Colorado Bills

Current law requires the department of higher education (department) and higher education institutions to develop a framework for evaluating the quality of nondegree credentials. The act formally recognizes the resulting quality and in-demand nondegree credentials framework (framework) as the primary tool for assessing the quality of nondegree credentials offered in the state. The act requires the department to collaborate with various agencies to ensure the effective integration of the framework within the state's education and workforce systems. Beginning January 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, the act requires the department to evaluate nondegree credentials offered through state-recognized programs to ensure the credentials meet the framework's quality standards. Beginning January 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, the department shall supply a list of nondegree credential programs that meet the framework's quality standards for inclusion in the Colorado talent report and in a credential registry endorsed by the state. The department shall engage state agencies, educational institutions, international organizations, industry associations, and other stakeholders to study and make recommendations about the adoption of the international standard classification of education (ISCED) as the state's standard framework for classifying nondegree credentials and ISCED's wider application in the state's education and workforce systems. The recommendations must include a process for assigning ISCED equivalency levels to nondegree credentials included in stackable credential pathways and apprenticeship programs. The act requires the department to report its findings and recommendations on or before July 31, 2025. Current law requires the department to create stackable credential pathways in growing industries. The act requires the department to assign appropriate ISCED equivalency levels to the stackable credential pathways on or before July 31, 2025. Beginning January 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, the act requires the office of future of work to coordinate with various agencies to determine ISCED equivalency levels for each apprenticeship program registered on and after July 31, 2025. The office of future of work shall then determine ISCED equivalency levels for each apprenticeship program registered before July 31, 2025. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $124,287 from the general fund to the department of higher education for use by the Colorado commission on higher education and higher education special purpose programs. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $30,000 from the general fund to the department of labor and employment for use by the office of future of work. APPROVED by Governor May 10, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act prohibits a municipality that is within a metropolitan planning organization (MPO) or a county that has unincorporated areas within an MPO (local government), on or after June 30, 2025, from enacting or enforcing minimum parking requirements that apply to a land use approval for a multi-family residential development, adaptive re-use for residential purposes, or adaptive re-use mixed-use purposes which include at least 50% of use for residential purposes that is within, as applicable, the unincorporated area of the county or the municipality, within a metropolitan planning organization, and at least partially within an applicable transit service area. An applicable transit service area is an area identified by a map published by the department of local affairs as an area that is one-quarter mile of certain transit stops. The prohibition on enacting or enforcing minimum parking requirements does not lower the protections provided for persons with disabilities or prohibit a local government from: Enacting or enforcing a maximum parking requirement; Enforcing any agreement made before the effective date of the act in connection with a land use approval to provide regulated affordable housing in exchange for reducing minimum parking requirements; Being awarded funding for affordable housing that requires a ratio of a certain number of parking spaces; Enacting or enforcing a minimum parking requirement for bicycles; or Imposing the following requirements on a parking space that is voluntarily provided in connection with a development project: That the owners of such a parking space charge for the use of the space; That the owner of such a parking space contribute to a parking enterprise, permitting system, or shared parking plan; and That such a parking space allow for electric vehicle charging stations in accordance with existing law. Furthermore, notwithstanding the prohibition on enacting or enforcing minimum parking requirements, a local government may impose or enforce a minimum parking requirement in connection with a housing development project that is intended to contain twenty unity or more or contain regulated affordable housing. To impose or enforce such a minimum parking requirement, a county or municipality must publish certain written findings and annually report to the department of local affairs. Lastly, the act requires the department of local affairs: In consultation with the department of transportation, and the Colorado energy office, to develop and publish best practices and technical assistance materials concerning optimizing parking supply and managing parking; and In consultation with the department of transportation, the Colorado energy office, metropolitan planning organizations, and transit agencies that operate within metropolitan planning organizations, to publish a map that designates applicable transit service areas to be used by local governments in complying with the act. APPROVED by Governor May 10, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Based on the findings and recommendations of the committee on legal services, the act extends all state agency rules that were adopted or amended on or after November 1, 2022, and before November 1, 2023, with the exception of certain rules of the following agencies, as specifically listed in the act: The rule of the state