Bill Tracker

The commercial property assessed clean energy program
(C-PACE) is part of the new energy improvement program. C-PACE
allows owners of eligible real property to apply to the Colorado new
energy improvement district (district) to finance certain energy efficiency
improvements. The bill allows owners to also apply to the district to
finance resiliency improvements and water efficiency improvements.
Additionally, when the district approves a C-PACE application, an
owner consents to the district levying a special assessment on an owner's
eligible real property. Current law requires the district to notify district
members and existing lienholders about the special assessment and the
availability of a hearing to resolve any complaints or objections. After a
hearing, current law further requires the district to pass a resolution
resolving any complaints or objections. The bill eliminates the
requirements for the district to give notice about a hearing, conduct a
hearing, and pass a resolution resolving complaints or objections. Instead
of notifying district members and existing lienholders about the
availability of a hearing, the bill requires the district to send a notice of
assessment, which specifies the amount of the special assessment to be
levied on the eligible real property, explains that the special assessment
constitutes a lien against the eligible real property, and explains that the
district is not a party to any private financing agreements.

Wildfire Matters Review Committee. The bill creates the timber,
forest health, and wildfire mitigation industries workforce development
program (program) in the state forest service. The program provides
partial reimbursement to timber businesses and forest health or wildfire
mitigation entities for the costs of hiring interns. The forest service must
adopt rules, policies, and procedures for the program, including criteria
for an internship to qualify, best practices for recruiting and selecting
interns to increase representation of historically underrrepresented
communities in the industries, the criteria to use in selecting qualified
interns, the required educational experience for an intern, and
administrative requirements for the program.
For income tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2023, but
before January 1, 2028, a business involved in forestry, logging, the
timber trade, the production of wood and secondary products, or forest
health and wildfire mitigation activities in Colorado may claim a credit
against state income tax for 20% of the cost incurred by the taxpayer in
purchasing certain equipment, vehicles, and equipment infrastructure. The
total aggregate credit in any one income tax year is limited to $10,000.
Any amount of the credit that exceeds the taxpayer's income tax liability
is not refundable but may be carried forward for up to 5 years.

On or before April 1, 2024, and on or before April 1 of each year
thereafter, an entity with an obligation to provide retail or wholesale
electricity services in the state (load-serving entity) must file with the
entity responsible for approving the resource plans or rates of the
load-serving entity (regulatory oversight entity) an annual report detailing
the adequacy of its electric resources (resource adequacy annual report).
On or before April 30, 2024, and on or before April 30 of each
year thereafter, each regulatory oversight entity must submit any resource
adequacy annual reports to the Colorado energy office. On or before July
1, 2024, and on or before July 1 of each year thereafter, the Colorado
energy office must aggregate the resource adequacy annual reports
received from the regulatory oversight entities into a statewide resource
adequacy aggregate annual report.
If a load-serving entity participates in an active organized
wholesale market, which is a regional transmission organization or an
independent system operator established for the purpose of coordinating
and managing the dispatch and transmission of electricity on a multistate
or regional basis, or, if the load-serving entity is participating in a
voluntary regional resource adequacy reporting program, the load-serving
entity's obligation to provide a resource adequacy annual report
terminates on the date that the load-serving entity begins participating in
an organized wholesale market or in the year following the submission of
a compliance report required by the program.

The bill creates the biochar in oil and gas well plugging working
advisory group (work group) in the oil and gas conservation commission
(commission). The work group's purpose is to make recommendations for
the development of a pilot program to study the use of biochar in the
plugging of oil and gas wells.
No later than September 1, 2023, the work group must submit a
draft report to the commission detailing its recommendations for the pilot
program. After coordinating with the commission to develop a final
report, no later than February 1, 2024, the work group must present the
report to the transportation and energy committee of the senate and the
energy and environment committee of the house of representatives.

Section 1 of the bill requires the director of the Colorado energy
office or the director's designee (director) to conduct or cause to be
conducted a study on the feasibility of using small modular nuclear
reactors as a carbon-free energy source in the state (feasibility study). On
or before July 1, 2025, the director is required to submit the director's
findings and conclusions of the feasibility study to the legislative
committees with jurisdiction over energy matters.
Current law defines recycled energy for purposes of the renewable
energy standard as energy produced by a generation unit with a nameplate
capacity of not more than 15 megawatts. For pumped hydroelectricity
generation only, section 2 specifies that the energy be produced by a
generation unit with a nameplate capacity of not more than 400
megawatts.

