The act appropriates $2.5 million from the general fund to the department of agriculture for the Colorado proud program.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act establishes an outdoor equity board (board) in the division of parks and wildlife. The board is responsible for the governance of the outdoor equity grant program (grant program), which is created in the act. The purpose of the outdoor equity grant program is to increase access and opportunity for underserved youth and their families to experience Colorado's open spaces, state parks, public lands, and other outdoor areas.The act specifies that the board may award grants to applicants that will directly utilize the grant to engage eligible youth and their families by reducing barriers to the Colorado outdoors, creating pathways for formal or informal conservation of the Colorado outdoors, or offering environmental and Colorado outdoor-based educational opportunities.The act funds the grant program through a redistribution of lottery money that is earmarked for the general fund.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act directs the public utilities commission (PUC) to establish energy savings targets and approve plans under which investor-owned electric utilities will promote the use of energy-efficient electric equipment in place of less efficient fossil-fuel-based systems. This directive would substantially follow the model of existing demand-side management (DSM) policies established by the PUC.Section 1 of the act declares that DSM has provided substantial economic and environmental benefits, and the PUC's administration of DSM has successfully carried out legislative intent; therefore, the PUC is directed to implement beneficial electrification programs and plans using the same approach.Sections 3 and 5 specify the parameters for these programs and plans, including the types of systems and appliances that are eligible for installation, the criteria to be considered when the PUC evaluates plan proposals, the implementation of plans, utility cost-recovery mechanisms, and performance incentives. Section 5 also requires that any installation, upgrade, or new construction under a beneficial electrification program must be performed either by utility employees or by qualified, Colorado-licensed contractors. For large projects, contractors must be selected from a list, maintained by the Colorado department of labor and employment, of contractors that participate in apprenticeship programs registered with the United States department of labor.Section 2 adds heat pumps to the list of energy efficiency measures that cannot be prohibited under the covenants of a homeowners' association.Section 4 directs the PUC to apply current standards for measurement of the social cost of carbon emissions, including methane, in evaluating the cost, benefit, or net present value of utility plans and proposals for beneficial electrification.The act appropriates $168,448 to the department of regulatory agencies, for use by the PUC, and $73,351 to the department of labor and employment, for use by the division of employment and training, to implement the act.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates the economic recovery and relief cash fund (fund) which consists of money deposited in the fund from the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" cash fund. To respond to the public health emergency with respect to COVID-19 or its negative economic impacts, the act allows the general assembly to appropriate or transfer money for specified uses.The act transfers $40 million to the Colorado economic development fund for the Colorado office of economic development to use $10 million of the appropriated money to incentivize small businesses to locate in rural Colorado and for the location neutral employment incentive program which provides incremental cash incentives per remote employee per year for up to 5 years to small businesses that hire new employees in designated rural areas of the state. The act specifies that the remaining appropriated money must be used, subject to the fund requirements, to provide grants to small businesses or to undertake any other economic development activity in response to the negative economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.The act requires the executive committee of the legislative council to create a task force to meet during the 2021 legislative interim and issue a report with recommendations to the general assembly and the governor on policies that use money from the fund to provide a stimulative effect to the state's economy, necessary relief for Coloradans, or that address emerging economic disparities resulting from the pandemic.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act amends Senate Bill 21-196, the bill that provides appropriations for the legislative branch for the 2021-22 state fiscal year, to increase the funding for and FTE allocated to the general assembly to allow the general assembly to provide health benefits for legislative aides.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates the Colorado soil health program in the department of agriculture (department), which includes programs to encourage widespread adoption of soil health practices. An entity's participation in the soil health program is voluntary. The department, commissioner of agriculture (commissioner), and state agricultural commission will administer the soil health program.The department shall, if financial resources are available, establish the following:A grant program; A system for monitoring the agricultural, environmental, or economic benefits of soil health practices; A state soil health inventory and platform; A soil health testing program; and Other programs the department deems appropriate or necessary. Before establishing a program, the department must provide public notice and afford the public an opportunity to submit written comments.The department may also:Seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations from public and private sources; Provide grants, loans, and other resources to eligible entities to perform soil health activities; and Cooperate and collaborate with other people. The act also creates a soil health advisory committee (advisory committee). The commissioner is required to appoint members who:To the greatest extent possible, represent the different geographic areas, political diversity, and demographic diversity of the state; and Include agricultural producers of diverse production systems, a representative of an Indian tribe, conservation district board members, and water users. The state conservation board appoints 2 members to the advisory committee.The advisory committee will make recommendations to the department and assist in the development of the soil health program. The advisory committee is also authorized to solicit input, review proposals and agreements, and evaluate the soil health program. The advisory committee approves grants.The department shall maintain the confidentiality of information related to private lands that identify landowners, land managers, agricultural producers, or lands.No later than January 31 of each year, the department shall prepare and make available to the public a report of its activities on its official website. The department shall annually report each gift, grant, or donation in its budget request for the state fiscal year to the joint budget committee and at the hearing required by the "State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act".For the 2021-22 state fiscal year, $4,464 is appropriated to the department for use by the agricultural services division.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
