Colorado 2025 Bills

Zero-based Budgeting Review Principal Departments

The bill requires the joint budget committee, for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2020, and for each fiscal year thereafter, to annually review 2 of the principal departments of state government using a zero-based budgeting method so that each principal department is reviewed once every 10 years. The joint budget committee must make appropriation recommendations based on such review. The bill requires the office of state planning and budgeting and each principal department subject to review to assist the joint budget committee with any additional information that the committee may need to complete the reviews.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-22 · House

Election Day Holiday In Place Of Columbus Day

The bill establishes election day as a state legal holiday in place of Columbus day. "Election day" is defined to fall on the day of a general election in even-numbered years and the day on which ballot issues must be decided under the state constitution in odd-numbered years. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-21 · House

Enactment of CRS 2018

Enactment of Colorado Revised Statutes 2018. The act enacts the softbound volumes of the Colorado Revised Statutes 2018 and the Special Supplement 2018 as the positive and statutory law of the state of Colorado and establishes the effective date of said publications.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-20 · Senate

Clarify Radiation Advisory Committee Compensation

Public health - radiation advisory committee - reimbursement for expenses. The act clarifies that members of the radiation advisory committee are reimbursed for necessary and actual expenses incurred in attendance at meetings or for authorized business of the committee.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-20 · Senate

Water Projects Eligibility Lists

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Last action: 2019-02-20 · House

Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Age

Commercial driver's licenses - interstate commerce - 18 to 21 years of age. The act authorizes the department of revenue to adopt rules authorizing a person who is at least 18 years of age but under 21 years of age to be licensed to drive a commercial vehicle in interstate commerce if the person holds a commercial driver's license and operation of a commercial vehicle in interstate commerce by a person in that age range is permitted under federal law.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-20 · Senate

Board Of Health Approval For Legal Services

State board of health - repeal of approval for retention of counsel. The act removes the requirement that the state board of health (state board) approve the retention of counsel when the executive director of the department of public health and environment seeks to bring an action to enjoin, prosecute, or enforce public health laws or standards and the local district attorney fails to act. The act also removes the requirement that an agency, through its county or district board of health or through its public health director, acquire the approval of the state board before retaining counsel to defend the agency and its officers and employees against actions brought against them. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-20 · Senate

Recreation Of The Colorado Water Institute

Colorado water institute recreation. The Colorado water institute was created in 1981 and automatically repealed in 2017. The act recreates the institute.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-20 · House

Eliminate Red Light Cameras

The bill repeals the authorization for the state, a county, a city and county, or a municipality to use automated vehicle identification systems, including red light cameras, to identify violators of traffic regulations and issue citations based on photographic evidence and creates a prohibition on such activity. The bill repeals the authorization for the department of public safety to use an automated vehicle identification system to detect speeding violations within a highway maintenance, repair, or construction zone.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-20 · House

Allow On And Off Premises Beer Licenses Rural Areas

Alcohol beverages - fermented malt beverage licenses - sale for consumption on and off the licensed premises - continued availability in rural areas. Recent legislation (Senate Bill 18-243, concerning the retail sale of alcohol beverages) terminated the licensing of retailers to sell fermented malt beverages (formerly known as "3.2 beer" but now including all beer) for consumption on and off a licensed premises as of June 4, 2018, requiring the holder of such a license to combine its renewal application with an application to convert the license into either a license to sell for consumption on the licensed premises or a license to sell for consumption off the licensed premises. The act lifts the requirement to convert an existing license and reinstates the availability of new licenses to sell beer for consumption both on and off the licensed premises, in specified areas with low populations. The act specifies that it applies to license applications filed on or after June 4, 2018. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-20 · Senate

Income Tax Deduction For 529 Account K-12 Expenses

Current law allows contributions to a qualified state tuition program, also known as a 529 account, so long as the distributions are used for qualified higher education expenses, with some exceptions, but not for elementary and secondary tuition expenses. The federal "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act", which became law in December 2017, added distributions for tuition expenses in connection with enrollment or attendance at an elementary or secondary public, private, or religious school as qualified distributions thereby allowing, on the federal level, income tax-free distributions for certain elementary and secondary education expenses in addition to already authorized income tax-free distributions for higher education expenses. The bill makes similar changes to Colorado law to allow a deduction for contributions to qualified state tuition programs for tuition expenses in connection with enrollment or attendance at an elementary or secondary public, private, or religious school and designating such expenses as qualified distributions, which ensures that a taxpayer does not encounter tax recapture of any claimed deductions when such contributions are distributed for tuition expenses in connection with enrollment or attendance at an elementary or secondary public, private, or religious school. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-19 · House

