A Bill for an Act
Page 1, Line 101Concerning the creation of a regional planning roundtable
Page 1, Line 102commission.
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.)
Section 2 of the bill creates the regional planning roundtable commission (commission) within the department of local affairs. The commission is a 15-member board with members who serve 2-year terms. The purposes of the commission include:
- Assisting local governments in complying with statutory housing, land use, or other planning requirements;
- Assisting local governments in accessing state and federal resources and technical assistance for complying with statutory housing, land use, or other planning requirements;
- In cooperation with local governments, creating, managing, and revising regions as necessary for the purpose of establishing a regional roundtable to address regional housing, land use, or other planning challenges and opportunities; and
- Assisting local governments in establishing a regional roundtable to address regional housing, land use, or other planning challenges and opportunities.
Section 3 allows money in the housing needs planning technical assistance fund to be used for the planning, establishment, and implementation of the commission.
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) Uncoordinated and unplanned growth, together with a lack of
Page 2, Line 4common goals expressing the public's interest in the wise use of state
Page 2, Line 5lands, poses a threat to economic resources and resiliency, the
Page 2, Line 6environment and climate, affordable and decent housing, access to
Page 2, Line 7adequate public facilities and services, and the health, safety, and high quality of life enjoyed by Colorado residents;
Page 2, Line 8(b) It is in the public interest that communities, local governments,
Page 2, Line 9regional and state agencies, and both the public and the private sectors
Page 2, Line 10take integrated and comprehensive actions to manage growth and economic opportunity;
Page 2, Line 11(c) It is in the public interest to ensure that the use of land, the
Page 2, Line 12provision of adequate facilities and services, wise use of resources, and
Page 2, Line 13the availability of housing for all occur in a manner that protects citizens,
Page 2, Line 14communities, economic interests, businesses, and the environment from preventable threats and hardships;
Page 3, Line 1(d) Local governments, in partnership with regional and state
Page 3, Line 2agencies, are key to providing support, knowledge, insight, and
Page 3, Line 3encouragement to help communities thrive and to be sustainable, resilient, and equitable;
Page 3, Line 4(e) Laws, rules, and regulations addressing local master planning,
Page 3, Line 5as well as regional and state strategic planning, have been developed at different points in time and vary in their content, character, and intent;
Page 3, Line 6(f) Some laws, rules, and regulations that address planning are
Page 3, Line 7advisory, while others address requirements of statewide, regional, and local significance;
Page 3, Line 8(g) There are many state laws that address planning issues
Page 3, Line 9incrementally and independently of other related issues, which leads to planning that is piecemeal and often one-dimensional;
Page 3, Line 10(h) Contemporary planning requires integrated approaches to complex interrelated challenges through a more unified framework;
Page 3, Line 11(i) Successfully and efficiently addressing 21st century planning challenges require an integrated and comprehensive approach;
Page 3, Line 12(j) A unified planning framework that recognizes
Page 3, Line 13interrelationships among contemporary topics and issues is needed to achieve truly comprehensive planning;
Page 3, Line 14(k) A unified planning framework will simplify the planning
Page 3, Line 15process by addressing challenges that are interdependent and mutually reinforcing;
Page 3, Line 16(l) A unified planning framework makes planning more accessible
Page 3, Line 17and easier to understand for community members, decision-makers, and
Page 3, Line 18staff and for both the public and private sectors;
Page 4, Line 1(m) Where there are common borders and related regional issues
Page 4, Line 2among jurisdictions, regional roundtables provide an opportunity to
Page 4, Line 3provide consistency and compatibility among planning policies and implementation;
Page 4, Line 4(n) A unified planning framework allows for local customization and tailoring among Colorado's distinct regional and local places;
Page 4, Line 5(o) A common planning framework provides a mechanism for
Page 4, Line 6ensuring that interrelated topics and issues can be addressed in distinct regional and local contexts; and
Page 4, Line 7(p) Resource lands, rural lands, urban lands, and resort
Page 4, Line 8communities are each distinct and have their own challenges and opportunities that require customized planning approaches.
Page 4, Line 9SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 24-32-3709.5 as follows:
Page 4, Line 1024-32-3709.5. Regional planning roundtable commission -
Page 4, Line 11establishment - facilitating - definition. (1) The regional planning
Page 4, Line 12roundtable commission is created in the department of local affairs.
Page 4, Line 13(2) The commission is a type 2 entity, as defined in section
Page 4, Line 1424-1-105, and exercises its powers and performs its duties and functions under the department of local affairs.
