SB 23-267

Senate Bill 23-267, also known as the Chatfield State Park Water Quality Fee Act, allows for a new fee to be charged to visitors at Chatfield State Park starting January 1, 2025. This fee will go towards improving water quality in the park and can be up to $2 per visitor. The money collected will be used by the Chatfield watershed authority for projects like monitoring water quality and managing erosion. The bill was signed into law on June 6, 2023, and it became effective on August 7, 2023. This means that starting next year, visitors to Chatfield State Park might see a new charge aimed at enhancing the park's water quality.

Official Summary

The act requires the parks and wildlife commission (commission) to promulgate rules on or before July 1, 2024, establishing: A process by which the Chatfield watershed authority (authority) may request that the commission create by rule a water quality fee (fee) to be collected by the division of parks and wildlife (division) from visitors to Chatfield state park; Criteria for approving a request for such a fee; and Criteria for determining which visitors to Chatfield state park should be required to pay the fee. In promulgating the rules, the commission must ensure that the amount of the fee is rounded to the nearest dollar and does not exceed $2. The commission must review the fee on January 1, 2030, and every 5 years thereafter, and after each such review, the commission may either eliminate the fee or adjust the amount of the fee to account for inflation or deflation. On and after July 1, 2024, the commission may establish the fee. If the commission establishes the fee, the division must collect the fee on and after January 1, 2025. The division must transfer the total amount of money collected to the state treasurer, who must credit the money to the parks and outdoor recreation cash fund (fund); except that the division may retain up to 3.33% percent of the amount of money collected as fees to pay its administrative costs. Beginning July 1, 2025, and every 6 months thereafter, the division must pay to the authority from the fund the total amount of money collected as fees during the preceding 6 months. If the commission establishes the fee, the commission: Must require the authority to expend up to 25% of the money received from the division on water quality projects within the boundaries of Chatfield state park; and May include additional requirements and restrictions concerning the expenditure by the authority of money received from the division on water quality projects inside the boundaries of Chatfield state park. The authority is required to expend the money received from the division to support water quality projects, including projects that provide for the construction, operation, and maintenance of nonpoint source projects, water quality monitoring, and urban runoff and erosion management and control. APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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