Panel advances opt‑out $5 registration fee to fund wildlife crossings

The Senate Appropriations Committee advanced Senate Bill 26141, which would add an opt‑out $5 vehicle‑registration fee modeled on the Keep Colorado Wild pass to create a dedicated fund for wildlife crossings and related safety infrastructure.

Sponsor Senator Roberts described the approach as an opt‑out fee similar to an existing program: "It's an opt out the same as the keep Colorado wild pass," she said. Roberts and other sponsors told the committee the fee is intended to create a reliable, consistent revenue stream that would make it possible to plan projects and access federal matching — "any new revenue we generate at a state level can be matched up to 4 times by the federal government," she said.

Senator Kirk Meyer asked why an existing enterprise (the statewide bridge and tunnel enterprise) or the wildlife cash fund was not used instead of a new fee. Roberts said the enterprises already fund many projects and the bill aims to create a reliable revenue source that could support planning and bonding for long‑term work.

Amendment J001 was adopted and the committee approved the bill 5‑2. Sponsors said the fee would raise roughly $2 million in its first year (with growth in later years), but that the program depends on the fee mechanism and the availability of matching funds. The committee did not place the bill on the consent calendar.