Colorado 2025 Bills

Property Tax Revenue Growth Limit

HCR 24-1006 is a Colorado bill that proposes an amendment to the state constitution, setting limits on how much property tax revenue local taxing districts can increase each year. The proposed limit would be based on the percentage change allowed for state revenue growth under TABOR (Taxpayer's Bill of Rights) plus two additional percentage points, adjusted for new construction and property losses due to destruction. If a district’s current mill levy would generate more revenue than this limit allows, it must either reduce the mill levy or get voter approval to maintain it. The bill is currently signed but has not yet been voted on by the public; if approved in 2024, it will affect property tax rates starting from January 1, 2025.

Last action: 2024-04-11 · House

New Public School Finance Formula

House Bill 24-1448, also known as the New Public School Finance Formula, changes how Colorado funds its public schools. It aims to provide more equitable and adequate funding by adjusting how money is distributed based on student needs and district costs. This bill affects all public school districts in Colorado, ensuring they receive additional resources for students who require extra support, such as those from low-income families or with special education needs. Since the bill has been signed into law, it is now active and being implemented to improve funding distribution across schools in the state.

Last action: 2024-04-11 · House

Environmental Sustainability Circular Economy

The act repeals the pollution prevention advisory board and the pollution prevention advisory board assistance committee when the act takes effect, repeals the recycling resources economic opportunity program on October 1, 2025, and repeals the front range waste diversion enterprise and replaces it with the Colorado circular communities enterprise (enterprise). The enterprise, in merging and modernizing the purposes of the recycling resources economic opportunity program and the front range waste diversion enterprise, awards grants and other funding and provides technical assistance to local governments, nonprofit and for-profit businesses, public and private schools, and institutions of higher education throughout the state that pursue a circular economy for waste management, including waste diversion and aversion. The act also creates the statewide voluntary sustainability program to support businesses engaging, or looking to engage, in sustainability efforts. Under current law, user fees are imposed on operators of attended solid waste disposal sites (operators) to finance the recycling resources economic opportunity program and the front range waste diversion enterprise. The act applies those fees to the enterprise, requiring operators of sites located outside of the front range to pay a fee of either 2 or 4 cents per load transported for disposal and requiring operators of sites located in the front range, between July 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024, to pay a fee of 74 cents per cubic yard per load transported for disposal and, on and after January 1, 2025, to pay a fee of 78 cents per cubic yard per load transported for disposal. APPROVED by Governor May 17, 2024 EFFECTIVE July 1, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Last action: 2024-04-11 · House

Revisor's Bill

To improve the clarity and certainty of the statutes, the bill amends, repeals, and reconstructs various statutory provisions of law that are obsolete, imperfect, or inoperative. The specific reasons for each amendment or repeal are set forth in the appendix to the bill. The amendments made by the bill are not intended to change the meaning or intent of the statutes, as amended. APPROVED by Governor June 7, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Last action: 2024-04-11 · House

