Second Regular Session
Seventy-fourth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
ENGROSSED
This Version Includes All Amendments Adopted
on Second Reading in the House of Introduction
LLS NO. 24-0423.01 Jennifer Berman x3286
HOUSE BILL 24-1006
House Committees Senate Committees
Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources
Appropriations
A BILL FOR AN ACT
C
ONCERNING ASSISTANCE FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES TO APPLY FOR101
WILDFIRE-RELATED GRANT
MONEY, AND, IN CONNECTION102
THEREWITH, MAKING AN APPROPRIATION .103
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/
.)
Wildfire Matters Review Committee. The bill directs the rural
opportunity office (office) in the Colorado office of economic
development to assist rural communities with identifying and applying for
state or federal grants for wildfire mitigation, prevention, response, or risk
management efforts (wildfire-related grants).
HOUSE
Amended 2nd Reading
April 29, 2024
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Velasco and Snyder,
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Cutter and Will, Jaquez Lewis, Ginal
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law. On or before July 1, 2025, and on or before July 1 of every odd
year thereafter, the office is required to prepare a report summarizing its
work to assist rural communities with identifying and applying for
wildfire-related grants. The report must include information about the
rural communities that the office assists and the grants awarded to rural
communities that the office assists. The office is required to submit the
report to the wildfire matters review committee or, if the committee no
longer exists, to the legislative committees with jurisdiction over natural
resources matters.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 23-31-321 as2
follows:3
23-31-321. Wildfire mitigation and preparedness - rural grant4
navigator grant program - creation - administration - reporting -5
definitions. (1) AS USED IN THIS SECTION, UNLESS THE CONTEXT6
OTHERWISE REQUIRES:7
(a) "DEPARTMENT" MEANS THE DEPARTMENT OF LOCAL AFFAIRS8
CREATED IN SECTION 24-1-125.9
(b) "FOREST SERVICE" MEANS THE COLORADO STATE FOREST10
SERVICE IDENTIFIED IN SECTION 23-31-302.11
(c) "NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION" OR "NGO" HAS THE12
MEANING SET FORTH IN SECTION 24-37.5-102 (20).13
(d) "RURAL GRANT NAVIGATOR GRANT PROGRAM " OR14
"COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM" MEANS THE COMPETITIVE GRANT15
PROGRAM AUTHORIZED UNDER SUBSECTION (2)(a) OF THIS SECTION.16
(2) (a) THE FOREST SERVICE SHALL ESTABLISH A RURAL GRANT17
NAVIGATOR GRANT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE GRANT MONEY FOR18
NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDING OUTREACH AND19
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, INCLUDING GRANT WRITING ASSISTANCE , TO20
1006-2- RURAL COMMUNITIES SEEKING TO APPLY FOR FEDERAL OR STATE GRANTS1
RELATED TO WILDFIRE MITIGATION AND PREPAREDNESS .2
(b) ON OR AFTER MARCH 1, 2025, AN NGO ASSISTING ONE OR3
MORE RURAL COMMUNITIES WITH OBTAINING FEDERAL OR STATE GRANTS4
RELATED TO WILDFIRE MITIGATION OR PREPAREDNESS MAY APPLY TO THE5
FOREST SERVICE FOR GRANT MONEY IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICATION6
AND ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES THAT THE FOREST SERVICE ESTABLISHES7
PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (3) OF THIS SECTION FOR THE COMPETITIVE8
GRANT PROGRAM.9
(3) (a) THE FOREST SERVICE SHALL CONSULT WITH NGOS THAT10
CURRENTLY ASSIST OR ARE SEEKING TO ASSIST COLORADO COMMUNITIES11
WITH WILDFIRE MITIGATION AND PREPAREDNESS TO DEVELOP CRITERIA12
AND GUIDELINES FOR THE COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM .13
(b) THE CRITERIA AND GUIDELINES DEVELOPED PURSUANT TO14
SUBSECTION (3)(a) OF THIS SECTION MUST:15
(I) BE COMPLETED AND POSTED ON THE WEBSITE OF THE FOREST16
SERVICE ON OR BEFORE FEBRUARY 28, 2025; AND17
(II) INCLUDE CRITERIA AND GUIDELINES FOR AT LEAST THE18
FOLLOWING ASPECTS OF THE COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM :19
(A) ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR NGO APPLICANTS ASSISTING20
RURAL COMMUNITIES IN SEEKING FEDERAL OR STATE GRANT MONEY FOR21
WILDFIRE MITIGATION AND PREPAREDNESS EFFORTS ;22
(B) APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS; AND23
(C) PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS FOR SELECTED NGOS,24
INCLUDING REQUIREMENTS FOR COORDINATION BETWEEN SELECTED25
NGOS TO ENSURE NONDUPLICATION OF EFFORTS AND FOR PERIODIC26
REPORTING.27
1006
-3- (c) (I) AFTER THE FOREST SERVICE HAS CREATED THE COMPETITIVE1
GRANT PROGRAM, THE FOREST SERVICE, TO THE BEST OF ITS ABILITY,2
SHALL CONSULT ON EFFECTIVE USES OF THE GRANT MONEY AND3
SUCCESSFUL OUTCOMES WITH :4
(A) THE DEPARTMENT;5
(B) THE DIVISION OF FIRE PREVENTION AND CONTROL CREATED IN6
SECTION 24-33.5-1201 (1)(a);7
(C) THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE;8
(D) A RURAL COUNTY ON THE WESTERN SLOPE ;9
(E) A RURAL COUNTY ON THE EASTERN PLAINS ; AND10
(F) A RURAL COUNTY IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE STATE .11
(II) THE FOREST SERVICE, IN CONSULTATION WITH SELECTED12
NGOS, SHALL DEVELOP METRICS TO HELP THE FOREST SERVICE ASSESS13
THE SUCCESS OF THE COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM .14
(4) (a) ON OR BEFORE MARCH 1, 2026, AND ON OR BEFORE MARCH15
1 EACH YEAR THEREAFTER , THE FOREST SERVICE SHALL SUBMIT A16
WRITTEN REPORT SUMMARIZING THE COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM TO17
THE WILDFIRE MATTERS REVIEW COMMITTEE CREATED IN SECTION18
2-3-1602 (1)(a) OR, IF THE COMMITTEE NO LONGER EXISTS, TO BOTH THE19
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AGRICULTURE, WATER, AND NATURAL20
RESOURCES COMMITTEE AND THE SENATE AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL21
RESOURCES COMMITTEE, OR THEIR SUCCESSOR COMMITTEES. THE FOREST22
SERVICE SHALL POST COPIES OF THE REPORTS ON ITS WEBSITE .23
(b) NOTWITHSTANDING SECTION 24-1-136 (11)(a)(I), THE WRITTEN24
REPORT SPECIFIED IN SUBSECTION (4)(a) OF THIS SECTION CONTINUES25
INDEFINITELY.26
SECTION 2. Appropriation. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year,27
1006
-4- $200,000 is appropriated to the department of higher education for use by1
the Colorado commission on higher education and higher education2
special purpose programs. This appropriation is from the general fund and3
is based on an assumption that the department will require an additional4
0.4 FTE. To implement this act, the department may use this5
appropriation for the Colorado state forest service at Colorado state6
university.7
SECTION 3. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act8
takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the9
ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except10
that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V11
of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this12
act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take13
effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in14
November 2024 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the15
official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.16
1006
-5-