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February 23, 2024 SB 24-067
Legislative Council Staff
Nonpartisan Services for Colorado’s Legislature
Fiscal Note
Drafting Number:
Prime Sponsors:
LLS 24-0476
Sen. Jaquez Lewis
Rep. Garcia; Rutinel
Date:
Bill Status:
Fiscal Analyst:
February 23, 2024
Senate Health & Human Services
John Armstrong | 303-866-6289
john.armstrong@coleg.gov
Bill Topic: HEALTH-RELATED RESEARCH TEST SUBJECTS
Summary of
Fiscal Impact:
☐ State Revenue
☒ State Expenditure
☐ State Transfer
☐ TABOR Refund
☐ Local Government
☐ Statutory Public Entity
The bill requires facilities that conduct health research on animals to submit detailed
reports to the Department of Public Health and Environment. The bill will increase
state expenditures beginning in FY 2024-25.
Appropriation
Summary:
For FY 2024-25, the bill requires total appropriations of $5.7 million to the Colorado
Department of Public Health and Environment and higher education institutions.
Fiscal Note
Status:
The fiscal note reflects the introduced bill.
Table 1
State Fiscal Impacts Under SB 24-067
Budget Year
FY 2024-25
Out Year
FY 2025-26
Revenue - -
Expenditures General Fund $5,668,982 $3,423,293
Centrally Appropriated $21,627 $25,478
Total Expenditures $5,690,609 $3,448,771
Total FTE 6.0 FTE 7.8 FTE
Transfers - -
Other Budget Impacts General Fund Reserve $850,347 $513,494
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February 23, 2024 SB 24-067
Summary of Legislation
The bill requires any facility using animals for health-related research to annually submit the
following information to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE):
the species of all animals used;
the number of animals per species used in studies involving different levels of pain or
distress;
the number of animals per species used for scientific studies, research, toxicological
evaluation, product quality control, education, and other purposes;
the type and purpose of alternative testing methods, including federal waivers, expenditures
on testing utilizing and not utilizing animals, and information on a facility’s plan to reduce
the use of animals in testing, if any; and
a detailed methodology for how all reported information was collected
In addition, the bill requires these research facilities to offer any dog or cat to an animal shelter
or pet animal rescue for adoption before euthanizing a dog or cat. Beginning January 25, 2025,
these facilities must annually report to CDPHE the number of dogs and cats that are used for
research, as well as the number of times and the locations these animals were transferred.
Background
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) currently requires animal researchers to
report pain levels for livestock, certain mammals, and other domesticated animals. Mice, fish,
and birds are not required to be reported to the USDA.
Three institutions of higher education in the state currently conduct research on animals, the
majority of which are mice and fish, to conduct medical and social sciences research.
State Expenditures
The bill increases state General Fund expenditures by $5.7 million in FY 2024-25 and $3.5 million
in FY 2025-26 and ongoing. These costs will be incurred in the University of Colorado, the
Colorado State University, and the University of Northern Colorado, as well as the CDPHE. These
expenditures are shown in Table 2 and detailed below.
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February 23, 2024 SB 24-067
Table 2
Expenditures Under SB 24-067
FY 2024-25 FY 2025-26
University of Colorado (CU)
Personal Services $135,502 $159,415
Operating Expenses $2,176 $2,560
Capital Outlay Costs $13,340 -
Reporting Contract Hours $1,419,100 $1,419,100
Software Upgrades $300,000 -
Employee Insurance / Supplemental Retirement $32,254 $37,946
FTE – Personal Services 1.7 FTE 2.0 FTE
CU Subtotal $1,902,372 $1,619,021
Colorado State University (CSU)
Personal Services $135,502 $159,415
Operating Expenses $2,176 $2,560
Capital Outlay Costs $13,340 -
Reporting Contract Hours $626,459 $699,271
Per Diem Cat and Dog Rates $25,000 $25,000
Software Upgrades $1,200,000 $200,000
Employee Insurance / Supplemental Retirement $32,254 $37,946
FTE – Personal Services 1.7 FTE 2.0 FTE
CSU Subtotal $2,034,731 $1,124,192
University of Northern Colorado (UNC)
Personal Services $119,561 $143,473
Operating Expenses $1,920 $2,304
Capital Outlay Costs $13,340 -
Software Upgrades $1,200,000 $200,000
Employee Insurance / Supplemental Retirement $28,460 $34,151
FTE – Personal Services 1.5 FTE 1.8 FTE
UNC Subtotal $1,363,281 $379,928
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February 23, 2024 SB 24-067
Table 2
Expenditures Under SB 24-067 (Cont.)
