Rep. Lorena García

For the 2024 income tax year through the 2026 income tax year, the bill creates a nonrefundable income tax credit (credit), which cannot be carried forward, for a taxpayer who: Rents the taxpayer's primary residence in the state; and Has a federal adjusted gross income (AGI) that is less than or equal to $75,000 if filing a single return, or less than or equal to $150,000 $125,000 if filing a joint return (qualifying taxpayer). The amount of the credit is: $2,000 for 2 qualifying taxpayers filing a joint return with a federal AGI that is $50,000 $75,000 or less. For every $500 of AGI above $50,000, the amount of the credit is reduced by $10 $20. $1,000 for a qualifying taxpayer filing a single return with a federal AGI that is $25,000 or less. For every $500 of AGI above $25,000, the amount of the credit is reduced by $10 $20 . Notwithstanding the income-based reductions in the allowable credit amount, a qualifying taxpayer who also qualifies for a rent or heat assistance grant during calendar year 2024, 2025, or 2026, as applicable, is eligible to receive the full credit amount. In addition, the bill specifies that, to the extent permitted by federal law, the credit is not income or resources for the purpose of determining eligibility for the payment of public assistance benefits and medical assistance benefits authorized under state law or for a payment made under any other publicly funded programs or for eligibility determinations made under any affordable housing program provided by local, state, federal, or quasi-governmental entities. The bill specifies that a qualifying taxpayer who is eligible to claim any other income tax credit that is allowed to a taxpayer who rents the taxpayer's primary residence and has a federal AGI that is less than or equal to $75,000 if filing a single return, or less than or equal to $150,000 $125,000 if filing a joint return, may claim the income tax credit allowed in the bill or the other income tax credit allowed for income-qualified renters, but not both. The bill makes appropriations to the department of revenue and the department of personnel for the implementation of the bill. (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 Colorado broadband office (office) is authorized to seek or apply for, accept, and expend money from the federal government for broadband deployment. The bill requires that for federal money that the office distributes, or for state money that it distributes as matching funding for federal money, it must give substantial weight, but not less than 25% weight, to fair labor practices by establishing evaluation metrics for applicants. Additionally, for projects that receive an award of over $500,000, workers involved in the projects must be paid prevailing wages for the project to receive the award. The bill requires the Colorado broadband office (office), by and through the chief information officer of the office of information and technology, to promulgate rules that establish labor standards for grantees and subgrantees no later than 91 days after the office receives approval of its initial proposal for federal funding under the broadband equity, access, and deployment program authorized by the federal "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act" and before, in connection with receipt of such federal funding, approving grants to internet service providers. (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.)

On or before December 31, 2028, the bill requires the air quality control commission (AQCC) in the department of public health and environment (department) to adopt by rule certain emission standards and requirements for in-use, off-road, diesel-fueled fleets. On or before December 31, 2025, the AQCC must adopt rules for controlling emissions from facilities, buildings, structures, installations, or real property that generates mobile source activity that results in emissions of air pollutants (indirect source) within the 8-hour ozone Denver metro/north front range nonattainment area (covered nonattainment area). The rules must include emission reduction targets for indirect sources to achieve and a process for the division of administration (division) in the department to review alternative approaches proposed by an owner or operator of an indirect source. The commission may establish a fee for indirect sources within the covered nonattainment area to cover the division's costs in implementing the rules. The bill also defines "ozone season" as the period beginning May 1 and ending September 30 of each year (ozone season). Beginning in the 2025 ozone season, and in each ozone season thereafter, any oil and gas preproduction activity within the covered nonattainment area must pause for the duration of the ozone season. On or before June 30, 2024, and on or before each June 30 thereafter, an oil and gas operator in the state is required to submit an oil and natural gas annual emission inventory report (inventory report) to the division that includes, for the previous calendar year, the emissions of certain air pollutants from oil and gas operations under the control of the oil and gas operator. On or before October 1, 2024, and on or before each October 1 thereafter, the division, in coordination with the energy and carbon management commission (ECMC), must prepare a report regarding the inventory reports received by the division for the previous calendar year and certain other information. On or before November 30, 2024, and on or before each November 