Current law requires a gamete agency, gamete bank, or fertility clinic (clinic) to obtain a license from the department of public health and environment (department) on or after January 1, 2025, before the clinic may match or provide gametes or embryos to recipients in Colorado. The act extends this deadline to July 1, 2025. The act requires that a clinic located outside of Colorado shall not match intended recipients located in Colorado with donors, or provide gametes to a recipient parent or parents located in Colorado or to the recipient parent's medical provider located in Colorado, from a donor who does not agree to the disclosure of the donor's identity. The act adds a requirement that applicants for an original and renewal license must submit documentation to demonstrate compliance with licensing requirements. Subject to available appropriations, the department may, as it deems necessary, perform on-site inspections or complaint investigations of clinics located outside of Colorado. The act extends the deadline for rule-making regarding clinics from July 1, 2024, to January 1, 2025. The act requires that, beginning in fiscal year 2025-26, the general assembly annually appropriate $125,000 to the gamete agency, gamete bank, or fertility clinic fund. APPROVED by Governor May 22, 2024 EFFECTIVE May 22, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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The act requires the office of future of work to create a grant program, in coordination with the Colorado energy office, for lineworker apprenticeship programs (grant program). In connection with the grant program, the office of future of work must create a competitive application process and select apprenticeship programs that meet certain training and matching requirements. On July 1, 2024, the state treasurer must transfer $800,000 from the general fund to the Colorado lineworker apprenticeship grant program cash fund, which is created in the act, for the purposes of the grant program. The act also requires an investor-owned electric utility that serves 500,000 customers or more in the state (qualifying retail utility) to upgrade the qualifying retail utility's distribution systems as necessary to support the: Achievement of the state's beneficial and transportation electrification and decarbonization goals; and Implementation of federal, state, regional, and local air quality and decarbonization targets, standards, plans, and regulations (decarbonization targets and standards). In connection with these goals and decarbonization targets and standards, a qualifying retail utility is required to: Commence a data collection process to inform future energization timelines; Adopt certain cost caps; Propose to the public utilities commission (commission) the use of an optional flexible interconnection or energization tariff or phased interconnection or energization agreement by a customer as an alternative to system upgrades that would otherwise be required for interconnection or energization; and Establish a procedure for customers with a hybrid facility to complete the interconnection and energization process through a single application. A qualifying retail utility is required to identify interconnection and load hosting capacity for distributed energy resources for disproportionately impacted communities within its service territory. Prior to the establishment of a grid modernization adjustment clause, a qualifying retail utility shall recover forecasted investments placed into service and costs incurred for certain capital investment and operations and maintenance expenses (distribution activities) for a period of time ending on December 31, 2025. Recovery of the costs associated with the distribution activities must occur through the transmission cost adjustment clause or another existing adjustment clause, subject to certain conditions. Current law requires certain utilities to file a distribution system plan (plan) with the commission. The act also requires the plans of a qualifying retail utility to create sufficient hosting capacity across the qualifying retail utility's electrical distribution system to support the implementation of the decarbonization targets and standards and certain other laws, rules, plans, and policies. In developing a plan, a qualifying retail utility must consult with and provide opportunities to engage disproportionately impacted communities. As part of a plan proceeding, a qualifying retail utility is required to present at least 2 future planning scenarios with corresponding investments to show future different states of the distribution system. In evaluating a qualifying retail utility's plans, the commission must evaluate whether the plan satisfies certain criteria. In addition, the plan must include a performance-based framework, which must consist of certain specified components. A qualifying retail utility must include in the qualifying retail utility's plan an analysis of current and future qualified staffing levels necessary to comply with state laws regarding distribution system planning (adequate staffing levels). The commission must review whether each qualifying retail utility's plan has adequate staffing levels before the qualifying retail utility's plan may proceed. A qualifying retail utility must ensure that, in any projects undertaken to implement a plan, all labor is performed by the employees of the qualifying retail utility or by a contractor that meets certain labor requirements. The commission must open a rule-making, for a qualifying retail utility, to consider and establish rules regarding energization timelines; interconnection; interconnection, energization, and electrification of end uses; and maximum individual customer cost caps or fees. Subject to commission review and approval, a qualifying retail utility is required to recover certain projected costs related to distribution activities as part of the qualifying retail utility's plans. If the commission finds that the distribution activities benefit or advance the decarbonization targets and standards or state energy policy goals, recovery of the costs must occur through the grid modernization adjustment clause. For distribution system activities that do not benefit or advance the decarbonization targets and standards or state energy policy goals, recovery of the costs may