Lay Over Unamended - Amendment(s) Failed
Amendments:

SB24-002 Local Government Property Tax Credits Rebates 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: D. Roberts (D) / J. McCluskie (D) | L. Frizell (R)
Summary:

The act authorizes a board of county commissioners to establish an incentive program to offer limited county property tax credits or rebates to participants in a program designed to directly improve an area of specific local concern related to the use of real property in the county.

An "area of specific local concern" is defined in the act as a use of real property in the county that is determined by the board of county commissioners to be diminishing or unavailable based on verifiable data and which use the board of county commissioners finds and declares necessary for the preservation of the health, safety, or welfare of the residents of the county, including as to matters of equity, access to housing, and access to education. An "area of specific local concern" does not include a use of real property in a county that harms or may reasonably be expected to harm a disproportionately impacted community or prevents or may reasonably be expected to prevent meeting minimum greenhouse gas emission reduction goals and deadlines.

An incentive program must be established by resolution or ordinance adopted by a board of county commissioners at a public hearing, which resolution or ordinance must include the board's findings and determinations regarding the specific area of local concern and specific criteria for the qualification of program participants. The county must provide notice of the hearing, including specified information regarding the incentive program, to the clerk of each municipality that is wholly or partly located in the county and that may be impacted by the incentive program. Each such municipality must be allowed to submit written comments and provide testimony at the hearing.

Incentive programs must be evaluated on an annual basis and may be renewed only if determined to be effective. An incentive program must be uniformly applied among all owners of the same class of real or commercial property.

The act also authorizes municipalities to establish an incentive program offering limited municipal property tax credits or rebates to participants in a program designed to directly improve an area of specific local concern related to the use of real property in the municipality. A municipal incentive program is subject to the same substantive and procedural requirements as a county program, including the requirement to provide notice of the public hearing regarding the incentive program, and an opportunity to submit written comments and provide testimony at such hearing, to each county that includes all or any portion of the municipality and that may be impacted by the incentive program.

APPROVED by Governor March 15, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 3/15/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-003 Colorado Bureau of Investigation Authority to Investigate Firearms Crimes 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: T. Sullivan (D) / M. Froelich (D) | M. Duran (D)
Summary:

The act authorizes the Colorado bureau of investigation (bureau) to investigate particular illegal activity involving firearms statewide. The bureau shall communicate with the appropriate local law enforcement agency in such an investigation to deconflict investigative operations and determine investigative responsibilities prior to taking investigative or enforcement action and shall collaborate with the local district attorney in the beginning stages of the investigation. An agent or other employee of the bureau who is a peace officer shall wear and activate a body-worn camera when conducting any public-facing part of an investigation authorized in the act.

The act appropriates $1,477,127 from the general fund to the department of public safety for the bureau to conduct the investigations.

APPROVED by Governor May 15, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/15/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-005 Prohibit Landscaping Practices for Water Conservation 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: D. Roberts (D) | C. Simpson (R) / K. McCormick (D) | B. McLachlan
Summary:

On and after January 1, 2026, the act prohibits local governments from allowing the installation, planting, or placement of nonfunctional turf, artificial turf, or invasive plant species on commercial, institutional, or industrial property, common interest community property, or a street right-of-way, parking lot, median, or transportation corridor. The act also prohibits the department of personnel from allowing the installation, planting, or placement of nonfunctional turf, artificial turf, or invasive plant species as part of a project for the construction or renovation of a state facility, which project design commences on or after January 1, 2025. Artificial turf on athletic fields of play is exempted from the prohibitions.

APPROVED by Governor March 15, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 3/15/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-006 Pretrial Diversion Programs 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: R. Rodriguez (D) | R. Fields / R. English (D) | M. Bradfield (R)
Summary:

The act requires a district attorney's office, or the office's designee, to consider the use of a juvenile diversion program (program) to prevent a juvenile who demonstrates behaviors or symptoms consistent with an intellectual and developmental disability, a mental or behavioral health issue, or a lack of mental capacity from further involvement in formal delinquency proceedings.

Current law allows programs to use the results of an approved and validated assessment tool to identify the appropriate diversion services a juvenile may need and the professionals who may provide the services. The act adds behavioral health services and services for juveniles with developmental disabilities to the types of services a juvenile may need and adds behavioral health treatment providers and providers who offer services to juveniles with developmental disabilities to the list of professionals who may provide the appropriate diversion services.

If an adult defendant's competency is raised or a defendant is found incompetent to proceed, the act allows the defendant to enter into a diversion agreement with the consent of the district attorney and the court if the court finds that the defendant has the ability to participate and is advised of the potential consequences of failure to comply. The defendant's entrance into the diversion agreement does not waive the issue of competency to stand trial if there is a violation of the diversion agreement and proceedings on the charges resume. The diversion agreement alone is not evidence of competency.

APPROVED by Governor March 22, 2024

EFFECTIVE March 22, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 3/22/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-009 Local Government Disaster-Related Programs 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: L. Cutter (D) | S. Jaquez Lewis (D) / M. Snyder (D)
Summary:

Wildfire Matters Review Committee. The bill assists local governments with disaster-related programs in 2 ways. First, section 1 of the bill establishes by establishing the slash removal pilot program (pilot program) under the wildfire mitigation incentives for local governments grant program, which is administered by the forest service. The pilot program supports county efforts to efficiently and effectively remove slash through methods other than burning . The forest service must establish the policies and procedures by which it will select counties for the pilot program and implement the pilot program. Second, section 2 requires the division of homeland security and emergency management in the department of public safety to provide guidance to local governments on the following issues concerning debris removal:

  • Negotiating debris removal program terms with the federal emergency management agency to provide predictability for homeowners and ensure that there are not duplicate payments for debris removal;
  • Developing standard right of entry forms that include opt-in and opt-out provisions and clear insurance assignment of benefit language;
  • Establishing right-of-way cleanup procedures, including the removal of private vehicles, for public roadways;
  • Considering the removal of hazardous materials and other safety and environmental concerns; and
  • Ensuring that local debris removal programs are limited to residential debris removal and do not include commercial debris removal.

(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)


(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Status: 5/14/2024 House Committee on Appropriations Lay Over Unamended - Amendment(s) Failed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-012 Reentry Workforce Development Cash Assistance Pilot Program 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: J. Gonzales (D) | J. Coleman (D) / M. Young | J. Mabrey (D)
Summary:

The bill creates the reentry workforce development cash assistance pilot program (pilot program) in the department of corrections (department) to provide cash assistance to persons who enroll and participate in workforce services or training programs after incarceration. The pilot program provides a total payment of up to $3,000 to eligible persons for basic life expenses.

The bill requires the department to contract with an organization to administer the pilot program, perform an annual survey of pilot program recipients, and produce an annual report that is submitted to the judiciary committees of the senate and house of representatives.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 2/7/2024 Senate Committee on Judiciary Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

SB24-020 Alcohol Beverage Delivery & Takeout 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: D. Roberts (D) | N. Hinrichsen (D) / W. Lindstedt (D) | R. Pugliese (R)
Summary:

The act removes an automatic repeal to permit businesses licensed to sell alcohol beverages at retail by the drink to deliver these beverages or to allow the customer to take these beverages from the licensed premises after July 1, 2025.

A hotel and restaurant licensee or tavern licensee is prohibited from allowing takeout and delivery of alcohol beverages in a sealed manufacturer's container without the assistance of the license holder's employee, unless the license holder is a lodging establishment.

APPROVED by Governor May 10, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/10/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-024 Local Lodging Tax Reporting on Sales Return 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: J. Bridges (D) | K. Van Winkle (R) / C. Kipp (D) | R. Taggart (R)
Summary:

The act requires local taxing jurisdictions, which are limited to jurisdictions for which the department of revenue does not collect, administer, and enforce a local lodging tax, to apply the same reporting requirements or standards to an accommodation's intermediary as to a marketplace facilitator that is obligated to collect and remit a local lodging tax.

The act prohibits local taxing jurisdictions from requiring additional reporting information from an accommodation's intermediary. The act also prohibits a local taxing jurisdiction that has passed an applicable marketplace facilitator law from auditing a marketplace facilitator for sales facilitated by the marketplace at any time other than when the marketplace facilitator is filing tax returns with the local taxing jurisdiction.

The act does not prohibit a local taxing jurisdiction from requesting information maintained by an accommodation's intermediary that is in connection with an audit related to a local lodging tax or from requesting and obtaining additional information or data from a marketplace facilitator or accommodation's intermediary to be provided on a voluntary basis or prohibit a home rule municipality, for purposes unrelated to the administration of local taxes, from passing an ordinance regulating a marketplace facilitator or an accommodation's intermediary, including an ordinance governing the issuance of information or data by a marketplace facilitator or accommodation's intermediary to the home rule city.

APPROVED by Governor April 19, 2024

EFFECTIVE January 1, 2025
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 4/19/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-025 Update Local Government Sales & UseTax Collection 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: J. Bridges (D) | K. Van Winkle (R) / C. Kipp (D) | R. Taggart (R)
Summary:

Under current law, the department of revenue (department) administers, collects, and enforces the local sales or use tax that a statutory local government or a special district imposes and, if requested, administers, collects, and enforces any such tax that a home rule jurisdiction imposes. The statutes that govern the administration, collection, and enforcement of these local sales or use taxes are located in multiple titles of the Colorado Revised Statutes. The act revises, modernizes, and harmonizes the separate statutes that govern the state administration of local sales or use tax by creating new parts 2 and 3 in article 2 of title 29. In general, the act makes clear that the department collects, administers, and enforces a local government sales or use tax in the same manner as it collects, administers, and enforces the state sales tax.

The act:

  • Requires a statutory local government, special district, or requesting home rule jurisdiction that imposes a new sales or use tax, makes a change to its existing sales or use tax, or changes its geographical boundaries by ordinance, resolution, or election to provide the department written notice within specified deadlines and establishes the applicability dates for such events;
  • Requires each statutory local government, special district, and requesting home rule jurisdiction to designate one or more liaisons to coordinate with the department regarding the collection of its sales or use tax;
  • Establishes a dispute resolution process when the local sales or use tax that is administered, collected, and enforced by the department is paid erroneously to the state or to the wrong statutory local government, special district, or home rule jurisdiction;
  • Makes clear that a vendor who uses the department's geographic information system (GIS) database to determine the jurisdictions to which statutory local government, special district, or requesting home rule jurisdiction tax is owed is held harmless for any tax, charge, or fee liability that would otherwise be due solely as a result of an error or omission in the GIS database data;
  • Clarifies that a statutory local government, special district, or requesting home rule jurisdiction may allow a retailer that collects and remits its sales or use tax to retain a percentage of the amount remitted to cover the vendors' expenses in collecting and remitting the statutory local government, special district, or requesting home rule jurisdiction's sales or use tax, but specifies that the statutory local government, special district, or requesting home rule jurisdiction may not impose a limit on the amount retained;
  • Modifies the relief available under the provisions for local dispute resolution for sales or use taxes asserted by the local government to reflect the availability of the department's GIS database for accurately sourcing sales; and
  • Makes conforming amendments for the collection, administration, enforcement, and distribution of statutory local government, special district, and requesting home rule jurisdiction sales or use taxes.

APPROVED by Governor May 1, 2024

EFFECTIVE July 1, 2025
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/1/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-027 Criminal and Juvenile Justice System Process Study 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: J. Gonzales (D) | R. Rodriguez (D) / M. Martinez (D)
Summary:

Recidivism Interim Study Committee. The bill requires the division of criminal justice (division) in the department of public safety to conduct a study to examine how individuals proceed through the various stages of criminal and juvenile justice proceedings, including sentences and alternative sentencing programs.

The division shall solicit proposals for an entity to assist with the study.

The bill requires the division to submit a report of its findings to the joint budget committee and the judiciary committees of the house of representatives and the senate by June 30, 2025.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 1/22/2024 Senate Committee on Judiciary Refer Unamended to Appropriations
Amendments:

SB24-028 Study Biochar in Wildfire Mitigation Efforts 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: L. Cutter (D) | P. Will / E. Velasco (D)
Summary:

Wildfire Matters Review Committee. The bill directs the board of governors of the Colorado state university system (board) to conduct, or cause to be conducted, a comprehensive study on biochar, including its use in wildfire mitigation efforts. The bill specifies minimum topics that the study must include. The board is required to submit a report on the findings of the study to specified committees of the general assembly.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 1/25/2024 Senate Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources Refer Amended to Appropriations
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-029 Study Metrics to Measure Criminal Justice System Success 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: J. Gonzales (D) | R. Rodriguez (D) / J. Amabile (D) | L. Garcia (D)
Summary:

The act creates the alternative metrics to measure criminal justice system performance working group (working group). The working group consists of:

  • Representatives from the division of youth services in the department of human services, the department of corrections, the judicial department, and the department of public safety; and
  • 2 members from an institution of higher education with expertise in the criminal legal system and two members from a community-based organization that works for criminal legal reform.

The working group shall consult with stakeholders either identified by the working group or who request to participate.

The act requires the working group to study metrics and methods, other than measuring recidivism, to:

  • Supplement the current measure of recidivism;
  • Measure risk-reduction outcomes;
  • Comprehensively measure successful outcomes that consider various aspects of life, including employment, housing, education, mental health, personal well-being, social supports, and civic and community engagement; and
  • More effectively measure criminal justice system performance.

The working group is required to submit a report to the house of representatives public and behavioral health and human services committee and judiciary committee and the senate health and human services committee and judiciary committee on or before July 1, 2025. The report must include a summary of the working group's work and any recommendations of the working group.

APPROVED by Governor March 6, 2024

EFFECTIVE March 6, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 3/6/2024 Governor Became Law
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-031 Local Authority Enforce Violation of Noxious Weed Act 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: D. Roberts (D) / M. Lukens (D) | B. McLachlan
Summary:

Current law allows the commissioner of agriculture to assess civil penalties for violations of state laws related to the prevention of noxious weeds (violations). The act:

  • Clarifies that a board of county commissioners (board) may allow for the assessment and collection of fines for violations of local laws enacted to enforce the management of noxious weeds in the county;
  • Creates a civil infraction for violations;
  • Creates a civil penalty for violations that is no less than $500 and no more than $1,000;
  • Allows a county attorney to petition the district court for an injunction to prevent an ongoing violation; and
  • Allows a board to appoint a district attorney to enforce violations in the event that the county does not have a county attorney or in any other circumstance that the board deems appropriate.

APPROVED by Governor March 12, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 3/12/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-032 Methods to Increase the Use of Transit 
Position:
Calendar Notification: Wednesday, May 8 2024
CONSIDERATION OF HOUSE AMENDMENTS TO SENATE BILLS
(2) in senate calendar.
Sponsors: K. Priola | F. Winter (D) / S. Vigil | J. Marvin
Summary:

The statewide transit pass exploratory committee (committee) is created in the department of transportation (department) to produce a viable proposal for the creation, implementation, and administration of a statewide transit pass (proposal). The committee is required to meet as necessary to produce a viable proposal by July 1, 2026, with the goal of implementing a statewide transit pass by January 1, 2028. The committee consists of members, appointed by the executive director of the department, who represent specified types of organizations and have specified knowledge or experience. In conducting its work, the committee is required to consider specified issues and to solicit input from subject matter experts and interested parties across the state. The committee is required to submit its proposal, including recommendations for any necessary legislation in connection with the proposal, to the executive director of the department and the members of the transportation legislation review committee of the general assembly on or before July 1, 2026.

