Under a provision commonly known as the "Gallagher Amendment", the state constitution previously required that the percentage of the aggregate assessed value attributable to residential real property remain the same as it was in the year immediately preceding a new reassessment cycle. Under the Gallagher Amendment, the assessment rate for most nonresidential property was fixed at 29% of actual value, and over time, as residential property values increased, the assessment rate for residential property was driven down, from 21% of actual value in 1985, to 7.15% of actual value in 2019, in order to maintain the required percentage of statewide assessed value attributable to residential property. In 2020, the general assembly adopted, and the voters approved, an amendment to the state constitution to repeal the Gallagher Amendment, thus eliminating the required proportion of statewide assessed value attributable to residential real property and the constitutionally fixed assessment rate for most nonresidential property. The concurrent resolution amends the state constitution to reestablish the essential components of the Gallagher Amendment by: Setting a new base year, which is the 2026 property tax year, for determining the percentage of the aggregate statewide assessed value that is attributable to residential real property; Requiring that percentage of the aggregate statewide assessed value attributable to residential real property to remain the same as the percentage in the year immediately preceding a new reassessment cycle; Requiring the general assembly to establish the valuation for assessment for residential real property to ensure compliance with the proportion required by the state constitution; and Permanently fixing the valuation for assessment for nonresidential property, other than producing mines and lands or leaseholds producing oil or gas, to be as set forth in state statute for the 2026 property tax year.(Note: This summary applies to this concurrent resolution as introduced.)
The bill creates the tax code legislative task force (task force). The task force consists of both members of the general assembly and individuals who are not members of the general assembly. The purpose of the task force is to make recommendations to restructure the tax burden on the citizens of the state to foster economic growth and to design a new tax code that eliminates all taxes and fees in the state other than the sales and use tax. The task force is required to: Convene no later than June 2, 2025; Meet at least once every 3 months or more often as directed by the chair of the task force; Make findings and determinations regarding specified aspects of state and local government taxes and revenue; and Submit a report with its findings and recommendations to the general assembly within one year of its first meeting. The task force is repealed on June 30, 2027. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
For property tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2025, the bill modifies the reduction in valuation for assessment of residential real property for the purpose of a levy imposed by a local governmental entity that was enacted in Senate Bill 24-233. Senate Bill 24-233 reduces the valuation for assessment of residential real property by the lesser of 10% of the actual value of the property or $70,000, as adjusted for inflation. The bill replaces that reduction with a reduction in valuation for assessment tied to the median actual value of residential real property in a county as determined by the county assessor as of the most recent assessment cycle. Under the new valuation reduction mechanism, the valuation for assessment is reduced based on the actual value of the property minus an amount equal to: For property with an actual value below 70% of the county median property value, 15% of the actual value of the property; or For property with an actual value equal to or exceeding 70% of the county median property value, the amount equal to the difference between: The amount equal to 15% of 70% of the county median property value; and The amount equal to 9% of the difference between: The actual value of the property; and The amount equal to 70% of the county median property value. The bill takes effect only if Senate Bill 24-233 becomes law. Senate Bill 24-233 becomes law only if neither of the following occur: An initiative that reduces valuations for assessment is approved by the people at the general election held on November 5, 2024; and An initiative that requires voter approval for retaining property tax revenue that exceeds a limit is approved by the people at the general election held on November 5, 2024.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
For property tax years commencing during property tax reassessment cycles (cycles) that begin on or after January 1, 2025, the bill changes the amount of the exemptions for the owner-occupied primary residence (residence) of a qualifying senior, a veteran with a disability, or the surviving spouse of a United States armed forces service member who died in the line of duty or veteran whose death resulted from a service-related injury or disease (exemptions) from 50% of the first $200,000 of actual value of the residence to 50% of an amount of actual value of the residence equal to 50% of 50% of the estimated state median home value (median home value) for the state; except that, if the median home value declines, the exemption amount continues to be calculated based on the median home value used to calculate the exemption amount for the property tax years included in the prior cycle. The state constitution currently only allows a senior who has owned and occupied the senior's residence for 10 years, or the surviving spouse of such a senior, to claim the exemption. For property tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2027, if at the 2026 general election the voters of the state approve a referred constitutional amendment to allow a senior, or the surviving spouse of such a senior (surviving spouse), who has previously qualified for the exemption for 2016 or any later year for a prior residence to claim the exemption for the senior's or surviving spouse's current residence regardless of how long the senior or surviving spouse has owned and occupied that residence, the bill makes the statutory changes needed to conform to the constitutional amendment. