House Bill 25-1181

BY REPRESENTATIVE(S) Clifford and Pugliese, Bacon, Duran, Hamrick, Lieder, Lindsay, Lindstedt, Ricks, McCluskie;

also SENATOR(S) Weissman and Lundeen, Ball, Frizell, Jodeh, Kirkmeyer, Kolker, Mullica, Pelton B., Roberts.

Concerning the Colorado rangers law enforcement shared reserve.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:

SECTION 1.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, amend 16-2.5-102 as follows:

16-2.5-102.  Certified peace officer - P.O.S.T. certification required. The following peace officers shall meet all the standards imposed by law on a peace officer and shall be certified by the peace officers standards and training board, referred to in this articlearticle 2.5 as the "P.O.S.T. board": A chief of police; a police officer; a sheriff; an undersheriff; a deputy sheriff; a Colorado state patrol officer; a town marshal; a deputy town marshal; a reserve police officer; a reserve deputy sheriff; a reserve deputy town marshal; a police officer or reserve police officer employed by a state institution of higher education; a Colorado wildlife officer; a Colorado parks and recreation officer; a Colorado police administrator or police officer employed by the Colorado mental health institute at Pueblo; an attorney general criminal investigator; a community parole officer; a public transit officer; a municipal court marshal; and the department of corrections inspector general; and a Colorado ranger.

SECTION 2.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 16-2.5-153 as follows:

16-2.5-153.  Colorado rangers.A Colorado ranger is a peace officer defined as a reserve police officer in section 16-2.5-110 whose duties are limited pursuant to section 24-33.5-802 and who must be certified by the P.O.S.T. board.

SECTION 3.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 24-33.5-802, add (3.3) and (3.5) as follows:

24-33.5-802.  Definitions. As used in this part 8, unless the context otherwise requires:

(3.3)  "Colorado ranger" means a peace officer acting under the authority of an agency requesting assistance from the Colorado rangers law enforcement shared reserve through an intergovernmental agreement or mutual aid agreement or as otherwise granted by law.

(3.5)  "Colorado rangers law enforcement shared reserve" means the statewide shared reserve law enforcement agency that is a political subdivision of the state through the execution of an intergovernmental agreement pursuant to section 29-1-203.

SECTION 4.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 24-33.5-822, amend (6) as follows:

24-33.5-822.  County sheriff - local government - local emergency planning committee - memorandum of understanding with volunteer organizations. (6)  The executive director of the department of public safety created in section 24-33.5-103, the director of the Colorado bureau of investigation created in section 24-33.5-401, the executive director of the department of corrections created in section 24-1-128.5, the division of emergency management created by part 21 of this articlearticle 33.5, the division of homeland security created in section 24-33.5-1603, and a county sheriff, police chief, town marshal, or any other law enforcement organization certified pursuant to the provisions of article 2.5 of title 16, C.R.S., whothat enters into amemorandum of understanding pursuant to this sectionan intergovernmental agreement or mutual aid agreement with the Colorado mounted rangers law enforcement shared reserve or a member of the Colorado mounted rangersranger is solely responsible for, and in direct control of, the performance of any Colorado mounted rangerranger, including incurring any and all liabilities for misconduct of the Colorado ranger, and is responsible for addressing any misconduct as if the Colorado mounted rangerranger was a full-time employee of the organization.

SECTION 5.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 24-33.5-822.5 as follows:

24-33.5-822.5.  Colorado rangers law enforcement shared reserve - additional authority of board to authorize compensation  for extended or out-of-state service - acceptance of gifts, grants, and donations authorized - sunrise application required - definition - repeal. (1)  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires, "board" means the board of the Colorado rangers law enforcement shared reserve as collectively appointed pursuant to, and by the mayors of the municipalities and commissioners of any counties that are parties to, the intergovernmental agreement that governs the Colorado rangers law enforcement shared reserve.

(2) (a)  The board may establish policies to allow compensation to be paid to a Colorado ranger if the Colorado ranger:

(I)  Is deployed for an extended period, as defined or described in the policies, as a peace officer for a member jurisdiction pursuant to the intergovernmental agreement or for a nonmember jurisdiction pursuant to a mutual aid agreement; or

(II)  Is deployed as a peace officer outside the state as authorized by the "Emergency Management Assistance Compact", part 29 of article 60 of this title 24.

(b)  Compensation paid to a Colorado ranger pursuant to board policies adopted as authorized by subsection (2)(a) of this section may be paid to the Colorado ranger either directly by the board or by a member jurisdiction or a nonmember jurisdiction under the terms of the intergovernmental agreement, a mutual aid agreement, or a memorandum of understanding, as applicable.

(3)  The Colorado rangers law enforcement shared reserve may seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations from private or public sources for any of its purposes authorized by law, intergovernmental agreement, or a mutual aid agreement.

(4) (a)  The board shall submit a sunrise application pursuant to section 16-2.5-201 by July 1, 2025, to determine if any change in peace officer status is necessary.

(b)  This subsection (4) is repealed, effective January 1, 2026.

SECTION 6.  Safety clause. The general assembly finds, determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state institutions.