SB 23-139

Senate Bill 23-139, which has been approved and is now law in Colorado, allows the state government to take up to $10 million from a fund called the severance tax operational fund for the current fiscal year and up to $5 million each year after that to support wildfire prevention efforts. This money can only be used if there's enough left over in the operational fund to cover all necessary programs. The bill helps increase funding for projects aimed at reducing the risk of wildfires, benefiting communities across Colorado by enhancing their ability to prevent and manage fires.

Official Summary

The act authorizes the general assembly to appropriate up to $10 million from the severance tax operational fund (operational fund) to the wildfire mitigation capacity development fund (wildfire fund) for state fiscal year 2022-23 and makes a corresponding appropriation. The act authorizes the general assembly to appropriate up to $5 million from the operational fund to the wildfire fund for state fiscal year 2023-24 and for each state fiscal year thereafter. Such appropriations may be made only if less than 100% of the money available in the operational fund is used for current core programs. APPROVED by Governor March 6, 2023 EFFECTIVE March 6, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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