The existing ozone season transit grant program is combined with a new program to provide youth fare free transit grants and together are created as the zero fare transit grant program in the Colorado energy office (office). The zero fare transit grant program is created to provide grants to:

  • The Colorado association of transit agencies (CASTA) for the purpose of providing grants to eligible transit agencies to offer either free transit services for a minimum of 30 days during ozone season or fare free year-round transit services for individuals who are 19 years of age or younger; and
  • The regional transportation district (RTD) for the purpose of providing fare free year-round transit services for individuals who are 19 years of age or younger.

To receive a grant, CASTA or the RTD must submit an application to the office in accordance with the act and policies established by the office. An eligible transit agency that receives a grant from CASTA may use the grant money to either cover the costs associated with providing new or expanded free transit services within its service area during ozone season or to provide operating support for its transit operations and general transit programs so long as the eligible transit agency provides uninterrupted fare free year-round transit services to youth riders. The RTD may use the grant money to provide operating support for its transit operations and general transit programs, so long as the RTD provides uninterrupted fare free year-round transit services for youth riders.

The RTD is required to report to the office and an eligible transit agency that receives a grant from CASTA is required to report to CASTA regarding its use of the grant money. CASTA is required to submit to the office a summary of the reported information for all eligible transit agencies that received a grant through CASTA. The office is required to establish policies governing the zero fare transit grant program and to report to the house of representatives transportation, housing, and local government committee and the senate transportation committee, or their successor committees, by December 31 of each year of the program.

The zero fare transit fund (fund) is created in the treasury. The fund consists of money transferred to the fund from the ozone season transit grant program fund, money transferred to the fund from the multimodal transportation options fund, any other money that the general assembly appropriates or transfers to the fund, and any gifts, grants, or donations credited to the fund. The money in the fund is continuously appropriated to the office for the zero fare transit grant program.

The state treasurer is directed to transfer any money remaining in the ozone season transit grant program fund on June 30, 2024, to the fund. In addition, the state treasurer is directed to transfer $10 million from the multimodal transportation and mitigation options fund to the fund on July 1, 2024.

A regional transportation authority is allowed to derive up to one-half, rather than one-third, of its total revenue from a visitor benefit tax and, unlike in the past, to levy such a tax at a rate greater than 2%.

The department is authorized to use money that was previously transferred to the state highway fund for a designated purpose in connection with the development of the Burnham Yard rail property for new purposes including site preparation, site enhancements, planning, and facilitating a track alignment that preserves buildable land while promoting transit and rail capacity and increasing safety in connection with the development of the Burnham Yard rail property.

APPROVED by Governor May 16, 2024

EFFECTIVE May 16, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/16/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-035 Strengthening Enforcement of Human Trafficking 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: B. Pelton (R) | R. Fields / T. Winter (R) | M. Duran (D)
Summary:

Under current law, "crimes of violence" are subject to enhanced sentencing. The act adds human trafficking of an adult or a minor for the purpose of involuntary servitude and human trafficking of an adult or a minor for sexual servitude to the list of crimes of violence that are subject to enhanced sentencing.

Under current law, it is an affirmative defense to a charge of human trafficking for sexual servitude if the person being charged can demonstrate by a preponderance of the evidence that, at the time of the offense, the person was a victim of human trafficking for sexual servitude who was forced or coerced into engaging in the human trafficking of minors for sexual servitude. The act extends the affirmative defense if the person was forced or coerced into engaging in human trafficking for sexual servitude and removes the preponderance of evidence standard.

The act makes the statute of limitations for human trafficking of an adult or a minor for the purpose of involuntary servitude and human trafficking of an adult for sexual servitude 20 years. The act does not change the unlimited statute of limitations for human trafficking for sexual servitude of a minor.

APPROVED by Governor April 11, 2024

EFFECTIVE April 11, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 4/11/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-036 Vulnerable Road User Protection Enterprise 
Position: Support
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: F. Winter (D) | L. Cutter (D) / M. Lindsay (D) | W. Lindstedt (D)
Summary:

Transportation Legislation Review Committee. The bill creates the vulnerable road user protection enterprise in the department of transportation (CDOT) for the purpose of providing funding for transportation system infrastructure improvements and other data-driven strategies identified in the federal highway administration-mandated vulnerable road user safety assessment, which CDOT is required to develop, that reduce the number of collisions with motor vehicles that result in death or serious injury to vulnerable road users (eligible projects). The enterprise is required to impose a vulnerable road user protection fee, which is imposed in tiered amounts that are calculated based on motor vehicle weight and configuration, on the registration of passenger cars and light trucks that are not commercial vehicles. Fee revenue is credited to a newly created vulnerable road user protection enterprise cash fund and continuously appropriated to the enterprise. The enterprise is authorized to provide grants, subject to specified parameters relating to grant amounts, matching money requirements, and the use of grant money, to fund eligible projects.

The enterprise is required to:

  • Publish and post on its website a 5-year plan that details how the enterprise will execute its business purpose and estimates the amount of funding that will be available to implement the plan;
  • Create, maintain, and regularly update on its website a public accountability dashboard; and
  • Prepare an annual report, present the report to the transportation commission and specified legislative committees, and post the report on its website.
    (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 3/19/2024 Senate Committee on Finance Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-037 Study Green Infrastructure for Water Quality Management 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: C. Simpson (R) | J. Bridges (D) / M. Lynch | K. McCormick (D)
Summary:

The act requires the university of Colorado and Colorado state university, in collaboration with the division of administration (division) in the department of public health and environment (department), to:

  • On or before October 1, 2024, start to conduct a feasibility study of the use of green infrastructure, which refers to interconnected networks of green spaces for water quality management solutions that are an alternative to traditional gray infrastructure, which refers to centralized water quality treatment facilities, and the use of green financing mechanisms for water quality management;
  • Complete the feasibility study on or before April 1, 2026; and
  • Establish up to 3 pilot projects in the state to demonstrate the use of green infrastructure and the financing of an alternative compliance program. Each pilot project may be operated for up to 5 years and the universities may provide technical assistance to the operator of a pilot project.

On or before November 1, 2026, the division, in coordination with the universities, is required to submit a report and, on or before February 1, 2027, present the report to the water resources and agriculture review committee. The report and presentation must concern the progress of the feasibility study and any pilot projects and on any legislative and administrative recommendations to promote the use of green infrastructure and green financing mechanisms for water quality management in the state.

APPROVED by Governor May 24, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/24/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-038 Authorize Conservancy District Water Management 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: J. Bridges (D) | C. Simpson (R) / M. Martinez (D) | K. McCormick (D)
Summary:

Water Resources and Agriculture Review Committee. Under current law, when certain conditions exist, a district court may establish conservancy districts for the conservation, development, utilization, and disposal of water for agricultural, municipal, and industrial uses. Section 1 of the bill allows conservancy districts to conserve, develop, utilize, or dispose of water for commercial uses as well. Section 2 authorizes the board of directors of a conservancy district to:

  • Submit and participate in a plan for augmentation for the benefit of water rights and wells within and outside of the boundaries of the conservancy district;
  • Contract with water users within and outside of the conservancy district for the provision of services;
  • Exercise certain powers concerning the management, control, delivery, use, and distribution of water in conjunction with a plan for augmentation;
  • In conjunction with sections 4 and 5 , establish a water activity enterprise, which is a government-run business, for the purpose of pursuing or continuing water activities; and
  • Sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of the use of water or capacity in works by term contracts or by contracts for the perpetual use of the water or works to certain entities.

Section 3 authorizes a conservancy district to:

  • Enter into long-term contracts with public and private entities for the accomplishment of functions of the conservancy district; and
  • Avail itself of aid, assistance, and cooperation from the federal government, the state government, and local governments.

Sections 4 and 5 allow a conservancy district to establish a water activity enterprise, which is a business that receives less than 10% of its annual revenues in grants from all Colorado state and local governments combined, is authorized to issue its own revenue bonds, and is excluded from the provisions of the "Taxpayer's Bill of Rights" in the state constitution.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 3/27/2024 Senate Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

SB24-039 Nuclear Energy as a Clean Energy Resource 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: L. Liston (R)
Summary:

The statutory definition of "clean energy" in current law determines which energy projects are eligible for clean energy project financing at the county and city and county level. The statutory definition of "clean energy resource" in current law determines which energy resources may be used by a qualifying retail utility to meet the 2050 clean energy target. The bill updates the statutory definitions to include nuclear energy.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 1/24/2024 Senate Committee on Transportation & Energy Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

SB24-040 State Funding for Senior Services 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: J. Danielson (D) | J. Ginal / J. Willford (D) | M. Young
Summary:

No later than August 2024, and each August every 3 years thereafter, the act requires the department of human services (department), the office of state planning and budgeting, and representatives from area agencies on aging to review the adequacy of the appropriation for senior services for the prior 3 fiscal years to address the needs of senior citizens who request services pursuant to the "Older Coloradans' Act". The department is required to report the findings of the adequacy review during its "SMART Act" hearing.

APPROVED by Governor May 24, 2024

EFFECTIVE May 24, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/24/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-049 Content of Material in Libraries 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: L. Cutter (D) | C. Kolker (D) / J. Joseph (D) | E. Hamrick (D)
Summary:

The bill establishes a process by which a student, parent, or member of the community may object to a library resource in a school or public library. Each library resource that is reconsidered pursuant to the process must be evaluated based on standards applied by a committee for school libraries and a director of a public library. Members of the committee for school libraries are appointed by the superintendent of the school district, and the committee covers reconsideration requests in all schools in the district. For public libraries, the director is selected by the library's board of trustees and covers the library or libraries in the library district.

A library resource may not be removed while a request for reconsideration is pending. A principal, librarian, media specialist, other employee, contractor, or volunteer may refuse a directive to remove a library resource if such an individual has a good faith belief that the directive conflicts with law or policy established pursuant to the bill, and such an individual may not be subjected to retaliation.

The bill prevents the state board of education from waiving the requirements of the bill as they are applied to public schools, district charter schools, and institute charter schools.

The bill specifies that it is a discriminatory practice and unlawful for anyone to discriminate against anyone in the selection, retention, reconsideration, or display of a library resource.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 2/28/2024 Senate Committee on Education Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

SB24-052 Ongoing Funding for 911 Resource Center 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: R. Fields / R. English (D)
Summary:

Legislative Oversight Committee Concerning the Treatment of Persons with Behavioral Health Disorders in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Systems. The bill requires the general assembly to annually appropriate $250,000 from the general fund to the department of regulatory agencies for use by the public utilities commission (PUC) to fund the operations of the Colorado 911 resource center (center). The center is required to provide to the PUC quarterly a report outlining the use of the funding provided, and the PUC is required to include an accounting of the expenditure and uses of this funding in an annual report that current law requires it to make to the members of the general assembly.

To help ensure that the training, guidance, and assistance provided by the center to 911 professionals, including public safety access point (PSAP) personnel, local 911 emergency call service authorities, and PSAPs, is useful and is being effectively implemented, and that the funding provided by the bill is being expended efficiently and effectively, the center is required to:

  • Survey 911 professionals regarding their perception of the quality of the training;
  • Survey local 911 emergency call service authorities and PSAPs to determine the extent to which the training, guidance, and assistance is being implemented and the extent to which it is helping them to improve efficiency, crisis response decisions, and outcomes in response to both behavioral health crisis calls specifically and all emergency calls received; and
  • Summarize survey results in each quarterly report to the PUC.
    (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 1/29/2024 Senate Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to Appropriations
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-053 Racial Equity Study 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: J. Coleman (D) / L. Herod | N. Ricks (D)
Summary:

The act establishes the Black Coloradan racial equity commission (commission) in the legislative department to conduct a study to determine, and make recommendations related to, any historical and ongoing effects of slavery and subsequent systemic racism on Black Coloradans that may be attributed to Colorado state practices, systems, and policies. The study includes historical research conducted by the state historical society (society), commonly known as history Colorado, and an economic analysis conducted by a third party.

The society may enter into an agreement with a third-party entity to conduct all or parts of the historical research. The society shall conduct at least 2 community engagement sessions for members of the public to provide input to the society. The society shall provide the commission with quarterly updates about the status of its research. The society is required to submit a report to the commission with the results of its research and any recommendations.

The commission shall enter into an agreement with a third party to conduct an economic analysis of the financial impact of systemic racism on historically impacted Black Coloradans utilizing the findings of the society's historical research. The third party shall deliver the results of its economic analysis to the commission.

At the conclusion of the study, the commission shall submit a report to the general assembly and the governor about the study and make the report available on a publicly accessible webpage of the general assembly's website. The report must include a description of the study's goals, the results of the historical research and economic analysis, and the commission's recommendations. After the commission submits the report, the commission shall work with any parties necessary to implement the recommendations in the report.

The study is contingent upon the commission receiving $785,000 of gifts, grants, or donations for the purpose of conducting the study. The act creates the Black Coloradan racial equity study cash fund to accept the gifts, grants, or donations received for the study. The money in the cash fund is continuously appropriated to legislative council for use by the commission and to the society for conducting the historical research.

APPROVED by Governor June 4, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 6/4/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-063 Confidentiality of Group Peer Support Services 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: J. Rich (R) | J. Coleman (D) / R. Taggart (R)
Summary:

The act prohibits a peer support team member or recipient of group peer support services from being examined as a witness without the consent of the person to whom the examination relates.

APPROVED by Governor March 22, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 3/22/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments:

SB24-066 Firearms Merchant Category Code 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: T. Sullivan (D) / M. Froelich (D) | J. Mabrey (D)
Summary:

The act requires certain networks that facilitate payment transactions to make the merchant category code for firearms and ammunition available to merchant acquirers (processor) who process transactions for firearms merchants. A processor must assign the code to each firearms merchant to which the processor provides services.

The attorney general's office has exclusive authority to enforce the act. Before bringing an enforcement action, the attorney general's office must notify in writing the person alleged to have violated the act. Standards are set for the notice. A violator has 30 days to cure the violation in accordance with the standards in the act.

If a person violates the act and does not cure the violation, the attorney general's office may bring a civil action to seek:

  • A civil penalty of up to $10,000 for each violation; or
  • An injunction or equitable relief that prevents a further violation.

If the attorney general's office prevails in the action, a court may issue an order requiring the violator to pay reasonable attorney fees and costs incurred in bringing the action.

