NOTE: The governor signed this measure on 4/11/2014.
      
      
      SENATE BILL 14-017
      
      
      BY SENATOR(S) Roberts and Hodge, Aguilar, Guzman, Johnston,
      Kefalas, Nicholson, Schwartz, Ulibarri, Carroll;
      also REPRESENTATIVE(S) Vigil and Coram, Fischer, Becker, Fields,
      Garcia, Hamner, Hullinghorst, Labuda, McLachlan.
      
      
      Concerning a limitation on the approval of real estate
           developments that use water rights decreed for
           agricultural purposes to irrigate lawn grass.
       
      
      Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
      
           SECTION 1.  Legislative declaration. (1)  The general assembly
      hereby:
      
           (a)  Finds that:
      
           (I)  As part of the Colorado water conservation board's statewide
      water supply initiative and the interbasin compact committee and basin
      roundtable process, a "No/Low Regrets Action Plan" has been developed,
      an important element of which is to establish and implement conservation
      strategies to extend the ability of existing water supplies to meet increasing
      needs and thereby minimize agricultural dry-up; and
      
           (II)  Demand projections by the state include significant growth in
      municipal water demands and attendant pressure on irrigated agriculture as
      a principal source of supply to meet that demand, and statewide efforts to
      ease some of the pressure from agricultural water supplies would benefit
      greatly from reductions in municipal consumptive water uses;
      
           (b)  Determines that while the amount of municipal water used is
      relatively evenly split between indoor and outdoor use, indoor water use is
      about five percent consumptive, while outdoor water use, primarily for
      landscape irrigation, consumes about seventy to eighty-five percent of the
      water used; and
      
           (c)  Declares that it is critical to identify and quantify the best
      practices that limit municipal outdoor water consumption, as this holds
      great potential for reducing Colorado's projected water supply gap.
      
           SECTION 2.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 37-98-103, add (5) as
      follows:
      
           37-98-103.  Annual recommendations - bill limitation - deadlines
      for introduction - repeal. (5) (a)  During the 2014 interim, the
      committee shall investigate the issues raised by the version of
      Senate Bill 14-017 reported out of committee in the senate,
      including at least the following:
      
           (I)  Identification and quantification of the best practices
      to limit municipal outdoor water consumption that can be used,
      including by local governments, water suppliers, homeowners,
      real estate developers, and landscaping contractors; and
      
           (II)  Proposed legislation, if appropriate, to facilitate the
      implementation of those practices that are both reasonable and
      likely to result in the measurable conservation of municipal
      water used for outdoor purposes.
      
           (b)  This subsection (5) is repealed, effective September 1,
      2015.
      
           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.
      
      
      
      
      ____________________________  ____________________________
      Morgan Carroll                        Mark Ferrandino
      PRESIDENT OF                     SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
      THE SENATE                         OF REPRESENTATIVES
      
      
      
      
      
      
      ____________________________  ____________________________
      Cindi L. Markwell                      Marilyn Eddins
      SECRETARY OF                 CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE
      THE SENATE                         OF REPRESENTATIVES
      
      
      
      
                  APPROVED________________________________________
      
      
      
      
      
                                    _________________________________________
                                    John W. Hickenlooper
                                    GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF COLORADO