Beginning on or before July 1, 2028, the act extends certain application, accounting, and notice provisions already in place for federal survivor benefits awarded to a child or youth who is in foster care (child or youth) to federal supplemental security income benefits (SSI), which are monthly payments awarded to a child or youth with a disability and limited resources. The act adds requirements for a county department of human or social services (county department) to follow specified procedures for identifying a child or youth with a disability who may qualify for SSI and for documenting the disability. If the county department determines that a child or youth may be eligible to receive SSI, the county department is required to initiate the application process within 45 days after receiving certain information. If a child or youth is receiving SSI, the county department must document how the money is spent in the state's child welfare case management system. If legal custody of a child or youth receiving SSI or federal survivor benefits is transferring from a county department to another individual, the act requires the county department to reassess the designation of the representative payee or fiduciary receiving and managing federal benefits on behalf of the child or youth. The reassessment must be performed in consultation with interested parties and in compliance with federal requirements.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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The act authorizes a local government or a special district (local government) to enter into an agreement with one or more entities for the purpose of providing the local government with service from a thermal energy network. A local government that is authorized by law to issue bonds may issue bonds for the purpose of financing thermal energy infrastructure, interconnections, or customer connections within the jurisdiction of the local government. The act increases the net electric generating capacity of a community geothermal garden from 5 megawatts to 25 megawatts. The act requires the Colorado energy and carbon management commission (commission) and the Colorado geological survey to collect data and information related to geological resources in the state. The commission shall make recommendations to encourage safe and effective development of geothermal resources and report those recommendations to the general assembly on or before November 15, 2026. The act requires investor-owned electric utilities (utilities) to identify small-scale geothermal projects and large-scale geothermal projects (geothermal projects). The utility must solicit proposals for the development of small-scale geothermal projects of up to 25 megawatts of net electric generating capacity and large-scale geothermal projects that are greater than 25 megawatts of net electric generating capacity. The utility shall submit applications for the development of the geothermal projects to the public utilities commission if the utility receives a bid in response to the request for proposals. The public utilities commission must review the application and approve, conditionally approve, deny, or modify the application within 120 days after receiving the application.(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.)
The act allows an injured person to bring a cause of action for claims of injury caused by sexual orientation or gender identity change efforts (efforts) against a licensed mental health professional and allows the cause of action to be commenced at any time without limitation. Specifically, the act applies to a civil cause of action brought against a licensed mental health professional who seeks to direct a patient toward a predetermined sexual orientation or gender identity outcome or eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of a particular sex or gender. The act permits the injured individual, or the individual's personal representative or estate if the individual is deceased, to recover economic, noneconomic, and exemplary damages, and any other damages deemed appropriate by the court. A cause of action may be brought as a survival action within 5 years after the death of the person who underwent efforts.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Under current law, each subscriber to a community solar garden receives a net metering credit to their electric bill. The community solar subscriber organization can choose between a fixed bill credit or a bill credit that is adjusted annually. The act states that, on and after October 1, 2026, a subscriber organization may choose a fixed bill credit for the subscriber organization's income-qualified subscribers and a bill credit that changes annually for the subscriber organization's other customers. The public utility providing the bill credit must adjust the fixed bill credit annually to ensure that the credit remains aligned with changes in electricity rates over time. A public utility is permitted under current law to recover its prudently incurred costs to facilitate a timely interconnection of a distributed energy resource. The act prohibits a public utility from requiring an interconnection customer to pay the costs associated with interconnection facilities and upgrades until 30 days before the public utility incurs the costs. The act allows a public utility to require an interconnection customer to provide security for the estimated full costs of interconnection at the time of mutual execution of an interconnection agreement. The act requires a public utility with more than 500,000 customers in the state to, on or before August 15, 2026, convene a working group to accelerate distributed generation interconnection. The working group is tasked with discussing, if applicable, a cluster and batch study process for interconnection studies and a process for the public utility to accept a surety bond for interconnection upgrade work. The working group is also directed to discuss, and the public utility is required to implement, a process for third-party interconnection studies and upgrades. On or before December 15, 2026, the public utility is required to file a notice with the public utilities commission (commission) that includes a report on any recommendations of the working group. The public utility is directed to make appropriate filings to implement any recommendations of the working group that require commission approval on or before January 1, 2027. The act specifies that any interconnection upgrades and related utility construction work performed by a contracted third party must meet applicable safety, reliability, labor, and technical standards. The act amends the definition of 'dispatchable distributed generation' and requires the commission to evaluate the size of off-site renewable distributed generation or storage facility and installation limitations as part of a future renewable energy standard compliance plan.