APPROVED by Governor May 1, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/1/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-072 Voting for Confined Eligible Electors 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: J. Gonzales (D) / M. Rutinel (D) | K. Brown (D)
Summary:

The law has required county clerk and recorders must make best efforts to coordinate with the county sheriff or the county sheriff's designee at each county jail or detention center to facilitate voting for all confined eligible electors. The act requires a county sheriff to designate at least one individual to facilitate voting for confined eligible electors at the county jail or detention center (sheriff's designee) and requires the sheriff's designee to coordinate with the county clerk and recorder.

The sheriff's designee must provide information to confined individuals regarding eligibility to vote, how confined individuals can verify or change their voter registration, and how eligible confined individuals can register to vote and ensure there is reasonable access to resources to verify or change a voter registration or register to vote. The sheriff's designee must also ensure that all confined eligible electors have reasonable access to the ballot information booklet, certain information about local ballot issues, and any election-related materials that are prepared and provided to the designee in support of or in opposition to any candidate or issue on the ballot.

The act also requires that the county clerk and recorder and the sheriff's designee coordinate to provide one day of in-person voting at the county jail or detention center for all confined eligible electors. The in-person voting must be open for at least 6 hours and be held on any day between the fifteenth day before election day and the fourth day before election day. Additionally, the clerk and recorder is required to confirm through the department of corrections online offender database that a confined individual is not serving a felony sentence before the individual can register to vote or is permitted to vote on the day of in-person voting.

Additionally, for mail ballot elections, the sheriff's designee is required to:

  • Establish a location at the county jail or detention center for ballots voted by confined eligible electors to be returned;
  • Ensure that confined eligible electors have information regarding the methods by which they may return voted ballots, the designated location for voted ballots to be returned, and the latest time on election day that ballots may be deposited at the designated location; and
  • Inspect outgoing mail at the county jail or detention center for ballots and ensure that any ballots in outgoing mail are placed instead in the designated location for collection.

By not earlier than 3:00 p.m. on election day, a team of bipartisan election judges acting at the direction of the county clerk and recorder is required to conduct a final collection of ballots from the county jail or detention center that have been deposited at the designated location.

The act further requires the election plan that is required under current law to include information concerning how the clerk and recorder and the sheriff's designee will facilitate the process for confined eligible electors to cure a deficiency on a voted ballot and requires the sheriff's designee to establish a process for a confined eligible elector to cure a deficiency on their ballot.

The failure of the sheriff or the sheriff's designee to comply with the requirements set forth in the act is subject to assessment of a civil penalty determined by the court and payable by the county in the amount of $5,000 per violation. The civil penalty is to be credited to the department of state cash fund.

The office of the secretary of state is required to create training materials for county clerk and recorders to minimally use in providing training and technical assistance to the sheriff's designee.

For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the act appropriates:

  • $75,240 from the general fund to the department of state for use by the elections division for local election reimbursement; and
  • $92,160 from the department of state cash fund to the department of state for use by the information technology division for personal services.

APPROVED by Governor May 31, 2024

EFFECTIVE May 31, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/31/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-076 Streamline Marijuana Regulation 
Position:
Calendar Notification: Wednesday, May 8 2024
CONSIDERATION OF HOUSE AMENDMENTS TO SENATE BILLS
(3) in senate calendar.
Sponsors: K. Van Winkle (R) | J. Gonzales (D) / W. Lindstedt (D)
Summary:

The act amends the existing definition of "immature plant" to mean a nonflowering marijuana plant that is no taller than 15, rather than 8, inches; no wider than15, rather than 8, inches; and produced from a cutting, clipping, or seedling.

Current law requires beneficial owners and people who have access to the limited access areas of a medical marijuana business or retail marijuana business to have identification cards. The act repeals this requirement for beneficial owners.

The act requires the state licensing authority to promulgate rules that do not require a licensee to use radio frequency identification technology to track regulated marijuana.

Current law requires the marijuana enforcement division in the department of revenue (division) to promulgate rules requiring testing of marijuana and marijuana products for contaminants or substances that are harmful to health and allows a licensee to remediate marijuana or marijuana products that fail a test. The act clarifies that if a licensee is able to remediate or decontaminate a product and the product passes retesting, the licensee need not provide an additional label that would otherwise not be required for a product that passed initial testing.

Current law requires every marijuana business to post, at all times and in a prominent place, a warning about using marijuana while pregnant or breastfeeding. The act requires the warning to be posted at each point of sale.

Current law allows a person who qualifies as a social equity licensee to apply for any regulated marijuana business license or permit, including an accelerator store, accelerator cultivator, or accelerator manufacturer license. The act establishes new criteria under which a natural person may qualify as a social equity licensee and excludes certain persons from qualifying as a social equity licensee.

The act extends initial license and license renewal periods from one year to 2 years. Local authorities may decide what licenses they will issue for one year or 2 years.

The act requires the state licensing authority to promulgate rules authorizing multiple regulated marijuana business licensees with identical controlling beneficial owners to submit a single initial or renewal application.

The act requires a medical marijuana store, when completing a sale of medical marijuana concentrate, to physically attach to the receipt, container, or packaging the tangible educational resource created by the state licensing authority regarding the use of medical marijuana concentrate.

Current law allows the transfer of immature plants, seeds, and genetic material between a medical or retail cultivation facility and certain people, including people approved by rule. The act allows such a transfer from or to a medical or retail marijuana cultivation facility from or to a person permitted by another jurisdiction to possess or cultivate marijuana. The medical or retail cultivation facility must establish a process to confirm that the purchaser is 21 years of age or older using an age verification process. The cultivation facility may accept online payments for the transfer. A cultivation facility may accept online payment for genetic material but is prohibited from transferring genetic material to consumers that are on the licensed premises. The state licensing authority may promulgate rules to implement the provision, but limits are placed on the rules that the state licensing authority may adopt.

The act prohibits a licensed retail marijuana store from selling food in excess of 20% of the store's annual gross revenues.

Current law sets the amount of the application fee for a retail marijuana business at $5,000. The act allows the state licensing authority to set the initial application fee in an amount not to exceed $5,000. The state licensing authority must set the amount of the application fee to offset the direct and indirect costs of regulating retail marijuana businesses.

Current law requires that excise tax be levied on the first transfer of unprocessed retail marijuana. The act specifies that the transfer of unprocessed retail marijuana exclusively for microbial control is not the first transfer of unprocessed retail marijuana for taxation purposes.

Current law requires a taxpayer to be engaged in a business that is legal under both state and federal law in order to claim an enterprise zone tax credit. The act removes this restriction for a marijuana business that is licensed under state law.

APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 6/6/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-078 Outdoor Nature-Based Preschool Programs 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: J. Marchman (D) | K. Priola / J. Joseph (D) | B. McLachlan
Summary:

The act includes outdoor nature-based preschool programs (outdoor programs) as a type of licensed child care center (center) in the department of early childhood (department) for licensing-related matters. No later than December 31, 2025, the executive director of the department shall promulgate rules for centers operating as outdoor programs. The rules must include, but are not limited to:

  • Land-use agreement requirements for outdoor programs operating on public or private land;
  • Policies for site-specific alternative shelter plans;
  • Policies for site-specific risk mitigation plans;
  • Policies for site-specific emergency and disaster preparedness plans;
  • Policies for site-specific evacuation plans; and
  • Policies and procedures for outdoor programs to opt out of certain department requirements through the site-specific risk mitigation plan.

The act requires the department to provide training to licensing staff who oversee outdoor program site inspections and, beginning December 1, 2026, to outdoor program operators and staff.

The department shall collaborate with local fire departments on fire prevention and protection requirements for outdoor programs and with the department of public health and environment on sanitary standards for outdoor programs.

The act requires the general assembly to appropriate $30,000 from the child care licensing cash fund to the department for the 2024-25, 2025-26, and 2026-27 fiscal years to implement the outdoor programs.

The act appropriates $179,569 to the department for purposes of licensing outdoor programs. The appropriation consists of $149,569 from the general fund and $30,000 from the cash fund.

The act appropriates $35,341 to the department of public health and environmentfor environmental health programs related to outdoor program licensure.

APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 6/6/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-079 Motorcycle Lane Filtering & Passing 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: N. Hinrichsen (D) | J. Smallwood / J. Mabrey (D) | R. Weinberg (R)
Summary:

The act authorizes the driver of a 2-wheeled motorcycle to overtake or pass another motor vehicle in the same lane if:

  • The traffic is stopped;
  • The road has lanes wide enough to pass safely;
  • The motorcycle is moving at 15 miles per hour or less; and
  • Conditions permit prudent operation of the motorcycle while overtaking or passing.

A motorcycle driver overtaking or passing under the act must not overtake or pass:

  • On the right shoulder;
  • To the right of a vehicle in the farthest right-hand lane if the highway is not limited access; or
  • In a lane of traffic moving in the opposite direction.

The authorization to overtake or pass is repealed, effective September 1, 2027. Before the repeal, the Colorado department of transportation will analyze safety data on the act and issue a report to the general assembly.

APPROVED by Governor April 4, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 4/4/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-083 Relinquishment of Child in Newborn Safety Device 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: J. Smallwood | J. Coleman (D) / S. Luck (R) | J. Bacon (D)
Summary:

The bill authorizes a fire station, hospital, or community clinic emergency center (authorized facility) to install a newborn safety device on its premises for parents who voluntarily relinquish their child who is 72 hours old or younger. A newborn safety device must be installed in a conspicuous location at the authorized facility and be equipped with a dual alarm system.

An authorized facility that installs a newborn safety device is responsible for the cost of the installation and maintenance, shall ensure the dual alarm system is functioning, and shall make information available to the relinquishing parent.

The bill makes conforming amendments.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 2/27/2024 Senate Third Reading Laid Over to 05/09/2024 - No Amendments
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-085 Sales & Use Tax Rebate for Digital Asset Purchases 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: K. Priola | J. Buckner (D) / J. Parenti | R. Weinberg (R)
Summary:

For the state fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and for each state fiscal year thereafter through the state fiscal year beginning July 1, 2033, the bill allows a data center business or a data center operator (taxpayer) to claim a rebate for all state sales and use tax that the taxpayer paid for construction materials or data center equipment that is for the construction or operation of an eligible data center.

To be eligible to claim a sales and use tax rebate, a taxpayer is required to obtain certification from the Colorado office of economic development (office) stating that the data center is an eligible data center and that the taxpayer may claim a rebate of state sales and use tax (certification). An "eligible data center" is defined as a data center that creates a specified number of jobs, generates a specified amount of revenue, and requires a specified amount of power. The sales and use tax rebate is allowed only for the sale, storage, or use of construction materials or data center equipment that occurs on or after the date that the taxpayer obtains certification from the office.

When a taxpayer believes that the data center that will be identified in a sales and use tax rebate application satisfies the criteria to be an eligible data center, the taxpayer may apply to the office for the certification. The taxpayer must demonstrate in the certification application that the data center is an eligible data center, and the taxpayer is required to submit any documentation or proof that the office deems necessary to determine whether a data center satisfies the criteria to be an eligible data center.

Before issuing a certification, the office shall provide the application to the Colorado economic development commission (commission) to determine whether the data center satisfies the criteria to be an eligible data center, and the commission shall approve or deny the certification. When approving an application for certification as an eligible data center, the commission may limit a certification by specifying that an eligible data center may claim a rebate only up to a specified dollar amount based on specified economic development priorities. The commission may issue certification for up to 3 data centers to claim a sales and use tax rebate in any fiscal year.

If the commission determines that a data center satisfies the criteria to be an eligible data center, the office is required to notify the department of revenue (department) and issue a certification to the taxpayer.

To claim a sales and use tax rebate, a taxpayer must submit a rebate application and a copy of the certification from the office to the department. A taxpayer is required to submit certain documentation with the application.

The bill allows a taxpayer to assign a certification to specified types of parties after it is awarded.

The bill requires the office and the department to prepare an annual report including information regarding eligible data centers and state sales and use tax rebates allowed. The office is required to submit the report to the finance committees of the house of representatives and senate.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 4/30/2024 Senate Committee on Business, Labor, & Technology Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

SB24-089 Firefighter Heart Benefits Trust 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: R. Rodriguez (D) / L. Daugherty (D) | R. Weinberg (R)
Summary:

The act removes the ability of most firefighter employers to select accident insurance, self-insurance, or a self-insurance pool as options to provide statutorily required monetary benefits to a firefighter who has experienced a heart and circulatory malfunction. As a result, all firefighter employers except for those exempted by the act must participate in a multiple employer health trust in order to provide such benefits. The act exempts firefighter employers that are cities and counties or municipalities that, as of July 2022, have a population of 400,000 or more and, as of April 30, 2024, have enacted an ordinance to provide the required monetary benefits that remains in effect.

APPROVED by Governor May 24, 2024

EFFECTIVE May 24, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/24/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-091 Rights-of-Way Permits for Broadband Deployment 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: B. Pelton (R) | K. Mullica (D) / M. Martinez (D) | M. Catlin (R)
Summary:

Current law allows an entity that wants to access public rights-of-way (rights-of-way) for the deployment of broadband to enter into a public-private initiative agreement with the department of transportation (department) for the entity's access to the rights-of-way. The bill creates an alternative method for entities that want to access rights-of-way for the deployment of broadband, whereby the department may issue a permit and impose a permit fee for access to rights-of-way for the deployment of broadband. The bill specifies that an entity that wants to access rights-of-way for the deployment of broadband may pursue either the permit application and fee process created in the bill or the existing public-private initiative agreement process.

In issuing permits that grant access to rights-of-way, the bill:

  • Requires the department to allow competitively neutral and nondiscriminatory access to broadband providers seeking to use rights-of-way for the deployment of broadband;
  • Requires the department to determine the form and manner of the permit application process and to approve or deny a permit application within 30 days;
  • Specifies that the term of any permit issued pursuant to the bill is 30 years and that the department cannot assert ownership of broadband infrastructure except for when a permit recipient abandons the broadband infrastructure;
  • Prohibits the department from requiring the permit recipient to lay additional fiber for use by the department or any third party;
  • Prohibits the department from requiring the permit recipient to provide any in-kind goods or services as a condition of granting access to rights-of way; and
  • Requires the department to produce an anticipated annual budget for the costs associated with the permit application process and an anticipated annual forecast of the revenue that the department will generate from the permit fees.

The department may impose a one-time permit processing fee in connection with an application to gain access to rights-of-way for the deployment of broadband (permit processing fee) so long as the fee does not exceed the department's actual costs in connection with granting or administering the permits. The department is prohibited from imposing any other fee or charge for access to rights-of-way for the deployment of broadband.

