HOUSE BILL 24-1006
BY REPRESENTATIVE(S) Velasco and Snyder, Bird, Boesenecker,
Brown, Clifford, Duran, English, Froelich, Garcia, Hamrick, Herod, Jodeh,
Joseph, Lieder, Lindsay, Lukens, Lynch, Mabrey, McCormick, McLachlan,
Ricks, Rutinel, Story, Weinberg, Weissman, McCluskie, Amabile, Catlin,
Ortiz, Titone, Willford;
also SENATOR(S) Cutter and Will, Jaquez Lewis, Ginal, Bridges, Exum,
Fields, Gonzales, Marchman, Michaelson Jenet, Priola, Roberts, Fenberg.
C
ONCERNING ASSISTANCE FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES TO APPLY FOR
WILDFIRE
-RELATED GRANT MONEY, AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH,
MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 23-31-321 as
follows:
23-31-321. Wildfire mitigation and preparedness - rural grant
navigator grant program - creation - administration - reporting -
definitions. (1) A
S USED IN THIS SECTION, UNLESS THE CONTEXT
OTHERWISE REQUIRES
:
NOTE: This bill has been prepared for the signatures of the appropriate legislative
officers and the Governor. To determine whether the Governor has signed the bill
or taken other action on it, please consult the legislative status sheet, the legislative
history, or the Session Laws.
________
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material added to existing law; dashes
through words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law and such material is not part of
the act. (a) "DEPARTMENT" MEANS THE DEPARTMENT OF LOCAL AFFAIRS
CREATED IN SECTION
24-1-125.
(b) "F
OREST SERVICE" MEANS THE COLORADO STATE FOREST
SERVICE IDENTIFIED IN SECTION
23-31-302.
(c) "N
ONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION " OR "NGO" HAS THE
MEANING SET FORTH IN SECTION
24-37.5-102 (20).
(d) "R
URAL GRANT NAVIGATOR GRANT PROGRAM " OR "COMPETITIVE
GRANT PROGRAM
" MEANS THE COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED
UNDER SUBSECTION
(2)(a) OF THIS SECTION.
(2) (a) T
HE FOREST SERVICE SHALL ESTABLISH A RURAL GRANT
NAVIGATOR GRANT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE GRANT MONEY FOR
NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDING OUTREACH AND
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
, INCLUDING GRANT WRITING ASSISTANCE, TO RURAL
COMMUNITIES SEEKING TO APPLY FOR FEDERAL OR STATE GRANTS RELATED
TO WILDFIRE MITIGATION AND PREPAREDNESS
.
(b) O
N OR AFTER MARCH 1, 2025, AN NGO ASSISTING ONE OR MORE
RURAL COMMUNITIES WITH OBTAINING FEDERAL OR STATE GRANTS RELATED
TO WILDFIRE MITIGATION OR PREPAREDNESS MAY APPLY TO THE FOREST
SERVICE FOR GRANT MONEY IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICATION AND
ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES THAT THE FOREST SERVICE ESTABLISHES PURSUANT
TO SUBSECTION
(3) OF THIS SECTION FOR THE COMPETITIVE GRANT
PROGRAM
.
(3) (a) T
HE FOREST SERVICE SHALL CONSULT WITH NGOS THAT
CURRENTLY ASSIST OR ARE SEEKING TO ASSIST
COLORADO COMMUNITIES
WITH WILDFIRE MITIGATION AND PREPAREDNESS TO DEVELOP CRITERIA AND
GUIDELINES FOR THE COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM
.
