(1) (a) The Colorado National Guard foundation shall make grants from the fund to members of the Colorado National Guard or reservists, to active duty military personnel stationed in Colorado, or to the families of members of the Colorado National Guard or reservists or active duty military personnel stationed in Colorado subject to the provisions of this section.
The Colorado National Guard foundation, in cooperation with the department, shalldevelop criteria for awarding the grants to members of the Colorado National Guard and reservists, subject to the provisions of subsection (2) of this section.
The Air Force aid society and Army emergency relief shall work in cooperation todevelop criteria for awarding the grants to active duty military personnel, subject to the provisions of subsection (2.5) of this section.
(2) A member of the Colorado National Guard or a reservist shall meet the following requirements to be eligible to receive a grant from the fund:
The National Guard member or reservist is currently on active military duty for aminimum of thirty days on mobilization orders pursuant to title 10 of the United States Code or is called to state active duty by executive order of the governor.
(Deleted by amendment, L. 2007, p. 2083, § 1, effective June 4, 2007.)
The National Guard member or reservist or the family of the National Guard memberor reservist applies for a grant as required by the Colorado National Guard foundation.
The National Guard member or reservist is a Colorado resident as evidenced by aColorado income tax return for the then current or previous fiscal year on which the National Guard member or reservist filed as a Colorado resident.
(2.5) Any active duty military member stationed in Colorado shall meet the following requirements to be eligible to receive a grant from the fund:
The active duty military member has been deployed overseas and is in receipt ofhostile fire pay or the equivalent.
(Deleted by amendment, L. 2007, p. 2083, § 1, effective June 4, 2007.)
The active duty military member or the family of the active duty military memberapplies for a grant as required by the Colorado National Guard foundation.
The active duty military member is stationed in Colorado as verified by his or hercommanding officer.
The active duty military member is a Colorado resident for income tax purposes.
(3) (a) Each National Guard member or reservist or the family of a National Guard member or reservist may apply to the Colorado National Guard foundation for one grant per set of mobilization orders or per executive order. Subject to the provisions of paragraph (c) of this subsection (3), if the foundation determines that the National Guard member or reservist or the family of a National Guard member or reservist is eligible to receive a grant pursuant to this section, the foundation shall issue the grant.
Each active duty military member or the family of an active duty military membermay apply to the Air Force aid society or Army emergency relief, as appropriate, for one grant per deployment to a zone in which the active duty military member qualifies to receive hostile fire pay or the equivalent. If the Air Force aid society or Army emergency relief determines that the active duty military member or the family of an active duty military member is eligible to receive a grant pursuant to this section, the Air Force aid society or Army emergency relief shall notify the Colorado National Guard foundation, in writing, of the active duty military member or family member that is eligible to receive a grant. Subject to the provisions of paragraph (c) of this subsection (3), upon receipt of such notification, the foundation shall issue the grant.
The Colorado National Guard foundation shall award grants in accordance with thecriteria developed for awarding grants pursuant to subsection (1) of this section. In awarding the grants, the foundation shall, to the extent possible, prioritize eligible grant applicants who hold the lowest pay grades. Timeliness of payment will be determined by the amount of funds available at the time of application.
The Colorado National Guard foundation may be reimbursed from the moneys in thefund for actual expenses incurred in implementing the provisions of this part 15; except that the total annual reimbursement to the foundation shall not exceed an amount equal to five percent of the amount of fund moneys transferred to the foundation in such year.
The department shall have the authority to oversee the grants issued by the ColoradoNational Guard foundation from the fund pursuant to this part 15.
Source: L. 2005: Entire part added, p. 653, § 1, effective May 27; (1) and (3) amended and (2.5) added, p. 659, § 2, effective May 27. L. 2007: (2)(b), (2.5)(b), and (3)(c) amended, p. 2083, § 1, effective June 4. L. 2014: (2)(a) and (3)(a) amended, (HB14-1277), ch. 130, p. 456, § 2, effective April 25. L. 2015: (2)(a) amended, HB 15-1052, ch. 4, p. 10, § 2, effective August 5.