The department is also prohibited from including any charge in the permit processing fee to receive compensation for the fair market value of rights-of-way or access to rights-of-way; except that if the attorney general certifies in writing to the transportation commission that excluding fair market value in the permit processing fee violates federal law and that the violation will result in the loss of federal money apportioned to the state, the department is required to include fair market value in the permit processing fee. In such case, the department is required to set the rate of fair market value at a level that does not exceed the lowest rate of fair market value established by any other state for access to that state's rights-of-way for the deployment of broadband.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 5/1/2024 Senate Committee on Transportation & Energy Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

SB24-092 Cost Effective Energy Codes 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: B. Pelton (R) / R. Pugliese (R)
Summary:

The bill requires any provision of any energy code adopted by a county or municipality on or after January 1, 2026, to be cost effective. "Cost effective" means, using the existing energy efficiency standards and requirements as a base of comparison, that the economic benefits of the proposed energy efficiency standards and requirements will exceed the economic costs of those standards and requirements based upon an incremental multi-year analysis that:

  • Considers the perspective of a typical first-time home buyer;
  • Considers benefits and costs over a 10-year period;
  • Does not assume fuel price increases in excess of the assumed general rate of inflation;
  • Ensures that the buyer of a home who would qualify to purchase the home before the addition of the energy efficiency standards will still qualify to purchase the same home after the additional cost of energy saving construction features; and
  • Ensures that the costs of principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and utilities will not be greater after the inclusion of the proposed cost of the additional energy saving construction features required by the proposed energy efficiency rules than under the provisions of the existing energy efficiency rules.
    (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 2/29/2024 Senate Committee on Local Government & Housing Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

SB24-094 Safe Housing for Residential Tenants 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: J. Gonzales (D) | T. Exum (D) / M. Lindsay (D) | M. Froelich (D)
Summary:

The act modifies existing warranty of habitability laws by clarifying actions that constitute a breach of the warranty of habitability (breach) and procedures for both landlords and tenants when a warranty of habitability claim (claim) is alleged by the tenant. Updates to existing warranty of habitability laws include:

  • Establishing time frames for when a landlord must communicate with the tenant and commence remedial action after having notice of a condition related to the habitability of a residential premises;
  • Requiring a landlord to perform conduct to address an uninhabitable condition until such condition is completely remedied or repaired;
  • Establishing a rebuttable presumption that a landlord has failed the landlord's duty to remedy or repair a condition if the condition continues to exist either 7 or 14 days after the landlord has notice of the condition, depending on the condition at issue in the tenant's claim;
  • Determining when a landlord is presumed to have notice of a condition;
  • Requiring a landlord to provide a tenant with a comparable dwelling unit or hotel room for up to 60 days while the landlord addresses any uninhabitable conditions that materially interfere with the tenant's life, health, or safety;
  • Requiring a landlord to maintain all records, including correspondence and other documentation, relevant to a tenant's claim and any remedial actions taken by the landlord;
  • Requiring rental agreements entered into after January 1, 2025, to feature a statement in English and Spanish regarding where a tenant can report or deliver written notice of an unsafe or uninhabitable condition;
  • Establishing procedures for when a landlord may enter the dwelling unit of a tenant to address an uninhabitable condition and identifying circumstances when a tenant may deny a landlord entry to the dwelling unit;
  • Clarifying certain conditions or characteristics of residential premises that are considered uninhabitable;
  • Establishing that there is a rebuttable presumption that certain conditions and characteristics of a residential premises materially interfere with a tenant's life, health, or safety; and
  • Modifying and clarifying a tenant's option for remedies when bringing a claim against a landlord and modifying procedures for accessing those remedies.

The act establishes legal standards and court procedures related to claims, including authorizing a tenant to raise a breach as an affirmative defense against a landlord's action for possession or action of collection against the tenant. The act also establishes legal standards and procedures for a landlord's defense to a claim and limitations on a tenant's claim. The act instructs the court in its calculation of actual and punitive damages for breach cases.

The act prohibits retaliation and specifies what tenant actions are protected by the prohibition on retaliation and what actions constitute retaliation by the landlord.

The act clarifies the jurisdiction of the attorney general and county and district courts over matters related to violations of the warranty of habitability.

The act also modifies the statement included in a summons issued to a defendant in a court proceeding regarding an action for possession brought by a landlord.

APPROVED by Governor May 3, 2024

EFFECTIVE May 3, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/3/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-096 Limit Fenced Perimeter Security Alarm System Regulations 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: K. Van Winkle (R) / M. Soper (R)
Summary:

The bill defines what a fenced perimeter security alarm system is and limits the extent to which a local government is authorized to impose requirements related to the use of a fenced perimeter security alarm system.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 2/29/2024 Senate Committee on Local Government & Housing Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

SB24-102 Taxation Premium Cigars 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: T. Sullivan (D)
Summary:

Effective July 1, 2024, the bill defines "premium cigars" and reduces the statutory rate of taxation of this particular tobacco product from the current rates for all non-cigarette tobacco products other than moist snuff of 36% of the manufacturer's list price (MLP) from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2027, and 42% of the MLP on and after July 1, 2027, to 20% of the MLP, effectively rolling back the increases in the statutory taxation rate for such tobacco products since 2005. The bill does not affect taxation of premium cigars under section 21 of article X of the state constitution, which imposes an additional 20% tax.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 2/29/2024 Senate Committee on Finance Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

SB24-106 Right to Remedy Construction Defects 
Position: Support
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: R. Zenzinger | J. Coleman (D) / S. Bird (D)
Summary:

In the "Construction Defect Action Reform Act" (act), Colorado law establishes procedures for bringing a lawsuit for a construction defect (claim). Section 2 Section 4 of the bill clarifies that a person that has had a claim brought on the person's behalf is also considered a claimant, and therefore, the act applies to the person for whom the claim is brought. Sections 3 and 6 create a right for a construction professional to remedy a claim made against the construction professional by doing remedial work or hiring another construction professional to perform the work. The following applies to the remedy:

  • The construction professional must notify the claimant and diligently make sure the remedial work is performed; and
  • Upon completion, the claimant is deemed to have settled and released the claim, and the claimant is limited to claims regarding improper performance of the remedial work.

Currently, a claim may be held in abeyance if the parties have agreed to mediation. Section 3 also adds other forms of alternative dispute resolution for which the claim would be held in abeyance. Alternative dispute resolution is binding. If a settlement offer of a payment is made and accepted in a claim, the payment constitutes a settlement of the claim and the cause of action is deemed to have been released, and an offer of settlement is not admissible in any subsequent action or legal proceeding unless the proceeding is to enforce the settlement.

To bring a claim or related action, section 4 section 2 requires a unit owners' association (association) to obtain the written consent of at least two-thirds 60% of the actual owners of the units in the common interest community. The consent must contain the currently required notices must be signed by each consenting owner, and must have certain attestations.

Under the act, a claimant is barred from seeking damages for failing to comply with building codes or industry standards unless the failure results in:

  • Actual damage to real or personal property;
  • Actual loss of the use of real or personal property;
  • Bodily injury or wrongful death; or
  • A risk of bodily injury or death to, or a threat to the life, health, or safety of, the occupants.

Section 5 requires the actual property damage to be the result of a building code violation and requires the risk of injury or death or the threat to life, health, or safety to be imminent and unreasonable. Section 3 changes the standard concerning the risk of bodily injury or death to a verifiable danger to the occupants and adds another option to bring a claim if the defect results in a failure or lack of capacity of a building component to perform the intended purpose of the building component. Under current law, an association may institute, defend, or intervene in litigation or administrative proceedings in its own name on behalf of itself or 2 or more unit owners on matters affecting a common interest community. For a construction defect matter to affect a common interest community, section 7 requires that the matter concern real estate that is owned by the association or by all members of the association. Section 7 also establishes that, when an association makes a claim or takes legal action on behalf of unit owners when the matter does not concern real estate owned by the association:

  • The association and each claim are subject to each defense, limitation, claim procedure, and alternative dispute resolution procedure that each unit owner would be subject to if the unit owner had brought the claim; and
  • The association has a fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of each unit owner.

(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)


(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Status: 5/3/2024 House Committee on Transportation, Housing & Local Government Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-107 Weapons Possession Previous Offender Add Crimes 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: B. Gardner / G. Evans
Summary:

Under current law, it is illegal for a person to possess a firearm if the person was convicted of or adjudicated for certain felonies. The bill adds felonies for drug manufacture, dispensation, sale, and distribution; drug possession with intent to manufacture, dispense, sell, and distribute; and first and second degree motor vehicle theft, to the list of convictions that prohibit a person from possessing a firearm.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 5/7/2024 Senate Second Reading Laid Over to 05/09/2024 - No Amendments
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-108 Prohibit Unauthorized Use Public Safety Radio 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: K. Priola | M. Baisley (R) / J. Parenti | R. Weinberg (R)
Summary:

The act prohibits a person from knowingly affiliating with a public safety radio network without authorization from the network's authorizing entity. Unlawful affiliation with a public safety radio network is a class 2 misdemeanor.

APPROVED by Governor May 1, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/1/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments:

SB24-111 Senior Primary Residence Prop Tax Reduction 
Position:
Calendar Notification: Wednesday, May 8 2024
THIRD READING OF BILLS - FINAL PASSAGE
(15) in house calendar.
Sponsors: C. Kolker (D) | C. Hansen (D) / S. Lieder (D) | M. Young
Summary:

For property tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2025, the act creates a new subclass of residential real property called qualified-senior primary residence real property, which includes residential real property that as of the assessment date is used as the primary residence of an owner-occupier, as defined in the act, if:

  • The owner-occupier applies to the county assessor for the classification in the manner required by the act;
  • The owner-occupier previously qualified for the property tax exemption for qualifying seniors (exemption) for a different property for a property tax year commencing on or after January 1, 2020, and does not qualify for the exemption for the current property tax year; and
  • The circumstances that qualify the property for the classification have not changed since the filing of the application.

The act also:

  • Classifies property that might otherwise be classified as multi-family residential real property that contains a unit that qualifies as qualified-senior primary residence real property as multi-family qualified-senior primary residence real property and treats such property as qualified-senior primary residence real property;
  • For property tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2025, but before January 1, 2027, sets the valuation for assessment for qualified-senior primary residence real property at 7.15% of the amount equal to the actual value of the property minus the lesser of 50% of the first $200,000 of that actual value or the amount that causes the valuation for assessment of the property to be $1,000;
  • Establishes the processes by which an owner-occupier of residential real property may apply to have the owner-occupier's primary residence classified as qualified-senior primary residence real property and by which such an application is approved or denied;
  • For property tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2025, but before January 1, 2027, requires the state to reimburse local governmental entities that levy property taxes for total property tax revenue lost due solely to the reduced valuation for assessment of qualified-senior primary residence real property as compared to the valuation for assessment of other residential real property and specifies the process by which the proper amount of reimbursement is calculated and reimbursement is made; and
  • For state fiscal years in which excess state revenues are required to be refunded pursuant to the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, establishes the reimbursement to local governmental entities as a means of refunding such excess state revenues.

APPROVED by Governor May 14, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/14/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-112 Construction Defect Action Procedures 
Position: Support
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: P. Lundeen (R)
Summary:

Section 1 of the bill adds disclaimers to the "Construction Defect Action Reform Act" that:

  • Are not intended to impose an obligation upon construction professionals to provide an express or implied warranty;
  • Apply to implied warranty claims; and
  • Do not amend or change the terms of or limitation upon an express or implied warranty.

The bill states that a construction professional is not vicariously liable for the acts or omissions of a licensed design professional for any construction defects.

Under current law regarding common interest communities, a unit owners' association (association) must follow a process to obtain the approval of a majority of the unit owners before initiating a construction defect action (action). The approval process:

  • Requires that a meeting be held to consider whether or not to bring the action (meeting);
  • Requires the association to give the unit owners information about the proposed action and certain notices and disclosures before the meeting;
  • Allows the association to amend or supplement the proposed action after the meeting; and
  • Allows the association to omit nonresponsive votes from the total vote count, but allows construction professionals to challenge whether the association made diligent efforts to contact the nonresponsive unit owners.

In connection with this process, section 2 :

  • Requires the association to give notice to unit owners and reobtain unit owner approval to amend or supplement a proposed action after the meeting;
  • Raises the number of unit owners who need to approve the action from a majority to a two-thirds majority;
  • Requires a unit owner to sign the unit owner's vote;
  • Requires the association to give the construction professionals a list of nonresponsive unit owners; and
  • When unit owners' nonresponsiveness is challenged in court:
  • Requires the court to stay the action against the construction professionals and requires the notification and voting process to be performed again unless the court holds that the association diligently contacted the unit owners; and
  • Requires the association to disclose to the construction professionals all information relevant to the unit owners' nonresponsiveness within 21 days after the challenge has been filed.
    (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 4/30/2024 Senate Committee on Local Government & Housing Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

SB24-120 Updates to the Crime Victim Compensation Act 
Position:
Calendar Notification: Wednesday, May 8 2024
THIRD READING OF BILLS - FINAL PASSAGE
(2) in house calendar.
Sponsors: R. Fields / S. Bird (D)
Summary:

The act makes the following updates to the "Crime Victim Compensation Act" (act):

  • Changes terminology concerning an award of compensation to approval of compensation for consistency with how crime victim compensation programs operate;
  • Revises language to be gender neutral;
  • Changes the terminology for court administrator to court executive to reflect the accurate position title as changed by the state court administrator's office;
  • Includes state offenses specified in the "Victim Rights Act" under the definition of compensable crime;
  • Includes as property damage expenses incurred for a motor vehicle determined by law enforcement to be where a compensable crime was committed;
  • Modifies the requirement to notify appropriate law enforcement officials to be eligible to receive compensation under the act by removing the 72-hour requirement. The requirement is met if the victim or applicant provides documentation that a forensic examination was conducted by a licensed or registered nurse or medical providers.
  • Modifies the requirement to fully cooperate with law enforcement officials to be eligible to receive compensation under the act to requiring the applicant to have reasonably cooperated with law enforcement officials;
  • Removes the requirement that an application be submitted within one year of the date of injury to the victim;
  • Removes outpatient care and homemaker and home health services and adds replacement services losses, which is defined in the act, funeral expenses, certain travel expenses, dependent care services, and certain relocation services as losses compensable under the act;
  • Adds as compensable losses towing or impound fees for a motor vehicle that is determined to be where a compensable crime was committed and prosthetic or medically necessary devices were damaged or stolen as a result of a compensable crime;
  • Excludes property damage expenses and motor vehicle expenses as losses compensable under the act except as otherwise provided under the act;
  • Allows for emergency approvals to be made in a maximum amount according to a judicial district's crime victim compensation board's policies instead of $2,000;
  • Increases the amount that district attorneys may retain from money deposited in the judicial district's crime victim compensation fund for administrative costs from 12.5% to 22.5%; and
  • Levies a cost of $33 on each criminal action that results with placement in an alternative sentencing program to be credited to the crime victim compensation fund established in the judicial district where the offense occurred.

APPROVED by Governor May 15, 2024

EFFECTIVE May 15, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/15/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-124 Health-Care Coverage for Biomarker Testing 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: D. Michaelson Jenet (D) | J. Rich (R) / A. Hartsook (R) | M. Duran (D)
Summary:

The act requires all large group health benefit plans to provide coverage for biomarker testing to guide treatment decisions if the testing is supported by medical and scientific evidence. The act defines "biomarker testing" as an analysis of a patient's tissue, blood, or other biospecimen for the presence of an indicator of normal biological processes, pathogenic processes, or pharmacologic responses to a specific therapeutic intervention. The required testing under the act does not include biomarker testing for screening purposes or direct-to-consumer genetic tests.

