First Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REREVISED
This Version Includes All Amendments
Adopted in the Second House
LLS NO. 25-0247.01 Michael Dohr x4347
SENATE BILL 25-031
Senate Committees House Committees
Business, Labor, & Technology Business Affairs & Labor
Appropriations
A BILL FOR AN ACT
C
ONCERNING GOVERNMENT AGENCY ASSISTANCE IN SERVICES101
RELATED TO WIRELESS COMMUNICATION .102
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/
.)
Cell Phone Connectivity Interim Study Committee. The bill
requires the division of homeland security and emergency management
in the department of public safety (division) to develop a single point of
contact within the division to:
! Help ensure statewide coverage of the integrated public
alert and warning system for wireless emergency alerts and
HOUSE
3rd Reading Unamended
April 14, 2025
HOUSE
Amended 2nd Reading
April 11, 2025
SENATE
3rd Reading Unamended
March 19, 2025
SENATE
Amended 2nd Reading
March 18, 2025
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Roberts, Cutter, Jodeh, Marchman, Michaelson Jenet, Weissman
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Soper and Velasco, Bacon,
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. the emergency alert system;
! Provide technical assistance to local jurisdictions on
becoming integrated public alert and warning system
certified;
! Provide technical assistance, consistent with the language
access in emergency communications study, to implement
best practices for inclusive alerting; and
! Offer recommendations to improve current wireless alert
systems in Colorado that address language and access
needs.
Under current law, the Colorado broadband office (office) has
certain duties related to broadband in Colorado. The bill requires the
office to also perform those duties for wireless services.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 24-37.5-903, amend
2
(2)(b) as follows:3
24-37.5-903. Colorado broadband office - creation -4
responsibilities - gifts, grants, or donations. (2) (b) The broadband5
office shall provide technical assistance to applicants seeking grant6
awards from the grant program or other state or federal grant7
opportunities offered for deploying broadband
AND WIRELESS service.
8
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 24-33.5-719 as9
follows:10
24-33.5-719. Emergency alerts - definitions. (1) (a) B
EGINNING
11
J
ULY 1, 2027, AN ALERTING AUTHORITY SHALL DISSEMINATE EMERGENCY
12
ALERTS IN ENGLISH AND IN A PREDOMINANT MINORITY LANGUAGE IF THE13
ALERTING AUTHORITY COVERS A COUNTY OR CITY IN WHICH AT LEAST TWO14
THOUSAND OR TWO AND ONE -HALF PERCENT OF RESIDENTS WHO ARE15
EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR OLDE R SPEAK THE PREDOMINANT MINORITY16
LANGUAGE AND SPEAK ENGLISH LESS THAN VERY WELL, AS REPORTED BY17
THE UNITED STATES CENSUS BUREAU'S AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY18
031-2- OR COMPARABLE AVAILABLE AND VALIDATED CENSUS DATA .1
(b) A
N EMERGENCY ALERT MUST BE SENT IN THE TIMELIEST
2
MANNER POSSIBLE WHEN USING EMERGENCY MESSAGING SYSTEMS AND3
EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEMS . AN ALERTING AUTHORITY MAY4
DISSEMINATE EMERGENCY ALERTS BY USING PRELOADED RESIDENT DATA5
AND VOLUNTARY REGISTRATIONS . AN ALERTING AUTHORITY SHALL6
COMPLY WITH 42 U.S.C. SEC. 12101 ET SEQ., WHEN DISSEMINATING7
EMERGENCY ALERTS.8
(c) E
MERGENCY ALERTS MUST BE IN PLAIN LANGUAGE .
9
(d) E
MERGENCY ALERTS SENT IN ENGLISH VIA
AN EMERGENCY10
MESSAGING SYSTEM MUST ALSO BE SENT BY ALERTING AUTHORITIES IN11
PREDOMINATE MINORITY LANGUAGES THAT THE SYSTEM SUPPORTS .12
(2) I
N ADDITION TO COMPLIANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS IN
13
SUBSECTION (1) OF THIS SECTION, THE STATE, COUNTIES, MUNICIPALITIES,14
AND ALERTING AUTHORITIES ARE ENCOURAGED TO USE AVAILABLE15
TECHNOLOGY TO ISSUE EMERGENCY ALERTS IN AS MANY LANGUAGES AS16
POSSIBLE IN THE SAME METHOD AS AN ENGLISH ALERT.17
(3) (a) T
HE STATE MAY PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO COUNTIES ,
18
MUNICIPALITIES, AND ALERTING AUTHORITIES IN IMPLEMENTING THIS19
SECTION.20
(b) E
ACH ALERTING AUTHORITY THAT IS REQUIRED TO SEND
21
EMERGENCY ALERTS IN A PREDOMINANT MINORITY LANGUAGE PURSUANT22
TO SUBSECTION (1) OF THIS SECTION IS ENCOURAGED TO CONDUCT23
COMMUNITY OUTREACH TO INFORM PEOPLE WITH LIMITED ENGLISH24
PROFICIENCY OF THE AVAILABILITY OF LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION AND25
TRANSLATION OPTIONS FOR EMERGENCY ALERTS . EXISTING EMERGENCY26
NOTIFICATION SYSTEMS INSTALLED OR SUBSCRIBED TO BY AN ALERTING27
031
-3- AUTHORITY MUST ADHERE TO THIS SECTION AS THE ALERTING1
APPLICATION ALLOWS AND IN THE TIMELIEST MANNER . ALERTING2
AUTHORITIES THAT ARE REQUIRED TO SEND EMERGENCY ALERTS IN A3
PREDOMINANT MINORITY LAN GUAGE PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (1) OF4
THIS SECTION MAY MEET THE REQUIREMENTS BY ANY AVAILABLE METHOD ,5
INCLUDING TECHNOLOGY , EMPLOYEES, OR VENDORS.6
