Rep. Jamie Jackson

The act expands the Colorado commission on higher education (commission) from 11 to 13 members by adding 2 nonvoting student members who are enrolled at a state-supported institution of higher education (student members). Specifically, the act adds:One student member from a graduate research university or a 4-year institution of higher education; andOne student member from a community college, local district college, or area technical college.     The governor shall make initial appointments of student members on or before July 1, 2027. Student members serve on the commission for a term of 2 years.     The act shrinks the advisory committee to the commission from 13 to 12 members by removing the advisory committee member designated to represent the students of the state.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires the department of health care policy and financing and the behavioral health administration to publish on each department's website an easily accessible list of secure transportation providers that have contracts with managed care entities and behavioral health administrative services organizations, as applicable.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Under current law, the Colorado homeless contribution tax credit (credit) may only be claimed through state income tax year 2026. The act amends the credit to allow taxpayers to claim the credit through state income tax year 2030.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act allows the division of fire prevention and control to seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations to implement the requirements of the firefighter behavioral health benefits program.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act repeals the 10-day limit on the number of sick days that an employee in the state personnel system can earn in a fiscal year. In addition, the act increases the number of weeks of military leave allowed to an officer or employee of the state or of any political subdivision, municipal corporation, or other public agency of the state from 3 weeks to 4 weeks per leave year established by the employer.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Beginning on or before July 1, 2028, the act extends certain application, accounting, and notice provisions already in place for federal survivor benefits awarded to a child or youth who is in foster care (child or youth) to federal supplemental security income benefits (SSI), which are monthly payments awarded to a child or youth with a disability and limited resources. The act adds requirements for a county department of human or social services (county department) to follow specified procedures for identifying a child or youth with a disability who may qualify for SSI and for documenting the disability. If the county department determines that a child or youth may be eligible to receive SSI, the county department is required to initiate the application process within 45 days after receiving certain information. If a child or youth is receiving SSI, the county department must document how the money is spent in the state's child welfare case management system.     If legal custody of a child or youth receiving SSI or federal survivor benefits is transferring from a county department to another individual, the act requires the county department to reassess the designation of the representative payee or fiduciary receiving and managing federal benefits on behalf of the child or youth. The reassessment must be performed in consultation with interested parties and in compliance with federal requirements.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act authorizes a local government or a special district (local government) to enter into an agreement with one or more entities for the purpose of providing the local government with service from a thermal energy network. A local government that is authorized by law to issue bonds may issue bonds for the purpose of financing thermal energy infrastructure, interconnections, or customer connections within the jurisdiction of the local government.     The act increases the net electric generating capacity of a community geothermal garden from 5 megawatts to 25 megawatts.     The act requires the Colorado energy and carbon management commission (commission) and the Colorado geological survey to collect data and information related to geological resources in the state. The commission shall make recommendations to encourage safe and effective development of geothermal resources and report those recommendations to the general assembly on or before November 15, 2026.     The act requires investor-owned electric utilities (utilities) to identify small-scale geothermal projects and large-scale geothermal projects (geothermal projects). The utility must solicit proposals for the development of small-scale geothermal projects of up to 25 megawatts of net electric generating capacity and large-scale geothermal projects that are greater than 25 megawatts of net electric generating capacity. The utility shall submit applications for the development of the geothermal projects to the public utilities commission if the utility receives a bid in response to the request for proposals. The public utilities commission must review the application and approve, conditionally approve, deny, or modify the application within 120 days after receiving the application.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Under current law, each subscriber to a community solar garden receives a net metering credit to their electric bill. The community solar subscriber organization can choose between a fixed bill credit or a bill credit that is adjusted annually. The act states that, on and after October 1, 2026, a subscriber organization may choose a fixed bill credit for the subscriber organization's income-qualified subscribers and a bill credit that changes annually for the subscriber organization's other customers. The public utility providing the bill credit must adjust the fixed bill credit annually to ensure that the credit remains aligned with changes in electricity rates over time.     A public utility is permitted under current law to recover its prudently incurred costs to facilitate a timely interconnection of a distributed energy resource. The act prohibits a public utility from requiring an interconnection customer to pay the costs associated with interconnection facilities and upgrades until 30 days before the public utility incurs the costs. The act allows a public utility to require an interconnection customer to provide security for the estimated full costs of interconnection at the time of mutual execution of an interconnection agreement.     