The act: Increases the statewide base per pupil funding for the 2024-25 budget year by $419.97 to account for inflation and sets the new statewide base per pupil funding amount of $8,496.38 for the 2024-25 budget year; and Sets the total program funding for the 2024-25 budget year for all school districts and institute charter schools to not less than $9,735,767,429. The act repeals the total program reserve fund (fund) on July 1, 2025. The act clarifies that for the 2025-26 budget year, and each budget year thereafter, revenue collected from mills that had previously been deposited in the fund by a school district are available to the school district to fund the costs of providing public education. The money is budgeted and expended in the school district's discretion. The act adds rural funding to the district's total program formula to provide additional funding to small rural districts or large rural districts, as defined in the act. The act requires the state treasurer to transfer $15,715,539 from the state education fund to the mill levy override match fund. Current law requires a new at-risk measure in the public school funding formula to be implemented in the 2024-25 budget year. The act extends the implementation of this requirement to the 2025-26 budget year. For the 2024-25 budget year, a school district's at-risk funding is the greater of the school district's at-risk funding amount for the 2023-24 budget year or the 2024-25 budget year. Current law requires a qualified third-party evaluator (evaluator) who facilitates a facility school work group (work group) to submit a report to the work group and the office of facility schools by September 1, 2025. The department of education (department) is required to submit the evaluator's report to the joint budget committee by October 1, 2025. The act extends the report deadlines to September 1, 2026, and October 1, 2026, respectively. To be considered for a special education high-cost grant, current law requires the consideration of an administrative unit's annual audited operating expenses for the preceding budget year. The act allows an administrative unit's annual audited operating expenses for one year prior to the preceding budget year to be considered if the annual audited operating expenses for the most recent preceding budget year are not available. Current law requires a school district to receive the daily rate for education services provided by approved facility schools for a juvenile who is held in a jail or facility and receives at least 4 hours of educational services per week from the school district. The act changes the daily rate to the rate for educational services provided by the Colorado school for the deaf and the blind or the education program operated by the Colorado mental health institute at Pueblo or Fort Logan. The act increases the cap on how much can be spent on administration for the ninth-grade success grant program from 5% to 8%. The act clarifies that a student with disabilities (student) who receives transition services and has postsecondary goals outlined in the student's individualized education program is eligible for concurrent enrollment courses. The act allows the educator licensure cash fund to be exempt from the limitations on the amount of uncommited reserves that may be maintained in a cash fund. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, $32,878,255 is appropriated to the department from the state education fund to implement the act. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, $15,715,539 is appropriated to the department from the mill levy override match fund for mill levy override matching. APPROVED by Governor May 23, 2024 EFFECTIVE May 23, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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.)
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.)
The act creates the out-of-school time program grant program (grant program) to provide grants to eligible 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organizations to provide academic enrichment and related services to public school students during times when school is not in session. The department of education (department) is required to administer the grant program. Grants must be used for: Academic enrichment; Opportunities for development in literacy, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and other subject matters for students and families; A safe learning environment and resources to increase student engagement in school and reduce chronic absenteeism; Programs and services that provide a well-rounded education and are designed to reinforce and complement school-based academic programs, including youth development activities, art, music, outdoor programs, recreational programs, technology education programs, physical health activities, and social and emotional wellness services; and Opportunities to develop meaningful workforce readiness and life skills. Grantees are required to annually report to the department, and the department is required to annually provide a report to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $3.5 million from the general fund to the department for the grant program. The act requires the general assembly to appropriate $3.5 million to the department for the grant program in the 2025-26 and 2026-27 state fiscal years. APPROVED by Governor May 23, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The length of the bill summary for this bill requires it to be published on a separate page here: https://leg.colorado.gov/hb24-1448-bill-summary (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act implements the recommendations in the 2023 sunset report by the department of regulatory agencies by: Continuing the regulation of debt-management service providers for 11 years, to 2035; Requiring a debt-management service provider to maintain records of the education provided to an individual; Requiring settlement agreements between a consumer and creditor to be in writing; and Requiring fees paid by debt-management service providers to be set administratively instead of through the rule-making process. APPROVED by Governor May 22, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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.)
