Gov. Polis signs bill making falsely reporting a mass shooting a felony, among other bills

DENVER, Colo. (KRDO) -- Gov. Jared Polis signed a new bill into law Wednesday that makes the false reporting of an emergency a class 6 felony.

SB23-249. "False Reporting Of Emergency" adds that the false reporting of a mass shooting or active shooter in a public or private place or vehicle that transports people or property is a class 6 felony.

Other bills the Gov. is signing today:

• HB23-1068 "Pet Animal Ownership In Housing" -- Prohibits insurers from denying a homeowner's insurance policy based on the breed or mixture of breeds of dog that resides at the insured dwelling, while allowing denial if a specific individual dog is a dangerous dog. 
• HB23-1186 Remote Participation In Residential Evictions -- Requires the court to allow either party or any witness to choose to appear in person or remotely at any return, conference, hearing, trial, or other court proceeding regarding a residential eviction action filed.
• HB23-1245 Campaign Practices For Municipal Elections --  For municipal elections held on or after Jan. 1, 2024, the bill sets aggregate limits on contributions to candidates for municipal office from persons, including any political party and excluding any small donor committee, for any election cycle in the amount of $400.
• SB23-277 Public Safety Programs Extended Uses -- The bill extends the safer streets program, extends reporting requirements, and extends the authority for the DPS to use the appropriation received in the 2022-23 state fiscal year to pay for the safer streets program until the appropriation is fully expended.
• SB23-271 Intoxicating Cannabinoid Hemp And Marijuana -- The bill creates a new framework for the department to regulate and register hemp products and certain intoxicating hemp products and for the marijuana enforcement division in the department of revenue to regulate intoxicating products or potentially intoxicating compounds that are or may be cannabinoids.
• HB23-1002 Epinephrine Auto-injectors -- Effective Jan. 1, 2024, the bill creates an epinephrine auto-injector affordability program (program) to provide low-cost epinephrine auto-injectors to qualifying individuals.
• HB23-1112 Earned Income And Child Tax Credits -- For the income tax year commencing on or after Jan. 1, 2024, the bill increases the earned income tax credit that a resident individual can claim on their state income tax return to 40% of the federal credit claimed on the resident individual's federal income tax return. 
• HB23-1189 Employer Assistance For Home Purchase Tax Credit -- The bill creates a state income tax credit for employers who make a monetary contribution to an employee for use by the employee in purchasing a primary residence. 
• HB23-1255 Regulating Local Housing Growth Restrictions -- The bill declares that the state has an interest in encouraging housing growth statewide, preempts any existing governmental entity housing growth restriction, and forbids the enactment or enforcement of any future local housing growth restriction, unless the governmental entity has experienced a disaster emergency, has developed or amended land use plans or land use laws covering residential development or the residential component of a mixed-use development, or is extending or acquiring public infrastructure, public services, or water resources.