Senate Bill 25-031 Reengrossed

A Bill for an Act

• Page 1, Line 101Concerning government agency assistance in services

• Page 1, Line 102related to wireless communication.

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/.)

Cell Phone Connectivity Interim Study Committee. The bill requires the division of homeland security and emergency management in the department of public safety (division) to develop a single point of contact within the division to:

• Help ensure statewide coverage of the integrated public alert and warning system for wireless emergency alerts and the emergency alert system;
• Provide technical assistance to local jurisdictions on becoming integrated public alert and warning system certified;
• Provide technical assistance, consistent with the language access in emergency communications study, to implement best practices for inclusive alerting; and
• Offer recommendations to improve current wireless alert systems in Colorado that address language and access needs.

Under current law, the Colorado broadband office (office) has certain duties related to broadband in Colorado. The bill requires the office to also perform those duties for wireless services.

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

• Page 2, Line 2SECTION 1.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 24-37.5-903, amend (2)(b) as follows:

• Page 2, Line 324-37.5-903.  Colorado broadband office - creation -

• Page 2, Line 4responsibilities - gifts, grants, or donations. (2) (b)  The broadband

• Page 2, Line 5office shall provide technical assistance to applicants seeking grant

• Page 2, Line 6awards from the grant program or other state or federal grant opportunities offered for deploying broadband and wireless service.

• Page 2, Line 7SECTION 2.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 24-33.5-719 as follows:

• Page 2, Line 824-33.5-719.   Emergency alerts - definitions. (1) (a)  Beginning

• Page 2, Line 9July 1, 2027, an alerting authority shall disseminate emergency

• Page 2, Line 10alerts in English and in a predominant minority language if the

• Page 2, Line 11alerting authority covers a county or city in which at least two

• Page 2, Line 12thousand or two and one-half percent of residents who are

• Page 2, Line 13eighteen years of age or older speak the predominant minority

• Page 2, Line 14language and speak English less than very well, as reported by

• Page 2, Line 15the United States census bureau's American community survey or comparable available and validated census data.

• Page 3, Line 1(b)  An emergency alert must be sent in the timeliest

• Page 3, Line 2manner possible when using broadcast emergency alerts and

• Page 3, Line 3emergency notification systems. An alerting authority may

• Page 3, Line 4disseminate emergency alerts by using preloaded resident data

• Page 3, Line 5and voluntary registrations. An alerting authority shall

• Page 3, Line 6comply with 42 U.S.C. sec. 12101 et seq., when disseminating emergency alerts.

• Page 3, Line 7(c)  Emergency alerts must be in plain language.

• Page 3, Line 8(d)  Emergency alerts sent in English via the broadcast

• Page 3, Line 9emergency alert system must also be sent in predominate minority languages that the system supports.

• Page 3, Line 10(2)  In addition to compliance with the requirements in

• Page 3, Line 11subsection (1) of this section, the state, counties, municipalities,

• Page 3, Line 12and alerting authorities are encouraged to use available

• Page 3, Line 13technology to issue emergency alerts in as many languages as possible in the same method as an English alert.

• Page 3, Line 14(3) (a)  The state may provide assistance to counties,

• Page 3, Line 15municipalities, and alerting authorities in implementing this section.

• Page 3, Line 16(b)  Each alerting authority that is required to send

• Page 3, Line 17emergency alerts in a predominant minority language pursuant

• Page 3, Line 18to subsection (1) of this section is encouraged to conduct

• Page 3, Line 19community outreach to inform people with limited English

• Page 3, Line 20proficiency of the availability of language interpretation and

• Page 3, Line 21translation options for emergency alerts. Existing emergency

• Page 3, Line 22notification systems installed or subscribed to by an alerting

• Page 4, Line 1authority must adhere to this section as the alerting

• Page 4, Line 2application allows and in the timeliest manner. Alerting

• Page 4, Line 3authorities that are required to send emergency alerts in a

• Page 4, Line 4predominant minority language pursuant to subsection (1) of

• Page 4, Line 5this section may meet the requirements by any available method, including technology, employees, or vendors.

• Page 4, Line 6(4)  The 911 services enterprise created in section 29-11-108

• Page 4, Line 7may distribute grants to municipal or county alerting

• Page 4, Line 8authorities to implement language and accessibility services for

• Page 4, Line 9emergency alerts. The enterprise board of directors shall

• Page 4, Line 10determine the total amount of the grants and the manner of

• Page 4, Line 11distribution of the grants. The 911 services enterprise shall use enterprise funds to support distribution of the grants.

• Page 4, Line 12(5)  For purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise requires:

• Page 4, Line 13(a)  "Alerting authority" means a jurisdiction with the

• Page 4, Line 14designated authority to alert and warn the public when there

• Page 4, Line 15is an impending natural or human-made disaster, threat, or dangerous or missing person.

