Colorado Legislative Council Staff

STATE and LOCAL

FISCAL NOTE

State General Fund Expenditure Impact

Cash Fund Revenue and Expenditure Impact

Local Revenue Impact

TITLE:            CONCERNING MEASURES TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY CONFLICT RESOLUTION ALTERNATIVES.

Summary of Legislation

            * This amount for the Department of Law is included in the General Fund expenditures above for the Department of Local Affairs.

            This bill creates the Community Conflict Resolution Committee, comprised of nine Senators and nine Representatives, with the following powers:

            •   to create subcommittees to assist the committee;

            •   to suggest that committees of reference, the Joint Budget Committee, or any agency of the state, study and report on designated policy matters relating to conflict resolution;

            •   to conduct public meetings and hearings as may be necessary;

            •   to contract for technical or professional services, subject to available appropriations; and

            •   to request staff services from the Legislative Council Staff, the Office of Legislative Legal Services, and other agencies as necessary.

            The bill requires the committee to do the following duties:

            •   study the sources of conflict within communities and among individuals and the alternatives for resolving conflict;

            •   study and encourage community conflict resolution programs;

            •   seek out and encourage programs that focus on community conflict resolution;

            •   review statutes and regulations and recommend legislation to support and encourage public and private community conflict resolution programs;

            •   provide a list of available public and private programs; and

            •   work in cooperation with the Community Conflict Resolution Trust Fund Board.

            The bill specifies changes recommended by the committee shall be treated as bills recommended by an interim legislative committee.

            The bill creates the Community Conflict Resolution Trust Fund Board, under the Department of Local Affairs, comprised of the Executive Directors of the Departments of Local Affairs and Public Health and Environment and seven other members appointed by the Governor. The bill requires the board to meet at least quarterly and authorizes the members to be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses. The bill requires the board to perform the following duties:

            •   cooperate with, and assist, the committee;

            •   solicit and accept grants from the federal government and contributions from private sources;

            •   expend moneys of the trust fund for the costs of community conflict resolution programs;

            •   develop and publicize procedures by which public and private entities may apply for grants from the trust fund;

            •   develop and publicize criteria regarding grants, including any requirements for matching funds;

            •   establish a classification and priority system for potential recipients based on financial need;

            •   review and monitor expenditures of moneys by recipients;

            •   contract with an independent auditor for a yearly financial audit to be reviewed by the resolution committee, the State Auditor, and the Joint Budget Committee; and

            •   any other reasonable duties.

            The bill creates the Community Conflict Resolution Trust Fund consisting of all moneys collected by the board. All moneys in the fund will be subject to annual appropriation, and any moneys not appropriated shall remain in the fund, including all investment earnings. The bill authorizes the board to award grants from the trust fund to support and encourage community conflict resolution programs.

            The provisions of the bill will be repealed effective July 1, 2008 subject to a legislative sunset review. The bill will be effective upon the signature of the Governor.

            The bill will affect state General Fund expenditures; cash fund revenue and expenditures; and local government revenue. Therefore, it is assessed as having a fiscal impact.

State Revenues

            The bill authorizes the Community Conflict Resolution Trust Fund Board, under the Department of Local Affairs, to solicit and accept grants from the federal government and contributions from private sources. These revenues are to be credited to the Community Conflict Resolution Trust Fund. The amounts of the grants, contributions, and investment earnings, if any, have not been estimated.

State Expenditures

            Trust fund grants. The bill creates the Community Conflict Resolution Trust Fund consisting of all moneys collected by the board. The bill authorizes the board to award grants from the trust fund to support and encourage community conflict resolution programs. The amounts of the grants have not been estimated.

            Committee expenditures. The estimated Legislative Council Staff and Legal Services Staff expenditures (General Fund) for FY 1998-99 and FY 1999-2000 to support the 18 members of the Community Conflict Resolution Committee are provided in Table 1.

            Board expenditures. The estimated Department of Local Affairs expenditures (General Fund) to support the Community Conflict Resolution Trust Fund Board for FY 1998-99 and FY 1999-2000 are provided in Table 2.

Expenditures Not Included

            Pursuant to the Joint Budget Committee’s budget policies, the following expenditures have not been included in this fiscal note:

            •   health and life insurance costs, $3,318;

            •   short-term disability costs, $123;

            •   inflationary cost factors;

            •   leased space; and

            •   indirect costs.

Local Government Impact

            This bill authorizes the Community Conflict Resolution Trust Fund Board to award grants from the trust fund to support and encourage community conflict resolution programs

Spending Authority

            This fiscal note would imply the Legislative Department would require a General Fund appropriation of 0.5 FTE and $28,677 for FY 1998-99 to implement the provisions of this bill. The Department of Local Affairs would require a General Fund appropriation of 1.0 FTE and $44,020. Of this amount, the Department of Law would require a cash fund spending authority of $480.

Departments Contacted

            Law                            Treasury                                 Legislative Council Staff

            OSPB                          Local Affairs                          Legislative Legal Services

            State Auditor