The act modifies the amount of per diem a member of the general assembly is entitled to for expenses incurred during sessions of the general assembly. Beginning with state fiscal year 2025-26, and for each state fiscal year thereafter, a member who resides within the Denver metropolitan area is entitled to an amount equal to 25% of the federal per diem rate for the city and county of Denver as of October 1 of the calendar year immediately preceding the fiscal year the rate is used in, rounded up to the nearest whole dollar, and a member who does not reside within the Denver metropolitan area is entitled to an amount equal to 90% of that rate, rounded up to the nearest whole dollar. The act also creates the independent state elected official pay commission (commission) to set compensation for members of the general assembly, the governor, the lieutenant governor, the attorney general, the secretary of state, and the state treasurer (state elected officials). The initial commission will: Be appointed on or before July 31, 2025; Hold its first meeting on or before September 1, 2025; and Submit its report on or before December 15, 2025. The compensation set by the initial commission, unless rejected or modified by the general assembly, will go into effect on January 1, 2027. After a commission submits its report, the commission expires. After the initial commission, subsequent commissions will meet every 4 years after 2025 so that the effective date of future recommendations is in alignment with the election cycle of the governor, the lieutenant governor, the attorney general, the secretary of state, and the state treasurer. A subsequent commission will: Be appointed on or before July 31 of each year in which the commission meets; Hold its first meeting on or before September 1 of each year in which the commission meets; and Submit its report on or before December 15 of each year in which the commission meets. The compensation set by commissions subsequent to the initial commission, unless rejected or modified by the general assembly, will go into effect on January 1 of the first year of each subsequent 4-year gubernatorial term. Additionally, the director of research of the legislative council must annually adjust the compensation levels set by the commission for inflation except in the year in which a commission's recommendations take effect. APPROVED by Governor June 4, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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The act makes the following changes to the state auditor's procedures for evaluating state tax expenditures: Requires the state auditor deliver and post evaluation reports on June 30 instead of September 15; Allows the state auditor to evaluate new tax expenditures in accordance with the state auditor's schedule; Allows the state auditor to use discretion in deciding whether to reevaluate a tax expenditure if there have been substantial changes to the tax expenditure; Eliminates the evaluation requirement for tax expenditures that are on the state auditor's schedule for evaluation but have been repealed or will repeal within one year of the evaluation; Requires the state auditor to make the state auditor's best effort to prepare the evaluation report for tax expenditures that are in effect for 3 years or less using the best available data; Allows the state auditor to modify the schedule for evaluating tax expenditures in consideration of timing for when sufficient data may be available to evaluate the tax expenditure; and Requires the office of the state auditor to present its tax expenditure evaluation reports to the task force concerning tax policy (task force) upon request by the task force. The act also requires that the state auditor annually study and evaluate federal tax law, including changes, that may significantly impact the state's tax base and prepare a report with the state auditor's findings by June 30, 2025, and by June 30 of each year thereafter. The act requires the legislative oversight committee concerning tax policy (committee) to consider the policy considerations set forth in the state auditor's annual report concerning federal tax law in addition to the policy considerations set forth in the state auditor's tax expenditure evaluations. The state auditor is required to present to the task force the annual report concerning federal tax law upon request by the task force. Additionally, the act allows for the committee to request that the state auditor evaluate specific tax expenditures for the next year's evaluation report notwithstanding when the tax expenditure might otherwise be evaluated according to the state auditor's schedule. The committee may additionally request that the state auditor perform specific and discrete research and analysis tasks. The act also extends the committee and the task force until December 31, 2031. APPROVED by Governor June 4, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 4, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act implements, with amendments, the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies (DORA) in its sunset review and report on the division of financial services (division), which is created within DORA. Specifically, the act: Continues the division and the financial services board (board) for 9 years, until 2033; Authorizes a credit union to merge with a credit union that is chartered in another state; Increases the maximum civil penalty for violating a cease-and-desist order or suspension order from $1,000 per day to $5,000 per day; Repeals a provision that prohibits credit unions from having overlapping geographic fields of membership; Repeals a requirement that the board send hearing notices by certified or registered mail; Authorizes a credit union to determine the date upon which its fiscal year ends and the date of the credit union's annual membership meeting; and Replaces gender-specific language with gender-neutral language. Additionally, the act removes obsolete statutory references to the federal office of thrift supervision, which no longer exists. Under Colorado law pertaining