Sen. Lisa Cutter

The microgrids for community resilience grant program (grant program) in the division of local government in the department of local affairs provides grants for cooperative electric associations and municipally owned utilities to purchase microgrid resources for eligible rural communities located within their service territories. Under current law, the grant program is set to repeal on September 1, 2026. The act continues the grant program indefinitely by removing the repeal date.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Section 20 of article X of the state constitution (the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights or TABOR) defines 'fiscal year spending' as excluding 'collections for another government' and 'damage awards'. Although TABOR does not define either 'collections for another government' or 'damage awards', the TABOR implementing statutes define both terms. The act clarifies both of these definitions for state fiscal years commencing on or after July 1, 2025.     The act clarifies that 'collections for another government', as used for the purpose of determining whether specific money received by the state is subject to the TABOR limitation on state fiscal year spending, includes:Revenue from the excise tax and sales and use tax on gasoline used as fuel for the propulsion of specified aircraft that is collected by the state and distributed to governmental or airport entities operating a federal aviation administration-designated public use airport; andRevenue from fees that are collected by the department of public safety for the purpose of criminal history record checks and that is transmitted to the federal bureau of investigation for a required federal component of such criminal history record checks.     The act also clarifies that 'damage award', as used for the purpose of determining whether specific money received by the state is subject to the TABOR limitation on state fiscal year spending, includes money from certain sources that is deposited in the crime victim compensation fund of each judicial district.     The act specifies that for fiscal years commencing on or after July 1, 2026, the general assembly shall appropriate money to the district attorney in each judicial district in an amount equal to 20% of the total amount of money in the fund in that judicial district for administrative costs and to the court executive in each judicial district in an amount equal to 2.5% of the total amount of money in the fund in that judicial district for administrative costs.     For the 2026-27 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $2,250,000 from the general fund to the judicial department for use by state courts administration for victim's compensation administration.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act eliminates the requirement for the department of education (department) to administer a state assessment in social studies to elementary school students and specifies that the department is only required to administer a state assessment in social studies to students enrolled in seventh grade in a public school.     The act also eliminates the requirement that the department administer a state assessment in social studies in a representative sample of public schools each year.     The act reduces by 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 statewide assessment program by $302,835.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

In 2022, the general assembly enacted, and the governor subsequently signed into law, House Bill 22-1358 ('Concerning measures to eliminate the presence of lead in the drinking water of certain facilities where children are present, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation'), which required child care centers, family child care homes, and each public school that serves any of grades preschool through eighth grade to:Test its drinking water sources by having a state-certified laboratory measure the lead content of water drawn from each drinking water source; andSatisfy other requirements concerning the provision of safe drinking water.     House Bill 22-1358 also created the school and child care clean drinking water fund (fund) to help schools, child care centers, and family child care homes comply with House Bill 22-1358.     House Bill 22-1358 included a repeal date of June 30, 2026, for its provisions. The act extends the provisions, with amendments, until June 30, 2029. The act also adds high schools (i.e., schools that serve grades 9 to 12) to the scope of House Bill 22-1358, which means that high schools may receive grants from the fund and must satisfy certain requirements on or before dates specified in the act.     The act requires the department to adopt rules establishing how a child care center shall demonstrate compliance with the requirements concerning the testing for the presence of lead in drinking water.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Under current law, 28.9% of the revenue the state collects from the retail delivery fee is credited to the multimodal transportation and mitigation options fund (fund). Of the money from the retail delivery fee that is credited to the fund, currently 85% is allocated to the commission for local multimodal projects and 15% is allocated to the commission for state multimodal projects. Beginning on July 1, 2026, the act changes how the fund allocates and expends retail delivery fee revenue between state and local multimodal projects so that 70% of the fund is allocated to the commission for local multimodal projects and 30% of the fund is allocated to the commission for state multimodal projects.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires each covered social media platform (covered platform) to impose a fee on each add-on transaction that occurs on the covered platform. The act creates the youth mental health services access enterprise in the behavioral health administration (BHA) to use the fee revenue to operate and fund programs that provide youth mental health services. The youth mental health services access enterprise constitutes an enterprise for purposes of section 20 of article X of the state constitution.     The act defines a 'covered platform' as a sole proprietorship, a partnership, a limited liability company, a corporation, an association, or another legal entity, or an affiliate thereof, that:Conducts business in this state;Generates revenue directly from add-on transactions conducted in an online gaming service, product, or feature;Generates a majority of its annual revenue from online gaming services, products, or features;Publishes one or more online gaming services, products, or features that are reasonably likely to be accessed by a youth;Collects users' personal data or has users' personal data collected on its behalf; andDetermines the purposes and means of the processing of users' personal data.     