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill provides additional property tax relief for certain homeowners by reducing the valuation for assessment (valuation) for residential real property for the purpose of a levy imposed by a local governmental entity other than a school district, enacted in Senate Bill 24-233, as follows: For qualified-senior primary residence real property: For the 2025 property tax year, the valuation is reduced from 6.4% of the amount equal to the actual value of the property minus either 50% of the first $200,000 of that actual value plus the lesser of 10% of that actual value or $70,000 or the amount that causes the valuation to be $1,000 to 6.4% of the amount equal to the actual value of the property minus either 50% of the first $200,000 of that actual value plus the lesser of 15% of that actual value or $55,000 or the amount that causes the valuation to be $1,000; and For the 2026 property tax year, the valuation is reduced from 6.95% of the amount equal to the actual value of the property minus either 50% of the first $200,000 of that actual value plus the lesser of 10% of that actual value or $70,000 or the amount that causes the valuation to be $1,000 to 6.95% of the amount equal to the actual value of the property minus either 50% of the first $200,000 of that actual value plus the lesser of 15% of that actual value or $55,000 or the amount that causes the valuation to be $1,000; For all residential real property other than qualified-senior primary residence real property, for the 2026 property tax year and each succeeding property tax year, the valuation is reduced from 6.95% of the amount equal to the actual value of the property minus the lesser of 10% of that actual value or $70,000 as increased for inflation in the first year of each subsequent reassessment cycle to 6.95% of the amount equal to the actual value of the property minus the lesser of 15% of that actual value or $55,000 as increased for inflation in the first year of each subsequent reassessment cycle. The bill takes effect only if Senate Bill 24-233 becomes law. Senate Bill 24-233 becomes law only if neither of the following occur: An initiative that reduces valuations for assessment is approved by the people at the general election held on November 5, 2024; and An initiative that requires voter approval for retaining property tax revenue that exceeds a limit is approved by the people at the general election held on November 5, 2024.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Contingent on Senate Bill 24-233 becoming law, the bill is referred to the voters for their approval or rejection at the November 2025 statewide election. Senate Bill 24-233 becomes law only if neither of the following occur: An initiative that reduces valuations for assessment is approved by the people at the general election held on November 5, 2024; and An initiative that requires voter approval for retaining property tax revenue that exceeds a limit is approved by the people at the general election held on November 5, 2024. If the bill is referred to the voters and approved, then for property tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2026, it creates a new subclass of residential real property called qualified primary residence real property, which includes residential real property that, as of the assessment date, is used as the primary residence of an owner-occupier, as defined in the bill, if: The owner-occupier applies to the county assessor for the classification in the manner required by the bill; The circumstances that qualify the property for the classification have not changed since the filing of the application; and The property is not classified as qualified-senior primary residence real property for the current property tax year. The bill modifies the residential property valuation for the purpose of a levy imposed by a local governmental entity, enacted in Senate Bill 24-233, so that the reduction in valuation for assessment of the lesser of 10% of the actual value of the property or $70,000, as adjusted for inflation, applies only to real property classified as qualified primary residence real property. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill authorizes a special district that meets specified criteria to seek voter approval to be exempted from any applicable statutory limitations on the collection, retention, or spending of property tax revenue by the special district. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
This constitutional amendment would allow local governments in Colorado to ask voters if they want to replace their standard property tax with a land value tax. Under this system, property owners would pay taxes based only on the value of their land, ignoring the worth of any buildings or improvements on it. The change requires approval from local voters through a ballot measure and would apply to all taxable land within a community, with specific rules for agriculture and clean energy projects. If approved, the law would also adjust how school funding is calculated and permit local officials to pair the new tax with reductions in other fees.