board of education concerning rules for the development, expansion, implementation, and management of the regional service areas; The rule of the medical services board concerning inpatient payment rates for opioid antagonist; The rules of the executive director of the department of revenue concerning the wildfire mitigation measures income tax subtraction; and The rules of the executive director of the department of revenue concerning the wildfire mitigation measures income tax credit. Those specified rules will expire as scheduled in the "State Administrative Procedure Act" on May 15, 2024, on the grounds that the rules conflict with statute. APPROVED by Governor May 10, 2024 EFFECTIVE May 10, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Under current law, a county treasurer is required to issue a treasurer's deed for a property upon the presentation of a certificate of purchase of a tax lien for that property, if certain conditions are met. The act ends this requirement, effective July 1, 2024, and instead requires a county treasurer to follow a public auction process prior to the issuance of a deed, which process brings Colorado law into compliance with the United States supreme court's recent decision affirming property owners' constitutional right to the value of their property in excess of their tax debt. The lawful holder of a certificate of purchase of a tax lien (lawful holder) may apply for a public auction for the sale of a certificate of option for treasurer's deed (option certificate). If the public auction results in an "overbid", meaning the purchaser of the option certificate pays an amount in excess of the minimum bid price set for the auction, then the overbid must be paid in order of recording priority to junior lienors who have filed a notice of intent to redeem. After payment to all lienors, any remaining overbid must be paid to the owner of the property subject to the tax lien. The act specifies the required application form and deposit amount for a lawful holder to request a public auction and the notice requirements that a county treasurer must comply with, including a review of the property's title work to include known interested parties in the notice process. The act also specifies the general manner and timing requirements for the public auction and provides county treasurers with procedural guidance in case of certain events, including continuance of the public auction, the effect of a bankruptcy filing related to the property, the withdrawal of a notice of public auction, and the redemption of the tax lien prior to the public auction. At the public auction, a county treasurer must only accept bids that are greater than the combined value of the amount owed to the lawful holder and the fees and costs incurred by the treasurer in complying with the act. If no such bid is made and paid to the treasurer, then the lawful holder is deemed the purchaser of the option certificate. If the lawful holder is not the purchaser of the option certificate, the lawful holder is still entitled to redeem the property subject to the tax lien if certain procedural requirements are met, including payment to the purchaser of all sums necessary to redeem. Junior lienholders may also file for redemption, but only as to a portion of the overbid, and only if certain procedural requirements are met. If the property remains unredeemed, the lawful holder of the option certificate may present the certificate, along with other required documentation, to the treasurer and obtain a treasurer's deed, giving full rights to the property. APPROVED by Governor May 10, 2024 EFFECTIVE July 1, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Sections 1 and 2 of the bill eliminate the liquor-licensed drugstore license, effective January 1, 2025. All active liquor-licensed drugstore licenses will convert to a fermented malt beverage and wine retailer license on that date; except that a licensee with a single location may choose to convert the liquor-licensed drugstore license to a retail liquor store license. Section 3 of the bill prohibits the state and local licensing authorities from issuing new liquor-licensed drugstore licenses. The state and local licensing authorities may renew liquor-licensed drugstore licenses that are in effect on the effective date of the bill. Sections 18 21 through 29 make conforming amendments to account for the removal of the liquor-licensed drugstore license prohibition on the issuance of new liquor-licensed drugstore licenses . Sections 3 and 4 require 4 and 5 prohibit fermented malt beverage and wine retailers to display from displaying alcohol beverages for sale in a single location in certain locations on the licensed premises and prohibit fermented malt beverage and wine retailers from selling alcohol fermented malt beverages with greater than 14% 17% alcohol by volume. Sections 5 and 6 6 and 7 expand on a wholesaler's duty not to discriminate when selling products to retailers and allows the state licensing authority to recover the cost of enforcing the anti-discrimination laws from a person found in violation of the anti-discrimination laws. Current law limits the amount of alcohol beverages certain retailers can purchase from retail liquor stores, liquor-licensed drugstores, and fermented malt beverage and wine retailers to $2,000 dollars' worth of alcohol beverages each calendar year . Sections 7 through 17 remove 8 through 18 and 22 increase the cap as it applies purchases by certain retailers from retail liquor stores to $5,000 worth of alcohol beverages each calendar month . Section 22 allows retail liquor stores to purchase $5,000 worth of alcohol beverages from other licensed retail stores each calendar month. For the delivery of alcohol beverages: Section 4 5 prohibits fermented malt beverage and wine retailers from delivering alcohol beverages to another person licensed to sell alcohol beverages; and Section 24 22 removes the prohibition on a retail liquor store delivering alcohol beverages to another retail liquor store. Section 18 19 allows automated teller machine (ATM) cards associated with public assistance programs to be used at ATMs in grocery stores. (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.)

