Rep. Chad Clifford

Maddy summaryThis House Resolution (HR 25-1004) designates March 31, 2025, as "Cesar Chavez Day" in Colorado to honor Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. It recognizes their shared legacy in advocating for farm workers' rights, including organizing the United Farm Workers, securing union contracts, and improving workplace safety and fair treatment. The resolution has no legal effect or policy changes - it is purely commemorative, expressing the House's acknowledgment of their historical contributions. It does not directly affect any individuals or create new obligations. The resolution was passed by the Colorado House of Representatives and signed by the Speaker.

Maddy summaryThis House Resolution (HR 25-1003) recognizes the importance of diversity in Colorado's legal community and honors the Colorado Women's Bar Association (CWBA) for its work supporting women in the legal profession. It highlights key milestones in Colorado's legal history, including the first women to earn law degrees, become judges, and serve in legal leadership roles. The resolution commends the CWBA's efforts to promote women's advancement in the judiciary and ensure equal representation. As a non-binding resolution, it does not create new law but formally acknowledges these contributions during Women's History Month.

Section 20 of article X of the state constitution (TABOR) requires the maximum annual percentage change in state fiscal year spending to equal inflation plus the percentage change in state population in the prior calendar year adjusted for revenue changes approved by voters. Although TABOR does not specify how the state shall determine the percentage change in state population (population growth), the TABOR implementing statutes do. For years in which there is not a decennial census, the TABOR implementing statutes required the state to calculate population growth by determining the percentage change between: The federal census bureau's estimate of state population (census estimate) for the previous calendar year, as of December in the current calendar year; and The census estimate for the current calendar year, as of December in the current calendar year. This method for calculating population growth can lead to either double-counting or under-counting of population changes in census estimates. If the federal census bureau revises a census estimate upward for a given year, population growth will be understated and the fiscal year spending limit will be lower. The opposite is true if the federal census bureau revises a census estimate downward. In either case, under this method for calculating population growth, population growth would be measured inaccurately. The act adjusts the method of calculating population growth. Under the act, population growth is calculated by determining the percentage change between: The census estimate, as of December in the previous calendar year, for the previous calendar year; and The census estimate, as of December in the current calendar year, for the current calendar year. This approach prevents double-counting or under-counting population changes as a result of revised census estimates and results in a more accurate measurement of population growth. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Current law requires that bond can be posted online. The act makes clarifying changes to the bond statutes to ensure that bond can be posted online. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act eliminates the statutory cap on the number of veterinary students permitted to attend Colorado state university at one time. The act eliminates additional financial limitations related to the professional veterinary medicine program at Colorado state university, including eliminating the university's bonding authority with respect to the veterinary medicine program. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act designates the Agaricus julius mushroom, commonly known as the Emperor mushroom, as the state mushroom of the state of Colorado. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Under current law, owners of certain large buildings (covered buildings) are required to annually collect and report each covered building's energy use to the Colorado energy office. The act clarifies that agricultural buildings are not covered buildings, and therefore, owners of agricultural buildings are exempt from the energy use collecting and reporting requirements. The act defines an agricultural building as a building or structure used to house agricultural implements, hay, unprocessed grain, poultry, livestock, or other agricultural products or inputs primarily for the purpose of maintaining or operating an agricultural process. Agricultural implements include certain agricultural equipment and do not include implements that are primarily for rent or sale. The act permits an owner of an agricultural building to submit for an affirmative exemption from any requirement to report benchmarking data and for an exemption to remain valid until there is a change in ownership or a change that renders the building no longer an agricultural building. For the duration of an exemption, the owner of an agricultural building is required to certify, upon request, the exemption status of an exempt building. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The bill requires employers to implement protections for workers who are exposed to extreme hot and cold temperatures at the worksite, including temperature mitigation measures, rest breaks, and temperature-related injury and illness prevention plans. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The state maintains a stockpile of essential materials (stockpile), including personal protective equipment, that the division of homeland security and emergency management (division), in consultation with the department of public health and environment, is authorized to distribute in response to a declared disaster emergency to any state agency, school, local public health agency, hospital, primary care provider, other health-care provider, tribal government with jurisdiction in Colorado, or other entity or individual (eligible recipient) that the director of the division (director) determines is in need as a result of a declared disaster emergency. The act broadens the authority of the director over the stockpile so that the director or the director's designee may distribute essential materials from the stockpile: After the governor has declared a disaster emergency; When the director or the director's designee determines that there are other circumstances in which there is a need for or benefit to distribution; or When the director or the director's designee determines that their distribution will enhance the ability of eligible recipients and their community partners to respond to future disaster emergencies or other circumstances in a way that would help protect public health or safety, including the distribution of essential materials for the purposes of ensuring that they can be used in normal, nonemergency times before their useful life ends. While included under current law as "any other entity", the act also explicitly adds "nonprofit organizations" and "faith-based organizations" to the statutory list of eligible recipients. The act also requires the department of public safety to annually include, as part of its presentation during its "SMART Act" hearing, specified information concerning the acquisition of essential materials for and distribution of essential materials from the stockpile. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act substitutes gender-neutral language for gendered language in title 35, a title concerning agriculture, of the Colorado Revised Statutes. The act also updates archaic language in title 35. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)