The act clarifies that a state permit to engage in the business of dealing in firearms (state permit) is required for a firearms dealer (dealer) to transfer firearms. Under existing law, in order to be issued a state permit, a dealer must not have had a firearms dealer license or permit or a firearm possession permit revoked, suspended, or denied for good cause within 3 years before submitting a state permit application (prior license requirement) and must not have violated any state or federal law concerning the possession, purchase, or sale of firearms in the 3 years before applying for the state permit (prior violation requirement). The act clarifies that the prior license and prior violation requirements apply to an individual possessing, directly or indirectly, the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of the dealer, known as a 'responsible person' of the dealer. The act makes the dealer training requirements apply to responsible persons who, in the course of their duties, handle firearms; process the sale, loan, or transfer of firearms; or otherwise have access to firearms. The act makes provisions related to a dealer's employees who handle firearms; process the sale, loan, or transfer of firearms; or otherwise have access to firearms also apply to any individual, including an independent contractor, who performs an employee's duties, whether paid or unpaid. The act permits the department of revenue (department) to fine a dealer up to $75,000 for a second or subsequent violation of certain dealer requirements committed on or after January 1, 2027. The department shall adopt rules concerning the imposition of fines. Under existing state law, dealers are subject to record-keeping requirements involving pistols and revolvers sold, rented, or exchanged at retail. The act makes the record-keeping requirements apply to all retail transactions, including a transfer, involving a firearm other than a destructive device, clarifies that dealers may keep the records electronically, and prohibits the department and any other state agency from using information obtained from dealer records to create or maintain a registry identifying firearm ownership. The act requires a dealer to secure large-capacity magazines in the dealer's possession. The department shall adopt rules requiring security measures for dealers' places of business, and a dealer shall submit a comprehensive security plan to the department that demonstrates the security measures that the dealer will implement to comply with the rules. Beginning October 1, 2027, a dealer must implement the security measures. The act requires a dealer to report the theft or loss of a firearm to the department within 48 hours after learning of the theft or loss.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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The act defines 'first responder' to include:A peace officer;A firefighter;A volunteer firefighter;An emergency medical service provider; orA mental health professional who responds in a professional capacity to a justifiable medical emergency. Existing law requires the emergency medical and trauma services advisory council (council) to review and approve new rules and modifications to rules prior to the adoption of such rules or modifications by the state board of health. The act requires the council to make recommendations for, instead of approve, rules and modifications to rules concerning emergency medical and trauma services prior to the adoption of such rules or modifications by the state board of health. Beginning January 1, 2027, the act requires the department of health care policy and financing (state department) to reimburse the following entities under the 'Colorado Medical Assistance Act':An ambulance service for ground transportation by an ambulance or other vehicle to a hospital or other destination as deemed appropriate by the ambulance service's medical director;An ambulance service for treatment on the scene of a medical emergency, which treatment does not result in ground transportation; andA qualified provider, an ambulance service, or an agency for evaluation by telemedicine of a person being treated by an ambulance service or an agency for the purpose of preventing the need to transport the person to a hospital.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law provides for a diploma endorsement of biliteracy by completing certain educational requirements in English in addition to a second language. The act changes the educational requirements for the biliteracy program and creates a diploma endorsement for bilingualism for graduating high school students. The act allows high school students in local education providers that do not offer the biliteracy or the bilingualism program to access the program through other local education providers or a state institution of higher education. If the student's local education provider does not offer and chooses not to establish a program that offers the endorsement that the student is seeking, the student's local education provider may enter into an agreement with another local education provider or state institution of higher education that offers the endorsement that the student is seeking. A local education provider or state institution of higher education may charge a fee to provide the diploma endorsement program. The fee must reflect the actual and indirect costs of running the diploma endorsement program. The enrolled student's local education provider must pay the fee on behalf of the student.