Senate Bill 25-008 Preamended

A Bill for an Act

• Page 1, Line 101Concerning adjustments to the necessary document program

• Page 1, Line 102administered by the office of health equity in the

• Page 1, Line 103department of public health and environment.

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.)

Beginning on July 1, 2027, the bill adjusts aspects of the necessary document program (program) administered by the office of health equity in the department of public health and environment, which program assists certain populations of Colorado residents with paying the fees to acquire necessary documents. The bill clarifies that an individual who is eligible under the program may obtain necessary documents without charge at participating division of motor vehicles locations, participating vital statistics offices, or participating mobile units or from authorized representatives that offer driver's licenses, identification card services, or vital statistics certificates and reports.

The bill establishes that an individual may self-attest to the individual's eligibility under the program. The bill does not change the identity verification requirements that may be required to obtain a necessary document.

The bill also specifies that an individual who is eligible for the program is not subject to the fees charged by the department of revenue for driver's licenses or identification cards.

• This Unofficial Version Includes Committee

• Amendments Not Yet Adopted on Second Reading

• Page 2, Line 1Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:

• Page 2, Line 2SECTION 1.  Legislative declaration. (1)  The general assembly finds and declares that:

• Page 2, Line 3(a)  The cost of identification documents can be prohibitive for

• Page 2, Line 4some individuals, particularly individuals experiencing homelessness,

• Page 2, Line 5individuals fleeing domestic violence, and individuals who have been displaced by a natural disaster;

• Page 2, Line 6(b)  Without necessary identification documents, individuals

• Page 2, Line 7cannot access financial services, drive legally, comply with certain law

• Page 2, Line 8enforcement requests, or access health care, housing, employment, or public services and benefits;

• Page 2, Line 9(c)  Since 2016, the necessary document program has provided a

• Page 2, Line 10critical service to eligible individuals who are unable to pay for essential identification documents;

• Page 2, Line 11(d)  Certain demographic groups, such as residents of rural

• Page 2, Line 12Colorado; unaccompanied youth; individuals who are lesbian, gay,

• Page 2, Line 13bisexual, or transgender; and Black people, Indigenous people, and other

• Page 2, Line 14people of color, have been overrepresented in their participation in the

• Page 2, Line 15necessary document program and may face additional barriers to accessing the identification documents necessary to meet basic life needs;

• Page 3, Line 1(e)  Because of the program's complicated structure, geographic

• Page 3, Line 2inconsistencies, and low level of funding, which has remained stagnant

• Page 3, Line 3since the program's creation, the necessary document program currently falls short of meeting statewide need by as much as 90%; and

• Page 3, Line 4(f)  This has resulted in social service providers running out of

• Page 3, Line 5vouchers to distribute to individuals in need, and, in some cases, the

• Page 3, Line 6providers are covering costs out of their own pocket, which has resulted

• Page 3, Line 7in social service providers having less money for other critical organizational functions.

• Page 3, Line 8(2)  Therefore, the general assembly further declares that it is

• Page 3, Line 9necessary to adjust the necessary document program to better meet the

• Page 3, Line 10needs of Colorado by allowing eligible individuals access to identification documents available through the program at the point of service.

• Page 3, Line 12SECTION 2.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 25-4-2208, amend (2) and (3); and add (5) as follows:

• Page 3, Line 1325-4-2208.  Necessary document program - report -

• Page 3, Line 14appropriation - definition. (2) (a)  The office shall administer a

• Page 3, Line 15necessary document program The office shall make one or more grants

• Page 3, Line 16per fiscal year to, enter into one or more vendor contracts with, or both,

• Page 3, Line 17a nonprofit entity or collection of nonprofit entities that conduct a

• Page 3, Line 18collaborative identification project to assist Colorado residents who are

• Page 3, Line 19victims of domestic violence, are impacted by a natural disaster,

• Page 3, Line 20low-income, disabled, homeless, or elderly earn low incomes, have

• Page 3, Line 21disabilities, are experiencing homelessness, or are elderly and

• Page 3, Line 22who are seeking documentation of their identity, status, or citizenship by paying the fees to acquire a necessary document.

