Sen. Kyle Mullica

Beginning January 1, 2026, the act allows the department of health care policy and financing (department) to reimburse community health workers for services rendered to medicaid members after receiving any necessary federal authorization. Reimbursement for community health worker services is subject to available appropriations. The act postpones until January 31, 2027, the requirement for the department to report to the general assembly on community health worker utilization and costs in the medicaid program. The act reduces the appropriations to the department from the general fund for the 2025-26 fiscal year by $1,364,558 and the healthcare affordability and sustainability cash fund for the 2025-26 fiscal year by $342,750. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Under current law, life care institutions provide life and health support services to resident seniors who reside at the life care institution through the help of independent living arrangements, assisted living, or skilled nursing. The act allows life care institutions to provide community-based continuing care services to seniors in their homes and other services that benefit individuals who are awaiting admission to a life care institution. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Beginning on July 1, 2027, the act adjusts aspects of the necessary document program (program) administered by the office of health equity (office) in the department of public health and environment, which program assists certain populations of Colorado residents with paying the fees to acquire necessary documents related to an individual's identity, citizenship, or other vital statistics. The act clarifies that an individual who is eligible under the program may obtain necessary documents without charge at participating division of motor vehicles locations, participating vital statistics offices, or participating mobile units or from authorized representatives that offer driver's licenses, identification card services, or vital statistics certificates and reports. The act establishes that an individual may self-attest to the individual's eligibility under the program. The act does not change the identity verification requirements that may be required to obtain a necessary document. The act also specifies that, subject to available appropriations, an individual who is eligible for the program is not subject to the fees charged by the department of revenue for driver's licenses or identification cards. The act authorizes the office to seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, and donations to support the program. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act eliminates the requirement for a second election to negotiate a union security agreement clause in the collective bargaining process. VETOED by Governor 5/16/2025(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act authorizes the state treasurer to invest up to $50 million of state money in bonds, which may have below-market interest rates, that are issued by a quasi-governmental authority to create or finance new affordable, income-restricted for-sale housing that would not be made available at similar rates and terms without the state's investment. The housing must remain affordable long-term and be available to borrowers earning no more than 140% of the statewide area median income. The bonds may have a term of up to 45 years and must have at least 2 credit ratings at or above A- or A3 or its equivalent from nationally recognized rating organizations. Money from principal proceeds of such bonds must be reinvested by the state treasurer for the same purpose once the state treasurer has received repayment of 50% of the principal amount invested. The quasi-governmental authority issuing the bonds shall provide an annual report to the treasurer and the general assembly that includes specified information about the affordable housing created with bond proceeds. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act appropriates the following amounts for the 2025-26 state fiscal year from the Colorado water conservation board (CWCB) construction fund to the CWCB or the division of water resources in the department of natural resources for the following projects: Continuation of the satellite monitoring system, $380,000 (section 1 of the act); Continuation of the floodplain map modernization program, $500,000 (section 2); Continuation of the weather modification permitting program, $500,000 (section 3); Continuation of the Colorado Mesonet project, $200,000 (section 5); Continuation of the water forecasting partnership project, $2,000,000 (section 6); Continuation of the Arkansas river decision support program, $300,000 (section 7); Continuation of technical assistance for the federal irrigation improvement cost-sharing program, $500,000 (section 8); Decision support systems model enhancements to support the Colorado water plan, $1,000,000 (section 9); Support for the basin implementation plan analysis and updates, $4,500,000 (section 10); Continuation of the Colorado watershed restoration and wildfire ready watershed programs, $5,000,000 (section 11); Support for a statewide turf analysis, $1,400,000 (section 12); Support for the Yampa river and Walton creek confluence restoration project, $2,000,000 (section 14); and Support for the south fork focus zone irrigated acreage retirement, $6,000,000 (section 15). Section 4 directs the state treasurer to transfer up to $2,000,000 from the CWCB construction fund to the CWCB litigation fund on July 1, 2025. Section 13 directs the state treasurer to transfer $500,000 from the CWCB construction fund to the plant health, pest control, and environmental protection cash fund on July 1, 2025, and makes an appropriation of