The act defines an 'add-on transaction' as a transaction through which a player or participant in a video game accessed via an online gaming service, product, or feature acquires:An item or ability that provides the player or participant an advantage over other players or participants of the video game; orA feature that alters or enhances the video game as accessed by the online gaming service, product, or feature.     The act creates the youth mental health services access enterprise fund, consisting of money credited to the fund as fee revenue, any money received from the issuance of revenue bonds, and any other money that the general assembly may appropriate or transfer to the youth mental health services access enterprise fund. Money in the youth mental health services access enterprise fund is continuously appropriated to the youth mental health services access enterprise.     After deducting its administrative expenses, the youth mental health services access enterprise is required to allocate the remaining fee revenue credited to the fund as follows:40% to operate and fund the youth mental health peer navigator grant program, which program is created in the act;35% to operate and fund the crisis resolution team program, which program is created in the act; and25%, beginning January 1, 2028, to operate the existing youth mental health services program.     The initial amount of the fee is 5% of the amount of the add-on transaction. On and after October 1, 2027, the youth mental health services access enterprise may adjust the amount of the fee.     The act creates the youth mental health peer navigator grant program to award grants to entities that recruit and train young adults to provide prevention services, peer support, and system navigation to youth in schools or community-based settings.     The act creates the crisis resolution team program to provide community-based de-escalation and stabilization services to youth who are experiencing high-acuity behavioral health crises and to their caregivers.     Under current law, the BHA operates the youth mental health services program to facilitate access to mental health services, including substance use disorder services, for youth in response to mental health needs identified in an initial mental health screening through the program's web-based portal. The youth mental health services program reimburses providers for up to 3 mental health sessions with a youth. The act directs the youth mental health services access enterprise, rather than the BHA, to operate and fund the youth mental health services program beginning January 1, 2028. The act also allows the youth mental health services access enterprise to reimburse a provider for up to 6 mental health sessions with a youth.     The act creates the youth programming and protections enterprise to:Award grants through the existing out-of-school time program grant program; andSupport the department of education's enforcement of educational rights on behalf of children.     The youth programming and protections enterprise constitutes an enterprise for purposes of section 20 of article X of the state constitution.     The act creates the youth programming and protections enterprise fund. In each state fiscal year, after the state treasurer has credited $8 million to the youth mental health services access enterprise fund, the state treasurer must credit any other money received as fees to the youth programming and protections enterprise fund.     Under current law, the department of education administers the out-of-school time program grant program and the state board of education awards grants from the program, subject to available appropriations. The act directs the department of education to consult with the youth programming and protections enterprise in administering the out-of-school time program grant program, and the act directs the youth programming and protections enterprise to award grants from the program in consultation with the state board of education. The act also requires the out-of-school time program grant program to provide programming and services that support the mental health and well-being of children and youth.     The act requires a covered platform to ensure that the purchase price for an online gaming service, product, or feature that is reasonably likely to be accessed by a minor to be listed in United States dollars at the point of sale.     For the 2026-27 state fiscal year, the act appropriates:$294,984 to the department of revenue from the general fund;$26,500 to the department of law from reappropriated funds;$145,750 to the department of law from the youth mental services access enterprise fund created in the act; and$79,500 to the department of law from the youth programming and protections enterprise fund created in the act.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act creates a process for an owner of a single-family residence to petition a district court for limited access to an adjoining property to complete repairs or maintenance to the single-family residence if the owner of the adjoining property has denied such access. The owner of a single-family residence is encouraged to engage the adjoining property owner in alternative dispute resolution, such as mediation, prior to petitioning the court. In petitioning the court, the owner of a single-family residence must demonstrate that they have made reasonable efforts to obtain permission from the adjoining property owner to access the adjoining property. A petitioner must also specify the nature of the repairs or maintenance they seek to complete and describe why they cannot complete the repairs or maintenance without access to the adjoining property. If the court determines that access to the adjoining property is necessary to repair or maintain the petitioner's property and will not negatively affect an easement on the adjoining property, the court shall grant access to the adjoining property as necessary to allow completion of the repair or maintenance and shall prescribe the conditions and duration of the petitioner's access. The act does not apply to an adjoining property that is owned or controlled by the federal government, the state, or a political subdivision of the state.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Maddy summaryThis bill brings Denver School of Science and Technology charter schools into the Denver Public Schools division of the Public Employees' Retirement Association (PERA), allowing their employees to participate in the same retirement benefits as other Denver public school workers. The legislation also changes the PERA Board of Trustees by adding one voting member elected by Denver Public Schools employees and removing a non-voting ex officio member from that division. Additionally, the bill extends the deadline for charter school employees to purchase additional retirement service credit for years worked before affiliation, moving the cutoff date from November 1, 2006, to July 1, 2026. These changes affect Denver public school employees, retirees, and the governance structure of the state's public employee retirement system.

