SB 25-120
Fiscal Note
Legislative Council Staff
Nonpartisan Services for Colorado’s Legislature
SB 25-120: NUCLEAR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT & ED PROGRAM
Prime Sponsors:
Sen. Liston; Marchman
Rep. Soper
Published for: Senate Education
Drafting number: LLS 25-0765
Fiscal Analyst:
John Armstrong, 303-866-6289
john.armstrong@coleg.gov
Version: Initial Fiscal Note
Date: February 21, 2025
Fiscal note status: The fiscal note reflects the introduced bill.
Summary Information
Overview. The bill creates a grant program in the Department of Higher Education to distribute funds to
institutions of higher education to expand programs related to nuclear energy.
Types of impacts. The bill is projected to affect the following areas through FY 2032-33:
State Expenditures State Revenue
Appropriations. Conditional on the receipt of sufficient gifts, grants and donations, the bill requires an
appropriation of $500,000 to the Department of Higher Education in FY 2025-26.
Table 1
State Fiscal Impacts
Type of Impact
Budget Year
FY 2025-26
Out Year
FY 2026-27
State Revenue (Cash Funds – Gifts, Grants & Donations) $500,000 $500,000
State Expenditures (Cash Funds – Gifts, Grants & Donations) $500,000 $500,000
Transferred Funds $0 $0
Change in TABOR Refunds $0 $0
Change in State FTE 1.0 FTE 1.0 FTE
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February 21, 2025 SB 25-120
Summary of Legislation
The bill creates the Colorado Nuclear Workforce Development and Education Program in the
Department of Higher Education (CDHE). This program provides grants to institutions of higher
education (IHEs) to develop or expand nuclear engineering degree programs.
The bill creates a seven-member council in the CDHE to make recommendations to the CDHE on
grant applications and appropriate award amounts. The council consists of energy experts and
department representatives appointed by the Governor and legislative leadership. Members of
the council are not compensated but may be reimbursed for expenses. The council must meet
once in 2026 and quarterly in subsequent years.
The bill creates the Nuclear Workforce Development and Education Cash Fund, which may
receive gifts, grants and donations. The CDHE may only begin awarding grants to IHEs once the
cash fund balance reaches at least $500,000.
Assumptions
The bill specifies that CDHE must only begin awarding grants once $500,000 in gifts, grants, and
donations has been received and that no General Fund appropriations may be made for the
program. The fiscal note assumes that the council will not meet and no administrative
expenditures will be incurred until sufficient gifts, grants, and donations are received. If sufficient
funding is not received, the fiscal note assumes that the program will not be implemented.
State Revenue
The bill may increase state revenue from gifts, grants, and donations to the Nuclear Workforce
Development and Education Cash Fund. At least $500,000 must be received for the program to
be implemented. For informational purposes, the fiscal note indicates $500,000 per year starting
in FY 2025-26, but actual revenue may vary. At the time of writing, no sources of funding have
been identified. The grant program will not be implemented until the balance in the cash fund
balance is at least that amount is received. Gifts, grants and donations are not subject to the
state’s TABOR revenue limit.
State Expenditures
Conditional upon the receipt of sufficient gifts, grants, and donations, the bill increases state
expenditures in the Department of Higher Education paid from the Nuclear Workforce
Development and Education Cash Fund. If funding is received, the program will have costs of at
least $500,000 in one fiscal year. For informational purposes, the fiscal note shows program
costs if $500,000 in gifts, grants, or donations is received each year starting in FY 2025-26, as
listed in Table 2 and discussed below. The bill also minimally affects workload the Office of the
Governor. Page 3
February 21, 2025 SB 25-120
Table 2
State Expenditures
Department of Higher Education
Cost Component
Budget Year
FY 2025-26
Out Year
FY 2026-27
Personal Services $101,229 $101,229
Operating Expenses $1,280 $1,280
Capital Outlay Costs $6,670 $0
Meeting Expenses $1,575 $2,100
Grants to Institutions of Higher Education $367,408 $373,553
Centrally Appropriated Costs $21,838 $21,838
Total Costs $500,000 $500,000
Total FTE 1.0 FTE 1.0 FTE
Department of Higher Education
Staff
CDHE requires 1.0 FTE Project Manager to implement this bill. This Project Manager will
coordinate policy, establish guidelines and provide technical assistance to the council and to
institutions. This project manager will also disburse funds, review grant applications and write
required reports. Costs include standard operating and capital outlay costs.
Meeting Expenses
If funding is received, the council is assumed to meet 3 times in FY 2025-26 and quarterly
thereafter. The fiscal note assumes that each of the seven council members will incur an average
of $75 per meeting to reimburse travel expenses to attend meetings and conduct stake holding
with institutions of higher education. This results in $2,604 in FY 2025-26 and $3,472 in FY 2026-
27 through FY 2032-33.
Grants to Institutions
Assuming $500,000 in revenue per year, about $367,000 in FY 2025-26 and about $374,000 in
subsequent years is expected to be available for grants to institutions of higher education, after
administrative expenses. The actual amount awarded will depend on available funding. Page 4
February 21, 2025 SB 25-120
Governor’s Office
Workload will minimally increase for the Governor’s Office of Boards and Commissions to make
the required appointment under the bill. This work can be accomplished within existing
appropriations.
Institutions of Higher Education
Institutions that apply for grants will have an increase in workload and expenditures to develop
or expand nuclear programs.
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 may include
employee insurance, supplemental employee retirement payments, leased space, and indirect
cost assessments, are shown in the expenditure table(s) above.
Effective Date
The bill takes effect 90 days following adjournment of the General Assembly sine die, assuming
no referendum petition is filed.
State Appropriations
Conditional on the receipt of sufficient gifts, grants and donations, for FY 2025-26, the bill
requires an appropriation of $500,000 from the Nuclear Workforce Development and Education
Cash Fund to the Department of Higher Education, and 1.0 FTE.
Departmental Difference
The Department of Higher Education estimates that the bill requires an additional $73,226 and
1.0 FTE to administer the grant program. This estimate includes 1.0 FTE Accountant to manage
the cash fund and distribute grants to institutions of higher education.
The fiscal note differs from this estimate by assuming that the accounting functions can be
accomplished by existing CDHE staff or by the Project Manager included in the State
Expenditures section.
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February 21, 2025 SB 25-120
State and Local Government Contacts
Governor’s Office Higher Education
Treasury
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.