The 2018 session of the Colorado General Assembly resulted in the passage of numerous bills to support the ability of Colorado’s nonprofit sector to serve and strengthen our communities including:

• SB 18-141 which authorizes creation of the Donate to a Colorado Nonprofit Tax Checkoff Fund. Provided sufficient grants and donations are received to fund the program, taxpayers can donate their tax refunds on the 2019 tax form to any nonprofit registered to fundraise in Colorado for at least five years.
  
  
• Renewing several tax credits supporting the work of various nonprofit organizations including the Child Care Contribution Credit (HB 18-1004), the Affordable Housing Tax Credit (SB 18-007), and the Job Creation and Main Street Revitalization Act (HB 18-1190) which supports preservation of historic buildings.
  
  
• Modifying sales tax laws to allow veterans’ organizations to qualify for sales tax exemption (HB 18-1218) and allow transportation, health, arts, and other special districts to resume collecting revenues on retail marijuana sales (SB 18-088).
  
  
• Clarifying state liquor laws to allow nonprofits and tax-exempt organization to auction sealed bottles of alcohol at events held at venues with liquor licenses (SB 18-067).
  
  
• Making Colorado’s trust law consistent with laws in over thirty states (SB 18-180); and
  
  
• Renewing and modifying commissions including the Colorado Civil Rights Division and Commission (HB 18-1256), the Governor’s Commission on Community Service (HB 18-1234), and the Conservation Easement Oversight Commission and tax credit program (HB 18-1291)

A few significant bills for nonprofits did not pass including:

• HB 18-1359 removing the $500 minimum from Colorado’s charitable deduction for non-itemizers;
  
  
• SB 18-214 requiring Medicaid recipients to work or volunteer to maintain eligibility; and
  
  
• HB 18-1013 creating a tax credit for donations to nonprofits’ endowments

Contact Mark Turner with questions and visit Colorado Nonprofit Association’s 2018 Legislative Session page for more information about these new laws.

- Mark Turner is the Director of Public Policy for the Colorado Nonprofit Association. Since 2005, Mark has directed the organization’s actions on state and federal policies, trained nonprofits on advocacy and lobbying strategies, and communicated with Colorado’s nonprofits about pertinent laws and regulations. Previously, he was the Membership Services Manager for the Association and worked as a Research Assistant for the Latin American Research and Service Agency in Denver. He earned a B.A. in Government and Legal Studies from Bowdoin College in 2000 and completed the Denver Community Leadership Forum in 2004 through the University of Colorado at Denver. In his spare time, he plays the drums, writes poetry, and plays Ultimate Frisbee.