Colorado 2025 Bills

Child Patient More Than One Primary Caregiver

Medical marijuana - primary caregivers - juvenile patient - appropriation. Under current law, a medical marijuana patient is limited to having one primary caregiver at a time. The act makes an exception for a patient who is under 18 years of age and allows each parent or guardian to serve as a primary caregiver. The act also clarifies that if the patient is under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, the judge presiding over the case may determine who is the juvenile's primary caregiver. The act appropriates $95,831 to the department of public health and environment for the medical marijuana registry from the medical marijuana program cash fund. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-23 · House

Regulation Of Electric Scooters

Electric scooters - regulation - authorizing use on roadways. Electric scooters, which are lightweight, motorized transportation devices, with handlebars, that obtain a maximum speed of 20 miles per hour when powered by motor, are currently regulated as toy vehicles. Toy vehicles are authorized for use on sidewalks, but not for use on roadways. The act excludes electric scooters from the definition of "toy vehicle" and includes electric scooters in the definition of "vehicle", thus authorizing the use of electric scooters on roadways. The act affords riders of electric scooters the same rights and duties that riders of electrical assisted bicycles have under Colorado law. Section 5 of the act authorizes a local government to regulate the operation of an electric scooter in a manner that is no more restrictive than the manner in which the local government may regulate an electrical assisted bicycle. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-23 · House

Public Fund Investments

Legal investment of public funds - definitions. The act defines a nationally recognized statistical rating organization as a credit rating agency that is registered with the U.S. securities and exchange commission's office of credit ratings and defines a negotiable certificate of deposit as an unsecured noncollateralized obligation of a bank to pay the holder of a negotiable certificate of deposit specified principal, plus interest, upon a particular maturity. The act also modifies statutes governing the legal investments of public funds as follows: Modifies and standardizes the credit rating requirements for securities invested in by public entities; Requires money market funds invested in by public funds to have an investment policy or objective that seeks to maintain a stable net asset value of one dollar per share; Requires rating requirements to first apply to the security being purchased by a public entity and, if there is no such rating, to then apply to the issuer; Clarifies that negotiable certificates of deposit are a legal investment and not deposits subject to the limitation of the "Public Deposit Protection Act"; Includes the secured overnight financing rate, the federal funds rate, or other reference rates that are similar to the United States dollar London interbank offer rate, the secured overnight financing rate, and the federal funds rate as permissible reference rates; and Allows public entities to invest in local government investment pools.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-23 · House

Child Support Commission Recommendations

Child support commission recommendations - changes to the Colorado child support guidelines - administrative lien and levy - child support enforcement services fee - appropriation. The act makes changes to child support provisions recommended by the Colorado child support commission, including: Allocating "mandatory school fees", as defined in the act; Adding required federal factors that a court or delegate child support enforcement unit must consider when determining potential income of a parent who is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed; Reducing from 30 months to 24 months the length of time after birth that a custodial parent has before income is imputed to that parent, and changing how income is imputed for a parent sentenced to incarceration for 180 days or more or for a noncustodial parent who is attending postsecondary education; Increasing the self-support reserve for purposes of calculating child support from $1,100 to $1,500; Creating a $10 minimum order for noncustodial parents with income under $650 and making adjustments to the child support guidelines for parents with a combined, adjusted gross income up to $3,450; Requiring the noncustodial parent to notify the custodial parent if a child is eligible for dependent benefits based on the noncustodial parent's retirement or disability and establishing time frames for the custodial parent to apply for dependent benefits; Clarifying that the Colorado child support commission is required under federal law to consider child support guidelines at least once every 4 years and shall report to the general assembly; Requiring a verified copy of a support judgment to be provided to all parties upon filing with the court; Authorizing the state child enforcement agency to issue a notice of administrative lien and levy to any financial institution holding an obligor parent's account for an obligor who is past due on child support owed to a child for whom the obligee is receiving support enforcement services from the state; and Increasing the fee charged for child support enforcement services from $25, after the first $500 is collected, to $35 after the first $550 is collected, and creating a cash fund for the department of human services (department) to allow the department to spend a portion of the state share of the fee on program operations. For the 2019-20 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $143,650 from the child support deficit reduction act fee cash fund to the department of human services, office of self sufficiency, for the automated child support enforcement system. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-23 · House

Harm Reduction Substance Use Disorders

Substance use disorders - school districts, nonpublic schools, and specified public persons may obtain and administer opiate antagonists - definition of drug paraphernalia - hospitals as clean syringe exchange sites - opiate antagonist bulk purchase fund - household medication take-back program - identity verification for individuals initiating into treatment - appropriation. The act: Allows school districts and nonpublic schools to develop policies by which schools are authorized to obtain a supply of opiate antagonists and school employees are trained to administer opiate antagonists to individuals at risk of experiencing a drug overdose; Allows a prescriber to prescribe or dispense and a pharmacist to dispense an opiate antagonist to law enforcement agencies, schools, or specified public persons; Removes from the definition of "drug paraphernalia" equipment, products, and materials used in testing or analyzing a controlled substance; Specifies that a licensed or certified hospital may be used as a clean syringe exchange site; Creates the opiate antagonist bulk purchase fund to facilitate bulk purchasing of opiate antagonists at a discounted price; Expands the household medication take-back program in the department of public health and environment (department) for the purpose of allowing the safe collection and disposal of needles, syringes, and other devices used to inject medication; Authorizes a public person or entity that makes an automated external defibrilator available to the public to also make an opiate antagonist available to the public; and Requires the department of health care policy and financing to establish a policy on how a substance use disorder treatment program must verify the identity of individuals initiating into detoxification, withdrawal, or maintenance treatment for a substance use disorder. $659,472 is appropriated to the department to implement the act. Specified provisions of the act are contingent upon House Bill 19-1172 becoming law. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-23 · Senate

Consumer Protection Act

Consumer protection - violations based on recklessness - increased penalties for certain violations - calculation of damage awards. The act: Adds "recklessly" as a culpable mental state for certain violations of the "Colorado Consumer Protection Act"; Increases the potential penalty for a violation brought by the attorney general or a district attorney from $2,000 to $20,000 per violation and from $10,000 to $50,000 per violation if committed against an elderly person; and Specifies the calculation of potential damage awards in a private civil action.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-23 · House