Consumer Protections for Artificial Intelligence

On and after February 1, 2026, the act requires a developer of a high-risk artificial intelligence system (high-risk system) to use reasonable care to protect consumers from any known or reasonably foreseeable risks of algorithmic discrimination in the high-risk system. There is a rebuttable presumption that a developer used reasonable care if the developer complied with specified provisions in the act, including: Making available to a deployer of the high-risk system a statement disclosing specified information about the high-risk system; Making available to a deployer of the high-risk system information and documentation necessary to complete an impact assessment of the high-risk system; Making a publicly available statement summarizing the types of high-risk systems that the developer has developed or intentionally and substantially modified and currently makes available to a deployer or other developer and how the developer manages any known or reasonably foreseeable risks of algorithmic discrimination that may arise from the development or intentional and substantial modification of each of these high-risk systems; and Disclosing to the attorney general and known deployers or other developers of the high-risk system any known or reasonably foreseeable risks of algorithmic discrimination, within 90 days after the discovery or receipt of a credible report from the deployer, that the high-risk system has caused or is reasonably likely to have caused. The act also, on and after February 1, 2026, requires a deployer of a high-risk system to use reasonable care to protect consumers from any known or reasonably foreseeable risks of algorithmic discrimination in the high-risk system. There is a rebuttable presumption that a deployer used reasonable care if the deployer complied with specified provisions in the act, including: Implementing a risk management policy and program for the high-risk system; Completing an impact assessment of the high-risk system; Annually reviewing the deployment of each high-risk system deployed by the deployer to ensure that the high-risk system is not causing algorithmic discrimination; Notifying a consumer of specified items if the high-risk system makes, or will be a substantial factor in making, a consequential decision concerning the consumer; Providing a consumer with an opportunity to correct any incorrect personal data that a high-risk system processed in making a consequential decision; Providing a consumer with an opportunity to appeal, via human review if technically feasible, an adverse consequential decision concerning the consumer arising from the deployment of a high-risk system; Making a publicly available statement summarizing the types of high-risk systems that the deployer currently deploys, how the deployer manages any known or reasonably foreseeable risks of algorithmic discrimination that may arise from deployment of each of these high-risk systems, and the nature, source, and extent of the information collected and used by the deployer; and Disclosing to the attorney general the discovery of algorithmic discrimination, within 90 days after the discovery, that the high-risk system has caused. A person doing business in this state, including a deployer or other developer, that deploys or makes available an artificial intelligence system that is intended to interact with consumers must ensure disclosure to each consumer who interacts with the artificial intelligence system that the consumer is interacting with an artificial intelligence system. The act does not restrict a developer's, deployer's, or other person's ability to engage in specified activities, including: Complying with federal, state, or municipal laws, ordinances, or regulations; Cooperating with and conducting specified investigations; Taking immediate steps to protect an interest that is essential for the life or physical safety of a consumer; Conducting and engaging in specified research activities; and Effectuating a product recall or repairing technical errors that impair product functionality. The act provides an affirmative defense for a developer, deployer, or other person if: The developer, deployer, or other person involved in a potential violation is in compliance with a nationally or internationally recognized risk management framework for artificial intelligence systems that the act or the attorney general designates; and The developer, deployer, or other person takes specified measures to discover and correct violations of the act. An insurer, a fraternal benefit society, or a developer of an artificial intelligence system used by an insurer is in full compliance with the act if the entity is subject to specified laws governing insurers' use of external consumer data and information sources, algorithms, and predictive models and rules adopted by the commissioner of insurance. A bank, out-of-state bank, credit union chartered by the state of Colorado, federal credit union, out-of-state credit union, or any affiliate or subsidiary thereof, is in full compliance with the act if the entity is subject to examination by a state or federal prudential regulator under any published guidance or regulations that apply to the use of high-risk systems and the guidance or regulations meet criteria specified in the act. The act grants the attorney general rule-making authority to implement, and exclusive authority to enforce, the requirements of the act. A person who violates the act engages in a deceptive trade practice pursuant to the "Colorado Consumer Protection Act". APPROVED by Governor May 17, 2024 EFFECTIVE May 17, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Last action: 2024-04-10 · Senate

Capital Building Advisory Committee Modifications

The capitol building advisory committee (committee) advises the general assembly regarding the protection of the historic character of the capitol building and other buildings in the capitol annex. The act: Clarifies that it is the general assembly's intent that the committee will advise the general assembly regarding the protection of the capitol building's historic character, including its art, memorials, furniture, and architectural fixtures; Clarifies that the ex officio members of the committee are voting members of the committee in accordance with current practice; Adds the capitol building annex to the list of buildings for which the committee is required to review, advise, and make recommendations to the capital development committee regarding plans to restore, redecorate, and reconstruct historic elements of the building; Specifies the buildings and areas within the capitol complex for which the committee may engage in long-range planning for modifications and improvements; Requires the committee to determine, based on consultation with and the recommendations of history Colorado, which art, memorials, architectural fixtures, and furniture that is original to the state capitol building is part of the state's collection of historic materials known as the Colorado collection (Colorado collection); and Clarifies that the committee has authority over publications on the history of the state capitol building and that the committee may authorize other state capitol building memorabilia for sale to the public. In addition, history Colorado, at the direction and under the supervision of the committee, is required to inventory all art, memorials, architectural fixtures, and furniture that is original to the state capitol building and make recommendations to the committee regarding which items are appropriate for inclusion in the Colorado collection. The act specifies that history Colorado holds in trust for the people of Colorado any items original to the capitol building that are part of the Colorado collection, but that the committee retains authority over the collection on behalf of the general assembly and in accordance with the policies and requirements of the state register of historic properties. APPROVED by Governor June 3, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Last action: 2024-04-09 · House

Professional Development for Science Teachers

The act requires the department of education to develop and offer a free, optional professional development program (program) to enhance pedagogy around research-based Colorado academic standards in science. The program must include opportunities for in-person and virtual instruction on interventions for students who are below grade level or struggling in science, children with disabilities, gifted students, and students who are English language learners. The program must create incentives for teacher participation by offering ongoing professional development credit toward licensure renewal. The program prioritizes professional development for eligible science teachers employed at local education providers in rural school districts and small rural school districts. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $3 million to the department of education from the state education fund for science teacher professional development. APPROVED by Governor May 23, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Last action: 2024-04-09 · House

Transit Reform

The length of the bill summary for this bill requires it to be published on a separate page here: https://leg.colorado.gov/hb24-1447-bill-summary (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Last action: 2024-04-09 · House

