Page 1
February 26, 2024 HB 24-1309
Legislative Council Staff
Nonpartisan Services for Colorado’s Legislature
Fiscal Note
Drafting Number:
Prime Sponsors:
LLS 24-0734
Rep. Taggart
Sen. Rich
Date:
Bill Status:
Fiscal Analyst:
February 26, 2024
House Ag., Water & Natural Res.
.Josh Abram | 303-866-3561
josh.abram@coleg.gov
Bill Topic: USE OF AIRCRAFT IN SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS
Summary of
Fiscal Impact:
☐ State Revenue
☒ State Expenditure
☐ State Transfer
☐ TABOR Refund
☒ Local Government
☐ Statutory Public Entity
The bill extends civil immunity to individuals or organizations that assists local
governments with volunteer helicopter flights in search and rescue operations. The bill
may decrease state revenue and expenditures in the Judicial Department by a minimal
amount.
Appropriation
Summary:
No appropriation is required.
Fiscal Note
Status:
The fiscal note reflects the introduced bill.
Summary of Legislation
The bill extends immunity from civil liability for damage or injury to an individual, nonprofit
organization, for-profit corporation, private organization, or other person that voluntarily assists
a local government with use of a helicopter for search and rescue operations. To receive
immunity, the individual or organization that arranges the use of, operates, or assists as a crew
member of a helicopter has done so:
for the benefit of a rescue unit or backcountry search and rescue;
on behalf of a governmental agency leading a rescue unit;
employs or contracts with a licensed pilot;
under an agreement with a governmental entity;
meeting certain safety and training requirements; and
in compliance with all requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The bill also establishes criteria that pilots and helicopters used in search and rescue operations
must satisfy in order to qualify for immunity.
Page 2
February 26, 2024 HB 24-1309
No later than January 1, 2025, the Office of Emergency Management in the Department of
Public Safety (DPS), in consultation with the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA)
and relevant sheriffs, must establish safety, notification, and airspace deconfliction guidelines
related to search and rescue operations.
State Revenue and Expenditures
The bill may reduce trial court activity and filing fee revenue in the Judicial Department. The bill
extends immunity from civil liability for damage or injury, except in cases of gross negligence or
willful misconduct, to individuals or organizations providing volunteer helicopter flights to local
governments engaged in search and rescue operations. Because the bill extends immunity from
civil liability, it potentially decreases civil cases; however, given the limited scope of the
legislation, the decrease is anticipated to be minimal and no change in appropriations is
required.
The bill increases workload for the DPS to establish safety, notification, and deconfliction
guidelines for search and rescue operations, which includes consultation with the DMVA and
local sheriffs. This effort does not require additional appropriations.
Local Government
Sheriffs’ departments from relevant counties, determined by DPS, will have some workload to
assist the Office of Emergency Management with safety, notification, and airspace deconfliction
guidelines and adopting local policy for adhering to adopted guidelines when multiple aircraft
may be involved in search and rescue.
Effective Date
The bill takes effect upon signature of the Governor, or upon becoming law without his
signature.
State and Local Government Contacts
Counties Judicial Military Affairs
Public Safety
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 the General Assembly website.