Mobile Home Park Act Oversight

Mobile Home Park Act - enforcement powers of local governments - added protections for mobile home owners - dispute resolution and enforcement program - powers of division of housing. The act provides protections for mobile home owners by: Granting counties and municipalities the power to enact certain ordinances for mobile home parks; Extending the time period between the notice of nonpayment of rent and the termination of any tenancy or other estate at will or lease in a mobile home park; and Extending the time a mobile home owner has to vacate a mobile home park after a court enters an eviction order. The act also creates the "Mobile Home Park Act Dispute Resolution and Enforcement Program" (program). The program authorizes the division of housing in the department of local affairs to: Register mobile home parks; Collect a registration fee from mobile home parks; Collect and annually report upon data related to disputes and violations of the "Mobile Home Park Act"; Produce and distribute educational materials concerning the Mobile Home Park Act and the program; Create and maintain a database of mobile home parks; Create and maintain a database to manage the program; and Take complaints, conduct investigations, make determinations, impose penalties, and participate in administrative dispute resolutions when there are alleged violations of the Mobile Home Park Act. For the 2019-20 state fiscal year, $22,073 is appropriated from cash funds received by the department of local affairs to the department of law and $130,065 is appropriated from cash funds received by the department of local affairs to the office of the governor for use by the office of information technology. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-23 · House

Occasional Sales By Charitable Organizations

Charitable organizations - tax exempt sales. Under current law, up to $25,000 of the funds raised by a charitable organization through occasional sales are exempt from state sales tax. The act increases that amount to $45,000; removes the requirement that these sales by charitable organizations take place for no more than 12 days, whether consecutive or not, during any calendar year; and allows these sales to cover the sale of tangible personal property, commodities, or services otherwise subject to tax under the state sales and use tax.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-23 · House

Substance Use Disorders Recovery

Recovery from substance use disorders - housing vouchers - recovery residence standards and requirements - recovery residence certification grant program - creation of the opioid crisis recovery funds advisory committee - appropriation. The act: Expands the housing voucher program currently within the department of local affairs to include individuals with a substance use disorder; Establishes standards for recovery residences for purposes of referrals and title protection and prohibits a facility from using the terms "recovery residence", "sober living facility", or "sober home" unless the facility meets specified conditions; Creates the recovery residence certification grant program; and Creates the opioid crisis recovery funds advisory committee to advise and collaborate with the department of law on uses of any custodial funds the state receives as settlement or damage awards resulting from opioid-related litigation. To implement the act: $1,000,000 is appropriated to the department of local affairs; $2,620 is appropriated to the office of the governor for use by the office of information technology; and $50,000 is appropriated to the department of human services for use by the office of behavioral health.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-23 · House

Substance Use Disorders Prevention Measures

Substance abuse prevention - pharmacy enhanced dispensing fee - health care providers with prescriptive authority - required training - receipt of benefits for prescriptions prohibited - access to prescription drug monitoring program - appropriation to address opioid and other substance use disorder priorities - office of behavioral health grant programs created - center for research into substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery support strategies program created - perinatal substance use date linkage project created - report - appropriations. The act: Allows a pharmacy that dispenses an opioid to receive an enhanced dispensing fee if the pharmacy provides counseling concerning the risk of opioids to the patient; Prohibits a physician, physician assistant, or an advanced practice nurse from accepting any direct or indirect benefits for prescribing a specific medication; Requires the state board of pharmacy to promulgate rules that require a prescription for an opioid for outpatient use to bear a warning label; Allows medical examiners and coroners access to the prescription drug monitoring program under specified circumstances; Authorizes the department of human services to conduct research that relates to the definition of "abuse" concerning the incidence of prenatal substance exposure and related newborn and family health and human services outcomes as the result of a mother's lawful and unlawful intake of controlled substances; Requires specified state departments to report to the health committees of the general assembly by December 31, 2019, the amount of federal funds that each is receiving or is eligible to receive for use in testing for hepatitis and HIV and the number of individuals currently and anticipated to be tested. The departments are also required to share eligibility standards for treatment with primary care providers. Creates the Charlie Hughes and Nathan Gauna opioid prevention grant program to improve young lives in the office of behavioral health in the department of human services (office) for the purpose preventing opioid use among the state's youth population. Requires the center for research into substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery support strategies (center) to develop and implement a program to increase public awareness about the safe use, storage, and disposal of opioids, and about the availability of antagonist drugs. The general assembly is required to annually appropriate until the 2023-24 fiscal year $750,000 to the center from the marijuana tax cash fund to implement the program. Allows the center, in partnership with an institution of higher education and the state substance abuse trend and response task force to conduct a statewide perinatal substance use data linkage project; Requires the center to hire additional staff to assist local communities in applying for grants; Creates the maternal and child health pilot program in the office to provide grants to obstetric and gynecological health care clinics and to treatment facilities that provide substance use disorder or medication-assisted treatment; and Requires podiatrists, dentists, advanced practice nurses, optometrists, and veterinarians to complete substance use disorder training as part of continuing education required to renew the provider's license if the health care provider has prescriptive authority. $1,192, 367 is appropriated to the department of human services, $1,100,000 is appropriated to the department of higher education, and $2 million is appropriated department of public health and environment, all from the marijuana tax cash fund, to implement the act. Specified provisions of the act are contingent upon House Bill 19-1172 becoming law. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-23 · Senate

Sunset Continue Licensing Of Controlled Substances

Licensing of controlled substances act - continuation under sunset law. The act implements the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies in its sunset review and report on the "Colorado Licensing of Controlled Substances Act" (controlled substances licensing act) by: Continuing the controlled substances licensing act for 7 years and subjecting it to sunset review prior to its repeal on September 1, 2026; Repealing references to research as a regulated activity in the controlled substances licensing act; Requiring the department of human services (department) to develop and implement a formal, simple, accurate, and objective system to track and categorize complaints made against a licensee and disciplinary actions taken pursuant to the controlled substances licensing act; and Directing the department to develop a secure online central registry for licensed opioid treatment programs to submit information to the department. The department is required to develop a policy that separates the administration of the controlled substances licensing act from the performance of its duties relating to approved treatment facilities that receive public funds. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-23 · Senate