30 thereafter, for the ozone season of the subsequent year, an oil and gas operator that controls oil and gas operations in the covered nonattainment area must submit a report to the division estimating emissions of nitrogen oxides from the oil and gas operator's operations in the covered nonattainment area (estimates). For the 2025 ozone season, and for each ozone season thereafter, the ECMC, in consultation with the division, must develop an ozone season nitrogen oxides emission budget (budget) for the emissions of nitrogen oxides by oil and gas operations in the covered nonattainment area, which budget must set certain maximum average emission levels of nitrogen oxides by oil and gas operations. On or before February 1, 2025, and on or before each February 1 thereafter, the division must prepare a nitrogen oxides report regarding the estimates received by the division for use by the ECMC in determining if the total estimates received exceed the budget for the ozone season of the current year. Beginning in February 2025, and in each February thereafter, the ECMC, in consultation with the division, must act to limit emissions of nitrogen oxides from oil and gas operations in the covered nonattainment area in a manner that prevents an exceedance of the current year's budget. The bill also requires the department of transportation to establish vehicle miles traveled reduction targets for the covered nonattainment area and to develop policies and programs to assist applicable metropolitan planning organizations in meeting the targets. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Current law specifies the conditions a person must meet in order to change the person's name if the person was convicted of a felony. Among those conditions is that the person must show good cause to be able to change the person's name to a name different from the name the person was convicted under. The act states that good cause includes changing the petitioner's name to conform with the petitioner's gender identity. The act authorizes the court to require a petitioner to give public notice of a name change if the name change was requested by a petitioner with a felony conviction and is for the purpose of changing the petitioner's name to conform with the petitioner's gender identity. APPROVED by Governor April 19, 2024 EFFECTIVE April 19, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act applies conduct pertaining to false slates of electors to 5 existing crimes that make it unlawful for an individual to: Offer a false instrument for recording; Commit forgery; Conspire to offer a false instrument for recording or to commit forgery; Commit perjury; or Commit subornation of perjury. Each crime is punishable by a fine of no more than $10,000. In addition, a defendant who is convicted of the crime of perjury or subornation of perjury for knowingly and falsely swearing or attesting to the oath required by law for presidential electors or inducing another to knowingly and falsely swear or attest to the oath required by law for presidential electors is disqualified, as required by the state constitution, from being a member of the general assembly and from holding any office of trust or profit in the state. APPROVED by Governor April 19, 2024 EFFECTIVE July 1, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The bill requires, when appointing members to a charter school's governing body, that the appointing authority make reasonable efforts to ensure that at least one-third of the board is comprised of parents or legal guardians of students who are enrolled in the charter school and people who reflect the demographics of the community where the charter school is located. The bill prohibits: Automatic waivers from being included in charter contracts executed or renewed on or after July 1, 2024; and A charter contract from waiving educator personnel performance evaluation system requirements. Under current law, a charter school is not required to pay rent for school district facilities that are available, and an independent charter school is not required to pay more than $12 in rent per year for a building of a public school that is subject to conversion. The bill repeals this provision. The bill repeals a requirement that a school district prepare, and provide upon request, a list of vacant or underused buildings and land to the district charter schools, charter school applicants, and other interested persons, and repeals the ability of a district charter school or charter school applicant to apply to use the district building or land. The bill requires information about laws and policies waived by the charter school to be provided in plain and easy-to-understand language on: A school district's enrollment website portal; and A charter school's website. Failure to satisfy this requirement is grounds for revocation or nonrenewal of the charter contract. The bill requires a charter school to publicly report on its website its unredacted federal form 990 and an unredacted copy of any form including revenue and expenses related to marketing and student recruitment, except for redactions required to protect personal or confidential information. The bill requires a charter school application or renewal to include: Descriptions of educational services that the applicant will provide that meet the unmet needs of the students in the community where the charter school is located and, in a charter renewal application, information concerning the progress and results in satisfying this