Exempt Certain Businesses From Destination Sourcing Rule

On December 18, 2018, the department of revenue adopted various emergency rules related to sales tax collection, including a new destination sourcing rule that requires retailers to collect sales tax based on where the tangible personal property or service will be delivered instead of based on the taxing jurisdiction in which the retailer is located. The bill specifies that the new destination sourcing rule does not apply to any retailer with physical presence that has generated less than $100,000 in gross revenue from the sale of tangible personal property or services outside of the taxing jurisdiction where the retailer is located. For those particular retailers with physical presence, the sale is sourced to the retailer's location, regardless of whether the tangible personal property or service is delivered outside of the taxing jurisdiction in which the retailer is located. The bill also adds the same exception to the statutory retailer's use tax collection requirement. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-19 · Senate

Psychotherapists Continuing Competency Requirements

The bill establishes continuing professional competency requirements for psychotherapists registered in Colorado by the state board of registered psychotherapists (board). The requirements mirror the continuing professional competency requirements established for social workers, marriage and family therapists, licensed professional counselors, and addiction counselors. On or before March 1, 2020, the board is required to adopt rules establishing a continuing professional competency program that includes the following elements: A self-assessment of the knowledge and skills of a registered psychotherapist; The development, execution, and documentation of a learning plan; and Periodic demonstration of knowledge and skills through documentation of activities.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-15 · House

Corps Of Engineers To Dredge Lower Arkansas River

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Last action: 2019-02-14 · Senate

California Motor Vehicle Emission Standards

The bill prohibits the air quality control commission from adopting motor vehicle emission standards that are more stringent than federal standards and from adopting the California motor vehicle emission standards and test procedures unless they are the same as the federal standards.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-14 · Senate

Special Education Opportunity Scholarships

The bill creates the Colorado special education opportunity scholarship program (program) to provide scholarships to parents of eligible students with disabilities to use in purchasing services from an education provider or other educational services as selected by the parent. The department of education (department) must select up to 3 entities (scholarship facilitators) to implement the program by establishing and maintaining an account for each participating eligible student. The administrative costs of the scholarship facilitators are paid from money deposited in each account. An eligible student who participates in the program receives a scholarship in an amount equal to the statewide per pupil revenues plus the amount of per pupil special education funding plus a proportional share of the funding for students with multiple disabilities if the eligible student has multiple disabilities. The eligible student must not be enrolled in a public school so long as the student is receiving a scholarship. The parent of a participating eligible student must use the money in the student's account to purchase educational services or materials, as described in the bill, and maintain a record of and receipts for services and materials purchased. A parent may not accept any payment, rebate, or illegitimate refund from a provider from whom the parent purchases educational services or materials. The bill establishes the process for investigating and addressing, if necessary, any alleged misuse of scholarship money. The bill specifies the duties of the scholarship facilitators, including publicizing the program, reporting specified information to the department, establishing the method for paying money out of the accounts, monitoring parents' use of the money in the accounts, and approving educational services providers. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-14 · House

Memorial For Arkansas Valley Conduit

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Last action: 2019-02-14 · Senate

American Civics Education

The bill authorizes a public school, in kindergarten through eighth grade, to choose an American civics course of study option to meet or exceed the Colorado academic standards adopted by the state board of education for civics education. The bill lists the topics relating to the United States' and Colorado's systems of government that are included in an American civics course of study option and describes the use of comparative analysis when studying other countries' systems of government. A public school is encouraged to use the community forum process for community input on civics education currently in law to inform the content of an American civics course of study option. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-14 · House

Regulation Of Professions And Occupations Reform

Current law requires the department of regulatory agencies to analyze whether to begin or continue the regulation of a profession or occupation based on several factors. The bill elaborates on these factors and requires the department to find a present, significant, and substantiated harm to consumers before recommending regulation. The bill further requires the department to recommend only the least restrictive regulation necessary to address the harm and sets guidelines for recommended regulation.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-13 · House

Bill Of Rights Protected Person Under Guardianship

The bill establishes a bill of rights for persons who are protected through a legal guardianship relationship. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-13 · Senate