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires an investor-owned utility (utility) to establish a percentage-of-income payment plan program (PIPP program) to assist income-qualified residential utility customers with utility costs. An income-qualified utility customer is eligible for the PIPP program if the customer meets the income eligibility criteria, lives in the service area of the utility, and either submits an application to the utility or is referred by another income-eligible assistance program offered by the department of human services, the Colorado energy office, or another energy assistance program approved by the public utilities commission (commission). A utility must approve or deny a customer's application for participation in the PIPP program within 30 days. The utility bill for a customer enrolled in a utility's PIPP program is capped at a specific percentage of the customer's household income, typically ranging from 2% to 6% of the customer's household income depending on the heating source provided and the size of the utility. The difference between a customer's actual utility bill and their PIPP program bill is covered by a fixed credit, which can be an up-front annual credit or an equal monthly credit to the customer's utility bill. The act also establishes arrearage credits for customers in the PIPP program, which are applied to eliminate a customer's preexisting debt prior to the customer's enrollment in the PIPP program. A utility's PIPP program is funded through a 'PIPP charge' itemized on all customer bills. The amount of the PIPP charge is established by the commission by rule for the utility. A utility must submit an annual report related to the utility's PIPP program to the commission. The report must include the following information:The PIPP charge revenue collected by the utility;Any amount contributed to the PIPP program by the utility from shareholder profits;A calculation of administrative costs associated with implementing and administering the PIPP program;The amount of fixed monthly or annual credits provided to customers in the utility's PIPP program; andThe amount of arrearage credits provided to customers in the PIPP program. The act exempts products fueled by propane and products used exclusively for installation in manufactured homes from emissions standards adopted by the Colorado department of public health and environment related to heating and water heating appliances until January 1, 2031. The act extends the deadline by which money in the 'Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act' cash fund may be appropriated from July 1, 2028, until July 1, 2031.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act expands the Colorado commission on higher education (commission) from 11 to 13 members by adding 2 nonvoting student members who are enrolled at a state-supported institution of higher education (student members). Specifically, the act adds:One student member from a graduate research university or a 4-year institution of higher education; andOne student member from a community college, local district college, or area technical college. The governor shall make initial appointments of student members on or before July 1, 2027. Student members serve on the commission for a term of 2 years. The act shrinks the advisory committee to the commission from 13 to 12 members by removing the advisory committee member designated to represent the students of the state.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law requires the state treasurer to issue a warrant in the amount of $225 million to the public employees' retirement association (PERA) on July 1 of each year as a direct distribution (direct distribution) and requires PERA to allocate the direct distribution to the trust funds of each division of PERA as it would an employer contribution, in a manner that is proportionate to the annual payroll of each division, except in certain circumstances. The act changes the allocation of the direct distribution by specifying that, beginning with the direct distribution occurring on July 1, 2026, and on July 1 of each year thereafter, PERA is required to allocate the direct distribution to the trust funds of each division of PERA on an actuarial basis to maximize PERA's blended total contribution amount in a manner that limits, to the extent possible, the triggering of automatic adjustment provisions, which are triggered when PERA's divisions fall below a targeted level of funding. Beginning July 1, 2026, the act prohibits PERA from allocating any portion of the direct distribution to the local government division or the Denver public schools division; except that, beginning July 1, 2030, the Denver public schools division is no longer excluded. The act also changes the amount of PERA employer contributions that are allocated to the health care trust fund from 1.02% of member salaries to 0.52% of member salaries.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Under current law, with certain exceptions, royalties and other payments for the depletion or extraction of a natural resource on public school lands is credited to the state public school fund, which is also known as the permanent fund. The act requires that:For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, $25 million of this money be credited to the state public school fund; andFor the 2026-27 state fiscal year, $45 million of this money be credited to the state public school fund.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act changes the requirement for an independent evaluation of the use of 'Colorado Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act' (READ Act) money from an annual requirement to a biennial requirement. The act adds a requirement that the Colorado department of education post an annual report on its website that summarizes data from local education providers on their reading curricula; programs, services, and supports; and student progress and includes any department input on proposed program changes. The act reduces the appropriation made in the annual general appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year to the department of education from the state education fund for the early literacy program external evaluation by $750,000.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act repeals the requirement for the department of higher education to contract for the use of an online platform by institutions of higher education in Colorado that assists students in accessing public benefits.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act expands the definitions of 'grandparent' and 'great-grandparent' in the context of court-ordered family time to account for situations in which the child's father or mother is deceased. To align with changes enacted in 2023 that address kinship and relative placements more broadly, the act repeals language specific to grandparent placements in child welfare cases and the types of evidence a court considers in connection with a grandparent's past abusive or neglectful conduct. When a child or youth is removed from the home, the act requires the court to prioritize the child's or youth's temporary placement with a relative or kin, unless the court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that temporary placement with the relative or kin is not in the best interests of the child.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)