Census Outreach Grant Program

Census outreach grant program - department of local affairs - division of local government - appropriation. The 2020 census outreach grant program (grant program) is created in the division of local government (division) in the department of local affairs (department) to provide grants to local governments, intergovernmental agencies, councils of government, housing authorities, school districts, nonprofit organizations, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe (eligible recipients) to support the accurate counting of the population of the state for the 2020 census. The department, in coordination with the grant program committee (committee), which is also created in the division, is required to implement and administer the grant program and to develop policies and procedures necessary for such implementation and administration. The committee consists of 5 members, one of whom is appointed by the secretary of state and 4 of whom are appointed, one each, by the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, and the minority leaders of the house of representatives and the senate, although such appointees may not be members of the general assembly. Eligible recipients may use grant money to conduct 2020 census outreach, promotion, and education to focus on hard-to-count communities in the state and to increase the self-response rate and accuracy of the 2020 census. Eligible recipients may also use grant money to further award grants to other local governments, intergovernmental agencies, councils of government, housing authorities, school districts, or nonprofit organizations. To receive a grant, an eligible recipient must submit an application to the department in accordance with the policies and procedures developed by the department. The committee is required to review the applications received and to make recommendations to the department regarding which grant applications to approve. In developing its recommendations, the committee is required to consider whether the eligible recipient will be conducting outreach in hard-to-count communities and the size and geographic and demographic diversity of the hard-to-count communities in which outreach, education, and promotion of the 2020 census will occur as provided by all eligible recipients that receive grant money. The department is required to award grants for the purposes of the grant program on or before November 1, 2019, and to distribute the grant money to eligible recipients that were awarded grants within 30 days after the grants are awarded. In addition to money appropriated by the general assembly, the department may solicit, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations from private or public sources for the purposes of the grant program. Each eligible recipient that received a grant through the grant program is required to submit 2 reports to the department including information to be determined by the department. The department is required to submit 2 reports to the local government committees of the senate and the house of representatives, or any successor committees, and to the governor regarding the census outreach conducted through the grant program. On or before May 1, 2026, and on or before May 1 every 10 years thereafter, the department and the office of the governor are required to develop a strategic action plan, including a discussion of necessary funding for the plan, for outreach and promotion for a successful count of the population in Colorado during the upcoming decennial census. For the 2019-20 state fiscal year, $6 million from the general fund is appropriated to the department for use by the division for the direct and indirect costs of administering the grant program. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-23 · House

Substance Use Disorder Treatment In Criminal Justice System

Substance use disorders - alternatives to arrest and criminal charges for persons in need of substance use treatment - treatment in prisons and jails - record sealing - harm reduction program - appropriation. The act enacts policies related to the involvement of persons with substance use disorders in the criminal justice system. The Colorado commission on criminal and juvenile justice is required to study and make recommendations concerning: Alternatives to filing criminal charges against individuals with substance use disorders who have been arrested for drug-related offenses; Best practices for investigating unlawful opioid distribution in Colorado; and A process for automatically sealing criminal records for drug offense convictions. Jails that receive funding through the jail-based behavioral health services program must have a policy in place on or before January 1, 2020, that describes how medication-assisted treatment will be provided, when necessary, to individuals in the jail. The jail may enter into agreements with community agencies and organizations to assist in the development and administration of medication-assisted treatment. The department of corrections (DOC) is required to allow medication-assisted treatment to be provided to persons who were receiving treatment in a local jail prior to being transferred to the custody of the DOC. The DOC may enter into agreements with community agencies and organizations to assist in the development and administration of medication-assisted treatment. The act adds to an existing legislative declaration that the substance abuse trend and response task force should formulate a response to current and emerging substance abuse problems from the criminal justice, prevention, and treatment sectors that includes the use of drop-off treatment services, mobile and walk-in crisis centers, and withdrawal management programs as an alternative to entry into the criminal justice system for offenders of low-level drug offenses. The act creates a simplified process for sealing convictions for level 4 drug felonies, all drug misdemeanors, and any offense committed prior to October 1, 2013, that would have been a level 4 drug felony or drug misdemeanor if committed on or after October 1, 2013. A defendant may file a motion to seal records 3 years or more after final disposition of the criminal proceedings. Conviction records may be sealed only after a hearing and upon court order. This provision of the act is contingent upon House Bill 19-1275 being enacted and becoming law. The harm reduction grant program is established to reduce health risks associated with drug use and improve coordination between law enforcement agencies, public health agencies, and community-based organizations. Grants may be awarded to nonprofit organizations, public health agencies, and law enforcement agencies. The department of regulatory agencies shall review the grant program prior to its scheduled repeal in 2024. The following appropriations are made for the 2019-20 state fiscal year: $1,963,832 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of human services for use by the office of behavioral health; $492,750 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of corrections; $1,800,000 is appropriated from the marijuana tax cash fund to the harm reduction grant program, which the department of public health and environment is responsible for the accounting related to such appropriation; and $40,300 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of public safety for use by the division of criminal justice for administrative services.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-23 · Senate

Foster Care Prevention Services

Child welfare - foster care prevention services - qualified residential treatment programs - federal compliance. The act authorizes the department of human services (department) to establish and implement a foster care prevention services program for families with children and youth who are candidates for foster care but who can safely remain at home with receipt of foster care prevention services. Eligible recipients of foster care prevention services include children and youth and their parents, legal custodians, legal guardians, and kin caregivers when their needs are directly related to the safety, permanent placement, or well-being of the child or youth. If a child or youth is placed in a qualified residential treatment program (QRTP), the court or the administrative review division of the department is required to review the assessment and needs of the child or youth and determine whether placement in the QRTP is appropriate. The act requires a county department of human or social services (county department) to submit certain evidence to the court during each review and permanency hearing of a child or youth placed in a QRTP. A county department may provide foster care prevention services to a child or youth and the parents or kin caregivers of the child or youth upon the receipt of a report of intrafamilial abuse or neglect or human trafficking. The act adds the federal "Family First Prevention Services Act" as a program to be administered by the department. The act also adds foster care prevention services to the definition of child welfare services. The act requires the department to implement the utilization of foster care prevention services and qualified residential treatment programs when the federal government approves the state's five year Title IV-E prevention plan. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-23 · House

Vehicle Identification Number Inspection Fee

Certificates of title - vehicle identification number - certified inspection - fee. The act raises the fee for performing a certified vehicle identification number inspection from $20 to $50 and provides for the fee to be adjusted annually to account for inflation. A peace officer's certification to perform these inspections expires 3 years after issuance unless renewed.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-23 · House