Protect Human Life At Conception

The bill prohibits terminating the life of an unborn child and makes a violation a class 1 felony. The following are exceptions to the prohibition: A licensed physician performs a medical procedure designed or intended to prevent the death of a pregnant mother, if the physician makes reasonable medical efforts under the circumstances to preserve both the life of the mother and the life of her unborn child in a manner consistent with conventional medical practice; and A licensed physician provides medical treatment, including chemotherapy or removal of an ectopic pregnancy, to the mother that results in the accidental or unintentional injury to or death of the unborn child. The pregnant mother upon whom termination of the life of an unborn child is performed or attempted is not subject to a criminal penalty. The sale and use of contraception is not prohibited by the bill. A conviction related to the prohibition of the termination of the life of an unborn child constitutes unprofessional conduct for purposes of physician licensing. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-13 · House

Patient Choice Of Pharmacy

The bill prohibits a carrier that offers or issues a health benefit plan that covers pharmaceutical services, including prescription drug coverage, or a pharmacy benefit management firm managing those benefits for a carrier, from: Limiting or restricting a covered person's ability to select a pharmacy or pharmacist if certain conditions are met; Imposing a copayment, fee, or other cost-sharing requirement for selecting a pharmacy of the covered person's choosing; Imposing other conditions on a covered person, pharmacist, or pharmacy that limit or restrict a covered person's ability to use a pharmacy of the covered person's choosing; or Denying a pharmacy or pharmacist the right to participate in any of its pharmacy network contracts in this state or as a contracting provider in this state if the pharmacy or pharmacist has a valid license in Colorado and the pharmacy or pharmacist agrees to specified conditions(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-13 · House

Sales Tax Administration

The United States Supreme Court, on June 21, 2018, decided South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc., et al. , overruling 2 previous United States Supreme Court cases that stood for the rule that a state could not require an out-of-state retailer to collect sales tax if the retailer lacked physical presence in the state. Because of the Wayfair decision, states can require retailers without physical presence in the state to collect sales tax on purchases made by in-state customers so long as the sales tax system in the state is not too burdensome for the out-of-state retailer. The bill simplifies the state sales tax system for retailers without physical presence by: Not requiring retailers without physical presence that only transact limited business in Colorado to collect sales tax; Specifying that only the state's sales tax base, not a local sales tax base, will apply to all sales made by retailers without physical presence; Requiring that the department of revenue (department) be responsible for all state and local sales tax administration and return processing, including the establishment of a single form for returns; Specifying that a central audit bureau is the sole entity within the state that is responsible for auditing retailers without physical presence and specifying that the central audit bureau be developed by the department in coordination with local taxing jurisdictions; Establishing that sales are taxed based on where the goods are delivered (destination sourcing) for all sales made by retailers without physical presence in the state, including local taxing jurisdictions, but specifying that destination sourcing is not required for sales made by Colorado retailers; Requiring the department to provide information to retailers without physical presence that indicates the taxability of products and services along with any product and service exemptions from sales tax in the state; Requiring the department to provide retailers without physical presence a sales tax rate database and a database of local taxing jurisdiction boundaries; Requiring the department to make available free-of-charge software that calculates sales taxes due on each transaction at the time the transaction is completed, files sales tax returns, and updates to reflect any tax rate changes for the state or any local taxing jurisdiction; Allowing the department to contract with one or more certified software providers without regard to the procurement code to provide the software or provide access to the software; Allowing a retailer to elect to collect and remit sales tax on its own, without using the services of a certified software provider, or allowing a retailer to elect to use the services of a certified software provider; Specifying that, in providing the software free of charge, the contracts negotiated between the department and the certified software providers must provide that all or a portion of the vendor fee may not be retained by the retailer electing to utilize the services of a certified software provider but will instead be retained by the certified software provider as payment for its services; Requiring the department to establish certification procedures for persons to be approved as certified software providers; and Providing the required relief of liability for errors to retailers without physical presence and other retailers utilizing the software. The bill allows local taxing jurisdictions governed by a home rule charter to opt in by passing an ordinance, resolution, or accepting the state's administration and distribution of its local sales tax on sales made by retailers without physical presence that is collected and remitted by such sellers in accordance with the bill. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-12 · Senate

Court Facility Dog For Child Witness Testimony

The bill allows a court, upon motion of a party or upon its own motion, to allow a child witness to testify during trial proceedings while accompanied by a court facility dog. The bill requires a court facility dog to have graduated from training in providing support to witnesses testifying during trial proceedings without causing a distraction during trial proceedings. The training must be provided by a properly accredited organization. The bill requires the court to instruct the jury on the role of the court facility dog so that the presence of the court facility dog does not improperly influence the jury. The bill clarifies that nothing within the bill precludes or interferes with the rights of a qualified individual with a disability who is accompanied by a service animal pursuant to state or federal law. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-12 · House

