Senate Bill 25-008 Introduced

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.

• 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 11SECTION 2.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 25-4-2208, amend (2) and (3) as follows:

• Page 3, Line 1225-4-2208.  Necessary document program - report -

• Page 3, Line 13appropriation - definition. (2) (a)  The office shall administer a

• Page 3, Line 14necessary document program The office shall make one or more grants

• Page 3, Line 15per fiscal year to, enter into one or more vendor contracts with, or both,

• Page 3, Line 16a nonprofit entity or collection of nonprofit entities that conduct a

• Page 3, Line 17collaborative identification project to assist Colorado residents who are

• Page 3, Line 18victims of domestic violence, are impacted by a natural disaster,

• Page 3, Line 19low-income, disabled, homeless, or elderly earn low incomes, have

• Page 3, Line 20disabilities, are experiencing homelessness, or are elderly and

• Page 3, Line 21who are seeking documentation of their identity, status, or citizenship by

• Page 3, Line 22paying 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 14(III)  An individual seeking vital statistics certificates,

• Page 4, Line 15vital statistics reports, or other documents required for the

• Page 4, Line 16issuance of vital statistics certificates and vital statistics

• Page 4, Line 17reports as described in subsection (1)(c) of this section, other

• Page 4, Line 18than a birth certificate, must provide digital, written, or verbal

• Page 4, Line 19verification of need by legal services providers as part of the exceptions processing process.

• Page 4, Line 20(c)  Nothing in this subsection (2) changes the identity

• Page 4, Line 21verification requirements that may be required to obtain a necessary document.

• Page 4, Line 22(3) (a)  The general assembly shall annually appropriate to the

• Page 5, Line 1office up to three hundred thousand dollars from the general fund. The

• Page 5, Line 2office shall expend the money for the purposes specified in this section.

• Page 5, Line 3including up to fifteen thousand dollars for the office's direct and indirect costs in administering the necessary document program.

• Page 5, Line 4(b)  The office shall use the money appropriated pursuant to subsection (3)(a) of this section for the following:

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

• Page 5, Line 6and indirect costs of administering the necessary document program;

• Page 5, Line 7(II)  To reimburse the department for fees for the issuance

• Page 5, Line 8of vital statistics certificates, vital statistics reports, or

• Page 5, Line 9related documents as described in subsections (1)(b)(III) and (1)(c) of this section; and

• Page 5, Line 10(III)  To reimburse the department of revenue for the

• Page 5, Line 11issuance of driver's licenses, identification cards, or related

• Page 5, Line 12documents as described in subsections (1)(b)(I), (1)(b)(II), and (1)(c) of this section.

• Page 5, Line 13(c) (I)  The department and the department of revenue

• Page 5, Line 14shall each submit requests to the office for reimbursement

• Page 5, Line 15based on the actual number of necessary documents issued by

• Page 5, Line 16the department or the department of revenue and in the manner determined by the office.

• Page 5, Line 17(II)  The office shall provide reimbursements to the

• Page 5, Line 18department and the department of revenue in a manner

• Page 5, Line 19determined appropriate by the department until the money

• Page 5, Line 20appropriated to the office pursuant to subsection (3)(a) of this

• Page 5, Line 21section is no longer available.

• Page 6, Line 1SECTION 3.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 42-2-114.5, add (8) as follows:

• Page 6, Line 242-2-114.5.  Fees for driver's licenses, identification cards, and

• Page 6, Line 3related services - crediting to DRIVES account - fee setting

• Page 6, Line 4procedures - rules. (8)  If there is money available from the

• Page 6, Line 5appropriation made pursuant to section 25-4-2208 (3), the

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

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

• Page 6, Line 8receive 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),

• Page 6, Line 14the department shall not charge or collect the fees established

• Page 6, Line 15in this section from an individual who demonstrates eligibility

• Page 6, Line 16to receive assistance under the necessary document program

• Page 6, Line 17established in section 25-4-2208 and administered by the office of

• Page 6, Line 18health equity in the department of public health and environment.

• Page 6, Line 19SECTION 5.  Act subject to petition - effective date. This act

• Page 6, Line 20takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the

• Page 6, Line 21ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except

• Page 6, Line 22that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V

• Page 6, Line 23of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this

• Page 7, Line 1act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take

• Page 7, Line 2effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in

• Page 7, Line 3November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.