Current law allows a grandparent or great-grandparent to seek a court order granting the grandparent or great-grandparent the right to visit grandchildren or great-grandchildren when there is or has been a child custody case or a case concerning the allocation of parental responsibilities relating to that child. The act allows a court to appoint a child's legal representative to represent the child's best interests in a matter seeking to grant grandparents or great-grandparents family time (family time) with grandchildren or great-grandchildren. The act clarifies that in determining the best interests of a child for the purpose of family time, the court shall presume that any parental determination regarding family time is in the best interests of the child. A grandparent or great-grandparent may overcome the presumption by proving through clear and convincing evidence that the family time is in the child's best interests. The act changes the term "visitation rights" to "grandparent or great-grandparent family time". APPROVED by Governor May 23, 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.)
The act creates the wolf depredation compensation fund (fund) to compensate landowners and agricultural producers for wolf depredation of livestock and working animals. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, the state treasurer is directed to transfer $175,000 from the general fund to the fund, and for each state fiscal year thereafter, the state treasurer is directed to transfer $350,000 from the general fund to the fund. At the end of the 2023-24 and 2024-25 state fiscal years, any unencumbered balance in the fund that exceeds $100,000 is used to implement the gray wolf restoration and management plan (plan). At the end of subsequent state fiscal years, any unencumbered balance in the fund that exceeds 120% of the amount spent from the fund in the previous state fiscal year is used to implement the plan. The parks and wildlife commission may adopt rules establishing criteria for compensation, including criteria for indirect livestock loss. Each year, the director of the division of parks and wildlife will submit a report at the appropriate "SMART Act" hearing. To implement the act, $175,000 is appropriated from the fund to the department of natural resources for use by the division of parks and wildlife. APPROVED by Governor May 23, 2023 EFFECTIVE May 23, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
For income tax years commencing prior to January 1, 2025, a taxpayer who makes a monetary contribution to promote child care in the state is allowed an income tax credit that is equal to 50% of the total value of the contribution. The act extends the credit for 3 years. The act requires the department of revenue to consult with the early childhood leadership commission, the public-private collaboration unit in the department of personnel, and the department of early childhood to develop recommendations for measuring the effectiveness of the tax credit and recommendations for improving and expanding the tax credit. The act also requires the state auditor to prepare the tax expenditure evaluation report for the credit that the law periodically requires in the income tax year commencing January 1, 2026. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, $78,254 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of revenue to implement the act and $10,881 of the appropriation is reappropriated to the department of personnel to provide document management services for the department of revenue. APPROVED by Governor May 23, 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.)
The law has required that a child's name and identifying information be deleted from criminal justice records released to the public if the child was a victim of certain enumerated sexual offenses. The act removes the limitation that a child be a victim of an enumerated sexual offense for the child's name and identifying information to be deleted from a criminal justice record released to the public. The act also requires that the name and identifying information of a child who witnesses a criminal offense be deleted from criminal justice records released to the public. The act specifies that these deletion requirements do not apply to criminal justice records that solely involve traffic offenses. The act establishes a good cause exception that allows a person to petition a district court for the disclosure of the name and identifying information of a child witness or child victim. The person seeking disclosure must establish good cause for disclosure at a hearing conducted after the child victim, child witness, or their respective legal guardian receives notice. Good cause means a finding that the person seeking disclosure has established that the public interest in accessing the child victim's or child witness's name and identifying information substantially outweighs the harm to the privacy interest of the child victim, child witness, or their respective legal guardian. The law previously required a criminal justice agency to make the notation "CHILD VICTIM" on a criminal justice record involving a child victim when the child victim's name is disclosed during proceedings related to the criminal justice record or when the child victim or child victim's guardian requests the notation. The act requires that a criminal justice agency make the notation "CHILD WITNESS" on a criminal justice record involving a child witness under the same circumstances. The act specifies that a victim's right-to-be-heard and notice requirements of the Victim Rights Act apply to a hearing for the disclosure of a child victim's or child witness's name and identifying information. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, $387,449 is appropriated from the general fund to the judicial department for trial court programs and capital outlay needed to implement the act. APPROVED by Governor May 23, 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.)