that amount to the department of agriculture for use by the conservation services division for the Colorado soil health program. Section 16 authorizes the CWCB to make a loan in an amount of $12,978,500 from the severance tax perpetual base fund to the North Poudre Irrigation Company to support the park creek expansion project. Section 17 appropriates $29,200,000 from the water plan implementation cash fund to the CWCB to award grants that will help implement the state water plan. Sections 18, 19, 20, and 21 eliminate the office of water conservation under the CWCB and the water efficiency grant program, transfer remaining money from the water efficiency grant program cash fund to the severance tax perpetual base fund, and make conforming amendments accordingly. Current law authorizes the governor to appoint a director of compact negotiations. Section 22 states that the governor or the executive director of the department of natural resources shall appoint the director of compact negotiations within 30 days after a vacancy of the position. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act creates a permit that is issued by the department of transportation (department). The permit authorizes the holder to, for a fee, install or remove tire chains or alternate traction devices at a location designated in the permit. The department may place conditions on the permit concerning the safe and orderly movement of traffic. The department is instructed to avoid issuing permits in a manner that creates a monopoly-type situation for a permit holder at a specific location. The department may charge a fee to issue a permit to an applicant. The fee must be set in an amount to offset the direct and indirect costs of issuing these permits. The department will adopt rules to implement the act. The rules must include: The procedures for issuing a permit, the procedures for revoking a permit, and the qualifications to be issued a permit; and A requirement that the individuals installing tire chains or alternate traction devices wear reflective clothing and use appropriate signs and traffic control devices. A rental car company is required to notify its car renters of the requirements of and penalties for violating the chain law. Colorado law already authorizes the department to close roads during winter weather conditions unless a motor vehicle meets traction equipment requirements. The act also authorizes a 4-wheel-drive vehicle with tires that are imprinted by a manufacturer with a mountain-snowflake, "M&S", "M+S", or "M/S" symbol or that are all-weather rated by the manufacturer to travel on roads that the department restricts for winter weather conditions. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

For income tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2025, but before January 1, 2027, the bill allows a refundable state income tax credit, which is intended to offset the various expenses that licensed teachers often incur throughout an academic year for classroom supplies, professional development costs, supplemental educational materials, field trips, and other items that improve the quality of the educational services that they provide, to a licensed teacher who is employed as a teacher in a public school on a full-time basis for at least one-half of an academic year (eligible teacher) during the income tax year for which the credit is claimed. The amount of the credit is $1,000 for an eligible teacher who is employed for the equivalent of an entire academic year and $500 for an eligible teacher who is employed for one-half of an academic year. Two eligible teachers who file a joint income tax return may each claim the credit.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill creates the Colorado nuclear workforce development and education program (program) in the department of higher education (department) council (council) in the Colorado school of mines to help meet growing workforce demand in the nuclear energy sector. The bill establishes a related grant program (grant program) to provide grants to institutions of higher education for the development or expansion of nuclear engineering degree or certificate programs or course offerings. The Colorado nuclear workforce development and education council shall advise and assist the department regarding the grant program's implementation and evaluation convene advisory sessions with stakeholders from the nuclear, educational, and workforce development sectors; implement the grant program; and contract with one or more third-party entities for staffing and operational assistance . The department may seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, and donations for program-related council-related purposes. The state treasurer shall credit the gifts, grants, and donations to the Colorado nuclear workforce development and education cash fund (cash fund) , which is created in the bill . The general assembly shall not appropriate general fund dollars to implement or maintain program council operations or grant awards. The department council shall convene and begin awarding grants only after the balance of the cash fund reaches or exceeds $500,000. The bill imposes requirements to report to the general assembly about the program's council's funding sources, grant program implementation , and use other uses of funds. The bill repeals the program council , effective September 1, 2032, unless the program council is extended pursuant to a sunset review. Conditional upon the receipt of sufficient gifts, grants, and donations, for the 2025-26 state fiscal year, the bill appropriates $500,000 from the cash fund to the department of higher education for use by the trustees of the Colorado school of mines. (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.)