occur through the grid modernization adjustment clause if the qualifying retail utility meets the criteria established in the performance-based framework in the qualifying retail utility's approved plan. A qualifying retail utility is required to make an annual grid modernization adjustment clause advice letter filing with the commission no later than November 1 of each year with an effective date of January 1 of the subsequent year. No later than February 1, 2025, a qualifying retail utility is required to create and file with the commission an application to implement a virtual power plant program, including a tariff for performance-based compensation for a qualified virtual power plant. The virtual power plant program and tariff must include and implement certain requirements. A qualifying retail utility may apply to recover certain business costs to facilitate a virtual power plant program through the grid modernization adjustment clause. By January 1, 2025, a qualifying retail utility is required to file a plan with the commission to implement programs for the undergrounding of utility distribution infrastructure (undergrounding) in nonfranchised areas of the qualifying retail utility in the state using 1% of the area's gross electric revenues from the prior year. A qualifying retail utility must also consider the public benefit of undergrounding and other community benefit investments in its plans. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, $420,500 is appropriated from the public utilities commission fixed utility fund to the department of regulatory agencies for use by the commission as follows: $382,670 for personal services; and $37,830 for operating expenses. APPROVED by Governor May 22, 2024 EFFECTIVE May 22, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires the director of the energy and carbon management commission in the department of natural resources, at the request of a local government or tribal government, to provide technical support concerning: The development of local codes governing wind, solar, energy storage, and energy transmission projects (renewable energy projects); or The review of renewable energy projects for which a local government or a tribal government receives an application for land use approval after June 30, 2024. At the request of an owner or operator of a renewable energy facility (facility owner), a local government, or a tribal government, the division of parks and wildlife (division) must provide a set of best management practices to avoid, minimize, and mitigate wildlife impacts of renewable energy projects. The facility owner, local government, or tribal government may incorporate the best management practices into project plans, and the best management practices may be considered as conditions of approval by a local government or tribal government with land use authority over a renewable energy project. The division must also identify high-priority habitats based on the best available science, update the list of high-priority habitats at least annually, and make the list publicly available. A facility owner, local government, or tribal government may consider the high-priority habitats in planning, siting, permitting, and developing renewable energy projects. The act requires the Colorado energy office (office), in cooperation with the department of local affairs and the department of natural resources, to develop a repository of codes and ordinances that support renewable energy projects and commercial energy transmission facilities for the purpose of providing conceptual frameworks that local governments and tribal governments may consider and adapt to suit local circumstances and address local energy resources. On or before September 30, 2025, the office must submit to the general assembly a report that: Evaluates local government processes for the siting of commercially viable renewable energy projects and commercial energy transmission facilities; and Evaluates the impact of renewable energy projects and commercial energy transmission facilities on wildlife resources; the use of wildlife mitigation, decommissioning, and community benefit agreements; and the range of fees imposed by local governments. In preparing the report, the office must provide opportunities for stakeholders and the public to provide input before the final report is completed. For renewable energy projects for which a local government receives an application for land use approval after June 30, 2024, the act prohibits a local government from granting a development permit for the construction of a facility in any area that is included within the land relinquished and conveyed by the confederated bands of the Ute nation to the United States in the Brunot Agreement of September 13, 1873, unless the local government first consults with the tribal governments of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe concerning the potential impacts to hunting, fishing, and gathering rights related to the construction of the facility. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $307,991 to the department of natural resources from the wildlife cash fund. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $95,490 to the department of natural resources from the energy and carbon management cash fund for use by the energy and carbon management commission. APPROVED by Governor May 21, 2024 EFFECTIVE May 21, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The "Colorado Digital Token Act" provides limited exemptions from the securities registration and securities broker-dealer and salesperson licensing requirements for persons dealing in digital tokens. "Digital token" is defined in the "Colorado Digital Token Act" as a digital unit with specified characteristics that is: Secured through a decentralized ledger or database; Exchangeable for goods or services; and Capable of being traded or transferred between persons without an intermediary or custodian of value. The act repeals the "Colorado Digital Token Act". APPROVED by Governor May 17, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Section 2 of the act creates a state income tax credit for owners of aircraft that incur qualifying expenses to enable an aircraft that is powered by leaded aviation gasoline to be certified to instead be powered by unleaded aviation gasoline. Sections 3 and 6 