Sen. Kerry Donovan

For county court organizational and administrative purposes, the act changes the classifications of Garfield and Montezuma counties from Class C to Class B. For Garfield county, the act amends the requirement that the associate county court judge in Rifle must maintain an official residence in Rifle and instead requires an official residence anywhere in Garfield county. For Rio Blanco county, the act amends the requirement that the associate county court judge in Rangley must maintain an official residence in Rangley and instead requires an official residence anywhere in Rio Blanco county. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The habitat partnership program (program) assists the division of parks and wildlife (division) with reducing wildlife conflicts and meeting game management objectives. The act: Authorizes the director of the division (director) to independently appoint members of the habitat partnership council (council) that, in part, advises local habitat partnership committees (committees) that help implement program objectives; Expands the scope of the program to assist the division with private land conservation and wildlife migration corridor efforts; With respect to reducing wildlife conflicts, prioritizes conflicts that arise from forage and fence issues related to big game ungulate species, which are big game species that are hooved mammals; Authorizes the council to allocate an annual budget to each committee, subject to final approval by the director, and expend funds in areas of the state that are not covered by a committee; Requires the director to set terms for committee members; and Identifies the council and each committee as an independent organizational unit for purposes of purchasing, accounting, and procurement-related issues. The act clarifies that any balance of unexpended and unencumbered money in the habitat partnership cash fund (fund) at the end of a fiscal year that exceeds the amount transferred to the fund at the beginning of the fiscal year from the wildlife cash fund reverts to the wildlife cash fund and continues the fund indefinitely. The act also exempts the program from the "Procurement Code". (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The speaker of the house of representatives (speaker) and the president of the senate (president) are required to invite representatives from the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe to give an address to a joint session of the general assembly on an annual basis. The date and time of the address is determined on an annual basis by the speaker, the president, and the designated representatives of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act permits community colleges to offer a bachelor of science degree in nursing to students who have or are pursuing a practical nursing certificate. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act expands the allowable uses of the revenue from a local marketing district's marketing and promotion tax and a county's lodging tax to include: Housing and childcare for the tourism-related workforce, including seasonal workers, and for other workers in the community; Facilitating and enhancing visitor experiences; and Capital expenditures related to these new purposes. A local marketing district or county must obtain voter approval to use the tax revenue for the new allowable uses. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act changes the name of the water resources review committee to the water resources and agriculture review committee (committee) and expands the scope of the committee to include agriculture issues. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The Colorado water conservation board (board) finances water projects throughout the state. Current law requires the board to prioritize projects that will increase the beneficial consumptive use of Colorado's undeveloped compact-entitled waters. The bill includes within this priority a specific priority for projects that increase or improve water storage the beneficial consumptive use of compact-entitled water in the South Platte river. basin as a means of increasing the beneficial consumptive use of undeveloped water entitled under the South Platte river compact and in a manner that reduces reliance on transmountain diversions. (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.)

The act authorizes the director of the division of professions and occupations to enter the premises of registered funeral establishments and crematories during business hours to conduct inspections. The director may contract with a third party to perform the inspection. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)