Under current law, a school district, the state charter school institute, or the governing board of a nonpublic school may adopt a policy for a school to maintain a supply of and distribute opiate antagonists. The act allows the adoption of a similar policy for maintaining a supply of opiate antagonists on school buses and extends existing civil and criminal immunity to school bus operators and other employees present on buses if they furnish or administer an opiate antagonist in good faith, in addition to other requirements. Additionally, the act allows an adopted policy to allow an employee or agent of the school to furnish an opiate antagonist to any individual, including a student, but only if the student has received school-sponsored training. Under current law, a school district, the state charter school institute, or the governing board of a nonpublic school may adopt a policy for a school to maintain a supply of and distribute non-laboratory synthetic opiate detection tests. The act allows the adoption of a similar policy for non-laboratory additive detection tests and extends existing civil immunity provisions to include non-laboratory additive detection tests. The act requires a school, school district, or the state charter school institute to not prohibit a student of the school district or institute charter school to possess or administer on school grounds, on a school bus, or at any school-sponsored event an opiate antagonist and possess a non-laboratory synthetic opiate detection test or a non-laboratory additive detection test. APPROVED by Governor April 22, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law specifies the conditions a person must meet in order to change the person's name if the person was convicted of a felony. Among those conditions is that the person must show good cause to be able to change the person's name to a name different from the name the person was convicted under. The act states that good cause includes changing the petitioner's name to conform with the petitioner's gender identity. The act authorizes the court to require a petitioner to give public notice of a name change if the name change was requested by a petitioner with a felony conviction and is for the purpose of changing the petitioner's name to conform with the petitioner's gender identity. APPROVED by Governor April 19, 2024 EFFECTIVE April 19, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act applies conduct pertaining to false slates of electors to 5 existing crimes that make it unlawful for an individual to: Offer a false instrument for recording; Commit forgery; Conspire to offer a false instrument for recording or to commit forgery; Commit perjury; or Commit subornation of perjury. Each crime is punishable by a fine of no more than $10,000. In addition, a defendant who is convicted of the crime of perjury or subornation of perjury for knowingly and falsely swearing or attesting to the oath required by law for presidential electors or inducing another to knowingly and falsely swear or attest to the oath required by law for presidential electors is disqualified, as required by the state constitution, from being a member of the general assembly and from holding any office of trust or profit in the state. APPROVED by Governor April 19, 2024 EFFECTIVE July 1, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The youth restraint and seclusion working group (working group) is set to repeal September 1, 2024. The act extends the working group until September 1, 2034 and requires a sunset review prior to its repeal. APPROVED by Governor April 19, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
A metropolitan district is a type of special district that provides at least 2 types of services and may perform covenant enforcement similar to the role of a homeowners' association. The act requires a metropolitan district engaging in covenant enforcement and design review services to comply with certain procedural requirements, including: Adopting a written policy governing the imposition and collection of fines; Adopting a written policy governing how disputes between the metropolitan district and a resident are addressed; and Refraining from prohibiting residents from engaging in certain activities regarding the use of their property, including displaying flags and signs; parking a motor vehicle in a driveway; removing certain vegetation to create a defensible space for fire mitigation purposes; performing reasonable property modifications to accommodate disabilities; using xeriscape, nonvegetative turf grass, or drought-tolerant landscaping; using a rain barrel; operating a family child care home; using renewable energy generation devices; and installing or using an energy efficiency measure. Additionally, a metropolitan district is prohibited from requiring residents to use cedar shakes or other flammable roofing materials. The act prohibits a metropolitan district from foreclosing on any lien based on a resident's delinquent fees or other charges owed to the metropolitan district. The act also imposes certain procedural requirements regarding court actions filed by or against a metropolitan district based on an alleged violation of the metropolitan district's declaration, rules and regulations, or other instrument. A metropolitan district that engages in design review services, but does not engage in covenant enforcement or form a homeowners' association, cannot pursue other remedies against residents to enforce its design review requirements and need not adopt the written policies required under the act. APPROVED by Governor April 19, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act repeals the COVID heroes collaboration fund on July 31, 2024. Prior to the repeal, on July 1, 2024, the state treasurer shall transfer the unexpended and unencumbered money in the COVID heroes collaboration fund to the general fund. APPROVED by Governor April 19, 2024 EFFECTIVE April 19, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act continues the Colorado natural areas council, an advisory council to the parks and wildlife commission, for 10 years until September 1, 2034, subject to sunset review. APPROVED by Governor April 19, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act concerns the use of telehealth to provide veterinary services. The act defines different types of telehealth tools that can be used in a veterinary practice. In current law, one