First Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REREVISED
This Version Includes All Amendments
Adopted in the Second House
LLS NO. 25-0213.01 Jennifer Berman x3286
SENATE BILL 25-055
Senate Committees House Committees
Health & Human Services Energy & Environment
Appropriations
A BILL FOR AN ACT
C
ONCERNING MEASURES TO INVOLV E YOUTH IN ENVIRONMENTAL101
JUSTICE, AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, MAKING AN102
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/
.)
Representative Hugh McKean Colorado Youth Advisory
Council Review Committee. The environmental justice advisory board
in the department of public health and environment (advisory board)
advises the environmental justice ombudsperson, develops
recommendations related to adverse environmental effects on
HOUSE
3rd Reading Unamended
April 17, 2025
HOUSE
Amended 2nd Reading
April 16, 2025
SENATE
3rd Reading Unamended
February 5, 2025
SENATE
2nd Reading Unamended
February 4, 2025
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Winter F. and Marchman, Amabile, Ball, Bridges, Coleman, Cutter, Exum, Gonzales J.,
Jaquez Lewis, Jodeh, Kolker, Michaelson Jenet, Sullivan, Weissman
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Joseph and Bacon, Boesenecker, Brown, Carter, Clifford, Froelich, Jackson, Lieder,
Lindsay, Mabrey, McCluskie, Rutinel, Sirota, Smith, Stewart K., Story, Valdez, Velasco,
Willford
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. disproportionately impacted communities, and supports the
implementation of a grant program to finance environmental mitigation
projects. Section 1 of the bill replaces one voting member of the advisory
board with a youth voting member who is between 14 and 21 years of age
and adds one youth nonvoting member to the advisory board.
Section 2 requires the Colorado energy office (office), on or
before December 31, 2025, to develop and post on its website best
practices for the adoption and financing of clean energy resources in
schools. The office is required to periodically update the best practices
and post the updates on its website.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 25-1-134, amend2
(2)(b), (2)(c) introductory portion, (2)(c)(I), (2)(c)(III), and (2)(d)(I); and3
add (2)(c)(III.5), (2)(d)(III), and (2)(d.5) as follows:4
25-1-134. Environmental justice - ombudsperson - advisory5
board - grant program - definitions - repeal. (2) Environmental6
justice advisory board. (b) Except as otherwise provided in this7
subsection (2), the members of the advisory board are appointed by the8
governor. The governor shall make the initial appointments as soon as
9
practicable, but no later than four months after July 2, 2021. An10
appointing authority may remove a member of the advisory board for11
malfeasance in office, failure to regularly attend meetings, or any cause12
that renders the member unable or unfit to discharge the member's duties.13
(c) The advisory board consists of the following twelve FOURTEEN14
members who, to the extent practicable, must reside in different15
geographic areas of the state, reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of the16
state, and have experience with a range of environmental issues, including17
air pollution, water contamination, and public health impacts:18
(I) (A) Four FIVE voting members appointed by the governor, who19
must be or have been residents of a disproportionately impacted20
055-2- community, ONE OF WHOM IS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS FOURTEEN YEARS OF1
AGE OR OLDER BUT LESS THAN TWENTY -TWO YEARS OF AGE AT THE TIME2
OF APPOINTMENT.3
(B) E
XCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION (2)(c)(I)(C) OF THIS4
SECTION, THE YOUTH VOTING MEMBER DESCRIBED IN THIS SUBSECTION5
(2)(c)(I)
IS FIRST APPOINTED AS A NONVOTING MEMBER PURSUANT TO6
SUBSECTION (2)(c)(III.5) OF THIS SECTION AND, AFTER SERVING ONE YEAR7
OF THE MEMBER'S TERM, BECOMES A VOTING MEMBER PURSUANT TO THIS8
SUBSECTION (2)(c)(I) AND SUBSECTION (2)(d)(III) OF THIS SECTION FOR9
THE REMAINDER OF THE MEMBER 'S TERM.10
(C) O
N OR BEFORE SEPTEMBER 15, 2025, THE GOVERNOR SHALL11
APPOINT AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS FOURTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER BUT12
LESS THAN TWENTY-TWO YEARS OF AGE AT THE TIME OF APPOINTMENT TO13
SERVE A SINGLE ONE-YEAR TERM AS A YOUTH VOTING MEMBER OF THE14
