Sen. Marc Snyder

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.

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 25-008 designates March 31 of each year as "Transgender Day of Visibility" in Colorado. The resolution commits the Colorado Senate to defending transgender rights in health care, education, employment, housing, and civic participation while acknowledging Colorado's historical role in providing gender-affirming care. It also expresses solidarity with transgender people and other marginalized groups facing rights challenges. This symbolic resolution does not create new laws or funding but serves as a formal public affirmation of support for transgender Coloradans.

Section 20 of article X of the state constitution (TABOR) requires the maximum annual percentage change in state fiscal year spending to equal inflation plus the percentage change in state population in the prior calendar year adjusted for revenue changes approved by voters. Although TABOR does not specify how the state shall determine the percentage change in state population (population growth), the TABOR implementing statutes do. For years in which there is not a decennial census, the TABOR implementing statutes required the state to calculate population growth by determining the percentage change between: The federal census bureau's estimate of state population (census estimate) for the previous calendar year, as of December in the current calendar year; and The census estimate for the current calendar year, as of December in the current calendar year. This method for calculating population growth can lead to either double-counting or under-counting of population changes in census estimates. If the federal census bureau revises a census estimate upward for a given year, population growth will be understated and the fiscal year spending limit will be lower. The opposite is true if the federal census bureau revises a census estimate downward. In either case, under this method for calculating population growth, population growth would be measured inaccurately. The act adjusts the method of calculating population growth. Under the act, population growth is calculated by determining the percentage change between: The census estimate, as of December in the previous calendar year, for the previous calendar year; and The census estimate, as of December in the current calendar year, for the current calendar year. This approach prevents double-counting or under-counting population changes as a result of revised census estimates and results in a more accurate measurement of population growth. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Under current law, there are requirements of an athletic association, an institution of higher education, and a student athlete regarding a student athlete's compensation for their name, image, or likeness. The act extends these requirements to an individual who is eligible to engage in an intercollegiate sport. The act allows an institution of higher education or athletic association to compensate a student athlete for the use of the student athlete's name, image, or likeness. Under current law, a student athlete is prohibited from entering into a contract if it conflicts with a team contract. The act repeals this prohibition and related provisions. The act requires each institution of higher education to submit to the department of higher education a copy of its annual report to the organization with authority over intercollegiate athletics, including information concerning gender- and sport-based spending. Under the "Colorado Open Records Act", the act exempts from the public right of inspection personally identifiable information that is contained within an agreement or contract concerning a student athlete's or prospective student athlete's name, image, or likeness, or any communication or material related to an agreement or a contract concerning a student athlete's or prospective student athlete's name, image, or likeness. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act modifies the types of funds that are available for immediate withdrawal as a matter of right in real estate transactions by: Limiting wire transfer funds to only those funds that are wired through a funds-transfer system operated by the federal reserve or the Clearing House Payments Company; and Adding a real-time or an instant payment made through a funds-transfer service operated by the federal reserve or the Clearing House Payments Company's real-time payments system.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The public employees' retirement association (PERA) board (board) conducts or causes to be conducted an actuarial experience study of PERA and a periodic actuarial audit of PERA. Both the actuarial experience study and the periodic actuarial audit, neither of which were referenced in law prior to passage of the act, are conducted approximately once every 5 years, but the timing of the actuarial experience study and the periodic actuarial audit is not aligned. The act requires the board to conduct or cause to be conducted the actuarial experience study every 4 years, beginning with the actuarial experience study that the board conducted in the 2024 calendar year, rather than every 5 years. In addition, the act requires the board to conduct or cause to be conducted the periodic actuarial audit of PERA in the 2026 calendar year and every 4 years thereafter , rather than every 5 years, and to ensure that each periodic actuarial audit takes into consideration the results and findings of the most recent actuarial experience study that was conducted or caused to be conducted by the board. For several years, the pension review commission has been required to commission an independent review of the economic and investment assumptions used to model PERA's financial situation. The act requires the commission to commission the independent review every 4 years, rather than every 3 years, within 3 months of the release of the periodic actuarial audit of PERA conducted or caused to be conducted by the board. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires the Colorado bureau of investigation (CBI) to spend $3,000,000 in specifically appropriated money from House Bill 24-1430, concerning the provision for payment of the expenses of the executive, legislative, and judicial departments of the state of Colorado, and of its agencies and institutions, for and during the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, except as otherwise noted, on backlogged DNA evidence and sexual assault kit tests, as well as DNA retesting related to CBI's laboratory misconduct that was discovered in 2023. Additionally, the act allows CBI to contract with external labs to perform the testing. The act requires CBI to create a dashboard on the department of public safety's website to update the public on the backlog at least every 30 days. CBI shall provide the general assembly with updates on the sexual assault kit backlog, including the number of cases pending, the number of tests CBI's lab conducted, the number of tests CBI contracted out, an update on CBI's laboratory staffing levels, the average turnaround time for a sexual assault kit test, and other relevant data points every 30 days from March 10, 2025, through June 30, 2026. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

