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Some laws going into effect in Colorado on July 1:
— House Bill 1091: Requires most new homes to have carbon monoxide detectors.
— House Bill 1132: Adds text and instant messages to the list of crimes for Internet exploitation of children.
— House Bill 1202: Regulates funeral homes and crematories.
— House Bill 1260: Allows unmarried couples, including same-sex couples, to arrange for the other to inherit property, make hospital visits and make funeral arrangements.
— House Bill 1293: Charges hospitals a fee based on size to raise $600 million a year. State will qualify for federal matching funds. Backers say it will provide coverage to nearly 100,000 Coloradans and extend care for uninsured. Critics say hospitals can pass the fee to health insurers.
— House Bill 1326: Requires companies that hire people to circulate initiative petitions to be licensed after concerns in recent elections about the use of paid circulators, some from out of state. Requires circulators to be trained to comply with petition laws.
— Senate Bill 108: Imposes new vehicle registration fees to eventually raise $250 million a year to repair unsafe bridges and maintain roads. Imposes a $2 daily fee on car rentals and opens the door to tolls on existing highways.
— Senate Bill 228: Phases out state spending restrictions that limit growth to 6 percent a year to allow greater spending when the economy recovers. Over five years, money must be set aside for transportation, building projects and a reserve fund.
— House Bill 1132: Adds text and instant messages to the list of crimes for Internet exploitation of children.
— House Bill 1202: Regulates funeral homes and crematories.
— House Bill 1260: Allows unmarried couples, including same-sex couples, to arrange for the other to inherit property, make hospital visits and make funeral arrangements.
— House Bill 1293: Charges hospitals a fee based on size to raise $600 million a year. State will qualify for federal matching funds. Backers say it will provide coverage to nearly 100,000 Coloradans and extend care for uninsured. Critics say hospitals can pass the fee to health insurers.
— House Bill 1326: Requires companies that hire people to circulate initiative petitions to be licensed after concerns in recent elections about the use of paid circulators, some from out of state. Requires circulators to be trained to comply with petition laws.
— Senate Bill 108: Imposes new vehicle registration fees to eventually raise $250 million a year to repair unsafe bridges and maintain roads. Imposes a $2 daily fee on car rentals and opens the door to tolls on existing highways.
— Senate Bill 228: Phases out state spending restrictions that limit growth to 6 percent a year to allow greater spending when the economy recovers. Over five years, money must be set aside for transportation, building projects and a reserve fund.
DENVER, Colorado — One new law set to take effect Wednesday will allow Colorado homeowners to collect rainwater.
That's right, rainwater.
It will be legal for homeowners to use rainwater for fire protection, animals, irrigation and household use. It's a touchy issue in the state, which does not import water from other states or regions and is forced by law to send it on to other states downstream.
"People are shocked that some developer or water provider owns the water that falls out of the sky," said Rep. Marsha Looper, a Republican from rural Calhan, southeast of Denver, who sponsored the legislation.
"Every drop of water that hits the ground belongs to someone," said Kevin Bommer, a lobbyist for the Colorado Municipal League, which opposed past attempts to ease the rules.
Recent dry spells convinced lawmakers this year it was time to try harvesting rain — not that anyone was prosecuted under the old ban.
Water rights are a complicated matter in Colorado, and water districts, farming cooperatives and municipalities each have a claim, with the oldest claims getting priority.
It will be up to the state water engineer to determine if the law hurts water providers.
Another 56 laws go into effect Wednesday. One raises vehicle registration fees to pay for highway and bridge repairs.
Another will impose new fees on hospitals. The fees will be used to get federal matching dollars for a total of $1.2 billion a year. The money will be used to expand the number of people covered by Medicaid and the state's health insurance program for children. It will also be used to increase payments to hospitals that treat the uninsured.
That's right, rainwater.
It will be legal for homeowners to use rainwater for fire protection, animals, irrigation and household use. It's a touchy issue in the state, which does not import water from other states or regions and is forced by law to send it on to other states downstream.
"People are shocked that some developer or water provider owns the water that falls out of the sky," said Rep. Marsha Looper, a Republican from rural Calhan, southeast of Denver, who sponsored the legislation.
"Every drop of water that hits the ground belongs to someone," said Kevin Bommer, a lobbyist for the Colorado Municipal League, which opposed past attempts to ease the rules.
Recent dry spells convinced lawmakers this year it was time to try harvesting rain — not that anyone was prosecuted under the old ban.
Water rights are a complicated matter in Colorado, and water districts, farming cooperatives and municipalities each have a claim, with the oldest claims getting priority.
It will be up to the state water engineer to determine if the law hurts water providers.
Another 56 laws go into effect Wednesday. One raises vehicle registration fees to pay for highway and bridge repairs.
Another will impose new fees on hospitals. The fees will be used to get federal matching dollars for a total of $1.2 billion a year. The money will be used to expand the number of people covered by Medicaid and the state's health insurance program for children. It will also be used to increase payments to hospitals that treat the uninsured.