to life care institutions, an entrance fee is an initial or deferred transfer to or for the benefit of a provider of a sum of money or other property made or promised to be made as full or partial consideration for the acceptance or maintenance of a specified individual as a resident in a life care facility. The act states that if an entrance fee is in the form of a sum of money, the sum must be greater than 4 times the amount of a regular periodic charge under a life care contract at the life care facility. The act also clarifies that: The term "life care" includes the occupancy of a living unit, nutrition services, and nursing services; A resident's living unit may change based on the appropriate care needs of the resident; and The term "provider" does not include a unit owners' association of a common interest community. APPROVED by Governor June 3, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires towns, cities, school districts, special districts, and other taxing authorities to submit, with their annual certification of levies, the following information for each levy that the taxing authority imposes: The rate of each levy; The prior year levy and revenue collected from the levy; The maximum levy that may be levied without further voter approval; The allowable annual growth in revenue collected from the levy; The actual growth in revenue collected from the levy over the prior year; Whether revenue from the levy is allowed to be retained and spent as a voter-approved revenue change pursuant to section 20 (7)(b) of article X of the state constitution; Whether revenue from the levy is subject to a specified statutory limit on annual revenue growth; Whether revenue from the levy is subject to any other limit on annual revenue growth enacted by the taxing authority or other local government; Whether the levy must be adjusted, or whether a mill levy credit must be allowed, to collect a certain amount of revenue for the tax year and, if applicable, that amount of revenue; and Any other information determined necessary by the department of local affairs. The board of county commissioners or other body authorized by law to levy taxes shall provide this information, along with the identity of the entity that fixes each levy rate, with its annual certification of levies. Counties, in coordination with the property tax administrator, are required to ensure that this information is publicly available. The act also removes the requirement that an annual notice of valuation sent to a property owner by a county assessor contain an estimate or an estimated range of the taxes owed for the current property tax year. The act removes the requirement that the state treasurer reduce a local government entity's reimbursement, as necessary, to prevent the entity from exceeding its fiscal year spending limit under section 20 (7)(b) of article X of the state constitution when calculating reimbursements to local governmental entities for the property tax year commencing on January 1, 2023, to account for the reduction in property tax revenue as a result of the cumulative temporary reductions in valuation for assessment made in Senate Bill 23B-001. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, $50,296 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of local affairs for use by the division of local government, of which $27,198 is reappropriated to the office of the governor for use by the office of information technology to provide information technology services for the department of local affairs. APPROVED by Governor June 3, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 3, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act adds transgender identity to the classes identified in bias-motivated crimes and harassment. The act redefines sexual orientation for purposes of bias-motivated crimes as a person's orientation toward sexual or emotional attraction and the behavior or social affiliation that may result from the attraction. APPROVED by Governor May 31, 2024 EFFECTIVE July 1, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act amends the "Colorado Privacy Act" to add protections for individuals' biometric data by requiring a person that controls or processes one or more biometric identifiers (controller) to adopt a written policy that: Establishes a retention schedule for biometric identifiers and biometric data; Includes a protocol for responding to a data security incident that may compromise the security of biometric identifiers or biometric data; and Includes guidelines that require the deletion of a biometric identifier on or before certain dates. With certain exceptions, a controller must make its written policy available to the public. The act also: Prohibits a controller from collecting a biometric identifier unless the controller first satisfies certain disclosure and consent requirements; Specifies certain prohibited acts and requirements for controllers that process biometric identifiers and biometric data; Requires a controller to disclose to a consumer certain information concerning the collection and use of the consumer's biometric identifier; Restricts an employer's permissible reasons for obtaining an employee's consent for the collection of biometric identifiers; and Authorizes the attorney general to promulgate rules to implement the act. APPROVED by Governor May 31, 2024 EFFECTIVE July 1, 2025(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act implements the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies in its sunset review and report on the high cost support mechanism, established by the public utilities commission to support telecommunications service access, by continuing the high cost support mechanism indefinitely and continuing funding for rural telecommunications providers from the high cost support mechanism indefinitely. The act modifies the computation of fees for the public utilities commission fixed utility fund and the telecommunications utility fund. APPROVED by Governor May 28, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Beginning on July 1, 2025, and every July 1 