republic-os/legislation/us/states/co/2021a/sb-21-245.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "Backcountry Search And Rescue In Colorado"
description: "The act defines \"backcountry search and rescue\" as the utilization, training, and support of responders, with their specialized equipment, to locate, provide assistance to, and remove to safety individuals who are lost, injured, stranded, or entrapped, generally in remote areas of the state. The division of parks and wildlife (division) within the department of natural resources must conduct a study and develop recommendations on the issues related to backcountry search and rescue, including how to develop a sustainable structure for coordination among the local, state, federal, and nonprofit organizations involved in backcountry search and rescue, the adequacy of resources and benefits available to volunteers who provide backcountry search and rescue services, the funding needs for equipment and reimbursement, and the needs for volunteer training and public education. The division must also conduct outreach and training related to the physical and psychological support needs of backcountry search and rescue volunteers, which may include working with consultants, providing programs, or creating a grant program for local governments or nonprofit organizations providing backcountry search and rescue. The act makes conforming amendments related to the definition of \"backcountry search and rescue\".(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)"
jurisdiction: "us/states/co"
legislature: "Colorado General Assembly"
session: "2021A"
identifier: "SB 21-245"
citation: "Colorado SB 21-245 (2021A)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Bob Rankin", "Julie McCluskie", "Kerry Donovan", "Perry Will"]
version_count: 11
action_count: 16
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2021-04-14T06:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2021-06-27T06:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/f9e9d175-6613-4f0f-a7dd-c4ecb308eef5"
source_url: "http://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb21-245"
source_hash: "92b823cfdff60ad70f9d6d369784df0b2acc04a0d9b78628c2f7229adc1494a5"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-co"]
---

# Colorado SB 21-245 (2021A) — Backcountry Search And Rescue In Colorado

The act defines "backcountry search and rescue" as the utilization, training, and support of responders, with their specialized equipment, to locate, provide assistance to, and remove to safety individuals who are lost, injured, stranded, or entrapped, generally in remote areas of the state. The division of parks and wildlife (division) within the department of natural resources must conduct a study and develop recommendations on the issues related to backcountry search and rescue, including how to develop a sustainable structure for coordination among the local, state, federal, and nonprofit organizations involved in backcountry search and rescue, the adequacy of resources and benefits available to volunteers who provide backcountry search and rescue services, the funding needs for equipment and reimbursement, and the needs for volunteer training and public education. The division must also conduct outreach and training related to the physical and psychological support needs of backcountry search and rescue volunteers, which may include working with consultants, providing programs, or creating a grant program for local governments or nonprofit organizations providing backcountry search and rescue. The act makes conforming amendments related to the definition of "backcountry search and rescue".(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Committee Amendment** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/2021a_sb245_h_app_003.pdf)
2. **Engrossed (05/21/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_245_eng.pdf)
3. **Final Act (06/16/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_245_enr.pdf)
4. **Introduced (04/14/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_245_01.pdf)
5. **PA1 (05/13/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_245sagr_01.pdf)
6. **PA2 (05/21/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_245sagrapp.pdf)
7. **PA3 (06/01/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_245app_01.pdf)
8. **Reengrossed (05/24/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_245_ren.pdf)
9. **Rerevised (06/03/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_245_rer.pdf)
10. **Revised (06/01/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_245_rev.pdf)
11. **Signed Act (06/27/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/2021a_245_signed.pdf)

## Votes

- CONCUR — **34–0** (pass) · upper
- BILL — **35–0** (pass) · upper
- REPASS — **34–0** (pass) · upper
- BILL — **58–5** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Bob Rankin — primary (person)
- Julie McCluskie — primary (person)
- Kerry Donovan — primary (person)
- Perry Will — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2021-06-27T06:00:00+00:00** Governor Signed `executive-signature`
- **2021-06-16T06:00:00+00:00** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2021-06-16T06:00:00+00:00** Signed by the Speaker of the House
- **2021-06-16T06:00:00+00:00** Signed by the President of the Senate
- **2021-06-03T06:00:00+00:00** Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
- **2021-06-03T06:00:00+00:00** House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-06-02T06:00:00+00:00** House Third Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
- **2021-06-01T06:00:00+00:00** House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee
- **2021-06-01T06:00:00+00:00** House Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole `committee-passage, referral-committee`
- **2021-05-27T06:00:00+00:00** House Committee on Energy & Environment Refer Unamended to Appropriations `referral-committee`
- **2021-05-24T06:00:00+00:00** Introduced In House - Assigned to Energy & Environment `introduction`
- **2021-05-24T06:00:00+00:00** Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-05-21T06:00:00+00:00** Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee
- **2021-05-21T06:00:00+00:00** Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole `committee-passage`
- **2021-05-12T06:00:00+00:00** Senate Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources Refer Amended to Appropriations `referral-committee`
- **2021-04-14T06:00:00+00:00** Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Agriculture & Natural Resources `introduction`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/f9e9d175-6613-4f0f-a7dd-c4ecb308eef5`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Colorado legislature records).