provide explicit authority in the existing state aviation grant program for aviation fund grants: To general aviation airports and commercial airports at which there is significant general aviation activity to fund the design, engineering, construction, installation, acquisition, and inspection of infrastructure, including equipment, that allows the sale of unleaded aviation gasoline at such airports and to subsidize purchases of unleaded aviation gasoline at such airports; For airport noise monitoring devices; For evaluation, provision of education and technical assistance to airports about, prevention, or mitigation of adverse impacts to the health, safety, and welfare of individuals who reside or work near an airport; and At a time that electric aircraft technology has been appropriately certified by the federal aviation administration, for on-airport electric aircraft charging infrastructure. Section 6 also: Requires the lesser of 10% of the amount awarded in grants per year or $1,500,000 per year in grants to be designated for the aviation purposes of aiding and accelerating the transition from leaded aviation gasoline to unleaded aviation gasoline with priority given to airports with significant general aviation traffic in urban and suburban areas where surrounding communities may be disproportionately impacted by such traffic; and Subject to specified exceptions, prohibits grants from being awarded to an airport that is located in a densely populated residential area or has a significant number of flights over a densely populated residential area unless the airport or entity operating the airport demonstrates to the satisfaction of the aeronautics division of the department of transportation (division) that: By January 1, 2026, it has adopted a plan, in accordance with applicable federal requirements and guidance, for phasing out sales of leaded aviation gasoline at the airport by January 1, 2030; It has established, in consultation with flight schools and pilots that regularly use the airport, a voluntary noise abatement plan that meets specified requirements; and It complies with the requirements of any avigation easements or contracts that it has entered into. Section 4 adds to the division's duties: Working with the department of public health and environment (CDPHE) as it continues to provide data and information about the effects of leaded aviation fuel on human health to the department of transportation and airports; and Educating airports with significant general aviation activity, as determined by the division, regarding: The need to expedite the transition from leaded aviation gasoline to unleaded aviation gasoline; and Specified funding opportunities for projects and unleaded aviation gasoline subsidies, if offered by the division, that support the transition from leaded aviation gasoline to unleaded aviation gasoline and impose requirements for accessing that funding and, if offered, those subsidies. Section 5 increases the Colorado aeronautical board (board) from 7 to 9 voting members by requiring the appointment of 2 members who are residents of communities that are affected by general aviation airport traffic or traffic at a commercial airport at which there is significant general aviation activity and makes the executive director of CDPHE, or the executive director's designee, an ex officio nonvoting member of the board. In appointing the 2 new voting members, the governor is required to give priority to individuals who are not trained pilots, are familiar with airport infrastructure, aviation, and the mission of the board, and reside in a community that is significantly impacted by noise or lead emissions by a high-traffic airport with significant general aviation activity. The governor is also required to make appointments to the board so as to ensure a balance broadly representative of the activity level of airports throughout the state and further ensure that the racial, ethnic, and gender makeup of the board is representative of communities that are disproportionately impacted by general aviation airport traffic or traffic at a commercial airport at which there is significant general aviation activity. Section 7 requires the division to evaluate, educate, and provide technical assistance to airports about the adverse impacts of aircraft noise on health, safety, and welfare and requires the division to prioritize these activities at airports with significant general aviation activity that are located in densely populated residential areas or have a significant number of flights over such areas. Section 8 appropriates $44,609 from the general fund to the department of revenue and reappropriates $2,591 of the appropriation to the department of personnel for implementation of the act. APPROVED by Governor May 17, 2024 EFFECTIVE May 17, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
To facilitate the addition of an extra week between the secretary of state's deadline to certify ballot order and content pursuant to law and election officials' deadline to transmit ballots pursuant to the federal "Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act", the act submits a constitutional amendment to the voters of the state at the 2024 general election that will, if approved: Change the date by which initiative petitions must be filed with the secretary of state from at least 3 months before the general election at which they are to be voted on to at least 3 months and one week before that election; Change the date by which referendum petitions must be filed with the secretary of state from not more than 90 days after the final adjournment of the session of the general assembly that enacted the act on which the referendum is demanded to not more than 83 days after the final adjournment of that session; Change the date by which the nonpartisan research staff of the general assembly shall publish the text and title of every measure from at least 15 days prior to the final date of voter registration for the election to 45 days before the election; and Change the period during which a justice of the supreme court or a judge of any other court must file with the secretary of state a declaration of intent to run for another term from not more than 6 months or less than 3 months prior to the general election before the expiration of the judge's term to not more than 6 months and one week or less than 3 months and one week before that general election.(Note: This summary applies to this concurrent resolution as adopted.)