Existing law limits the amount recoverable for noneconomic damages in medical malpractice actions to $300,000. Beginning January 1, 2025, the bill incrementally increases the noneconomic damages limitation to $500,000 over the course of 5 years. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill defines the term "assault weapon" and prohibits a person from manufacturing, importing, purchasing, selling, offering to sell, or transferring ownership of an assault weapon. The bill further prohibits a person from possessing a rapid-fire trigger activator. A person in violation of the prohibitions will be assessed a first-time penalty of $250,000 and $500,000 for each subsequent violation. The bill prohibits the sale or transfer by an individual on or after July 1, 2024, to anyone within the state, except to: An heir by bequest or intestate succession; or A licensed gun or firearms dealer, who shall render the weapon inoperable within ninety days of the transfer. An individual or entity that does not have a permit to sell firearms but sells or attempts to make a private sale of an assault weapon or rapid-fire trigger activator in violation of the requirements of the bill on or after July 1, 2025, shall be assessed a civil penalty in the amount of $750. A licensed gun dealer, licensed firearms dealer, gun show vendor, or other person who has a permit to sell firearms who sells or attempts to sell an assault weapon or rapid-fire trigger activator in violation of the requirements of the bill on or after July 1, 2025, shall be reported to the department of revenue. The department of revenue shall take appropriate actions as required by law. A licensed gun dealer, licensed firearms dealer, gun show vendor, or other person who has a permit to sell firearms who purchases an assault weapon or rapid-fire trigger activator from a manufacturer of assault weapons that operates in Colorado shall be reported to the department of revenue. The department of revenue shall take appropriate actions as required by law. The prohibition does not apply to: A member of the United States armed forces, a peace officer, or other government officer or agent, to the extent that the person is otherwise authorized to acquire or possess an assault weapon and does so while acting within the scope of the person's duties; A person who is an active member of the United States armed forces while on duty and serving in conformance with the policies of the United States armed forces; The manufacture, sale, or transfer of an assault weapon or rapid-fire trigger activators by a licensed firearms manufacturer to any branch of the United States armed forces, or to an entity that employs peace officers, for use by that entity or its employees a peace officer or to an entity that employs peace officers; The manufacture, sale, or transfer of an assault weapon by a licensed firearms manufacturer to any branch of the Unites States armed forces; The transfer of an assault weapon to a licensed firearms dealer or gunsmith for the purposes of maintenance, repair, or modification, and the subsequent return of the assault weapon to the lawful owner; Any federal, state, or local historical society, museum, or institutional collection that is open to the public, provided that the assault weapon is securely housed and unloaded; A forensic laboratory, or any authorized agent or employee of the laboratory, for use exclusively in the course and scope of authorized activities; An entity that operates an armored vehicle business and an authorized employee of the entity while in the course and scope of employment; A licensed gun dealer who has remaining inventory of assault weapons as of August 1, 2024, and sells or transfers the remaining inventory only to a non-Colorado resident and the sale or transfer takes place out of state; or A peace officer. The prohibition does not apply to the transportation of assault weapons through the state by a person who is not otherwise prohibited by state or federal law from transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm. A person is entitled to transport an assault weapon for any lawful purpose from any place where the person may lawfully possess and carry the assault weapon to any other place where the person may lawfully possess and carry the assault weapon, provided the transportation is in accordance with federal law. (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.)

Under current law, it is illegal for a person to possess a firearm if the person was convicted of or adjudicated for certain felonies. The bill adds felonies for drug manufacture, dispensation, sale, and distribution; drug possession with intent to manufacture, dispense, sell, and distribute; and first and second degree motor vehicle theft, to the list of convictions that prohibit a person from possessing a firearm.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Sections 1 and 2 of the bill create a high-emitter vehicle program for owners of motor vehicles that are not in compliance with emission standards and that have been issued a certification of emissions waiver (qualified vehicle). If the owner of a qualified vehicle resides in a nonattainment area for ozone and has unsuccessfully attempted to have the motor vehicle repaired to cure the noncompliance, the owner is eligible for a voucher of $850. The vouchers may be redeemed at qualified repair facilities that will bring the vehicle into compliance. The high-emitter vehicle program is funded by using up to 20% of the money in the AIR account in the highway users tax fund. The high-emitter vehicle program is administered by the nonattainment area air pollution mitigation enterprise, in coordination with the department of revenue, contractors that provide inspection services, and the clean screen authority. The high-emitter vehicle program repeals when Colorado meets federal ozone national ambient air quality standards (attainment). Section 3 requires the air quality control commission (commission) to create, in coordination with the lead agency for air quality planing for the Denver metropolitan area, a garden rebate program to increase the use of small electric motors used for outdoor power equipment. The program must: Provide a point-of-purchase rebate of the lesser of $150 or one-third of the price for each piece of outdoor power equipment purchased by the end user in a nonattainment area for ozone; Establish a registration system for qualified retailers; and Require the division to publicize the garden rebate program. The division of administration in the department of public health and environment (division) administers the garden rebate program, and the commission sets standards for qualified retailers to register for the program. If the garden rebate program exceeds its appropriation, the division may pause the program. The garden rebate program repeals January 1, 2030. Section 4 repeals the current tax credit for buying lawn and garden equipment with an electric motor. In current law, the clean fleet enterprise (enterprise) incentivizes and supports the use of electric motor vehicles for certain fleet uses, including transportation network companies. Sections 5 and 6 : Expand the program to include light-duty trucks; Authorize the clean fleet enterprise to provide grants of up to 80% of a local government's cost of acquiring motor vehicles that emit low levels of nitrogen oxides for the local government to use in its motor vehicle fleet; and Require the enterprise to prioritize making grants to local governments. The grant program authorization and prioritization repeal December 31, 2029. Section 7 requires the division to regularly perform, in the nonattainment area for ozone, photochemical modeling studies and data analysis designed to determine ambient air ozone levels and the effectiveness of policies for lowering ambient air ozone levels. The division is required to publish the results to the division's website and report the results to the commission and at its "SMART Act" hearing. Section 7 is repealed when Colorado achieves attainment.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)