Current law creates the fourth-year innovation pilot program (pilot program) in the department of higher education (department) to disburse state funding to postsecondary education and training programs on behalf of low-income students who graduate early from a participating high school. The act limits pilot program participation to local education providers, groups of providers, and schools participating in the 2023-24 school year, but it does not cap the number of students who may receive postsecondary education scholarships through the pilot program. Current law requires the department to annually report to the department of education, the governor's office of state planning and budgeting, the joint budget committee, and the education committees of the general assembly certain information about the pilot program. The act adds a final evaluation component of the pilot program's data from each student cohort, the pilot program's outcomes and cost-effectiveness, and recommendations about any next steps beyond the pilot phase. APPROVED by Governor May 3, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Sponsored bills
The act makes 3 changes to the funding and administration of the multidisciplinary crime prevention and crisis intervention grant program. The act: Requires the state treasurer to transfer $3 million from the general fund to the multidisciplinary crime prevention and crisis intervention grant fund on July 1, 2024; Modifies the multidisciplinary crime prevention and crisis intervention grant fund so that money in the fund is annually, rather than continuously, appropriated; and Extends the repeal date of the multidisciplinary crime prevention and crisis intervention grant program, grant fund, and advisory committee from January 1, 2025, to July 1, 2027. The act also modifies both the law enforcement workforce recruitment, retention, and tuition grant fund and the SMART policing grant fund so that money in both funds is annually, rather than continuously, appropriated. Lastly, the act states that unless the Colorado state patrol or a local law enforcement agency meets certain reporting requirements, or is working with the division of criminal justice to meet these reporting requirements, the Colorado state patrol or a local law enforcement agency is not eligible to be awarded grants under the multidisciplinary crime prevention and crisis intervention grant program, the law enforcement workforce recruitment, retention, and tuition grant program, or the state's mission for assistance in recruiting and training (SMART) policing grant program. APPROVED by Governor April 29, 2024 EFFECTIVE April 29, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act establishes the amounts by which the state board of health in the department of public health and environment (department) may increase the fees payable to the health facilities general licensure cash fund, the assisted living residence cash fund, and the home care agency cash fund. The fees are increased up to 8% in state fiscal year 2025-26; 6% in state fiscal years 2026-27, 2027-28, and 2028-29; and, in each fiscal year thereafter, an amount based on the percentage change reflected in the prior year's consumer price index. The act requires the state auditor to audit the efficiency of the department's use of the facility fees. APPROVED by Governor April 29, 2024 EFFECTIVE July 1, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires the department of education (department) to apply to the United States department of agriculture for a statewide community eligibility provision if the department determines participation in a statewide community eligibility provision will maximize federal funding. The act requires the department to annually establish options for, and communicate the options to, school food authorities to maximize federal funding. A school food authority that chooses an option other than those established by the department will not receive healthy school meals for all program (program) funding and must use other eligible funding sources to cover the costs of serving free meals to all students at the schools of the school food authority. The act delays the implementation of the local food purchasing grant, the wage increase or stipend program for school meals food preparation and service employees (wage increase or stipend program), and the local school food purchasing technical assistance and education grant program until the 2025-26 budget year. The act requires the department to create a policy for school food authorities to maximize the collection of household income application forms for the national school lunch program to increase federal funding for the program. School food authorities that choose to participate in the program shall apply the policy to maximize the collection of household income application forms. The act creates the healthy school meals for all program cash fund (cash fund). On July 1, 2024, the state treasurer shall transfer the balance of the healthy school meals for all program general fund exempt account to the cash fund. The act creates the healthy school meals for all program technical advisory group (advisory group). As soon as practicable, the department shall convene the advisory group. The advisory group shall collaborate with school districts, the office of state planning and budgeting, and a representative from the department of agriculture to: Identify ways to maximize federal reimbursements; Reduce costs of the program; Review cost-savings options, including minimizing food waste; Strengthen the long-term resiliency of the healthy school meals for all cash fund; Create model revenue scenarios; Provide options and recommendations to balance program revenues and expenditures; and Draft a report with legislative and administrative recommendations and submit it to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate, or any successor committees; the joint budget committee; the state board of education; and the governor. On January 1, 2024, the local school food purchasing program (purchasing program) and the local school food purchasing technical assistance and education grant program (grant program) repealed. The act recreates the purchasing program and the grant program, and extends the programs through the 2024-25 budget year. The act eliminates the authorization for department expenditures in excess of the appropriated amount to participating school food authorities for the wage increase or stipend program. The act amends appropriations related to the program, the purchasing program, and the grant program in the general appropriations act for the 2024-25 state fiscal year. Senate Bill 23-221, enacted in 2023, appropriated money from the general fund for the program. The act amends this appropriation so that the money for the program is appropriated from the state education fund created in section 17(4) of article IX of the state constitution. APPROVED by Governor April 29, 2024 EFFECTIVE April 29, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires the state treasurer to transfer all unexpended and unencumbered money in the controlled maintenance trust fund on July 31, 2024, to the general fund. APPROVED by Governor April 29, 2024 EFFECTIVE April 29, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
