The "Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act" prohibits any animal shelter or pet animal rescue (facility) from releasing a dog or cat to a prospective owner unless the animal has been sterilized, except in cases in which sterilization would jeopardize the life or health of the dog or cat. A facility in an area with limited access to licensed veterinarians may be granted an exemption from the sterilization requirement by the commissioner of agriculture (commissioner). The act: Only allows an exemption from the sterilization requirement due to the health of an animal for animals born in Colorado; Allows a licensed veterinarian to delay a sterilization procedure if the licensed veterinarian declares in writing that a sterilization procedure is likely to cause a secondary illness, injury, impairment, or physical condition that involves inpatient care or ongoing outpatient treatment; Requires a licensed veterinarian to base a determination of unfitness for sterilization on specific details regarding the specific animal for which an exemption is requested; Prohibits a licensed veterinarian from including multiple animal exemption requests in one determination of unfitness for sterilization; Requires each facility to provide the department of agriculture with information regarding animals exempted from the sterilization requirement at the time of the facility's license renewal; and Prohibits facilities that import unsterilized dogs or cats into the state of Colorado from receiving an exemption from the commissioner. APPROVED by Governor March 12, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law allows the commissioner of agriculture to assess civil penalties for violations of state laws related to the prevention of noxious weeds (violations). The act: Clarifies that a board of county commissioners (board) may allow for the assessment and collection of fines for violations of local laws enacted to enforce the management of noxious weeds in the county; Creates a civil infraction for violations; Creates a civil penalty for violations that is no less than $500 and no more than $1,000; Allows a county attorney to petition the district court for an injunction to prevent an ongoing violation; and Allows a board to appoint a district attorney to enforce violations in the event that the county does not have a county attorney or in any other circumstance that the board deems appropriate. APPROVED by Governor March 12, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Under the Colorado open meetings law (COML), any meeting of a body of the general assembly at which the adoption of any proposed policy, position, resolution, rule, regulation, or formal action occurs or at which a majority or quorum of a body of the general assembly is in attendance or expected to be in attendance can only be held after full and timely notice to the public. In addition, the COML requires that minutes of the meeting be taken and promptly recorded. The act makes several changes and clarifications concerning the application of the COML to the general assembly and its members. Specifically, the act provides that, for purposes of applying the notice and minutes provisions under the COML, a quorum of a state public body of the general assembly must be contemporaneous. Additionally, the act establishes that written communications, electronic or otherwise, exchanged between members of the general assembly are not subject to the COML but any records of the communications are subject to disclosure to the extent required by the "Colorado Open Records Act". The act also defines "public business", for purposes of the application of the COML to the general assembly, as introduced legislation, proposed legislation, if a draft of the proposed legislation prepared by the office of legislative legal services is being discussed by a quorum of a statutory committee or committee of reference during a regular or special legislative session or by a quorum of any type of interim committee, or other matters before a statutory committee, any type of interim committee, or a committee of reference. Introduced legislation and proposed legislation includes a bill, resolution, and memorial. However, "public business" does not include matters that are by nature interpersonal, administrative, or logistical or that concern personnel, planning, process, training, or operations, as long as the merits or substance of matters that are expressly defined as being public business are not discussed. Additionally, in 2024, 2025, and 2026, the executive committee of the legislative council shall consider at a meeting the application of the COML to the general assembly, and there must be the opportunity for public comment to be received in connection with the meeting. On or after January 1, 2027, such a meeting shall be held upon the request of a member of the executive committee of the legislative council. APPROVED by Governor March 12, 2024 EFFECTIVE March 12, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act generally prohibits covenants and other restrictions that disallow the installation, use, or maintenance of fire-hardened building materials in residential real property, including in common interest communities. However, the act allows a unit owners' association of a common interest community to develop reasonable standards regarding the design, dimensions, placement, or external appearance of fire-hardened building materials used for fencing within the community. APPROVED by Governor March 12, 2024 EFFECTIVE March 12, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Signed by the President of the Senate
Governor Signed
