CLIMATE BILLS 2021 - 2023

2021 BILLS:

HB21-1266: Environmental Justice for Disproportionately Impacted Communities - This bill directs more resources to communities in transition away from fossil fuels, increases the focus on disproportionately impacted populations, eliminates the "polluter pay loophole" that exempts greenhouse gas emissions from pollution fees, and advances environmental justice in various state agency rulemakings. Importantly, the bill empowers Colorado's air regulators with enforcement mechanisms to ensure the energy, utility, and industries meet the state's greenhouse gas emissions goals.

HB21-1253: Renewable And Clean Energy Project Grants - As part of the Colorado Comeback state stimulus package, this bill invests $5 million directly into local economies transitioning toward cleaner energy with grants to local governments for job-creating projects in the renewable energy sector.

HB21-1189: Regulate Air Toxics - Air toxins have been proven to cause cancer, reproductive health issues and ecological disasters, and neighboring communities have a right to know when facilities release dangerous pollutants into the air. This bill will require certain facilities to collect and publicly report real-time air monitoring data and fund community-based monitoring programs to better understand the cumulative health impacts of air toxics emissions. It also requires covered facilities to take corrective action within 15 days of an emissions violation and conduct outreach to neighboring communities, especially those disproportionately impacted by their operations.

HB21-1149: Energy Sector Career Pathway In Higher Education - As part of the Colorado Comeback state stimulus package, this bill invests $5 million to create and implement a career pathway for the clean energy sector, ensuring workers displaced by COVID-19 as well as communities of color have the tools they need for successful careers in green energy.

SB21-230: Transfer To Colorado Energy Office Energy Fund - As part of the Colorado Comeback state stimulus package, this bill allocates $40 million to the Colorado Energy Office for several clean energy finance initiatives that support clean energy retrofits, energy efficient new construction, clean energy lending and funding for the installation of EV charging stations at facilities across the state.

SB21-249: Keep Colorado Wild Annual Pass - Colorado's great outdoors and wildlife are among our most treasured resources. This bill ensures that all Coloradans have the opportunity to enjoy our open spaces while reducing fees to access our state parks and other public lands by creating an optional, discounted "Keep Colorado Wild Pass" when Coloradans register their vehicles, starting in 2023.

SB21-264: Adopt Programs Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions Utilities - As one step toward meeting our climate goals, this bill seeks to capture and utilize methane that is currently leaking from agricultural operations, landfills, wastewater plants, and coalbeds, and simultaneously reduce the amount of methane leaking into our atmosphere and offset the need for additional fossil fuel extraction.

HB21-1286: Energy Performance For Buildings - This bill contributes to our climate goals by requiring owners of certain large commercial buildings to collect and report their energy use, and to meet new energy efficiency performance standards by 2026, a concept also known as "benchmarking." This will help tenants and businesses save money on their energy costs while creating jobs for workers skilled in energy efficiency retrofits, mechanical system upgrades, electrical engineering, and recommissioning.

SB21-246: Electric Utility Promote Beneficial Electrification - Voluntarily replacing appliances, furnaces, and water heaters that burn natural gas or propane with clean and efficient electric ones protects the air we breathe as well as our climate. Beneficial electrification also supports job growth for Colorado's small businesses like contractors, plumbers, electricians, and HVAC suppliers.

HB21-1303: Global Warming Potential For Public Project Materials - By being thoughtful about what building materials Colorado purchases for large public projects, we can use less of the fossil fuels that cause climate change. This bill, also known as the "Buy Clean Colorado Act," requires state agencies to look at public infrastructure projects through the use of Environmental Product Declarations in specified bids and define policies that prioritize purchasing the cleanest material available.

HB21-1318: Create Outdoor Equity Grant Program - Colorado's great outdoors are some of the most incredible places on earth, but too many of our youth are unable to experience our parks, trails and open spaces. This bill creates a grant program with revenue from the state lottery to support organizations that reduce barriers to Colorado's outdoors for underserved youth and their families.

HB21-1223: Create Outdoor Recreation Industry Office - This bill formally creates the Outdoor Recreation Industry Office in the Office of Economic Development to help cultivate, promote, and coordinate development of the outdoor recreation industry in Colorado. The Office will also partner with the outdoor recreation industry to help conserve our public lands, water, air and climate.

HB21-1180: Measure to Increase Biomass Utilization - Biomass, organic material such as agricultural byproducts or wood, has the potential to improve soil health, benefit watersheds, aid in carbon sequestration and serve as a crucial forest fire prevention tool. This bill creates the Biomass Utilization Grant Program to support projects that help mitigate wildfires, or support agriculture production or energy generation.

HB21-1208: Natural Disaster Mitigation Enterprise - Climate change is exacerbating natural disasters, threatening homes and job-creating industries reliant on our beautiful environment. This bill will help local governments and communities reduce the threat and mitigate the impacts of climate-related natural disasters by establishing a small $2 per year flat fee on some disaster-related insurance policies to create a Natural Disaster Mitigation Enterprise, which will help draw down three times as much federal funding for disaster mitigation projects.

SB21-245: Backcountry Search And Rescue In Colorado - On average, Colorado backcountry search and rescue organizations respond to over 3,500 incidents per year – more than any other state. This bill initiates a study and stakeholder process to address numerous issues with the existing volunteer-based backcountry search and rescue program and provide policy recommendations. It also addresses immediate needs by creating a pilot program to provide mental health services to backcountry search and rescue responders.

SB21-248: Loan Program For Colorado Agriculture - Agribusiness provides more than 170,000 jobs in Colorado and contributes over $40 million annually to our economy, but the pandemic has dramatically reduced this growth. As part of the Colorado Comeback state stimulus package, this bill allocates $30 million to create and implement the Colorado Agricultural Future Loan Program which will provide low-interest loans to beginning farmers and ranchers as well as farm-to-market infrastructure loans for businesses – putting Colorado's agriculture industry on a pathway toward a sustainable and prosperous future.

SB21-203: Funding For Colorado Proud - Colorado's robust agricultural sector has been the backbone of our economy for decades, and the pandemic has created unique challenges that require additional resources to overcome. As part of the Colorado Comeback state stimulus package, this bill gives $2.5 million to the Department of Agriculture for use in the Colorado Proud program, providing new opportunities for Colorado's agricultural producers to increase sales globally and support the growth and resiliency of Colorado food systems.

SB21-204: Rural Economic Development Initiative Grant Program Funding - In an effort to help rural communities diversify their local economies, and as part of the Colorado Comeback state stimulus package, this bill transfers $5 million to the Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI) Grant Program to be used for projects that create diversity and resiliency in the local economies of rural communities, including projects that revitalize infrastructure, develop economic action plans, and improve historic buildings.

SB21-229: Rural Jump-start Zone Grant Program - As part of the Colorado Comeback state stimulus package, this bill directs $3 million to the Rural Jump Start Grant Program, which helps economically distressed communities – particularly communities that will be affected by the energy market's transition away from coal to more renewable energy sources – attract new businesses and jobs.

SB21-234: General Fund Transfer Agriculture And Drought Resiliency - In 2020, every single one of the 64 Colorado counties experienced a drought. This drought exacerbated many of the financial impacts on the agriculture sector, and as climate change worsens, drought could cost Colorado an additional $511 million dollars in expected annual damages to agriculture. As part of the Colorado Comeback state stimulus package, this bill establishes the Agriculture & Drought Resiliency Fund in the Department of Agriculture and allocates $3 million to promote the ability of the state to anticipate, mitigate, and respond to droughts.

SB21-235: Stimulus Funding Department Of Agriculture Efficiency Programs - As part of the Colorado Comeback state stimulus package, this bill allocates $5 million to voluntary soil health programs and the ACRE3 program, Colorado's premier state-level program for agricultural energy management. ACRE3 provides financial aid, technical assistance, and education to help agriculture producers and processors cut energy costs and develop their own energy resources.