Internet Link To Basic Life Skills Education Courses

Currently, as part of the public school performance report, each public school provides the department of education (education) internet links to descriptions of certain courses and programs the public school offers to its students. The bill adds basic life skills education to this list of courses and programs.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-12 · House

Cost-based Reimbursement For Rural Hospitals

The bill requires Colorado's program of medical assistance to pay rural critical access hospitals and sole community hospitals for outpatient hospital services pursuant to a cost-based reimbursement methodology using 100% of actual cost. Prior to implementing the cost-based reimbursement methodology for outpatient hospital services, the department of health care policy and financing (state department) shall convene a stakeholder group consisting of representatives of the affected hospitals and other persons or entities to consult with the state department on the elements of the cost-based reimbursement methodology and its implementation. The bill makes a conforming amendment. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-12 · Senate

Hunter Education Courses In Public Schools

The bill requires local education providers, upon entering into an agreement with an individual or entity to provide a hunter education course (course), to require all seventh graders to complete a course offered by the local education provider. The course must satisfy the requirements of a hunter education course certified by the division of parks and wildlife (division); except that hands-on activities are not required. The course must be taught by a division-certified instructor. A parent must provide permission for a student to participate in any hands-on activities that are offered as part of the course. A local education provider must enter into an agreement with an individual or entity to provide the course prior to requiring students to participate in the course. The bill defines local education providers to mean school districts, and charter schools and boards of cooperative services that enroll students in seventh grade. The parks and wildlife commission may accept completion of a course toward meeting the requirements of a hunter education certificate.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-12 · House

Live And Let Live Act

The bill establishes the "Live and Let Live Act" in Colorado. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-12 · House

Proof Of Citizenship To Register To Vote

In connection with current procedures permitting an elector to register to vote on or immediately prior to or on election day, the bill requires that the elector provide a form of identification that includes proof of citizenship. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-12 · House

Tandem DUI Per Se

The bill adds a new traffic offense of tandem DUI per se if a peace officer has evidence to believe that a driver had consumed alcohol or drugs, that the driver was substantially incapable of safely operating a vehicle, and that the driver had any measurable amount of a drug in his or her blood or oral fluid. The penalties for tandem DUI per se are the same as for DUI. The bill repeals the 5 nanogram THC threshold for the presumption that a driver is under the influence of marijuana. The bill makes conforming amendments. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-12 · House

Licensing Regulation Ambulatory Surgical Centers

Under current law, certain freestanding and office-based facilities performing outpatient procedures such as liposuction and radiation treatments are not regulated to the same extent as facilities within a hospital and, in some cases, not at all. The bill extends the jurisdiction of the department of public health and environment to license these facilities and to adopt rules governing their operation. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-11 · Senate

On-site Wind Turbine Manufacturing Property Tax Exemption

For property tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2020, but before January 1, 2030, the bill exempts from property tax business personal property used to manufacture wind turbines or components of wind turbines at the site where the wind turbines will be placed into service.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-11 · House

Assault On Detention Workers

The bill adds to the definition of an "emergency medical care provider" a person providing emergency care at a detention facility. It then adds emergency medical care providers to the list of potential victims of assault in the first or second degree under certain circumstances. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-07 · House

Veteran And Military Green Alert Program

The bill creates a green alert program (program) to notify the public when a veteran or military service member is missing who is known to have a physical or mental health condition that is related to his or her service or who is at imminent risk of self-harm (at-risk veteran or service member). The Colorado bureau of investigation (CBI) shall implement the program, and the director of the department of public safety shall promulgate rules regarding implementation of the program. The program rules must, at a minimum: Include a procedure for local law enforcement agencies to verify that an at-risk veteran or service member is missing and to notify the CBI; and Require the CBI to issue an alert after confirming the local law enforcement agencies' information.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-07 · House