Behavioral Health Supports For High-risk Families

Access to behavioral health supports for high-risk families - pregnant and parenting women - high-risk families cash fund - child care services and substance use disorder treatment pilot program - regional mobile child care model - appropriation. The act amends existing programs that provide access to substance use disorder treatment to pregnant and parenting women up to one year postpartum. The act creates child care pilot programs for parenting women engaged in substance use disorder treatment. The act: Encourages health care practitioners and county departments of human or social services to identify pregnant women and parenting women for a needs assessment to determine needed services; Authorizes the state department of human services (state department) to use state money to provide residential substance use disorder treatment to pregnant and parenting women until such time as those services are covered under the state program of medical assistance and authorized under federal law; Creates the high-risk families cash fund (cash fund) in the office of behavioral health in the state department to increase capacity for and provide services to high-risk parents, including pregnant and parenting women, and for services for high-risk children and youth with behavioral health disorders. The state treasurer shall transfer unencumbered money in the cash fund to certain programs listed in the act. Creates the child care services and substance use disorder treatment pilot program (pilot program) as a two-generation initiative in the state department, and awards pilot program grants to enhance existing child care resource and referral programs and increase child care navigation capacity to serve pregnant and parenting women seeking or participating in substance use disorder treatment; Awards pilot program grants to enhance the capacity of the existing child care resource and referral program's centralized call center to serve pregnant and parenting women with a substance use disorder; Awards pilot program grants to pilot a regional mobile child care model to serve young children of parenting women in substance use disorder treatment; Requires an annual appropriation of $500,000 for 3 fiscal years for the pilot program, and requires annual reporting to the general assembly concerning the pilot program. Any money not expended for the pilot program will be transferred to the high-risk families cash fund. Prohibits the admission into evidence in criminal proceedings information relating to substance use during pregnancy, with certain exceptions, that is obtained as part of providing postpartum care for up to one year postpartum or disclosed while women are seeking or participating in behavioral health treatment. For the 2019-20 state fiscal year, the bill appropriates $500,000 from the general fund to the department of human services, office of early childhood, to implement the child care services and substance use disorder treatment pilot program. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-23 · House

Exempt CDE Department Of Education From Office Of Information Technology

Office of information technology - state agency definition - department of education excluded. The department of education is excluded from the definition of "state agency" as used in the office of information technology (office) provisions. Although the department of education is not a state agency for purposes of the office, the chief information officer may enter into contracts with the department of education for the purpose of providing disaster recovery services.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-23 · Senate

Demographic Notes For Certain Legislative Bills

Demographic notes on bills - process for requesting - content of notes - appropriation. Beginning with the 2020 legislative session, the staff of the legislative council are required to prepare demographic notes on legislative bills in each regular session of the general assembly. The speaker of the house of representatives, the minority leader of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, and the minority leader of the senate are authorized to request 5 demographic notes each, or more at the discretion of the director of research of the legislative council. When a member of leadership requests a demographic note, the staff of the legislative council must meet with the requesting member and the sponsor of the bill to discuss whether a demographic note can practically be completed for that bill. If not, the member of leadership may request a demographic note on a different bill, within the limits specified in the act. A demographic note is defined as a note that uses available data to outline the potential effects of a legislative measure on disparities within the state. Disparities means the difference in economic, employment, health, education, or public safety outcomes between the state population as a whole and subgroups of the population defined by relevant characteristics for which data are available, including race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, and geography. The director of research of the legislative council must develop the procedures for requesting, completing, and updating the demographic notes and memorialize the procedures in a letter to the executive committee of the legislative council. The director may seek and expend gifts, grants, or donations to pay for training for staff. $89,474 is appropriated to the legislative department for use by the legislative council staff for the implementation of the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-23 · House

Remove Limitation On Evidence-based Practices Implementation For Capacity Resource Center Collaboration

Evidence-based practices implementation for capacity resource center - collaboration partners. In the division of criminal justice in the department of public safety there is the evidence-based practices implementation for capacity resource center (center). The center's role is to develop and sustain effective implementation frameworks to support the use of evidence-based practices for both juvenile and adult populations in the criminal justice system. Current law requires the center to collaborate with the department of public safety, the department of corrections, the department of human services, and the judicial department. The act removes the limit on the departments with which the center can collaborate.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-23 · House

Medical Marijuana Condition Opiates Prescribed For

Medical marijuana - disabling medical conditions - conditions for which a physician could prescribe an opioid. The act adds a condition for which a physician could prescribe an opioid to the list of disabling medical conditions that authorize a person to use medical marijuana for his or her condition. Under current law, a child under 18 years of age who wants to be added to the medical marijuana registry for a disabling medical condition must be diagnosed as having a disabling medical condition by 2 physicians, one of whom must be a board-certified pediatrician, a board-certified family physician, or a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist who attests that he or she is part of the patient's primary care provider team. The act removes the additional requirements on specific physicians to align with the constitutional provisions for a debilitating medical condition. The act states if the recommending physician is not the patient's primary care physician, the recommending physician shall review the records of a diagnosing physician or a licensed mental health provider acting within its scope of practice. The act limits a patient with a disabling medical condition who is under eighteen years of age to using medical marijuana only in a nonsmokeable form when using medical marijuana upon the grounds of the preschool or primary or secondary school in which the student is enrolled, or upon a school bus or at a school-sponsored event.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-23 · Senate

Colorado Child Abuse Response And Evaluation Network

Child abuse and neglect - CARENetwork - resource center - appropriation. The act establishes the Colorado child abuse response and evaluation network (CARENetwork) to provide medical exams and behavioral health assessments to children who are subject to physical or sexual abuse or neglect. The department of public health and environment is to contract with a nonprofit organization to act as a resource center. The act specifies duties of the resource center. The act also establishes a CARENetwork advisory committee and specifies the membership and duties of the advisory committee. The act appropriates $632,717 from the general fund to the department of public health and environment to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-23 · House

State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act Committee Hearings

Department presentation to legislative committees of reference - department regulatory agendas. The act requires all presentations made to joint committees of reference under the "State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act" to be conducted in the first 2 weeks of the regular legislative session rather than during the interim between legislative sessions, and as a result: Repeals the requirement that appointees to committees of reference be designated no later than December 1 prior to the convening of the general assembly; and Repeals the authorization that members and members-elect are entitled to per diem and reimbursement of expenses.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-23 · Senate

Child Welfare Prevention and Intervention Funding

Title IV-E waiver demonstration project - extension - administrative costs in foster care proceedings - allocation of child welfare money to counties - appropriation. The act authorizes the state department of human services (department) to pursue federal reimbursement for Title IV-E administrative costs associated with independent legal representation in foster care proceedings. The act creates a fund for fees collected for reimbursement of these administrative costs. The act extends the repeal date of the Title IV-E waiver demonstration project by one year to June 30, 2020. The act clarifies provisions relating to the annual close-out process for small- and medium-sized counties and for all counties, including provisions relating to the allocation of unspent appropriations. The act creates 2 accounts within the child welfare prevention and intervention services cash fund (fund) and relocates general provisions relating to the fund within the statute. The act clarifies that all money in the fund must be used for the delivery of child welfare prevention and intervention services that have been approved by the department. For the 2019-20 state fiscal year, the act adjusts the appropriation made to the department of human services in the annual general appropriation act for child welfare services by $9,700,000 to reflect federal child welfare funding allocations, and appropriates $9,700,000 to the child welfare prevention and intervention services cash fund for use for child welfare prevention and intervention services. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-23 · Senate

