§ 37-60-123.3. Water Plan Implementation Cash Fund – Created – Repeal

1. 1. There is hereby created in the state treasury the water plan implementation cash fund, referred to in this section as the “fund”. The fund consists of sports betting revenues transferred from the sports betting fund in accordance with section 44-30-1509 and any other money that the general assembly may appropriate or transfer to the fund. The state treasurer shall credit all interest and income derived from the deposit and investment of money in the fund to the fund.
   2. 1. The state treasurer shall transfer fifteen million dollars from the general fund to the fund. The board may use up to five percent of the money transferred by this subsection (1)(b)(I) to administer grants made pursuant to subsection (2)(a) of this section. By July 1, 2023, the board shall award pursuant to subsection (2) of this section all of the money transferred by this subsection (1)(b).
      2. This subsection (1)(b) is repealed, effective September 1, 2025.
2. From the fund, the board may approve of:
   1. Grants pursuant to section 37-60-106.3 (6);
   2. Expenditures to ensure compliance with interstate water allocation compacts, equitable apportionment decrees, international treaties, and federal laws relating to interstate storage and release, apportionment, and allocation of water, including to support projects and processes that may include compensation to water users for temporary and voluntary reductions in consumptive use that are regionally equitable and avoid disproportionate, negative economic or environmental impacts to any single subbasin or region; and
   3. Expenditures that may be necessary for the administration of grants and compact expenditures listed in subsections (2)(a) and (2)(b) of this section.

Source: L. 2019: Entire section added, (HB 19-1327), ch. 347, p. 3232, § 14, effective (see editor’s note). L. 2021: (1) amended, (HB 21-1260), ch. 331, p. 2141, § 3, effective June 24.

Editor’s note: Section 16 (2) of chapter 347 (HB 19-1327), Session Laws of Colorado 2019, provides that this section takes effect May 1, 2020, only if, at the November 2019 statewide election, a majority of voters approve the ballot question submitted pursuant to section 44-30-1514. That ballot question, referred to the registered electors as proposition DD, was approved on November 5, 2019, and was proclaimed by the Governor on December 20, 2019. The vote count for the measure was as follows:

FOR: : 800,745

AGAINST: : 756,712

Cross references: For the legislative declaration in HB 21-1260, see section 1 of chapter 331, Session Laws of Colorado 2021.