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Second Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
INTRODUCED
LLS NO. 26-0322.01 Eden Rolland x2373 HOUSE BILL 26-1032
House Committees Senate Committees
Finance
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING THE CREATION OF A FALLEN FIREFIGHTER SPECIAL101
LICENSE PLATE.102
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.)
The bill creates the fallen firefighter special license plate. An
applicant becomes eligible to use the plate by providing a certificate to
the department of revenue (department) confirming that the applicant has
made a donation to a nonprofit organization (organization) designated by
the department based on the organization's provision of services to the
families of firefighters who have died in the line of duty.
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Richardson and Velasco,
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Pelton B.,
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.
In addition to the normal fees for a license plate, a person must pay
2 additional one-time fees in the amount of $25, one of which is credited
to the highway users tax fund and the other to the Colorado DRIVES
vehicle services account.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 42-3-272 as2
follows:3
42-3-272. Special plates - fallen firefighter.4
(1) BEGINNING ON THE EARLIER OF JANUARY 1, 2027, OR WHEN5
THE DEPARTMENT IS ABLE TO ISSUE THE PLATES, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL6
ISSUE SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES TO QUALIFIED APPLICANTS IN ACCORDANCE7
WITH THIS SECTION FOR MOTORCYCLES , PASSENGER CARS , TRUCKS, OR8
NONCOMMERCIAL OR RECREATIONAL MOTOR VEHICLES THAT DO NOT9
EXCEED SIXTEEN THOUSAND POUNDS EMPTY WEIGHT.10
(2) (a) T HE FALLEN FIREFIGHTER SPECIAL LICENSE PLATE IS11
ESTABLISHED.12
(b) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL APPROVE AND USE A DESIGN FOR THE13
LICENSE PLATE, WHICH DESIGN MUST CONFORM TO STANDARDS SET BY THE14
DEPARTMENT.15
(3) (a) A T LEAST ONCE EVERY FIVE YEARS , THE DEPARTMENT16
SHALL DESIGNATE ONE OR MORE ORGANIZATIONS TO QUALIFY APPLICANTS17
TO BE ISSUED THE FALLEN FIREFIGHTER SPECIAL LICENSE PLATE . AN18
ORGANIZATION IS ELIGIBLE TO BE DESIGNATED IF THE ORGANIZATION IS A19
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION EXEMPT FROM TAXATION AND:20
(I) IS LOCATED IN COLORADO;21
(II) HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR AT LEAST FIFTEEN YEARS; AND22
(III) P ROVIDES COUNSELING, SUPPORT , LEGAL AID , EDUCATION23
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ASSISTANCE, OR JOB TRAINING TO THE FAMILIES OF FIREFIGHTERS WHO1
HAVE DIED IN THE LINE OF DUTY OR OFFERS SCHOLARSHIPS TO THE2
CHILDREN OF FALLEN FIREFIGHTERS.3
(b) A PERSON MAY APPLY FOR A FALLEN FIREFIGHTER SPECIAL4
LICENSE PLATE IF THE PERSON PAYS THE TAXES AND FEES REQUIRED5
UNDER THIS SECTION AND PROVIDES TO THE DEPARTMENT A CERTIFICATE6
ISSUED BY THE ORGANIZATION DESIGNATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH7
SUBSECTION (3)(a) OF THIS SECTION CONFIRMING THAT THE APPLICANT8
HAS MADE A DONATION TO THE ORGANIZATION. THE ORGANIZATION MAY9
ESTABLISH A MINIMUM DONATION AMOUNT TO QUALIFY FOR THE LICENSE10
PLATE.11
(c) T HE ORGANIZATION DESIGNATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH12
SUBSECTION (3)(a) OF THIS SECTION SHALL FILE WITH THE DEPARTMENT13
AN ANNUAL STATEMENT VERIFYING THAT THE ORGANIZATION IS A14
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.15
(4) THE AMOUNT OF THE TAXES AND FEES REQUIRED FOR SPECIAL16
LICENSE PLATES UNDER THIS SECTION IS THE SAME AS THE AMOUNT OF THE17
TAXES AND FEES FOR REGULAR MOTOR VEHICLE LICENSE PLATES; EXCEPT18
THAT THE DEPARTMENT SHALL COLLECT THE FEE SPECIFIED IN SECTION19
42-3-312 AND AN ADDITIONAL ONE-TIME FEE OF TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS20
FOR ISSUANCE OR REPLACEMENT OF THE SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES . THE21
DEPARTMENT SHALL TRANSMIT THE ADDITIONAL ONE -TIME FEE TO THE22
STATE TREASURER, WHO SHALL CREDIT THE FEE TO THE HIGHWAY USERS23
TAX FUND CREATED IN SECTION 43-4-201.24
(5) A N APPLICANT MAY APPLY FOR PERSONALIZED FALLEN25
FIREFIGHTER SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES . UPON PAYMENT OF THE26
ADDITIONAL FEE REQUIRED BY SECTION 42-3-211 (6)(a) FOR27
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PERSONALIZED LICENSE PLATES, THE DEPARTMENT MAY ISSUE THE PLATES1
IF THE APPLICANT COMPLIES WITH SECTION 42-3-211. IF AN APPLICANT2
HAS EXISTING PERSONALIZED LICENSE PLATES FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE, THE3
APPLICANT MAY TRANSFER THE COMBINATION OF LETTERS OR NUMBERS4
TO A NEW SET OF FALLEN FIREFIGHTER SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES FOR THE5
VEHICLE UPON PAYING THE FEE REQUIRED BY SECTION 42-3-211 (6)(a)6
AND UPON TURNING IN THE EXISTING PLATES TO THE DEPARTMENT . A7
PERSON THAT HAS OBTAINED PERSONALIZED LICENSE PLATES UNDER THIS8
SUBSECTION (5) SHALL PAY THE ANNUAL FEE IMPOSED BY SECTION9
42-3-211 (6)(b) FOR RENEWAL OF THE PERSONALIZED PLATES. THE FEES10
ASSESSED UNDER THIS SUBSECTION (5) ARE IN ADDITION TO ALL OTHER11
APPLICABLE TAXES AND FEES.12
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, amend 42-3-312 as13
follows:14
42-3-312. Special license plate surcharge.15
In addition to any other fee imposed by this article 3, an applicant16
for a special license plate created by rule in accordance with section17
42-3-207, as the section existed when the plate was created, personalized18
plates issued under section 42-3-211, or special license plates issued19
under sections 42-3-212 to 42-3- 214, sec tions 42-3-217 to 42-3-218,20
sections 42-3-221 to 42-3-234 42-3-229, SECTIONS 42-3-231 TO 42-3-234,21
sections 42-3-237 to 42-3-258, sections 42-3-260 to 42-3-265, and22
sections 42-3-267 to 42-3-271 42-3-272 shall pay an issuance fee of23
twenty-five dollars; except that the fee is not imposed on special license24
plates exempted from additional fees for the issuance of a military special25
license plate by section 42-3-213 (1)(b)(II). The department shall transfer26
the money from the fee to the state treasurer, who shall credit it to the27
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Colorado DRIVES vehicle services account created in section 42-1-2111
(2).2
SECTION 3. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act3
takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the4
ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August5
12, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13, 2026); except that, if a6
referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the7
state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act8
within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect9
unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in10
November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the11
official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.12
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