The act: Repeals the broadband deployment board (board); Transfers the function of awarding grant money in the high cost support mechanism from the board to the Colorado broadband office (office) and authorizes the office to award grants for middle mile infrastructure; pole replacements, attachments, and other infrastructure; and other underfunded broadband needs throughout the state (grant program); Authorizes the office to conduct or cause to be conducted studies to assess broadband needs in the state; Requires the office to solicit public input regarding the grant program; Requires the office to establish a work group of stakeholders to help review grant applications for the grant program; Authorizes the chief information officer in the office of information technology (OIT) to adopt rules regarding the grant program; and Repeals the grant-making function of the office on September 1, 2030, subject to review by the department of regulatory agencies. The act decreases appropriations made in the annual general appropriation act for the 2024-25 state fiscal year to the office of the governor as follows: The amount from various cash funds for health, life, and dental for the office of information technology is decreased by $25,826; and The amount from various cash funds for enterprise solutions for OIT is decreased by $254,276 and the related FTE is decreased by 2.0 FTE. APPROVED by Governor May 22, 2024 EFFECTIVE September 1, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires the department of human services to oversee the operations of host home programs. The act sets requirements for organizations seeking to operate a host home program and requirements for host homes participating in a host home program. The act does not apply to host homes providing residential services to adults with intellectual and development disabilities. The act allows a youth to reside in a host home for up to 21 days, unless the youth is 18 years of age or older but under 23 years of age and consents to remain in the host home longer. A host home that hosts a youth under 11 years of age must obtain written consent from the youth's parent or legal guardian authorizing the temporary residence. The bill requires the a host home program that receives government funding to enter information regarding the host home program in the homeless management information system. APPROVED by Governor May 22, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act removes the requirement that a mental health professional provide each client with an explanation of the levels of regulation and the differences between licensure, registration, and certification of mental health professionals. The act removes the requirement for an individual to take and pass the board of social work examiners' masters examination in order to obtain a licensed social worker license. In order for an individual to obtain a registration as a psychologist candidate (PSYC), a clinical social worker candidate (SWC), a marriage and family therapist candidate (MFTC), a licensed professional counselor candidate (LPCC), or an addiction counselor candidate (ADDC), the act requires the individual to pass the Colorado jurisprudence examination. The act authorizes PSYCs, SWCs, MFTCs, LPCCs, and ADDCs to renew their candidate registrations if they are unable to complete all the post-degree licensure requirements within the 3-year time frame that a registration is valid and allows candidates whose registrations have expired to reapply for the registration. The act requires certain mental health professionals, prior to a renewal of a license or registration, to complete continuing professional development and educational hours. On or before December 31, 2024,the state board of psychologist examiners, the state board of social work examiners, the state board of marriage and family therapist examiners, the state board of licensed professional counselor examiners, and the state board of addiction counselor examiners are required to begin the rule-making process to align their respective rules with their respective practice acts. APPROVED by Governor May 22, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
On or after January 1, 2026, but before February 1, 2026, an investor-owned electric utility (utility) with more than 500,000 customers must make at least 50 megawatts of inclusive community solar capacity available, and a utility with 500,000 or fewer customers must make at least 3.5 megawatts of inclusive community solar available. Before February 1, 2027, a utility with more than 500,000 customers must make an additional 50 megawatts of inclusive community solar capacity available, plus any unclaimed capacity left over from the previous allocation cycle, and a utility with 500,000 or fewer customers must make an additional 3.5 megawatts of inclusive community solar available. Under current law, a utility customer may subscribe to a portion of a community solar facility. The customer then receives a bill credit on the customer's monthly utility bill in an amount proportional to the customer's share of the community solar facility output. Current law establishes limits on the amount of output from community solar facilities that a utility may purchase. The act requires a utility to acquire the entire output of a community solar facility that is allocated capacity on or after January 1, 2026, (new facility) and apply community solar bill credits to that new facility's subscribers. The act requires a new facility to: Not exceed 5 megawatts of capacity, measured in alternating current; Interconnect with a utility's distribution system; Comply with applicable requirements of the "Colorado Energy Sector Public Works