HB 23-1075

House Bill 23-1075 requires the Colorado Office of Emergency Management to study how local emergency management agencies can better plan for evacuations during wildfires by including time estimates for evacuation and clearance in their plans. This study must be completed by December 1, 2023, and its findings will be reported to the legislature in 2024. The bill also allocates $45,000 from the state's general fund to support this work. It has been signed into law and is now effective, meaning that the study process has begun as of May 12, 2023.

Official Summary

The act requires the office of emergency management (office) to study the efficacy and feasibility of local or interjurisdictional emergency management agencies with jurisdiction in a wildfire risk area to integrate evacuation and clearance time modeling into the emergency management plans that such an agency is required to adopt for its area. The report must be completed on or before December 1, 2023, and the office must report the findings of the study to specific committees of the general assembly during the 2024 legislative session. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, $45,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of public safety for program administration related to the office of emergency management. APPROVED by Governor May 12, 2023 EFFECTIVE May 12, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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