(4) T
HE 911 SERVICES ENTERPRISE CREATED IN SECTION 29-11-108
7
MAY DISTRIBUTE GRANTS TO MUNICIPAL OR COUNTY ALERTING8
AUTHORITIES TO IMPLEMENT LANGUAGE AND ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES FOR9
EMERGENCY ALERTS . THE ENTERPRISE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SHALL10
DETERMINE THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF THE GRANTS AND THE MANNER OF11
DISTRIBUTION OF THE GRANTS. THE 911 SERVICES ENTERPRISE SHALL USE12
ENTERPRISE FUNDS TO SUPPORT DISTRIBUTION OF THE GRANTS .13
(5) F
OR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION , UNLESS THE CONTEXT
14
OTHERWISE REQUIRES:15
(a) "A
LERTING AUTHORITY" MEANS A JURISDICTION WITH THE
16
DESIGNATED AUTHORITY TO ALERT AND WARN THE PUBLIC WHEN THERE17
IS AN IMPENDING NATURAL OR HUMAN -MADE DISASTER, THREAT, OR18
DANGEROUS OR MISSING PERSON .19
20
(b) "EMERGENCY ALERT " MEANS CRITICAL LIFE SAFETY21
INFORMATION DISSEMINATED BY AN ALERTING AUTHORITY THAT ADVISES22
THE PUBLIC TO PREPARE TO TAKE ACTION OR TAKE ACTION IMMEDIATELY23
DUE TO AN IMMINENT LIFE THREAT.24
(c) "EMERGENCY MESSAGING SYSTEM " MEANS EMERGENCY25
MESSAGES FROM AUTHORIZED FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, AND TERRITORIAL26
PUBLIC ALERTING AUTHORITIES THAT MAY BE SENT IN MULTIPLE DELIVERY27
031
-4- FORMATS, VIA FEDERAL ALERTING GATEWAYS TO COMMERCIAL MOBILE1
SERVICE PROVIDERS OR BROADCASTERS OR VIA STATE OR LOCAL ALERTING2
PLATFORMS TO PRE-ENABLED DEVICES IN A LOCALLY TARGETED AREA .3
THE SYSTEM UTILIZING FEDERAL ALERTING GATEWAYS IS A PARTNERSHIP4
AMONG THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, THE FEDERAL5
COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION, AND WIRELESS PROVIDERS TO ENHANCE6
PUBLIC SAFETY.7
(d) "E
MERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM " MEANS A
8
COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM OR NETWORK OF SYSTEMS , AS DEFINED BY THE9
ALERTING AUTHORITY, THAT DOES NOT UTILIZE FEDERAL ALERTING10
GATEWAYS AND IS DESIGNED TO QUICKLY ALERT THE PUBLIC TO CRITICAL11
LIFE SAFETY INFORMATION THROUGH MULTIPLE COMMUNICATIONS12
CHANNELS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, TEXT MESSAGES, PHONE13
CALLS, EMAILS, OR DESKTOP ALERTS.14
(e) "P
REDOMINANT MINORITY LANGUAGE " MEANS A LANGUAGE
15
SPOKEN BY AT LEAST TWO THOUSAND OR TWO AND ONE -HALF PERCENT OF16
RESIDENTS WHO ARE EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER WHO ALSO SPEAK17
E
NGLISH LESS THAN VERY WELL IN A CITY OR COUNTY WITHIN AN
18
ALERTING AUTHORITY'S JURISDICTION, AS REPORTED BY THE AMERICAN19
COMMUNITY SURVEY DATA OR COMPARABLE AVAILABLE AND VALIDATED20
CENSUS DATA.21
SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 29-11-108, add22
(5)(b)(V.5) as follows:23
29-11-108. 911 services enterprise - creation - powers and24
duties - cash fund - legislative declaration. (5) The enterprise's primary25
powers and duties are to:26
(b) Distribute funding to governing bodies, PSAPs, statewide 91127
031
-5- organizations, or third parties for the benefit of governing bodies or1
PSAPs for purposes that are pre-approved by the board of directors of the2
enterprise and are consistent with applicable statutes, regulations,3
ordinances, policies, and procedures. The purposes may include:4
(V.5) A
WARDING GRANTS TO LOCAL ALERTING AUTHORITIES , AS
5
DEFINED IN SECTION 24-33.5-719 (5), TO IMPLEMENT LANGUAGE AND6
ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES FOR EMERGENCY ALERTS ;7
8
SECTION 4. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 29-11-102.5, add9
(1.5) as follows:10
29-11-102.5. Imposition of charge on prepaid wireless -11
prepaid wireless trust cash fund - rules - applicability - definitions -12
repeal. (1.5) T
HIS SECTION APPLIES TO PREPAID WIRELESS
13
TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICE . ALL OTHER TELECOMMUNICATION14
SERVICES ARE SUBJECT TO SECTIONS 29-11-102 AND 29-11-102.3.15
SECTION 5. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 40-17.5-101, add16
(9.5) as follows:17
40-17.5-101. Definitions. As used in this article 17.5, unless the18
context otherwise requires:19
(9.5) "P
REPAID WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICE ", FOR
20
THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, HAS THE SAME MEANING AS IN SECTION21
29-11-101.22
SECTION 6. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act23
takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the24
ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except25
that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V26
of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this27
031
-6- act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take1
effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in2
November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the3
official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.4
031
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