ADVISORY BOARD. THEREAFTER, THIS YOUTH VOTING MEMBER'S SEAT ON15
THE ADVISORY BOARD SHALL BE FILLED PURSUANT TO THE PROCESS16
DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (2)(c)(I)(B) OF THIS SECTION. THIS SUBSECTION17
(2)(c)(I)(C)
IS REPEALED, EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2026.18
(III) The executive director of the department, or the executive19
director's designee, as a nonvoting member; and
20
(III.5) A
N INDIVIDUAL WHO IS FOURTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER21
BUT LESS THAN TWENTY -TWO YEARS OF AGE AT THE TIME OF22
APPOINTMENT, AS A YOUTH NONVOTING MEMBER APPOINTED BY THE23
GOVERNOR; AND24
(d) (I) Except as provided in subsection (2)(d)(II)
SUBSECTIONS25
(2)(d)(II)
AND (2)(d)(III) of this section, each member's term of26
appointment is four years. Voting members may serve no more than two27
055
-3- terms; EXCEPT THAT A YOUTH VOTING MEMBER WHO IS FOURTEEN YEARS1
OF AGE OR OLDER BUT LESS THAN TWENTY -TWO YEARS OF AGE AT THE2
TIME OF APPOINTMENT MAY SERVE ONLY A SINGLE TERM . The governor3
shall fill any vacancies on the advisory board, including for the remainder4
of any unexpired term. A member appointed to fill a vacancy may serve5
the remainder of the unexpired term of the member whose vacancy is6
being filled, and this remainder counts as one term for that appointee.7
(III) A
YOUTH MEMBER WHO IS FOURTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER8
BUT LESS THAN TWENTY -TWO YEARS OF AGE AT THE TIME OF9
APPOINTMENT AND WHO IS APPOINTED AS A YOUTH NONVOTING MEMBER10
PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (2)(c)(III.5) OF THIS SECTION SERVES A SINGLE11
TWO-YEAR TERM. AFTER SERVING ONE YEAR OF THE MEMBER'S TWO-YEAR12
TERM, THE MEMBER BECOMES A YOUTH VOTING MEMBER PURSUANT TO13
SUBSECTION (2)(c)(I)(B) OF THIS SECTION FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE14
MEMBER'S TERM.15
(d.5) (I) T
HE GOVERNOR SHALL MAKE THE INITIAL APPOINTMENT16
OF THE YOUTH NONVOTING MEMBER APPOINTED PURSUANT TO17
SUBSECTION (2)(c)(III.5) OF THIS SECTION ON OR BEFORE SEPTEMBER 15,18
2025.19
(II) T
HIS SUBSECTION (2)(d.5) IS REPEALED, EFFECTIVE JULY 1,20
2026.21
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 24-38.5-123 as22
follows:23
24-38.5-123. Best practices for clean energy resources in24
schools - creation - updates - publication. (1) O
N OR BEFORE25
D
ECEMBER 31, 2025, THE COLORADO ENERGY OFFICE SHALL DEVELOP26
AND POST ON ITS WEBSITE BEST PRACTICES FOR ADOPTING AND FINANCING27
055
-4- CLEAN ENERGY RESOURCES IN SCHOOLS . THE BEST PRACTICES MUST1
INCLUDE:2
(a) A
DESCRIPTION OF CLEAN ENERGY RESOURCES AND THEIR3
COSTS AND BENEFITS;4
(b) F
OR EACH CLEAN ENERGY RESOURCE DESCRIBED IN5
SUBSECTION (1)(a) OF THIS SECTION, A LIST OF RECOMMENDED PROVIDERS6
OF THE CLEAN ENERGY RESOURCE IN THE STATE ;7
(c) A
NY GRANTS, LOANS, AND OTHER FINANCING SOURCES8
AVAILABLE TO SCHOOLS TO HELP FINANCE THE USE OF CLEAN ENERGY9
RESOURCES IN SCHOOLS; AND10
(d) R
ESOURCES THAT STUDENTS MAY USE IN DEVELOPING11
PROPOSALS FOR THE ADOPTION AND FINANCING OF CLEAN ENERGY12
RESOURCES IN THEIR SCHOOLS.13
(2) T
HE COLORADO ENERGY OFFICE SHALL PERIODICALLY REVIEW14
AND UPDATE THE BEST PRACTICES AND POST ANY UPDATES MADE TO THE15
BEST PRACTICES ON ITS WEBSITE.16
SECTION 3. Appropriation. For the 2025-26 state fiscal year,17
$5,042 is appropriated to the department of public health and18
environment. This appropriation is from the community impact cash fund19
created in section 25-7-129 (1), C.R.S. To implement this act, the20
department may use this appropriation for environmental justice program21
costs.22
SECTION 4. Act subject to petition - effective date. Section 323
of this act takes effect only if Senate Bill 25-265 becomes law, and the24
remainder of this act takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the25
expiration of the ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general26
assembly; except that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section27
055
-5- 1 (3) of article V of the state constitution against this act or an item,1
section, or part of this act within such period, then the act, item, section,2
or part will not take effect unless approved by the people at the general3
election to be held in November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect4
on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.5
055
-6-