The act requires a public utility with more than 500,000 customers in the state to, on or before August 15, 2026, convene a working group to accelerate distributed generation interconnection. The working group is tasked with discussing, if applicable, a cluster and batch study process for interconnection studies and a process for the public utility to accept a surety bond for interconnection upgrade work. The working group is also directed to discuss, and the public utility is required to implement, a process for third-party interconnection studies and upgrades.     On or before December 15, 2026, the public utility is required to file a notice with the public utilities commission (commission) that includes a report on any recommendations of the working group. The public utility is directed to make appropriate filings to implement any recommendations of the working group that require commission approval on or before January 1, 2027.     The act specifies that any interconnection upgrades and related utility construction work performed by a contracted third party must meet applicable safety, reliability, labor, and technical standards.     The act amends the definition of 'dispatchable distributed generation' and requires the commission to evaluate the size of off-site renewable distributed generation or storage facility and installation limitations as part of a future renewable energy standard compliance plan.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act makes the following changes to statutes relating to transportation:Changes the name of the freight mobility and safety branch within the development division of the department of transportation to the office of freight mobility and safety;Clarifies that each state agency is responsible for paying its proportionate part of the cost of maintenance and operation of fueling infrastructure to support its motor vehicle fleet;Clarifies that the definition of 'gas spot price' means the Henry Hub natural gas spot price as reported by the United States energy information administration or another price index selected by the commission;Permits the Colorado energy and carbon management commission to change the natural gas index used each quarter when setting the spot price, depending on regional market dynamics;Clarifies that the department of revenue shall not issue an instruction permit or endorsement to a person who is under 21 years old to drive a motorcycle unless the applicant has successfully completed an instruction program in motorcycle safety that is approved by the Colorado state patrol;Clarifies that if an individual renews their license online, they must attest they have had an eye exam by an optometrist or ophthalmologist within the past year;Modifies how driver license expiration dates are calculated to allow for online renewal of driver licenses and identification cards when the credential photograph is greater than 10 years old;Clarifies that the driver of a commercial vehicle, including a bus, must affix tire chains or approved alternate traction devices to the number of drive wheel tires required by and in the manner prescribed by the department of transportation's rules governing chain law and passenger vehicle traction law requirements on the state highway system;Removes 'tire cables' as comparable traction basis to define 'alternative traction device';Clarifies that a driver of a commercial vehicle may not enter the farthest left-hand general purpose lane when driving specified sections of interstate 70;Clarifies that the city and county of Broomfield is added to transportation commission district 4;Relocates a provision concerning the chief engineer from the statutory section governing the highway maintenance division to the statutory section governing the chief engineer;Clarifies that the division of transit and rail does not have exclusive authority over transit and rail;Repeals a statutory section concerning a study prepared by legislative council staff on the transportation commission districts, which has been completed;Redirects revenue from a permitting fee imposed by the department of transportation on companies authorized to install and remove tire chains from the highway users tax fund to the state highway fund;Eliminates the department of transportation's authority to establish rules related to noise mitigation and removes references to noise mitigation rules; Repeals provisions concerning the special account for highway bridge repair and allocations of certain past revenues within the highway users tax fund; Defines 'toll evasion' as failing to pay a toll; avoiding a toll; or entering or exiting a toll lane outside of a designated access or egress point, including swerving between a toll lane and a general purpose lane, without regard to whether a toll was assessed or paid;Permits the transportation enterprise board to pay the deductible on insurance policies it purchases for public passenger rail service to cover passenger rail liabilities;Permits the clean transit enterprise board to extend the 2-year limit on spending money from the local transit operations cash fund for capital awards; Establishes a 4-year term limit for members of the nonattainment area air pollution mitigation enterprise board who are appointed by the governor and clarifies when the initial term for each appointment ends; andRepeals a requirement that the transportation commission approve transfers of money directed by the division of aeronautics from the aviation account of the transportation infrastructure revolving fund to the aviation fund, which amounts must not exceed transfers previously approved by the Colorado aeronautical board.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires the Colorado bureau of investigation to transmit a list of missing children to the Colorado department of education (department) instead of each school district and requires the department to notify the bureau if the department's list of enrolled students includes information about a missing child.     The act repeals the requirement for a school district, board of cooperative services, district charter school, or institute charter school to have paper and pencil assessment policies for state-administered assessments in public schools.     The act allows a school district or a charter school network with 1,200 students or fewer to submit a single plan to satisfy school district, school network, or school accreditation plan requirements.     The act prohibits the department from representing as mandatory a voluntary data collection request to a school district, the state charter school institute, or a public school and prohibits the department from conditioning any benefit unrelated to a specific grant on the completion of a voluntary data collection request.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)