The act requires the commissioner of insurance to implement biomarker testing coverage for all large employer health benefit plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025.

To the extent biomarker testing is not in addition to the benefits provided pursuant to the benchmark plan, all individual and small group health benefit plans must provide coverage for biomarker testing. Within 120 days after the act takes effect, the division of insurance (division) shall submit to the federal department of health and human services (HHS) its determination of whether biomarker testing is in addition to essential health benefits and would require state defrayal of costs pursuant to federal law. The division shall implement the requirement for coverage for biomarker testing for individual and small group health benefit plans within 12 months after the earlier of the division receiving confirmation from HHS that biomarker coverage does not require defrayal or more than 365 days passing since the division submitted its determination that defrayal was not necessary.

Biomarker testing is subject to the health benefit plan's annual deductibles, copayment, or coinsurance but is not subject to any annual or lifetime maximum benefit limit.

APPROVED by Governor June 3, 2024

EFFECTIVE June 3, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 6/3/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-125 Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: B. Pelton (R) | D. Michaelson Jenet (D) / G. Evans | A. Boesenecker (D)
Summary:

The act enacts the "Interstate Compact on Placement of Children" (compact). The purpose of the compact is to:

  • Provide a process through which children subject to this compact are placed in safe and suitable homes in a timely manner;
  • Facilitate ongoing supervision of a placement, the delivery of services, and communication between the states;
  • Provide operating procedures that will ensure that children are placed in safe and suitable homes in a timely manner;
  • Provide for promulgation and enforcement of administrative rules implementing the compact and regulating the covered activities of the member states;
  • Provide for uniform data collection and information sharing between member states;
  • Promote coordination between the compact, the interstate compact for juveniles, the interstate compact on adoption and medical assistance, and other compacts affecting the placement of children and provision of services to children otherwise subject to this compact;
  • Provide for a state's continuing legal jurisdiction and responsibility for placement and care of a child that it would have had if the placement were intrastate; and
  • Provide for the promulgation of guidelines, in collaboration with Indian tribes, for interstate cases involving Indian children as is or may be permitted by federal law.

After the act takes effect, and subject to available appropriations, the executive director of the department of human services (executive director) shall convene a working group to review the proposal for enactment of the revised interstate compact on placement of children, and conclude one year later unless amended. The working group shall review and make recommendations, according to a time frame determined by the working group, to Colorado's commissioner to the compact on the following issues:

  • Evaluating the current compact process for children and families;
  • Determining the status of Colorado's implementation of the national electronic interstate compact enterprise requirements and what effect the implementation of these requirements may have on Colorado;
  • Improving the use of cross-border agreements;
  • Identifying any barriers to placing children in residential treatment facilities out of state and options for addressing barriers within existing law;
  • Identifying and prioritizing any alternative efforts being made to address interstate placement issues at the national level; and
  • Identifying language and processes to improve interstate placements.

The compact takes effect after the executive director provides notice to the revisor of statutes that the thirty-fifth state has enacted the compact.

APPROVED by Governor May 24, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/24/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-127 Regulate Dredged & Fill Material State Waters 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: B. Kirkmeyer (R) / S. Bird (D)
Summary:

The bill creates the stream and wetlands protection commission (commission) in the department of natural resources (department) and requires the commission to develop, adopt, and maintain a dredge-and-fill permit program (permit program) for:

  • Regulating the discharge of dredged or fill material into certain state waters; and
  • Providing protections for state waters, which protections are no more restrictive than the protections provided under the federal "Clean Water Act" as it existed on May 24, 2023.

The bill creates the stream and wetlands protection division (division) in the department to administer and enforce the permit program.

The commission is required to promulgate rules as expeditiously as is prudent and feasible concerning the issuance of permits under the permit program. Until the division implements such rules, the bill prohibits the water quality control division in the department of public health and environment from taking any enforcement action against an activity that includes the discharge of dredged or fill material into state waters if the activity causing the discharge is conducted in a manner that provides for protection of state waters consistent with the protections that would have occurred through compliance with federal law prior to May 25, 2023.

The bill establishes enforcement mechanisms for the permit program. A person who violates the terms of a permit, a rule, or a cease-and-desist order or clean-up order is subject to a civil penalty of not more than $10,000 per day per violation.

The bill directs the state treasurer to transfer $600,000 from the severance tax operational fund to the capital construction fund on July 1, 2024, for the implementation of the bill.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 4/25/2024 Senate Committee on Finance Refer Amended to Appropriations
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-129 Nonprofit Member Data Privacy & Public Agencies 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: B. Pelton (R) | C. Kolker (D) / C. deGruy Kennedy | L. Frizell (R)
Summary:

With certain exceptions, the act prohibits a public agency from:

  • Requiring any person to provide the public agency with data that may identify a member of a nonprofit entity (member-specific data) or compelling the disclosure of member-specific data;
  • Disclosing member-specific data to any person; or
  • Requesting or requiring a current or prospective contractor or a current or prospective grantee of a grant program administered by the public agency to provide a list of nonprofit entities to which the current or prospective contractor or grantee has provided financial or nonfinancial support.

A nonprofit entity or any of its members affected adversely by a public agency's violation of the act's provisions may initiate a civil action against the public agency in district court for injunctive relief, damages, or such other relief as is appropriate. Notwithstanding existing laws concerning governmental immunity, a court may award damages against a public agency that violates the act's provisions as follows:

  • Not less than $2,500 for each reckless violation; and
  • Not less than $7,500 for each intentional violation.

A court may also award the costs of litigation to a complainant that prevails in such an action.

The act prohibits a custodian of public records (custodian) from requiring a nonprofit entity to produce member-specific data that is contained in public records if such records are not subject to inspection and copying pursuant to the "Colorado Open Records Act". A custodian must deny any request to inspect, copy, or reproduce any member-specific data in the possession of a public agency and provided to the public agency by a nonprofit entity. A custodian must not require a nonprofit entity to produce records and information relating to the identification of individual employees of nonprofit entities with whom the public entity contracts for services or of individual employees of subcontractors of such nonprofit entities.

APPROVED by Governor May 28, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/28/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-131 Prohibiting Carrying Firearms in Sensitive Spaces 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: S. Jaquez Lewis (D) | C. Kolker (D) / K. Brown (D) | M. Lindsay (D)
Summary:

The act prohibits a person from knowingly carrying a firearm, both openly and concealed, in the following government buildings, including their adjacent parking areas:

  • State legislative buildings, including buildings at which the offices of elected members are located;
  • A building of a local government's governing body, including buildings at which the offices of elected members or the chief executive officer of a local government are located (local government buildings); and
  • A courthouse or other building used for court proceedings.

Unlawful carrying of a firearm in a government building is a class 1 misdemeanor. The act includes exceptions for law enforcement officers, members of the United States armed forces or Colorado National Guard, security personnel, persons carrying as part of the lawful and common practices of a legal proceeding, and persons who hold a permit to carry a concealed handgun (concealed carry permit) who are carrying a concealed handgun in an adjacent parking area. The act permits a local government to enact a law permitting carrying at a local government building included in the act. Members of the general assembly are exempt from the prohibition on carrying in a state legislative building until January 5, 2025.

The act prohibits a person from knowingly carrying a firearm, both openly and concealed, on the property of a child care center, other than a family child care home, that is licensed by the department of early childhood or is exempt from licensing pursuant to state law, and that operates with stated educational purposes (licensed child care center); public or private elementary, middle, junior high, high, or vocational school; or any public or private college, university, or seminary (higher education institution), with exceptions. A violation is a class 1 misdemeanor. The act maintains exceptions in existing law for carrying a firearm on the property of a public elementary, middle, junior high, or high school and adds exceptions for concealed carry permit holders carrying in the parking area of a licensed child care center or higher education institution; security personnel at a licensed child care center or higher education institution; and for a licensed child care center that is on the same property as another building or improvement, carrying a firearm in an area that is not designated as a licensed child care center.

Existing law prohibits openly carrying a firearm within any polling location or central count facility, or within 100 feet of a ballot drop box or any building in which a polling location or central count facility is located, while an election or any related ongoing election administration activity is in progress. The act prohibits carrying a firearm in any manner at those locations.

APPROVED by Governor May 31, 2024

EFFECTIVE July 1, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/31/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-139 Creation of 911 Services Enterprise 
Position:
Calendar Notification: Wednesday, May 8 2024
THIRD READING OF BILLS - FINAL PASSAGE
(10) in house calendar.
Sponsors: J. Gonzales (D) / C. deGruy Kennedy | W. Lindstedt (D)
Summary:

The act creates the 911 services enterprise in the department of regulatory agencies (enterprise). The enterprise is authorized to impose a fee on service users (fee). A service user is a person who is provided a 911 access connection in the state. The fee is set annually by the enterprise and, together with the 911 surcharge that the public utilities commission (commission) imposes on service users for the benefit of meeting the needs of governing bodies to pay for basic emergency service and provide emergency telephone service (911 surcharge) and must not exceed $0.50 per month per 911 access connection. The fee is collected in the same manner as the 911 surcharge. Revenue from the fee will fund expenses and costs related to the provision of 911 services, including:

  • Training initiatives and programs and public education campaigns for the public as determined by individual governing bodies or public safety answering points (PSAPs) throughout the state;
  • Public education campaigns;
  • Cybersecurity support;
  • GIS programs;
  • Grant programs for the benefit of governing bodies and PSAPs;
  • Providing matching money for federal, state, or private grants related to 911 services or emergency notification services;
  • Any other items related to a benefit for governing bodies and PSAPs for 911 services across the state as proposed by a group of such entities or by statewide associations representing Colorado 911 stakeholders; and
  • Administrative expenses of the enterprise.

The act also creates the 911 services enterprise cash fund, adds a requirement for the commission to include in its "state of 911" annual report the activity of the enterprise including its use of its revenue, and makes several technical updates to the statutes concerning the 911 surcharge and the commission's "state of 911" report.

For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $107,695 from the general fund to the department of regulatory agencies and reappropriates $38,406 of that appropriation to the department of law to implement the act.

APPROVED by Governor May 31, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/31/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-147 Streamlining the Updating of Telecom Equipment 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: K. Van Winkle (R)
Summary:

The federal government created a list of telecommunications equipment and service that pose a risk to national security and that should be removed, discontinued, or replaced (covered list). The bill specifies that a person who removes, discontinues, or replaces telecommunications equipment or service on the covered list in compliance with federal law is not required to obtain additional permits from a local government to remove, discontinue, or replace the telecommunications equipment or service if the local government receives notice and any replacement equipment is functionally similar to the removed equipment.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 2/22/2024 Senate Committee on Business, Labor, & Technology Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

SB24-148 Precipitation Harvesting Storm Water Detention 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: K. Van Winkle (R) / B. McLachlan | B. Bradley (R)
Summary:

Under current law, an entity that owns, operates, or has oversight over a storm water detention and infiltration facility (facility) is not allowed to divert, store, or otherwise use water detained in the facility. For facilities that are also approved for use as a precipitation harvesting facility, the act authorizes the use of water detained in the facility pursuant to an approved precipitation harvesting pilot project if precipitation captured in the facility for beneficial use is replaced and any other water captured is managed and released back to the stream system.

APPROVED by Governor April 11, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 4/11/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-150 Processing of Municipal Solid Waste 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: L. Cutter (D) | D. Michaelson Jenet (D) / M. Froelich (D)
Summary:

Units that combust municipal solid waste (combustion units) that are in existence in the state on or before July 1, 2024, are eligible, pursuant to section 2 of the act, for a state incentive to conduct technological upgrades.

Section 2 clarifies that, on and after January 1, 2025, combustion and combustion units do not meet certain environmental standards established by state law or rules.

In addition, section 2 prohibits combustion units that target plastic as a feedstock from eligibility for any state incentives not granted or awarded, or that apply to income tax years, before January 1, 2025, with certain exceptions.

Sections 3 and 4 clarify that a solid waste-to-energy incineration system includes pyrolysis and gasification processes.

Section 5 changes current law to specify that synthetic gas produced by the pyrolysis of waste materials is not an eligible energy resource for the purpose of certain state-level renewable energy standards.

Section 6 changes current law to specify that methane derived from the pyrolysis of municipal solid waste is not recovered methane that is a clean heat resource for the purpose of clean heat plans.

VETOED by Governor May 17, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/17/2024 Governor Vetoed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-151 Telecommunications Security 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: P. Lundeen (R) | D. Roberts (D) / M. Lukens (D) | M. Soper (R)
Summary:

The act requires telecommunications providers that operate in Colorado to remove, discontinue, or replace all critical telecommunications infrastructure that utilizes equipment from a federally banned entity.

The act requires telecommunications providers to register with the division of homeland security and emergency management (division) within the department of public safety on or before January 15, 2025, and annually certify thereafter that the telecommunications provider is:

  • Not operating critical telecommunications infrastructure that utilizes equipment from a federally banned entity; or
  • Participating in the federal reimbursement program established by the federal "Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019" and is in compliance with the reimbursement program.

The act requires a telecommunications provider that operates critical telecommunications infrastructure that utilizes federally banned equipment to register with the division each year until all of the federally banned equipment has been removed or replaced. The act creates the secure telecommunications cash fund for the collection of registration fees that will be used to implement the program. The act also grants the director of the division rule-making authority to implement the requirements of the act.

APPROVED by Governor June 7, 2024

EFFECTIVE June 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 6/7/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-154 Accessory Dwelling Units 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: S. Jaquez Lewis (D)
Summary:

Section 1 of the bill creates a series of requirements related to accessory dwelling units in subject jurisdictions.

As established in the bill, a subject jurisdiction is the unincorporated portion of a county that is not within:

  • A unit owners' association; or
  • An area identified as having a high fire intensity on the fire intensity scale published as part of the Colorado state forest service wildfire risk viewer.

The bill requires a subject jurisdiction to allow, on or after January 1, 2025, subject to an administrative approval process, the conversion of an accessory dwelling unit. The bill also prohibits subject jurisdictions from applying a restrictive design or dimension standard to an accessory dwelling unit.

Section 2 grants the Colorado economic development commission the power to contract with the Colorado housing and finance authority for the operation of a program in which the Colorado housing and finance authority offers direct loans for the conversion of accessory dwelling units on owner-occupied land.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 4/25/2024 Senate Committee on Local Government & Housing Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

SB24-159 Mod to Energy & Carbon Management Processes 
Position: Support
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: S. Jaquez Lewis (D) | K. Priola / A. Boesenecker (D) | J. Marvin
Summary:

On or before July 1, 2027, section 2 of the bill requires the energy and carbon management commission (commission) to adopt rules (permitting rules) to cease issuing new oil and gas permits (permits) before January 1, 2030, which rules must include certain reductions in the total number of oil and gas wells covered by new permits issued in 2028 and 2029. Section 2 also requires the commission to include as a condition in any permit issued after July 1, 2024, that certain operations must commence on or before December 31, 2032, as to each oil and gas well included in the permit.