Safe Family Option For Parents

Child placement agencies - delegating care of a minor - temporary care assistance program - appropriation. The act permits a parent or guardian to use a temporary care assistance program operated by a child placement agency to identify an appropriate and safe approved temporary caregiver to whom the parent or guardian can choose to delegate temporary care responsibility of a minor through a power of attorney. Prior to July 1, 2021, only a child placement agency that is a nonprofit organization and that operates a program similar to a temporary care assistance program in 30 or more states may operate a temporary care assistance program. A temporary care assistance program must make diligent efforts to notify any parent or guardian identified having parental rights or legal decision-making authority regarding the minor's care and cannot assist a parent who is named as a respondent in an open dependency and neglect case. A power of attorney that delegates temporary care responsibility of a minor to an approved temporary caregiver is limited to a duration of 6 months. The 6-month restriction does not apply to deployed or active duty military members. Such a power of attorney can be revoked at any time and does not change legal rights or obligations existing pursuant to a court order. The minor must be returned to the custody of the parent or guardian within 48 hours after termination of the power of attorney. A temporary care assistance program is permitted to approve as a temporary caregiver any person who: Meets the standards prescribed by the temporary care assistance program; Satisfactorily completes required criminal and child abuse and neglect background checks and sex offender registration checks; and Receives training conducted by the temporary care assistance program. A temporary care assistance program and a temporary care provider are subject to any rules applicable to noncertified kinship care that are promulgated by the department of human services and that are consistent with statutory provisions concerning temporary care assistance programs. A power of attorney that delegates temporary care responsibility of a minor to an approved temporary caregiver does not constitute child abuse or neglect, constitute placing the minor into foster care, or relieve parents, guardians, or minors of rights and obligations pursuant to court orders. For the 2019-20 state fiscal year, $14,093 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of human services for use by the division of child welfare for implementation of the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-23 · House

Sunset Fire Suppression Registration And Inspection

Fire suppression - registration of contractors - inspection and maintenance of fire suppression systems - continuation under sunset law. The act continues the fire suppression programs of the division of fire prevention and control in the department of public safety for 7 years, until 2026.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-23 · Senate

State Tax System Working Group

Legislative services - director of research of the legislative council - state tax system working group - report - appropriation. The director of research of the legislative council, in coordination with the other nonpartisan legislative staff agencies, the department of revenue, the department of personnel, and the governor's office of information technology, is required to convene a state tax system working group (working group) to meet during the interim following the first regular session of the seventy-second general assembly and to conduct an analysis of the state tax system used by the department of revenue. The working group is authorized to solicit input from any additional interested parties, as deemed necessary and appropriate by the working group. The working group is required to provide a progress report regarding its work to the joint technology committee and the joint budget committee and to submit a report of its findings and recommendations in connection with the state tax system to the joint technology committee, the joint budget committee, and the finance committees of the house of representatives and the senate. For the 2019-20 state fiscal year, $44,552 is appropriated from the general fund to the legislative department and $30,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of revenue for the purposes of the working group. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-23 · Senate

Requirements Of OIT Office Of Information Technology Based On Evaluation Recommendations

Office of information technology - major information technology projects - change management plans - policy for use of external venders - communications and stakeholder management plan - working groups - appropriation. The office of information technology (office) is required to take actions as recommended by an evaluation of the state's information technology (IT) resources. Specifically, the office is required to: Include in the project plan for every major IT project a change management plan developed in collaboration with the state agency that undertakes the major IT project; Develop a policy for the office's use of external vendors, including the statewide internet portal authority, in delivering electronic information, products, and services; Develop and implement a communications and stakeholder management plan for interacting with any governmental unit of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of state government that is billed for the use of the services provided by the office and to solicit feedback to determine if the communications and stakeholder management plan is increasing satisfaction with the services provided by the office; Convene a working group of state agencies to develop and implement a strategic plan for how state agencies use technology to provide services, data, and information to citizens and businesses; and Convene a working group of state agencies to determine the cost and feasibility of transferring ownership of IT infrastructure from state agencies to the office. The office is required to submit a report to the joint budget committee and the joint technology committee regarding the necessary statutory and rule changes and funding to implement the transfer of ownership of IT infrastructure if the working group finds that it would be in the state's best interest to implement such a transfer. The office is required to enlist vendor services in the development of the communications and stakeholder management plan, the plan for how state agencies use technology to interface with citizens and businesses, and the plan to transfer ownership of IT infrastructure. For the 2019-20 state fiscal year, $775,000 is appropriated to the office of the governor from the general fund for use by the office of information technology for central administration and project management. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-23 · Senate

Peace Officers Standards And Training Board Revoke Certification For Untruthful Statement

Peace officers - certification revocation - appropriation. The peace officers standards and training board (P.O.S.T. board), which certifies peace officers, is required to revoke the certification of a peace officer if: The P.O.S.T. board receives notification from a law enforcement agency that employs or employed the peace officer that the peace officer knowingly made an untruthful statement concerning a material fact or omitted a material fact on an official criminal justice record, while testifying under oath, or during an internal affairs investigation or comparable administrative investigation; The law enforcement agency certifies that it completed an administrative process, including any appeals process, defined by a published policy of the law enforcement agency and through that process, the law enforcement agency determined by a clear and convincing standard of the evidence that the officer knowingly made an untruthful statement concerning a material fact or knowingly omitted a material fact on an official criminal justice record, while testifying under oath, or during an internal affairs investigation or comparable administrative investigation; and The P.O.S.T. board notifies the officer that it has received the notification from the law enforcement agency and either the officer does not request a P.O.S.T. board hearing or the P.O.S.T. board has determined, after conducting a hearing requested by the officer, that the officer knowingly made the untruthful statement or omitted a material fact. The law enforcement agency official submitting the notification to the P.O.S.T. board must attest, under penalty of perjury or revocation of the official's P.O.S.T. board certification, that the statements on the submitted notification form are true, correct, and complete. A person whose P.O.S.T. certification is revoked may appeal the revocation in accordance with rules of the P.O.S.T. board and may seek judicial review pursuant to the "State Administrative Procedure Act". The act appropriates $40,056 to the department of law from the P.O.S.T board cash fund and 0.6 FTE for peace officers standards and training board support. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-22 · Senate