Federal Indian Boarding School Research Program

In 2022, the general assembly created the federal Indian boarding school research program (program) in the state historical society, commonly known as history Colorado to conduct research regarding the physical abuse and deaths that occurred at federal Indian boarding schools in Colorado and required history Colorado, in consultation with the Colorado commission of Indian affairs, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe to develop recommendations to better understand the abuse that occurred and to support healing in tribal communities. As initially scheduled, the program was repealed on December 31, 2023. The act recreates and reenacts the program, with modifications, and requires the general assembly to appropriate $1 million from the general fund, divided in equal annual payments for fiscal years 2024-25, 2025-26, and 2026-27, to the state historical society with authority to carry forward any unexpended or unencumbered money at the end of the state fiscal year for which it was appropriated to subsequent fiscal years without further appropriation to implement the recommendations developed. APPROVED by Governor May 23, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Last action: 2024-04-09 · House

State Board of Nursing Size Fix

With the passage of Senate Bill 23-167, concerning the regulation of certified midwives by the state board of nursing, an additional member will be added to the state board of nursing (board) on July 1, 2024, bringing the total number of members of the board to 12. Senate Bill 23-167, however, did not include a conforming amendment to a statute that refers to the size of the board. The act eliminates the inaccurate reference to the number of members on the board. APPROVED by Governor June 7, 2024 EFFECTIVE July 1, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Last action: 2024-04-09 · House

Probation & Parole Reporting & Fee Conditions

The act requires the state court administrator to annually report on probation supervision fees assessed in the previous year and the department of corrections to annually report on parole supervision fees assessed in the previous year during their respective "SMART Act" hearings. Unless inconsistent with another probation or parole condition, the act requires the court to allow an adult or juvenile on probation or parole to meet with the probation or parole officer through a telephone call or audio-visual communication technology. When scheduling probation or parole meetings, the probation or parole officer is required to schedule, in good faith, a mutually agreeable time for the meeting that does not conflict with the adult's or juvenile's essential obligations. The act eliminates non-payment of probation or parole fees as a grounds for the revocation of probation or parole. The act prohibits a court from requiring a defendant to pay probation supervision fees in more than one case when the defendant is granted probation in multiple cases. APPROVED by Governor June 3, 2024 EFFECTIVE September 1, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Last action: 2024-04-09 · House

Technical Revisions to Procurement Code

The act makes technical changes to the procurement code (code), including: Correcting a cross-reference to the definition of information technology; Updating the definition of solicitation to refer to "an electronic procurement system" instead of "an electronic bidding system" to remain consistent with other provisions of the code; Updating the statute authorizing delegation of the executive director of the department of personnel's purchasing authority to use the term "governmental body", as defined in the code; Clarifying the method of compiling and soliciting from lists of potential contractors; Updating references to the United States department of veterans affairs to align with current federal and state practices; and Changing "public procurement unit" to "local public procurement unit" in a list in the cooperative purchasing statute that already includes a "public procurement unit". APPROVED by Governor May 31, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Last action: 2024-04-09 · Senate

Colorado Youth Entrepreneurship Awareness Week

Last action: 2024-04-09 · Senate

Public Trustee Fees

House Bill 24-1443, which has been signed into law and will take effect on July 1, 2024, doubles the fees that public trustees can charge for most of their services related to foreclosures. However, it keeps the internet foreclosure sale fee unchanged and introduces a new $300 fee when processing a foreclosure if the buyer at auction isn’t also the lender. The law also mandates that these fees be adjusted for inflation every two years by the director of research from the legislative council. This bill impacts anyone involved in real estate foreclosures, including lenders, buyers, and homeowners facing potential higher costs.

Last action: 2024-04-09 · House

Parents' Bill of Rights

The concurrent resolution creates a parents' bill of rights and establishes certain rights for parents, including the right to: Direct the parent's child's education, upbringing, and moral or religious training; Enroll the parent's child in a public school, private school, or any other school choice option; Consent to medical or mental health-care treatment for the parent's child; Be promptly notified if an employee of the state suspects that a criminal offense has been committed against the parent's child; Consent or withhold consent to the parent's child's participation in reproductive health and safety education programs; Seek medical or religious exemptions from immunization requirements; Opt out of data collection and student information surveys; Review all available materials that the parent's child has borrowed from a school library or accessed in the classroom; Access the parent's child's education records or health records and be promptly notified of changes in the parent's child's education and health services or monitoring; and Be notified if the parent's child is experiencing gender incongruence. The concurrent resolution prohibits a health-care provider, practitioner, or facility from providing, soliciting, or arranging for the treatment of a child without first obtaining written or documented consent from the child's parent. (Note: This summary applies to this concurrent resolution as introduced.)

