SB19-180 Summary

• Establishes the Eviction Legal Defense Fund in the state treasury to provide grants to qualifying organizations that offer legal services to indigent tenants facing eviction.

• Defines "indigent" as persons whose income does not exceed 200 percent of federal poverty guidelines; requires qualifying organizations to be Colorado-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofits obtaining more than 20 percent of funding from non-grant sources.

• Authorizes the State Court Administrator to award grants for legal representation, education clinics, legal information, referrals to housing assistance, and mediation services related to eviction cases.

• Distributes grant funds to counties and cities proportionally based on forcible entry and detainer petition filings, with multiple qualifying organizations in the same county sharing grants based on clients served.

• Appropriates $750,000 from the general fund for fiscal year 2019-20 and requires the administrator to evaluate program effectiveness by December 31, 2024, and every five years thereafter.