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act extends the availability of the conservation easement tax credit from income tax year 2031 through income tax year 2036. The act also prohibits the division of conservation from issuing any additional credit certificates or amending previously issued credit certificates as a result of the additional authority granted by the act for a donation made prior to the effective date of the act.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Beginning July 1, 2026, act requires the county treasurer to provide notice of delinquent property taxes on a mobile home written in English and Spanish, and to include a statement explaining how and where a mobile home owner may obtain language translation or interpretation services. The county treasurer is required to provide the multilingual notice by mail and by personal service to the mobile home owner at the mobile home. The act modifies the process for collection of delinquent property taxes on a mobile home by allowing a county treasurer, at their discretion, to sell a tax lien on a mobile home, strike off a tax lien to the county, or determine the taxes to be uncollectible and recommend cancellation to the board of county commissioners. A tax lien must be sold in accordance with the provisions for tax lien sales on real property. The act extends the redemption period for mobile home owners whose property is subject to a tax lien to any time within 3 years from the date of the tax lien sale, or at any time before the execution of a certificate of ownership to the mobile home. Like a real property owner, an individual who both owns a mobile home and is a person with a legal disability at the time a certificate of ownership to the mobile home is issued is also allowed an extended redemption period of up to 9 years from the issuance of a certificate of ownership to their mobile home. If the mobile home owner has not exercised the right of redemption at least 3 years from the date of the tax lien sale, the purchaser or lawful holder of the certificate of purchase may apply for public auction of a certificate of option for treasurer's certificate of ownership to the mobile home, using the same procedures used for issuance of a treasurer's deed to real property. Any surplus resulting from the public auction that is deemed overbid proceeds must be disbursed to the persons entitled to receive them by law. The act specifies that if a mobile home that is subject to a tax lien or stricken off to the county is located on real property that is not owned by the mobile home owner, then the underlying landowner has a right of first refusal to pay the delinquent taxes owed on the mobile home and all other fees, costs, and expenses incurred by the county treasurer in connection with the tax lien sale process and obtain a certificate of purchase for a tax lien on the mobile home; except that an owner of a mobile home park does not have a right of first refusal unless the owner is an association of mobile home owners. If an underlying landowner exercises this right, no tax lien will be sold or stricken off to the county. When a tax lien is stricken off to the county under certain circumstances, the act allows the most recent mobile home owner to redeem the mobile home after 1 year but no later than 3 years from the date of strike off by paying the amount of delinquent taxes plus interest, fees, and costs. If a mobile home is not redeemed, and after notice to the last-known owner and any lienholder of record, the treasurer or county assessor may declare the mobile home abandoned, remove the mobile home from the county tax roll, and authorize the removal and disposal of the mobile home; except that, if an occupant of a mobile home establishes proof of ownership, the most recent mobile home owner has only a 1 year redemption period, after which the treasurer may issue the occupant a certificate of ownership for the mobile home.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act makes the following changes to statutes relating to transportation:Changes the name of the freight mobility and safety branch within the development division of the department of transportation to the office of freight mobility and safety;Clarifies that each state agency is responsible for paying its proportionate part of the cost of maintenance and operation of fueling infrastructure to support its motor vehicle fleet;Clarifies that the definition of 'gas spot price' means the Henry Hub natural gas spot price as reported by the United States energy information administration or another price index selected by the commission;Permits the Colorado energy and carbon management commission to change the natural gas index used each quarter when setting the spot price, depending on regional market dynamics;Clarifies that the department of revenue shall not issue an instruction permit or endorsement to a person who is under 21 years old to drive a motorcycle unless the applicant has successfully completed an instruction program in motorcycle safety that is approved by the Colorado state patrol;Clarifies that if an individual renews their license online, they must attest they