The act implements the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies in its 2025 sunset review of the 'Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act' (PACFA) as follows:Sections 1 and 2 of the act continue the commissioner of agriculture's (commissioner) function of licensing pet animal facilities in accordance with the PACFA for 8 years, until 2034;Section 3 amends the PACFA's pet animal advisory committee (committee) membership structure by requiring the commissioner, on or before December 1, 2026, to appoint 15 members with certain specifications. Section 3 also specifies that members appointed to the committee on or before December 1, 2026, may serve no more than 2 consecutive terms of 4 years.Section 4 prohibits the importation of certain pet animals into the state without a valid certificate of veterinary inspection by an accredited veterinarian in the state of origin issued within 10 days prior to the pet animal's arrival in Colorado;Section 5 increases the current maximum fee amount of $700 for a pet animal facility license application to $1,500;Section 6 raises the maximum civil penalty amount for a violation of the PACFA or of a rule adopted pursuant to the PACFA from $1,000 per violation to $2,500 per violation;Section 7 states that a person that chooses to request a hearing in response to a cease-and-desist order issued by the commissioner for a violation of the PACFA or of a rule adopted pursuant to the PACFA must do so within 30 days after the issuance of the cease-and-desist order;Section 8 requires the commissioner to develop an administrative process for an interested person to petition for the issuance, amendment, or repeal of a rule by the commissioner;Section 9 amends House Bill 26-1011 concerning the transfer of certain pet animals in Colorado, by clarifying that the prohibition on a broker selling, leasing, offering to sell or lease, bartering, auctioning, or otherwise transferring ownership of a dog or cat does not apply to the sale, transfer, or adoption of a dog or cat to or by a pet store prior to January 1, 2028; andSection 10 relocates the statute that establishes the pet overpopulation authority (authority) so the authority is no longer subject to sunset review as part of the PACFA.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Beginning June 1, 2027, a person convicted for the first time of certain offenses related to driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol is required to hold an interlock-restricted license for a consecutive period of nine months following reinstatement of the person's driver's license prior to being eligible to obtain any other driver's license, except in limited circumstances.      If a person's driving privileges have been revoked for one year or more because of a refusal related to certain offenses related to driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, current law authorizes the person to apply for early reinstatement with an interlock-restricted license after the driving privilege has been revoked for 2 months. Beginning June 1, 2027, the 2-month waiting period is repealed.     Under current law, a financial assistance program (assistance program) is available to assist people who apply for an interlock-restricted license and are unable to pay the full cost of an approved ignition interlock device. The act restricts eligibility for the program to those who satisfy certain income criteria.     A certified ignition interlock manufacturer (manufacturer) must provide a person who is eligible for the assistance program certain discounts on installation of, lease charges for, and removal of an interlock device. The manufacturer must provide certain information regarding the assistance program at the time the interlock device installation appointment is scheduled and when a person executes an interlock device lease or service agreement.     The act appropriates $15,225 to the department of revenue to implement the act.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)