HB 24-1006

House Bill 24-1006, which has been approved and is now law in Colorado, sets up a grant program called the Rural Grant Navigator. This program will provide funding to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that help rural communities apply for grants related to wildfire prevention and preparedness from both state and federal sources. The bill allocates $300,000 from the general fund to support this initiative starting in 2024-25. NGOs can start applying for these funds on March 1, 2025, with annual reports required by the Colorado State Forest Service to track progress and impact. This bill aims to assist rural areas in improving their wildfire readiness through better access to grant resources.

Official Summary

The act directs the Colorado state forest service (forest service) to establish a rural grant navigator grant program to provide grant money to nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) providing outreach and technical assistance, including grant writing assistance, to rural communities seeking to apply for state or federal grants for wildfire mitigation and preparedness (wildfire-related grants). On or after March 1, 2025, an NGO may apply to the forest service for grant money in accordance with application and eligibility guidelines that the forest service establishes with input from NGOs that assist Colorado communities with wildfire mitigation and preparedness. On or before March 1, 2026, and on or before March 1 of every year thereafter, the forest service is required to prepare a report summarizing its work to award grants to NGOs assisting rural communities with identifying and applying for wildfire-related grants. The forest service is required to submit the report to the wildfire matters review committee or, if the committee no longer exists, to the legislative committees with jurisdiction over natural resources matters. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, $300,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of higher education for use by the forest service to implement the act. APPROVED by Governor May 20, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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