(b) T
HE CRITERIA AND GUIDELINES DEVELOPED PURSUANT TO
SUBSECTION
(3)(a) OF THIS SECTION MUST:
(I) B
E COMPLETED AND POSTED ON THE WEBSITE OF THE FOREST
SERVICE ON OR BEFORE
FEBRUARY 28, 2025; AND
(II) INCLUDE CRITERIA AND GUIDELINES FOR AT LEAST THE
PAGE 2-HOUSE BILL 24-1006 FOLLOWING ASPECTS OF THE COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM :
(A) E
LIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR NGO APPLICANTS ASSISTING
RURAL COMMUNITIES IN SEEKING FEDERAL OR STATE GRANT MONEY FOR
WILDFIRE MITIGATION AND PREPAREDNESS EFFORTS
;
(B) A
PPLICATION REQUIREMENTS; AND
(C) PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS FOR SELECTED NGOS,
INCLUDING REQUIREMENTS FOR COORDINATION BETWEEN SELECTED NGOS
TO ENSURE NONDUPLICATION OF EFFORTS AND FOR PERIODIC REPORTING
.
(c) (I) A
FTER THE FOREST SERVICE HAS CREATED THE COMPETITIVE
GRANT PROGRAM
, THE FOREST SERVICE, TO THE BEST OF ITS ABILITY, SHALL
CONSULT ON EFFECTIVE USES OF THE GRANT MONEY AND SUCCESSFUL
OUTCOMES WITH
:
(A) T
HE DEPARTMENT;
(B) T
HE DIVISION OF FIRE PREVENTION AND CONTROL CREATED IN
SECTION
24-33.5-1201 (1)(a);
(C) T
HE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE;
(D) A
RURAL COUNTY ON THE WESTERN SLOPE ;
(E) A
RURAL COUNTY ON THE EASTERN PLAINS ; AND
(F) A RURAL COUNTY IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE STATE .
(II) T
HE FOREST SERVICE, IN CONSULTATION WITH SELECTED NGOS,
SHALL DEVELOP METRICS TO HELP THE FOREST SERVICE ASSESS THE SUCCESS
OF THE COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM
.
(4) (a) O
N OR BEFORE MARCH 1, 2026, AND ON OR BEFORE MARCH
1 EACH YEAR THEREAFTER, THE FOREST SERVICE SHALL SUBMIT A WRITTEN
REPORT SUMMARIZING THE COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM TO THE WILDFIRE
MATTERS REVIEW COMMITTEE CREATED IN SECTION
2-3-1602 (1)(a) OR, IF
THE COMMITTEE NO LONGER EXISTS
, TO BOTH THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES AGRICULTURE
, WATER, AND NATURAL RESOURCES
PAGE 3-HOUSE BILL 24-1006 COMMITTEE AND THE SENATE AGRICULTU RE AND NATURAL RESOURCES
COMMITTEE
, OR THEIR SUCCESSOR COMMITTEES. THE FOREST SERVICE SHALL
POST COPIES OF THE REPORTS ON ITS WEBSITE
.
(b) N
OTWITHSTANDING SECTION 24-1-136 (11)(a)(I), THE WRITTEN
REPORT SPECIFIED IN SUBSECTION
(4)(a) OF THIS SECTION CONTINUES
INDEFINITELY
.
SECTION 2. Appropriation. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year,
$300,000 is appropriated to the department of higher education for use by
the Colorado commission on higher education and higher education special
purpose programs. This appropriation is from the general fund and is based
on an assumption that the department will require an additional 0.4 FTE. To
implement this act, the department may use this appropriation for the
Colorado state forest service at Colorado state university. Any money
appropriated in this section not expended prior to July 1, 2025, is further
appropriated to the department of higher education for the 2025-26,
2026-27, and 2027-28 state fiscal years for the same purpose.
SECTION 3. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act
takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except
that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V
of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act
within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect
unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in
PAGE 4-HOUSE BILL 24-1006 November 2024 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official
declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.
____________________________ ____________________________
Julie McCluskie Steve Fenberg
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE PRESIDENT OF
OF REPRESENTATIVES THE SENATE
____________________________ ____________________________
Robin Jones Cindi L. Markwell
CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE SECRETARY OF
OF REPRESENTATIVES THE SENATE
APPROVED________________________________________
(Date and Time)
_________________________________________
Jared S. Polis
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF COLORADO
PAGE 5-HOUSE BILL 24-1006