SB 23-278

Senate Bill 23-278, which has been approved and is now law in Colorado, allows state agencies and institutions of higher education that receive funding for capital construction projects to use a portion of their budget for art. Originally, these entities were required to spend at least one percent of the state-funded part of their project on acquiring works of art. However, this bill changes that requirement to make it optional just for the 2022-23 fiscal year, allowing them to redirect that money towards other construction costs if they choose not to buy art. This affects how public buildings and universities can allocate funds during specific capital projects. Since the governor signed it into law on June 6, 2023, these changes are now in effect.

Official Summary

A state agency or institution of higher education that receives an appropriation for a capital construction project is required to allocate not less than one percent of the state funded portion of the project for the acquisition of works of art. In the 2022-23 fiscal year, the general assembly appropriated money from the revenue loss restoration cash fund to state agencies and institutions of higher education for capital construction projects. The act clarifies that the state funded portion of a capital construction project includes money appropriated from the revenue loss restoration cash fund. In addition, for appropriations for capital construction projects made for the 2022-23 fiscal year only, the act makes the allocation for the acquisition of works of art discretionary rather than mandatory and allows a state agency or institution of higher education that opts not to make such an allocation to use the money that would otherwise be used for works of art for any other costs associated with the capital construction project. APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2023 EFFECTIVE June 6, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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