Page 4, Line 15(3) (a) The commission consists of fifteen members appointed as follows:
Page 4, Line 16(I) One member representing the Colorado Municipal
Page 4, Line 17League, or any successor organization, appointed by the Colorado municipal league or the successor organization;
Page 4, Line 18(II) One member representing Colorado Counties, Inc., or
Page 5, Line 1any successor organization, appointed by Colorado counties, inc., or the successor organization;
Page 5, Line 2(III) One member representing the department of natural
Page 5, Line 3resources, appointed by the executive director of the department of natural resources;
Page 5, Line 4(IV) One member representing the Colorado energy office, appointed by the director of the Colorado energy office;
Page 5, Line 5(V) One member representing the Colorado department of
Page 5, Line 6transportation, appointed by the executive director of the Colorado department of transportation;
Page 5, Line 7(VI) One member representing the department of local
Page 5, Line 8affairs, appointed by the executive director of the department of local affairs;
Page 5, Line 9(VII) One member representing the Special District
Page 5, Line 10Association of Colorado, or any successor organization,
Page 5, Line 11appointed by the Special District Association of Colorado or the successor organization;
Page 5, Line 12(VIII) One member with expertise in affordable housing,
Page 5, Line 13appointed by the executive director of the department of local affairs;
Page 5, Line 14(IX) One member representing a regional council of
Page 5, Line 15governments, appointed by the regional council of governments selected for this purpose by the governor;
Page 5, Line 16(X) One member with expertise in climate and
Page 5, Line 17environmental issues, appointed by the executive director of the department of public health and environment;
Page 5, Line 18(XI) One member with expertise in tourism, appointed by the Colorado tourism office; and
Page 6, Line 1(XII) Four members, each representing a distinct region of
Page 6, Line 2the state, each appointed by the executive director of the department of local affairs.
Page 6, Line 3(b) Appointments to the commission shall be made with a
Page 6, Line 4consideration of the ethnicity, gender, and geographic representation of the members of the commission.
Page 6, Line 5(c) The initial appointments to the commission shall be made no later than September 30, 2025.
Page 6, Line 6(d) Each member of the commission who is appointed
Page 6, Line 7pursuant to subsection (3)(a) of this section serves at the
Page 6, Line 8pleasure of the relevant appointing authority. The term of
Page 6, Line 9appointment is three years; except that the term of the members
Page 6, Line 10initially appointed pursuant to subsections (3)(a)(IX) and (3)(a)(XII) of this section is two years.
Page 6, Line 11(4) Members of the commission serve without compensation and without reimbursement for expenses.
Page 6, Line 12(5) (a) The member of the commission appointed by the
Page 6, Line 13executive director of the department of local affairs pursuant
Page 6, Line 14to subsection (3)(a)(VI) shall convene the first meeting of the commission no later than December 31, 2025.
Page 6, Line 15(b) The commission shall elect a chair from among the
Page 6, Line 16commission's members to serve for a term not to exceed three years, as determined by the commission.
Page 6, Line 17(c) The commission shall meet at least four times every
Page 6, Line 18year. The chair may call such additional meetings as are
Page 6, Line 19necessary for the commission to complete its duties.
(6) The commission shall:
Page 7, Line 1(a) Assist local governments in complying with statutory housing, land use, or other planning requirements;
Page 7, Line 2(b) Assist local governments in accessing state and
Page 7, Line 3federal resources and technical assistance for complying with statutory housing, land use, or other planning requirements;
Page 7, Line 4(c) In cooperation with local governments, create,
Page 7, Line 5manage, and revise regions as necessary for the purpose of
Page 7, Line 6establishing a regional roundtable to address regional housing, land use, or other planning challenges and opportunities; and
Page 7, Line 7(d) Assist local governments in establishing a regional
Page 7, Line 8roundtable to address regional housing, land use, or other planning challenges and opportunities.
Page 7, Line 9(7) The commission may:
Page 7, Line 10(a) Consider assisting in the establishment of an
Page 7, Line 11integrated framework for planning, which framework shall consider the following topics, at a minimum:
Page 7, Line 12(I) Natural environment systems;
(II) Development patterns;
Page 7, Line 13(III) Housing and housing needs;
(IV) Transportation;
Page 7, Line 14(V) Sustainable infrastructure;
(VI) Economic opportunity and employment; and
Page 7, Line 15(VII) Healthy communities; and
Page 7, Line 16(b) Hear presentations from and have discussions with relevant persons.
Page 7, Line 17(8) On or before December 31, 2027, and on or before
Page 8, Line 1December 31 each year thereafter, the commission shall report
Page 8, Line 2to the transportation, housing, and local government
Page 8, Line 3committee of the house of representatives and the local
Page 8, Line 4government and housing committee of the senate, or any
Page 8, Line 5successor committees. The report must include a description of
Page 8, Line 6any assistance that the commission has provided to local governments.
Page 8, Line 7(9) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise
Page 8, Line 8requires, "commission" means the regional planning roundtable commission.
Page 8, Line 9SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 24-32-3709, amend (6)(b) as follows:
Page 8, Line 1024-32-3709. Technical assistance. (6) (b) Money in the housing
Page 8, Line 11needs planning technical assistance fund is continuously appropriated to
Page 8, Line 12the department for the purposes of providing technical assistance;
andPage 8, Line 13implementing a grant program pursuant to this section; and planning,
Page 8, Line 14establishing, and implementing the regional planning roundtable commission pursuant to section 24-32-3709.5.
Page 8, Line 15SECTION 4. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act
Page 8, Line 16takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
Page 8, Line 17ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except
Page 8, Line 18that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V
Page 8, Line 19of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this
Page 8, Line 20act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take
Page 8, Line 21effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in
Page 8, Line 22November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the
Page 8, Line 23official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.