HB 22-1382 Summary

• Establishes the Colorado Dark Sky Designation Technical Assistance Grant Program to provide grants funding technical assistance for communities applying to the International Dark-Sky Association for dark sky certification.

• Transfers $35,000 from the general fund to the Colorado Travel and Tourism Additional Source Fund on July 1, 2022, to be continuously appropriated for grants, IDA contracts, and program administration costs.

• Authorizes the Office to contract with the International Dark-Sky Association and its Colorado chapter to administer the grant program, provide education about dark sky benefits, and promote responsible tourism in designated dark sky places.

• Requires grant applicants to demonstrate community and stakeholder support for their dark sky place designation application as a condition of funding eligibility.

• Mandates a report to the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee and Senate Business, Labor, and Technology Committee by November 1, 2023, detailing fund expenditures and the number of recipients who opened active IDA case files or achieved dark sky place certification.