Section 1 of the bill increases the flexibility of the ozone season
transit grant program by:
  • Allowing an eligible transit agency that operates in an area
in which ozone levels are typically highest during a
different period than June 1 to August 31 of a calendar year
to designate a different period of the calendar year for its
ozone season;
  • Allowing a grant recipient to retain any grant money that it
does not spend in the year in which it is received for use in
a subsequent year;
  • Clarifying that a grant recipient may use grant money for
reasonable marketing expenses incurred to raise awareness
of free service and increase ridership;
  • Clarifying that an eligible transit agency may use grant
money to expand free services or free routes or increase the
frequency of service on routes for which free service is
already offered; and
  • Allowing the regional transportation district to use grant
money to cover the full costs, rather than up to 80% of the
costs, of providing at least 30 days of free transit on all
services that it offers.
On and after September 1, 2023, section 3 requires the governing
body of the transportation planning organization for each transportation
planning region to include at least one voting representative of a transit
agency that provides transit service in the transportation planning region.
The representative must be appointed by the transit agency or, if multiple
transit agencies provide service in the transportation planning region, by
agreement of the transit agencies. Section 2 defines the term
transportation planning organization as used in section 3.

The bill requires that, on and after January 1, 2024, every home
warranty service contract that provides coverage for the replacement of
any of certain gas-fueled appliances must include terms:
  • Allowing the homeowner to replace the gas-fueled
appliance with a similar device of the homeowner's
choosing that operates on electricity rather than gas;
  • Describing minimum efficiency and performance standards
for each gas-fueled appliance and for electric replacements;
and
  • Allowing the homeowner to receive an equivalent cash
value of a gas-fueled appliance in lieu of a replacement
appliance.

Current law allows a legislative measure to include a greenhouse
gas emissions report (report) prepared by the nonpartisan staff of the
legislative council that indicates whether the legislative measure is likely
to cause a net increase, decrease, or indeterminate amount of greenhouse
gas pollution in the 10-year period following its enactment. A report must
consider new sources of emissions, increases or decreases in existing
sources of emissions, and any impact on sequestration of emissions. The
department of natural resources, the Colorado energy office, and other
state agencies with relevant subject matter expertise are required to
cooperate with and provide information, if requested, to the legislative
council staff to assist in the preparation of a report.
The bill requires the director of research of the legislative council
(director) to prepare a preliminary report that requires an analysis on
whether a properly submitted initiative has a net change in greenhouse
gas emissions that directly impacts the following sectors:
  • Electric power;
  • Natural gas and oil systems;
  • Transportation;
  • Residential, commercial, or industrial fuel use;
  • Industrial processes;
  • Coal mining and abandoned mines;
  • Waste management;
  • Land use, land use change, or forestry; and
  • Agriculture.
The director is required to provide proponents of the proposed
initiative, or their representatives, and the secretary of state with the
preliminary report no later than the time of the title board meeting at
which the proposed initiated measure is to be considered.
The bill requires the ballot title of a measure that has a net increase
in greenhouse gas emissions as indicated by the preliminary report to
begin with Shall there be an increase in greenhouse gas emissions....
The ballot title of a measure that has a net decrease in greenhouse gas
emissions as indicated by the preliminary report must begin with Shall
there be a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions....
If it is determined in the preliminary report that the proposed
initiative is likely to directly cause a net increase or decrease, excluding
any de minimis net changes, in greenhouse gas pollution in the 10-year
period following the potential enactment of the initiative, staff of the
legislative council are required to prepare a full report. The department
of natural resources, the Colorado energy office, and other state agencies
with relevant subject matter expertise are required to assist the staff of the
legislative council with information in preparation of the report if
requested.
Proponents may file a motion for a rehearing with the secretary of
state within 7 days after the title board sets the initiative's title on the
grounds that the preliminary report is misleading or prejudicial. The title
board may modify the preliminary report based on information presented
at the rehearing. If the title board modifies the report, the secretary of
state shall provide the director with a copy of the amended report and the
director shall post the new version of the report on the legislative
council's website.
The bill further requires the ballot information booklet to include
any required preliminary report for any statewide measure and provide
information on how to obtain the full greenhouse gas emissions report if
one is available.

Current law establishes water and energy efficiency standards
(standards) for certain appliances and fixtures sold in Colorado. Sections
1 through 7 of the bill expand the appliances and fixtures that are subject
to the standards and update the standards.
Specifically, section 4 updates standards for certain appliances and
fixtures that are sold in Colorado on and after certain dates, including:
  • Certain faucets and urinals;
  • Certain lamps;
  • Commercial hot food holding cabinets;
  • Portable electric spas;
  • Residential ventilating fans; and
  • Spray sprinkler bodies.
Section 4 also creates new standards for certain appliances and
other fixtures that are sold in Colorado on and after January 1, 2024,
including:
  • Air purifiers;
  • Commercial ovens;
  • Electric storage water heaters;
  • Electric vehicle supply equipment;
  • Gas fireplaces;
  • Irrigation controllers;
  • Tub spout diverters and showerhead tub spout diverter
combinations; and
  • Certain residential windows, residential doors, and
residential skylights.
Section 4 also removes standards for air compressors, general
service lamps, and uninterruptible power supplies.
Section 5 requires the executive director of the department of
public health and environment (executive director) to promulgate rules on
or before January 1, 2026, and every 5 years thereafter:
  • Adopting a more recent version of any standard; and
  • Establishing standards for appliances and other devices that
are not subject to the standards if certain conditions are
met.
Section 6 exempts manufacturers of products subject to the
standards from having to demonstrate that a product complies with the
law if the product appears in the state appliance standards database
maintained by the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, or a
successor organization. Section 6 also requires the executive director to
conduct periodic, unannounced inspections of major distributors or
retailers, including online retailers, of new products in order to determine
compliance with the standards.
Under current law, any person who sells or offers to sell in the
state any new consumer product that is required to meet an efficiency
standard but that the person knows does not meet that standard is subject
to a civil penalty of not more than $2,000 for each violation, which
amount is credited to the general fund. Section 7 credits any penalties
imposed to the energy fund created in the Colorado energy office rather
than to the general fund and specifies that each transaction or online
for-sale product listing constitutes a separate violation.
Section 8 establishes the Clean Lighting Act to phase out the
sale of general-purpose fluorescent light bulbs that contain mercury. With
certain exceptions:
  • On and after January 1, 2024, a person shall not
manufacture, distribute, sell, or offer for sale in Colorado
any new compact fluorescent lamp with a screw- or
bayonet-type base; and
  • On and after January 1, 2025, a person shall not
manufacture, distribute, sell, or offer for sale in Colorado
any linear fluorescent lamp or any compact fluorescent
lamp with a pin-type base.
Section 9 establishes standards for heating and water heating
appliances. With certain exceptions, on and after January 1, 2025, a
person shall not manufacture, distribute, sell, offer for sale, lease, or offer
for lease in Colorado any new water heater, boiler, or fan-type central
furnace unless the emissions of the product do not exceed certain limits
on emissions. On or before January 1, 2029, the air quality control
commission in the department of public health and environment must
promulgate rules lowering the emission limits. Section 9 also requires
manufacturers to use certain testing protocols, display certain information
on each product, and demonstrate compliance through one of various
described means.
Sections 8 and 9 both require the executive director to conduct
periodic, unannounced inspections of major distributors or retailers,
including online retailers, of new products to determine compliance and
to report violations to the attorney general. If the attorney general has
probable cause to believe that a violation occurred, the attorney general
may bring a civil action on behalf of the state to seek the imposition of
civil penalties, and any civil penalties are to be deposited in the energy
fund.

Section 1 of the bill makes legislative findings regarding the
minimal negative effects of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere as a
contributor to greenhouse gases in comparison to other, more harmful
emissions.
Section 2 prohibits the classification of carbon dioxide as a
pollutant in the state and establishes that, notwithstanding any other law
to the contrary, state statute, executive agency rules, and any regulations
of local governments or other political subdivisions of the state must not
include the regulation of carbon dioxide emissions as a pollutant. Any
portion of an executive agency rule that treats carbon dioxide emissions
as a pollutant is void.

Carbon management is defined by the bill as any combination of
carbon dioxide removal, carbon storage, carbon capture, and carbon
utilization. The bill ensures that carbon management projects, except for
agricultural, forestry, and enhanced oil recovery projects, are eligible for
money under the industrial and manufacturing operations clean air grant
program.
The bill also requires the Colorado energy office (office) and the
office of economic development to contract with an organization for the
development of a carbon management roadmap for the state. After
receiving a draft of the roadmap, the office will solicit feedback on the
roadmap and the contracted organization will use that feedback to update
the roadmap. The office will present the updated roadmap to the relevant
committees in the general assembly and then later update the general
assembly on the implementation of the roadmap.

The bill requires the public utilities commission's (commission)
gas pipeline safety rules, on or before March 1, 2024, to address
requirements for:
  • The inspection of gas meters and service regulators no
more often than every 36 months and the recorded
documentation of each inspection; and
  • The installation or reinstallation of service regulators so
that any vents associated with the service regulators are at
least 12 inches above ground level or 12 inches above any
anticipated precipitation, whichever is higher.
The bill requires the commission to promulgate rules, on or before
March 1, 2024, to establish a process for determining whether an owner
or operator of a natural gas distribution system (owner or operator) or a
customer is responsible for the maintenance and repairs of the portion of
the service line, if installed on or after August 14, 1995, and before
March 1, 2024, that extends from the gas meter to the customer's primary
residential or commercial structure that is serviced with natural gas
(customer-owned service line).
The bill also requires the commission to promulgate rules, on or
before March 1, 2024, requiring an owner or operator that distributes gas
to a customer-owned service line installed on or after March 1, 2024, to:
  • Provide written notice to the customer, within 90 days after
the installation of the customer-owned service line,
informing the customer whether the owner or operator or
the customer is responsible for the maintenance and repairs
of the customer-owned service line; and
  • Obtain a signed copy of the written notice from the
customer.
An owner or operator that fails to obtain a signed copy of the
written notice must repair and maintain the customer-owned service line
for the lifetime of the customer-owned service line.

Section 2 of the bill requires the state electrical board (board) to
adopt rules requiring compliance, starting January 1, 2024, with the
provisions of the model electric ready and solar ready code that require
multifamily buildings to be electric vehicle (EV) capable and EV ready
and to have EV supply equipment installed. The board is precluded from
adopting rules that prohibit the installation or use of EV charging stations
unless the rules address a bona fide safety concern.
Current law prohibits a landlord from unreasonably prohibiting the
installation of EV charging equipment in the leased premises. This
prohibition applies only to residential rental property. Section 3 broadens
this prohibition to apply to an assigned or a deeded parking space for the
leased premises, to parking spaces accessible to both the tenant and other
tenants, and to commercial rental property. Section 3 also requires a
landlord to allow an EV or a plug-in hybrid vehicle to park on the
premises.
Current law prohibits, when a person owns a unit in a common
interest community, such as a condominium, the association that manages
the community (association) from unreasonably prohibiting the
installation of EV charging equipment in the unit. Section 4 broadens this
prohibition to apply to assigned or deeded parking spaces for the unit or
parking spaces accessible to both the unit owner and other unit owners.
Section 4 also requires a common interest community to allow an EV or
a plug-in hybrid vehicle to park at the premises.
Current law grants a local government the ability to regulate
parking, and this regulation includes requiring that buildings meet
minimum parking standards. Sections 5, 6, and 7 require the local
government, when counting minimum parking spaces, to count:
  • Any parking space that is served by an EV charging station
as at least one standard automobile parking space; and
  • Any van-accessible parking space that is wheelchair
accessible and served by an EV charging station as at least
2 standard automobile parking spaces.
Sections 8 and 9 prohibit local governments from adopting an
ordinance or a resolution that prohibits the installation or use of EV
charging stations unless the ordinance or resolution addresses a bona fide
safety concern.
Section 10 exempts, until 2030, EV charging systems from the
levy and collection of property tax.
Federal law prohibits the construction of automotive service
stations or other commercial establishments for serving motor vehicle
users along interstate highway rights-of-way, including rest areas. Due to
this prohibition, the state cannot construct EV charging systems along
interstate highway rights-of-way, including rest areas, in the state.
Section 11 specifies that, when the federal law no longer prohibits the
construction of EV charging systems along interstate highway
rights-of-way, the department of transportation may collaborate with
public or private entities to develop projects for the construction of EV
charging systems along interstate highway rights-of-way.

The bill requires an oil and gas operator in the state (operator), on
or before January 31, 2024, and at least annually thereafter, to report
information to the Colorado oil and gas conservation commission
(commission) regarding the operator's use of water entering, utilized at,
or exiting each of the operator's oil and gas locations.
The bill also requires the commission to adopt rules requiring that:
  • When issuing an operator a new or renewed oil and gas
permit on or after June 1, 2024, the commission include as
a condition of the permit a requirement that the operator
use a decreasing percentage of fresh water and a
corresponding increasing percentage of recycled or reused
water in the operator's oil and gas operations; and
  • Each oil and gas operator, on and after January 1, 2024,
report on a monthly basis to the commission about the daily
vehicle miles traveled for any trucks hauling water to,
within, or from the operator's oil and gas operations in the
state.
From the information reported to the commission under the bill,
the commission is required to:
  • Include the information as part of the commission's annual
reporting on cumulative impacts of oil and gas operations;
  • Report to the division of administration (division) in the
department of public health and environment, on a
per-incident basis, any indication of technologically
enhanced naturally occurring radioactive material or PFAS
chemicals present in produced water; and
  • On a quarterly basis, submit a cumulative report to the
division and the department of transportation on reported
vehicle miles traveled and public roads traveled.

The bill requires the director of the Colorado energy office or the
director's designee (director) to conduct studies to assess the use of
advanced energy solutions in rural Colorado. One study must consider
ways to assist northwestern and west end of Montrose county Colorado
as it transitions to producing advanced firm dispatchable energy
resources. The other study must consider the potential for the
development of new energy resources in southeastern Colorado. The bill
specifies information that the director is required to consider in both
studies.
On or before July 1, 2025, the director is required to submit the
director's findings and conclusions of both studies to the legislative
committees with jurisdiction over energy matters.

Wildfire Matters Review Committee. Section 1 of the bill
directs the Colorado state forest service (state forest service) to consult
with other entities to develop educational materials relating to career
opportunities in forestry and wildfire mitigation for distribution to high
school guidance counselors to provide to high school students.
Section 2 creates the timber, forest health, and wildfire mitigation
industries workforce development program (development program) in the
state forest service. The development program provides partial
reimbursement to timber businesses and forest health or wildfire
mitigation entities for the costs of hiring interns.
Section 3 requires the state treasurer, on June 30, 2023, and on
June 30 each year thereafter, to transfer $1 million from the general fund
to the wildfire mitigation capacity development fund for allowable uses
of the fund.
Sections 4, 5, and 6 authorize the expansion of existing forestry
programs, including wildfire mitigation, and the creation of a new
forestry program within the community college system and at Colorado
mountain college (forestry programs). The bill provides for the
acquisition of a harvesting simulator to train students, which may be
shared among the forestry programs. The bill includes funding for the
forestry programs within the community college system and at Colorado
mountain college through limited purpose fee-for-service contracts and
grants.
Section 7 directs the state board for community colleges and
occupational education (board) to administer the recruitment of wildland
fire prevention and mitigation educators program (recruiting program) to
increase the number of qualified educators at community colleges, area
technical colleges, and local district colleges that deliver a wildfire
prevention and mitigation program or course. The bill appropriates
$250,000 from the general fund for the 2023-24 and for the 2024-25 state
fiscal years for the recruiting program.
1

Section 1 of the bill requires that, beginning in 2024, each
insurance company issued a certificate of authority to transact insurance
business that reports more than $100 million on its annual schedule T
filing with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)
must participate in and complete the NAIC's Insurer Climate Risk
Disclosure Survey or successor survey or reporting mechanism.
Section 2 requires the public employees' retirement association
(PERA) board, on or before June 1, 2024, to adopt proxy voting
procedures that ensure that the board's voting decisions align with, and
are supportive of, the statewide greenhouse gas (GHG) emission
reduction goals.
Section 3 requires PERA to include as part of its annual
investment stewardship report, which report is posted on the PERA
board's website, a description of climate-related investment risks,
impacts, and strategies.
Section 4 adds wastewater thermal energy equipment to the
definition of pollution control equipment, which equipment may be
certified by the division of administration (division) in the department of
public health and environment (CDPHE). Similarly, section 5 adds
wastewater thermal energy to the definition of clean heat resource,
which resource a gas distribution utility includes in its clean heat plan
filed with the public utilities commission.
Section 6 updates the statewide GHG emission reduction goals to
add a 65% reduction goal for 2035, an 80% reduction goal for 2040, and
a 90% reduction goal for 2045 when compared to 2005 GHG pollution
levels. Section 6 also increases the 2050 GHG emission reduction goal
from 90% of 2005 GHG pollution levels to 100%.
Section 7 gives the oil and gas conservation commission
(COGCC) authority over class VI injection wells used for sequestration
of GHG if the governor and COGCC determine, in accordance with a
study that the COGCC conducted in 2021, that the state has sufficient
resources to ensure the safe and effective regulation of the sequestration
of GHG. If the governor and the COGCC determine there are sufficient
resources, the COGCC may seek primacy under the federal Safe
Drinking Water Act and, when granted, may issue and enforce permits
for class VI injection wells. The COGCC shall require, as part of its
regulation of class VI injection wells, that operators of the wells maintain
adequate financial assurance until the COGCC approves the closure of a
class VI injection well site.
Section 8 establishes a state income tax credit in an amount equal
to 30% of the purchase price for new, electric-powered lawn equipment
for purchases made in income tax years 2024 through 2026. A seller of
new, electric-powered lawn equipment that demonstrates that it provided
a purchaser a 30% discount from the purchase price of new,
electric-powered lawn equipment may claim the tax credit.
Current law requires an electric retail utility (utility) to offer a net
metering credit as the means of purchasing output from a community
solar garden (CSG) located within the utility's service territory and
establishes the means of calculating the net metering credit. Section 9
maintains that calculation if the CSG indicates to the utility that the CSG's
subscribers' bill credits change annually. If the CSG indicates to the utility
that the CSG's subscribers' bill credits remain fixed, however, section 9
provides a different calculation for determining the net metering credit.
Sections 10 through 12 incorporate projects to renovate or
recondition existing utility transmission lines into the Colorado Electric
Transmission Authority Act, allowing the Colorado electric transmission
authority to finance and renovate, rebuild, or recondition existing
transmission lines in order to update and optimize the transmission lines.
Section 13 requires a local government to expedite its review of
a land use application that proposes a project to renovate, rebuild, or
recondition existing transmission lines.
Section 14 makes a conforming amendment regarding the updated
statewide GHG emission reduction goals set forth in section 6.

Wildfire Matters Review Committee. The bill requires the center
of excellence for advanced technology aerial firefighting (center of
excellence) in the division of fire prevention and control in the
department of public safety to establish one or more remote camera
technology pilot programs. The program may include the use of artificial
intelligence technologies. The center of excellence must acquire or
contract for a system of remote pan-tilt-zoom cameras and associated
tools to provide a live feed of information that can detect, locate, and
confirm ignition in the wildland-urban interface. The center of excellence
may acquire or contract for artificial intelligence technologies to assist in
the detection, containment, and monitoring of wildfires. The center of
excellence must report to the wildfire matters review committee on the
system's effectiveness and potential for more widespread use in the state.
The bill appropriates $2 million from the general fund to implement the
program.

The bill updates statutory definitions of clean energy and clean
energy resource to include nuclear energy.

The bill establishes a wildfire resiliency code board (board) in the
division of fire prevention and control (division) within the department
of public safety (department) for the purposes of ensuring community
safety from and more resiliency to wildfires by reducing the risk of
wildfires to people and property through the adoption of statewide codes
and standards. The board consists of 21 appointed voting members with
specific government or industry qualifications and 3 non-voting members.
The board is required to promulgate rules concerning the adoption and
administration of codes and standards for the hardening of structures and
parcels in the wildland-urban interface in Colorado, including rules that:
  • Define the wildland-urban interface and identify areas of
the state that are within it;
  • Adopt minimum codes and standards based on best
practices to reduce the risk to life and property from the
effects of wildfires;
  • Identify hazards and types of buildings, entities, and
defensible space around structures to which the codes
apply; and
  • Establish a process for a governing body to petition the
board for a modification to the codes and establish the
criteria and process for the board to grant or deny an appeal
from a decision of the board on a petition for modification.
The bill also creates the wildfire resiliency code board cash fund
and continuously appropriates the money in the fund to the department to
implement the provisions of the bill.
The bill requires a governing body with jurisdiction in an area
within the wildland-urban interface to adopt and enforce a code that
meets or exceeds the minimum standards of the codes adopted by the
board. Enforcement of the codes is done in accordance with the rules and
regulations for code enforcement adopted by the governing body. If the
governing body does not have rules and regulations for code enforcement,
the governing body may request support from the division to enforce the
code.

The bill requires the Colorado oil and gas conservation
commission (commission), in consultation with local governments, to
perform a study that:
  • Recognizes best management practices for capturing
methane seepage in the Raton basin;
  • Confirms the high quality of water resulting from such
methane capture operations; and
  • Confirms the high potential to preserve and make
beneficial use of such water.
The commission must complete the study and submit it to
legislative committees of reference by December 1, 2023.
The bill also requires the commission to implement a regulatory
category for methane recovery in the Raton basin, which category
includes consideration of enforcement, financial assurance, flow lines,
forms, operator guidance, orphan well programs, rules, and policies and
allows for beneficial uses deemed prudent by local governments.