If the commission determines that mitigation of adverse environmental impacts is necessary as a result of oil and gas operations, current law requires the commission to issue an order requiring a responsible party to perform the mitigation. If the responsible party refuses to perform the mitigation or is identified after the state provides funds for the mitigation, the commission must sue the responsible party to recover the costs of the mitigation. Section 3 changes current law by:

  • Expanding mitigation to include mitigation of adverse environmental impacts as a result of any activity regulated by the commission;
  • Adding a prior owner or operator to the definition of "responsible party"; and
  • Allowing a current or prior owner or operator to be held jointly and severally liable for the costs of any mitigation.

Section 4 requires the office of future of work to present recommendations as a result of the adoption of the permitting rules to the general assembly in January 2028.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 3/28/2024 Senate Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

SB24-160 Records of Workplace Discrimination Complaints 
Position:
Calendar Notification: Wednesday, May 8 2024
THIRD READING OF BILLS - FINAL PASSAGE
(7) in house calendar.
Sponsors: S. Fenberg | P. Lundeen (R) / J. McCluskie (D) | R. Pugliese (R)
Summary:

In the 2023 legislative session, the general assembly enacted 2 bills related to complaints and findings of discriminatory or unfair practices in the workplace, including complaints and findings of sexual harassment committed by an elected official, and access to records of such complaints and findings. The 2023 enactments resulted in a conflict in the law with regard to public access to records of sexual harassment complaints against an elected official. Specifically, Senate Bill 23-172, concerning protections for Colorado workers against discriminatory employment practices:

  • Requires employers to designate a repository of written and oral complaints of discriminatory or unfair employment practices, including sexual harassment complaints; and
  • Specifies that records in an employer's designated repository are not public records and are not open to public inspection except in very limited circumstances specified in the "Colorado Open Records Act" (CORA).

Senate Bill 23-286, concerning improving public access to government records, amended CORA to specifically require the custodian of any record of a sexual harassment complaint against an elected official to make the record available for public inspection, after redacting the identity of or any information that would identify any accuser, accused who is not an elected official, victim, or witness, if the investigation concludes that the elected official is culpable of sexual harassment.

The act resolves the conflict between Senate Bill 23-172 and Senate Bill 23-286 by allowing public inspection of records in an employer's designated repository that pertain to a sexual harassment complaint or investigation against an elected official found culpable of sexual harassment.

Additionally, the act designates the office of legislative workplace relations as the repository of complaint records for the employers in the legislative department.

APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 6/6/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-163 Arbitration of Health Insurance Claims 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: D. Roberts (D) / M. Catlin (R) | L. Daugherty (D)
Summary:

The bill makes changes to the arbitration requirements for out-of-network health insurance claims by requiring the arbitration process to include a batching process, by which multiple claims may be considered jointly and under the same arbitration fee as part of one payment determination in alignment with federal law. The commissioner of insurance is required to promulgate rules that specify the information each insurance carrier is required to submit to a provider with the initial payment of a claim.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 3/28/2024 Senate Committee on Health & Human Services Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments:

SB24-165 Air Quality Improvements 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: K. Priola | L. Cutter (D) / M. Rutinel (D) | L. Garcia (D)
Summary:

On or before December 31, 2028, the bill requires the air quality control commission (AQCC) in the department of public health and environment (department) to adopt by rule certain emission standards and requirements for in-use, off-road, diesel-fueled fleets.

On or before December 31, 2025, the AQCC must adopt rules for controlling emissions from facilities, buildings, structures, installations, or real property that generates mobile source activity that results in emissions of air pollutants (indirect source) within the 8-hour ozone Denver metro/north front range nonattainment area (covered nonattainment area). The rules must include emission reduction targets for indirect sources to achieve and a process for the division of administration (division) in the department to review alternative approaches proposed by an owner or operator of an indirect source. The commission may establish a fee for indirect sources within the covered nonattainment area to cover the division's costs in implementing the rules.

The bill also defines "ozone season" as the period beginning May 1 and ending September 30 of each year (ozone season). Beginning in the 2025 ozone season, and in each ozone season thereafter, any oil and gas preproduction activity within the covered nonattainment area must pause for the duration of the ozone season.

On or before June 30, 2024, and on or before each June 30 thereafter, an oil and gas operator in the state is required to submit an oil and natural gas annual emission inventory report (inventory report) to the division that includes, for the previous calendar year, the emissions of certain air pollutants from oil and gas operations under the control of the oil and gas operator.

On or before October 1, 2024, and on or before each October 1 thereafter, the division, in coordination with the energy and carbon management commission (ECMC), must prepare a report regarding the inventory reports received by the division for the previous calendar year and certain other information.

On or before November 30, 2024, and on or before each November 30 thereafter, for the ozone season of the subsequent year, an oil and gas operator that controls oil and gas operations in the covered nonattainment area must submit a report to the division estimating emissions of nitrogen oxides from the oil and gas operator's operations in the covered nonattainment area (estimates).

For the 2025 ozone season, and for each ozone season thereafter, the ECMC, in consultation with the division, must develop an ozone season nitrogen oxides emission budget (budget) for the emissions of nitrogen oxides by oil and gas operations in the covered nonattainment area, which budget must set certain maximum average emission levels of nitrogen oxides by oil and gas operations.

On or before February 1, 2025, and on or before each February 1 thereafter, the division must prepare a nitrogen oxides report regarding the estimates received by the division for use by the ECMC in determining if the total estimates received exceed the budget for the ozone season of the current year.

Beginning in February 2025, and in each February thereafter, the ECMC, in consultation with the division, must act to limit emissions of nitrogen oxides from oil and gas operations in the covered nonattainment area in a manner that prevents an exceedance of the current year's budget.

The bill also requires the department of transportation to establish vehicle miles traveled reduction targets for the covered nonattainment area and to develop policies and programs to assist applicable metropolitan planning organizations in meeting the targets.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 5/2/2024 Senate Committee on Finance Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-166 Air Quality Enforcement 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: F. Winter (D) / M. Froelich (D) | E. Velasco (D)
Summary:

Section 1 of the bill defines a "repeat violator" as a person that, in a 3-year period, has committed 5 or more violations of certain air quality laws (repeat violator). Section 1 also defines a "high-priority repeat violator" as a repeat violator that, in a 3-year period, has committed 5 or more exceedances (emission exceedance) of the allowable emissions of an air pollutant in a permit (high-priority repeat violator). Section 2 requires the division of administration in the department of public health and environment (division), in the case of a violation by a repeat violator, to issue an order of compliance (order) for the violation instead of issuing a warning letter or compliance advisory or taking another informal action. The order must assess civil penalties and, in the case of a high-priority repeat violator, must require the high-priority repeat violator to conduct and submit to the division a root cause analysis for the violation, which must be submitted to the division within 90 days after the order. In connection with an order and in the case of a high-priority repeat violator, the division must require a reduction in emissions of any air pollutant applicable to an emission exceedance from any emission unit where a violation occurred in accordance with certain standards. Section 2 also clarifies that the division may assess civil penalties for air quality violations without instituting an action in district court. Section 2 also allows a person, with respect to air quality laws, to commence a civil action (action) against an alleged violator. A person shall not commence an action until at least 60 days after a notice has been provided to the executive director of the department of public health and environment, the director of the division, and the alleged violator. Except for violations of an ongoing or recurring nature, any action that is not commenced within 5 years after the discovery of the alleged violation is time barred. Section 2 also requires the division, on or before February 1, 2025, and on or before each February 1 thereafter, to prepare and post on the division's website an air quality enforcement report, which must contain certain air quality enforcement information from the previous calendar year. Section 3 requires that:

  • In the case of a repeat violator, the division or a district court assess a civil penalty that is at least 50% of the maximum civil penalty applicable to the violation under applicable state air quality laws; and
  • In the case of a violation by a repeat violator in a disproportionately impacted community, the division or a district court assess a civil penalty that is at least 75% of the maximum civil penalty applicable to the violation under applicable state air quality laws.

On or before December 31, 2024, section 4 requires owners and operators of stationary sources to submit any reports or records that the owner or operator is required to create, maintain, or submit pursuant to federal or state law. The division must make any reports or records received available on the division's website within 30 days after receipt.

Current law provides that a person that violates a local government's air quality regulations is subject to a maximum civil penalty of $300. Section 5 raises the maximum civil penalty to the amount provided by state air quality laws. Section 6 requires a district court, in a suit against a person that has violated a state law related to energy and carbon management, to award the initial complaining party any costs of litigation incurred by the initial complaining party if the court determines that the award is appropriate.

Current law exempts damage awards from the state constitutional definition of "fiscal year spending", which counts toward the state's annual spending limit pursuant to state constitutional law. Section 7 adds civil penalties assessed by a state agency to the statutory definition of "damage awards".
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 5/2/2024 Senate Committee on Finance Postpone Indefinitely
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-172 Hemp Product Definition Marijuana Regulation 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: B. Pelton (R) / B. McLachlan
Summary:

Colorado law uses a defined phrase of "hemp product". The act changes terms in the marijuana statutes to conform to the current defined phrase.

APPROVED by Governor May 1, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/1/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments:

SB24-174 Sustainable Affordable Housing Assistance 
Position:
Calendar Notification: Wednesday, May 8 2024
THIRD READING OF BILLS - FINAL PASSAGE
(17) in house calendar.
Sponsors: B. Kirkmeyer (R) | R. Zenzinger / S. Bird (D) | R. Pugliese (R)
Summary:

The act requires the executive director of the department of local affairs (director), no later than December 31, 2024, to develop reasonable methodologies for conducting statewide, regional, and local housing needs assessments and reasonable guidance for a local government to identify areas at elevated risk of displacement.

The act requires the director, no later than November 30, 2027, and every 6 years thereafter, to conduct a statewide housing needs assessment that analyzes existing and future statewide housing needs and to publish a report, based on the statewide housing needs assessment and regional and local housing needs assessments accepted by the department, identifying current housing stock and estimating statewide housing needs.

The act requires each local government, beginning December 31, 2026, to conduct and publish a local housing needs assessment. The act outlines the process for a local government conducting a local housing needs assessment and for determining when a local government is exempt from conducting a local housing needs assessment. The act requires local governments to submit local housing needs assessments to the department of local affairs (department), which shall publish those assessments on the department's website.

Relatedly, the act allows a regional entity to conduct a regional housing needs assessment. If a regional entity conducts a regional housing needs assessment, the act requires the regional entity to submit the assessment both to each local government in the region and to the department, which shall publish those assessments on the department's website.

A housing action plan is an advisory document that demonstrates a local government's commitment to address housing needs and that guides a local government in developing legislative actions, promoting regional coordination, and informing the public of the local government's efforts to address housing needs in the local government's jurisdiction. The act requires a local government with a population of either 5,000 or more or 1,000 or more if the local government either participated in a regional housing needs assessment or is a rural resort community to make a housing action plan no later than January 1, 2028, and every 6 years thereafter. The act identifies the specific elements that a housing action plan must include, explains how a local government may update a housing action plan, requires a local government to report its progress in implementing the plan to the department, and requires a local government to submit a housing action plan to the department, which shall publish each accepted housing action plan on the department's website.

The act requires the director to develop, by no later than June 30, 2025:

  • A standard affordability strategies directory;
  • A long-term affordability strategies directory; and
  • A displacement risk mitigation strategies directory.

The act establishes the minimum required elements for all three directory types. The act also requires the director to submit a statewide strategic growth report to the general assembly no later than October 31, 2025, and develop and publish, in consultation with relevant state agencies, a natural land and agricultural interjurisdictional opportunities report no later than December 31, 2025.

The act requires the division of local government (division) to provide technical assistance and guidance through a grant program, the provision of consultant services, or both to aid local governments in:

  • Establishing regional entities;
  • Creating local and regional housing needs assessments;
  • Conducting a displacement risk analysis with a state-created tool;
  • Identifying and implementing strategies included in the standard affordability strategies directory, long-term affordability strategies directory, or displacement risk mitigation strategies directory;
  • Making and adopting a housing action plan;
  • Enacting laws and policies that encourage the development of a range of housing types, including regulated affordable housing, or mitigate the impact of displacement; and
  • Creating strategic growth elements in master plans.

The act creates the continuously appropriated housing needs planning technical assistance fund to contain the money necessary for the division to provide this technical assistance and guidance. The act requires the state treasurer to transfer $10.5 million from the local government severance tax fund and $4.5 million from the local government mineral impact fund to this fund.

Further, the act directs the division to serve as a clearing house for the benefit of local governments and regional entities in accomplishing the goals of the act. The division shall report on the assistance requested and provided under the act.

On and after December 1, 2027, for any grant program conducted by the department, the Colorado energy office, the office of economic development, the department of transportation, the department of natural resources, the department of public health and environment, or the department of personnel and administration that awards grants to local governments for the primary purpose of supporting land use planning or housing, the act requires the awarding entity to prioritize awarding grants to a local government that:

  • Has completed and filed a housing needs assessment;
  • Has adopted a housing action plan that has been accepted by the department;
  • Has reported progress to the department regarding the adoption of any strategies or changes to local laws identified in the housing action plan; and
  • Is the subject of a master plan that includes a water supply element and a strategic growth element.

In the case of a local government that is not required to do any of the above, the department is required to prioritize that local government in the same way that it prioritizes a local government that has done all of the above.

On or before June 30, 2025, the act requires the department to designate criteria for the designation of a neighborhood center by a local government. If a local government designates a neighborhood center, the local government must submit a report to the department describing the neighborhood center. Furthermore, on or after December 31, 2026, the act requires certain grant programs to prioritize projects supporting or concerning neighborhood centers.

The act modifies the requirements of both county and municipal master plans so that those master plans must include:

  • A narrative description of the procedure used for the development and adoption of the master plan;
  • No later than December 31, 2026, a water supply element; and
  • No later than December 31, 2026, a strategic growth element.

The water supply element in a county or municipal master plan must identify the general location and extent of an adequate and suitable supply of water, identify supplies and facilities sufficient to meet the needs of local infrastructure, and include water conservation policies.

The strategic growth element in a master plan must include:

  • A description of existing and potential policies and tools to promote strategic growth and prevent sprawl;
  • An analysis of vacant and underutilized sites and the use of those sites for the development of housing; and
  • An analysis of underdeveloped sites that are not adjacent to developed land for the use of those sites for residential use.

The act requires both counties and municipalities to submit their master plan and any separately approved water or strategic growth element to the division for the division's review.

The act prohibits a unit owners' association of a common interest community from, through any declaration or bylaw, rules, or regulation adopted or amended by an association on or after July 1, 2024, prohibiting or restricting the construction of accessory dwelling units or middle housing if the zoning laws of the association's local jurisdiction would otherwise allow such construction.

For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, $583,864 is appropriated, from reappropriated funds received from the department of local affairs from the housing needs planning technical assistance fund, to the office of the governor for use by the office of information technology to provide information technology services for the department of local affairs for the implementation of the act.