The act clarifies the scope of the high-performance transportation enterprise's (transportation enterprise) powers and duties to expand its capacity to execute its charge and more explicitly prioritize mitigation of traffic congestion and traffic-related pollution through the completion of multimodal surface transportation infrastructure projects as follows: Section 13: Authorizes the transportation enterprise to impose a congestion impact fee, as a new user fee, in maximum amounts of up to $3 per day that is subsequently adjusted for inflation, and, in conjunction with section 12, requires the fee to be collected and administered in the same manner as an existing state daily vehicle rental fee; Clarifies that providing diverse multimodal transportation options, including rail projects, that reduce traffic congestion and degradation of existing surface transportation infrastructure is part of the transportation enterprise's statutory charge; Requires the transportation enterprise to develop a new multimodal strategic capital plan that aligns with the 10-year transportation plan of the Colorado department of transportation (CDOT) and statewide greenhouse gas pollution reduction goals and priorities, complies with specified environmental standards adopted by the transportation commission, and prioritizes benefits to user fee payers and the reduction of adverse impacts on highways; Requires the transportation enterprise to complete an initial assessment of opportunities available through 2030 to leverage federal money made available to the state and to thereafter assess such opportunities on an ongoing basis; and Requires the transportation enterprise to detail its work to reduce traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions and support the expansion of public transit in its annual report to the legislative committees with oversight over transportation; and Section 11 modifies an existing definition of "surface transportation infrastructure" to explicitly include multimodal transportation options and transportation of freight. Section 11 also modifies an existing definition of "user fee" to include the new congestion impact fee. Section 4 authorizes the regional transportation district (RTD) to extend construction and operations of its northwest rail fixed guideway corridor beyond its boundaries if all capital and operating expenses outside the RTD are fully accounted for and already reimbursed to the RTD by a public body. Section 6 requires the front range passenger rail district (rail district), in cooperation with RTD, CDOT, and the transportation enterprise, to provide to the transportation legislation review committee and the governor: A report containing an implementation plan, which must include, among other things, identification and evaluation of options for creating a separate legal entity or intergovernmental agreement as a business model, for construction and operations of the corridor and may also consider the creation of a Colorado rail authority to house some or all passenger rail services under one entity; and A report, which must also include the cooperation of any separate legal entity created, concerning a plan to begin providing front range passenger rail service no later than January 1, 2029. Sections 5, 7, 8, and 13, respectively and in conjunction with section 2, provide specific, explicit authorization to the RTD, the rail district, CDOT, and the transportation enterprise, in accordance with an implementation plan developed as required by section 6, to enter into a standalone intergovernmental agreement with or create a separate legal entity with each other to implement the completion of construction and operation of the RTD's northwest fixed guideway corridor, including an extension of the corridor to Fort Collins as the first phase of front range passenger rail service. Section 10 requires CDOT and the rail district to annually report to the transportation legislation review committee and the governor regarding the status of the service development plan for front range passenger rail service between Trinidad, Pueblo, and Fort Collins and requires the plan to include descriptions of steps taken to maximize the chances of securing federal grant assistance and of how the project will create good-paying, high-quality, and safe jobs. Section 9 requires CDOT's transit and rail division to submit a report containing a development plan for rocky mountain rail service to the legislative committees that oversee transportation and the governor not later than December 31, 2024. Section 15 appropriates $42,399 from the general fund to the department of revenue to implement the act. APPROVED by Governor May 16, 2024 EFFECTIVE May 16, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires the clean transit enterprise (enterprise) to impose a production fee for clean transit (production fee for clean transit) to be paid quarterly by every producer of oil and gas in the state (producer). The production fee for clean transit applies to all oil and gas produced by the producer in the state on and after July 1, 2025. No later than one week after October 1, 2025, and no later than one week after the first day of each calendar quarter thereafter, the energy and carbon management commission (commission) must calculate the average Henry Hub natural gas spot price reported by the United States energy information administration (average gas spot price) and average west Texas intermediate spot price reported by the United States energy information administration (average oil spot price) for the previous quarter and publish the average gas spot price and average oil spot price on the commission's website. No later than one month after the commission publishes the average gas spot price and average oil spot price on the commission's website, the enterprise must set the production fee amounts for the previous calendar quarter, which are determined by the enterprise based on the average gas spot price and average oil spot price calculated by the commission; notify the executive director of the department of revenue (executive director) of the production fee amounts set; and publish the production fee amounts on the enterprise's