Equal Pay For Equal Work Act

Wage discrimination based on sex - complaints - civil action - exceptions to prohibitions against wage differentials - prohibited acts of employer - employment announcements required - enforcement - rules. The act removes the authority of the director of the division of labor standards and statistics in the department of labor and employment (director) to enforce wage discrimination complaints based on an employee's sex and instead authorizes the director to create and administer a process to accept and mediate complaints of, and provide legal resources concerning, alleged violations and to promulgate rules for this purpose. An aggrieved person may bring a civil action in district court to pursue remedies specified in the act. The act allows exceptions to the prohibition against a wage differential based on sex if the employer demonstrates that a wage differential is not based on wage rate history and is based upon one or more of the following factors, so long as the employer applies the factors reasonably and they account for the entire wage rate differential: A seniority system; A merit system; A system that measures earnings by quantity or quality of production; The geographic location where the work is performed; Education, training, or experience to the extent that they are reasonably related to the work in question; or Travel, if the travel is a regular and necessary condition of the work performed. The act prohibits an employer from: Seeking the wage rate history of a prospective employee or requiring disclosure of wage rate as a condition of employment; Relying on a prior wage rate to determine a wage rate; Discriminating or retaliating against a prospective employee for failing to disclose the employee's wage rate history; Discharging or retaliating against an employee for actions by an employee asserting the rights established by the act against an employer; or Discharging, disciplining, discriminating against, or otherwise interfering with an employee for inquiring about, disclosing, or discussing the employee's wage rate. The act requires an employer to announce to all employees employment advancement opportunities and job openings and the pay range for the openings. The director is authorized to enforce actions against an employer concerning transparency in pay and employment opportunities, including fines of between $500 and $10,000 per violation. Employers are also required to maintain records of job descriptions and wage rate history for each employee while employed and for 2 years after the employment ends. Failure to maintain these records creates a rebuttable presumption, in a lawsuit alleging wage discrimination based on sex, that the records not maintained contained information favorable to the employee's claim. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-22 · Senate

Disclosure Of Insurance Liability Coverage

Automobile insurance policy disclosures - liability - appropriation. The act requires an insurer that provides or may provide commercial automobile or personal automobile liability insurance coverage that pays all or a portion of a pending or prospective claim to provide to a claimant via mail, facsimile, or electronic delivery, within 30 calendar days after receiving a written request from the claimant, a statement setting forth the following information with regard to each known policy of insurance of the named insured, including excess or umbrella insurance: The name of the insurer; The name of each insured party, as the name appears on the declarations page of the policy; The limits of the liability coverage; and A copy of the policy. An insured party, upon written request of a claimant or a claimant's attorney, shall disclose to the claimant or claimant's attorney the name and coverage of each known insurer of the insured party. An insurer that violates the disclosure requirement is liable to the requesting claimant for damages in an amount of $100 per day, beginning on and including the 31st day following the receipt of the claimant's written request. The penalty accrues until the insurer provides the information required. An insurer that fails to make a required disclosure is also responsible for attorney fees and costs incurred by a claimant in enforcing the penalty. The claimant and any attorney of the claimant shall not disclose the disclosed information to any party; except that the claimant and an attorney of the claimant may discuss the information with the claimant's insurer. The act appropriates $12,599 to the department of regulatory agencies from the division of insurance cash fund to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-22 · House

Automated External Defibrillators In Public Places

Automated external defibrillator - placement of AED in public place - acceptance of donated AED - appropriation. The act encourages any person that owns, operates, or manages a public place or public school to place functional automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in sufficient quantities to ensure reasonable availability for use during perceived sudden cardiac arrest emergencies. Any public place or public school is required to accept any gift, grant, or donation of an AED that meets federal standards. If a public place or public school accepts a donated AED but the public place or public school does not want to accept responsibility for AED training, installation, or maintenance, the public place or public school is not required to accept the AED unless the donating party agrees to be responsible for AED training, installation, and maintenance. If the donating party accepts responsibility but can no longer provide maintenance, the public place or public school may remove the AED from the public place or public school. The public place or public school is allowed to decide who will be trained, the frequency of training, and when the AED training and installation will take place. On or before September 1, 2019, the department of public health and environment shall award a $15,000 contract to a nonprofit organization for the purpose of acquiring and distributing AEDs to public places. The act makes an appropriation of $15,000 from the general fund to the department of public health and environment for use by the health facilities and emergency medical services division for the state EMS coordination, planning, and certification program. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-22 · House

Electronic Preservation Of Abandoned Estate Documents

Estate planning documents - abandoned documents - preservation. The act creates the "Colorado Electronic Preservation of Abandoned Estate Planning Documents Act", which provides a procedure for determining whether an original will document (original document) is abandoned and, if so, the process for creating an electronic estate planning document (electronic document) of the abandoned original document, filing the electronic document with the state court administrator within the judicial department, and destruction of the original document. A will document includes, but is not limited to, wills, codicils, documents purporting to be wills, and other testamentary documents. The state court administrator is permitted to enter into an interagency agreement with another state agency to maintain electronic documents. The act establishes a process for the state court administrator to provide access to electronic documents and sets requirements for the storage and deletion of electronic documents. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-22 · House

Designate SFC Ray Adam Archuletta Memorial Highway

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Last action: 2019-05-22 · House

Holocaust Awareness Week

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Last action: 2019-05-22 · House

Reduce Insulin Prices

Prescription insulin drugs - 30-day supply - cost-sharing cap - appropriation. Effective January 1, 2020, the act caps the cost sharing a covered person is required to pay for prescription insulin drugs at $100 per 30-day supply of insulin. The act requires the department of law to investigate the pricing of prescription insulin drugs and submit a report of its findings to the governor, the commissioner of insurance, and the judiciary committees of the senate and house of representatives. $26,054 is appropriated to the department of regulatory agencies for use by the division of insurance to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-22 · House

House Appointment To Independent Ethics Commission

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Last action: 2019-05-21 · House

Memorialize Former Representative Gwyn Green

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Last action: 2019-05-21 · House

