The act allows a school district board of education (school district) to consider and submit to the eligible electors of the district the question of contracting a bonded indebtedness for capital construction or land and facilities needs of an institute charter school (school) located within the school district. In order for a school district to consider whether to include the capital construction needs of a school located within the school district, the school must submit a capital construction plan to the board of education (board) of the school district. The capital construction plan must include, but is not limited to: Reasons why the school capital construction must be financed by bonded indebtedness; A description of the capital construction that will be financed by bonded indebtedness; A description of the architectural, functional, and construction standards that meet applicable state building code requirements and that will be applied to each facility subject to the capital construction project (project); An estimate of the total costs for completing capital construction that will be financed by the bonded indebtedness; An estimate of the amount of time needed to complete the project; A statement addressing whether the construction or renovation, payment of overrun costs, and other project issues will be managed by the school or the school district and whether costs for project management will be negotiated between the school or the school district; Reasons why revenue sources other than bonded indebtedness are inadequate to fully finance the school capital construction; and The school's proposed method for disbursement of its share of the bonded indebtedness proceeds. When a school district, in its sole discretion, wants to include the capital construction needs of a school in a ballot question, the board must, prior to submitting the ballot question to the voters of the school district, enter into a written agreement with the school that includes: The process by which investment and interest earnings on bonded indebtedness proceeds are distributed and the process by which the investment and interest earnings proceeds and the bonded indebtedness proceeds are released to the school; The allocation of investment and interest earnings on the bonded indebtedness proceeds; Allocation of the costs to submit the ballot question, which must be borne by both the school district and the school in proportion to the respective portions of the total bonded indebtedness proceeds that are to be received; An agreement that if the school's charter is revoked or not renewed, if the school becomes insolvent and can no longer operate as a school, or if the school otherwise ceases to exist, the school district has priority in recovering debt over all other debtors for costs and payments of all other debts secured by the capital construction and that ownership of any capital construction, land, or facilities financed by the bonded indebtedness proceeds automatically reverts to the school district; and An agreement that the school shall not encumber any capital construction financed by bonded indebtedness with any additional debt without the express approval of the school district. If the school district denies approval, the school district shall provide written reasons for the denial. APPROVED by Governor May 18, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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The senior dental advisory committee created in the department of health care policy and financing is scheduled to repeal on September 1, 2024. The act continues the senior dental advisory committee until September 1, 2029. APPROVED by Governor May 17, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The bill requires, no later than March 1, 2025, or 60 days after acquiring a real property interest in the state, a foreign government of any country determined by the United States secretary of state to be a state sponsor of terrorism that owns a real property interest in the state to register with the Colorado secretary of state. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Section 1 of the act creates a series of requirements related to accessory dwelling units. Section 1 establishes unique requirements for subject jurisdictions and for qualifying as an accessory dwelling unit supportive jurisdiction (supportive jurisdiction). As established in section 1, a subject jurisdiction is either: A municipality that has a population of 1,000 or more and that is within the area of a metropolitan planning organization; or The portion of a county that is both within a census designated place with a population of forty thousand or more, as reported in the most recent decennial census, and within the area of a metropolitan planning organization. Section 1 requires a subject jurisdiction, on or after June 30, 2025, to allow, subject to an administrative approval process, one accessory dwelling unit as an accessory use to a single-unit detached dwelling in any part of the subject jurisdiction where the subject jurisdiction allows single-unit detached dwellings. Section 1 also prohibits, on or after June 30, 2025, subject jurisdictions from enacting or enforcing certain local laws or otherwise acting in certain ways that would restrict the construction or conversion of an accessory dwelling unit. In order to qualify as a supportive jurisdiction, a local government must submit a report on or before June 30, 2025, to the department of local affairs (department) demonstrating that the local government: Has complied with the accessory dwelling unit requirements section 1 imposes on subject jurisdictions as a subject jurisdiction or, if the local government is not a subject jurisdiction, as if the local government were a subject jurisdiction; and Has implemented one or more specified strategies to encourage and facilitate the construction or conversion of accessory dwelling units. Section 1 also creates the accessory dwelling unit fee reduction and encouragement grant program within the department. The purpose of this grant program is