Colorado 2023 Regular Session

Colorado Senate Bill SB262 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		First Regular Session
2	2		Seventy-fourth General Assembly
3	3		STATE OF COLORADO
4		-	~~REENGROSSED~~
5		-	This Version Includes All Amendments
6		-	~~Adopted~~ in the House of Introduction
	4	+	ENGROSSED
	5	+	This Version Includes All Amendments Adopted
	6	+	on Second Reading in the House of Introduction
7	7		LLS NO. 23-0199.01 Richard Sweetman x4333
8	8		SENATE BILL 23-262
9	9		Senate Committees House Committees
10	10		Agriculture & Natural Resources
11	11		Appropriations
12	12		A BILL FOR AN ACT
13	13		C
14	14		ONCERNING REQUIRING THE COLORADO WATER CONSERVATION101
15	15		BOARD TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF WATER DESALINATION AS102
16	16		A POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTING SOLUTION TO THE CRISIS OF103
17	17		WATER SCARCITY IN THE COLORADO RIVER BASIN , AND, IN
18	18		104
19	19		CONNECTION THEREWITH , MAKING AN APPROPRIATION .105
20	20		Bill Summary
21	21		(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
22	22		not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
23	23		passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
24	24		applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
25	25		http://leg.colorado.gov
26	26		.)
27	27		The bill requires the Colorado water conservation board (CWCB)
28	28		to perform a comprehensive literature review of existing research on the
29	29		SENATE
30		-	3rd Reading Unamended
31		-	April 24, 2023
32		-	SENATE
33	30		Amended 2nd Reading
34	31		April 21, 2023
35	32		SENATE SPONSORSHIP
36		-	Priola and Mullica, ~~Jaquez Lewis~~
	33	+	Priola and Mullica,
37	34		HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
38	35		Ricks and Soper,
39	36		Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
40	37		Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
41	38		Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law. challenges and opportunities of desalination facilities in California or
42	39		Mexico. The literature review must include a summary of the current
43	40		status of research on desalination, including quantification of certain costs
44	41		of and benefits that could be realized from the construction and perpetual
45	42		operation of one or more water desalination facilities in California or
46	43		Mexico, or both.
47	44		On or before July 1, 2025, the CWCB must complete the study and
48	45		submit a report of the CWCB's findings and recommendations to:
49	46		! The Colorado legislative committees of reference that
50	47		consider water matters;
51	48		! The governor; and
52	49		! The bureau of reclamation in the federal department of the
53	50		interior.
54	51		Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
55	52		SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 37-60-136 as2
56	53		follows:3
57	54		37-60-136. Study regarding feasibility of water desalination4
58	55		solutions for the Colorado river basin - legislative declaration -5
59	56		required considerations - report - repeal. (1) Legislative declaration.6
60	57		(a) T
61	58		HE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FINDS THAT :7
62	59		(I) T
63	60		HE COLORADO RIVER SYSTEM , WHICH SUPPLIES NEARLY8
64	61		FORTY MILLION PEOPLE ACROSS THE WESTERN UNITED STATES WITH9
65	62		DRINKING WATER AND IRRIGATES APPROXIMATELY FIVE MILLION ACRES OF10
66	63		FARMLAND, IS FACING HISTORIC LOWS AS A RESULT OF SUSTAINED11
67	64		DROUGHT CONDITIONS; AND12
68	65		(II) T
69	66		HE SEVEN STATES OF THE COLORADO RIVER BASIN ARE13
70	67		STRUGGLING TO CONCEIVE AND IMPLEMENT ADEQUATE MEASURES TO14
71	68		REDUCE WATER USAGE, CONSERVE AVAILABLE WATER SUPPLIES, AND PLAN15
72	69		FOR A NEAR FUTURE WITH INCREASINGLY SCARCE WATER SUPPLIES .16
73	70		(b) T
74	71		HE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ALSO FINDS THAT :17
75	72		(I) D
76	73		ESALINATION FACILITIES HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY18
77	74		262-2- CONSTRUCTED AND DEPLOYED IN THE UNITED STATES AND MANY OTHER1
78	75		NATIONS, INCLUDING AUSTRALIA, ISRAEL, QATAR, SINGAPORE, AND2
79	76		S
80	77		AUDI ARABIA;3
81	78		(II) T
82	79		HESE FACILITIES LOCATED ALONG COASTAL COMMUNITIES4
83	80		HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT DESALINATION OF SEAWATER IS A VIABLE5
84	81		AND COST-EFFECTIVE WAY TO DEVELOP NEW SUPPLIES OF WATER THAT6
85	82		CAN BE SAFELY USED AS DRINKING WATER AND FOR OTHER BENEFICIAL7
86	83		PURPOSES;8
87	84		(III) C
88	85		ALIFORNIA CURRENTLY HAS TWELVE WATER DESALINATION9
89	86		FACILITIES OPERATING OFF ITS COAST AND RECENTLY APPROVED THE10
90	87		INVESTMENT OF ONE HUNDRED FORTY MILLION DOLLARS TO CONSTRUCT11
91	88		A THIRTEENTH FACILITY CALLED THE DOHENY OCEAN DESALINATION12
92	89		P
93	90		ROJECT, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO SUPPLY FIVE MILLION GALLONS OF13
94	91		DRINKING WATER PER DAY FOR FORTY T HOUSAND PEOPLE IN ORANGE14
95	92		COUNTY AND IS EXPECTED TO REDUCE THE COUNTY 'S RELIANCE ON WATER15
96	93		IMPORTED THROUGH THE CALIFORNIA STATE WATER PROJECT AND FROM16
97	94		THE COLORADO RIVER BY UP TO SEVENTY PERCENT ;17
98	95		(IV) D