• Page 4, Line 1(b) (I)  On and after July 1, 2027, and to the extent that

• Page 4, Line 2money appropriated to the office pursuant to subsection (3)(a) of

• Page 4, Line 3this section is available, an individual specified in subsection

• Page 4, Line 4(2)(a) of this section who needs to obtain any necessary

• Page 4, Line 5documents may obtain the necessary documents without cost to the individual and without a physical voucher at:

• Page 4, Line 6(A)  Participating division of motor vehicles locations;

• Page 4, Line 7(B)  Participating mobile units or from authorized

• Page 4, Line 8representatives that offer driver's licenses, identification card

• Page 4, Line 9services, vital statistics certificates, vital statistics reports, or

• Page 4, Line 10related documents as described in subsection (1)(c) of this section; or

• Page 4, Line 11(C)  Participating vital statistics offices.

• Page 4, Line 12(II)  An individual may self-attest to the individual's

• Page 4, Line 13eligibility to receive assistance from the necessary document program.

• Page 4, Line 15(c)  Nothing in this subsection (2) changes the identity

• Page 4, Line 16verification requirements that may be required to obtain a necessary document.

• Page 4, Line 17(3) (a)  The general assembly shall annually appropriate to the

• Page 4, Line 18office up to three hundred thousand dollars from the general fund. The

• Page 4, Line 19office shall expend the money for the purposes specified in this section.

• Page 4, Line 20including up to fifteen thousand dollars for the office's direct and indirect costs in administering the necessary document program.

• Page 4, Line 21(b)  The office shall use the money appropriated pursuant to subsection (3)(a) of this section for the following:

• Page 5, Line 1(I)  Up to fifteen thousand dollars for the office's direct

• Page 5, Line 2and indirect costs of administering the necessary document program;

• Page 5, Line 3(II)  To reimburse the department for fees for the issuance

• Page 5, Line 4of vital statistics certificates, vital statistics reports, or

• Page 5, Line 5related documents as described in subsections (1)(b)(III) and (1)(c) of this section; and

• Page 5, Line 6(III)  To reimburse the department of revenue for the

• Page 5, Line 7issuance of driver's licenses, identification cards, or related

• Page 5, Line 8documents as described in subsections (1)(b)(I), (1)(b)(II), and (1)(c) of this section.

• Page 5, Line 9(c) (I)  The department and the department of revenue

• Page 5, Line 10shall each submit requests to the office for reimbursement

• Page 5, Line 11based on the actual number of necessary documents issued by

• Page 5, Line 12the department or the department of revenue and in the manner determined by the office.

• Page 5, Line 13(II)  The office shall provide reimbursements to the

• Page 5, Line 14department and the department of revenue in a manner

• Page 5, Line 15determined appropriate by the department until the money

• Page 5, Line 16appropriated to the office pursuant to subsection (3)(a) of this section is no longer available.

• Page 5, Line 17(5)  In addition to the money appropriated to the office

• Page 5, Line 18pursuant to subsection (3)(a) of this section, the office may seek,

• Page 5, Line 19accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations from private or public sources for the purposes of this section.

• Page 5, Line 20SECTION 3.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 42-2-114.5, add (8) as follows:

• Page 6, Line 142-2-114.5.  Fees for driver's licenses, identification cards, and

• Page 6, Line 2related services - crediting to DRIVES account - fee setting

• Page 6, Line 3procedures - rules. (8)  If there is money available from the

• Page 6, Line 4appropriation made pursuant to section 25-4-2208 (3) or the gifts,

• Page 6, Line 5grants, or donations accepted pursuant to section25-4-2208 (5),

• Page 6, Line 6the department shall not charge or collect the fees established

• Page 6, Line 7in this section from an individual who demonstrates eligibility

• Page 6, Line 8to receive assistance under the necessary document program

• Page 6, Line 9established in section 25-4-2208 and administered by the office of

• Page 6, Line 10health equity in the department of public health and environment.

• Page 6, Line 11SECTION 4.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 42-2-306, add (3) as follows:

• Page 6, Line 1242-2-306.  Fees - disposition. (3)  If there is money available

• Page 6, Line 13from the appropriation made pursuant to section 25-4-2208 (3) or

• Page 6, Line 14the gifts, grants, or donations accepted pursuant to section

• Page 6, Line 1525-4-2208 (5), the department shall not charge or collect the

• Page 6, Line 16fees established in this section from an individual who

• Page 6, Line 17demonstrates eligibility to receive assistance under the

• Page 6, Line 18necessary document program established in section 25-4-2208

• Page 6, Line 19and administered by the office of health equity in the department of public health and environment.

• Page 6, Line 20SECTION 5.  Act subject to petition - effective date. This act

• Page 6, Line 21takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the

• Page 6, Line 22ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except

• Page 6, Line 23that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V

• Page 7, Line 1of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this

• Page 7, Line 2act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take

• Page 7, Line 3effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in

• Page 7, Line 4November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.