The act adds that the false reporting of a mass shooting or active shooter in a public or private place or vehicle that transports people or property that causes the occupants of a building, place of assembly, or facility of public transportation to be evacuated or to be issued a shelter-in-place order; causing any disruptions or impacts to regular activities; or resulting in the initiation of a standard response protocol is a class 6 felony. The act specifies that false reporting of an emergency is a class 1 misdemeanor if the threat causes the occupants of a building, place of assembly, or facility to be issued a shelter-in-place order, the threat causes any disruptions or impacts to regular activities, or the threat results in the initiation of a standard response protocol in response to the false report. The act adds to the "Victim Rights Act" that a crime includes the false reporting of an emergency that is bias motivated. APPROVED by Governor June 7, 2023 EFFECTIVE June 7, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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The act expands the America 250 - Colorado 150 commission (commission), created in 2022 within the state historical society (History Colorado), from 11 to 15 voting members, adding 4 additional members to be appointed by the governor no later than October 1, 2023. The act appropriates $500,000 for the 2023-24 state fiscal year from the general fund to the department of higher education for use by History Colorado to support the activities of the commission in developing programs and plans for the official observance of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and the 150th anniversary of Colorado statehood. Any unexpended amount of the $500,000 appropriation is further appropriated to the department of education for the same purpose through state fiscal year 2026-27. APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2023 EFFECTIVE June 6, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires all non-regionally-accredited higher education institutions to provide incoming students with an enrollment agreement before the student enrolls. The agreement must include information about where students can obtain statewide credit for prior learning and a notice explaining that individual credits obtained at the non-regionally-accredited higher institution may not transfer to other colleges or universities in certain circumstances. The act does not apply to private occupational schools. APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act implements some of the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies, as contained in the department's sunset review of the "Pesticide Applicators' Act", and makes additional modifications to the "Pesticide Applicators' Act as follows: Sections 1 and 2 of the act continue the "Pesticide Applicators' Act" for 11 years, until September 1, 2034; Section 3 updates the statutory definition of "use" to align with the federal definition adopted by the federal environmental protection agency; The commissioner of agriculture (commissioner) maintains a registry of pesticide-sensitive persons (registry) whose residences are listed in the registry. If a commercial, registered limited commercial, or registered public applicator (applicator) applies a pesticide near the residence of a pesticide-sensitive person included in the registry, the applicator is required to take reasonable actions to notify the pesticide-sensitive person of the pesticide application. Section 4 authorizes a pesticide-sensitive person to apply for inclusion of the person's primary work or school address in the registry as well. In addition, section 4 authorizes an applicator to provide electronic notice to pesticide-sensitive persons. Section 4 also requires that, on or before July 1, 2024, the department of agriculture (department) develop a searchable database of all properties that abut or are entirely located within 250 feet of a residential property listed on the registry for applicators to search. If an applicator will apply pesticides on a property included in the searchable database, the applicator is required to notify the relevant pesticide-sensitive person of the pesticide application. Section 5 increases the maximum civil penalty for a violation of the act from $1,000 to $2,500 for the first violation, which results in the possibility of a maximum civil penalty of $5,000 for a second violation; Section 6 requires that money collected for civil penalties imposed under the "Pesticide Applicators' Act" be credited to the general fund; Section 7 requires the commissioner to publish and periodically update information on the department's website about pesticide applicators' licensing and registration; Section 8 requires the commissioner to establish an online complaint process; Section 9 limits the number of terms that members of the advisory committee, appointed by the state agricultural commission to advise the commissioner, may serve to 2 terms, but allows a member representing the Colorado state university agricultural experiment station or extension service (CSU) or the Colorado department of public health and environment (CDPHE) to serve on the advisory committee for unlimited terms during the duration of the member's employment with CSU or CDPHE; and Sections 10 to 12 amends statutes governing local governments to mirror the language in the "Pesticide Applicators' Act" requiring a local government that adopts an ordinance about pesticides to submit information about the ordinance to the commissioner. Section 13 appropriates $72,150 for the 2023-24 state fiscal year from the plant health, pest control, and environmental protection cash fund to the department, which money is reappropriated to the office of information technology in the office of the governor to provide information technology services to the department. APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The Colorado youth advisory council (advisory council) is set to repeal September 1, 2023. The act continues the advisory council until September 1, 2028. The act renames the