Sen. Jeff Bridges

Maddy summaryThis bill is a formal resolution recognizing February 2025 as Black History Month in Colorado. It does not create new laws or policies but serves as an official acknowledgment of the significance of Black history and contributions to Colorado and the nation. The resolution references historical milestones, including Black laborers, community builders, and civil rights efforts in Colorado, to underscore the importance of this observance. It affects all Coloradans by formally designating the month for recognition and education.

Maddy summaryThis procedural resolution designates February 4 of each year as "Missing Persons Day" in Colorado. It formally recognizes the issue of missing persons through state-wide awareness, encouraging public support for families and law enforcement efforts without creating new legal requirements or funding. The resolution aligns with Colorado's existing AMBER Alert and Missing Indigenous Person Alert programs.

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 25-004 recognizes February 1, 2025, as World Hijab Day in Colorado. The resolution highlights the hijab's significance in Islamic tradition as a symbol of dignity and modesty, and acknowledges World Hijab Day's purpose of promoting religious tolerance and cultural understanding through public education. It does not create new laws or requirements but serves as a formal state acknowledgment of this annual observance. The resolution was unanimously passed by the Colorado Senate on January 31, 2025, without amendments.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HJR 25-1007) is a commemorative resolution designating a specific segment of Interstate 25 in Colorado - southbound from mile marker 199.4 and northbound from mile marker 194.8 - as the "Firefighters Memorial Hwy in Memory of Chief Troy Jackson." It honors Troy Jackson, a 30-year firefighter with South Metro Fire Rescue who developed cancer prevention programs for first responders before passing in 2019. The resolution allows the Colorado Department of Transportation to accept donations for signage and coordinate with Arapahoe and Douglas counties for sign maintenance. As a naming resolution, it has no policy or funding changes beyond this memorial designation.

Maddy summarySJR 25-004 designates January 22 of each year as "Reproductive Rights and Justice Day" in Colorado. This symbolic resolution does not create new laws or policies but commemorates the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision (January 22, 1973) and acknowledges Colorado's legislative actions to protect reproductive rights, including the Reproductive Health Equity Act and the Safe Access to Protected Health Care Package. The designation serves as a formal observance without imposing legal obligations or altering existing rights.

Maddy summaryHJR 25-1005 is a ceremonial resolution encouraging Colorado communities to observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 20, 2025 - the 41st anniversary of the state holiday. It does not create new laws or alter existing policies but urges cities, schools, counties, and local governments to hold commemorative events. The resolution honors Dr. King’s legacy, noting Colorado’s early adoption of the holiday in 1985 and its ongoing observance through events like the annual Marade. This is a non-binding call for community engagement, not a substantive legislative change.

