Senate Bill 25-215

BY SENATOR(S) Bridges and Kirkmeyer, Amabile;

also REPRESENTATIVE(S) Bird and Taggart, Sirota.

Concerning repealing the Colorado student leaders institute.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:

SECTION 1.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-106-103, amend (1) as follows:

22-106-103.  Colorado student leaders institute - applications. (1)  There is in the department of education the Colorado student leaders institute. The year-long institute shall operate a competitive residential summer academic program for students who are entering tenth or eleventh grade in the coming fall semester. The program operated by the institute must be for four weeks each summer during which time students who are accepted to the institute attend college-level classes, lectures, and seminars as well as enrichment activities, including concerts and theatrical productions. Each student who is accepted to the institute is encouraged to donate up to four hundred dollars to the institute to assist in meeting operational costs. Subject to available appropriations, up to one hundred students may annually participate in the institute. The host institution and the department shall not operate the Colorado student leaders institute in the 2025-26 state fiscal year.

SECTION 2.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, amend 22-106-105 as follows:

22-106-105.  Colorado student leaders institute - funding - cash fund created. (1) (a)  The general assembly shall annually appropriate money to the department of education for the institute to pay the direct and indirect costs that the state board of education incurs in operating the institute, including costs relating to the host institution and stipends for the institute faculty members.

(b)  If the department of education does not spend the total amount appropriated pursuant to this subsection (1) by the end of the fiscal year for which it is appropriated, any amount not expended up to fifty percent of the total amount appropriated is further appropriated to the department for the subsequent state fiscal year for the same purpose; except that money appropriated pursuant to this subsection (1) for the 2024-25 state fiscal year is not further appropriated to the department for the subsequent state fiscal year. Any unexpended and unencumbered funds appropriated to the department of education for purposes of this article 106 must revert to the general fund on June 30, 2025.

(2) (a)  In addition to the amount appropriated pursuant to subsection (1) of this section, the state board of education may solicit, accept, and expend public or private gifts, grants, or donations to implement the institute. The state board of education shall transmit any money that it receives pursuant to this subsection (2)(a) and any money it receives from participating students to the state treasurer. The state treasurer shall deposit the money in the Colorado student leaders institute cash fund, referred to in this section as the "cash fund", which is created in the state treasury. Annual operation of the institute is conditional upon receiving at least forty thousand dollars in gifts, grants, or donations by June 1 of each year.If on July 1, 2025, gifts, grants, donations, or student contributions remain in the cash fund, the department, in collaboration with the host institute and the advisory committee created in section 22-106-104 (1)(c), shall return, no later than August 30, 2025, to the extent possible, money remaining in the fund to each grantor, donor, or student in an amount that is proportional to the grantor's, donor's, or student's share of the amount of gifts, grants, donations, or student contributions deposited in the cash fund.

(b)  The money in the cash fund is continuously appropriated to the state board of education for the direct and indirect costs incurred in implementing the instituteto carry out this article 106. The state treasurer may invest as provided by law any money in the cash fund that is not expended for the purposes of this article 106. The state treasurer shall credit to the cash fund all interest and income derived from the investment and deposit of money in the cash fund. Any unexpended and unencumbered money remaining in the cash fund at the end of a fiscal year remains in the cash fund and is not credited to another fund. If any money remains in the cash fund on August 31, 2025, the state treasurer shall, prior to the repeal of the cash fund, transfer all unexpended and unencumbered money in the cash fund to the general fund.

(3)  Repealed.

SECTION 3.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 22-106-106 as follows:

22-106-106.  Repeal of article.This article 106 is repealed, effective September 1, 2026.

SECTION 4.  Safety clause. The general assembly finds, determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state institutions.