Senate Bill 25-008 Engrossed

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, 25-4-2205, amend (2)(l) and (2)(m); and add (2)(n) as follows:

• Page 3, Line 1225-4-2205.  Powers and duties of the office of health equity -

• Page 3, Line 13rules - working group. (2)  The office has the following powers, duties, and functions:

• Page 3, Line 14(l)  Building collaborative partnerships with communities to identify and promote health equity strategies; and

• Page 3, Line 15(m)  Developing communications strategies regarding health equity; and

• Page 3, Line 16(n)  Seeking, accepting, and expending gifts, grants, or

• Page 3, Line 17donations from private or public sources for the purposes of the necessary document program established in section 25-4-2208.

• Page 3, Line 18SECTION 3.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 25-4-2208, amend (2) and (3); and add (5) as follows:

• Page 4, Line 125-4-2208.  Necessary document program - report -

• Page 4, Line 2appropriation - definition. (2) (a)  The office shall administer a

• Page 4, Line 3necessary document program The office shall make one or more grants

• Page 4, Line 4per fiscal year to, enter into one or more vendor contracts with, or both,

• Page 4, Line 5a nonprofit entity or collection of nonprofit entities that conduct a

• Page 4, Line 6collaborative identification project to assist Colorado residents who are

• Page 4, Line 7victims of domestic violence, are impacted by a natural disaster,

• Page 4, Line 8low-income, disabled, homeless, or elderly earn low incomes, have

• Page 4, Line 9disabilities, are experiencing homelessness, or are elderly and

• Page 4, Line 10who are seeking documentation of their identity, status, or citizenship by paying the fees to acquire a necessary document.

• Page 4, Line 11(b) (I)  On and after July 1, 2027, and to the extent that

• Page 4, Line 12money appropriated to the office pursuant to subsection (3)(a) of

• Page 4, Line 13this section is available, an individual specified in subsection

• Page 4, Line 14(2)(a) of this section who needs to obtain any necessary

• Page 4, Line 15documents may obtain the necessary documents without cost to the individual and without a physical voucher at:

• Page 4, Line 16(A)  Participating division of motor vehicles locations;

• Page 4, Line 17(B)  Participating mobile units or from authorized

• Page 4, Line 18representatives that offer driver's licenses, identification card

• Page 4, Line 19services, vital statistics certificates, vital statistics reports, or

• Page 4, Line 20related documents as described in subsection (1)(c) of this section; or

• Page 4, Line 21(C)  Participating vital statistics offices.

• Page 4, Line 22(II)  An individual may self-attest to the individual's

• Page 4, Line 23eligibility to receive assistance from the necessary document program.

• Page 5, Line 2(c)  Nothing in this subsection (2) changes the identity

• Page 5, Line 3verification requirements that may be required to obtain a necessary document.

• Page 5, Line 4(3) (a)  The general assembly shall annually appropriate to the

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

• Page 5, Line 6office shall expend the money for the purposes specified in this section.

• Page 5, Line 7including up to fifteen thousand dollars for the office's direct and indirect costs in administering the necessary document program.

• Page 5, Line 8(b)  The office shall use the money appropriated pursuant to subsection (3)(a) of this section for the following:

• Page 5, Line 9(I)  Up to fifteen thousand dollars for the office's direct

• Page 5, Line 10and indirect costs of administering the necessary document program;

• Page 5, Line 11(II)  To reimburse the department for fees for the issuance

• Page 5, Line 12of vital statistics certificates, vital statistics reports, or

• Page 5, Line 13related documents as described in subsections (1)(b)(III) and (1)(c) of this section; and

• Page 5, Line 14(III)  To reimburse the department of revenue for the

• Page 5, Line 15issuance of driver's licenses, identification cards, or related

• Page 5, Line 16documents as described in subsections (1)(b)(I), (1)(b)(II), and (1)(c) of this section.

• Page 5, Line 17(c) (I)  The department and the department of revenue

• Page 5, Line 18shall each submit requests to the office for reimbursement

• Page 5, Line 19based on the actual number of necessary documents issued by

• Page 5, Line 20the department or the department of revenue and in the manner determined by the office.

• Page 6, Line 1(II)  The office shall provide reimbursements to the

• Page 6, Line 2department and the department of revenue in a manner

• Page 6, Line 3determined appropriate by the department until the money

• Page 6, Line 4appropriated to the office pursuant to subsection (3)(a) of this section is no longer available.

• Page 6, Line 5(5)  The office may use the gifts, grants, or donations

• Page 6, Line 6accepted by the office pursuant to section 25-4-2205 (2)(n) for the purposes of this section.

• Page 6, Line 7SECTION 4.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 42-2-114.5, add (8) as follows:

• Page 6, Line 842-2-114.5.  Fees for driver's licenses, identification cards, and

• Page 6, Line 9related services - crediting to DRIVES account - fee setting

• Page 6, Line 10procedures - rules. (8)  If there is money available from the

• Page 6, Line 11appropriation made pursuant to section 25-4-2208 (3) or the gifts,

• Page 6, Line 12grants, or donations accepted pursuant to section 25-4-2205

• Page 6, Line 13(2)(n), the department shall not charge or collect the fees

• Page 6, Line 14established in this section from an individual who demonstrates

• Page 6, Line 15eligibility to receive assistance under the necessary document

• Page 6, Line 16program established in section 25-4-2208 and administered by the

• Page 6, Line 17office of health equity in the department of public health and environment.

• Page 6, Line 18SECTION 5.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 42-2-306, add (3) as follows:

• Page 6, Line 1942-2-306.  Fees - disposition. (3)  If there is money available

• Page 6, Line 20from the appropriation made pursuant to section 25-4-2208 (3) or

• Page 6, Line 21the gifts, grants, or donations accepted pursuant to section

• Page 7, Line 125-4-2205 (2)(n), the department shall not charge or collect the

• Page 7, Line 2fees established in this section from an individual who

• Page 7, Line 3demonstrates eligibility to receive assistance under the

• Page 7, Line 4necessary document program established in section 25-4-2208

• Page 7, Line 5and administered by the office of health equity in the department of public health and environment.

• Page 7, Line 6SECTION 6.  Act subject to petition - effective date. This act

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

• Page 7, Line 8ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except

• Page 7, Line 9that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V

• Page 7, Line 10of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this

• Page 7, Line 11act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take

• Page 7, Line 12effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in

• Page 7, Line 13November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.