Last action: 2024-04-08 · House

Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion in Child Welfare

The act creates multiple ways to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in Colorado's child welfare system. The state department of human services (department) is directed to work with county departments of human or social services to: Update the existing annual departmental EDI report using state data sources and national child welfare data clearinghouses; Identify necessary demographic or other data that is not currently collected in Colorado's child welfare case management system (management system) and determine recommendations for improving data collection statewide; Identify additional necessary demographic or other data about children, families, and people working in the child welfare that is not currently collected in the management system, the child welfare worker training system, or other components and data systems of the child welfare system, and, in collaboration with counties, determine internal or external processes and make recommendations for improving data collection and reporting statewide; Provide a report on the state's progress in addressing data collection and data entry challenges in the management system; Provide a report on the state's progress in training child welfare staff on demographic data collection; Report on the state's progress in training the child welfare workforce in reducing bias and in promoting EDI, and on progress in the training's alignment with current research and best practices in promoting EDI. The department shall strengthen EDI training for child welfare staff and management. The act requires the department to provide recommendations for training requirements for other child welfare agencies and to offer specific EDI training for mandatory reporters to address disparities in reporting in Colorado's child welfare system. APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Last action: 2024-04-08 · Senate

Increase Massage Therapy Education Program Hours

Current law requires an applicant for massage therapist licensure to attain a degree, obtain a diploma, or otherwise successfully complete a massage therapy program that consists of at least 500 total hours of coursework and clinical work from an approved massage school. The act increases the coursework and clinical work minimum requirement to 650 total hours starting July 1, 2024. APPROVED by Governor June 7, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Last action: 2024-04-08 · Senate

Prescription Drug Board Consider Rare Disease Advisory Council

Current law requires the Colorado prescription drug affordability review board (board) to take certain measures in determining whether to conduct an affordability review for an identified prescription drug. The act requires the board, in making such a determination, to consider whether the drug has an approved orphan drug designation for one or more rare diseases and no other indications and, if so, to consider input from consumers and the Colorado rare disease advisory council (council). Current law requires the board, in performing an affordability review, to consider certain information. The act requires the board to consider input from the council. APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Last action: 2024-04-08 · Senate

Assignment of Child Support Foster Youth

Current Colorado law requires that a decree providing for placement of a child with a public agency be accompanied by a court order that obligates the child's parent to pay a fee, based on the parent's ability to pay. The fee covers the costs of a guardian ad litem and of providing for residential care of the child. The act removes the requirement for a court order obligating a child's parent to pay the fee for residential child care and guardian ad litem costs. Instead, the act authorizes a delegate child support enforcement unit to impose a fee only when a county child welfare unit determines a referral is appropriate in accordance with rules promulgated by the state board of human services (state board). The act removes the requirements that this fee be based on a parent's ability to pay and that the fee cover the cost of a guardian ad litem. Current Colorado law assigns child support by operation of law to the state department of human services to reimburse county, state, and federal out-of-home placement costs when a child is placed in foster care. The act limits assignments to current, rather than previously accrued, child support obligations. The act grants a delegate child support enforcement unit discretion to enforce a child support obligation when a county child welfare unit determines a referral is appropriate in accordance with rules promulgated by the state board. APPROVED by Governor May 22, 2024 EFFECTIVE May 22, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Last action: 2024-04-08 · Senate

Memorializing Senator Edward James (Jim) Dyer

Last action: 2024-04-08 · Senate

Resolution Forced Labor Electric Vehicles

Last action: 2024-04-08 · House

Memorialize Former Senator Frederick James (Jim) Dyer

Last action: 2024-04-08 · Senate

Memorializing Senator MaryAnne Tebedo

Last action: 2024-04-08 · Senate

Holocaust Commemoration

Last action: 2024-04-08 · Senate

Designate April 18 Colorado Sportsmen's Day 2024

Last action: 2024-04-08 · Senate

Call for an Article V Convention of States

Last action: 2024-04-08 · House

Memorial Keith King

Last action: 2024-04-08 · Senate

Designate PFC Thomas Michael Hanratty Memorial Highway

Last action: 2024-04-08 · Senate

Qualifications for Representatives & Senators

House Concurrent Resolution 24-1004 is a bill in Colorado that would prevent someone from being elected as a state representative or senator if they were appointed to fill an empty seat and then tried to run for the next term. This affects people who have been appointed to these positions due to vacancies. The bill has been signed, meaning it's now official policy unless voters reject it by at least 55% in the 2024 general election.

Last action: 2024-04-05 · House

Regulated Natural Medicine Implementation

Regarding the regulation of natural medicine, the act: Authorizes the director of the division of professions and occupations in the department of regulatory agencies to approve facilitator education and training programs; Exempts facilitator education and training programs from regulation as private educational schools; Updates rule-making by the department of public health and environment and the state licensing authority related to laboratory testing and certification of natural medicine products; Prohibits individuals, rather than all persons, from having a financial interest in more than 5 natural medicine business licenses; Authorizes the state licensing authority to promulgate rules regarding requirements for the destruction of natural medicine or natural medicine products; Clarifies that a person may operate a natural medicine testing facility at the same location as a regulated marijuana testing facility; and Specifies which transfers and distributions of regulated natural medicine and regulated natural medicine products are authorized between persons licensed as healing centers, facilitators, natural medicine cultivation facilities, and natural medicine manufacturers. APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 6, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Last action: 2024-04-04 · Senate