APPROVED by Governor May 30, 2024

EFFECTIVE May 30, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/31/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-179 Floodplain Management Program 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: C. Simpson (R) | N. Hinrichsen (D) / M. Catlin (R) | T. Story (D)
Summary:

Local government floodplain management regulations for development in floodplain areas must equal or exceed the federal emergency management agency's national flood insurance program's (national flood insurance program) minimum design and construction criteria and must comply with the Colorado water conservation board's (CWCB) rules and regulations for regulatory floodplains in Colorado. Not all local governments participate in the national flood insurance program.

The act requires the office of the state architect, in coordination with the CWCB, to develop a state floodplain management program (program) by June 30, 2025, which will ensure compliance with the minimum floodplain management criteria of the national flood insurance program and with the CWCB's rules and regulations for regulatory floodplains in Colorado. The program applies to development on state-owned land in counties and municipalities that do not participate in the national flood insurance program. At the discretion of the office of the state architect, the program may also apply to state-leased properties in counties and municipalities that do not participate in the national flood insurance program.

The act appropriates $49,383 from the general fund to the department of personnel for use by the office of the state architect.

APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 6/6/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-184 Support Surface Transportation Infrastructure Development 
Position: Support
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: S. Fenberg | J. Marchman (D) / J. McCluskie (D) | A. Boesenecker (D)
Summary:

The act clarifies the scope of the high-performance transportation enterprise's (transportation enterprise) powers and duties to expand its capacity to execute its charge and more explicitly prioritize mitigation of traffic congestion and traffic-related pollution through the completion of multimodal surface transportation infrastructure projects as follows:

  • Section 13:
  • Authorizes the transportation enterprise to impose a congestion impact fee, as a new user fee, in maximum amounts of up to $3 per day that is subsequently adjusted for inflation, and, in conjunction with section 12, requires the fee to be collected and administered in the same manner as an existing state daily vehicle rental fee;
  • Clarifies that providing diverse multimodal transportation options, including rail projects, that reduce traffic congestion and degradation of existing surface transportation infrastructure is part of the transportation enterprise's statutory charge;
  • Requires the transportation enterprise to develop a new multimodal strategic capital plan that aligns with the 10-year transportation plan of the Colorado department of transportation (CDOT) and statewide greenhouse gas pollution reduction goals and priorities, complies with specified environmental standards adopted by the transportation commission, and prioritizes benefits to user fee payers and the reduction of adverse impacts on highways;
  • Requires the transportation enterprise to complete an initial assessment of opportunities available through 2030 to leverage federal money made available to the state and to thereafter assess such opportunities on an ongoing basis; and
  • Requires the transportation enterprise to detail its work to reduce traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions and support the expansion of public transit in its annual report to the legislative committees with oversight over transportation; and
  • Section 11 modifies an existing definition of "surface transportation infrastructure" to explicitly include multimodal transportation options and transportation of freight. Section 11 also modifies an existing definition of "user fee" to include the new congestion impact fee.

Section 4 authorizes the regional transportation district (RTD) to extend construction and operations of its northwest rail fixed guideway corridor beyond its boundaries if all capital and operating expenses outside the RTD are fully accounted for and already reimbursed to the RTD by a public body.

Section 6 requires the front range passenger rail district (rail district), in cooperation with RTD, CDOT, and the transportation enterprise, to provide to the transportation legislation review committee and the governor:

  • A report containing an implementation plan, which must include, among other things, identification and evaluation of options for creating a separate legal entity or intergovernmental agreement as a business model, for construction and operations of the corridor and may also consider the creation of a Colorado rail authority to house some or all passenger rail services under one entity; and
  • A report, which must also include the cooperation of any separate legal entity created, concerning a plan to begin providing front range passenger rail service no later than January 1, 2029.

Sections 5, 7, 8, and 13, respectively and in conjunction with section 2, provide specific, explicit authorization to the RTD, the rail district, CDOT, and the transportation enterprise, in accordance with an implementation plan developed as required by section 6, to enter into a standalone intergovernmental agreement with or create a separate legal entity with each other to implement the completion of construction and operation of the RTD's northwest fixed guideway corridor, including an extension of the corridor to Fort Collins as the first phase of front range passenger rail service. Section 10 requires CDOT and the rail district to annually report to the transportation legislation review committee and the governor regarding the status of the service development plan for front range passenger rail service between Trinidad, Pueblo, and Fort Collins and requires the plan to include descriptions of steps taken to maximize the chances of securing federal grant assistance and of how the project will create good-paying, high-quality, and safe jobs.

Section 9 requires CDOT's transit and rail division to submit a report containing a development plan for rocky mountain rail service to the legislative committees that oversee transportation and the governor not later than December 31, 2024.

Section 15 appropriates $42,399 from the general fund to the department of revenue to implement the act.

APPROVED by Governor May 16, 2024

EFFECTIVE May 16, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/16/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-185 Protections Mineral Interest Owners Forced Pooling 
Position: Support
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: S. Fenberg / J. Amabile (D)
Summary:

Under current law, when 2 or more separately owned tracts are within an oil and gas drilling unit (unit) established by the Colorado energy and carbon management commission (commission), in the absence of voluntary pooling and after a reasonable offer to lease, made in good faith (offer to lease), the commission may enter an order pooling the mineral interests of those tracts (pooling order) for the development and operation of the unit if the applicant for the pooling order:

  • Owns more than 45% of the mineral interests in the unit (requisite ownership); or
  • Obtains the consent of the owners of more than 45% of the mineral interests in the unit (requisite consent).

The act changes current law by:

  • Requiring that a pooling order application include an affidavit that declares that the applicant has the requisite ownership or obtained the requisite consent (declaration), which affidavit must include certain leasing and well information;
  • Allowing an unleased mineral interest owner (unleased owner), at least 60 days before the first noticed hearing date, to file a protest with the commission disputing the applicant's declaration (protest);
  • Requiring the commission to resolve a bona fide protest and allowing an unleased owner that files a bona fide protest to review certain leasing information;
  • If a unit contains the mineral interests of an unleased owner that has rejected an offer to lease, prohibiting an oil and gas operator, on and after January 1, 2025, from drilling or extracting minerals from a unit that are not voluntarily pooled before a pooling order is entered by the commission;
  • Prohibiting the commission from entering a pooling order that pools the mineral interests of an unleased owner if the unleased owner is a local government that has rejected an offer to lease and the minerals subject to the unleased owner's mineral interests are within the local government's geographic boundaries (local government unleased interest); and
  • If a pooling order application proposes to pool a local government unleased interest and the local government has rejected an offer to lease, requiring the commission to deny the application unless the applicant amends the application to no longer pool the local government unleased interest.

For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, $20,483 is appropriated to the department of natural resources from the energy and carbon management cash fund for implementation of the act.

APPROVED by Governor May 22, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/22/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-189 Gender-Related Bias-Motivated Crimes 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: R. Fields | C. Hansen (D) / M. Weissman (D) | M. Soper (R)
Summary:

The act adds transgender identity to the classes identified in bias-motivated crimes and harassment. The act redefines sexual orientation for purposes of bias-motivated crimes as a person's orientation toward sexual or emotional attraction and the behavior or social affiliation that may result from the attraction.

APPROVED by Governor May 31, 2024

EFFECTIVE July 1, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/31/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-195 Protect Vulnerable Road Users 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: F. Winter (D) | L. Cutter (D) / M. Lindsay (D) | W. Lindstedt (D)
Summary:

Section 1 of the act amends the statute that governs the use of automated vehicle identification systems (AVIS) on roadways other than toll highways operated by a public highway authority or the high-performance transportation enterprise in the department of transportation (CDOT) to:

  • Clarify that CDOT and the Colorado state patrol (CSP) have authority to use AVIS to detect traffic violations on any portion of a highway that is owned or maintained by the state (state highway);
  • Clarify the notification and coordination process between local governments, CDOT, and the CSP with respect to the use of AVIS on a state highway;
  • Authorize CDOT to promulgate rules relating to the use of AVIS where it is not designated for use or implemented on state highways by the later of January 1, 2025, or the date the rules are promulgated;
  • Clarify that if the registered owner of a motor vehicle involved in a traffic violation detected by AVIS is engaged in the business of leasing or renting motor vehicles, the registered owner remains liable for payment of a civil penalty assessed for the violation even if the registered owner was not driving the motor vehicle but may obtain payment from the lessor or renter of the motor vehicle and forward the payment to the jurisdiction imposing the civil penalty; and
  • Require civil penalties collected by the state for traffic violations detected by AVIS, net of court and operations costs, to be credited to the state highway fund and used only to fund road safety projects, with priority given to those road safety projects that have the highest potential to reduce vulnerable road user injuries and fatalities while taking into account the planning capacity of each region, that protect vulnerable road users.

Section 2 requires CDOT to establish and include in its statutorily required performance plan declining annual targets for vulnerable road user fatalities and, as part of the targets, also establish engineering methodology and internal education requirements for practices to prioritize safety over speed on high-injury networks.

For state fiscal year 2025-26 and each succeeding state fiscal year, section 3 requires CDOT, after accounting for eligible critical safety-related asset management surface transportation infrastructure projects and as determined by the transportation commission, to expend a specified minimum amount of the money allocated to the state highway fund from the road safety surcharge and certain other fees, fines, and surcharges that are imposed on motor vehicle registrations and dedicated for certain types of road safety projects that protect vulnerable road users.

To guide CDOT in implementing sections 2 and 3, section 4 amends an existing definition of "road safety project" to include certain types of projects that protect vulnerable road users and defines the term "vulnerable road user".

APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2024

EFFECTIVE June 5, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 6/5/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-197 Water Conservation Measures 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: D. Roberts (D) | P. Will / J. McCluskie (D) | M. Catlin (R)
Summary:

Section 2 of the act allows the owner of a decreed storage water right to loan water to the Colorado water conservation board (board) to preserve or improve the natural environment to a reasonable degree for a stream reach for which the board does not hold a decreed instream flow water right.

Current law requires the board to establish an agricultural water protection program for water divisions 1 and 2. Section 3 changes current law by requiring the board to establish an agricultural water protection program in each water division.

Current law allows periods of nonuse of a water right to be tolled in certain circumstances for the purposes of determining whether a water right is abandoned. Section 4 changes current law by allowing a water right to be tolled for the duration that an electric utility that owns a water right in water division 6 decreases use of, or does not use, the water right if the decrease in use or nonuse occurs during the period beginning January 1, 2020, and ending December 31, 2050, and if the water right is owned by the electric utility since January 1, 2019 (abandonment exception).

Current law requires an owner of a conditional water right to obtain a finding of reasonable diligence or the conditional water right is considered abandoned. Section 5 allows the water judge, in considering a finding of reasonable diligence for a conditional water right that is owned by an electric utility in water division 6 since January 2019, to consider the following as supporting evidence:

  • The conditional water right may be used to support a specific project or potential future generation technologies or concepts that have the potential to advance progress toward Colorado's clean energy and greenhouse gas emission reduction goals; and
  • The electric utility or another entity has made efforts to investigate or research the viability of future generation technologies that have the potential to advance progress toward Colorado's clean energy and greenhouse gas emission reduction goals.

In determining the amount of historical consumptive use for a water right, a water judge is prohibited from considering certain specified uses. Section 6 prohibits the water judge from considering the decrease in use or nonuse of a water right owned by an electric utility in water division 6 since January 1, 2019, which decrease in use or nonuse occurs during the period beginning January 1, 2019, and ending December 31, 2050, in determining the amount of historical consumptive use (historical consumptive use protection). If the water right is leased or loaned by the electric utility to a third party, the water right is not entitled to historical consumptive use protection for the period the water right is subject to the lease or loan. To qualify for historical consumption use protection or the abandonment exception, an electric utility that manages all units of a generating station in water division 6 must file with the water division 6 water court an application seeking quantification of historical consumptive use for the absolute direct flow water rights serving the generating station. The application is a claim for a determination of a water right, and the water division 6 water court has jurisdiction to determine the historical consumptive use for the absolute direct flow water rights serving the generating station.

Current law allows the board to approve certain grants related to water conservation and requires the board to establish criteria to require the grant applicant to provide matching funds of at least 25%. Section 8 requires the board to reduce or waive fund matching requirements in the case of a grant to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe or the Southern Ute Indian Tribe.

APPROVED by Governor May 29, 2024

EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/29/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-199 Annual Species Conservation Trust Fund Projects 
Position:
Calendar Notification: Wednesday, May 8 2024
CONSIDERATION OF HOUSE AMENDMENTS TO SENATE BILLS
(1) in senate calendar.
Sponsors: D. Roberts (D) | P. Will / K. McCormick (D) | M. Catlin (R)
Summary:

For state fiscal year 2024-25, the act appropriates $5,000,000 from the species conservation trust fund in the state treasury for various wildlife conservation programs directed at conserving candidate species or species that are likely to become candidate species, as determined by the United States fish and wildlife service, as follows:

  • $1,800,000 for the upper Colorado river endangered fish recovery program;
  • $650,000 for selenium management, research, monitoring, evaluation, and control;
  • $50,000 for 3 species recovery efforts;
  • $1,700,000 for native terrestrial wildlife conservation; and
  • $800,000 for native aquatic wildlife conservation.

APPROVED by Governor May 17, 2024

EFFECTIVE May 17, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/17/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-205 Consumer Protections for Artificial Intelligence 
Position:
Calendar Notification: Wednesday, May 8 2024
THIRD READING OF BILLS - FINAL PASSAGE
(21) in house calendar.
Sponsors: R. Rodriguez (D) / B. Titone (D) | M. Rutinel (D)
Summary:

On and after February 1, 2026, the act requires a developer of a high-risk artificial intelligence system (high-risk system) to use reasonable care to protect consumers from any known or reasonably foreseeable risks of algorithmic discrimination in the high-risk system. There is a rebuttable presumption that a developer used reasonable care if the developer complied with specified provisions in the act, including:

  • Making available to a deployer of the high-risk system a statement disclosing specified information about the high-risk system;
  • Making available to a deployer of the high-risk system information and documentation necessary to complete an impact assessment of the high-risk system;
  • Making a publicly available statement summarizing the types of high-risk systems that the developer has developed or intentionally and substantially modified and currently makes available to a deployer or other developer and how the developer manages any known or reasonably foreseeable risks of algorithmic discrimination that may arise from the development or intentional and substantial modification of each of these high-risk systems; and
  • Disclosing to the attorney general and known deployers or other developers of the high-risk system any known or reasonably foreseeable risks of algorithmic discrimination, within 90 days after the discovery or receipt of a credible report from the deployer, that the high-risk system has caused or is reasonably likely to have caused.

