A Bill for an Act
Page 1, Line 101Concerning the creation of a fallen firefighter license
Page 1, Line 102plate.
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://leg.colorado.gov.)
The bill creates the fallen firefighter special license plate. An applicant becomes eligible to use the plate by providing a certificate to the department of revenue (department) confirming that the applicant has made a donation to a nonprofit organization (organization) chosen by the department based on the organization's provision of services to the families of firefighters who have been killed in the line of duty.
In addition to the normal fees for a license plate, a person must pay 2 additional one-time fees in the amount of $25, one of which is credited to the highway users tax fund and the other to the Colorado DRIVES vehicle services account.
Page 2, Line 1Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
Page 2, Line 2SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 42-3-272 as follows:
Page 2, Line 342-3-272. Special plates - fallen firefighter. (1) Beginning on
Page 2, Line 4January 1, 2026, or when the department is able to issue the
Page 2, Line 5plates, the department shall issue special license plates to
Page 2, Line 6qualified applicants in accordance with this section for
Page 2, Line 7motorcycles, passenger cars, trucks, or noncommercial or
Page 2, Line 8recreational motor vehicles that do not exceed sixteen thousand pounds empty weight.
Page 2, Line 9(2) (a) The fallen firefighter license plate is established.
Page 2, Line 10(b) The department shall use a design approved by the
Page 2, Line 11department, which design must conform to standards set by the department.
Page 2, Line 12(3) (a) At least once every five years, the department
Page 2, Line 13shall designate one or more organizations to qualify applicants
Page 2, Line 14to be issued the fallen firefighter license plate. An organization
Page 2, Line 15is eligible to be selected and retained if the organization is a nonprofit organization exempt from taxation and:
Page 2, Line 16(I) Is located in Colorado;
(II) Has been in existence for at least fifteen years;
Page 2, Line 17(III) Provides counseling, support, legal aid, education
Page 2, Line 18assistance, and job training to the families of firefighters who have been killed in the line of duty; and
Page 3, Line 1(IV) Has given scholarships to the children of fallen firefighters.
Page 3, Line 2(b) A person may apply for a fallen firefighter license
Page 3, Line 3plate if the person pays the taxes and fees required under this
Page 3, Line 4section and provides to the department or an authorized agent
Page 3, Line 5a certificate issued by the organization chosen in accordance
Page 3, Line 6with subsection (3)(a) of this section confirming that the
Page 3, Line 7applicant has made a donation to the organization. The
Page 3, Line 8organization may establish a minimum donation amount to qualify for the license plate.
Page 3, Line 9(c) The organization chosen in accordance with
Page 3, Line 10subsection (3)(a) of this section shall file with the department
Page 3, Line 11an annual statement verifying that it is a nonprofit organization.
Page 3, Line 12(4) The amount of the taxes and fees for special license
Page 3, Line 13plates required under this section is the same as the amount of
Page 3, Line 14the taxes and fees for regular motor vehicle license plates;
Page 3, Line 15except that the department shall collect the fee specified in
Page 3, Line 16section 42-3-312 and an additional one-time fee of twenty-five
Page 3, Line 17dollars for issuance or replacement of the license plates. The
Page 3, Line 18state treasurer shall credit the additional one-time fee to the highway users tax fund created in section 43-4-201.
Page 3, Line 19(5) An applicant may apply for personalized fallen
Page 3, Line 20firefighter license plates. Upon payment of the additional fee
Page 3, Line 21required by section 42-3-211 (6)(a) for personalized license
Page 3, Line 22plates, the department may issue the plates if the applicant
Page 4, Line 1complies with section 42-3-211. If an applicant has existing
Page 4, Line 2personalized license plates for a motor vehicle, the applicant
Page 4, Line 3may transfer the combination of letters or numbers to a new set
Page 4, Line 4of fallen firefighter license plates for the vehicle upon paying
Page 4, Line 5the fee required by section 42-3-211 (6)(a) and upon turning in the
Page 4, Line 6existing plates to the department. A person who has obtained
Page 4, Line 7the personalized license plates described in this subsection (5)
Page 4, Line 8shall pay the annual fee imposed by section 42-3-211 (6)(b) for
Page 4, Line 9renewal of the personalized plates. The fees required under this
Page 4, Line 10subsection (5) are in addition to all other applicable taxes and fees.
Page 4, Line 11SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, amend 42-3-312 as follows:
Page 4, Line 1242-3-312. Special license plate surcharge. In addition to any
Page 4, Line 13other fee imposed by this article 3, an applicant for a special license plate
Page 4, Line 14created by rule in accordance with section 42-3-207, as the section existed
Page 4, Line 15when the plate was created, personalized plates issued under section
Page 4, Line 1642-3-211, or special license plates issued under sections 42-3-212 to
Page 4, Line 1742-3-214, sections 42-3-217 to 42-3-218, sections 42-3-221 to 42-3-234,
Page 4, Line 18sections 42-3-237 to 42-3-258, sections 42-3-260 to 42-3-265, and
Page 4, Line 19sections 42-3-267 to
42-3-271Page 4, Line 20twenty-five dollars; except that the fee is not imposed on special license
Page 4, Line 21plates exempted from additional fees for the issuance of a military special
Page 4, Line 22license plate by section 42-3-213 (1)(b)(II). The department shall transfer
Page 4, Line 23the money from the fee to the state treasurer, who shall credit it to the
Page 4, Line 24Colorado DRIVES vehicle services account created in section 42-1-211
Page 4, Line 25(2).
Page 5, Line 1SECTION 3. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act
Page 5, Line 2takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
Page 5, Line 3ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except
Page 5, Line 4that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V
Page 5, Line 5of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this
Page 5, Line 6act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take
Page 5, Line 7effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in
Page 5, Line 8November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.