Section 2 of the act requires the state electrical board (board) to adopt rules requiring compliance, starting March 1, 2024, with the provisions of the model electric ready and solar ready code that require multifamily buildings to comply with the electric vehicle (EV) power transfer infrastructure requirements. The board is precluded from adopting rules that prohibit the installation or use of EV charging stations unless the rules address a bona fide safety concern. Sections 3 and 4 expand the prohibition against a landlord of rental property or a management association (association) of a common interest community from unreasonably prohibiting the installation of EV charging equipment in the leased premises or a unit in the common interest community (unit) to also apply to an assigned or a deeded parking space for the leased premises or unit, to parking spaces accessible to both the tenant or unit owner and other tenants or unit owners, and to commercial rental property.A landlord or association must also allow an EV or a plug-in hybrid vehicle to park on the premises. Colorado law grants a local government the ability to regulate parking, and this regulation includes requiring that buildings meet minimum parking standards. Sections 5, 6, and 7 require a local government, when counting minimum parking spaces, to count: Any parking space that is served by an EV charging station as at least one standard automobile parking space; and Any van-accessible parking space that is wheelchair accessible and served by an EV charging station as at least 2 standard automobile parking spaces. Sections 8 and 9 prohibit local governments from adopting an ordinance or a resolution that prohibits the installation or use of EV charging stations or restricts parking based on a vehicle being a plug-in hybrid vehicle or plug-in electric vehicle unless the ordinance or resolution addresses a bona fide safety concern. The decision is subject to judicial review. Sections 10 and 11 give local governments that have electrical, elevator and escalator, and plumbing codes adopted by reference to state codes the option to not adopt certain energy efficiency codes when their electrical, elevator and escalator, and plumbing codes are automatically updated because the state has updated these codes. Section 12 exempts, until 2030, EV charging systems from the levy and collection of property tax. Federal law prohibits the construction of automotive service stations or other commercial establishments for serving motor vehicle users along interstate highway rights-of-way, including rest areas. Due to this prohibition, the state cannot construct EV charging systems along interstate highway rights-of-way, including rest areas, in the state. Section 13 specifies that, when the federal law no longer prohibits the construction of EV charging systems along interstate highway rights-of-way, the department of transportation may collaborate with public or private entities to develop projects for the construction of EV charging systems along interstate highway rights-of-way. In addition, the department of transportation may develop these types of projects along state highways. Section 14 defines the phrase "disproportionately impacted community" for state government to include communities in which: The proportion of households that are below 200% of the federal poverty level is greater than 40%; The proportion of households that spend more than 30% of household income on housing is greater than 50%; The proportion of the population that identifies as people of color is greater than 40%; The proportion of the population that is linguistically isolated is greater than 20%; The population has a history of being subject to environmental racism perpetuated through redlining or through anti-indigenous, anti-immigrant, anti-Latino, or anti-Black laws, policies, or practices and that present-day demographic factors and data demonstrate that the community currently faces environmental health disparities; The community is identified by a statewide agency as being one where multiple factors, including socioeconomic stressors, vulnerable populations, disproportionate environmental burdens, vulnerability to environmental degradation or climate change, and lack of public participation, may act cumulatively to affect health and the environment and may contribute to persistent disparities; The community is a mobile home park; or The community is located on the Southern Ute or Ute Mountain Ute Indian reservation. All statewide agencies are required to use the definition of disproportionately impacted community, but the agencies are given flexibility in applying the definition. APPROVED by Governor May 23, 2023 EFFECTIVE May 23, 2023(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
In determining bond or an alternative sentence for a pregnant or postpartum defendant (defendant), the act creates a rebuttable presumption against detention and incarceration of a defendant if the defendant provides the court and district attorney with notice of the defendant's status as a pregnant or postpartum defendant at each applicable stage of the court proceedings. If the court decides to detain or incarcerate the defendant, the act requires the court to make specific findings on the record that the risk to public safety, or any other factor the court is required to consider, is substantial enough to outweigh the risks related to incarceration. Notwithstanding the provisions of the act, a court shall not: Set bond or release the pregnant or postpartum defendant on bond if the pregnant or postpartum defendant is ineligible for bond; Accept an agreement or impose an alternative sentence if the pregnant or postpartum defendant is ineligible for a diversion program, deferred judgment, probationary sentence, or another form of alternative sentence; or Apply the rebuttable presumption if a pregnant or postpartum defendant was convicted of a crime of violence. If a defendant is arrested or in custody at a county jail or correctional facility, the defendant