Senate Bill No. introduced by G. Hertz seeks to revise mill levy election laws by imposing a maximum duration of 10 years for mill levies submitted to voters without requiring reapproval. The bill outlines exceptions for specific levies, including those for schools, community colleges, law enforcement, fire protection, and emergency medical services. It mandates that existing voted mill levies will automatically terminate unless extended prior to their termination date, with specific termination dates established based on when the levies were last approved. Notably, levies approved more than five years ago will terminate on December 31, 2028, while those approved within the last five years will terminate on December 31, 2030. Governing bodies are permitted to seek reapproval for terminating levies starting three years before their expiration.

Additionally, the bill amends existing laws regarding levies for transition costs related to school district consolidation or annexation by removing the previous six-year duration limit and the requirement for calculating the levy amount based on Average Number Belonging (ANB) and maximum general fund budgets. It clarifies that transition cost levies will not count as outstanding indebtedness for limitation calculations. Furthermore, the bill establishes a new subfund within the building reserve fund dedicated to school safety and security improvements, funded by voter-approved levies, and mandates compliance with school election laws for the ballot. The bill is set to take effect on January 1, 2026, with the new durational limit applying to mill levy elections held on or after that date.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 7-15-4286, 15-10-425, 20-9-502
SB0204_1(1): 7-15-4286, 15-10-425, 20-9-502
SB0204_1(2): 7-15-4286, 15-10-425, 20-9-502
SB0204_1(3): 7-15-4286, 15-10-425, 20-9-502
SB0204_1(4): 7-15-4286, 15-10-425, 20-9-502
SB0204_1(5): 7-15-4286, 15-10-425, 20-9-502
SB0204_1(6): 7-15-4286, 15-10-425, 20-9-502
SB0204_1(7): 7-15-4286, 15-10-425, 20-9-502
SB0204_1: 7-15-4286, 15-10-425, 20-9-502
SB0204_2(1): 7-15-4286, 15-10-425, 20-9-502
SB0204_2(2): 7-15-4286, 15-10-425, 20-9-502
SB0204_2(3): 7-15-4286, 15-10-425, 20-9-502
SB0204_2(4): 7-15-4286, 15-10-425, 20-9-502
SB0204_2(5): 7-15-4286, 15-10-425, 20-9-502
SB0204_2: 7-15-4286, 15-10-425, 20-9-502