purpose; and Its annual minimum pupil enrollment requirement. Failure to satisfy this requirement is grounds for revocation or nonrenewal of the charter contract. Under current law, certain local board of education (local board) decisions may be appealed to the state board of education (state board). The state board may remand a decision to the local board for reconsideration. If the local board's decision remains unchanged, that decision may be appealed to the state board again. The state board's decision is then the final decision. The bill repeals the second remand to the state board, so that the local board's final decision ends the appeal process. The bill creates a process for community members to appeal a local board's decision to approve a charter application. Under current law, a local board is prohibited from imposing a moratorium on the approval of district charter schools. The bill creates an exception for a school district whose pupil enrollment is less than the immediately preceding budget year or is projected to decline over the next 3 budget years. The bill allows a local board to revoke or not renew a district charter school charter because of the school district's declining pupil enrollment or the district charter school's declining enrollment. The charter school may appeal the decision. Under current law, a district accountability committee is required to review a charter school application. The bill requires a district accountability committee to also review a charter school renewal application. The bill prohibits a charter school governing board member or leader from engaging in activity or having any financial interest that might result in a conflict of interest between the board member's or leader's charter school duties and personal or financial interest. Under current law, as a part of a charter school contract, the school district and charter school negotiate funding. A school district may retain the actual amount of the charter school's per pupil share of central administrative overhead costs for services provided to the charter school, up to 5% of the district per pupil revenues for each pupil enrolled in a charter school. The bill requires the school district to retain the costs, including any costs that are otherwise not reimbursed for special education services provided to the charter school, and repeals the 5% cap. Under current law, the department of education is required to submit an annual report to the governor and the house of representatives and senate education committees concerning charter schools. The bill requires the report to include data concerning attrition rates for charter school student enrollment and teacher and administration employment. Current law generally requires school districts and boards of cooperative services to evaluate the performance of their licensed personnel. The bill requires an evaluation of all personnel, including at institute charter schools, regardless of whether the person is licensed. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Current law states that if there is sufficient evidence to determine that reunification of a child or youth with one or both parents is not viable due to abuse, neglect, abandonment, or a similar basis, the child or youth is eligible for federal classification as a special immigrant juvenile. The act clarifies that abandonment includes, but is not limited to, the death of one or both parents. The act defines the phrase "special immigrant juvenile status findings". APPROVED by Governor March 22, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The bill requires a facility that uses animals for health-related research to: Submit annual reports to the department of public health and environment regarding the use of animals in the facility; and Transfer dogs and cats owned by the facility to animal shelters and pet animal rescues before euthanizing the animal.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The act creates the alternative metrics to measure criminal justice system performance working group (working group). The working group consists of: Representatives from the division of youth services in the department of human services, the department of corrections, the judicial department, and the department of public safety; and 2 members from an institution of higher education with expertise in the criminal legal system and two members from a community-based organization that works for criminal legal reform. The working group shall consult with stakeholders either identified by the working group or who request to participate. The act requires the working group to study metrics and methods, other than measuring recidivism, to: Supplement the current measure of recidivism; Measure risk-reduction outcomes; Comprehensively measure successful outcomes that consider various aspects of life, including employment, housing, education, mental health, personal well-being, social supports, and civic and community engagement; and More effectively measure criminal justice system performance. The working group is required to submit a report to the house of representatives public and behavioral health and human services committee and judiciary committee and the senate health and human services committee and judiciary committee on or before July 1, 2025. The report must include a summary of the working group's work and any recommendations of the working group. APPROVED by Governor March 6, 2024 EFFECTIVE March 6, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)