SB 23-268

Senate Bill 23-268, which has been approved and will take effect on September 1, 2023, requires the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to provide detailed information about each transportation project in its 10-year plan. This includes timelines for completion, total funding needed, and a breakdown of current and anticipated future funding sources. The bill also mandates that CDOT assigns a contact person to answer questions from local officials about these projects and their funding status. Additionally, CDOT must report annually on the progress of these projects to a legislative committee. This ensures transparency and accountability for major transportation initiatives in Colorado.

Official Summary

For each transportation project identified in the 10-year transportation plan (plan) prepared by the department of transportation (department) under the direction of the transportation commission (commission), section 1 of the act requires the following information to be specified and regularly updated as circumstances change: The time frame for project completion; The total estimated amount of funding required to complete the project; and Accounting for the total estimated amount of funding for the project, and the amount of funding from each funding source that has been allocated for the project or is anticipated to be allocated for the project. The plan must always identify specific funding sources and amounts that taken together account for full funding for each project identified in the plan but may indicate, both with respect to the plan generally and with respect to any specific project, the extent to which and reasons why the source and amounts of funding listed are uncertain and subject to change. Section 1 also requires the department to provide to state and local government elected officials a designated and readily available department contact to receive and respond to their questions about the status and funding of specific transportation projects and to inform such elected officials of the existence of the designated contact and the means by which the designated contact may be reached. Section 2 requires the department to annually report to the transportation legislation review committee (TLRC) on the status of project delivery for the projects identified in the plan and requires the commission to include an update on the plan in its annual proposed budget allocation plan presented to the joint budget committee. As part of its reporting to the TLRC, the department is required to provide guidance to the TLRC as to how to access and understand the plan, and the TLRC may, if it determines that the plan does not include all the information required by section 1, instruct the department to ensure that any missing required information is promptly added to the plan. APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2023 EFFECTIVE September 1, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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