Colorado Bills

Section 1 of the bill provides a nonstatutory legislative declaration about the changes in law set forth in section 2 of the bill. Section 2 directs the public utilities commission to adopt rules by which it will evaluate applications filed by Colorado's investor-owned natural gas utilities to acquire interests in natural gas reserves, which at a minimum must establish criteria for asset evaluation and application review and administration; except that an investor-owned utility's costs associated with any approved application may not be recovered through base rates. Section 3 adds a legislative declaration about the Colorado oil and gas commission's notice to operators to require operators in the state to identify and inspect flowlines within one thousand feet of a building unit to ensure and document integrity of flowlines statewide and to verify that any existing flowline that is not in active use be properly abandoned. This section also requires the commission to regularly report progress to the general assembly. Section 4 requires, as part of the electric resource planning process, each qualifying retail utility in Colorado to submit to the public utilities commission a proposal for a distribution resource plan. The section also requires the commission to review the proposal and either approve, modify and approve, or reject the plan for the qualifying retail utility. Section 5 repeals the wind for schools grant program. Section 6 repeals the renewable energy and energy efficiency for schools loan program. Section 7 removes the Colorado energy office's (office) involvement with the forest service and the air quality control commission to support the increased use of woody biomass in bio-heating. Section 8 removes the office's involvement in grants with the Colorado energy research institute for the development of a central resource for building trade professionals. Section 9 : Specifies nuclear and hydroelectric power as a cleaner energy source that the office should promote; Amends the office's requirement to develop and encourage increased utilization of energy curricula, and expands the collaborative groups to include the energy industry and executive departments; Repeals certain programs for which the office is responsible; and Requires the director of the office and the executive director of the department of natural resources, or their designees, to convene stakeholders for one or more meetings before November 1, 2017, to identify voluntary methods to address funding shortfalls associated with the long-term management of abandoned oil and gas facilities. Section 10 renames the clean and renewable energy fund as the energy fund and continues the general fund transfer to the energy fund for 4 years and adds the authority to spend the money in the fund for educating the general public on energy issues and opportunities. Section 11 adds 4 years of funding for the innovative energy fund from the general fund and removes the requirement that the funds used in the innovative energy fund for grants or loans shall be limited to innovative energy efficiency projects and policy development. Section 12 clarifies that the electric vehicle grant fund may be used to offset costs associated with charging stations for electric vehicles. Section 13 repeals the office's authority to submit a proposal for credentialing photovoltaic installers. Section 14 repeals the green building incentive pilot program. Section 15 repeals the 'Colorado Clean Energy Finance Program Act'. Section 16 removes the office's responsibility to maintain a list of solar installers, the requirement for a builder to offer that list to customers, and the requirement for the office to offer training on solar installations. Section 17 removes a requirement for a 2018 study by the office on alternative fuel truck emissions. Section 18 removes an obsolete section of law pertaining to a computer system for tracking the movement of gasoline or special fuel in the state. Section 19 removes the office as the administrator of the Colorado carbon fund special license plate. Section 20 increases the registration fee on electric motor vehicles and the portion of the fee that is earmarked for the highway users tax fund to offset the reduced gas tax collected as a result of the vehicle's increased efficiency. Current law authorizes a homeowner to finance certain energy efficiency improvements to the home through a loan pursuant to the property assessed clean energy program (PACE). PACE requires an applicant to file a title commitment on the home and a hearing must be held in order to seek a voluntary subordination of existing liens to PACE's junior lien. Sections 21 through 24 exempt a homeowner from the title commitment and hearing requirements if the owner is not seeking to subordinate the priority of existing liens and clarifies that housing authorities can use PACE as a completely voluntary assessment. Sections 25 and 26 make conforming amendments.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

The bill authorizes the operation of a marijuana membership club (club) only if the local jurisdiction has authorized clubs. A club must meet the following qualifications: All members and employees of the club must be 21 years of age or older; The club's employees must be Colorado residents; The club cannot sell or serve alcohol; The club cannot be a retail food establishment; A club owner shall not sell marijuana on the premises; and A club owner shall not permit the sale or exchange of marijuana for remuneration on the premises. The bill prohibits the open and public consumption of marijuana and defines the terms 'open and public', 'openly', and 'publicly'. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

The bill requires the state treasurer to deposit $1 million of the proceeds from the tax on insurance policy premiums in the local firefighter safety and disease prevention fund for each of the 3 fiscal years commencing on or after July 1, 2017. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Section 1 of the bill continues the general fund transfer to the clean and renewable energy fund for one year. Section 2 adds one year of funding for the innovative energy fund from the general fund.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Section 1 of the bill directs the department of public health and environment to use marijuana taxes to make research grants regarding the medical efficacy of Colorado-grown strains of medical marijuana. Sections 2 and 3 allow a licensed medical or retail marijuana facility to transfer marijuana to a research facility for purposes of the medical research. Sections 2 and 3 also: Allow the use of medical or retail marijuana by a pesticide manufacturer in limited quantities as specified in rules promulgated by the state licensing authority that authorize a pesticide manufacturer to conduct research to establish safe and effective protocols for the use of pesticides on medical or retail marijuana; and Prohibit a state, local, or municipal agency from employing or using the results of a test of medical or retail marijuana conducted by an analytical laboratory that is not certified by the department of public health and environment and accredited to an accepted industry standard in that field of testing. The bill appropriates $62,210 from the marijuana cash fund to the department of revenue to implement the act, of which $19,010 and 0.1 FTE is reappropriated to the department of law. The act takes effect January 1, 2018. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)