In the 2020-21 state fiscal year, the act transfers $25 million from the general fund as follows:Section 1 transfers $750,000 to the Colorado avalanche information center fund for use by the Colorado avalanche information center in the department of natural resources (department) to support backcountry avalanche safety programs; Section 2 transfers $3.5 million to the wildlife cash fund for use by the division of parks and wildlife (division) in the department to implement its statewide wildlife action plan and the conservation of native species; Section 3 transfers $2.25 million to the search and rescue fund for use by the department of local affairs in consultation with the division to support backcountry search and rescue efforts; Section 4 transfers $1 million to the outdoor equity fund for use by the division to implement the outdoor equity grant program; and Section 5 transfers $17.5 million to the parks and outdoor recreation cash fund for use by the division as follows: $3.5 million for staffing and maintenance projects; and $14 million for infrastructure and state park development projects. Section 6 appropriates the amounts transferred in sections 1 to 5 to the department and the department of local affairs for the uses specified in sections 1 to 5 and authorizes the use of the money through the 2023-24 state fiscal year.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act declares that the regulation of firearms is a matter of state and local concern. A local government is permitted to enact an ordinance, regulation, or other law governing or prohibiting the sale, purchase, transfer, or possession of a firearm, ammunition, or firearm component or accessory. The ordinance, regulation, or law may not be less restrictive than state law. The local law may only impose a criminal penalty for a violation upon a person who knew or reasonably should have known that the person's conduct was prohibited.The act permits a local government, including a special district, and the governing board of an institution of higher education to enact an ordinance, resolution, rule, or other regulation that prohibits a permittee from carrying a concealed handgun in a building or specific area within the local government's or governing board's jurisdiction, or for a special district, in a building or specific area under the direct control or management of the district. A local law may only impose a civil penalty for a violation, and the maximum fine that may be imposed for a first offense is $50.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act establishes the office of gun violence prevention (office) within the department of public health and environment to coordinate and promote effective efforts to reduce gun violence. The office is required to conduct public awareness campaigns to educate the general public about state and federal laws and existing resources relating to gun violence prevention.Subject to available money, the office may establish and administer a grant program to award grants to organizations to conduct community-based gun violence intervention initiatives that are primarily focused on interrupting cycles of gun violence, trauma, and retaliation that are evidence-informed and have demonstrated promise at reducing gun violence without contributing to mass incarceration.The office is required to create and maintain a resource bank as a repository for data, research, and statistical information regarding gun violence in Colorado. The office must collaborate with researchers to improve data collection in Colorado and use existing available research to enhance evidence-based gun violence prevention tools and resources available to Colorado communities.The office is required to issue a report to the general assembly every 5 years summarizing gun violence prevention measures adopted by local jurisdictions. This reporting requirement is contingent upon Senate Bill 21-256 being enacted and becoming law.The act appropriates $3,000,000 to the department of public health and environment for program costs related to family and community health for the office of gun violence prevention.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires a licensed gun dealer to obtain approval for a firearms transfer from the Colorado bureau of investigation (bureau) prior to transferring a firearm.The act prohibits the bureau from approving the transfer of a firearm to a person who was convicted of specified misdemeanor offenses. The bureau is also prohibited from approving a firearms transfer until it determines that its background investigation is complete and that the transfer would not violate federal prohibitions on firearms possession or result in a violation of state law.A person may be denied a firearms transfer if there has not been a final disposition in criminal proceedings for certain offenses for which the prospective transferee, if convicted, would be prohibited from purchasing, receiving, or possessing a firearm. The act permits continued denial of the transfer when the bureau is unable to obtain the final disposition of a case that is no longer pending.A person who has been denied a firearms transfer following a background check can appeal the denial. The act establishes a 60-day deadline for the bureau to review background check records that prompted the denial and render a final administrative decision regarding the denial.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act amends the "Colorado READ Act" to require each local education provider to submit the following information to the department of education (department) and to require the department to post the information on its website:The core and supplemental reading curriculum, or a detailed description of the reading curriculum, by grade, used in each of the local education provider's schools; The core and supplemental reading instructional programs and intervention reading instruction, services, and other supports provided in each of the local education provider's schools; The number of students enrolled in kindergarten and first through third grades who have READ plans, as well as the number of students who have achieved reading competency; and The local education provider's budget and narrative explanation for the use of the "Colorado READ Act" intervention money. Each local education provider must provide a link on its website and on its schools' websites to the page on the department's website where the information is posted.For the 2021-22 budget year, $91,944 is appropriated from the early literacy fund to the department for the costs of implementing the act.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
On July 1, 2021, the state treasurer is required to transfer $124 million from the general fund to the state highway fund.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