may request a pregnancy test following admission to the county jail or correctional facility. Staff at the county jail or correctional facility shall provide a pregnancy test to the defendant within 24 hours after the request. Requesting the test, taking the test, and results of the test are confidential medical information and must not be disclosed, except when the defendant receives medical care. The act allows a court to consider the following forms of alternative sentencing for a defendant: A diversion; A deferred judgment and sentence; or A stay of execution (stay). If the defendant is convicted of a new crime or violates substantive conditions imposed by a court while a stay is imposed, the court may add conditions, issue warrants, end the stay, or continue the stay. The act applies to pregnant or postpartum juveniles (juvenile). In determining commitment, bond, or an alternative sentence for a juvenile, the act creates a rebuttable presumption against detention and commitment if the juvenile provides the court and district attorney with notice of the juvenile's status as a pregnant or postpartum juvenile at each applicable stage of the court proceedings. If the court decides to detain or commit the juvenile, the act requires the court to make specific findings on the record that the risk to public safety, or any other factor the court is required to consider, is substantial enough to outweigh the risks related to detention or commitment. The act allows the following forms of alternative sentencing for a juvenile: A diversion; A deferred judgment and sentence; or A stay. Notwithstanding the provisions of the act, a court shall not: Set bond or release the pregnant or postpartum juvenile on bond if the pregnant or postpartum juvenile is ineligible for bond; Accept an agreement or impose an alternative sentence if the pregnant or postpartum juvenile is ineligible for a diversion program, deferred judgment, probationary sentence, or another form of alternative sentence; or Apply the rebuttable presumption if a pregnant or postpartum juvenile was convicted of a crime of violence. Current law requires a court to admit in a criminal proceeding information that is reported by mandatory reporters related to a defendant's substance use discovered in the course of medical care related to pregnancy. The act eliminates the requirement. APPROVED by Governor May 23, 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.)
The act amends the regulatory framework for natural medicine and natural medicine product. The act requires the director of the division of professions and occupations to: Regulate facilitators and the practice of regulation, including issuing licenses for facilitators; Promulgate rules necessary for the regulation of facilitators and the practice of facilitation; and Perform duties necessary for the implementation and administration of the "Natural Medicine Health Act of 2022", including investigatory and disciplinary authority. The act creates the natural medicine advisory board (board). The board's duties include examining issues related to natural medicine and natural medicine product, and making recommendations to the director of the division of professions and occupations and the executive director of the state licensing authority. The act creates the federally recognized American tribes and Indigenous community working group (working group). The working group's duties include studying issues related to legalizing and regulating natural medicine and natural medicine product, the effect of legalization and regulation on federally recognized American tribes and Indigenous people and communities, and making recommendations to the director of the division of professions and occupations and the board. The act creates within the department of revenue the natural medicine division for the purpose of regulating and licensing the cultivation, manufacturing, testing, storage, distribution, transport, transfer, and dispensation of natural medicine or natural medicine product between natural medicine licensees. The act requires the natural medicine division to: Regulate natural medicine, natural medicine product, and natural medicine businesses, including healing centers, cultivators, manufacturers, and testers, and issue licenses for such businesses; Promulgate rules necessary for the regulation of natural medicine, natural medicine product, and natural medicine businesses; and Perform duties necessary for the regulation of natural medicine, natural medicine product, and natural medicine businesses, including investigatory and disciplinary authority. The act requires the department of revenue to coordinate with the department of public health and environment concerning testing standards of regulated natural medicine and natural medicine product. The act requires a sunset review for the articles governing the department of regulatory affairs and the department of revenue in the regulation of natural medicine, natural medicine product, facilitators, and natural medicine businesses. The act states that: A person who is under 21 years of age who knowingly possesses or consumes natural medicine or natural medicine product commits a drug petty offense and is subject to a fine of not more than $100 or not more than 4 hours of substance use education or counseling; except that a second or subsequent offense is subject to a fine of not more than $100, not more than 4 hours of substance use education or counseling, and not more than 24 hours of useful public service; A person who openly and publicly consumes natural medicine or natural medicine product commits a drug petty offense and is subject to a fine of not more than $100 and not more than 24 hours of useful public service; A person who knowingly cultivates natural medicine is required to do so on the person's private property, subject to area and physical security requirements. A person who violates this provision commits a drug petty offense and is subject to a fine of not more than $1,000. A person who is not licensed to