The act also, on and after February 1, 2026, requires a deployer of a high-risk system to use reasonable care to protect consumers from any known or reasonably foreseeable risks of algorithmic discrimination in the high-risk system. There is a rebuttable presumption that a deployer used reasonable care if the deployer complied with specified provisions in the act, including:

  • Implementing a risk management policy and program for the high-risk system;
  • Completing an impact assessment of the high-risk system;
  • Annually reviewing the deployment of each high-risk system deployed by the deployer to ensure that the high-risk system is not causing algorithmic discrimination;
  • Notifying a consumer of specified items if the high-risk system makes, or will be a substantial factor in making, a consequential decision concerning the consumer;
  • Providing a consumer with an opportunity to correct any incorrect personal data that a high-risk system processed in making a consequential decision;
  • Providing a consumer with an opportunity to appeal, via human review if technically feasible, an adverse consequential decision concerning the consumer arising from the deployment of a high-risk system;
  • Making a publicly available statement summarizing the types of high-risk systems that the deployer currently deploys, how the deployer manages any known or reasonably foreseeable risks of algorithmic discrimination that may arise from deployment of each of these high-risk systems, and the nature, source, and extent of the information collected and used by the deployer; and
  • Disclosing to the attorney general the discovery of algorithmic discrimination, within 90 days after the discovery, that the high-risk system has caused.

A person doing business in this state, including a deployer or other developer, that deploys or makes available an artificial intelligence system that is intended to interact with consumers must ensure disclosure to each consumer who interacts with the artificial intelligence system that the consumer is interacting with an artificial intelligence system.

The act does not restrict a developer's, deployer's, or other person's ability to engage in specified activities, including:

  • Complying with federal, state, or municipal laws, ordinances, or regulations;
  • Cooperating with and conducting specified investigations;
  • Taking immediate steps to protect an interest that is essential for the life or physical safety of a consumer;
  • Conducting and engaging in specified research activities; and
  • Effectuating a product recall or repairing technical errors that impair product functionality.

The act provides an affirmative defense for a developer, deployer, or other person if:

  • The developer, deployer, or other person involved in a potential violation is in compliance with a nationally or internationally recognized risk management framework for artificial intelligence systems that the act or the attorney general designates; and
  • The developer, deployer, or other person takes specified measures to discover and correct violations of the act.

An insurer, a fraternal benefit society, or a developer of an artificial intelligence system used by an insurer is in full compliance with the act if the entity is subject to specified laws governing insurers' use of external consumer data and information sources, algorithms, and predictive models and rules adopted by the commissioner of insurance.

A bank, out-of-state bank, credit union chartered by the state of Colorado, federal credit union, out-of-state credit union, or any affiliate or subsidiary thereof, is in full compliance with the act if the entity is subject to examination by a state or federal prudential regulator under any published guidance or regulations that apply to the use of high-risk systems and the guidance or regulations meet criteria specified in the act.

The act grants the attorney general rule-making authority to implement, and exclusive authority to enforce, the requirements of the act. A person who violates the act engages in a deceptive trade practice pursuant to the "Colorado Consumer Protection Act".

APPROVED by Governor May 17, 2024

EFFECTIVE May 17, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 5/17/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-208 Colorado Department of Labor and Employment Regulate Electricity for Electric Vehicles 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: K. Priola | F. Winter (D) / T. Mauro (D) | M. Rutinel (D)
Summary:

The bill creates the electric vehicle enterprise (enterprise) in the department of labor and employment (department). The business purpose of the enterprise is to synchronize electric vehicle charging protocols to create consistency and transparency for electric vehicle charging consumers.

The enterprise constitutes an enterprise for purposes of section 20 of article X of the state constitution so long as it retains the authority to issue revenue bonds and receives less than 10% of its total annual revenue in grants from all Colorado state and local governments combined. So long as it constitutes an enterprise, the enterprise is not subject to section 20 of article X of the state constitution.

The bill establishes a board of directors for the enterprise, including the board's membership, powers, and duties.

The bill authorizes the enterprise to impose and collect a fee beginning July 1, 2025, to be paid by each electric vehicle charging station retailer based on the total number of retail electric vehicle charging stations operated by the retailer and the total number of power supply devices used at such stations.

The bill creates the electric vehicle enterprise special revenue fund (fund) and continuously appropriates money in the fund to the enterprise to accomplish its duties.

The bill requires the state treasurer, on July 1, 2024, to transfer $264,000 from the general fund to the fund and, on July 1, 2025, to transfer $160,000 from the general fund to the fund for the purpose of defraying expenses incurred by the enterprise before it receives fee revenue or revenue bond proceeds. The money is transferred as a loan to the enterprise, to be paid in full not later than December 31, 2028, with interest.

The bill requires the enterprise, in consultation with the Colorado energy office and the division of oil and public safety within the department, to promulgate rules establishing minimum standards related to specifications and tolerances for retail electric vehicle charging equipment and methods of retail sale at publicly accessible electric vehicle charging stations to promote equity in the marketplace. The department must begin enforcing the rules on July 1, 2025, for all electric vehicle charging stations installed before, on, or after July 1, 2025.

For the purposes of existing laws concerning fuel products, the bill amends the definitions of the terms "fuel products" and "motor fuel" to include electricity when used to fuel electric vehicles.


(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Status: 4/29/2024 Senate Second Reading Laid Over to 05/09/2024 - No Amendments
Amendments: Amendments

SB24-210 Modifications to Laws Regarding Elections 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: S. Fenberg | B. Pelton (R) / E. Sirota (D)
Summary:

The act modifies the "Uniform Election Code of 1992", (code) the law regarding initiatives and referendums, the "Fair Campaign Practices Act", the public official disclosure requirements of the "Colorado Sunshine Act of 1972", and other laws regarding elections.

The act modifies the code as follows:

  • Regarding elections generally, specifies that the county clerk and recorder, as the chief election official for the county, sets the operational hours of the clerk and recorder's office and specifies that the governing board of a county or city and county is not authorized to supervise the conduct of regular and special elections or to consult with election officials in regard to conducting elections and rendering decisions and interpretations under the code;
  • Regarding the qualification and registration of electors, beginning January 1, 2025, changes the age at which an individual may preregister to vote from 16 to 15 years old;
  • Regarding political party organization, specifies that when a state senatorial district or state representative district is comprised of one or more whole counties or of a part of one county and all or a part of one or more other counties, a state senatorial central committee or a state representative central committee consists of the elected precinct committee persons, as well as the chairpersons, vice-chairpersons, and secretary of the several party county central committees, who reside within the state senatorial district or the state representative district;
  • Regarding access to the ballot by candidates, specifies that the law prohibiting a candidate who was defeated in a primary election from participating in a general election does not apply to a candidate for president of the United States; allows the governor to designate a location other than the office of the governor for the presidential electors to convene if the governor determines that it is not feasible to meet in the office of the governor; makes the deadlines for a candidate to file a petition in a congressional vacancy election consistent with other deadlines; makes the general timeline for circulating petitions to get on the ballot applicable to presidential electors for unaffiliated presidential candidates; beginning January 1, 2025, aligns the minor political party candidate petition calendar with the major political party candidate petition calendar; clarifies that an unaffiliated candidate for president of the United States is exempt from the requirement that a candidate be registered as unaffiliated with a political party in the statewide voter registration system prior to the general election; beginning January 1, 2025, requires a candidate or candidate committee, recall committee, or representative of a minority party petition to submit a paid circulator report, if applicable, to the secretary of state (secretary); and modifies the timing for a candidate to cure a nominating petition signature deficiency;
  • Regarding notice and preparation of elections, requires the secretary to administer a pilot program that allows the county clerk and recorder or designated election official (clerk) of a county with at least 10,000 but fewer than 37,500 active electors and with at least 3 cities or towns where the second and third largest cities or towns that are located entirely within the county both have less than 3% of the active electors in the county, to request a waiver of the requirement to designate 3 voter service and polling centers (VSPC) on election day and instead designate at least 2 VSPCs on election day; repeals an obsolete provision specifying data to be used to determine the number of students enrolled at an institution of higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic; specifies that for a general election, a county shall establish a drop box on each campus of an institution of higher education located within the county that has 1,000, rather than 2,000, or more enrolled students; clarifies that each clerk is required to ensure that primary election ballots are printed in accordance with existing law; repeals obsolete language regarding voting equipment; updates several provisions regarding the use of voting systems to align with current practice; requires the secretary to approve or deny an application from a political subdivision to purchase a new electromechanical voting system within 30 days of receiving the application; modifies the standards for accessible voting systems to align with federal standards; and repeals obsolete language regarding direct recording electronic voting systems;
  • Regarding election judges, changes the deadline by which the county chairperson of each major political party in a county is required to certify to the clerk the names and addresses of registered electors recommended to serve as election judges in the county and implements an appeal process for an election judge who is preemptively removed as an election judge by the county chairperson or authorized official;
  • Regarding the conduct of elections, allows a registered elector who will not have been a Colorado resident for at least 22 days immediately before a presidential general election to cast a provisional ballot, which includes only a vote for president and vice president, in that election; extends the deadline for the secretary to adopt rules concerning the tabulation, reporting, and canvassing of results for a coordinated election using instant runoff voting conducted by multiple counties from January 1, 2025, to January 1, 2026; updates provisions regarding voting machines and the inspection of voting machines by election judges; repeals obsolete provisions regarding sample ballots, the seal on voting machines, the manner of voting by eligible electors, the counting of write-in ballots, and how voting system software is installed; clarifies that the secretary will conduct a random audit of voting devices only if a risk-limiting audit is not possible after an election; and extends the deadlines for the secretary to promulgate rules necessary to conduct risk limiting audits in an election using instant runoff voting and for a county to audit an election using instant runoff voting conducted as part of a coordinated election from January 1, 2025, to January 1, 2026;
  • Regarding mail ballot elections, allows a clerk to request a waiver from the secretary of state exempting the county from the remote location drop box ballot collection requirements and specifies alternative collection requirements if a waiver is granted; specifies the conditions under which an elector may request a replacement ballot from the clerk; modifies the time by which an elector must request a replacement ballot from the clerk; and repeals obsolete provisions that direct clerks how to count ballots that are cast on electronic or electromechanical vote tabulating equipment;
  • Regarding recounts, repeals obsolete provisions regarding recounts in nonpartisan local elections and clarifies who has standing to request a recount challenge;
  • Regarding certificates of election and election contests, repeals obsolete language regarding the election of precinct officers and duplicative language regarding the resolution of tie votes and specifies that a contest concerning a presidential elector must be filed with the supreme court no later than 24 days after the general election and specifies the deadline for the supreme court to rule on such a contest; and
  • Regarding recall elections, modifies the deadline for filing a nomination petition for a candidate to succeed an officer who is sought to be recalled.

The act further modifies the code to specify that regarding the use of an all-candidate primary election or a ranked voting method in a primary or general election, it is the general assembly's intent that a general statutory provision with a later effective date prevails over a specific statutory provision with an earlier effective date. In addition, the act specifies that before a designated election official may conduct an all-candidate primary election using an all-candidate primary ballot and before a primary or general election can use a ranked voting method for federal or state offices, the secretary must certify that:

  • Multiple municipalities in counties of specified sizes with active electors that satisfy certain demographic criteria have conducted an election with a ranked voting method;
  • Each municipality that has conduced an election with a ranked voting method has completed a risk-limiting audit that demonstrates that the certified outcomes in each race were accurate; and
  • The secretary has submitted a report to the general assembly regarding the impact of ranked choice voting methods as compared to elections conducted through other voting methods.

The provisions of the act regarding an all-candidate primary election and the use of ranked voting methods take effect March 1, 2026.

The act modifies the law regarding initiatives and referendums by repealing an obsolete provision regarding filing a paid circulator report with the secretary and by repealing obsolete language regarding the effective date of the bills enacted during the 2020 legislative session that included an act subject to petition clause.

The act modifies the "Fair Campaign Practices Act" as follows:

  • Prohibits a natural person who is not a citizen of the United States, a foreign government, or a foreign corporation from making a direct ballot issue or ballot question expenditure in connection with an election on a ballot issue or ballot question in the state;
  • Specifies that a candidate seeking reelection does not have to file an additional disclosure statement filed pursuant to current law if the incumbent has filed the annual report required by law within the last 30 days from which the incumbent becomes a candidate for reelection;
  • Clarifies that any person may file a complaint with the secretary of state about a candidate not complying with the disclosure statement requirements; and
  • Requires a candidate for specified offices to amend the disclosure statement when there is a substantial change of interests as to which the disclosure is required.

The act modifies the public official disclosure requirements specified in the "Colorado Sunshine Act of 1972" as follows:

  • Requires that specified public officials file an annual disclosure statement with the secretary and amend the disclosure statement when there is a substantial change of interests as to which the disclosure is required;
  • Requires specified public officials who are serving in office in the 2024 calendar year, but who have not filed an annual disclosure statement in the 2024 calendar year, to file a disclosure statement within a specified amount of time and requires the disclosure statements to be available on the secretary's website;
  • Repeals a provision that allows a public official to file an income tax return with the secretary in lieu of filing certain information required in the disclosure statement;
  • Allows any person who believes that a member of the general assembly is not complying with the public official's disclosure requirements to file a complaint with specified individuals, requires the secretary to notify the appropriate individuals if a member of the general assembly does not timely file the required annual disclosure statement, and requires an individual who receives a complaint to investigate the complaint using existing procedures.

The act amends the "Colorado Open Records Act" to specify that if a clerk receives a request for election-related records that are in active use, in storage, or otherwise not readily available, and the request is made during an election for which the clerk is the designated election official, the clerk may take additional time to fulfill the request under certain circumstances; except that the allowance for additional time does not apply if the requester of the public records is a mass medium organization or a newsperson.

The act adds clerk and recorders to the law specifying the office hours and required availability of county officials.

The act amends Senate Bill 24-230, concerning support for statewide remediation services that positively impact the environment, to repeal the definition of "fee" applicable to section 20 of article X of the state constitution. These provisions of the act are contingent upon Senate Bill 24-230 being enacted and becoming law.

The act modifies the county commissioner redistricting process to specify that staff working with the redistricting commission or the advisory committee assigned to assist the redistricting commission regarding the mapping of county commissioner districts may make a completed proposed redistricting plan that staff has prepared as a result of a request made in a public hearing available to the public on the commission's website. In addition, the act specifies that such staff may communicate with a member of the commission or advisory committee to clarify directions that were given to staff during a public meeting regarding the creation of a proposed plan, so long as staff makes a record of the communication available on the commission's website.

The act makes the following appropriations for the 2024-25 state fiscal year:

  • $10,444 to the department of revenue from the Colorado DRIVES vehicle services account in the highway users tax fund to implement the act;
  • $1,888 to the office of the governor from reappropriated funds for use by the office of information technology to provide services to the department of revenue to implement the act; and
  • $3,654 to the department of state from the department of state cash fund for use by the elections division to implement the act.

APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2024

PORTIONS EFFECTIVE June 6, 2024

PORTIONS EFFECTIVE January 1, 2025

PORTIONS EFFECTIVE March 1, 2026
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Status: 6/6/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: Amendments

SJR24-004 Water Projects Eligibility Lists 
Position:
Calendar Notification: NOT ON CALENDAR
Sponsors: D. Roberts (D) | C. Simpson (R) / K. McCormick (D) | M. Catlin (R)
Summary: *** No bill summary available ***
Status: 3/8/2024 Governor Signed
Amendments: