Second Regular Session Seventy-third General Assembly STATE OF COLORADO INTRODUCED LLS NO. 22-0161.01 Jason Gelender x4330 HOUSE BILL 22-1026 House Committees Senate Committees Finance A BILL FOR AN ACT C ONCERNING THE REPLACEMENT OF THE INCOME TAX DEDUCTION FOR101 AMOUNTS SPENT BY AN EMPLOYER TO PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE102 TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS TO EMPLOYEES WITH AN INCOME103 TAX CREDIT FOR AMOUNTS SPENT BY AN EMPLOYER FOR THAT104 PURPOSE.105 Bill Summary (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at http://leg.colorado.gov/ .) Legislative Oversight Committee Concerning Tax Policy. The bill replaces an existing income tax deduction for expenses incurred by HOUSE SPONSORSHIP Bird and Woog, Benavidez SENATE SPONSORSHIP Hansen and Liston, Kolker Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment. Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing statute. Dashes through the words indicate deletions from existing statute. employers when providing alternative transportation options to employees with a refundable income tax credit of 50% of such expenses for such employers. The credit is allowed for income tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2023, but before January 1, 2033. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1 SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, amend 39-22-509 as2 follows:3 39-22-509. Credit against tax - employer expenditures for4 alternative transportation options for employees - legislative5 declaration - definitions. (1) I N ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 39-21-3046 (1), WHICH REQUIRES EACH BILL THAT CREATES A NEW TAX EXPENDITURE7 TO INCLUDE A TAX PREFERENCE PERFORMANCE STATEMENT AS PART OF A8 STATUTORY LEGISLATIVE DECLARATION , THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY HEREBY9 FINDS AND DECLARES THAT:10 (a) T HE GENERAL LEGISLATIVE PURPOSES OF THE TAX CREDIT11 ALLOWED BY THIS SECTION ARE:12 (I) T O INDUCE CERTAIN DESIGNATED BEHAVIOR BY TAXPAYERS ,13 SPECIFICALLY THE PROVISION OF ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS14 BY EMPLOYERS TO EMPLOYEES ; AND15 (II) T O PROVIDE TAX RELIEF FOR CERTAIN BUSINESSES ,16 SPECIFICALLY EMPLOYERS THAT PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION17 OPTIONS TO THEIR EMPLOYEES;18 (b) T HE SPECIFIC LEGISLATIVE PURPOSE OF THE TAX CREDIT19 ALLOWED BY THIS SECTION IS TO INCREASE THE USE OF ALTERNATIVE20 TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS BY EMPLOYEES IN GOING TO AND RETURNING21 FROM THEIR PLACES OF EMPLOYMENT BY PROVIDING AN INCENTIVE TO22 EMPLOYERS TO PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS TO23 HB22-1026-2- EMPLOYEES. IN ORDER TO ALLOW THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND THE1 STATE AUDITOR TO MEASURE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CREDIT , THE2 DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE , WHEN ADMINISTERING THE CREDIT , SHALL3 REQUIRE EACH EMPLOYER THAT CLAIMS THE CREDIT TO PROVIDE , AT A4 MINIMUM, INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPECIFIC ALTERNATIVE5 TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS OFFERED , THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES6 OFFERED AN ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION OPTION , AND, TO THE7 EXTENT FEASIBLE, THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES ACTUALLY USING AN8 ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION OPTION AND THE NUMBER OF TRIPS9 TAKEN BY EMPLOYEES USING AN ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION OPTION .10 (1) (2) There shall be allowed to corporate employers a deduction11 from Colorado gross income, to the extent not previously deducted in12 arriving at Colorado gross income, equal to the employer's contribution13 to: AS USED IN THIS SECTION, UNLESS THE CONTEXT OTHERWISE REQUIRES :14 (a) "A LTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS " MEANS free or15 partially subsidized ridesharing arrangements for employees, including,16 but not limited to, providing TO:17 (I) P ROVIDING vehicles for such arrangements, cash incentives 18 (not ARRANGEMENTS;19 (II) C ASH INCENTIVES, NOT to exceed the value of such20 transportation) ARRANGEMENTS, for participation in ridesharing21 arrangements, and the ARRANGEMENTS;22 (III) T HE payment of all or part of the administrative cost incurred23 in organizing, establishing, or administering a ridesharing program FOR24 EMPLOYEES; AND25 (IV) F REE OR PARTIALLY SUBSIDIZED MASS TRANSIT TICKETS ,26 TOKENS, PASSES, OR FARES FOR USE BY EMPLOYEES IN GOING TO AND27 HB22-1026 -3- RETURNING FROM THEIR PLACES OF EMPLOYMENT .1 (b) "E MPLOYER" MEANS AN ENTITY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED2 TO A CORPORATION, PARTNERSHIP, JOINT VENTURE, COMMON TRUST FUND,3 LIMITED ASSOCIATION, POOL OR WORKING AGREEMENT , OR LIMITED4 LIABILITY COMPANY, THAT EMPLOYS ONE OR MORE PERSONS IN THIS5 STATE.6 (II) (c) For the purposes of this section, "Ridesharing7 arrangement" means the vehicular transportation of passengers traveling8 together primarily to and from such passengers' places of business or9 work or traveling together on a regularly scheduled basis with a10 commonality of purposes if the vehicle used in such transportation is not11 operated for profit by an entity primarily engaged in the transportation12 business and if no charge is made therefor other than that reasonably13 calculated to recover the direct and indirect costs of the "ridesharing14 arrangement", including, but not limited to, a reasonable incentive to15 maximize occupancy of the vehicle. However, nothing in this16 subparagraph (II) shall be construed as excluding SUBSECTION (2)(c)17 EXCLUDES from this definition an arrangement by an employer engaged18 in the transportation business who THAT provides ridesharing19 arrangements for its employees. The term "RIDESHARING" includes20 "ridesharing arrangements" commonly known as carpools and vanpools,21 except that this term BUT does not include school transportation vehicles22 operated by elementary and secondary schools when they are operated for23 the transportation of children to or from school or on school-related24 events.25 (b) Free or partially subsidized mass transit tickets, tokens, passes,26 or fares for use by employees in going to and returning from their places27 HB22-1026 -4- of employment.1 (3) F OR INCOME TAX YEARS BEGINNING ON OR AFTER JANUARY 1,2 2023, BUT BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2033, THERE IS ALLOWED A CREDIT TO3 EACH EMPLOYER IN AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO FIFTY PERCENT OF THE AM OUNT4 SPENT BY THE EMPLOYER TO PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION5 OPTIONS TO SOME OR ALL OF ITS EMPLOYEES .6 (4) T HE AMOUNT OF ANY CREDIT ALLOWED UNDER THIS SECTION7 THAT EXCEEDS THE EMPLOYER 'S INCOME TAXES DUE IS REFUNDED TO THE8 EMPLOYER.9 (5) T HE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MAY PRESCRIBE FORMS AND10 PROMULGATE RULES AS NECESSARY TO ADMINISTER THIS SECTION .11 (6) T HIS SECTION IS REPEALED, EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2037.12 SECTION 2. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act13 takes effect January 1, 2023; except that, if a referendum petition is filed14 pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the state constitution against this15 act or an item, section, or part of this act within the ninety-day period16 after final adjournment of the general assembly, then the act, item,17 section, or part will not take effect unless approved by the people at the18 general election to be held in November 2022 and, in such case, will take19 effect January 1, 2023, or on the date of the official declaration of the20 vote thereon by the governor, whichever is later.21 HB22-1026 -5-