A public school contracting entity (entity) that executes enters into a contract or renews a contract on or after July 1, 2024, with a vendor or provider of a curated digital research collection (collection) shall include in the terms of the contract a termination clause stating that the contract is materially breached and grounds for termination exist if on 3 separate occasions, a collection is found to have advertisements, promotions, or embedded links or URLs that contain material that is harmful to students or direct students to material that is harmful to students. A public school employee, contractor, or volunteer shall report, and students, parents, guardians, legal custodians, or community members (interested parties) may report, the material that is harmful to students to the entity. The report must include the name of the digital collection and the title of the document, the reference number, or keywords used to access the collection. The entity shall notify the vendor or provider and the department of education (department) of each reported incident. The vendor or provider must remove the material that is harmful to students within 3 business days after receiving notice. the collection contains advertisements, promotions, or embedded links or URLs. All vendors must certify that collections are free of advertisements, promotions, or embedded links or URLs. If a vendor violates the terms of the contract, the entity is entitled to reimbursement and may pursue remedies for breach of contract. The bill requires public schools to annually notify interested parties of the reporting procedures. Public schools may include information on their websites regarding how to make a report. If a public school contracts or enters into an agreement with a public library that promotes a collection, the public school shall annually disclose the details of the contract or agreement by e-mail to the local school district board of education and parents, guardians, or legal custodians of students enrolled in the public school. If any material changes to the contract occur, the public school shall send an e-mail notification to the local school district board of education, parents, guardians, or legal custodians of students enrolled in the school. The department is required to annually report to the general assembly on the number of reports that occur each year. (Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.) (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The act requires a testing entity to grant an individual's request for a testing accommodation on a licensing exam without requiring the individual to undergo a diagnostic exam or psychological assessment if the individual has a recognized disability, provides proof of having received the testing accommodation on a past standardized exam or high-stakes test, provides a recommendation letter from the individual's treating medical professional supporting the requested accommodations, and requests the same testing accommodation that the individual previously received on a similar standardized exam or high-stakes test. The act allows an individual who is adversely affected or aggrieved by a testing entity's decision regarding the individual's request for a testing accommodation to bring a civil action against the testing entity. The act allows the attorney general to investigate violations of, and allows the attorney general to bring a civil action against, a testing entity for an alleged violation. APPROVED by Governor June 7, 2024 EFFECTIVE January 1, 2025(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act allows a health-care provider (applicant) who possesses a license, certificate, registration, or other approval as a health-care provider in another state (out-of-state credential) to provide health-care services through telehealth to patients located in Colorado if the applicant registers with the regulator that regulates the health-care services the applicant will provide (regulator). An applicant is eligible for registration if: The applicant submits an application in a manner prescribed by the division of professions and occupations (division) in the department of regulatory agencies (department) and pays the applicable fee; The applicant possesses an out-of-state credential issued by a governmental authority in another state, the District of Columbia, or a possession or territory of the United States that is active and unencumbered, that has educational and supervisory standards equivalent to or exceeding the educational and supervisory standards required for the equivalent credential in this state or the interstate compacft license for the applicable credential type, and that entitles the applicant to perform health-care services that are substantially similar to health-care services that may be performed by a licensee, certificate holder, or registrant in this state; The applicant designates an agent upon whom service of process may be made in Colorado; The applicant has not been subject to any disciplinary action relating to the applicant's out-of-state credential during the 5-year period immediately preceding the submission of the applicant's application that has resulted in the applicant's out-of-state credential being limited, suspended, or revoked, unless the disciplinary action pertains to an action, behavior, or treatment permitted under Colorado law; and The applicant demonstrates passage of a jurisprudence examination administered by the division if passage of a jurisprudence examination is required for substantially similar credentialing in this state. An applicant who has been registered to provide health-care services through telehealth to patients located in Colorado (registered provider) shall: Provide health-care services in compliance with the professional practice standards for health-care services in this state; In the event of an emergency situation, make a good faith effort to contact and coordinate with emergency services located near the originating site, or facilitate contact with the appropriate local mental and behavioral health services, and remain on a synchronous