First Regular Session
             Sixty-seventh General Assembly
                    STATE OF COLORADO
                                                 INTRODUCED
                                                           
                                                           
 LLS NO. 09-0130.02 Jason Gelender       HOUSE BILL 09-1031
                    HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
 King S.,  Lundberg
 
                   SENATE SPONSORSHIP
 Penry and Gibbs,  Kopp
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 House Committees
 Senate Committees
 
 
 Agriculture, Livestock, & Natural Resources
 
 
 
 Appropriations
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                         A BILL FOR AN ACT
       Concerning a requirement that the state match local
            government contributions to the emergency fire fund.
       
       
                           Bill Summary
       
            (Note:  This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
       not necessarily reflect any amendments that may be subsequently
       adopted.)
       
            Interim Committee on Wildfire Issues in Wild Land-Urban
       Interface Areas.  For the 2009-10 fiscal year and for each succeeding
       fiscal year, requires the state to make an appropriation from the general
       fund to the Colorado state forest service in an amount equal to the total
       amount of voluntary contributions made during the prior fiscal year to the
       emergency fire fund (fund), which is funded by voluntary contributions
       from most counties in the state and the Denver water board and used to
       pay for emergency responses to wildfires.  Requires the state forester to
       grant the entire annual appropriation to the fund.
       
       
       
       Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
            SECTION 1.  Part 3 of article 31 of title 23, Colorado Revised
       Statutes, is amended BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION to
       read:
            23-31-309.5.  Emergency fire fund - creation - state
       appropriations - transfers to wildfire emergency response fund -
       legislative declaration.  (1)  The general assembly hereby finds and
       declares that:
            (a)  In 1967, several counties established the emergency
       fire fund as a funding source for emergency responses to
       wildfires that would otherwise be beyond the capabilities of the
       impacted county or counties.
            (b)  Since 1967, most counties and the Denver water board
       have made financial contributions to the emergency fire fund,
       which is administered by a ten-person committee composed of
       county commissioners, sheriffs, fire chiefs, and the state
       forester.  With the approval of the state forester, moneys are
       expended from the emergency fire fund to pay for emergency
       responses to wildfires.
            (c)  In recent years, the amount of moneys in the
       emergency fire fund has been insufficient to pay all of the costs
       of the emergency responses to wildfires that the fund was
       established to pay, and the governor has had to expend state
       disaster emergency moneys to cover the uncovered costs.
            (d)  It is therefore necessary, appropriate, and in the best
       interests of the people of the state for the state to provide
       matching funding for the emergency fire fund as specified in this
       section.
            (2)  As used in this section, "emergency fire fund" means the
       emergency fire fund established in 1967 that is:
            (a)  Funded by voluntary contributions from counties and
       the Denver water board;
            (b)   Administered by a ten-person committee composed of
       county commissioners, sheriffs, fire chiefs, and the state
       forester; and
            (c)   Used, with the approval of the state forester, to fund
       emergency responses to wildfires.
            (3)  For each fiscal year commencing on or after July 1,
       2009, the general assembly shall appropriate from the general
       fund to the Colorado state forest service an amount equal to
       the aggregate amount of all voluntary contributions made to
       the emergency fire fund by counties and the Denver water board
       during the prior fiscal year.  The state forester shall grant all
       moneys appropriated pursuant to this subsection (3) to the
       emergency fire fund.
            SECTION 2.  Safety clause.  The general assembly hereby finds,
       determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate
       preservation of the public peace, health, and safety.