NOTE: The governor signed this measure on 5/28/2013.
      
      
      HOUSE BILL 13-1293
      
      
      BY REPRESENTATIVE(S) Rosenthal, Foote, Melton, Tyler, Labuda,
      Lebsock, Salazar, Williams;
      also SENATOR(S) Heath, Schwartz.
      
      
      Concerning the creation of a position by the governor for climate
           change matters.
      
      
      Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
      
           SECTION 1.  Legislative declaration. The general assembly
      hereby declares that climate change presents serious, diverse, and ongoing
      issues for the state's people, economy, and environment. In order to ensure
      that the state is apprised of the threats that climate change poses to Colorado
      and the progress made to mitigate and address those threats, the general
      assembly hereby directs the governor to create a climate change-related
      position in the executive branch.
      
           SECTION 2.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 24-20-111 as
      follows:
      
           24-20-111.  Climate change position created - duties - report.
      (1) (a)  There shall be a position created by the governor within
      the executive branch, which position must include the term
      "climate change" in its title, to assess climate change issues in the
      state.
      
           (b)  The organizational location of the position created
      under paragraph (a) of this subsection (1) of this section shall be
      at the discretion of the governor and may utilize existing
      resources as appropriate. In order to reduce the costs associated
      with creating the climate change position, nothing in this section
      precludes the person named to the position established under
      paragraph (a) of this subsection (1) of this section from holding
      other titles or performing other functions within any department
      or office of the executive branch.
      
           (2)  The duties of the position created pursuant to
      subsection (1) of this section include, at a minimum:
      
           (a)  Development and periodic update of a climate action
      plan or similar document that sets forth a strategy, including
      specific policy recommendations, that the state could use to
      address climate change and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions;
      and
      
           (b)  Collaboration with other entities regarding climate
      change preparedness studies.
      
           (3) (a)  The governor or his or her designee shall submit an
      annual report to the house agriculture, livestock, and natural
      resources committee, the house transportation and energy
      committee, and the senate agriculture, natural resources, and
      energy committee, or any successor committees, on climate
      change issues generally, the current climate action plan
      developed under this section, and the specific ways in which
      climate change affects the state. The report may address, as
      appropriate, the correlations between climate change and
      wildfires, bark beetle infestation, snowpack, water storage,
      drought, and statewide emissions of greenhouse gases. The report
      shall include information regarding efforts to reduce emissions
      of gases and to reform practices known to exacerbate climate
      change effects. The report shall also include additional
      prospective proposals to prepare the state for the effects of
      climate change and proposals to further reduce the factors that
      contribute to climate change within Colorado.
      
           (b)  The development of a climate action plan in accordance
      with this section must take into account previous action plans
      developed by the state and goals and directives contained in
      executive orders issued by the governor.
      
           (c)  The report required by this subsection (3) is exempt from
      the automatic expiration described in section 24-1-136 (11).
      
           SECTION 3.  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.
      
      
      
      
      ________________________________________________________
      Mark Ferrandino                         John P. Morse
      SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE                     PRESIDENT OF
      OF REPRESENTATIVES                         THE SENATE
      
      
      
      
      
      
      ____________________________  ____________________________
      Marilyn Eddins                      Cindi L. Markwell
      CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE                 SECRETARY OF
      OF REPRESENTATIVES                         THE SENATE
      
      
      
      
                  APPROVED________________________________________
      
      
      
      
      
                                    _________________________________________
                                    John W. Hickenlooper
                                    GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF COLORADO