HB21-1260: General Fund Transfer Implement State Water Plan - As part of the Colorado Comeback state stimulus package, this bill provides $20 million to the Colorado Water Conservation Board to implement the Colorado Water Plan. The bill helps ensure that Colorado can meet its future water needs by investing in critical water infrastructure projects across the state.

HB21-1242: Create Agricultural Drought And Climate Resilience Office - Severe droughts and other devastating climate events are threatening our agriculture industry and putting more pressure on Colorado's already strained water supply. This bill creates the Office of Agricultural Drought and Climate Resilience in the Department of Agriculture to help the industry respond to and mitigate the impacts of climate change with voluntary technical assistance and incentive programs for producers.

HB21-1181: Agricultural Soil Health Program - Droughts and dwindling water supplies are becoming more extreme as the impacts of climate change worsen every year. The voluntary incentives under the Soil Health Program created by this bill will support the vitality of the agriculture industry statewide by sharing best soil health practices with farmers to improve soil productivity and drought resilience and increase sustainable operations.

HB21-1262: Money Support Agricultural Events Organization - As part of the Colorado Comeback state stimulus package, this bill makes substantial investments in Colorado's agriculture industry by supporting critical events throughout the state, including $5 million for Colorado's iconic State Fair, and $28.5 million for the National Western Stock Show to help ensure its continued presence in our state.

TRANSPORTATION

SB21-260: Sustainability Of The Transportation System, by Senate Majority Leader Fenberg & Senator Winter and House Speaker Garnett & Representative Gray
Supported by a large, bipartisan coalition, this historic transportation package dedicates $5.3 billion in funding over the next decade to fix roads and bridges, improve transit options, meet Colorado’s climate goals, and future-proof the state’s transportation system. The funding will come from a fair and responsible mix of state, federal, and user-generated fee revenue. Overall, the bill will create a sustainable funding source for transportation infrastructure that will support a dynamic economy, improve air quality, create jobs, and ensure Colorado is positioned to compete.

SB21-238: Create Front Range Passenger Rail District, by Senate President Garcia & Senator Zenzinger and House Majority Leader Esgar & Representative Gray
For decades Colorado’s transportation infrastructure has been notably underfunded, an issue that has only intensified with the significant population increase over recent years. Coloradans want a broader range of options to get where they need to go. The bill creates the Front Range Passenger Rail District to research, develop, construct, operate, finance, and maintain the rail system and instructs them to work collaboratively with RTD as well as Amtrak to ensure interconnectedness and compatibility with existing services and projects.

SB21-110: Fund Safe Revitalization Of Main Streets, by Senators Zenzinger & Priola and Representatives Herod & Exum
This bill allocates $30 million to shovel-ready transportation projects in municipalities across the state, to get Colorado back to work while simultaneously improving local transportation infrastructure.

HB21-1289: Funding For Broadband Deployment, by Representatives Kennedy & Baisley and Senators Bridges & Priola
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the necessity of reliable broadband access for every Colorado household. As part of the Colorado Comeback state stimulus package, this bill provides $75 million to increase internet access across the state through the deployment of devices, and the development of middle and last-mile infrastructure to support essential services like telehealth.

SB21-060: Expand Broadband Service, by Senator Donovan and Representative Roberts
This bill provides targeted financial support to help connect rural and low-income Coloradans and work to ensure that Coloradans have access to the internet, wherever they live in our state.

HB21-1109: Broadband Board Changes To Expand Broadband Service, by Representatives Titone & Soper and Senators Bridges & Coram
Access to reliable broadband has become a necessity for everyday life - for education, health care, commerce and much more. This bill helps to prioritize grant proposals before the Broadband Deployment Board that provide high-speed internet access to low-income households and creates a process for encouraging proposals for critically unserved areas of the state.