The state private activity bond program funds privately developed projects by allowing the state and its political subdivisions to issue tax-exempt private activity bonds. The federal internal revenue code limits the total amount of tax-exempt private activity bonds that a state and its political subdivisions may issue each year by imposing a private activity bond ceiling (state ceiling). Existing law specifies a formula to allocate the ability to issue tax-exempt private activity bonds up to the state ceiling and initially allocates 50% of these bonds among several state issuing authorities through direct allocations as determined by the department of local affairs (department). On September 15 each year, with a few exceptions, each state issuing authority is required to relinquish unused portions of its direct allocation which is then further allocated pursuant to law. The Colorado agricultural development authority is one of the state issuing authorities to which the department may allocate a portion of the state ceiling. The act changes the date on which the Colorado agricultural development authority is required to relinquish the unused portion of its direct allocation from September 15 to November 15 each year.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
An interchange fee is a fee established, charged, or received by a payment card network for the purpose of compensating an issuer for its involvement in an electronic payment transaction. The act states that a payment card network shall not, whether directly or indirectly:Establish, charge, or include in a fee schedule an interchange fee if:The interchange fee is or includes a percentage multiplied by the gross dollar amount of a transaction conducted with a debit card or credit card; andThe fee does not exclude from the gross dollar amount of the transaction any amount attributable to a tax on the transaction; orIncrease the rate or amount of fees that apply to the nontax portion of a transaction in an attempt to, or in a manner that would, circumvent the prohibition on interchange fees established by the act. The act exempts electronic payment transactions involving a debit card or credit card issued by a person, or agent of a person, that issues a debit card or credit card to a cardholder (issuer) that:Did not, during any point in the previous calendar year, hold consolidated worldwide banking and nonbanking assets, including assets of affiliates, other than trust assets under management, of more than $60 billion; orAs of February 1, 2026, had contracted to brand the card with the brand of a financial institution chartered or authorized to do business in this state that did not, during any point in the previous calendar year, hold consolidated worldwide banking and nonbanking assets, including assets of affiliates, other than trust assets under management, of more than $60 billion.An issuer that satisfies either of these exemption descriptions must identify to a payment card network all of the issuer's debit cards and credit cards that are used for exempted transactions. The payment card network shall not, whether directly or indirectly through an agent, contract, requirement, condition, penalty, technological specification, or inducement or otherwise:Deny such a card access to transaction processing systems; orImpose any fee increase or penalty on the issuer or on a financial institution branded on the card for any costs of upgrades or configurations to payment and processing systems that may be necessary to comply with the act with respect to such cards. If a payment card network violates the act's prohibitions, a merchant, consumer, or other person that is injured as a result of the violation may bring a civil action against the payment card network. The act sets forth the penalties to be awarded in such an action. For the 2026-27 state fiscal year and each state fiscal year thereafter, the act requires each retail business that has more than 500 employees statewide on the effective date of the act to apply any savings resulting from the act to reducing prices for consumers or investing in employee wages or benefits.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
A manufacturer of spirituous liquors (manufacturer) that seeks to serve and sell alcohol beverages acquired from wholesalers licensed in the state (wholesaler) at the manufacturer's licensed premises and any approved sales room is required to apply for a permit from the local and state licensing authorities for on-premises consumption for each location where the manufacturer will serve and sell alcohol beverages acquired from a wholesaler. Prior to issuing the permit, the local licensing authority shall provide public notice and consider the reasonable requirements of the neighborhood, zoning restrictions, and other local licensing concerns. The act includes fees that a permit applicant must pay to a local licensing authority. Upon approval from the local licensing authority, a manufacturer shall apply to the state licensing authority for a state permit. If the state permit is approved:The manufacturer must serve sandwiches and light snacks if selling and serving alcohol beverages acquired from a wholesaler; andThe proceeds from the sale of alcohol beverages acquired from wholesalers must not account for more than 50% of the manufacturer's gross annual revenue from alcohol beverage sales. The state permit is valid until the expiration of the local permit or for one year after the date of issuance of the state permit, whichever is sooner, unless the permit is inactive, suspended, or revoked. If a manufacturer does not obtain a permit from the local and state licensing authority to serve and sell alcohol beverages acquired from a wholesaler, the manufacturer may purchase and use common alcohol modifiers to combine with the manufacturer's spirituous liquors to produce cocktails for consumption on and off the sales room premises.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
If the executive director of the department of health care policy and financing (state department) receives gifts, grants, and donations for the purpose of providing support for the development and funding of an enhanced reimbursement model for nursing facilities that serve residents with behavioral health needs, the state department is required to use the gifts, grants, and donations for that purpose. Receiving gifts, grants, and donations for this purpose does not commit the state to an expenditure of general fund money, and the general assembly shall not reduce any appropriation made to the state department for the same purpose. If requested by the joint budget committee, the state department is required to report the state department's use of the gift, grants, and donations received.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Under current law, the Colorado limited gaming control commission (commission), at its discretion, may delegate only certain licensing duties described under the 'Limited Gaming Act of 1991' (gaming act) to the division of gaming (division). The act allows the commission to delegate to the division licensing duties that appear elsewhere in the gaming act. The act authorizes investigators of the division and their supervisors to inspect, examine, investigate, hold, or impound any premises in the state where an investigator or supervisor suspects that unlicensed gaming or unlicensed sports betting is conducted. Under current law, the division is required to operate a program that allows individuals to voluntarily exclude themselves from gaming activities in the state. The act expands the program to allow individuals to voluntarily exclude themselves from sports betting in the state. The act clarifies the definition of 'race meet' for purposes of the regulation of racing events. The act also adds other definitions of terms used in laws concerning gaming. The act states that a designee of the director is a peace officer while engaged in the performance of their duties whose primary authority includes the enforcement of all laws of the state. Current law prohibits a licensee from offering certain games without acquiring prior approval from the commission. The act changes this requirement so that a licensee must acquire prior approval from the division. The act clarifies the process by which the commission and the Colorado bureau of investigation conduct fingerprint-based criminal background checks of applicants for gaming licenses.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