Firearms Rights Of Medical Marijuana Users

Current law prohibits a person from carrying a firearm if the person has a prior conviction for a felony or conspiracy to commit a felony pursuant to Colorado law, the law of any other state, or federal law. The bill clarifies that a person is not prohibited from carrying a firearm if the prior conviction was for the possession or use of marijuana that was lawfully possessed or used pursuant to the Colorado constitution. Under current law, a sheriff may deny an application for a permit to carry a concealed handgun when the applicant is ineligible to possess a firearm pursuant to Colorado or federal law or the applicant is an unlawful user of, or addicted to, a controlled substance, as defined by federal law or regulation. The bill clarifies that a person is not considered to be ineligible to possess a firearm pursuant to federal law nor considered to be an unlawful user of, or addicted to, a controlled substance because of the possession or use of medical marijuana pursuant to the Colorado constitution. The bill clarifies that the department of public safety is prohibited from sharing confidential information relating to the medical marijuana registry with law enforcement for the purpose of conducting a background check related to the transfer of firearms. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-06 · Senate

Local Election Of Library District Trustees

Under current law, library district trustees are appointed directly by a committee appointed by the legislative bodies of the governmental units that established the library district. The bill allows the registered voters within a library district's service area to determine by vote whether their library district trustees should be elected. The bill also sets out how library district trustees would be elected, the length of their terms, and how they could be removed. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-06 · House

District Attorney Office Salary

Currently, the salary of a district attorney is set statutorily, and any amount in excess is set by the board or boards of county commissioners comprising the district. Furthermore, the district attorney of each judicial district, with the approval of the board or boards of county commissioners comprising the district, sets the salaries of any assistant district attorney or chief deputy district attorney in the district. The bill establishes minimum salary requirements for a district attorney, an assistant district attorney, and one chief deputy district attorney in every judicial district, if one has been appointed by the district attorney. Those salaries will be based upon the salaries of a district court judge, a county court judge, and a district court magistrate, respectively. The county or counties comprising the judicial district currently pay the salaries of assistant district attorneys and chief deputy district attorneys in the district. Starting in the 2020-21 fiscal year, the bill requires the state to pay the following percentage of salaries: Assistant district attorney - 80%; and Chief deputy district attorney - 50%. The bill allows the board or boards of county commissioners of the county or counties comprising the judicial district, in consultation with the district attorney, to make a one-time irrevocable election to require an assistant district attorney to become a member of the public employees' retirement association's defined benefit plan. In that case, the state would pay 80% and the counties would pay 20% of the employer contribution for an assistant district attorney. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-06 · Senate

Computer Science Courses Offered In Schools

The bill requires a school district, charter school, or board of cooperative services that operates a secondary school to annually report to the department of education (department) the computer science courses offered in the school and additional information regarding those courses. The department shall also report information concerning the number and percentage of students taking computer science courses, with data disaggregated by student group, as well as information concerning the number and qualifications of computer science instructors. The department shall annually post the information online for public access. The bill prohibits the posting online of any personally identifying information relating to students. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-05 · House

Remove Unauthorized Persons From Vacant Land

Current law provides a procedure, in lieu of an eviction, to remove unauthorized persons from residential property. The bill expands the alternative procedure to authorize removal of unauthorized persons from vacant land. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-05 · Senate

End Local Government Opt Out Of Unclaimed Property Act

Currently, if a local government enacts a local law related to the disposition of abandoned intangible property it holds for an owner and the local law is inconsistent with the requirements of the "Unclaimed Property Act" (act), then the local law controls the disposition of the property. Sections 2 and 4 of the bill eliminate this exception effective September 1, 2019, so that a local government is required to comply with the act like any other holder of abandoned intangible property. Section 3 requires a local government that holds intangible property that was previously exempt from the act to pay or deliver the property to the administrator on or before January 1, 2020. Section 1 specifies that a county's discretionary power to dispose of abandoned personal property acquired by an elected official or county employee only applies to tangible personal property and does not apply to intangible property, which is subject to the act.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-05 · House

Recognizing African-American Veterans

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Last action: 2019-02-05 · House

Honoring Coloradans Who Served In Vietnam War

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Last action: 2019-02-05 · House

Honoring The Fallen 2019

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Last action: 2019-02-05 · House

Recognition Of Military Veterans And MIA POWs

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Last action: 2019-02-05 · House