manufacture natural medicine product and who knowingly manufactures natural medicine product using an inherently hazardous substance commits a level 2 drug felony; Unless expressly limited, a person who, for the purpose of personal use and without remuneration, possesses, consumes, shares, cultivates, or manufactures natural medicine or natural medicine product does not violate state or local law; except that nothing permits a person to distribute natural medicine or natural medicine product to a person for certain unlawful purposes; Unless expressly limited, a person who performs testing on natural medicine or natural medicine product for another person who is 21 years of age or older who submits for testing natural medicine or natural medicine product intended for personal use does not violate state or local law; A peace officer is prohibited from arresting, and a district attorney is prohibited from charging or prosecuting, a person for a criminal offense pursuant to part 4 of article 18 of title 18 involving natural medicine or natural medicine product, unless expressly provided by the act; A lawful action related to natural medicine or natural medicine product must not be the sole reason to subject a person to a civil penalty, deny a right or privilege, or seize assets; A lawful action related to natural medicine or natural medicine product must not be used as the sole factor in a probable cause determination of any criminal offense; except that an action may be used in such determination if the original stop or search was lawful and other factors are present to support a probable cause determination of any criminal offense; The fact that a person is entitled to consume natural medicine or natural medicine product does not constitute a defense against any charge for violation of an offense related to operation of a vehicle, aircraft, boat, machinery, or other device; A local jurisdiction is prohibited from adopting, enacting, or enforcing a conflicting law; and A person or entity who occupies, owns, or controls a property may prohibit or otherwise regulate the cultivation or manufacture of natural medicine or natural medicine product on or in that property. The act states that the juvenile court has exclusive original jurisdiction in proceedings concerning a juvenile 10 years of age or older who has violated an offense concerning natural medicine or natural medicine product. Furthermore, the juvenile court and county court have concurrent jurisdiction over a juvenile who is 10 years of age or older who has violated an offense concerning natural medicine product; except that if the juvenile court accepts jurisdiction, the county court jurisdiction terminates. The act states that an act involving natural medicine or natural medicine product that is performed by a person: Does not solely constitute child abuse or neglect, or grounds for restricting or prohibiting family time; Does not constitute an offense such that its possession or use constitutes a violation of conditions of probation or parole; Does not solely constitute grounds for denying health insurance coverage; Does not solely constitute grounds for discrimination for organ donation; and Must not be considered for public assistance benefits eligibility, unless required by federal law. The act makes a person eligible to file a motion to have conviction records related to natural medicine or natural medicine product sealed. Under federal law, certain expenses are disallowed under section 280E of the internal revenue code. Under state law, the state income tax code permits taxpayers who are licensed under the "Colorado Marijuana Code" to subtract expenses that are disallowed by section 280E of the internal revenue code. The act expands this permission to taxpayers who are licensed under the "Colorado Natural Medicine Code". For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, the act appropriates: $733,658 from the general fund to the department of revenue, of which, $190,332 is reappropriated to the department of law; $101,150 from the legal services cash fund to the department of law; and $838,402 from the general fund to the department of public health and environment. APPROVED by Governor May 23, 2023 EFFECTIVE July 1, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Under the law, a qualified business is allowed a tax credit in the amount of 50% of the costs to convert the qualified business to a form of employee ownership. The tax credit has been capped at $25,000 for converting a qualified business to a worker-owned cooperative or employee ownership trust and $100,000 for converting a qualified business to an employee stock ownership plan. The act: Increases the caps for converting a qualified business to a worker-owned cooperative or employee ownership trust from $25,000 to $40,000, and for converting a qualified business to an employee stock ownership plan from $100,000 to $150,000; Expands the tax credit to include 50% of the costs of a qualified employee-owned business expanding its employee ownership by at least 20%, not to exceed $25,000; Expands the tax credit to include 50% of the costs of a qualified business converting to or expanding an alternate equity structure, not to exceed $25,000. An alternate equity structure is a mechanism under which an employer grants to employees a form of employee ownership, including an employee stock ownership plan, LLC membership, phantom stock, profit interest, restricted stock, stock appreciation right, stock option, or synthetic equity. Establishes certain minimum requirements for an alternate equity structure and requires the Colorado office of economic development in the office of the governor to develop guidelines for the types of employee ownership grants that qualify as an alternate equity structure; and Specifies that a qualified business or qualified employee-owned business may apply for and claim only one credit for the conversion or expansion costs per tax year. APPROVED by Governor May 23, 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.)
