For state fiscal years commencing on or after July 1, 2025, the act repeals the requirement that the general assembly annually appropriate $3 million from the marijuana tax cash fund (fund) to the board of regents of the university of Colorado for the implementation of the medication-assisted treatment expansion pilot program (program) but allows the general assembly to choose to appropriate money for the implementation of the program. Accordingly, the cash funds appropriation from the fund made in the general appropriation act for the 2025-26 state fiscal year for this purpose is decreased by $3 million. The act also repeals the requirement that the state treasurer transfer $20 million from the fund to the public school capital construction assistance fund on June 1, 2026. Finally, beginning July 1, 2025, the act changes the apportionment of the proceeds collected from the retail marijuana sales tax (tax revenue) between the state and local governments so that local governments receive 3.5% rather than 10% of the tax revenue and the state retains 96.5% rather than 90% of the tax revenue. The 6.5% increase of the tax revenue that the state retains is apportioned to the fund. On or after November 1, 2027, but before April 1, 2028, the joint budget committee is required to review the percentage of the tax revenue that is allocated to local governments to determine whether the percentage continues to be appropriate and recommend any necessary modifications to the general assembly. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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For state fiscal years 2023-24 through 2026-27, current law requires the state treasurer to credit to the decarbonization tax credits administration cash fund (fund) oil and gas severance tax revenue equal to the amount attributable to the decreased severance tax credit allowed for oil and gas production for tax years 2024 through 2026. For state fiscal years 2024-25 and 2025-26, section 2 of the act specifies that the amount of oil and gas severance tax revenue credited to the fund shall not exceed the net revenue from the oil and gas severance tax collection. Section 3 requires the state treasurer to transfer $2,500,000 from the energy and carbon management cash fund to the fund on June 30, 2025. Section 1 requires the state treasurer to transfer $2,500,000 from the fund to the energy and carbon management cash fund on January 1, 2026. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Colorado law allows a local government to establish local minimum wages in excess of the statewide minimum wage established in the state constitution. A local government that enacts a minimum wage must provide a tip offset for tipped employees in an amount equal to the tip offset amount described in the state constitution, which is $3.02. The act states that on and after January 1, 2026, a local government that has enacted a code or an ordinance imposing a minimum wage that exceeds the state minimum wage may increase the amount of the tip offset associated with the local minimum wage; except that a local government shall not impose a tip offset in an amount that allows a tipped employee to earn less than the state minimum wage minus $3.02. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law states that rules adopted by the marijuana enforcement division (division) may include certain subjects. The act states that: Rules concerning record keeping may include certain information and must include certain other information; and The rules may require medical marijuana products manufacturers or retail marijuana products manufacturers to use an approved licensed premises and approved equipment to manufacture and prepare products not infused with regulated marijuana for the purpose of quality control and research and development in the formulation of regulated marijuana products. If a license holder is required to maintain books and records in the seed-to-sale inventory tracking system, the license holder need not maintain duplicate copies of the books and records. If a license holder violates regulatory requirements, the division may require the license holder to maintain additional records. The act states that the division may adopt rules concerning identification cards for controlling beneficial owners, passive beneficial owners, or individuals who handle or transport regulated marijuana on behalf of license holders. Current law requires all applicants for an employee identification card to obtain a fingerprint-based criminal history check. The act requires only controlling beneficial owners and passive beneficial owners to obtain a fingerprint-based criminal history record check, and other employees must merely obtain a name-based judicial record check. The act requires that rules adopted by the division concerning video recording requirements must include rules to address specific aspects of such surveillance. The act authorizes the division to notify license holders by digital communication of their license expiration date. Current law authorizes marijuana cultivation facilities and marijuana products manufacturers to provide research and development units (R-and-D units) to managers and sets standards for the practice. The act reforms these standards with regard to labeling, testing, packaging, and tracking. The act also prohibits a facility or manufacturer from committing certain acts involving R-and-D units and requires the division to adopt rules concerning the issuance of R-and-D units to occupational licensees. The act repeals provisions that prohibit a person from: Having a controlling beneficial ownership, passive beneficial ownership, or indirect financial interest in a license that was not disclosed; Having day-to-day operational control over the business if the person isn't a Colorado resident; and Engaging in transfer of ownership without prior approval. The act authorizes the division to set and collect a fee to fulfill requests for copies of a license application. Current law requires a person that accepts a court appointment as a receiver, personal representative, executor, administrator, guardian, conservator, trustee, or any other similarly situated person for a medical marijuana business to notify the state and local licensing authorities of the appointment and apply for a finding of suitability. Current law also prohibits a person from possessing, operating, managing, or controlling a medical marijuana business on behalf of another except by court appointment . The act applies these laws to retail marijuana businesses. The act provides that on July 1, 2025, and July 1, 2026, the state treasurer will transfer $300,000 from the general fund to the marijuana entrepreneur fund. The appropriation to the division from the marijuana cash fund in the annual general appropriation act for the 2025-26 state fiscal year is decreased by $25,883 if certain conditions apply. The appropriation to the Colorado bureau of investigation from the Colorado bureau of investigation identification unit fund made in the annual general appropriation act for the 2025-26 state fiscal year is decreased by $252,645 if certain conditions apply. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires the state treasurer to transfer the following amounts from the license plate cash fund (fund) on June 30, 2025: 40% of the unexpended and unencumbered balance of the fund to the general fund; and 40% of the unexpended and unencumbered balance of the fund to the Colorado DRIVES vehicle services account in the highway users tax fund.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The office of legislative workplace relations (OLWR) was established in 2019 as an entity within the office of legislative legal services to provide services to the general assembly, its members and employees, and the legislative services agencies. Specifically, the OLWR is directed to provide services related to employee relations, training, compliance, workplace culture, and workplace harassment, including investigations of complaints under the general assembly's policies on workplace expectations and workplace harassment. The act rebrands the OLWR as the legislative human resources division and directs the division to provide human resource services to the legislative branch, which includes the existing services required by law and additional services, such as benefits administration, compensation and classification, hiring and recruitment, and new employee onboarding, within available resources. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates a civil cause of action for a peace officer if the peace officer reports or discloses conduct that is in violation of, or the peace officer reasonably believes is in violation of, any law or policy and the report or disclosure is a contributing factor in the employer of the peace officer's decision to take adverse employment action against the peace officer. A peace officer may seek the following damages: Reinstatement; Back pay with interest; Any other equitable relief the court deems appropriate; Compensatory damages for other pecuniary losses, emotional pain and suffering, inconvenience, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, and other nonpecuniary losses; and Reasonable attorney fees and costs. The act creates an affirmative defense to the action if the peace officer's employer would have taken the action that forms the basis of the suit against the peace officer based on a legitimate nonretaliatory basis. The action is not subject to the "Colorado Governmental Immunity Act". The statute of limitations to bring the action is 2 years. The act does not apply to an employee who provides false information or who does not follow internal reporting and administrative procedures related to whistleblower conduct. All law enforcement agencies shall provide a training to employees or a workplace posting, or both, regarding the requirements of the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act authorizes the owner of a trailer to register the trailer for as long as the owner owns the trailer. The trailer must be class B or class D personal property. To register the trailer, the owner must pay: 2 years of annual specific ownership tax; and $55.82 to cover fees. Upon the transfer of ownership of the trailer, the owner is required to notify the department of revenue of the transfer. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
For state fiscal year 2025-26 only, the act directs the state treasurer to transfer all interest and income derived from the deposit and investment of money in the following funds and accounts to the general fund: The workers' compensation cash fund; The decommissioning fund; The AIR account in the highway users tax fund; The supplier database cash fund; The emergency medical services account; The plant health, pest control, and environmental protection fund; The Colorado DRIVES vehicle services account; The nursing home penalty cash fund; The advanced industries acceleration cash fund; The indirect costs excess recovery fund; The limited gaming fund; The energy fund; The small business recovery and resiliency fund; The energy outreach Colorado low-income energy assistance fund; The Colorado economic development fund; The Colorado firefighting air corps fund; The Colorado agricultural future loan program cash fund; The subsequent injury fund; The major medical insurance fund; The species conservation trust fund; The water supply reserve fund; The local government severance tax fund; The wildfire mitigation capacity development fund; The natural resource damage recovery fund; and The supplemental state contribution fund. For state fiscal year 2025-26 and each state fiscal year thereafter, the act directs the state treasurer to transfer all interest and income derived from the deposit and investment of money in the following funds and accounts to the general fund: The correctional treatment cash fund; The Colorado heritage communities fund; The multidisciplinary crime prevention and crisis intervention grant fund; The sustainable rebuilding program fund; The industrial and manufacturing operations clean air grant program cash fund; The geothermal energy grant fund; The clean air building investments fund; The community access to electric bicycles cash fund; The Colorado office of film, television, and media operational account cash fund; The Colorado startup loan program fund; The innovative housing incentive program fund; The state emergency reserve cash fund; The just transition cash fund; The legislative department cash fund; The state agency sustainability revolving fund; The law enforcement workforce recruitment, retention, and tuition grant fund; The jail standard advisory committee cash fund; The innovative energy fund; The cannabis resource optimization cash fund; The streamlined solar permitting and inspection cash fund; The procurement technical assistance cash fund; The community revitalization fund; The transit-oriented communities infrastructure fund; and The accessory dwelling unit fee reduction and encouragement grant program fund. On June 30, 2025, the act transfers specified amounts, which are the estimated amounts of interest and income derived from the deposit and investment of money in each of the foregoing funds and accounts, as well as the housing development grant fund, the capital construction fund, and the information technology capital account in the capital construction fund, in the 2024-25 state fiscal year, from each of those funds and accounts to the general fund. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The availability of both the family affordability tax credit and the earned income tax credit has been determined by the compound annual growth rate between actual state revenue in state fiscal year 2024-25 and projected state revenue for the fiscal year that begins during the relevant state income tax year. Under the act, the availability of both tax credits is determined by the compound annual growth rate between state revenue for state fiscal year 2024-25, as projected in the March 2024 office of state planning and budgeting revenue forecast, and projected state revenue for the fiscal year that begins during the relevant state income tax year. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)