On February 7, 2012, Rep. J. Paul Brown and Sen. Lois Tochtrop introduced HB 12-1290 – Concerning the Voluntary Contribution Designation Benefiting the Colorado for Healthy Landscapes Fund that Appears on the State Individual Income Tax Return Forms. This summary is published here courtesy of the Colorado Bar Association’s e-Legislative Report.

The bill creates the Colorado for Healthy Landscapes fund in the state treasury. For the 5 income tax years following the year in which the executive director of the department of revenue certifies to the revisor of statutes that there is a space on the income tax return form and that the Colorado for Healthy Landscapes fund voluntary contribution is next in the queue, the bill requires a voluntary contribution designation line for the fund to appear on state individual income tax return forms.

The Department of Revenue must determine annually the total amount designated to the fund and report that amount to the state treasurer and the general assembly. The state treasurer shall credit that amount to the fund.

Finally, the general assembly must appropriate annually from the fund to the department its costs of administering contributions to the fund. All moneys remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall be transferred to the Colorado Weed Management Association, the nonprofit organization that acts as fiscal manager for Colorado for Healthy Landscapes.

The bill passed out of the House on March 6. The Senate Finance Committee approved the bill and sent it to the Appropriations Committee on March 22.

Since this summary, the Senate Appropriations Committee referred the bill, unamended, to the Senate Committee of the Whole.

Summaries of other featured bills can be found here.