criterion for the establishment of a veterinarian-client-patient relationship is that the veterinarian has conducted an examination of the animal that is the patient. The act clarifies that the examination must be an in-person, physical examination. The act also extends the veterinarian-client-patient relationship to other licensed veterinarians who share the same physical premises as the veterinarian who established the relationship if the other veterinarians have access to and have reviewed the patient's medical records. The act allows a licensed veterinarian who has established a veterinarian-client-patient relationship to use telehealth to provide veterinary services to clients and patients in Colorado with the consent of the client. A licensed veterinarian may also refer a patient to a veterinary specialist, who may provide veterinary services via telemedicine under the referring veterinarian's veterinarian-client-patient relationship. The act authorizes the state board of veterinary medicine to establish rules for the use of telehealth to provide veterinary services. The act clarifies that only a licensed veterinarian with an established veterinarian-client-patient relationship may prescribe medication using telemedicine. The act allows a licensed veterinarian who has established a veterinarian-client-patient relationship to supervise a registered veterinary technician who is not located on the same premises using telesupervision if the veterinarian and the registered veterinary technician are employees of the same veterinary practice location, the veterinary professionals are licensed or registered in Colorado, and the patient is located in Colorado. The act establishes record-keeping, confidentiality, and privacy requirements related to the use of telehealth. APPROVED by Governor April 19, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act prohibits a unit owners' association from prohibiting the operation of a home-based business in a common interest community. The operation of a home-based business must still comply with any applicable and reasonable unit owners' association rules or regulations related to architectural control, parking, landscaping, noise, nuisance, and other matters that may impact the operation of a home-based business. The operation of a home-based business must also comply with municipal and county noise and nuisance ordinances or resolutions. APPROVED by Governor April 19, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
With certain exceptions, the act prohibits a landlord from evicting a residential tenant unless the landlord has cause for eviction. Cause exists only when: A tenant or lessee is guilty of an unlawful detention of real property under certain circumstances described in existing law, as amended by the act; A tenant or lessee engages in conduct that creates a nuisance or disturbance that interferes with the quiet enjoyment of the landlord or other tenants at the property or an immediately adjacent property, or where the tenant negligently damaged the property; or Conditions exist constituting grounds for a "no-fault eviction". The following conditions constitute grounds for a "no-fault eviction" of a residential tenant, with certain limitations: Demolition or conversion of the residential premises; Substantial repairs or renovations to the residential premises; Occupancy of the residential premises is assumed by the landlord or a family member of the landlord; Withdrawal of the residential premises from the rental market for the purpose of selling the residential premises; A tenant refuses to sign a new lease with reasonable terms; and A tenant has a history of nonpayment of rent. If a landlord proceeds with an eviction of a tenant without cause, the tenant may seek relief as provided in existing laws concerning unlawful removal of a tenant and may assert the landlord's violation as an affirmative defense to an eviction proceeding. Current law allows a tenant to terminate a tenancy by serving written notice to the landlord within a prescribed time period, based on the length of the tenancy. For the purpose of such notices, certain provisions apply, including the following: Any person in possession of real property with the assent of the owner is presumed to be a tenant at will until the contrary is shown; and Certain provisions concerning notices to quit do not apply to the termination of a residential tenancy if the residential premises is a condominium unit. The act eliminates these provisions. Current law requires the management of a mobile home park to make a reasonable effort to notify a resident of the management's intention to enter the mobile home space at least 48 hours before entry. The act increases this notice period to 72 hours. APPROVED by Governor April 19, 2024 EFFECTIVE April 19, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act repeals an obsolete provision that required the department of transportation to study mobility improvement possibilities for the interstate 70 mountain corridor and to make prioritized recommendations to the transportation committees of the house of representatives and the senate no later than December 20, 2011. APPROVED by Governor April 19, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Under current law, a person seeking a teaching endorsement in special education or early childhood special education (endorsement) must complete an approved program and a student teaching practicum through an institution of higher education and pass one or more appropriate content-based exams. The act requires the department of education to issue an endorsement. Under current law, to receive the endorsement, the educator must hold a valid teaching license other than an initial license and complete coursework and assessments, as specified by rule of the state board of education (board), in a program in special education offered by an accepted institution of higher education. The act adds applicants who complete an alternative teacher preparation program (program) for special education offered by a designated agency as eligible for the endorsement. The act authorizes a person with a professional teacher license to continue in the person's current position while participating in an alternative teacher preparation program for the purpose of receiving an endorsement. APPROVED by Governor April 19, 2024 EFFECTIVE April 19, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