The general assembly recognizes that the actual funded pupil count and the at-risk pupil count for the 2023-24 budget year are higher than expected when the appropriation amount for the state share of total program funding was established during the 2023 legislative session, resulting in an increase in total program funding for the 2023-24 budget year. In addition, local property tax revenue and specific ownership tax revenue are higher than anticipated, resulting in an increase in the local share of total program funding for the 2023-24 budget year. The act declares the general assembly's intent to maintain the budget stabilization factor at the amount of the original appropriation for the 2023-24 budget year. The act decreases the appropriation for the state share of total program funding by $23,964,790 in cash funds from the state education fund and adjusts the 2023-24 state fiscal year long bill accordingly. APPROVED by Governor March 8, 2024 EFFECTIVE March 8, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The America 250 - Colorado 150 commission (commission) was created in history Colorado to develop programs and plan for the official observance across Colorado of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, as marked by the Declaration of Independence in 1776, and the 150th anniversary of Colorado statehood (the anniversaries). The commission's powers and duties include marketing to support commemorative events and involvement in local opportunities for public discussion, commemorative events, and historical and educational activities regarding the anniversaries. The act creates a temporary cash fund that is continuously appropriated to the commission through history Colorado for earned revenue received from sale of items commemorating the anniversaries (fund) and any other money that the general assembly may appropriate or transfer to the fund. The commission will use money from the fund to provide grants to local communities to assist recipient communities providing local opportunities in connection with commemorating the anniversaries and must provide an annual report to the joint budget committee regarding grants that are awarded. Money from the fund may also be used by the commission to administer, implement, and effectuate community grants. APPROVED by Governor March 8, 2024 EFFECTIVE March 8, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act adds approved facility schools, facilities, and the Colorado school for the deaf and the blind (Colorado school) as types of school food authorities in order to make approved facility schools, facilities, and the Colorado school eligible for state nutrition programs. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $17,752 to the department of education for state nutrition programs. APPROVED by Governor March 8, 2024 EFFECTIVE March 8, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Currently, in a county with a population of 70,000 or more, the board of county commissioners (board) may consist of 3 commissioners from 3 districts, with one commissioner elected from each district by voters of the whole county. Alternatively, the board may consist of 5 commissioners, the county may be divided into 3 or 5 districts, and the commissioners may be elected pursuant to one of 10 alternative methods. The bill eliminates this discretionary system and instead requires that all counties with a population of 70,000 or more have 5 commissioners, with at least 3 commissioners elected only by voters resident in the district from which each commissioner runs for election. The bill allows the counties to choose between 2 election alternatives: 3 commissioners resident in 3 districts elected by voters resident in those districts and 2 commissioners elected at large; or 5 commissioners resident in 5 districts elected only by voters resident in those districts. The bill makes conforming amendments to statutory provisions concerning commissioner districts and election petition statutes. The bill does not affect counties that have adopted home rule. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill prohibits, on or after January 1, 2025, a nonresident foreign citizen, foreign entity, or foreign government of the People's Republic of China, the Russian Federation, or any country determined by the United States secretary of state to be a state sponsor of terrorism (covered foreign person) from acquiring a controlling ownership share in agricultural land, mineral rights, or water rights (property interest) in the state (prohibition). A covered foreign person who acquires a controlling ownership share in a property interest in the state prior to January 1, 2025, may continue to own the property interest but may not acquire a controlling ownership share in any additional property interests in the state. No later than March 1, 2025, or 60 days after acquiring any ownership in a property interest in the state, whichever is later, a covered foreign person must register with the Colorado secretary of state (registration requirement), who is authorized to promulgate rules to implement the registration requirement. If the attorney general has reason to believe that a covered foreign person has violated the prohibition or has not complied with the registration requirement, the attorney general must commence a civil action against the covered foreign person in a district court. If a district court finds that the covered foreign person has violated the prohibition, the district court must issue a judgment reverting the property interest to the state. If the district court finds that the covered person has not complied with the registration requirement, the district court must impose a penalty of no more than $2,000 for each violation. The prohibition does not apply to a refugee who is a covered foreign person and acquires a controlling ownership share in real property used for the purposes of agriculture with prior approval of the acquisition by the Colorado secretary of state. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill establishes the "Battling to Restore, Advocate, and Vanquish Exploitation (BRAVE) Act of 2024" (BRAVE act). The purpose of the BRAVE act is to authorize qualified nonprofit organizations (nonprofits) that work to combat human trafficking in Colorado or provide aftercare services to survivors of human trafficking to initiate civil litigation against human traffickers. Nonprofits are given legal standing in human trafficking cases in which they were involved. The office of the attorney general has the responsibility for purposes of notice and oversight. The Colorado human trafficking council is responsible for developing victim-centered and trauma-informed training. The bill creates the human trafficking prevention and aftercare services fund.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