No later than June 30, 2026, the act requires the department of public safety (DPS), in collaboration with the behavioral health administration (BHA), to consult with stakeholders to identify: Existing resources and model programs that communities throughout Colorado utilize when responding to behavioral health crises, including, but not limited to, co-responder programs, alternative response programs, and mobile crisis response programs, and the reimbursement shortages and gaps within the continuum of care for behavioral health crisis response; and The reimbursement shortages and gaps within the continuum of care for behavioral health crisis response, and reimbursement and funding options that are available at the state and federal levels to address the shortages and gaps, including funding for treatment in place. The act requires DPS to compile a list of the existing resources and model programs, and report reimbursement shortages and gaps identified by the stakeholder group and develop recommendations for addressing the shortages and gaps. The act requires DPS to make the resources, model programs, and recommendations publicly available on DPS's website. On or before January 1, 2027, the act requires the BHA, in collaboration with the department of health care policy and financing (HCPF), to provide information to the general assembly regarding the reimbursement shortages and gaps within the continuum of care for behavioral health crisis response and the reimbursement and funding options at the state and federal level that are available to address the shortages and gaps, including funding for treatment in place. The act requires HCPF to reimburse an institution for mental diseases for providing inpatient mental health treatment to a member for up to 60 days or to the extent permitted by federal law. Current law requires each person detained for an emergency mental health hold to receive an evaluation as soon as possible after the person is presented to a facility, and the evaluation may, but is not required to, include an assessment to determine if the person continues to meet the criteria for an emergency mental health hold and requires further mental health care in a facility designated by the commissioner. The act requires the evaluation to include the assessment determination. The act requires a hospital that is subject to the federal "Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act" to only discharge a person placed on an emergency mental health hold if the person no longer meets the criteria for an emergency mental health hold; except that a hospital may transfer the person to another hospital if the hospital is unable to provide the appropriate medical or behavioral health care to the person and the receiving hospital agrees to the transfer. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Maddy summarySJR 25-013 is a symbolic resolution recognizing Thursday, March 20, 2025, as Nowruz Day in Colorado. It honors the ancient Persian New Year celebration observed by Iranian, Kurdish, Afghan, and Central Asian communities, acknowledging its cultural significance and the contributions of Colorado's Iranian-American residents. The resolution has no legal effect but formally extends recognition to the traditions of Nowruz, including its themes of renewal and community. It directly affects Colorado's Iranian-American community by affirming their cultural heritage through state acknowledgment.

Beginning July 1, 2025, the act increases by one the number of district court judges in the fourth, seventeenth, eighteenth, and twenty-third judicial districts and increases by one the number of county court judges in La Plata county. Beginning July 1, 2026, the act increases by one the number of district court judges in the fourth, seventh, thirteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth judicial districts and increases by one the number of county court judges in Larimer county, Douglas county, Mesa county, and Eagle county. Current law requires district court judges regularly assigned to Arapahoe county to maintain offices within Arapahoe county. The act allows the district court judges assigned to Arapahoe county to maintain offices outside of the county seat. For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $2,638,326 from the general fund to the judicial department to implement the increased number of judges and appropriates $621,337 from the general fund to the judicial department for use by the office of state public defender. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)