Rep. Chris Richardson

The act requires the public utilities commission (commission) to adopt rules requiring that, unless the applicable road authority is a local government, the total costs to maintain an existing railroad crossing (total costs) are shared equally between the railroad, railroad corporation, rail fixed guideway, transit agency, or owner of the track (railroad) and the applicable road authority. If the applicable road authority is a local government, the commission must adopt rules that require the total costs to be apportioned as follows: The railroad is responsible for the costs to maintain the portion of the existing railroad crossing that is between the ends of the railroad ties; and The local government is responsible for the costs to maintain the portion of the existing railroad crossing that is outside of the ends of the railroad ties. The act applies to costs accrued on or after the effective date of the act unless the costs accrue pursuant to an agreement entered into by the parties before the effective date of the act, which agreement provides for the distribution of the costs to be shared between the parties. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Currently, a vacancy in the office of a county commissioner (vacancy) is filled by a vacancy committee selected by the county central committee. The bill eliminates the vacancy committee process for vacancies and requires that vacancies be filled by a vacancy election. An individual elected in a vacancy election serves for the remainder of the vacating county commissioner's original term. If the vacancy occurs within 180 days of a regularly scheduled primary, coordinated, or general election for which the ballots have not yet been certified, the vacancy election is held as part of the primary, coordinated, or general election. If the vacancy occurs more than 180 days before a regularly scheduled election or the ballots for the regularly scheduled election have already been certified, the vacancy election occurs on a date set by the designated election official, which must not be less than 30 days or more than 60 days after the vacancy occurs. A legislative vacancy election is administered according to the state election code, as applicable. An individual who desires to be a candidate at a vacancy election shall submit to the secretary of state a notarized candidate's statement of intent together with a nonrefundable filing fee of $500. A candidate must meet the current statutory and constitutional requirements for serving as a county commissioner and be registered with the vacating county commissioner's political party, if any, by January 1 of the calendar year in which the vacancy election occurs. Only registered electors who reside within the district served by the vacating county commissioner and who are registered with the same political party as the vacating county commissioner or who are unaffiliated are eligible to vote in a vacancy election. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Under current law, each member of a board of directors of an irrigation district (board of directors) and each judge of election of an irrigation district (judge of election) receives compensation of not more than $100 per day. In addition, a contract entered into by a board of directors that involves a consideration that exceeds $250,000 but does not exceed $400,000 must be authorized and ratified in writing by no less than one-third of the electors of the irrigation district according to the number of votes cast at the last district election. A contract that exceeds $400,000 must be authorized and ratified at an election in the manner provided for the issuance of bonds. To account for inflation, the act: Increases the amount of compensation for members of a board of directors and judges of election to up to $150 per day; and Requires that, to be binding, a contract entered into by a board of directors that exceeds $400,000 but does not exceed $650,000 must be authorized and ratified in writing by no less than one-third of the electors of the irrigation district according to the number of votes cast at the last district election, and a contract that exceeds $650,000 must be authorized and ratified at an election in the manner provided for the issuance of bonds. The act requires that the dollar amounts related to compensation of members of a board of directors and judges of election, as well as those related to contracts entered into by a board of directors, must be increased for inflation every 5 years, beginning July 1, 2029. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The unclaimed utility deposits program (program) helps finance electric and gas utility bill payment assistance for income-qualified households. The program is partially funded by electric and gas utilities' contributions of money that are owed to utility ratepayers but that have remained unclaimed by the ratepayers for more than 2 years. The act clarifies that a municipally owned electric or gas utility may elect to participate in the program or develop a similar mechanism for utilizing unclaimed utility deposits for utility bill payment assistance. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Maddy summarySJR 25-018 recognizes April 2025 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month and designates April 30, 2025, as Colorado Denim Day. The resolution symbolically supports the annual Denim Day observance, which began in Colorado in 2013, to raise awareness about sexual violence and honor the work of organizations like the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CCASA). It highlights ongoing challenges such as evidence kit backlogs and the need for survivor support services, without creating new laws or funding. This is a ceremonial resolution, not a policy change, aligning Colorado with the global Denim Day movement that uses wearing jeans to protest attitudes condoning sexual assault.

Maddy summaryThis symbolic resolution designates March 21 as "Single Parent Day in Colorado" to recognize single parents' efforts in raising children. It directly honors single parents across the state, referencing U.S. Census data showing over 10 million single-parent households nationwide. The resolution continues Colorado's recognition of the day, aligning with President Reagan's 1984 national declaration. It has no policy or funding provisions - it is purely a commemorative gesture without legal or financial impact.

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 statutory definition of "clean energy" determines which energy projects are eligible for clean energy project financing at the county and city and county level. The statutory definition of "clean energy resource" determines which energy resources may be used by a qualifying retail utility to meet the 2050 clean energy target. The act updates the 2 statutory definitions to include nuclear energy; except that, for property valuations made for tax purposes, the act exempts from the definition of "clean energy resource" nuclear energy. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act allows a candidate who is on the ballot for an election for the office of United States congress, state office, or district office of state concern and is subject to a recount to select one watcher in addition to any watchers otherwise selected for the recount. The act also allows a candidate that is on the ballot for an election coordinated by the county clerk and recorder that is not for the office of United States congress, state office, or district office of state concern and is subject to a recount to select one watcher for the recount in addition to any watchers otherwise selected for the recount. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Under Colorado law, a person may file a claim with the division of parks and wildlife (division) for compensation for damages to property caused by wildlife, and the division must review and investigate that claim. The act requires that the personal information of a person, information related to site assessments received by the division through the claim procedures, and personal information associated with proactive nonlethal measures is kept confidential and not disclosed pursuant to the "Colorado Open Records Act". The act excludes from this prohibition: Information about nonlethal predator-livestock conflict minimization measures that does not reveal the identity of the person or the person's business; Nonidentifying information of county-level data highlighting the number or dollar amount of claims made to the division, the number of claims that were settled and the monetary amounts of those settlements, the number of claims that are pending at the time of a request for disclosure, and the number of claims that were denied and the reasons for denial; and Personal information that becomes public by the actions of the subject of the personal information or the subject's agent. The act prohibits bringing or maintaining a private action challenging the division's determination that a person or the person's agent has taken actions or made statements that led to the person's personal information becoming publicly known. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)