• Page 4, Line 16(b)  "Broadcast emergency alert" including wireless

• Page 4, Line 17emergency alerts means short emergency messages from

• Page 4, Line 18authorized federal, state, local, and territorial public alerting

• Page 4, Line 19authorities that may be broadcast in multiple delivery formats,

• Page 4, Line 20including, but not limited to, cellular providers, to any

• Page 4, Line 21pre-enabled device in a locally targeted area. Wireless

• Page 4, Line 22providers primarily use cell broadcast technology for message

• Page 4, Line 23delivery. The system utilized for broadcasting emergency

• Page 5, Line 1alerts is a partnership among the federal emergency

• Page 5, Line 2management agency, the federal communications commission and wireless providers to enhance public safety.

• Page 5, Line 3(c)  "Emergency alert" means critical life safety

• Page 5, Line 4information disseminated by an alerting authority that advises

• Page 5, Line 5the public to prepare to take action or take action immediately due to an imminent life threat.

• Page 5, Line 6(d) "Emergency notification system" means a

• Page 5, Line 7communications system or network of systems, as defined by the

• Page 5, Line 8alerting authority, designed to quickly alert the public to

• Page 5, Line 9critical life safety information through multiple

• Page 5, Line 10communications channels including, but not limited to, text messages, phone calls, emails, or desktop alerts.

• Page 5, Line 11(e)  "Predominant minority language" means a language

• Page 5, Line 12spoken by at least two thousand or two and one-half percent of

• Page 5, Line 13residents who are eighteen years of age or older who also speak

• Page 5, Line 14English less than very well in a city or county within an

• Page 5, Line 15alerting authority's jurisdiction, as reported by the American

• Page 5, Line 16community survey data or comparable available and validated census data.

• Page 5, Line 17SECTION 3.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 29-11-108, add (5)(b)(V.5) as follows:

• Page 5, Line 1829-11-108.  911 services enterprise - creation - powers and

• Page 5, Line 19duties - cash fund - legislative declaration. (5)  The enterprise's primary powers and duties are to:

• Page 5, Line 20(b)  Distribute funding to governing bodies, PSAPs, statewide 911

• Page 5, Line 21organizations, or third parties for the benefit of governing bodies or

• Page 6, Line 1PSAPs for purposes that are pre-approved by the board of directors of the

• Page 6, Line 2enterprise and are consistent with applicable statutes, regulations, ordinances, policies, and procedures. The purposes may include:

• Page 6, Line 3(V.5)  Awarding grants to local alerting authorities, as

• Page 6, Line 4defined in section 24-33.5-719 (5), to implement language and accessibility services for emergency alerts;

• Page 6, Line 5SECTION 4.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 29-11-101, amend (21) as follows:

• Page 6, Line 629-11-101.  Definitions. As used in this part 1, unless the context otherwise requires:

• Page 6, Line 7(21)  "Prepaid wireless telecommunications service" means a

• Page 6, Line 8wireless telecommunications access that allows the user to make 911

• Page 6, Line 9calls, is paid for in advance, and is sold in predetermined units or dollars,

• Page 6, Line 10of which the number of units or dollars available to the caller declines with use in a known amount. service that:

• Page 6, Line 11(a)  Is paid for in advance;

• Page 6, Line 12(b)  Is sold in predetermined units of time or dollars that

• Page 6, Line 13decline with use in a known amount or provides unlimited use of the service for a fixed period of time; and

• Page 6, Line 14(c)  Allows a service user to access 911 emergency service.

• Page 6, Line 15SECTION 5.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 29-11-102.5, add (1.5) as follows:

• Page 6, Line 1629-11-102.5.  Imposition of charge on prepaid wireless -

• Page 6, Line 17prepaid wireless trust cash fund - rules - applicability - definitions -

• Page 6, Line 18repeal. (1.5)  This section applies to prepaid wireless

• Page 6, Line 19telecommunications service. All other telecommunication

• Page 6, Line 20services are subject to sections 29-11-102 and 29-11-102.3.

• Page 7, Line 1SECTION 6.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 40-17.5-101, add (9.5) as follows:

• Page 7, Line 240-17.5-101.  Definitions. As used in this article 17.5, unless the context otherwise requires:

• Page 7, Line 3(9.5)  "Prepaid wireless telecommunications service", for

• Page 7, Line 4the purposes of this section, has the same meaning as in section 29-11-101.

• Page 7, Line 5SECTION 7.  Act subject to petition - effective date. This act

• Page 7, Line 6takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the

• Page 7, Line 7ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except

• Page 7, Line 8that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V

• Page 7, Line 9of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this

• Page 7, Line 10act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take

• Page 7, Line 11effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in

• Page 7, Line 12November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.