thereafter through July 1, 2059, the act requires the state treasurer to issue warrants in the amount of $2,250,000 to the fire and police pension association. The association is required to deposit the warrants into the statewide death and disability trust fund so that there will be sufficient money to pay future death and disability benefits to members of the association. APPROVED by Governor May 28, 2024 EFFECTIVE May 28, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates a statutory scheme to regulate the use of deepfakes produced using generative artificial intelligence in communications about candidates for elective office. Distribution of a communication that includes an undisclosed or improperly disclosed deepfake with knowledge or reckless disregard as to the deceptiveness or falsity of the communication related to a candidate for elective office is prohibited. Proper disclosure requires the statement: "This (image/audio/video/multimedia) has been edited and depicts speech or conduct that falsely appears to be authentic or truthful". The disclosure statement must satisfy the requirements in the act, and any rule adopted by the secretary of state in accordance with the act, for a clear, conspicuous, and understandable disclosure statement regarding a deepfake. The disclosure statement must be included in the communication's metadata and, to the extent technically feasible, must be permanent or unable to be easily removed by subsequent users. Any person who believes there has been a violation of the statutory or regulatory requirements for disclosure of the use of a deepfake may file a complaint with the office of the secretary of state. The secretary shall hear such complaints in accordance with existing complaint and administrative hearing procedures under the "Fair Campaign Practices Act", and a hearing officer may impose a civil penalty of at least $100 for each violation involving unpaid advertising or at least 10% of the amount paid or spent to advertise the communication that includes an undisclosed or improperly disclosed deepfake. A candidate who is the subject of a communication that includes an undisclosed or improperly disclosed deepfake may bring a civil action for injunctive or other equitable relief or for compensatory and punitive damages, or both. The plaintiff-candidate may also seek reasonable attorney fees, filing fees, and costs of action, and any other just and appropriate relief necessary to enforce the prohibition on undisclosed deepfakes and to remedy the harm caused by violation of the prohibition. The plaintiff-candidate must prove the defendant's knowledge or reckless disregard as to the falsity or deceptiveness of the communication that includes the deepfake by clear and convincing evidence. Liability for a violation of the act does not extend to an interactive computer service, a radio or television broadcasting station, including a cable or satellite television operator, programmer, producer, or streaming service, an internet website, a regularly published newspaper, magazine, or other periodical of general circulation, or a provider of technology used in the creation of a deepfake as specified in the act and in accordance with immunities provided by federal law. APPROVED by Governor May 24, 2024 EFFECTIVE July 1, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act authorizes a school district, board of cooperative services, district charter high school, institute charter high school, or the Colorado school for the deaf and the blind (local education provider) to grant a high school diploma endorsement in climate literacy (seal of climate literacy) to graduating students who demonstrate mastery in climate literacy and attain green skills or technical green skills. The purpose of the seal of climate literacy is to give a student personal agency to help the student and the student's communities understand or adapt to the effects of climate change. To obtain a seal of climate literacy, a student must complete the minimum high school graduation requirements of the local education provider, successfully complete at least 2 courses in the area of climate literacy selected by the local education provider, and successfully complete a final experiential learning project (final project) that is approved, supported, and facilitated by a climate literacy experiential learning provider (learning provider). The local education provider may collaborate with local businesses, nonprofit organizations, industry leaders, and institutions of higher education to support students' climate literacy. Beginning with students in the sixth grade, each local education provider shall annually notify students and their legal guardians of the requirements for obtaining a seal of climate literacy. On or before July 1, 2025, and every July 1 thereafter, each local education provider shall collect data on the seal of climate literacy, including: The schools that awarded the seal of climate literacy; The number of students who received the seal of climate literacy; The types of final projects students have completed; The names of the learning providers who approve, support, and facilitate students' final projects; A list of academic courses students have completed to earn the seal of climate literacy; and Any other findings related to the seal of climate literacy. On or before October 1, 2025, and every October 1 thereafter, each local education provider shall submit a report to the department of education (department) summarizing the data collected. The department may collaborate with a nonprofit organization to evaluate the data collected and prepare a report summarizing the data. On or before January 15, 2026, and every January 15 thereafter, the department shall submit the report to the house of representatives education committee and the senate education committee, or their successor committees, and the state board of education. The act appropriates $18,749 to the department from the general fund for purposes of the seal of climate literacy. APPROVED by Governor May 23, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)