Public School Cap Construction Financial Assistance

Public school capital construction - increase in state financial assistance - adjustment to formula for determining total financial assistance for charter schools - financial assistance for full-day kindergarten facilities - appropriations. Law in effect before May 21, 2019, required the greater of the first $40 million of state retail marijuana excise tax revenue or 90% of the revenue to be credited to the public school capital construction assistance fund (assistance fund) and limited the maximum total amount of annual lease payments payable by the state under the terms of all outstanding lease-purchase agreements entered into as authorized by the "Building Excellent Schools Today Act" (BEST) to $100 million. Beginning July 1, 2019, the act: Requires all state retail marijuana excise tax revenue to be credited to the assistance fund; Increases the maximum total amount of BEST annual lease payments to $105 million for state fiscal year 2019-20 and to $110 million for state fiscal year 2020-21 and each state fiscal year thereafter; Changes the percentage of the state retail marijuana excise tax revenue credited to the assistance fund that is further credited to the charter school facilities assistance account of the assistance fund for distribution to charter schools from 12.5% to a percentage equal to the percentage of pupil enrollment statewide represented by pupils who were enrolled in charter schools for the prior school year; and Changes the total amount of money annually appropriated from the state education fund for charter school capital construction from a flat amount of $20 million per year to $20 million per year annually adjusted for changes in the percentage of students included in the statewide funded pupil count who are enrolled in charter schools. The act also: During state fiscal year 2018-19, transfers $4.25 million from the assistance fund to the charter school facilities assistance account of the assistance fund; For state fiscal year 2020-21, requires the general assembly to appropriate $160 million from the assistance fund for use by the public school capital construction assistance board (BEST board) in providing financial assistance for public school capital construction in the form of BEST matching cash grants only; On July 1, 2019, transfers $25 million from the assistance fund to the full-day kindergarten facility capital construction fund (kindergarten facility fund); Requires the BEST board to accept applications from applicants that will provide a full-day kindergarten educational program for the 2019-20 school budget year (state fiscal year 2019-20) for formula-based grants for that budget year of the $25 million transferred to the kindergarten facility fund and authorizes applicants to spend the grants to acquire furniture, fixtures, or other fixed or moveable equipment, excluding construction equipment, that is needed to conduct a full-day kindergarten educational program or a preschool educational program; Specifies a grant distribution formula that takes into account an applicant's per pupil funding, size factor, and percentages of enrolled pupils who are eligible for free or reduced price lunch, are English language learners, or are special education students; Requires any of the $25 million that is not actually distributed as grants during the 2019-20 school budget year due to some eligible applicants not applying for grants or applying for grants in amounts that are less than the amount that the distribution formula would otherwise provide to be transferred back to the assistance fund; Increases the state fiscal year 2018-19 appropriation from the charter school facilities assistance account of the assistance fund to the department of education for state aid for charter school facilities by $4.25 million; and Makes appropriations for state fiscal year 2019-20 as follows: $50 million from the assistance fund to the department of education for BEST matching cash grants; $25 million from the kindergarten facility fund to the department of education for the formula-based grants authorized by the act; $5 million from the assistance fund to the department of education for the increased BEST annual lease payments authorized by the act; and $656,559 from the state education fund to the department of education for state aid to charter school facilities.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-21 · House

Workplace Harassment Committee

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Last action: 2019-05-21 · House

State Funding For Full-day Kindergarten

Full-day kindergarten - funding - appropriation. Before passage of the act, the school finance formula provided funding for half-day kindergarten educational programs plus a small additional amount of supplemental kindergarten funding. The act provides funding through the school finance formula for full-day kindergarten educational programs. A student enrolled in a full-day kindergarten educational program will be funded at the same amount as students enrolled full-time in other grades. A student enrolled in a half-day kindergarten educational program will be funded as a half-day student plus the existing amount of supplemental kindergarten funding. Before passage of the act, many school districts charged parents of students enrolled in full-day kindergarten a fee to fund the full-day kindergarten educational program. After passage of the act, a school district or a charter school that provides a full-day kindergarten educational program shall not charge fees for attending kindergarten other than those fees that are routinely charged to parents of students enrolled in other grades and are applicable to the kindergarten educational program. However, if the general assembly stops funding kindergarten students as full-time pupils, then a school district or charter school may resume charging a fee or tuition for the unfunded portion of the school day. Before passage of the act, a school district was authorized to use a half-day preschool position to enroll a child in full-day kindergarten. The act prohibits using a preschool position to enroll a child in full-day kindergarten. A school district that used preschool positions in this manner in the 2018-19 budget year will retain the positions in the 2019-20 budget year and budget years thereafter to the extent the school district fills the positions with preschool students. The act directs a school district that is not offering a full-day kindergarten educational program as of the 2019-20 school year to submit a plan to the department of education addressing how it could phase in a full-day kindergarten educational program, but a school district is not required to offer a full-day kindergarten educational program. If a charter school seeks to expand an existing half-day kindergarten educational program to full day, it must notify the charter authorizer and amend the charter contract, if necessary. If the authorizer objects to the program expansion, the charter school and the authorizer must negotiate a change to the charter contract. If the parties cannot agree, the charter school may appeal the issue to the state board of education for a determination. Any renegotiation of the charter school's contract must be limited to the issue of expanding the kindergarten educational program. For the 2019-20 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $182,911,699 to the department of education for the state share of total program funding associated with full-day kindergarten programs. The act also appropriates $25,094 to the department of human services for child care licensing and administration. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-21 · House

Designate Dave Sanders Memorial Highway

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Last action: 2019-05-21 · House

Marilyn Eddins Retirement As Chief Clerk Of House

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Last action: 2019-05-21 · House

Actions Related To Competency To Proceed

Competency to proceed - timing - services - reports - tracking system - placement guidelines - training - immunity - appropriations. When a defendant's competency to proceed is raised, the act: Changes the timing of various matters; Clarifies where restoration services are to be provided; Expands the requirements for a competency evaluation report; and Clarifies when defendants are to be released following an evaluation or restoration services. The act requires the department of human services to: Develop an electronic system to track the status of defendants for whom competency to proceed has been raised; Convene a group of experts to create a placement guideline for use in determining where restoration services should be provided; and Partner with an institution of higher education to develop and provide training in competency evaluations. On and after January 1, 2020, except for certain certified or certification-eligible evaluators, competency evaluators are required to have attended training. District attorneys, public defenders, and alternate defense counsel are also to receive training on competency to proceed. The act also provides that a competency evaluator is not liable for damages in any civil action for failure to warn or protect a specific person or persons against the violent behavior of a defendant being evaluated. The act appropriates $10,983,000 from the general fund to pay for fines, liquidated damages, costs, attorney fees, and special master compensation due to a consent decree agreed to by the state. It also appropriates additional money from the general fund and from reappropriated funds to the department of human services and the judicial department to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-20 · Senate

