The act expands the America 250 - Colorado 150 commission (commission), created in 2022 within the state historical society (History Colorado), from 11 to 15 voting members, adding 4 additional members to be appointed by the governor no later than October 1, 2023. The act appropriates $500,000 for the 2023-24 state fiscal year from the general fund to the department of higher education for use by History Colorado to support the activities of the commission in developing programs and plans for the official observance of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and the 150th anniversary of Colorado statehood. Any unexpended amount of the $500,000 appropriation is further appropriated to the department of education for the same purpose through state fiscal year 2026-27. APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2023 EFFECTIVE June 6, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Sponsored bills
The act appropriates $5 million from the species conservation trust fund for programs that are designed to conserve native species that state or federal law lists as threatened or endangered or that are candidate species or are likely to become candidate species for such listing as determined by the United States fish and wildlife service. Of the $5 million, the act allocates $750,000 for native terrestrial wildlife conservation, $1,500,000 for native aquatic wildlife conservation, $2,200,000 for the upper Colorado river endangered fish recovery program and the San Juan river basin recovery implementation program, $50,000 for selenium management, research, monitoring, evaluation, and control, and $500,000 for the federal endangered species act litigation program. APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2023 EFFECTIVE June 5, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act states that the following projects within a natural stream system for certain restoration purposes (stream restoration project) do not cause material injury to a vested water right and are not an unnecessary dam or other obstruction: A stream restoration project that is limited to certain minor restoration activities; and A stream restoration project that has obtained any applicable permits or is under construction or completed by August 1, 2023. The act prohibits the owner or proponent of a stream restoration project from installing the stream restoration project in a manner that adversely affects water diversion or measurement structures without the permission of the owners of the structures. APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act appropriates the following amounts for the 2023-24 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; Continuation of the floodplain map modernization program, $500,000; Continuation of the weather modification permitting program, $500,000; Continuation of the watershed restoration program, $500,000; Continuation of the Colorado Mesonet project, $150,000; Continuation of the weather forecasting partnership project, $1,000,000; Support for the division of water resources mobile field data collection application project, $800,000; Continuation of the reservoir enlargement assessment project, $1,000,000; Support for the central Colorado water conservancy district augmentation efficiency project, $3,000,000; and Support for the state water plan advancement project, $2,000,000. The act directs the state treasurer to transfer the following amounts on July 1, 2023, from the severance tax perpetual base fund to the CWCB construction fund, and appropriates those amounts from the CWCB construction fund to the CWCB for the following projects: Continuation of the Platte river recovery implementation program, $19,000,000; Support for the upper Colorado river endangered fish recovery program and the San Juan river basin recovery implementation program, $15,000,000; and Additional and continued support for the Frying Pan - Arkansas project, $20,000,000. The act directs the state treasurer to transfer the following amounts from the CWCB construction fund on July 1, 2023: $2,000,000 to restore the fish and wildlife resources fund; Up to $2,000,000 to the CWCB litigation fund to assist in addressing legal issues associated with compact compliance and other litigation activities; and $2,000,000 to the water plan implementation cash fund for continuation of the water plan implementation grant program. The act appropriates $25,200,000 of sports betting revenues from the water plan implementation cash fund to the CWCB to fund grants that will help implement the state water plan. The act appropriates $8,000,000 from the wildlife cash fund to the division of parks and wildlife to purchase up to 924 acre-feet of orphan shares from the CWCB as part of the Chatfield reservoir reallocation project. APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2023 EFFECTIVE June 5, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law requires adult education providers (providers) that participate in the department of education's (department) adult education and literacy grant program (program) to offer eligible adults basic education in literacy and numeracy that leads to additional skills acquisition, postsecondary credential attainment, and employment. The act adds "digital literacy" to the basic education offered to eligible adults and adds that an eligible adult may earn a high school diploma or equivalency certificate. The act describes services that providers may offer to eligible adults, which include in-person or online instruction, the development of learning plans, coaching, and mentorship. The act amends the reporting requirements for providers of the program, including that administrative costs not exceed 10% of the awarded funds. The act permits the office within the department that is responsible for adult education to use data matching with relevant state agencies to determine post-program participation outcomes. The act allows community colleges, area technical colleges, and local district colleges (colleges) to develop and implement minimum graduation requirements for a high school diploma based on the high school graduation requirements of a school district within the geographic area of the colleges. Colleges are required to award a high school diploma to a student who successfully completes the high school graduation requirements implemented by the colleges. The act appropriates $2 million from the general fund to the department for the program. APPROVED by Governor June 2, 2023 EFFECTIVE June 2, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates the wolf depredation compensation fund (fund) to compensate landowners and agricultural producers for wolf depredation of livestock and working animals. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, the state treasurer is directed to transfer $175,000 from the general fund to the fund, and for each state fiscal year thereafter, the state treasurer is directed to transfer $350,000 from the general fund to the fund. At the end of the 2023-24 and 2024-25 state fiscal years, any unencumbered balance in the fund that exceeds $100,000 is used to implement the gray wolf restoration and management plan (plan). At the end of subsequent state fiscal years, any unencumbered balance in the fund that exceeds 120% of the amount spent from the fund in the previous state fiscal year is used to implement the plan. The parks and wildlife commission may adopt rules establishing criteria for compensation, including criteria for indirect livestock loss. Each year, the director of the division of parks and wildlife will submit a report at the appropriate "SMART Act" hearing. To implement the act, $175,000 is appropriated from the fund to the department of natural resources for use by the division of parks and wildlife. APPROVED by Governor May 23, 2023 EFFECTIVE May 23, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act codifies the rural opportunity office (office), which began its work in the office of economic development in 2019. The director of the office is designated by and reports to the director of the office of economic development. The office is required to serve as Colorado's central coordinator of rural economic development matters with certain staff physically located in rural communities across Colorado, work with coal transitioning communities to explore unique business and economic development opportunities, make recommendations that inform the governor's policy on rural economic development matters, and measure the success of program outreach and determine whether Colorado's rural communities receive more statewide funding as a result of the efforts of the office. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, $299,193 is appropriated from the general fund to the office of the governor for use by economic development programs for implementation of the act. APPROVED by Governor May 20, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates the Colorado river drought task force (task force). The members of the task force must, to the extent practicable, reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of the state and have experience with a wide range of water issues. The act directs the executive committee of the legislative council to hire a facilitator to support the work of the task force. The task force must begin meeting no later than July 31, 2023, and may hold up to 12 meetings in the 2023 legislative interim. The purpose of the task force is to develop recommendations for state legislation that provides additional tools for the Colorado water conservation board to collaborate with the Colorado river water conservation district, the southwestern water conservation district, and other relevant stakeholders in the development of programs that address drought in the Colorado river basin and interstate commitments related to the Colorado river and its tributaries through water conservation (recommendations). The act also requires the task force to establish a sub-task force to study tribal matters (sub-task force) and provide additional recommendations for state legislation. No later than December 15, 2023, the task force and sub-task force must submit a report that includes the recommendations and a summary of the task force's and sub-task force's work to the water resources and agriculture review committee. The act is repealed July 1, 2024. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $200,000 to the legislative department for use by the legislative council to implement the act. APPROVED by Governor May 20, 2023 EFFECTIVE May 20, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires the parks and wildlife commission (commission) to promulgate rules authorizing a local government to request that the division of parks and wildlife (division) charge an additional per vehicle fee, not to exceed $2, for each daily vehicle pass issued for a state park or wildlife area in the local government's geographic boundary. Upon the request, the commission must establish the fee, which will be collected on and after January 1, 2025, and transferred, minus an administrative deduction, to the local access route cash fund created by the act and then distributed to local governments to maintain and operate local access routes. The fee will be adjusted every 5 years for inflation or deflation. The division of parks and wildlife is required to collaborate with local governments to identify and study issues surrounding local access route transportation infrastructure and funding deficits and sources of funding for the routes. The division is given factors to consider and must seek input from the department of transportation and the department of local affairs before completing the study. Based on the study, the division must make legislative recommendations to the general assembly by November 1, 2024, regarding sources of funding or partnerships to assist in the maintenance of local access routes and state park services. To implement this act, $411,000 is appropriated to the department of natural resources for use by the division of parks and wildlife from the parks and outdoor recreation cash fund. APPROVED by Governor May 19, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law authorizes the inspection, testing, quarantine, condemnation, and destruction of livestock when there is an outbreak of an infectious or contagious disease. The act: Removes the requirement that the inspection, testing, and quarantine of livestock occur pursuant to rules promulgated by the commissioner of agriculture (commissioner); and Changes the appraisal process that is required before livestock may be condemned and destroyed. The act gives the commissioner the authority to investigate all buildings, yards, pens, pastures, and other areas in which any animals are kept, handled, or transported to ensure compliance with the "Livestock Health Act". The commissioner may: Administer oaths and take statements; Issue administrative subpoenas requiring the attendance of witnesses and the production of all books, memoranda, papers, and other documents, articles, or instruments; and Compel the disclosure by witnesses of all facts known to them that are relevant to the matters under investigation. Under current law, it is an unlawful act to alter or falsify a health certificate issued for the import of livestock into the state. The act makes it an unlawful act to alter or falsify a health certificate issued for the export of livestock out of the state. APPROVED by Governor May 18, 2023 EFFECTIVE May 18, 2023(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)