Colorado youth advisory council review committee as the Representative Hugh McKean Colorado youth advisory council review committee. The act appropriates $50,000 from the general fund to the Colorado youth advisory council cash fund. APPROVED by Governor June 2, 2023 EFFECTIVE June 2, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act expands the definition of "serious bodily injury" in the criminal code to include penetrating gunshot wounds and penetrating knife wounds. APPROVED by Governor June 2, 2023 EFFECTIVE July 1, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act codifies the rural opportunity office (office), which began its work in the office of economic development in 2019. The director of the office is designated by and reports to the director of the office of economic development. The office is required to serve as Colorado's central coordinator of rural economic development matters with certain staff physically located in rural communities across Colorado, work with coal transitioning communities to explore unique business and economic development opportunities, make recommendations that inform the governor's policy on rural economic development matters, and measure the success of program outreach and determine whether Colorado's rural communities receive more statewide funding as a result of the efforts of the office. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, $299,193 is appropriated from the general fund to the office of the governor for use by economic development programs for implementation of the act. APPROVED by Governor May 20, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates the closed landfill remediation grant program (grant program) to help eligible local governments pay the costs of environmental remediation efforts and landfill management. On and after July 1, 2024, the department of public health and environment (department) is required to administer the grant program in accordance with rules promulgated by the solid and hazardous waste commission (commission) in the department. The department, in consultation with a 5-person advisory committee created in the act, may award grants from money in the closed landfill remediation grant program fund (fund), which fund is also created in the act. On or before February 1, 2026, and on or before each February 1 every 3 years thereafter, the commission must evaluate the current and future financial needs of the grant program and make written recommendations to the general assembly regarding funding. Additionally, the department must prepare and post on its public website an annual report that summarizes the use of all grant money awarded under the grant program in the preceding fiscal year. The grant program is repealed, effective September 1, 2033, subject to a sunset review by the department of regulatory agencies. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $15,000,000 from the general fund to the fund for use by the department. Of this amount, $170,702 is reappropriated to the department for the solid waste control program. Of this reappropriated amount, $87,976 is appropriated to the department of law to pay for legal services provided to the department. APPROVED by Governor May 19, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires the parks and wildlife commission (commission) to promulgate rules authorizing a local government to request that the division of parks and wildlife (division) charge an additional per vehicle fee, not to exceed $2, for each daily vehicle pass issued for a state park or wildlife area in the local government's geographic boundary. Upon the request, the commission must establish the fee, which will be collected on and after January 1, 2025, and transferred, minus an administrative deduction, to the local access route cash fund created by the act and then distributed to local governments to maintain and operate local access routes. The fee will be adjusted every 5 years for inflation or deflation. The division of parks and wildlife is required to collaborate with local governments to identify and study issues surrounding local access route transportation infrastructure and funding deficits and sources of funding for the routes. The division is given factors to consider and must seek input from the department of transportation and the department of local affairs before completing the study. Based on the study, the division must make legislative recommendations to the general assembly by November 1, 2024, regarding sources of funding or partnerships to assist in the maintenance of local access routes and state park services. To implement this act, $411,000 is appropriated to the department of natural resources for use by the division of parks and wildlife from the parks and outdoor recreation cash fund. APPROVED by Governor May 19, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates the nontoxic bullet pilot program (pilot program), which allows individuals who meet the qualifications to receive vouchers that offset the cost of purchasing hunting rounds that have nonlead bullets. The pilot program will focus on areas where the exposure of wildlife populations to spent lead bullets is of special or potential concern. The division of parks and wildlife (division) will work with one or more willing nongovernmental entities to determine the scope and collect the results of the pilot program. The division may work with nongovernmental entities to develop educational materials and range demonstrations relating to the pilot program. The division is directed to designate an entity to: Educate hunters about the benefits of nontoxic bullets; and Publicize the pilot program, including using hunting brochures and the division's website. The commission may promulgate rules as necessary to implement the pilot program. The pilot program is repealed, effective July 1, 2026. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, $31,200 is appropriated to the department of natural resources from the wildlife cash fund to implement this act. APPROVED by Governor May 19, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)