Local Government Regulation Of Food Trucks

Regulation of food trucks - study. The act recognizes that food trucks are a fast-growing part of the Colorado economy, and that because food trucks are inherently mobile and operate in multiple locations, the regulation of food trucks at the local level creates unique issues requiring further study. State and regional organizations representing local government may study the regulation of food trucks to identify areas of duplicate or conflicting regulation. The organizations may report to the business affairs and labor committee of the house and the business, labor, and technology committee of the senate on any findings or recommendations, including recommendations for future legislative solutions, by November 1, 2019.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-20 · House

Sunset Human Trafficking Council

Colorado human trafficking council - continuation under the sunset law. The act continues the Colorado human trafficking council (council) until September 1, 2024. The act amends the composition of the council as follows: Adds one more person who is a former victim of human trafficking for involuntary servitude and one more person who is a former victim of human trafficking for sexual servitude; Adds a new position for one person who is a representative of a statewide coalition for victims of domestic violence; and Adds a new position for one person who is a representative of an organization for victims of labor trafficking or an individual who has extensive professional experience in advocating for victims of labor trafficking. The act amends the council's requirements to make recommendations to the judiciary committees of the house of representatives and the senate. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-20 · Senate

Vehicle Transfer Registration Fee Credit

Registration - fees and surcharges - appropriation. The act requires the department of revenue to give prorated credit for registration fees and surcharges on a vehicle that is sold before the vehicle's registration year ends. The credit is applied to vehicles subsequently registered. To implement the act, $7,200 is appropriated to the department of revenue from the Colorado DRIVES vehicle services account in the highway users tax fund. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-20 · House

Colorado Secure Savings Plan Board

Colorado secure savings plan - board - studies and analyses - report - appropriation. The Colorado secure savings plan board (board) is established to study the feasibility of creating the Colorado secure savings plan and other appropriate approaches to increase the amount of retirement savings by Colorado's private sector workers. The board consists of the state treasurer or the treasurer's designee and 8 additional trustees with certain experience who are appointed by the governor. The board is required to conduct the following 4 analyses or assessments by a specified date: A detailed market and financial analysis to determine the financial feasibility and effectiveness of creating a retirement savings plan in the form of an automatic enrollment payroll deduction IRA, to be known as the Colorado secure savings plan; A detailed market and financial analysis to determine the financial feasibility and effectiveness of a small business marketplace plan to increase the number of Colorado businesses that offer retirement savings plans for their employees; An analysis of the effects that greater financial education among Colorado residents would have on increasing their retirement savings; and An analysis of the effects that not increasing Coloradans' retirement savings would have on current and future state and local government expenditures. The board may accept any gifts, grants, and donations, or any money from public or private entities to pay for the costs of the analyses. The board may delay implementation of one or more of the analyses if it does not obtain adequate money to conduct the analyses. If after conducting the analyses, the board finds that there are approaches to increasing retirement savings for private sector employees in a convenient, low-cost, and portable manner that are financially feasible and self-sustaining, the board is required to recommend a plan to implement its findings to the governor and the general assembly. For the 2019-20 state fiscal year, $800,000 from the general fund is appropriated to the department of the treasury for the purpose of conducting the analyses or assessments, including operating expenses. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-20 · Senate

Sunset Accountancy Board

State board of accountancy - continuing education requirements - continuation under sunset law. The automatic termination date of the regulation of accountants by the state board of accountancy is extended until September 1, 2030, pursuant to the provisions of the sunset law. The act implements the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies' sunset review and report on the state board of accountancy by: Making the use of fraudulent, coercive, or dishonest practices, or the demonstration of incompetence, untrustworthiness, or financial irresponsibility, grounds for discipline (section 9 of the act); Clarifying that foreign corporations operating a Colorado office must register with the board and adding "limited liability partnership" to the list of business types that must register (section 8); Permitting a person that is not certified or registered to use an accounting designation that includes the word "management" conferred by a bona fide nationally recognized accounting organization if the designation does not purport to confer the right to perform audit or attest services (sections 4 and 7); Authorizing the board to take disciplinary action against uncertified or unregistered persons, including resident managers, if they provide services that require certification or registration (section 9); Allowing a person to request inactive status via any board-approved method (section 5); and Making technical changes (sections 5, 10, and 11). Section 3 updates the names of several regional accrediting agencies. Section 6 specifies that a nonresident certificate holder's completion of continuing education requirements in the holder's home state satisfies the Colorado continuing education requirements. Specified provisions of the act are contingent upon House Bill 19-1172 becoming law. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-20 · Senate

Benefits For First Responders With A Disability

Small game hunting and fishing license - columbine annual pass - property tax work-off program - first responders with a permanent occupational disability. The act grants first responders with a permanent occupational disability free lifetime small game hunting and fishing licenses and a free columbine annual pass for entrance into state parks. The act also allows first responders with a permanent occupational disability to be eligible to participate in a property tax work-off program established by a taxing entity. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-20 · House

Individuals At Risk Of Institutionalization

Medicaid - 1115 demonstration waiver - criminal or juvenile justice system prevention - mental health institute admission criteria - community behavioral health safety net system - appropriation. The act requires the department of health care policy and financing (state department) to develop measurable outcomes to monitor efforts to prevent medicaid recipients from becoming involved in the criminal or juvenile justice system. The act requires the state department to work collaboratively with managed care entities to create incentives for behavioral health providers to accept medicaid recipients with severe behavioral health disorders. The act requires the state department to determine if seeking a 1115 demonstration waiver is the necessary response to ensure inpatient services are available to individuals with a serious mental illness. If the state department determines it is not appropriate, the state department shall submit a report to the general assembly with the state department's reasoning and an alternative plan and proposed timeline for the implementation of the alternative plan. The act requires the state department to develop and implement admission criteria to the mental health institutes at Pueblo and Fort Logan. The act creates a community behavioral health safety net system (safety net system) and requires the department of human services, in collaboration with the state department, to conduct the following activities: Define what constitutes a high-intensity behavioral health treatment program (treatment program), determine what an adequate network of high-intensity behavioral health treatment services includes, and identify existing treatment programs; Develop an implementation plan to increase the number of treatment programs in the state; Identify an advisory body to assist the department in creating a comprehensive proposal to strengthen and expand the safety net system; Develop a comprehensive proposal to strengthen and expand the safety net system that provides behavioral health services for individuals with severe behavioral health disorders; Implement the comprehensive proposal and the funding model no later than January 1, 2024; and Provide an annual report from January 1, 2022, until July 1, 2024, on the safety net system to the public through the annual SMART Act hearing. The act appropriates $75,000 to the department of health care policy and financing from the general fund. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-05-20 · Senate