Property & Casualty Insurance Documents & Forms

The act repeals requirements for insurers that issue commercial and personal automobile, homeowners, and renters insurance policies to provide certain policy documents in an insured's selected language of choice and instead requires insurers that issue personal automobile insurance policies in the state (insurers), starting January 1, 2026, to: Provide to insureds who have completed a language selection form or, at the option of the insurer, to all insureds a summary document that is in Spanish, that is in a form specified by the commissioner of insurance (commissioner) by rule, that explains the coverages and exclusions under the policy and that specifies the coverages and exclusions the insured selected and rejected; and Offer insureds or applicants for insurance a form to select to receive the summary document. If an insurer fails to comply with the requirements of the act, the insured may elect to void any mandatory coverage rejections or exclusions in the automobile insurance policy, may recover reasonable attorney fees and costs incurred for reinstating or rewriting the coverage, and is not required to pay any premium for the policy period applicable for the reinstated or rewritten coverage. Additionally, the act includes on the consumer insurance council a consumer whose first language is not English and requires the commissioner to work with councils established within the division of insurance to engage with bilingual insurance brokers regarding the insurance market for non-English-speaking consumers. APPROVED by Governor May 31, 2024 EFFECTIVE May 31, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Last action: 2024-04-04 · House

Annual Species Conservation Trust Fund Projects

For state fiscal year 2024-25, the act appropriates $5,000,000 from the species conservation trust fund in the state treasury for various wildlife conservation programs directed at conserving candidate species or species that are likely to become candidate species, as determined by the United States fish and wildlife service, as follows: $1,800,000 for the upper Colorado river endangered fish recovery program; $650,000 for selenium management, research, monitoring, evaluation, and control; $50,000 for 3 species recovery efforts; $1,700,000 for native terrestrial wildlife conservation; and $800,000 for native aquatic wildlife conservation. APPROVED by Governor May 17, 2024 EFFECTIVE May 17, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Last action: 2024-04-04 · Senate

School Choice in Kindergarten Through 12th Grade Education System

The concurrent resolution creates a constitutional right that children have equal opportunity to and access to a quality education, that parents, guardians, and legal custodians have the right to direct the education of their children through school choice, and that parents, guardians, and legal custodians may choose school choice options for their children, including neighborhood schools, charter schools, private schools, home schools, open enrollment options, or future innovations in education.(Note: This summary applies to this concurrent resolution as introduced.)

Last action: 2024-04-04 · House

Direct Care Worker Appreciation Week

Last action: 2024-04-04 · House

Impeachment of Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold

Last action: 2024-04-04 · House

Procurement Source Selection Methods

Joint Technology Committee. The bill adds a provision to the procurement code that authorizes an applicable procurement official to select the most appropriate source selection method for a state procurement, even if a different source selection method is specified in statute. The new provision specifies that the procurement official has the discretion, if that official determines that the source selection method specified in statute is not the most appropriate source selection method for the procurement, to determine and use a different source selection method in the best interest of the state, given time requirements, financial considerations, and market conditions.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Last action: 2024-04-03 · Senate

Water Conservation Measures

Section 2 of the act allows the owner of a decreed storage water right to loan water to the Colorado water conservation board (board) to preserve or improve the natural environment to a reasonable degree for a stream reach for which the board does not hold a decreed instream flow water right. Current law requires the board to establish an agricultural water protection program for water divisions 1 and 2. Section 3 changes current law by requiring the board to establish an agricultural water protection program in each water division. Current law allows periods of nonuse of a water right to be tolled in certain circumstances for the purposes of determining whether a water right is abandoned. Section 4 changes current law by allowing a water right to be tolled for the duration that an electric utility that owns a water right in water division 6 decreases use of, or does not use, the water right if the decrease in use or nonuse occurs during the period beginning January 1, 2020, and ending December 31, 2050, and if the water right is owned by the electric utility since January 1, 2019 (abandonment exception). Current law requires an owner of a conditional water right to obtain a finding of reasonable diligence or the conditional water right is considered abandoned. Section 5 allows the water judge, in considering a finding of reasonable diligence for a conditional water right that is owned by an electric utility in water division 6 since January 2019, to consider the following as supporting evidence: The conditional water right may be used to support a specific project or potential future generation technologies or concepts that have the potential to advance progress toward Colorado's clean energy and greenhouse gas emission reduction goals; and The electric utility or another entity has made efforts to investigate or research the viability of future generation technologies that have the potential to advance progress toward Colorado's clean energy and greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. In determining the amount of historical consumptive use for a water right, a water judge is prohibited from considering certain specified uses. Section 6 prohibits the water judge from considering the decrease in use or nonuse of a water right owned by an electric utility in water division 6 since January 1, 2019, which decrease in use or nonuse occurs during the period beginning January 1, 2019, and ending December 31, 2050, in determining the amount of historical consumptive use (historical consumptive use protection). If the water right is leased or loaned by the electric utility to a third party, the water right is not entitled to historical consumptive use protection for the period the water right is subject to the lease or loan. To qualify for historical consumption use protection or the abandonment exception, an electric utility that manages all units of a generating station in water division 6 must file with the water division 6 water court an application seeking quantification of historical consumptive use for the absolute direct flow water rights serving the generating station. The application is a claim for a determination of a water right, and the water division 6 water court has jurisdiction to determine the historical consumptive use for the absolute direct flow water rights serving the generating station. Current law allows the board to approve certain grants related to water conservation and requires the board to establish criteria to require the grant applicant to provide matching funds of at least 25%. Section 8 requires the board to reduce or waive fund matching requirements in the case of a grant to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe or the Southern Ute Indian Tribe. APPROVED by Governor May 29, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Last action: 2024-04-03 · Senate