website. Prior to adopting the production fee amounts, the enterprise must consult with the commission on the production fee amounts. On or before the last day of the second month following the previous calendar quarter, every producer must file a return with and pay the production fee for clean transit for the previous calendar quarter to the executive director in accordance with applicable department of revenue procedures. The state treasurer must first credit the costs to the department of revenue for administering the production fees for clean transit, which money is credited to the oil and gas production fees collection fund created in the act, and then credit the remaining production fees for clean transit in the following manner: 70% to the local transit operations cash fund to be used for expanding local transit service and prioritizing transit improvements in certain communities; 10% to the local transit grant program cash fund to be used for providing competitive grants to certain eligible entities for expenses associated with providing public transportation; and 20% to the rail funding program cash fund to be used for passenger rail projects and service. No later than March 1, 2030, and every fifth March 1 thereafter, the enterprise must complete an analysis of the production fee amounts and post the analysis on the enterprise's website. The act also requires the regional transportation district to prioritize completion of the northwest rail line to Longmont and the north lines of the transportation expansion plan adopted by the regional transportation district board (plan). On or before July 1, 2025, the regional transportation district is also required to submit a report to the governor and the general assembly that demonstrates how the regional transportation district will fulfill certain commitments made in the plan. The act also requires the division of parks and wildlife (division) to impose a production fee for wildlife and land remediation (production fee for wildlife and land remediation) to be paid quarterly by every producer. The production fee for wildlife and land remediation applies to all oil and gas produced by the producer in the state on and after July 1, 2025. No later than one month after the commission publishes the average gas spot price and average oil spot price on the commission's website, the division must set the production fee amounts for the previous calendar quarter, which are determined by the division based on the average gas spot price and average oil spot price calculated by the commission; notify the executive director of the production fee amounts set; and publish the production fee amounts on the division's website. Prior to adopting the production fee amounts, the division must consult with the commission on the production fee amounts. On or before the last day of the second month following the previous calendar quarter, every producer must file a return with and pay the production fee for wildlife and land remediation for the previous calendar quarter to the executive director in accordance with applicable department of revenue administrative procedures. The state treasurer must credit the production fees for wildlife and land remediation in the following manner: First, the costs to the department of revenue for administering the production fees for wildlife and land remediation are credited to the oil and gas production fees collection fund for use by department of revenue; and Second, the remaining amount of production fees for wildlife and land remediation are credited to the climate resilient wildlife and land cash fund to be used for certain wildlife and land remediation purposes. No later than March 1, 2030, and every fifth March 1 thereafter, the division must complete an analysis of the production fee amounts and post the analysis on the division's website. Along with publishing the average gas spot price and average oil spot price on the commission's website, the commission is required to routinely provide written guidance to the enterprise and the division on factors relevant to the production fee amounts for the production fee for clean transit and the production fee for wildlife and land remediation. The act also establishes: Certain department of revenue administrative procedures, including certain registration and return filing requirements, for the collection of the production fees for clean transit and the production fees for wildlife and land remediation; A petty offense and civil penalty for a producer's failure to register with the department of revenue; and The accrual of interest and penalties for a producer's failure to pay or correctly account for any production fees for wildlife and land remediation or production fees for clean transit or to keep complete and accurate records. If a constitutional amendment is adopted at the 2024 statewide general election that requires voter approval of fees assessed for the purpose of funding mass transportation, the act creates certain definitions that apply to the constitutional amendment. If a constitutional amendment is adopted at the 2024 statewide general election that defines a "fee" for the purposes of state constitutional law, the act clarifies what fees and fee increases the constitutional amendment applies to and creates certain definitions that apply to the constitutional amendment (fee definition provision). Provisions of the act are contingent upon Senate Bill 24-184 being enacted and becoming law. APPROVED by Governor May 16, 2024 EFFECTIVE May 16, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Under current law, a board of county commissioners is authorized to license an owner or owner's agent who rents or advertises the owner's lodging unit for a short-term stay and to fix the fees, terms, and manner for issuing and revoking such licenses. The bill creates an exception to provides that this authority for the owner or owner's agent of, and with respect to, shall not prohibit or effectively prohibit the short-term rental of any structure located on a parcel in an unincorporated area of a county that does not receive water, heat, electricity, or sanitary sewer services from a public entity and so long as the structure is used primarily for recreational purposes. (Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.) (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)