Rep. Lorena García

Under current law, the state charter school institute and each school district, board of cooperative services, and charter school is required to publicly report certain financial information online. The bill requires a school district to report all information for itself and for each of its traditional public schools beginning July 1, 2027. Each report must include additional information concerning actual marketing, student recruitment, lobbying, contractor, and education management provider expenditures and all sources of revenue.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Provides for the payment of expenses of the executive, legislative, and judicial departments of the state of Colorado, and of its agencies and institutions, for and during the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, except as otherwise noted. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires each school district, beginning in the 2025-26 budget year, and each budget year thereafter, to report the total amount of additional mill levy revenue, stated as a dollar amount, that the school district is authorized to collect and that the school district distributes to the institute charter schools within the geographic boundary of the school district. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Beginning with the 2025-26 budget year, and each budget year thereafter, the state charter school institute (institute) shall not distribute a portion of its appropriated mill levy equalization funds to multi-district online schools that are authorized by the institute. Beginning in the 2024-25 budget year, if the institute receives additional mill levy revenue from a school district for an institute charter school within the geographic boundary of the school district, the general assembly shall deduct the additional mill levy revenue from the amount necessary to fully fund mill levy equalization. The act decreases an appropriation from the state education fund to the department of education for use by the institute for mill levy equalization by $1,008,494. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The bill enacts the "Swipe Fee Fairness and Consumer Safeguards Act" (act), which prohibits a payment card network from: Fixing or conspiring to fix an interchange fee with, or on behalf of, a covered credit card issuer or another payment card network; Establishing, putting forward, or implementing a fee schedule that the payment card network knows, or reasonably should know, has been used by a covered credit card issuer other than the payment card network to determine the amount of an interchange fee charged or received by the covered credit card issuer in the current or previous calendar year; Establishing, charging, or putting forward on a fee schedule an interchange fee if the fee includes a percentage multiplied by the amount of a transaction and the fee does not exclude any amount attributable to a tax or gratuity on the transaction, or increasing fees in an attempt to or in a manner that would circumvent such interchange fee prohibition; Requiring a merchant that accepts credit cards that are enabled for processing over the payment card network to accept all credit cards issued by a covered credit card issuer that are enabled for processing over the payment card network; Distributing, publishing, or otherwise using data from an electronic payment transaction, except in certain circumstances; Charging a fee to a consumer or merchant related to a disputed credit card transaction until the dispute has been resolved and the consumer or merchant has been provided written notice of the determination; or Imposing a penalty on a merchant for setting prices in a manner that complies with state and federal law. The bill prohibits a payment card network from establishing, putting forward, or implementing a fee schedule that the payment card network knows or reasonably should know has been used by one or more issuers other than the payment card network to determine the amount of an interchange fee received or charged in respect to a charitable contribution, unless the interchange fee does not exceed: 0.2% of the amount of a charitable contribution made by means of a debit card; or 0.3% of the amount of a charitable contribution made by means of a credit card. If a payment card network violates the act, a merchant, consumer, or other individual or entity that is injured as a result may bring a civil action. A payment card network that is found to have violated the act as a result of a civil action other than a certified class action is liable in an amount equal to the sum of: The greater of: The amount of actual damages sustained plus interest; or $500; or 3 times the amount of actual damages sustained if the payment card network engaged in bad faith conduct; plus The costs of the action plus reasonable attorney fees. If a payment card network is found liable in a certified class action, a successful plaintiff may recover actual damages, injunctive relief allowed by law, and reasonable attorney fees and costs. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Maddy summarySenate Joint Resolution 25-022 is a commemorative resolution concerning the remembrance of the Holocaust. It declares the General Assembly's commitment to remembering the Holocaust and encourages school districts and universities to promote antibias, bullying prevention, and Holocaust and genocide education programs to prevent antisemitic incidents, particularly those targeting Jewish students.

The act requires the executive director (director) of the department of corrections (department) to report specified information on inmate population, bed capacity, and vacancy rates on a monthly basis. The act also requires the director to report to the joint budget committee and the office of state planning and budgeting: When opening or closing a facility or relocating more than 20 inmates; and By August 1, 2025, and by each August 1 thereafter, information on FTEs by facility, location, and subprogram. The act requires future budget requests to include worksheets identifying calculations for FTE and operating expenses and requires the department to include a report describing supplemental budget requests and budget amendments as part of its "SMART Act" presentation. If the director or department fails to provide the information required, the act authorizes the joint budget committee to reduce appropriations for salaries of unclassified department employees. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Previously, Colorado law required a bill that resulted in a net increase in periods of incarceration to include an appropriation to cover the increased cost of incarceration for 5 years after the bill went into effect. In 2022, the general assembly suspended the appropriation requirement for 3 years. The act repeals the appropriation requirement permanently. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Maddy summaryHouse Joint Resolution 25-1025 is a commemorative resolution by the Colorado General Assembly. It officially recognizes the week of April 6-12, 2025, as National Crime Victims' Rights Week in Colorado. The resolution aims to honor crime victims and those who serve them, and encourages Colorado citizens to seek justice and show compassion for victims.

Maddy summaryHouse Joint Resolution 25-1024 authorizes the installation of a memorial on the State Capitol Grounds to honor the victims of the Sand Creek Massacre of November 29, 1864. The bill designates the former location of the "Union Soldier" statue on the west grounds of the capitol as the appropriate site for this memorial. Its purpose is to respect and memorialize the Cheyenne and Arapaho people and their ancestors, promote cross-cultural understanding, and educate the public about the massacre.