In 2019, the general assembly adopted an apprenticeship utilization law (apprenticeship utilization law) that requires the general contractor for a public project that does not receive federal money, and that is in the amount of $1,000,000 or more, to submit, at the time a mechanical, electrical, or plumbing subcontractor is put under contract, certain documentation regarding the contractors that will do the work to the contracting agency. At the same time, the general assembly also adopted a prevailing wage law (prevailing wage law) that requires any contractor who is awarded a contract for a public project by an agency of government for $500,000 or more and that does not include federal money, and any subcontractors working on the public project, to pay their employees a prevailing wage at weekly intervals. The act creates a new category of public projects defined as "energy sector public works projects", and requires these projects to comply with the requirements of the apprenticeship utilization law and the prevailing wage law. An "energy sector public works project" is any project that: Has the purpose of generating, transmitting, or distributing electricity or natural gas to provide energy to Colorado individual consumers and businesses, is built by or for a public utility, and is funded in whole or in part by the state or utility customer funding; or Has the purpose of generating or distributing electricity or natural gas for the purpose of providing energy to Colorado individual consumers and businesses from utility customer funding as approved by a cooperative electric association. With certain exceptions, the act requires that a contract between public utilities, cooperative electric associations, or independent power producers and lead contractors for an energy sector public works project include provisions that expressly require that all work performed under the contract comply with the apprenticeship utilization law and the state prevailing wage law if the project is an electric power generation project with a nameplate generation capacity of one megawatt or higher or if the project is a project other than an electric power generation project with a total cost of one million dollars or more. All contracts with subcontractors on the project are also required to include such provisions. If the contract for an energy sector public works project does not include such provisions, the project will not be eligible to receive state funding or to receive required authorizations or approvals from the public utilities commission (PUC). For projects funded in whole or in part by the state, the requirements to comply with the apprenticeship utilization law and the prevailing wage law apply only when the project is a power generation project with a nameplate generation capacity of one megawatt or higher or an energy storage system with an energy rating of one megawatt of power capacity or 4 megawatt hours of useable energy capacity or higher and the aggregated public assistance from the state is $500,000 or more. For other projects, the apprenticeship utilization law and the prevailing wage law apply only when the total project cost is one million dollars or more and the aggregated public assistance from the state, funding from a public utility, or funding from a cooperative electric association is $500,000 or more. The requirements to comply with the apprenticeship utilization law and the prevailing wage law do not apply to a project that is covered by a project labor agreement, work on an energy sector public works project performed by employees of a utility company, work on an energy sector public works project put out to bid on or after January 1, 2024, that is qualified for and claims the increased federal production tax credit or investment tax credit amount by having satisfied federal "Inflation Reduction Act" requirements, a utility-incentivized demand-side management or electrification program, a utility or state-funded building energy efficiency program, service agreements that were entered into on or before March 1, 2023, projects that involve an electric distribution line with a specified capacity, and projects that involve pipelines with a specified minimum yield strength. The lead contractor for an energy sector public works project is required to prepare certified payroll records for workers directly employed by the contractor, obtain certified payroll records from all contractors and subcontractors on the project, and submit the records to the public utility or other owner of the energy sector public works project weekly. The lead contractor is also required to prepare a quarterly craft labor certification that attests that the lead contractor and all subcontractors are compliant with the apprenticeship utilization law and the prevailing wage law. The public utility, cooperative electric association, independent power producer, or other owner of an energy sector public works project is required to maintain the records for all craft labor certifications and is required to either provide copies quarterly to the department of labor and employment or require the lead contractor to provide such copies. The state auditor's office is required to conduct an audit of the PUC's approval of energy sector public works projects no later than January 1, 2029, and at least 5 years thereafter. The purpose of the audit is to establish oversight and accountability for compliance with the "best value" employment metrics for electric resources acquisition and the employment, training, wage, and apprenticeship requirements specified in the act. Violations of the requirements for energy sector public works project contracts are subject to the penalties described in the apprenticeship utilization law and the prevailing wage law. In lieu of compliance with the apprenticeship utilization law and the prevailing wage law, a public utility, cooperative electric association, or independent power producer may incorporate a project labor agreement requirement for an energy sector public works project. The PUC is prohibited from denying approval of an energy sector public works project solely because it uses a project labor agreement. The act specifies which provisions of the apprenticeship utilization law for public projects apply to energy sector public works projects. Regarding "best value" employment