Sen. Dennis Hisey

A commercial motor vehicle fleet owner that wishes to apply for an annual fleet overweight permit has been required to apply for separate annual fleet permits for vehicles that have a quad axle grouping for divisible vehicles or loads, and vehicle combinations with a trailer that have 2 or 3 axles for divisible vehicles or loads. The act allows a fleet owner that has a fleet consisting of vehicles from both of these categories to apply for a single annual fleet overweight permit. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Under current law, for an Amber alert, the Colorado bureau of investigation (CBI) sends notice to the federal communication's designated state emergency system broadcaster. Instead, the act requires the CBI to send the alert using technological applications that promote the largest reach of community notifications. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The "Colorado Municipal Election Code of 1965" (code) specifies procedures that municipal clerks are required to use when mailing ballots to voters who are covered by the federal "Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act" (UOCAVA). The code specifies that standard voting materials for the purposes of UOCAVA include a declaration prescribed to accompany a federal absentee write-in ballot; however, the municipal clerks are unable to use that declaration. The act repeals this requirement. The code also specifies that, to be valid, an active military or overseas voter must complete a signed affirmation required by federal law. The act specifies the language required to be included in the affirmation. The code currently requires all paper ballots, including mail ballots, to include a ballot stub and a duplicate stub on the top portion of the ballot. This requirement is unnecessary for mail ballots, as municipalities have other ballot verification methods. The act specifies that mail ballots are not required to include a stub and a duplicate stub. The act also amends several provisions in the code regarding mail ballot elections to be consistent with other general provisions in the code regarding municipal elections. Specifically: The provision in the code that requires nomination petitions in mail ballot elections to be corrected no later than 66 days before the election is amended to be consistent with the general provision that specifies such petitions must be amended prior to 63 days before the election; The provision in the code that requires a withdrawal affidavit for a mail ballot election to be filed by the close of business on the 63rd day prior to the election is amended to be consistent with the general provision that specifies such withdrawals must occur prior to 63 days before the election; and The wording of the self-affirmation that is required to appear on the envelope for a mail ballot is amended to be consistent with the wording of the self-affirmation that is required to appear on the envelope for an absentee ballot.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act creates the Colorado legion of merit medal, which may be awarded by the department of military and veterans affairs (department) to any person who has rendered service in a clearly exceptional, unprecedented, or superior manner. The act makes changes regarding eligibility and criteria for certain medals awarded by the department and repeals awards that are duplicative of other department or federal awards. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

A pilot program (program) created in 2017 authorized third-party transportation associations or organizations approved by the chief of the Colorado state patrol to perform vehicle identification number (VIN) verification inspections for commercial vehicles. The statute authorizing the program repealed, in accordance with its provisions as enacted, effective January 1, 2020. The act recreates the program as a permanent program. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

A cash fund with fee revenue has a limit on the amount of uncommitted reserves that there may be at the end of a fiscal year, which limit is equal to 16.5% of the amount expended from the cash fund during the fiscal year. The bill exempts from this maximum reserve the following cash funds administered by the division of fire prevention and control in the department of public safety: The fire suppression cash fund; The public school construction and inspection cash fund; and The health facility construction and inspection cash fund.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill creates the school transportation grant program (grant program) in the department of education (department) to provide grant awards to public schools or school districts to increase transportation services to students. The state board of education is required to promulgate rules necessary for the implementation of the grant program. The department shall award grants subject to available appropriations. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Training and testing restrictions with certain firefighting foams - restriction on sale of certain firefighting foams - notification of chemicals in protective equipment -survey. The act prohibits the use of class B firefighting foam that contains intentionally added perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS foam) for training purposes or for testing firefighting foam fire systems and creates a civil penalty for doing so. The act also creates the "Firefighting Foams Control Act" (act) which: Prohibits the sale of PFAS foam in certain circumstances; Requires manufacturers of PFAS foam to notify sellers of the provisions of the act; Requires manufacturers to disclose whether the personal protective equipment they produce contains perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances; Allows for the department of public health and environment to request a certificate of compliance from a manufacturer of class B firefighting foam or firefighting personal protective equipment to ensure that those manufacturers are complying with the limitations on the manufacture of PFAS foam as set forth in the act; Creates a civil penalty for violating the provisions of the act; and Requires the department of public health and environment to conduct a survey to determine the amount of PFAS foam currently held, used, and disposed of by fire departments.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Colorado fire commission - creation - powers and duties - repeal - appropriation. The Colorado fire commission (commission) is created in the division of fire prevention and control in the department of public safety. The commission's purpose is to enhance public safety in Colorado through an integrated statewide process focused on the fire service's capacity to conduct fire management and use, preparedness, prevention, and response activities to safeguard lives, property, and natural resources, and increase the resiliency of local and regional communities. The commission is charged with developing an accurate understanding of Colorado's fire problems, reviewing the current emergency fire fund program, evaluating the funding mechanisms for effective response to large fires, assessing the capacity of the state to provide emergency fire support and technical expertise to local communities, developing performance measures of overall response effectiveness, strengthening statewide and regional coordination, developing best practice recommendations related to high-risk occupancies, developing and publishing an assessment of fire treatment costs and cost distribution, developing methodical approaches to Colorado's fire service concerns, and forecasting upcoming funding and resource challenges. The commission may establish task forces to study and make recommendations on specific subjects within the commission's areas of study. The commission is repealed, effective September 1, 2024, and is subject to a sunset review prior to its repeal. The act appropriates $174,183 to the department of public safety for use by the division of fire prevention and control for the implementation of the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More