Sexual Assault Awareness Month Denim Day 2024

Last action: 2024-04-03 · House

Special District Emergency Services Funding

A fire protection district (fire district) has been authorized to receive and spend an impact fee, or other similar development charge, only in connection with a local government's imposition of such fee or charge to fund expenditures by a fire and emergency services provider. The act repeals this limitation and authorizes a fire district to impose its own impact fee on the construction of new buildings, structures, facilities, or improvements on real property within the fire district's jurisdictional boundaries so long as the fee is imposed pursuant to a legislatively adopted schedule that is: Generally applicable to a broad class of property; and Intended to defray the projected impacts on capital facilities caused by the proposed construction. The act imposes the following limitations on a fire district's authority to impose an impact fee: No individual landowner may be required to provide any site-specific dedication or improvement to meet the same need for capital facilities for which an impact fee is imposed; and An impact fee may not be imposed on construction for which an individual or entity has submitted a completed application for a development permit to an approving local government prior to the fire district's adoption of a schedule of impact fees. Additionally, a fire district may waive an impact fee on the development of low- or moderate-income housing or affordable employee housing, as defined by the fire district. The act gives ambulance districts identical authority to that of a fire district to impose an impact fee on the construction of new buildings, structures, facilities, or improvements on real property within the ambulance district's jurisdictional boundaries. The act also gives fire districts and ambulance districts the additional financial power to levy a sales tax within the district's jurisdiction, at a rate determined by the district's board, upon every transaction or other incident with respect to which a sales tax is levied by the state. The tax must be approved by a majority of the eligible electors within the district voting at a regular special district election or at a special election that complies with section 20 of article X of the state constitution and related statutory requirements. Such a sales tax must be collected, administered, and enforced by the executive director of the department of revenue in the same manner as the state sales tax. APPROVED by Governor May 22, 2024 PORTIONS EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024 PORTIONS EFFECTIVE July 1, 2025(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Last action: 2024-04-02 · Senate

Protect Vulnerable Road Users

Section 1 of the act amends the statute that governs the use of automated vehicle identification systems (AVIS) on roadways other than toll highways operated by a public highway authority or the high-performance transportation enterprise in the department of transportation (CDOT) to: Clarify that CDOT and the Colorado state patrol (CSP) have authority to use AVIS to detect traffic violations on any portion of a highway that is owned or maintained by the state (state highway); Clarify the notification and coordination process between local governments, CDOT, and the CSP with respect to the use of AVIS on a state highway; Authorize CDOT to promulgate rules relating to the use of AVIS where it is not designated for use or implemented on state highways by the later of January 1, 2025, or the date the rules are promulgated; Clarify that if the registered owner of a motor vehicle involved in a traffic violation detected by AVIS is engaged in the business of leasing or renting motor vehicles, the registered owner remains liable for payment of a civil penalty assessed for the violation even if the registered owner was not driving the motor vehicle but may obtain payment from the lessor or renter of the motor vehicle and forward the payment to the jurisdiction imposing the civil penalty; and Require civil penalties collected by the state for traffic violations detected by AVIS, net of court and operations costs, to be credited to the state highway fund and used only to fund road safety projects, with priority given to those road safety projects that have the highest potential to reduce vulnerable road user injuries and fatalities while taking into account the planning capacity of each region, that protect vulnerable road users. Section 2 requires CDOT to establish and include in its statutorily required performance plan declining annual targets for vulnerable road user fatalities and, as part of the targets, also establish engineering methodology and internal education requirements for practices to prioritize safety over speed on high-injury networks. For state fiscal year 2025-26 and each succeeding state fiscal year, section 3 requires CDOT, after accounting for eligible critical safety-related asset management surface transportation infrastructure projects and as determined by the transportation commission, to expend a specified minimum amount of the money allocated to the state highway fund from the road safety surcharge and certain other fees, fines, and surcharges that are imposed on motor vehicle registrations and dedicated for certain types of road safety projects that protect vulnerable road users. To guide CDOT in implementing sections 2 and 3, section 4 amends an existing definition of "road safety project" to include certain types of projects that protect vulnerable road users and defines the term "vulnerable road user". APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 5, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Last action: 2024-04-02 · Senate