for the department to provide grants to supportive jurisdictions for offsetting costs incurred in connection with developing pre-approved accessory dwelling unit plans, providing technical assistance to persons converting or constructing accessory dwelling units, or waiving, reducing, or providing financial assistance for accessory dwelling unit associated fees and other required costs. In addition to providing grants, the department is required to develop a toolkit to support local governments in encouraging accessory dwelling unit construction. Section 1 requires the state treasurer to transfer $5 million to the accessory dwelling unit fee reduction and encouragement grant program fund created for purposes of implementing the grant program. Section 2 requires the department to create, and for local governments to consider and adopt, model public safety code requirements related to geographic or climatic conditions for factory-built structures, including those structures that would be considered accessory dwelling units. Section 3 grants the Colorado economic development commission the power to expend $8 million to contract with the Colorado housing and finance authority to operate and establish the following programs to benefit low- to moderate-income residents of supportive jurisdictions: An accessory dwelling unit credit enhancement program that supports lenders offering affordable loans to eligible low- and moderate-income borrowers for the construction or conversion of accessory dwelling units; A program that allows for the buying down of interest rates on loans made to eligible low- and moderate-income borrowers in connection with the construction or conversion of accessory dwelling units; A program that offers down payment assistance in connection with accessory dwelling units, principal reduction on loans to eligible low- and moderate-income borrowers made in connection with accessory dwelling units, or both; and A program through which the Colorado housing and finance authority offers loans, revolving lines of credit, or grants to eligible non-profits, public housing authorities, and community development financial institutions to make direct loans or grants to support the construction or conversion of accessory dwelling units for low- and moderate-income borrowers or tenants. Section 4 directs the state treasurer to transfer $8 million from the general fund to the Colorado economic development fund for the purpose of the contracting described in section 3. Section 5 prohibits a subject jurisdiction's planned unit development resolution or ordinance for a planned unit development from restricting the permitting of an accessory dwelling unit more than the local law that applies to accessory dwelling units outside of the planned unit development. Section 6 states, subject to a reasonable restriction exception, that any prohibition on accessory dwelling units or the implementation of restrictive design or dimension standards by a unit owners' association in a supportive jurisdiction is void as a matter of public policy. Section 7 makes appropriations to the department, the division of local government within the department, and the office of the governor for use by the office of information technology for the purpose of implementing the act. APPROVED by Governor May 13, 2024 EFFECTIVE May 13, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
For income tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2025, but before January 1, 2035, section 1 of the act creates a refundable state income tax credit (tax credit) that an employer may claim if the employer employs an apprentice for at least 6 months during an income tax year and either has a registered apprenticeship program or is an employer-partner of a registered apprenticeship program. The amount of the tax credit is up to $6,300 for 6 months of employment plus up to $1,050 for each additional month of employment, for a maximum of up to $12,600 per apprentice per income tax year. An employer may not claim a credit for: More than 10 apprentices per income tax year; The same apprentice for more than 24 consecutive months; and An apprentice for months when the apprentice did not receive wages from the employer. To claim a tax credit, an employer must submit an application for the reservation of the tax credit and an application to receive an income tax credit certificate to the state apprenticeship agency (SAA) in the department of labor and employment (department). The SAA shall review the applications for specified criteria to determine whether the employer qualifies for the tax credit and tax credit certificate. An employer issued a tax credit certificate must file the certificate with the employer's state income tax return. The SAA is required to submit certain information and reports, as applicable, regarding the tax credit to the state auditor and the department of revenue. The SAA must also conduct outreach and provide technical assistance to small businesses concerning awareness of and application for the tax credit. Section 2 ends the state income tax credit for qualified investments made in a qualified school-to-career program for income tax years after December 31, 2024. Section 4 creates the scale-up grant program in the department to start new registered apprenticeship programs or expand existing programs in Colorado. The scale-up grant program awards grants from the money in the scale-up grant fund, which is created in the act. Eligible grant recipients include employers or entities that operate an apprenticeship program and that: Plan to develop and register a new registered apprenticeship program; or Currently offer a registered apprenticeship program and plan to expand it. The act requires the department to collect specified data regarding the scale-up grant program and submit a report to specified committees of the general assembly. Section 4 also creates the qualified apprenticeship intermediary grant program in the department to support entities that demonstrate expertise in connecting employers or apprenticeship program participants to registered apprenticeship programs or in convening stakeholders to develop registered apprenticeship programs. The SAA must post a list of the types of entities eligible to apply to the grant program on the SAA's website. The qualified apprenticeship intermediary grant program awards grants from the money in the qualified apprenticeship intermediary grant fund, which is created in the act. An eligible grant recipient must be a qualified apprenticeship intermediary. The act requires the department to collect specified data regarding the qualified apprenticeship intermediary grant program and submit a report to specified committees of the general assembly. On July 1, 2024, the state treasurer shall transfer from the general fund $2 million to the scale-up grant fund and $2 million to the qualified apprenticeship intermediary grant fund. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the following amounts are appropriated to the department for use by the office of future of work to implement the act: $103,515 from the general fund; $666,666 from the scale-up grant fund; and $666,667 from the qualified apprenticeship intermediary grant fund. APPROVED by Governor May 10, 2024 EFFECTIVE May 10, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act prohibits a person from knowingly affiliating with a public safety radio network without authorization from the network's authorizing entity. Unlawful affiliation with a public safety radio network is a class 2 misdemeanor. APPROVED by Governor May 1, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
For the state fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and for each state fiscal year thereafter through the state fiscal year beginning July 1, 2033, the bill allows a data center business or a data center operator (taxpayer) to claim a rebate for all state sales and use tax that the taxpayer paid for construction materials or data center equipment that is for the construction or operation of an eligible data center. To be eligible to claim a sales and use tax rebate, a taxpayer is required to obtain certification from the Colorado office of economic development (office) stating that the data center is an eligible data center and that the taxpayer may claim a rebate of state sales and use tax (certification). An "eligible data center" is defined as a data center that creates a specified number of jobs, generates a specified amount of revenue, and requires a specified amount of power. The sales and use tax rebate is allowed only for the sale, storage, or use of construction materials or data center equipment that occurs on or after the date that the taxpayer obtains certification from the office. When a taxpayer believes that the data center that will be identified in a sales and use tax rebate application satisfies the criteria to be an eligible data center, the taxpayer may apply to the office for the certification. The taxpayer must demonstrate in the certification application that the data center is an eligible data center, and the taxpayer is required to submit any documentation or proof that the office deems necessary to determine whether a data center satisfies the criteria to be an eligible data center. Before issuing a certification, the office shall provide the application to the Colorado economic development commission (commission) to determine whether the data center satisfies the criteria to be an eligible data center, and the commission shall approve or deny the certification. When approving an application for certification as an eligible data center, the commission may limit a certification by specifying that an eligible data center may claim a rebate only up to a specified dollar amount based on specified economic development priorities. The commission may issue certification for up to 3 data centers to claim a sales and use tax rebate in any fiscal year. If the commission determines that a data center satisfies the criteria to be an eligible data center, the office is required to notify the department of revenue (department) and issue a certification to the taxpayer. To claim a sales and use tax rebate, a taxpayer must submit a rebate application and a copy of the certification from the office to the department. A taxpayer is required to submit certain documentation with the application. The bill allows a taxpayer to assign a certification to specified types of parties after it is awarded. The bill requires the office and the department to prepare an annual report including information regarding eligible data centers and state sales and use tax rebates allowed. The office is required to submit the report to the finance committees of the house of representatives and senate. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The act prohibits a unit owners' association from prohibiting the operation of a home-based business in a common interest community. The operation of a home-based business must still comply with any applicable and reasonable unit owners' association rules or regulations related to architectural control, parking, landscaping, noise, nuisance, and other matters that may impact the operation of a home-based business. The operation of a home-based business must also comply with municipal and county noise and nuisance ordinances or resolutions. APPROVED by Governor April 19, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Joint Technology Committee. The bill adds a provision to the procurement code that authorizes an applicable procurement official to select the most appropriate source selection method for a state procurement, even if a different source selection method is specified in statute. The new provision specifies that the procurement official has the discretion, if that official determines that the source selection method specified in statute is not the most appropriate source selection method for the procurement, to determine and use a different source selection method in the best interest of the state, given time requirements, financial considerations, and market conditions.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)