99	96		ESALINATION OPERATIONS IN CALIFORNIA AND MEXICO18
100	97		COULD REDUCE THE DEMANDS PLACED ON THE COLORADO RIVER BY19
101	98		LOWER BASIN STATES, INCLUDING CALIFORNIA AND ARIZONA, WHERE20
102	99		DESALINATED WATER CAN BE PUT TO BENEFICIAL USES ; AND21
103	100		(V) A
104	101		LTHOUGH DESALINATION OF SEAWATER WILL NOT22
105	102		SINGLE-HANDEDLY SOLVE THE CURRENT COLORADO RIVER CRISIS, ITS23
106	103		POTENTIAL AS A CONTRIBUTING SOLUTION HAS NOT BEEN FULLY24
107	104		DEVELOPED AND UTILIZED AND IS WORTH EXPLORING AND QUANTIFYING .25
108	105		(c) T
109	106		HEREFORE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY DECLARES THAT IT IS26
110	107		IMPORTANT THAT THE BOARD STUDY AND REPORT ON THE FEASIBILITY OF27
111	108		262
112	109		-3- BASIN-WIDE COOPERATION TO BUILD ADDITIONAL WATER DESALINATION1
113	110		FACILITIES AS A POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTING SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF2
114	111		WATER SCARCITY IN THE COLORADO RIVER BASIN AND SHARE THAT3
115	112		INFORMATION WITH NEIGHBORING STATES IN THE BASIN .4
116	113		(2) Literature review required. T
117	114		HE BOARD SHALL PERFORM A5
118	115		COMPREHENSIVE LITERATURE REVIEW OF EXISTING RESEARCH ON THE6
119	116		CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF DESALINATION FACILITIES IN7
120	117		C
121	118		ALIFORNIA OR MEXICO. THE LITERATURE REVIEW MUST INCLUDE A8
122	119		SUMMARY OF THE CURRENT STATUS OF RESEARCH AND IDENTIFICATION OF9
123	120		GAPS IN EXISTING RESEARCH ON THE FOLLOWING TOPICS AS THEY RELATE10
124	121		TO DESALINATION:11
125	122		(a) C
126	123		OSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF WATER12
127	124		DESALINATION FACILITIES IN CALIFORNIA OR MEXICO;13
128	125		(b) A
129	126		NALYSIS OF THE ANNUAL COSTS OF OPERATING AND14
130	127		MAINTAINING WATER DESALINATION FACILITIES ;15
131	128		(c) T
132	129		HE AMOUNT OF SEAWATER THAT COULD BE DESALINATED16
133	130		ANNUALLY AND PUT TO BENEFICIAL USES IN CALIFORNIA AND ARIZONA;17
134	131		(d) A
135	132		N ESTIMATE OF THE AMOUNTS BY WHICH CALIFORNIA,18
136	133		A
137	134		RIZONA, AND MEXICO COULD REDUCE THEIR RESPECTIVE USE OF WATER19
138	135		FROM THE COLORADO RIVER AS A RESULT OF IMPLEMENTING AND20
139	136		OPERATING DESALINATION FACILITIES;21
140	137		(e) T
141	138		HE ROLE THAT RENEWABLE ENERGY MAY PLAY IN OPERATING22
142	139		AND BENEFITTING FROM DESALINATION FACILITIES ;23
143	140		(f) T
144	141		HE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF DESALINATION OF24
145	142		SEAWATER; AND25
146	143		(g) I
147	144		DENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL FUNDING SOURCES TO PAY26
148	145		START-UP COSTS, INCLUDING COSTS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF27
149	146		262
150	147		-4- FACILITIES, INCLUDING CONSIDERATION OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE FUNDING1
151	148		SOURCES IN EACH STATE WITHIN THE UPPER AND LOWER COLORADO RIVER2
152	149		BASINS.3
153	150		(3) Report required. O
154	151		N OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2025, THE BOARD4
155	152		SHALL COMPLETE THE LITERATURE REVIEW DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (2)5
156	153		OF THIS SECTION AND SUBMIT A REPORT OF THE BOARD 'S FINDINGS AND6
157	154		RECOMMENDATIONS TO :7
158	155		(a) T
159	156		HE AGRICULTURE, WATER, AND NATURAL RESOURCES8
160	157		COMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES , THE AGRICULTURE AND9
161	158		NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE OF THE SENATE , AND THE WATER10
162	159		RESOURCES AND AGRICULTURE REVIEW COMMITTEE , OR TO ANY11
163	160		SUCCESSOR COMMITTEES;12
164	161		(b) T
165	162		HE GOVERNOR; AND13
166	163		(c) T
167	164		HE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION IN THE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT14
168	165		OF THE INTERIOR.15
169	166		(4) Repeal. T
170	167		HIS SECTION IS REPEALED, EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2025.16
171	168		SECTION 2. Appropriation. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year,
172	169		17
173	170		$50,000 is appropriated to the department of natural resources for use by18
174	171		the Colorado water conservation board. This appropriation is from the19
175	172		Colorado water conservation board construction fund created in section20
176	173		37-60-121 (1)(a), C.R.S. To implement this act, the board may use this21
177	174		appropriation for operating expenses.22
178	175		SECTION 3. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act23
179	176		takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the24
180	177		ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except25
181	178		that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V26
182	179		of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this27
183	180		262
184	181		-5- act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take1
185	182		effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in2
186	183		November 2024 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the3
187	184		official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.4
188	185		262
189	186		-6-