(1) The general assembly hereby finds, determines, and declares that the Colorado office of economic development is directed to contract for the development of local business mobile application software in order to:
Assist consumers in the state who wish to find and patronize local businesses;
Allow such businesses to publicize their Colorado affiliations; and
Consistent with the office's duties, promote economic growth through the expansionof businesses in the state.
As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
"Local business" means a business that is owned, located, or headquartered in, ormanufactures in, Colorado.
"Office" means the Colorado office of economic development created in this part 1.
(a) The office shall contract for the creation, management, operation, and maintenance within the office of mobile application software to be known as the "By Colorado App", which software enables users to learn about local businesses that elect to participate in the software.
The software developed pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection (3) must beoperational on or before January 1, 2015.
The office shall make the local business mobile application software searchable bythe types of goods or services offered, location, the type of Colorado affiliation described under paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of this section that qualifies the businesses as a "local business", and any other factors the office deems appropriate.
The office shall make the data in the local business mobile application database available to other application developers. In so doing, the office shall take all appropriate steps to maintain the security of the database and the information used therein.
The office may register a trademark with the United States patent and trademarkoffice or file a trademark with the Colorado secretary of state for the "By Colorado App" developed under this section.
The office is authorized to accept and expend gifts, grants, and donations for information technology costs incurred in creating, managing, operating, and maintaining the mobile application software developed pursuant to this section. The general assembly finds that the implementation of this section is not entirely dependent on the receipt of any gifts, grants, and donations.
Source: L. 2014: Entire section added, (SB 14-166), ch. 273, p. 1094, § 1, effective May 29.