Rep. Tammy Story

Current law authorizes a livestock owner (owner) to be compensated when a game animal or a gray wolf kills livestock, a livestock guard, or a herding animal. To receive compensation for native carnivore depredation under current law, the bill requires the owner to: Employ nonlethal coexistence strategies; and Appropriately dispose of a livestock carcass in a manner that makes the livestock carcass inedible for native carnivores. If an owner fails to appropriately dispose of a livestock carcass in violation of the bill and this failure results in depredation, the division of parks and wildlife (division) may not issue a permit to kill the native carnivore. For the purposes of receiving compensation under current law, the bill also changes the definition of a working animal from "livestock guard or herding animal" to "livestock guardian dog", and the effect of this change is to stop compensation for herding animals and guard animals that are not dogs. In addition, the livestock guardian dog must be trained and working when depredated. When native carnivores establish a presence in an area, the parks and wildlife commission must create a conflict prevention plan, which must include appropriate nonlethal measures. The bill sets standards for the plan. Then, the division must coordinate with and educate owners within the area to implement proactive nonlethal coexistence strategies. The division will hire native-carnivore coexistence officers to implement the bill. The division must keep records of the claims and their disposition and issue a report to the relevant legislative committees. The division and the department of agriculture must coordinate and cooperate with each other to implement the bill. The division may seek and expend gifts, grants, and donations for native-carnivore nonlethal coexistence. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

$87,910 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of the treasury for the 2023-24 state fiscal year to support the administration of property tax deferrals for the 2023 property tax year as part of the property tax deferral program. APPROVED by Governor November 20, 2023 EFFECTIVE November 20, 2023(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires the public utilities commission's (commission) gas pipeline safety rules, on or before March 1, 2024, to address requirements for: The installation or reinstallation of service regulators by the owner or operator so that any vents associated with the service regulators are at least 12 inches above ground level and located in an area that is protected from external blockage; and The visual inspection of gas meters and service regulators by a qualified individual no less frequently than every 5 calendar years with intervals not to exceed 63 months and the record documentation of each inspection. The act requires the commission to promulgate rules, on or before March 1, 2024, to establish a process for determining whether an owner or operator of a natural gas distribution system (owner or operator) or a customer is responsible for the maintenance and repairs of the portion of the service line, if installed on or after August 14, 1995, and before March 1, 2024, that extends from the gas meter to the customer's primary residential or commercial structure that is serviced with natural gas (customer-owned service line). The act also requires the commission to promulgate rules, on or before March 1, 2024, requiring an owner or operator that distributes gas to a customer-owned service line installed by the owner or operator on or after March 1, 2024, to: Provide written notice to the customer, within 90 days after the installation of the customer-owned service line, informing the customer whether the owner or operator or the customer is responsible for the maintenance and repairs of the customer-owned service line; and Use best efforts to obtain a signed copy of the written notice from the customer. An owner or operator that fails to obtain a signed copy of the written notice must either maintain proof of efforts to obtain the customer's signature or document the customer's refusal to provide a signature. APPROVED by Governor June 7, 2023 EFFECTIVE June 7, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

A state agency or institution of higher education that receives an appropriation for a capital construction project is required to allocate not less than one percent of the state funded portion of the project for the acquisition of works of art. In the 2022-23 fiscal year, the general assembly appropriated money from the revenue loss restoration cash fund to state agencies and institutions of higher education for capital construction projects. The act clarifies that the state funded portion of a capital construction project includes money appropriated from the revenue loss restoration cash fund. In addition, for appropriations for capital construction projects made for the 2022-23 fiscal year only, the act makes the allocation for the acquisition of works of art discretionary rather than mandatory and allows a state agency or institution of higher education that opts not to make such an allocation to use the money that would otherwise be used for works of art for any other costs associated with the capital construction project. APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2023 EFFECTIVE June 6, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act creates the stegosaurus state fossil license plate for motor vehicles. The department of revenue (department) must designate a nonprofit organization to qualify applicants for issuance of the license plate. The organization must provide educational services about the science and history of dinosaurs and support the stewardship and preservation of dinosaur fossils, tracks, and paleontology sites in Colorado. An applicant qualifies for issuance of the license plate if the applicant makes a donation to the organization and pays all required taxes and fees. In addition to the standard motor vehicle fees, the applicant must pay 2 one-time fees of $25 for issuance of the license plate. One fee is credited to the highway users tax fund and the other fee is credited to the licensing services cash fund. To implement this act, $39,151 is appropriated to the department for use by the division of motor vehicles. This appropriation consists of $5,492 from the Colorado DRIVES vehicle services account in the highway users tax fund and $33,659 from the license plate cash fund. APPROVED by Governor May 22, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires the Colorado state forest service to make certain upgrades and improvements to its seedling tree nursery in order to expand its capacity and its ability to contribute to reforestation efforts in the state. The act extends the applicable repeal date to January 1, 2026. House Bill 22-1323, concerning updates to the Colorado state forest service seedling tree nursery, appropriated $5,000,000 for the 2022-23 state fiscal year to the department of higher education for use by the board of governors of the Colorado state university system, and the act further appropriates the unexpended amount through the 2024-25 state fiscal year. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $5,382,500 from the general fund to the department of higher education for use by the board of governors of the Colorado state university system for the Colorado state forest service seedling tree nursery. The act requires that any unexpended money appropriated pursuant to the act remain available for expenditure through the 2024-25 state fiscal year. APPROVED by Governor May 15, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act directs the director of the division of fire prevention and control (division) within the department of public safety to report on the investigation of wildland fires in the state and creates the fire investigation fund to fund fire investigations. The money in the fund is subject to annual appropriation by the general assembly, and the division must prioritize money in the fund for wildland fire investigations. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, $2,764,021 is appropriated to the fire investigation fund from the general fund and the money is reappropriated to the department of public safety for vehicle lease payments, personal services, operating expenses, and local fire investigation reimbursements. APPROVED by Governor May 12, 2023 EFFECTIVE May 12, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

For the 2023-24 state fiscal year through the 2026-27 state fiscal year, the bill appropriates $3 million annually money from the general fund to the food pantry assistance grant program. The bill repeals the food pantry assistance grant program, effective July 1, 2028. (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, the independent ethics commission created in article XXIX of the state constitution does not have jurisdiction over officials or employees of special districts or school districts. The bill gives the independent ethics commission jurisdiction to hear complaints, issue findings, assess penalties, and issue advisory opinions on ethics issues concerning a local government official or local government employee special district official, special district employee, school district official, or school district employee . "Local government" is defined to include a county, municipality, special district, or school district. Existing ethical standards apply to a local government official and a local government employee. The bill applies those standards to a local government official or local government employee through the independent ethics commission . (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.)

The sexual misconduct advisory committee (advisory committee) repeals September 1, 2023. The act implements the department of regulatory agencies' recommendation to continue the advisory committee indefinitely. APPROVED by Governor April 28, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)