On January 20, 2012, Rep. Don Coram and Sen. Cheri Jahn introduced HB 12-1154 – Concerning a Regional Approach to Economic Development. This summary is published here courtesy of the Colorado Bar Association’s e-Legislative Report.
The bill tasks the Colorado Office of Economic Development with fostering a regional approach to economic development. A region is defined as a state planning and management region utilized by the Department of Local Affairs. Currently, there are 14 such regions in the state.
The office must create a new, or assist in expanding an existing, regional development partnership in each region. A partnership consists of representatives of the region’s businesses and industries, economic and workforce development entities, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, local governmental bodies, and federal, tribal, and state regulatory authorities.
The bill designates regional economic development partnership boards as the entities that will develop 3-year regional economic development plans, work with partnerships to implement the plans, and provide annual progress reports regarding such implementation to the newly created state regional economic development council.
The council, which consists of one representative from each partnership and the regional development director of the office, meets periodically with the office and the Colorado economic development commission and annually reports to the governor regarding the progress reports.
The bill is assigned to the Appropriations Committee; the bill in is not listed on the Appropriations Committee calendar.
Summaries of other featured bills can be found here.
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