First Regular Session Seventy-fifth General Assembly STATE OF COLORADO INTRODUCED LLS NO. 25-0583.01 Jennifer Berman x3286 SENATE BILL 25-068 Senate Committees House Committees Transportation & Energy A BILL FOR AN ACT C ONCERNING A MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITY 'S VOLUNTARY101 ELECTION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE UNCLAIMED UTILITY102 DEPOSITS PROGRAM.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 .) The unclaimed utility deposits program (program) helps finance electric and gas utility bill payment assistance for income-qualified households. The program is partially funded by electric and gas utilities' contributions of money that are owed to utility ratepayers but that has remained unclaimed by the ratepayers for more than 2 years. The bill SENATE SPONSORSHIP Snyder and Lundeen, Exum, Liston HOUSE SPONSORSHIP Pugliese and Paschal, Bradfield, Caldwell, English, Richardson 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. clarifies that a municipally owned electric or gas utility may elect to participate in the program. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1 SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, amend 40-8.5-1022 as follows:3 40-8.5-102. Applicability. This article shall apply ARTICLE 8.54 APPLIES to any electric or gas utility, as defined by section 40-8.5-103;5 except that this article shall apply ARTICLE 8.5 APPLIES only to those6 cooperative electric associations, as defined by section 40-9.5-102, which7 OR MUNICIPALLY OWNED ELECTRIC OR GAS UTILITIES THAT notify the8 commission that they elect to come under this article ARTICLE 8.5.9 SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 40-8.5-103, amend10 (3) and (4) as follows:11 40-8.5-103. Definitions. As used in this article 8.5, unless the12 context otherwise requires:13 (3) "Electric utility" means every electrical corporation operating14 for the purpose of supplying electricity to the public for domestic,15 mechanical, or public uses and includes every public utility supplying16 electricity; except that this definition includes only those cooperative17 electric associations which AND MUNICIPALLY OWNED ELECTRIC UTILITIES18 THAT notify the commission that they elect to come under this article19 ARTICLE 8.5.20 (4) "Gas utility" means every gas corporation operating for the21 purpose of supplying gas to the public for domestic, mechanical, or public22 uses and includes every public utility supplying gas; EXCEPT THAT THIS23 DEFINITION INCLUDES ONLY THOSE MUNICIPALLY OWNED GAS UTILITIES24 THAT NOTIFY THE COMMISSION THAT THEY ELECT TO COME UNDER THIS25 SB25-068-2- ARTICLE 8.5.1 SECTION 3. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act2 takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the3 ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except4 that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V5 of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this6 act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take7 effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in8 November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the9 official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.10 SB25-068 -3-