Second Regular Session
              Sixty-ninth General Assembly
                    STATE OF COLORADO
                                                 INTRODUCED
                                                           
                                                           
 LLS NO. 14-0212.01 Jane Ritter x4342    HOUSE BILL 14-1048
                    HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
 Priola, 
 
                   SENATE SPONSORSHIP
 Tochtrop, 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 House Committees
 Senate Committees
 
 
 Education
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                         A BILL FOR AN ACT
       Concerning religious freedom for student groups at state
            institutions of higher education.
       
       
                           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://www.leg.state.co.us/billsummaries.)
       
            The bill prohibits a state institution of higher education
       (institution) from denying a religious student group a benefit that the
       institution provides to a nonreligious student group solely because the
       religious student group requires its leaders to adhere to the group's
       sincerely held religious beliefs or standards of conduct. These benefits
       include recognition, registration, use of institution facilities, use of
       institution channels of communication, and available institution funding
       sources.
       
       
       
       Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
            SECTION 1.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 23-5-138.5 as
       follows:
            23-5-138.5. Religious freedom - definitions. (1)  A state
       institution of higher education shall not take an action or
       enforce a policy that denies a religious student group a benefit
       otherwise available to another student group based solely on
       the religious student group's requirement that its leaders
       adhere to the group's sincerely held religious beliefs or
       standards of conduct.
            (2)  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise
       requires:
            (a)  "Benefits" means any of the following, without
       limitation:
            (I)  Recognition;
            (II)  Registration;
            (III)  The use of facilities at the state institution of higher
       education for meetings or events;
            (IV)  The use of channels of communication available to
       the state institution of higher education; and
            (V)  Funding sources that are otherwise available to a
       student group through the state institution of higher
       education.
            (b)  "State institution of higher education" has the same
       meaning as set forth in section 23-18-102.
            SECTION 2.  Act subject to petition - effective date. This act
       takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
       ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August
       6, 2014, if adjournment sine die is on May 7, 2014); except that, if a
       referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the
       state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act
       within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect
       unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in
       November 2014 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the
       official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.