Denver committee hears how state will deliver Proposition 130 funds, and what’s still unclear

At a Denver City Council health and safety committee meeting on Oct. 1, legislative staff and state officials briefed councilmembers on the implementation plan for Colorado’s Proposition 130, the 2024 initiative that requires a $350 million state appropriation to a Peace Officer Training and Support Fund. Dominic Moreno, a city legislative staff member, told the committee the legislature enacted Senate Bill 25 3 10 to define allowable uses and distribution rules and has created a $500 million warrant to the Public Employee Retirement Association (PERA) to invest and generate earnings that will be used for annual grants to local agencies.

The briefing outlined several key mechanics and deadlines. Under the enacted plan, PERA will hold a $500 million corpus drawn from the state general fund reserve; earnings on that corpus—rather than the principal—will fund grants. The statute sets a minimum statewide annual distribution floor of $15 million. Based on PERA’s historical returns, Moreno and staff estimate roughly $30 million statewide could be available annually in many years, though the amount will vary with investment performance.

Emily Locke, legislation and policy with the Colorado Department of Public Safety, told the committee the state is not required to accept local certifications until Dec. 15, 2026, and said guidance from the department is expected in early 2026. “I can say…