metrics that the PUC is required to consider when it evaluates electric resource acquisitions and requests for certificates of public convenience and necessity for construction or expansion of generating facilities, the act requires the PUC to promulgate rules requiring utilities, when submitting annual progress reports for an electric resource acquisition, to collect and provide to the PUC information concerning the implementation of "best value" employment metrics and requires the PUC to report annually to committees of reference of the general assembly concerning the information that is reported. The act adds enforcement mechanisms for the existing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing apprenticeship utilization requirements for gas demand-side management projects and beneficial electrification projects. In addition, the act requires that projects undertaken pursuant to specified existing state laws comply with the state mechanical, electrical, and plumbing apprenticeship utilization law and the state prevailing wage law. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $108,401 from the general fund to the department of labor and employment for use by the division of labor standards and statistics to implement the act. APPROVED by Governor May 23, 2023 EFFECTIVE January 1, 2024 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Existing law allows money expended from the "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act" (IIJA) cash fund (cash fund) to be used as matching nonfederal money for infrastructure projects pursuant to requirements of the IIJA as well as for grant writing support, project planning support, and administrative needs. The act clarifies that, with respect to the project planning support for which money from the fund is already authorized to be expended, the Governor's office (office) may specifically expend money from the fund for project planning support for federal funding opportunities in connection with the IIJA and related federal funding opportunities including funding opportunities from the "Inflation Reduction Act". The act requires the state treasurer to transfer $84 million from the general fund to the cash fund on July 1, 2023. Additionally, the act changes the annual reporting requirement of the office to a quarterly reporting requirement beginning on July 1, 2023. The act also requires the state treasurer to transfer $5 million from the general fund to the state highway fund on July 1, 2023, for use by the department of transportation to develop comprehensive operational capacity to maximize utilization and implementation of federal infrastructure funding. The board of trustees of the Colorado school of mines (board of trustees) has been authorized to lease real or personal property, or both, to state or federal governmental agencies, among other entities, for terms not to exceed 80 years. The act expands this authorization to allow the board of trustees to lease such property for terms not to exceed 99 years. The act appropriates $84,000,000 for state fiscal year 2023-24 from the "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act" cash fund to the office and principal departments of the executive branch of state government. Any portion of the appropriation that is not spent during state fiscal year 2023-24 is further appropriated through state fiscal year 2026-27. APPROVED by Governor May 22, 2023 EFFECTIVE May 22, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
"Carbon management" is defined by the act as any combination of carbon dioxide removal, carbon storage, carbon capture, and carbon utilization. The act ensures that carbon management projects, except for agricultural, forestry, and enhanced oil recovery projects, are eligible for money under the industrial and manufacturing operations clean air grant program. The act also requires the Colorado energy office (office), in collaboration with the office of economic development and the department of public health and environment, to contract with an organization for the development of a carbon management roadmap for the state. The office is required to ensure that the roadmap functions in concert with other state targets, teams, and documents related to greenhouse gas and carbon. The roadmap must include: Specified economic sectors; necessary infrastructure to support carbon management; specified types of policies and incentives; identification of the state agency best positioned to carry out a potential policy regime of carbon management; public interest, legislative, and administrative policy recommendations; and criteria for carbon management project selection. After receiving a draft of the roadmap, the office is required to hold at least one public hearing to solicit feedback on the roadmap, including comment on the roadmap's environmental health impacts. The contracted organization is required to use that feedback to update the roadmap. The office is required to present the updated roadmap to specified committees in the general assembly and then later update the general assembly on the implementation of the roadmap. APPROVED by Governor May 22, 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.)
The act creates the stegosaurus state fossil license plate for motor vehicles. The department of revenue (department) must designate a nonprofit organization to qualify applicants for issuance of the license plate. The organization must provide educational services about the science and history of dinosaurs and support the stewardship and preservation of dinosaur fossils, tracks, and paleontology sites in Colorado. An applicant qualifies for issuance of the license plate if the applicant makes a donation to the organization and pays all required taxes and fees. In addition to the standard motor vehicle fees, the applicant must pay 2 one-time fees of $25 for issuance of the license plate. One fee is credited to the highway users tax fund and the other fee is credited to the licensing services cash fund. To implement this act, $39,151 is appropriated to the department for use by the division of motor vehicles. This appropriation consists of $5,492 from the Colorado DRIVES vehicle services account in the highway users tax fund and $33,659 from the license plate cash fund. APPROVED by Governor May 22, 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.)