Implement Prescription Drug Affordability Programs

The act makes it a deceptive trade practice under the "Colorado Consumer Protection Act" for a manufacturer of insulin to fail to comply with the manufacturer requirements under the insulin affordability program and for the emergency supply of prescription insulin. The act also authorizes the attorney general to enforce the epinephrine auto-injector affordability program (epinephrine program). For the insulin affordability program, the state board of pharmacy (board), rather than the division of insurance (division) and the department of health care policy and financing (department), shall develop an application form for the insulin affordability program, make the application form available on the board's website, provide the application form to pharmacies and health-care providers and others, and promote the availability of the program to Coloradans. For the emergency supply of prescription insulin, the board, rather than the division and the department, shall develop an application form for individuals seeking an emergency supply of prescription insulin, make the application form available to the public, and promote the availability of the emergency supply of prescription insulin to Coloradans. The act also changes the amount of a fine for a manufacturer's failure to comply with the requirements of the insulin affordability program or with the requirements for the emergency supply of prescription insulin, or for failure to comply with the epinephrine program, to the amount and frequency of the fine that is permitted under the "Colorado Consumer Protection Act". For the epinephrine program, the act requires all manufacturers subject to the epinephrine program to participate in the epinephrine program. The board shall develop a program application form and make the form available to individuals, pharmacies, health-care providers, and health facilities through the board's website, with each manufacturer required to link to the epinephrine program on the manufacturer's website. The board shall also provide information to pharmacies about the epinephrine program that includes a quick response (QR) code to allow individuals to access the epinephrine program's application online, including how to submit the application, and information necessary for a dispensing pharmacy to successfully submit an electronic claim for reimbursement of the cost to dispense an epinephrine auto-injector to an individual, above any required cost sharing by the individual. APPROVED by Governor June 3, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 3, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Last action: 2024-04-02 · House

Memorial E Marty Hatcher

Last action: 2024-04-02 · Senate

Financial Incentives Expand Apprenticeship Programs

HB 24-1439, titled "Financial Incentives Expand Apprenticeship Programs," provides tax credits for employers who hire apprentices and helps start or expand registered apprenticeship programs in Colorado. Employers can claim a refundable state income tax credit of up to $6,300 per apprentice if they employ an apprentice for at least six months starting from January 1, 2025, with additional funding available through grants to support new and expanding apprenticeship programs. The bill has been signed into law by the governor and is now effective, meaning employers can start preparing to claim these tax credits and apply for grants in the coming years.

Last action: 2024-04-02 · House

Host Homes for Youth

Senate Bill 24-191, also known as the "Host Homes for Youth" bill, requires the Department of Human Services to manage host home programs that provide temporary housing for young people. These programs must follow specific rules and report their activities if they receive government funding. The law allows youth under 23 years old to stay in a host home for up to 21 days or longer with consent, and it mandates parental approval for younger children. This bill was signed into law by the governor on May 22, 2024, and will take effect on August 7, 2024.

Last action: 2024-04-01 · Senate

Motor Vehicle Lemon Law

Current law commonly known as the "lemon law" requires a manufacturer, a manufacturer's agent, or a manufacturer's authorized dealer (dealer) to replace or buy back a motor vehicle if the consumer notified the dealer within the earlier of the warranty period or one year after original delivery of the motor vehicle (notification time) of the motor vehicle's nonconformity with the motor vehicle's warranty (nonconformity) and the motor vehicle underwent a reasonable number of attempts to repair. The number of repairs are considered reasonable if: The motor vehicle was out of service for repairs for a cumulative total of 30 or more business days; or The dealer tried unsuccessfully to repair the motor vehicle 4 or more times. The act: Expands the lemon law to cover motor vehicles affected by safety-based nonconformities; Expands the notification time to include the earlier of the motor vehicle's first 24,000 miles or 2 years after original delivery of the motor vehicle; Lowers the number of out-of-service business days from 30 to 24; and Lowers the number of required attempts to repair from 4 to 3 generally and to 2 for a safety-based nonconformity. Current law requires a manufacturer to be notified of a defect and be given an opportunity to cure the defect in order to be subject to the reasonable repairs presumption. The act adds a 10-business-day limit on the opportunity to cure the defect. Current law allows a dealer, when buying back a motor vehicle, to deduct a reasonable allowance for use. The act sets a formula for determining the reasonable allowance for use. Current law exempts from the lemon law motor vehicles that have a problem that does not affect the market value of the motor vehicle. The act provides that the problem must not affect the safety of the motor vehicle to qualify for the exemption. The act changes the statute of limitations from the earlier of 6 months after the expiration of a warranty or within one year after the original delivery of the motor vehicle to 30 months after the original delivery. The act requires a dealer to allow an agent of a purchaser to inspect a motor vehicle or provide a 7-day free-look period, during which the purchaser may return the motor vehicle and receive a refund of all money paid to purchase the motor vehicle. The dealer must notify purchasers of this inspection right. To make the inspection, an agent may have reasonable access to conduct the inspection, but the agent must be qualified to use or operate any equipment used to inspect the vehicle and must not interfere with normal business operations of the dealer. A dealer is required to give certain notices that a motor vehicle was returned, including notifying the department of revenue (department). The department must put a brand on the title to notify subsequent purchasers. Failing to comply with the act is grounds for discipline for a manufacturer or distributor of motor vehicles. To implement the act, $19,605 is appropriated for the 2024-25 state fiscal year to the department from the Colorado DRIVES vehicle services account in the highway users tax fund. APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Last action: 2024-04-01 · Senate