Child Safety Accounts

The bill creates the "Child Safety Account Act", which allows for a student who is directly affected by or involved in a safety incident occurring at a public school, but is not the perpetrator, to qualify for a child safety account. A child safety account is an account that must be used to pay for eligible expenses necessary for the education of the qualified student. The bill requires the department of education (department) to contract with an entity that will administer the child safety account program (administering entity). Upon the creation of a child safety account, the department shall transfer to the administering entity an amount equal to the state share of per pupil revenues of the enrolling school district or institute charter school for the budget year in which the account is created and deduct the amount transferred from that amount that the department distributes to the school district's or institute charter school's budget for the budget year. The general assembly shall annually appropriate to the department the amount required to be transferred from the department to the administering entity for the child safety accounts. In a budget year in which the general assembly does not appropriate a sufficient amount to fully fund the child safety accounts, the department shall reduce the amount transferred to the administering entity for distribution to each child safety account by the same percentage that the deficit bears to the amount required to fully fund the child safety accounts. If a child safety account has been closed, any amount remaining in the account must be transferred to the department, and the department shall transfer the money to the treasurer for deposit into the general fund. In order to qualify for a child safety account, the parent of a student must apply to the administering entity. A child safety account continues to be active without need for renewal, until the qualified student completes twelfth grade or ceases to be enrolled in a participating school or nonpublic home-based educational program. Any unexpended amount left in the child safety account at the end of a school year remains in the account and may be expended on eligible expenses in subsequent school years and used for eligible expenses while the student remains enrolled in an institution of higher education. The administering entity is required to monitor the expenses made from money in child safety accounts. If it appears the money in a child safety account was used for an expense that was not an eligible expense, the administering entity is required to convene a review committee to determine whether the expense was an eligible expense, and if not an eligible expense, whether it was a good-faith mistake. The review committee is required to take appropriate action depending upon the outcome of the review. The administering entity is required to oversee scholarship-granting organizations. A scholarship-granting organization shall accept scholarship applications from qualified students with child safety accounts, who shall use the awarded amounts to pay for eligible expenses above the amount credited to the child safety account. The scholarship-granting organization shall also accept donations from individuals or corporations for scholarship applicants. The bill creates an income tax credit for parents of qualified students with child safety accounts for payments of eligible expenses above the amount provided through a child safety account. The bill creates a tax credit to encourage donations for individuals or corporations that donate to scholarship-granting organizations for scholarships for qualified students with child safety accounts. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-05 · House

Educator Supplies Tax Credit

Currently, under the federal educator expense deduction an eligible educator can claim a deduction, not to exceed $250, for the purchase of school supplies and certain professional development courses. The bill creates a state income tax credit for an eligible educator for the cost of expenses that qualify for the deduction that exceed $250 but are less than $750. The amount of the credit that exceeds the educator's income taxes is refunded to the educator.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-05 · Senate

Missing Persons Day

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Last action: 2019-02-04 · Senate

Exempt Colorado Department of Higher Education Regulation Professional Organization Member Education

Under current law, education offered by a bona fide trade, business, professional, or fraternal organization that primarily benefits the organization's membership or mission is exempted from regulation by the private occupational school division in the department of higher education. The bill clarifies that the exemption covers educational services approved by the bona fide organization that are offered either by the organization or by an instructor approved by the organization. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-04 · Senate

Students Subjected To A School Safety Incident

Current law allows nonresident pupils from other school districts within the state to enroll in a school district without requiring the nonresident pupils to pay tuition but gives the school district the authority to deny enrollment to nonresident pupils after the pupil enrollment count day. The bill requires a school district to allow enrollment of nonresident pupils after the pupil enrollment count day if the student has been subjected to a school safety incident. Current law allows contributions to a qualified state tuition program, also known as a 529 account, so long as the distributions are used for qualified higher education expenses, with some exceptions, but not for elementary and secondary tuition expenses. The federal "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act", which became law in December 2017, added distributions for tuition expenses in connection with enrollment or attendance at an elementary or secondary public, private, or religious school as qualified distributions, thereby allowing, on the federal level, income tax-free distributions for certain elementary and secondary education expenses in addition to already authorized income tax-free distributions for higher education expenses. The bill makes similar, but limited, changes to Colorado law to allow a deduction for contributions to qualified state tuition programs for tuition expenses for a student who has been subjected to a school safety incident in connection with enrollment or attendance at an elementary or secondary public, private, or religious school. The bill designates such expenses for a student who has been subjected to a school safety incident as qualified distributions, which ensures that a taxpayer does not encounter tax recapture of any claimed deductions when such contributions are distributed for tuition expenses for a student who has been subjected to a school safety incident in connection with enrollment or attendance at an elementary or secondary public, private, or religious school. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Last action: 2019-02-04 · Senate

U.S.S. Pueblo

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Last action: 2019-02-04 · Senate