Senate Committee of Reference Report

Committee on Transportation & Energy

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This is text that is removed from law.

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April 13, 2026

After consideration on the merits, the Committee recommends the following:

SB26-101     be amended as follows, and as so amended, be referred to the Committee of the Whole with favorable recommendation:

Page 1, Line 1Amend printed bill, strike everything below the enacting clause and

Page 1, Line 2substitute:

Page 1, Line 3"SECTION 1.  Legislative declaration. (1)  The general

Page 1, Line 4assembly finds and declares that:

Page 1, Line 5(a)  On December 18, 2025, the air quality control commission in

Page 1, Line 6the department of public health and environment adopted Regulation

Page 1, Line 7Number 31, "Control of Methane Emissions from Municipal Solid Waste

Page 1, Line 8Landfills", 5 CCR 1001-35, to reduce methane emissions and other air

Page 1, Line 9pollutants from municipal solid waste landfills;

Page 1, Line 10(b)  Regulation Number 31 requires municipal solid waste landfills

Page 1, Line 11to reduce methane emissions through the installation and operation of gas

Page 1, Line 12collection and control systems and improved monitoring and gas

Page 1, Line 13management, thereby supporting cleaner air and lowering greenhouse gas

Page 1, Line 14emissions; and

Page 1, Line 15(c)  Compliance with Regulation Number 31 may impose a

Page 1, Line 16financial burden on some entities that own or operate municipal solid

Page 1, Line 17waste landfills.

Page 1, Line 18(2)  The general assembly further finds and declares that:

Page 1, Line 19(a)  The community impact cash fund was created in section

Page 1, Line 2025-7-129, Colorado Revised Statutes, to provide financial assistance for

Page 1, Line 21environmental mitigation projects through the environmental justice grant

Page 1, Line 22program using air quality-related penalty revenue. The community impact

Page 1, Line 23cash fund is an existing source of state financial assistance intended to

Page 1, Line 24address impacts of air and water quality to local communities and

Page 1, Line 25infrastructures.

Page 1, Line 26(b)  The local government mineral impact fund, created in section

Page 1, Line 2734-63-102 (5), Colorado Revised Statutes, consists of money that is

Page 2, Line 1distributed by the executive director of the department of local affairs to

Page 2, Line 2counties, federal mineral lease districts, and municipalities in accordance

Page 2, Line 3with guidelines established by the executive director in consultation with

Page 2, Line 4the energy impact assistance advisory committee;

Page 2, Line 5(c)  It is the intent of the general assembly that money in the

Page 2, Line 6community impact cash fund and local government mineral impact fund

Page 2, Line 7may be used to assist entities in complying with Regulation Number 31;

Page 2, Line 8(d)  In determining any financial assistance for municipal solid

Page 2, Line 9waste landfill methane emission reduction projects, priority should be

Page 2, Line 10given to municipal solid waste landfills that are owned or operated by

Page 2, Line 11local governments in recognition of local governments' limited access to

Page 2, Line 12private capital; and

Page 2, Line 13(e)  Clarifying the availability and prioritization of these funding

Page 2, Line 14sources will support timely compliance with Regulation Number 31,

Page 2, Line 15protect public health, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Page 2, Line 16SECTION 2.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 25-7-129, add (3)(g)

Page 2, Line 17as follows:

Page 2, Line 1825-7-129.  Disposition of fines - community impact cash fund

Page 2, Line 19- repeal.

Page 2, Line 20(3) (g) (I)  Pursuant to the department of public health and

Page 2, Line 21environment's authority to expend money from the fund to

Page 2, Line 22provide grants for environmental mitigation projects pursuant

Page 2, Line 23to section 25-1-134 (2)(g)(VII), the department may expend money

Page 2, Line 24from the fund to provide grants for municipal solid waste

Page 2, Line 25landfill methane emission reduction projects that are

Page 2, Line 26conducted in accordance with rules adopted by the commission

Page 2, Line 27under this article 7 and that qualify as environmental

Page 2, Line 28mitigation projects, as defined in section 25-1-134 (4)(b).

Page 2, Line 29(II)  The environmental justice advisory board, created in

Page 2, Line 30section 25-1-134 (2)(a), shall prioritize a grant request for the

Page 2, Line 31purpose of complying with municipal solid waste landfill

Page 2, Line 32methane emission reduction requirements from a local

Page 2, Line 33government that owns or operates a municipal solid waste

Page 2, Line 34landfill over a grant request from a private entity that owns

Page 2, Line 35or operates a municipal solid waste landfill.

Page 2, Line 36(III)  An entity shall use money expended by the

Page 2, Line 37department of public health and environment pursuant to

Page 2, Line 38subsection (3)(g)(I) of this section as supplemental funding only

Page 2, Line 39and not as the exclusive source of funding for compliance with

Page 2, Line 40municipal solid waste landfill methane emission reduction

Page 2, Line 41requirements. With the exception of supplemental funding

Page 2, Line 42grants for environmental mitigation projects provided pursuant

Page 2, Line 43to subsection (3)(g)(I) of this section, nothing in this subsection

Page 3, Line 1(3)(g) relieves an entity of the responsibility to otherwise ensure

Page 3, Line 2adequate funding for municipal solid waste landfill methane

Page 3, Line 3emission reduction projects in compliance with applicable

Page 3, Line 4commission rules.

Page 3, Line 5SECTION 3.  Act subject to petition - effective date -

Page 3, Line 6applicability. (1)  This act takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following

Page 3, Line 7the expiration of the ninety-day period after final adjournment of the

Page 3, Line 8general assembly (August 12, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13,

Page 3, Line 92026); except that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1

Page 3, Line 10(3) of article V of the state constitution against this act or an item, section,

Page 3, Line 11or part of this act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part

Page 3, Line 12will not take effect unless approved by the people at the general election

Page 3, Line 13to be held in November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the

Page 3, Line 14date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.

Page 3, Line 15(2)  This act applies to conduct occurring on or after the applicable

Page 3, Line 16effective date of this act.".