On July 1, 2024, the act requires the state treasurer to transfer $3.8 million from the general fund to the regional talent development initiative grant program fund to address workforce shortages in infrastructure and building trades. Of this amount, the office of economic development (office) is authorized to use not more than 7% for the administrative costs incurred to administer the regional talent development initiative grant program. The regional talent summit grant program (grant program) is created and is administered by the office. The grant program, through a selection committee, will award grants to and contract with a program facilitator to convene and facilitate regional summits across the state. The goals of the program facilitator are to understand workforce development needs in identified regions of the state, generate a landscape analysis for each identified region that includes job projections and an overview of educational pathways, gather insight from employers about critical workforce and training needs, create regional goals for addressing talent needs, and develop comprehensive tactical plans. Beginning January 1, 2026, any modified or new local workforce development plan must incorporate the tactical plans. The workforce development plans must be published in the Colorado talent report. The program facilitator must complete all regional talent summits on or before July 1, 2025, and submit workforce plans as a result of the regional talent summits by December 1, 2025. The grant program, through a selection committee, will also award grants to one or more regional hosts to secure facilities to host regional talent summits, determine community partners to attend the summits, and gather insight from regional employers about critical workforce and training needs. The regional talent summit grant program fund (fund) is created in the state treasury. On July 1, 2024, the state treasurer is required to transfer $200,000 from the general fund to the fund. The money in the fund is continuously appropriated to the office to be used for purposes of the grant program. The act establishes a state income tax credit (tax credit) for the costs of facility improvement and equipment acquisition associated with training programs designed to alleviate workforce shortages beginning January 1, 2026. A qualified taxpayer in a qualified industry may earn a tax credit equal to up to 50% of the costs incurred by the qualified taxpayer to improve its facilities and acquire equipment. The tax credit is refundable and may not be carried forward. To claim the tax credit, a qualified taxpayer must first reserve the tax credit by applying to be in the evaluation pool established by the office. A selection committee will consider the merits of each application to determine which taxpayers are qualified to reserve the tax credit. If a taxpayer is qualified and approved, the taxpayer is required to incur facility improvements and equipment acquisition costs to claim the tax credit. If the applicant submits evidence that the costs were incurred during the income tax year for which the applicant applied, and those costs are certified by a certified public accountant, the applicant may be awarded a tax credit. The aggregate amount of tax credits reserved in one calendar year cannot exceed $15 million and the amount is decreased to $7.5 million if the September revenue forecasts by legislative council or the office of state planning and budgeting project that state revenues will not increase by at least 4% for that fiscal year. A person or organization not subject to tax or a person or organization exempt from taxes is required to make and file a return containing information prescribed by the executive director to claim the tax credit. The workforce development tax credit program cash fund (fund) is created in the state treasury. The fund consists of gifts, grants, donations, and fee revenue credited to the fund and any money the general assembly may appropriate to the fund. The money in the fund is continuously appropriated to the office for the purpose of administering the tax credit. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $109,603 from the general fund to the office of the governor for use by economic development programs. The appropriation may be used for opportunity now grant administration. APPROVED by Governor June 7, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires a firearms dealer (dealer), beginning July 1, 2025, to obtain a state firearms dealer permit (state permit) in order to engage in the business of dealing in firearms other than destructive devices in Colorado. Engaging in the business of dealing in firearms other than destructive devices without a permit is an unclassified felony, punishable by a fine of up to $250,000. In order to be issued a state permit, the dealer must hold a federal firearms license; not have had a federal, state, or local license to deal firearms or ammunition revoked, suspended, or denied within the prior 3 years; and not have violated any state or federal law concerning the possession, purchase, or sale of firearms in the 3 years before applying for the state permit. The department of revenue (department) is responsible for issuing state permits. The fee for issuing a permit is $400, which may be adjusted annually by the department. A state permit is valid for 3 years. The department, subject to available appropriations, is required to conduct an on-site inspection of a random selection of 10% of state permit holders each year and, additionally, may conduct periodic unannounced dealer inspections. The department shall revoke a dealer's state permit if the dealer: No longer holds a valid federal firearms license; Does not permit a required inspection of the dealer's business or a required record; or Is convicted of obtaining a firearm for or transferring a firearm to a person who is ineligible to possess a firearm, transferring a firearm prior to receiving the results of a background check, trafficking in firearms, or unlawfully selling or transferring a firearm component or accessory. If the department finds that a dealer failed to post a required notice, make a report about unlawful purchase, or make a required record; transferred a firearm without a locking device; or violated other federal, state, or local laws concerning the sale of firearms or firearm components, the department shall: For a first offense, issue a warning; and For a second offense, issue a warning, suspend the dealer's permit, or revoke the dealer's state permit. The denial or revocation of a permit is subject to the requirements of the "State Administrative Procedure Act". The act requires a dealer and each employee of a dealer who, in the course of the employee's duties, handles or otherwise has access to firearms or processes firearm sales, loans, or transfers (position that involves handling firearms) to annually complete a training course developed or approved by the department. The act requires a dealer to: Secure each firearm in a manner that prevents a customer or other member of the public from accessing or using the firearm, except when the firearm is being shown to a customer, repaired, or otherwise worked on; Report to law enforcement when the dealer knows or suspects that an employee is involved in the theft of a firearm from the dealer's business; and Report to law enforcement when the dealer reasonably believes, knows or should know, or becomes aware after a transfer, that the transfer was a straw purchase. The act prohibits a dealer from selling or transferring a firearm outside of the dealer's posted business hours or to a person who the dealer knows or suspects is under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance. The act prohibits a dealer from employing a person in a position that involves handling firearms who is prohibited from possessing a weapon or who has been convicted of a misdemeanor within the 5 previous years that would result in the person being denied transfer of a firearm following a criminal history record check. The act requires a dealer's employees to submit to a criminal history record check once every 3 years. If a dealer knowingly employs a person in violation of the act, including employing a person without conducting a required background check, the department shall, for a first offense, issue a warning and for a second offense, issue a warning, suspend the dealer's permit, or revoke the dealer's state permit. The act appropriates $618,973 to the department of revenue to implement the act, which includes $64,010 that is reappropriated to the department of law for legal services. APPROVED by Governor June 7, 2024 PORTIONS EFFECTIVE June 7, 2024 PORTIONS EFFECTIVE July 1, 2025(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

On or before December 31, 2024, the governor's office of information technology (office) is required to promulgate rules to establish a technology life-cycle plan. The rules may consider information security risk, infrastructure risk, operating cost misalignment, productivity cost misalignment, or talent depreciation in connection with an information technology system or asset. For every initial appropriation for an information technology capital project in the capital construction section of the annual general appropriation act for the 2025-26 state fiscal year and each state fiscal year thereafter other than appropriations from specified excluded sources, the general assembly is required to set aside additional funding for information technology annual depreciation-lease equivalent payments. On or before November 1, 2025, and on or before November 1 of each year thereafter, the office is required to submit a report to the joint budget committee and the joint technology committee that provides an estimate of the state's technical debt environment. For each cash fund from which money is appropriated for an information technology capital project, the principal department responsible for the accounting related to the cash fund is required to identify in the cash fund balance report an information technology capital reserve, which consists of an amount equal to the depreciation of the depreciable components of the information technology capital project, based on the depreciation period. APPROVED by Governor June 7, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Current law authorizes a public school or public place to refuse a donated automated external defibrillator (AED) if the public school or public place does not want to accept responsibility for AED training, installation, or maintenance unless the donating party agrees to be responsible for the AED training, installation, and maintenance. The act removes this authorization for a public school but allows a public school to decide who will be trained, the frequency of training, and when the AED training will take place. APPROVED by Governor June 7, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)