SB 25-312

Senate Bill 25-312 deals with how Colorado manages funds received from the federal government under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The bill allows the state to use its own money to cover costs initially funded by these federal dollars, and it adjusts how leftover funds are handled once certain conditions are met. It also ends a specific health-care worker recruitment program due to lack of funding for it. Since the status is "signed," this means that the governor has approved the bill, making it law.

Official Summary

In 2021, the state received money from the federal coronavirus state fiscal recovery fund pursuant to the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" (ARPA money). ARPA money was deposited into the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" cash fund, transferred to various other cash funds (recipient funds), and appropriated from recipient funds for various programs. House Bill 24-1466, concerning exchanging money received from the federal coronavirus state fiscal recovery fund with state money, enacted in 2024, refinanced appropriated ARPA money with state money (state refinance money). The act transfers ARPA money to recipient funds to cover the costs of projects funded with ARPA money and transfers unspent state refinance money from recipient funds to the general fund. The act adjusts existing appropriations to reflect spent ARPA money and unspent state refinance money and amends program statutes to align with the appropriations adjustments. ARPA money must be obligated by December 31, 2024, and spent by December 31, 2026. Under federal law, as explained in guidance from the United States department of the treasury, the state may reclassify obligated but unspent ARPA money after December 31, 2024, upon the occurrence of certain events (qualifying events). The act reverts money upon a qualifying event from the recipient fund to the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" cash fund and appropriates that money to the governor for an alternate eligible use for which a general fund appropriation was made. Under existing law, the general fund appropriation is reduced by the amount of ARPA money spent for the line item of appropriation. The act repeals the requirement for the department of public health and environment to engage in recruitment and re-engagement of workers in the health-care profession because the act ends the appropriation of money for that purpose. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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