FY 2024-25 FY 2025-26
Department of Public Health and Environment
Personal Services $95,395 $159,415
Operating Expenses $1,408 $2,560
Capital Outlay Costs $13,340 -
Consultant Services $104,000 $52,000
Software Upgrades $154,455 $86,177
Centrally Appropriated Costs
1
$21,627 $25,478
FTE – Personal Services 1.1 FTE 2.0 FTE
CDPHE Subtotal $390,225 $325,630
Total Cost $5,690,609 $3,448,771
Total FTE 6.0 FTE 7.0 FTE
1
Centrally appropriated costs are not included in the bill's appropriation.
University of Colorado. Starting in FY 2024-25, CU will have ongoing staff costs and one-time
data system costs to implement the bill.
Staff. CU will require 2.0 FTE ongoing for compliance professionals to coordinate reporting
the research protocols between the Anschutz Medical Campus and CU Boulder, as well as
review the protocols from the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee to ensure
compliance. Standard operating and capital outlay costs are included and costs are prorated
for a September 2024 start date.
Reporting hours. It is estimated that CU will require about 50 hours per animal protocol
across an estimated 617 animal protocols, most of which are mice, rats and fish which are
not subject to USDA reporting requirements. This additional reporting will increase workload
by approximately 33,000 hours annually, requiring about $1.3 million in additional staff
workload. The fiscal note assumes that CU will employ students and other staff to
accomplish this reporting.
Software upgrades. CU will upgrade three existing research database applications to add
the additional information required and consolidate reporting across their campuses,
estimated at $300,000 in one-time expenditures.
Colorado State University. Starting in FY 2024-25, CSU will incur ongoing staff costs and one-
time data system costs to implement the bill. Page 5
February 23, 2024 SB 24-067
Staff. CSU will require 2.0 FTE to classify and report the required information across an
estimated 600 animal protocols, approximately 90% of which are mice, birds, and fish which
are not subject to USDA reporting. Standard capital outlay and operating costs are included
and costs are prorated for a September 2024 start date.
Reporting hours. Similar to CU, CSU will require additional staff time across approximately
600 research projects. This will result in expenditures for contract staff, such as students, staff
and external researchers, of approximately $625,000 in FY 2024-25 and $699,000 in
FY 2025-26.
Adoption boarding. CSU will require approximately $25,000 annually to shelter cats and
dogs that await transfer to a different animal shelter.
Software upgrades. CSU will develop a new reporting system to comply with the bill, with
an estimated one-time cost of approximately $1 million, and $200,000 annually in license
and vendor fees. Costs are based on similar reporting solutions.
University of Northern Colorado. Starting in FY 2024-25, UNC will incur ongoing staff costs
and one-time data system costs to implement the bill.
Staff. UNC will require 1.8 FTE to classify and report the required information across an
estimated 40 animal protocols. Approximately 35 animal protocols annually will be mice,
fish, and other animals not subject to USDA reporting. Standard capital outlay and operating
costs are included and costs are prorated for a September 2024 start date.
Software upgrades. UNC will develop a new reporting system to comply with the bill, with
an estimated one-time cost of approximately $1 million, and $200,000 annually in license
and vendor fees. Costs are based on similar reporting solutions.
Department of Public Health and Environment. The CDPHE will have additional costs to
receive required information from higher education institutions, as outlined below.
Staff. CDPHE will require 1.3 FTE for staff to coordinate the data reporting across all animal
research facilities and develop a data collection tool. Standard capital outlay and operating
costs are included and staff are prorated for a September 2024 start date.
Consulting hours. CDPHE will employ an external consultant for approximately 1,040 hours
in FY 2024-25 and 520 hours in FY 2025-26 to provide content expertise and engage
stakeholders across animal research facilities to ensure compliance with the bill’s provisions.
The consultant rate is assumed to be $100 per hour.
Software upgrades. CDPHE will develop a cloud based data reporting platform to release to
animal research facilities, which will be developed in consultation with the Governor’s Office
of Information Technology. Costs are estimated at $155,000 in FY 2024-25 for initial
development and $86,000 annually in maintenance. Page 6
February 23, 2024 SB 24-067
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. 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, decreasing the amount of General Fund available for other purposes.
Local Government
Counties across the state often operate animal shelters or incur costs to contract out the
operation of these facilities. On average, it costs a shelter $30 per day to keep an animal in the
shelter. County animal shelters will incur increased costs to receive and house additional cats
and dogs transferred from a health-research facility. The exact cost to counties will depend on
the number of animals transferred and how long each animal is held at a shelter, and these
numbers have not been estimated in this analysis.
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 2024-25, the bill requires the following General Fund appropriations:
$1,902,372 to the University of Colorado System, and 1.7 FTE;
$2,034,731 to the Colorado State University System, and 1.7 FTE;
$1,363,281 to the University of Northern Colorado, and 1.5 FTE; and
$368,598 to the Department of Public Health and Environment, and 1.1 FTE.
State and Local Government Contacts
Agriculture Higher Education
Public Health and Environment Regulatory Agencies
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.