Protect Tribal Lands from Unauthorized Annexation

The act makes any annexation of lands within the exterior boundaries of a reservation of a federally recognized Indian tribe located within the state into the boundaries of a municipality invalid unless there is a resolution or ordinance approving the annexation by the tribal council or other governing body of the federally recognized Indian tribe within whose reservation the annexation will occur. APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 6, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Last action: 2024-04-01 · Senate

Sports Betting Tax Revenue Voter Approval

The act refers a ballot issue to the voters at the November 2024 statewide election to allow the state to keep and spend all revenue from the existing tax on the net proceeds of licensed sports betting (sports betting tax), including revenue in excess of the $29 million fiscal year estimate included in the 2019 ballot question as follows: All revenue from the sports betting tax up to $29 million annually, together with all revenue derived by the division of gaming in the department of revenue, will continue to be used to pay for the regulation of sports betting, to offset losses to other wagering revenue recipients, and to support responsible gaming, with any remaining money being transferred to the water plan implementation cash fund; and All sports betting tax revenue in excess of $29 million annually will be transferred to the water plan implementation cash fund to be used for water conservation and protection projects. If the majority of electors voting at the November 2024 statewide election vote against allowing the state to keep and spend all sports betting tax revenue as outlined above, then any tax revenue collected in excess of $29 million annually will be refunded to the licensed sports betting operations that paid the sports betting tax according to a reasonable method to be determined by the department of revenue. APPROVED by Governor May 20, 2024 EFFECTIVE May 20, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Last action: 2024-04-01 · House

Expand Affordable Housing Tax Credit

The act increases the amounts of the affordable housing tax credit that the Colorado housing and finance authority may allocate to qualified taxpayers by: $20,000,000 for credits allocated in 2024; $16,000,000 for credits allocated in 2025; $12,000,000 for credits allocated in 2026; $12,000,000 for credits allocated in 2027; $16,000,000 for credits allocated in 2028; $20,000,000 for credits allocated in 2029; $20,000,000 for credits allocated in 2030; and $20,000,000 for credits allocated in 2031. The act accelerates the credit by requiring that a qualified taxpayer claim 70% of the total amount of the credit in the first year of the credit period and claim 6% of the total amount of the credit in each of the second through sixth years of the credit period. The act also creates the Colorado affordable housing in transit-oriented communities income tax credit (tax credit). The tax credit is refundable and administered in the same manner as the Colorado affordable housing tax credit; except that the tax credit: Is awarded in connection with qualified low-income housing projects in certified transit-oriented communities; Must be claimed over a 5-year credit period; and Must be claimed in an accelerated manner such that 70% of the total amount of the tax credit is claimed in the first year of the credit period, 8% in both the second and third years, and 7% in both the fourth and final years. The act allows the following tax credit amounts to be awarded: $2,000,000 for the 2025 calendar year; $2,000,000 for the 2026 calendar year; $2,000,000 for the 2027 calendar year; $11,000,000 for the 2028 calendar year; and $13,000,000 for the 2029 calendar year. The act reduces the amount of money transferred to the housing development grant fund by $35 million for state fiscal year 2024-25 through 2031-32. APPROVED by Governor May 30, 2024 EFFECTIVE May 30, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Last action: 2024-04-01 · House

Remove Governor Approval Parole Juvenile Offender

Current law creates a specialized program (program) for offenders who were sentenced to an adult prison for certain felony offenses committed while the offender was under 21 years of age. Current law permits an offender who successfully completes the program to apply to the governor for early parole, which the governor may grant under certain conditions. Current law requires the state board of parole to review the application, conduct a hearing, and make a recommendation to the governor concerning whether early parole should be granted. The bill removes the requirement for the governor's approval of an early parole application by an offender who completes the program and instead gives the parole board the authority to grant early parole.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Last action: 2024-04-01 · House

Prohibit Flat Fees for Defending Indigent Clients

Beginning July 1, 2025, the act requires a municipality that prosecutes an act of domestic violence and that contracts directly with one or more defense attorneys to provide counsel to indigent defendants to ensure that the municipality's contract does not use a fixed or flat-fee payment structure for indigent defense services. The act requires the municipal court to instead use the same payment structure and rates that are paid by the state of Colorado to attorneys or other interdisciplinary team members under contract with the office of alternate defense counsel and consistent with chief justice directive 04-04. APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2024 EFFECTIVE July 1, 2025(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Last action: 2024-04-01 · House