Project Craft Labor Requirements Act"; Reserve at least 51% of its capacity for income-qualified subscribers; Not allocate more than 40% of the new facility's capacity to a single subscriber; and Supply to a subscriber of the new facility no more than 120% of the expected average annual total consumption of electricity by the subscriber; except that no more than 200% of the expected annual total consumption of electricity may be provided to an income-qualified subscriber. The act affords certain protections for subscribers of new facilities. Subscriber organizations and subscription coordinators are prohibited from: Using credit scores, customer scores, or any utility deposit requirements to deny prospective residential subscribers; Charging a sign-up or termination fee to residential subscribers; Engaging in misleading conduct or making false representations toward prospective subscribers; and Preventing a subscriber from transferring a subscription within the utility's service territory if the subscriber moves residences. A subscriber organization shall provide an income-qualified subscriber of a new facility with a subscription discount of at least: 25% of the value of the community solar bill credit; 30% of the value of the community solar bill credit if the new facility receives federal tax credits from the federal "Inflation Reduction Act of 2022" for the specific purpose of being located in an energy community; and 50% of the value of the community solar bill credit if the new facility receives federal tax credits from the federal "Inflation Reduction Act of 2022" specifically for providing income-qualified households with utility bill assistance. The public utilities commission (commission) must also adopt a standardized form that contains relevant information and disclosures that subscriber organizations and subscription coordinators must provide to prospective subscribers. The act also directs a utility to: File with the commission information that establishes cost-sharing mechanisms for new facilities that are connecting to the utility's distribution system, in which the new facility is required to pay only for its proportional share of system upgrades; and Provide information to the commission related to the utility regarding cost-sharing mechanisms and the cost-effectiveness of the utility's interconnection of new facilities when submitting a distribution system plan. The act authorizes the commission to approve cost recovery for prudently incurred costs, including energy purchases, administrative costs, and information technology expenses, by a utility. The act also requires a utility with more than 500,000 customers to acquire 50 megawatts of distributed generation paired with energy storage by June 1, 2026, and an additional 50 megawatts of distributed generation paired with energy storage between January 1, 2027, and June 1, 2027. The act appropriates $116,505 for the 2024-25 state fiscal year to the department of regulatory agencies for use by the commission. The appropriation is from the public utilities commission fixed utility fund. APPROVED by Governor May 22, 2024 EFFECTIVE May 22, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Under current law, when 2 or more separately owned tracts are within an oil and gas drilling unit (unit) established by the Colorado energy and carbon management commission (commission), in the absence of voluntary pooling and after a reasonable offer to lease, made in good faith (offer to lease), the commission may enter an order pooling the mineral interests of those tracts (pooling order) for the development and operation of the unit if the applicant for the pooling order: Owns more than 45% of the mineral interests in the unit (requisite ownership); or Obtains the consent of the owners of more than 45% of the mineral interests in the unit (requisite consent). The act changes current law by: Requiring that a pooling order application include an affidavit that declares that the applicant has the requisite ownership or obtained the requisite consent (declaration), which affidavit must include certain leasing and well information; Allowing an unleased mineral interest owner (unleased owner), at least 60 days before the first noticed hearing date, to file a protest with the commission disputing the applicant's declaration (protest); Requiring the commission to resolve a bona fide protest and allowing an unleased owner that files a bona fide protest to review certain leasing information; If a unit contains the mineral interests of an unleased owner that has rejected an offer to lease, prohibiting an oil and gas operator, on and after January 1, 2025, from drilling or extracting minerals from a unit that are not voluntarily pooled before a pooling order is entered by the commission; Prohibiting the commission from entering a pooling order that pools the mineral interests of an unleased owner if the unleased owner is a local government that has rejected an offer to lease and the minerals subject to the unleased owner's mineral interests are within the local government's geographic boundaries (local government unleased interest); and If a pooling order application proposes to pool a local government unleased interest and the local government has rejected an offer to lease, requiring the commission to deny the application unless the applicant amends the application to no longer pool the local government unleased interest. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, $20,483 is appropriated to the department of natural resources from the energy and carbon management cash fund for implementation of the act. APPROVED by Governor May 22, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
