From concealed carry training to biometric privacy, the start of a new fiscal year on July 1 also means some new state policies. We’ve rounded them up for you here:
Privacy protections for biometric data
Companies and employers that collect biometric data — face or iris scans, finger and voice prints, and even brain waves — must follow new rules for how they protect the privacy of that information. That includes getting people’s consent to collect their data and destroying it once its intended purpose has expired.
Companies are banned from selling any biometric data they collect and must have a written policy on how to respond to a security breach.
The bipartisan law, the first of its kind in the country, passed last year with unanimous support at the statehouse.
Increased training requirements for concealed carry permits
Gun owners who want to carry a concealed gun will have to meet new training requirements to get or renew their permits.
Classes must be held in person, with a curriculum that includes live fire training, as well as instruction in how to safely handle, use and store firearms, an overview of state and federal firearms laws, best practices for interacting with law enforcement, and tips for avoiding and de-escalating potentially violent situations.
The new law also requires that sheriffs verify the credentials of firearms instructors in their county and maintain a list of verified teachers on their website.
New oversight for firearms dealers
Federally licensed firearms dealers will now also need a state license in order to do business in Colorado. The three-year permits come with a $400 fee and require dealers to have their federal license in good standing and to not have been convicted of violating any firearms laws in the past three years.
Also under the new law, the state will randomly inspect at least 10 percent of gun stores each year to make sure they’re following all state regulations.
The new state budget
July 1 is the start of the new fiscal year for Colorado, and that means a new budget.
Lawmakers agonized over this year’s spending plan. With expenses rising faster than anticipated in Medicaid, a renewed commitment to fully funding K-12 education, and the last of the COVID relief money finally spent, the state found itself with $1.2 billion more in obligations than it had in funding to meet them.
To keep state spending balanced, lawmakers cut funding for transportation, trimmed a host of programs and shifted some costs to local governments.
As hard as it was to write this new budget, the coming year likely won’t be any easier for policymakers. Next year’s budget is already forecast to have a $700 million hole they’ll need to fill, and that’s before taking into account the hundreds of millions of dollars of federal funding Colorado could lose under the Republican reconciliation bill.
More judges around the state
Starting July 1, Colorado will gradually add 15 new judges to its statewide bench, in the hope of lowering judicial workloads and speeding up cases.
The governor has already appointed six new district court judges, who start their roles this week. The rest of the new positions will be filled over the next two years. Judicial Districts 4, 7, 13, 17, 18, 19 and 23 are all on tap to get new judges. Additionally, Larimer, Douglas, La Plata, Mesa and Eagle counties will each get additional county judges.
