HB 23-1283

House Bill 23-1283 transfers the responsibility of managing refugee services in Colorado from the Department of Human Services to a new office called the Office of New Americans (ONA) within the Department of Labor and Employment. This change will take effect on October 1, 2024, but if federal contracts are not transferred by then, the current department will continue handling them until those contracts end or funds run out. The bill also allows for sharing tax information with the ONA to help manage a benefit recovery fund and adjusts grant timelines related to immigration legal assistance. It allocates state and federal funding to support these changes. The governor signed this bill into law on June 1, 2023, and it will be implemented starting October 1, 2024.

Official Summary

Under current law, the department of human services (state department) is tasked with administering the Colorado refugee services program. Effective October 1, 2024, the act transfers the rights, powers, duties, and functions related to the administration of the Colorado refugee services program to the Colorado office of new Americans (ONA) in the department of labor and employment. However, if the federal department of health and human services does not transfer contracts with the state department that are open as of October 1, 2024, the state department will continue administering those contracts until the end of the contract period or when all funds are liquidated, whichever occurs first. Additionally, the act: Adjusts the timeline under the immigration legal assistance fund for awarding grants and reporting to the general assembly; and Authorizes the department of revenue to share pertinent tax information with the ONA or a third-party administrator as necessary for purposes of administering the benefit recovery fund. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $36,523 from the general fund to the department of labor and employment (department) for allocation to the ONA to implement the act. Additionally, the act specifies that, for the 2023-24 state fiscal year, the department anticipates receiving $250,000 in federal funds for the ONA to implement the act. APPROVED by Governor June 1, 2023 EFFECTIVE October 1, 2024 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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