Section 1 of the act defines a "major political party vacancy election", which is an election that is conducted as part of an odd-year coordinated election to fill a vacancy in the general assembly. Section 2 requires that a vacancy committee that is selected by a state senatorial central committee or state representative central committee consist of, in addition to the members of the state senatorial or state representative central committee, any county commissioners who are members of the political party and reside within the state senatorial or state representative district. Section 2 also provides that if a vacancy in the office of precinct committee person is filled, the new appointee shall not participate in the vacancy committee process to fill a vacancy in the general assembly until, at the earliest, 91 days after appointment. For a major political party vacancy election that is part of an odd-year coordinated election for which the state has not otherwise certified any statewide ballot content, section 3 requires the state to reimburse each county in which the state has certified a major political party vacancy election for 45% of the costs that the county incurs in conducting the coordinated election. Section 4 modifies the way that vacancies in the general assembly are filled when the vacating member is affiliated with a major political party by requiring that, if the vacancy occurs on or after July 31 of an even-numbered year and before July 31 of an odd-numbered year, the vacancy must be filled by vacancy committee selection until the next odd-numbered year coordinated election, when the vacancy must be filled at the odd-year November election (major political party vacancy election); except that, if the vacant seat is scheduled to be on the ballot at the next general election in an even-numbered year and the vacancy occurs on or after July 31 of that even-numbered year but before 90 days remain in the vacant term, the remainder of the vacant term must be filled by a vacancy committee. The candidate elected in the major political party vacancy election serves until the next general election, when the vacancy must be filled by election. If a vacancy in the general assembly occurs on or after July 31of an odd-numbered year and before July 31 of an even-numbered year and the vacating member is affiliated with a major political party, no major political party vacancy election is held and the vacancy is filled by a vacancy committee. The only candidates who may run in a major political party vacancy election are candidates who are members of the same political party and residents of the same representative or senatorial district represented by the former member of the general assembly whose seat is vacant. The only voters who may vote in the major political party vacancy election are voters who are unaffiliated or are members of the same political party as the former member of the general assembly whose seat is vacant and who reside in the same representative or senatorial district represented by the former member of the general assembly whose seat is vacant. A candidate must be placed on the ballot for a major political party vacancy election only if the candidate: Files with the secretary of state and the candidate's major political party before 5 p.m. on the seventieth day preceding the major political party vacancy election, a nominating statement signed by 30% of the district vacancy committee members; or Submits to the secretary of state, no later than 30 days after their petition format has been approved or 85 days prior to the major political party vacancy election, whichever is sooner, a notarized candidate's statement of intent and a petition signed by at least 200 electors who are affiliated with the same major political party as the candidate and are eligible to vote in the district for which the candidate is to be elected. If a vacancy committee member signs a nominating statement after having signed another nominating statement filed for the same office in the same major political party election, the vacancy committee member's signature only counts toward the 30% of applicable vacancy committee member signatures required on the first nominating statement submitted that contains the signature. If an eligible elector signs a petition after having signed another petition submitted for the same office in the same major political party election, the elector's signature only counts toward the 200 elector signatures required on the first petition submitted that contains the signature. Section 4 also provides that a major political party may choose to continue to fill a vacancy in the general assembly by vacancy committee rather than by a major political party vacancy election if at least 75% of the total voting membership of the party's state central committee affirmatively votes to do so, and requires vacancy committee meetings to fill vacancies in the general assembly to be accessible in real time by live streaming video or audio that is recorded and accessible to the public. Section 5 defines a vacancy contender for the purpose of campaign finance regulations as any person who seeks to be selected by a vacancy committee to fill a vacancy in the general assembly (vacancy contender) and adds vacancy contenders and candidates running in major political party vacancy elections to the definition of candidate for the purpose of campaign finance regulations. Section 6 establishes contribution limits for a candidate committee established in the name of a candidate who is a vacancy contender and a candidate who is running for a major political party vacancy election. Section 7 requires disclosures for contributions related to vacancy contenders and candidates running for a major political party vacancy election. Disclosures for vacancy contenders must be filed on the Monday of each week during the election cycle for the vacancy committee selection process. Disclosures for candidates running for a major political party vacancy election must be filed on the first day of each month beginning the sixth full month before the major political party vacancy election; on the first Monday in September and on each Monday every 2 weeks thereafter before the major political party vacancy election; and 35 days after the major political party vacancy election. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)