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May 3, 2022 HB 22-1323
Legislative Council Staff
Nonpartisan Services for Colorado’s Legislature
Revised Fiscal Note
(replaces fiscal note dated March 30, 2022)
Drafting Number:
Prime Sponsors:
LLS 22-0131
Rep. Snyder; Froelich
Sen. Rankin
Date:
Bill Status:
Fiscal Analyst:
May 3, 2022
Senate Judiciary
Josh Abram | 303-866-3561
Josh.Abram@state.co.us
Bill Topic: UPDATES TO STATE FOREST SERVICE TREE NURSERY
Summary of
Fiscal Impact:
☐ State Revenue
☒ State Expenditure
☐ State Transfer
☐ TABOR Refund
☐ Local Government
☐ Statutory Public Entity
The bill requires upgrades and improvements to the Colorado State Forest Service
tree nursery in Fort Collins. It increases state expenditures in FY 2022-23 only.
Appropriation
Summary:
For FY 2022-23, the bill includes an appropriation of $5.0 million for use by the
Colorado State Forest Service.
Fiscal Note
Status:
This revised fiscal note reflects the reengrossed bill.
Table 1
State Fiscal Impacts Under HB 22-1323
Budget Year
FY 2022-23
Out Year
FY 2023-24
Revenue
- -
Expenditures
1
General Fund $5.0 million -
Centrally Appropriated $31,239 -
Total Expenditures $5,031,239 -
Total FTE 2.0 FTE -
Transfers -
Other Budget Impacts General Fund Reserve $750,000 -
1
Funds appropriated in FY 2022-23 are further appropriated in FY 2023-24 for the same purpose.
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May 3, 2022 HB 22-1323
Summary of Legislation
The bill requires that the Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) upgrade and improve its seedling tree
nursery to expand capacity and contribute to reforestation efforts. The bill requires physical upgrades
and improvements in several areas of nursery operations, including the addition of full time
professional nursery staff. The CSFS must contract with management and reforestation professionals
to analyze the nursery’s capacity and knowledge investments to better address reforestation needs in
response to wildfire, flood, insect, and disease events. The General Assembly is required to
appropriate money in FY 2022-23 to fund improvements, hire managers and conduct the capacity and
expertise analysis. The CSFS must provide annual reports to the Wildfire Matters Review Committee.
The bill is repealed January 1, 2025.
State Expenditures
The bill increases state expenditures in the CSFS by $5.0 million FY 2022-23 from the General Fund.
Any remaining appropriation may be used in FY 2023-24. Expenditures are shown in Table 2 and
detailed below.
Table 2
Expenditures Under HB 22-1323
FY 2022-23
Colorado State Forest Service
Personal Services $124,943
Operating Expenses $2,700
Capital Outlay Costs $18,600
Other Costs -
Update and Expand Greenhouses $4,111,257
Shade Structure Improvement and Expansion $550,000
Capacity & Infrastructure Analysis $40,000
Growing Container Supplies $152,500
Centrally Appropriated Costs
1
$31,239
Total Cost $5,031,239
Total FTE 2.0 FTE
1
Centrally appropriated costs are not included in the bill’s appropriation.
Personal services. Upgrading and expanding the greenhouses, shade houses, and growing container
supply infrastructure is anticipated to increase annual production and expedite planting response
times to post-fire and flood events. The CSFS is required to add professional nursery staff to oversee
improvements, manage purchasing, and administer the vendor contract to conduct the capacity and
infrastructure analysis. Additional nursery specialists are also required to manage the increased
production of seedlings in the expanded greenhouse and fields. Personal services costs are prorated
for the General Fund pay date shift and the bill’s presumed September 1, 2022, effective date. Page 3
May 3, 2022 HB 22-1323
Other costs. Estimated costs for nursery improvements are the results of research conducted by
nursery staff. The CSFS solicited an estimate of costs from various vendors for necessary greenhouse
improvements, seed coolers, and delivery trucks. The estimate for the shade house and field upgrades
are based on costs of materials and equipment used for upgrades to the nursery over the past few
fiscal years.
Centrally appropriated costs. Pursuant to a Joint Budget Committee policy, certain costs associated with
this bill are addressed through the annual budget process and centrally appropriated in the Long Bill or
supplemental appropriations bills, rather than in this bill. These costs, which include employee insurance
and supplemental employee retirement payments, are shown in Table 2.
Other Budget Impacts
General Fund reserve. Under current law, an amount equal to 15 percent of General Fund
appropriations must be set aside in the General Fund statutory reserve beginning in FY 2022-23. Based
on this fiscal note, the bill is expected to increase the amount of General Fund held in reserve by the
amounts shown in Table 1, which will decrease the amount of General Fund available for other
purposes.
Effective Date
The bill takes effect 90 days following adjournment of the General Assembly sine die, assuming no
referendum petition is filed.
State Appropriations
For FY 2022-23, the bill includes an appropriation of $5,000,000 from the General Fund to the
Department of Higher Education for use by the Colorado State Forest Service.
State and Local Government Contacts
Forest Service Natural Resources
The revenue and expenditure impacts in this fiscal note represent changes from current law under the bill for each
fiscal year. For additional information about fiscal notes, please visit: leg.colorado.gov/fiscalnotes.