When the funding source for an appropriation is a cash fund, the state agency receiving the appropriation annually calculates an amount equal to the recorded depreciation of capital assets acquired, repaired, improved, replaced, renovated, or constructed with the appropriated money. The state controller credits the recorded depreciation amount from the cash fund that was the source of the funding for the appropriation to a capital reserve account established by the agency in the cash fund. The act exempts the money in the wildlife cash fund from being credited to the capital reserve account. A state agency terminating a lease for private leased space must calculate the annual reduction in the cost of leased space and the general assembly must transfer to the capital construction fund an amount equal to the reduction in the cost of leased space from the fund that was the source of the funding for the lease. The act exempts the money in the wildlife cash fund from being transferred to compensate for the reduction in private leased space. On July 1, 2024, the act requires the state treasurer to transfer $1,198,224 from the capitol complex renovation fund to the wildlife cash fund and $273,204 from the capitol complex renovation fund to the division of parks and wildlife to be used by the division for the same purposes as other lottery proceeds distributions made pursuant to section 3 (1)(b)(II) of article XXVII of the state constitution. The act reduces the appropriation from the wildlife cash fund made in the annual general appropriation act for the 2024-25 state fiscal year to the department of natural resources for use by the division of parks and wildlife for the annual depreciation-lease equivalent payment by $199,068. APPROVED by Governor April 29, 2024 EFFECTIVE April 29, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates the financial assistance program for students experiencing homelessness (program) in the department of higher education (department). Beginning in the 2024-25 academic year, the act requires all Colorado public institutions of higher education (institutions) to provide financial assistance to a Colorado resident student (qualifying student) who is between the ages of 17 and 26 and who has experienced homelessness in the state at any time during high school. The institutions shall provide financial assistance to cover the remaining balance of the qualifying student's total cost of attendance in excess of the amount of any private, state, or federal financial assistance the student receives. Subject to available appropriations, the act requires the Colorado commission on higher education to provide institutions money to cover 50% of the remaining balance of financial assistance for qualifying students. The institutions are required to designate an employee to serve as a liaison to qualifying and prospective qualifying students. The institutions shall notify qualifying students of their eligibility for remaining balance financial assistance. The act requires the department to add one employee as a navigator to provide guidance to prospective qualifying students when selecting institutions and completing applications for admission and financial aid. The act requires the department to enter into a data-sharing agreement with the department of education in order to identify prospective qualifying students. The act clarifies student eligibility to participate in the foster youth financial assistance program. The act appropriates $1,668,381 from the general fund to the department for aid for students who experienced homelessness during high school. The act appropriates $26,055 from the general fund to the department of education for the homeless student scholarship program. APPROVED by Governor April 29, 2024 EFFECTIVE April 29, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, the bill provides for the payment of expenses of the executive, legislative, and judicial departments of the state of Colorado, and of its agencies and institutions. The grand total for the operating budget is set at $42,929,675,236. The general funds portion of the appropriation is set at $12,398,541,034; the general fund exempt portion is set at $3,803,423,067; the cash funds portion is set at $11,342,249,687; the reappropriated funds portion is set at $2,878,921,519; and the federal funds portion is set at $12,506,539,929. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, the grand total for the state fiscal year for capital construction projects is set at $367,677,785. The capital construction fund portion of the appropriation is set at $262,215,419; the cash funds portion is set at $103,554,776; and the federal funds portion is set at $1,907,590. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, the grand total for information technology projects is set at $158,354,132. The capital construction fund portion of the appropriation is set at $86,836,669; the cash fund portion is set at $14,255,934; and the federal funds portion is set at $57,261,529. The 2021 general appropriation act is amended to balance and make adjustments to the total amount appropriated for capital construction projects and capital construction information technology projects. The 2023 general appropriation act is amended to balance and make adjustments to the total amount appropriated to the department of education; the offices of the governor, lieutenant governor, and state planning and budgeting; and the departments of health care policy and financing, higher education, local affairs, personnel, public health and environment, and public safety. Appropriations were made in several bills during the 2023 legislative session that are further amended to balance and make adjustments and to extend the appropriation of unexpended amounts to the 2024-25 fiscal year. APPROVED by Governor April 29, 2024 EFFECTIVE April 29, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act increases the cost threshold above which a controlled maintenance project of real property is deemed to be "capital renewal" (cost threshold) from $2 million to $4.7 million. The act also requires the department of personnel to adjust the cost threshold for inflation every 3 years beginning on January 1, 2029, and to publish the cost threshold on its website. APPROVED by Governor April 29, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires the transfer, on July 1, 2024, of: $160,844,354 from the general fund to the capital construction fund; $70,811,334 from the general fund to the information technology capital account of the capital construction fund; $500,000 from the general fund exempt account of the general fund to the capital construction fund; $84,875,462 from the controlled maintenance trust fund to the capital construction fund; and $1,000,000 from the marijuana tax cash fund to the information technology capital account of the capital construction fund. Notwithstanding any provision of law that requires such a transfer, the act also prohibits the state treasurer from transferring money from the legal services cash fund to the capital construction fund or to any other fund if the joint budget committee of the general assembly notifies the state treasurer before the scheduled transfer date not to make the transfer after the attorney general notifies and certifies in writing to the joint budget committee that the transfer: Is not compliant with federal and state laws governing the money to be transferred; Is legally preempted by state constitutional restrictions or a federal law governing the money to be transferred; or Unlawfully transfers money in a manner that may terminate the qualification as an enterprise of any enterprise lawfully enacted under the provision of the state constitution known as the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR). APPROVED by Governor April 29, 2024 EFFECTIVE April 29, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)