have had an eye exam by an optometrist or ophthalmologist within the past year;Modifies how driver license expiration dates are calculated to allow for online renewal of driver licenses and identification cards when the credential photograph is greater than 10 years old;Clarifies that the driver of a commercial vehicle, including a bus, must affix tire chains or approved alternate traction devices to the number of drive wheel tires required by and in the manner prescribed by the department of transportation's rules governing chain law and passenger vehicle traction law requirements on the state highway system;Removes 'tire cables' as comparable traction basis to define 'alternative traction device';Clarifies that a driver of a commercial vehicle may not enter the farthest left-hand general purpose lane when driving specified sections of interstate 70;Clarifies that the city and county of Broomfield is added to transportation commission district 4;Relocates a provision concerning the chief engineer from the statutory section governing the highway maintenance division to the statutory section governing the chief engineer;Clarifies that the division of transit and rail does not have exclusive authority over transit and rail;Repeals a statutory section concerning a study prepared by legislative council staff on the transportation commission districts, which has been completed;Redirects revenue from a permitting fee imposed by the department of transportation on companies authorized to install and remove tire chains from the highway users tax fund to the state highway fund;Eliminates the department of transportation's authority to establish rules related to noise mitigation and removes references to noise mitigation rules; Repeals provisions concerning the special account for highway bridge repair and allocations of certain past revenues within the highway users tax fund; Defines 'toll evasion' as failing to pay a toll; avoiding a toll; or entering or exiting a toll lane outside of a designated access or egress point, including swerving between a toll lane and a general purpose lane, without regard to whether a toll was assessed or paid;Permits the transportation enterprise board to pay the deductible on insurance policies it purchases for public passenger rail service to cover passenger rail liabilities;Permits the clean transit enterprise board to extend the 2-year limit on spending money from the local transit operations cash fund for capital awards; Establishes a 4-year term limit for members of the nonattainment area air pollution mitigation enterprise board who are appointed by the governor and clarifies when the initial term for each appointment ends; andRepeals a requirement that the transportation commission approve transfers of money directed by the division of aeronautics from the aviation account of the transportation infrastructure revolving fund to the aviation fund, which amounts must not exceed transfers previously approved by the Colorado aeronautical board.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Section 2 of the act prohibits a person that is licensed by the Colorado limited gaming control commission (commission) to operate an internet sports betting operation (internet sports betting operator) from:Accepting more than 6 separate deposits from an individual in a gaming day; orInitiating or sending mobile device push notifications or text messages to account holders in the state soliciting bets or deposits. Section 3:Prohibits a sports betting operation or its marketing affiliate from targeting, or creating advertising content that is clearly meant for, persons under 21 years old or from advertising on media for which the majority of the demographic audience is reasonably expected to be under 21 years old; andRequires an internet sports betting operator, on an annual basis, to provide to the division of gaming in the department of revenue (division) data and metrics related to the operator's sports betting operation for the preceding calendar year. The division must compile the data into a public report every 3 years starting on January 1, 2029. Section 4 prohibits an internet sports betting operator from accepting deposits using a credit card in connection with the acceptance of a sports bet (prohibition). A violation of the prohibition constitutes a class 2 misdemeanor. Section 5 allows the commission to assess a maximum penalty of $25,000 against a violator of the prohibition. Section 6 requires that the amount of money annually transferred from the sports betting fund (fund) to the water plan implementation cash fund is no less than the amount transferred to the water plan implementation cash fund in the previous state fiscal year. $124,623 is appropriated from the legal services cash fund to the department of law to provide legal services to the department of revenue in implementing the act. The appropriation is from revenue received from the department of revenue that is continuously appropriated to the department of revenue from the fund.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act allows off-campus courses to be included in concurrent enrollment programs when the off-campus courses meet the requirements for concurrent enrollment programs and the requirements of an accrediting agency recognized by the United States department of education. The act provides that additional concurrent enrollment courses shall not be approved after July 1, 2028 unless the general assembly indicates in a footnote in the general appropriations act that the department of education (department) has sufficient funding for course and audit oversight requirements to allow approval of additional concurrent enrollment courses. For the 2026-27 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $66,056 from the general fund to the department and reduces the general fund appropriation for the college opportunity fund program by $80,178 with a corresponding decrease in reappropriated funds for the regents of the university of Colorado.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)