The act requires the state treasurer to transfer all unexpended and unencumbered money in the controlled maintenance trust fund on July 31, 2024, to the general fund. APPROVED by Governor April 29, 2024 EFFECTIVE April 29, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates the financial assistance program for students experiencing homelessness (program) in the department of higher education (department). Beginning in the 2024-25 academic year, the act requires all Colorado public institutions of higher education (institutions) to provide financial assistance to a Colorado resident student (qualifying student) who is between the ages of 17 and 26 and who has experienced homelessness in the state at any time during high school. The institutions shall provide financial assistance to cover the remaining balance of the qualifying student's total cost of attendance in excess of the amount of any private, state, or federal financial assistance the student receives. Subject to available appropriations, the act requires the Colorado commission on higher education to provide institutions money to cover 50% of the remaining balance of financial assistance for qualifying students. The institutions are required to designate an employee to serve as a liaison to qualifying and prospective qualifying students. The institutions shall notify qualifying students of their eligibility for remaining balance financial assistance. The act requires the department to add one employee as a navigator to provide guidance to prospective qualifying students when selecting institutions and completing applications for admission and financial aid. The act requires the department to enter into a data-sharing agreement with the department of education in order to identify prospective qualifying students. The act clarifies student eligibility to participate in the foster youth financial assistance program. The act appropriates $1,668,381 from the general fund to the department for aid for students who experienced homelessness during high school. The act appropriates $26,055 from the general fund to the department of education for the homeless student scholarship program. APPROVED by Governor April 29, 2024 EFFECTIVE April 29, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires the transfer, on July 1, 2024, of: $160,844,354 from the general fund to the capital construction fund; $70,811,334 from the general fund to the information technology capital account of the capital construction fund; $500,000 from the general fund exempt account of the general fund to the capital construction fund; $84,875,462 from the controlled maintenance trust fund to the capital construction fund; and $1,000,000 from the marijuana tax cash fund to the information technology capital account of the capital construction fund. Notwithstanding any provision of law that requires such a transfer, the act also prohibits the state treasurer from transferring money from the legal services cash fund to the capital construction fund or to any other fund if the joint budget committee of the general assembly notifies the state treasurer before the scheduled transfer date not to make the transfer after the attorney general notifies and certifies in writing to the joint budget committee that the transfer: Is not compliant with federal and state laws governing the money to be transferred; Is legally preempted by state constitutional restrictions or a federal law governing the money to be transferred; or Unlawfully transfers money in a manner that may terminate the qualification as an enterprise of any enterprise lawfully enacted under the provision of the state constitution known as the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR). APPROVED by Governor April 29, 2024 EFFECTIVE April 29, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act clarifies that the department of early childhood (department) may use the remaining money annually appropriated from the preschool programs cash fund (fund) to provide additional preschool services for children who are in low-income families or who meet at least one qualifying factor and to provide services for the furtherance of the universal preschool program. The act prohibits the general assembly from appropriating the full balance of the fund prior to the start of a state fiscal year. The unappropriated balance in the fund is the reserve. The department may submit a request for a supplemental appropriation from the reserve to the joint budget committee. APPROVED by Governor April 18, 2024 EFFECTIVE April 18, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Under existing law, the appropriation to the university of Colorado for fee-for-service contracts for health services is reduced by a certain amount of additional medicaid reimbursements and payments received by the state pursuant to the federal"Families First Coronavirus Response Act" (additional medicaid payments) through December 31, 2024. The act continues this provision until July 1, 2026. As additional medicaid payments are phased out, the general fund appropriation to the university of Colorado for fee-for-service contracts is increased. The act exempts the increased general fund appropriations in the 2024-25 and 2025-26 state fiscal years made as a result of the phased out additional medicaid payments from the required annual increase in student financial assistance. The act reduces the appropriation to the department of higher education for the 2024-25 state fiscal year for need-based grants by $2,273,392. APPROVED by Governor April 18, 2024 EFFECTIVE April 18, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law requires that annual appropriations for student financial assistance increase by at least the same percentage as the aggregate percentage increase of all general fund appropriations to institutions of higher education. The act creates a limited exception for appropriations that are less than $2 million that are made through legislation other than the general appropriation act or supplemental appropriations acts. APPROVED by Governor April 18, 2024 EFFECTIVE April 18, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Under current law, the money in the educator licensure cash fund (cash fund) is continuously appropriated through fiscal year 2023-24. The act extends the continuous appropriation authority to fiscal year 2029-30. On or before November 1, 2029, the department of education shall report to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate and the joint budget committee concerning the revenue credited to, and expenditures from, the cash fund and shall make a recommendation whether the continuous appropriation authority should be maintained. APPROVED by Governor April 18, 2024 EFFECTIVE April 18, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act combines the food pantry assistance program and the food bank assistance program into a single program named the community food assistance provider grant program (grant program) in the department of human services (state department). The purpose of the grant program is to provide grants to procure and distribute nutritious foods that meet the needs of eligible entities' clientele. The state department may contract with a third-party vendor to solicit, vet, award, and monitor grants. The state department shall include information regarding the grant program at its "SMART Act" hearing. The act allows a recipient of the supplemental nutrition assistance program (recipient) to receive fuel assistance payments through the same payment mechanism that the recipient uses to receive other cash assistance benefits. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $3,000,000 from the general fund to the state department for the use by the office of economic security for the grant program. APPROVED by Governor April 18, 2024 EFFECTIVE July 1, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, the department of health care policy and financing (department) distributed money appropriated for a supplemental state payment to the Denver health and hospital authority (Denver health). The act authorizes the department to continually distribute any money appropriated by the general assembly for payment to Denver health. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $5 million to the department for payments to Denver health. APPROVED by Governor April 18, 2024 EFFECTIVE April 18, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires the state treasurer to transfer $500,000 from the general fund to the creative industries cash fund on July 1, 2024. APPROVED by Governor April 18, 2024 EFFECTIVE April 18, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