connection with the patient, if the emergency arises during a synchronous connection, until emergency services have reached the originating site or the situation is resolved in the registered provider's clinical judgment; Maintain a written emergency protocol that is appropriate to the applicable standard of care for Colorado; Notify the applicable regulator of restrictions placed on the registered provider's out-of-state credential in any state or jurisdiction or of any disciplinary action taken or pending against the registered provider in any state or jurisdiction; Maintain and have in effect a form of financial responsibility that covers services provided to patients in this state as required by the applicable regulator; Disclose to the patient that the registered provider does not have a physical location in Colorado and disclose the location of the registered provider; and Not open an office in this state and shall not provide in-person health-care services to patients located in this state unless the health-care provider obtains the license, certification, or registration that the applicable regulator requires for the performance of the relevant health-care services in this state. The act also allows the division or the regulator to take disciplinary action against a registered provider under specified conditions. The department may notify other states in which the registered provider is licensed, registered, or certified to practice of any disciplinary actions taken against the registered provider in this state. A registered provider is prohibited from prescribing a controlled substance. APPROVED by Governor June 7, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
On July 1, 2024, the act requires the state treasurer to transfer $3.8 million from the general fund to the regional talent development initiative grant program fund to address workforce shortages in infrastructure and building trades. Of this amount, the office of economic development (office) is authorized to use not more than 7% for the administrative costs incurred to administer the regional talent development initiative grant program. The regional talent summit grant program (grant program) is created and is administered by the office. The grant program, through a selection committee, will award grants to and contract with a program facilitator to convene and facilitate regional summits across the state. The goals of the program facilitator are to understand workforce development needs in identified regions of the state, generate a landscape analysis for each identified region that includes job projections and an overview of educational pathways, gather insight from employers about critical workforce and training needs, create regional goals for addressing talent needs, and develop comprehensive tactical plans. Beginning January 1, 2026, any modified or new local workforce development plan must incorporate the tactical plans. The workforce development plans must be published in the Colorado talent report. The program facilitator must complete all regional talent summits on or before July 1, 2025, and submit workforce plans as a result of the regional talent summits by December 1, 2025. The grant program, through a selection committee, will also award grants to one or more regional hosts to secure facilities to host regional talent summits, determine community partners to attend the summits, and gather insight from regional employers about critical workforce and training needs. The regional talent summit grant program fund (fund) is created in the state treasury. On July 1, 2024, the state treasurer is required to transfer $200,000 from the general fund to the fund. The money in the fund is continuously appropriated to the office to be used for purposes of the grant program. The act establishes a state income tax credit (tax credit) for the costs of facility improvement and equipment acquisition associated with training programs designed to alleviate workforce shortages beginning January 1, 2026. A qualified taxpayer in a qualified industry may earn a tax credit equal to up to 50% of the costs incurred by the qualified taxpayer to improve its facilities and acquire equipment. The tax credit is refundable and may not be carried forward. To claim the tax credit, a qualified taxpayer must first reserve the tax credit by applying to be in the evaluation pool established by the office. A selection committee will consider the merits of each application to determine which taxpayers are qualified to reserve the tax credit. If a taxpayer is qualified and approved, the taxpayer is required to incur facility improvements and equipment acquisition costs to claim the tax credit. If the applicant submits evidence that the costs were incurred during the income tax year for which the applicant applied, and those costs are certified by a certified public accountant, the applicant may be awarded a tax credit. The aggregate amount of tax credits reserved in one calendar year cannot exceed $15 million and the amount is decreased to $7.5 million if the September revenue forecasts by legislative council or the office of state planning and budgeting project that state revenues will not increase by at least 4% for that fiscal year. A person or organization not subject to tax or a person or organization exempt from taxes is required to make and file a return containing information prescribed by the executive director to claim the tax credit. The workforce development tax credit program cash fund (fund) is created in the state treasury. The fund consists of gifts, grants, donations, and fee revenue credited to the fund and any money the general assembly may appropriate to the fund. The money in the fund is continuously appropriated to the office for the purpose of administering the tax credit. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $109,603 from the general fund to the office of the governor for use by economic development programs. The appropriation may be used for opportunity now grant administration. APPROVED by Governor June 7, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
