The Colorado fire commission (commission) was created in the division of fire prevention and control in the department of public safety. The commission is set to be repealed, effective September 1, 2024, and is subject to a sunset review prior to its repeal. The act implements the recommendations in the department of regulatory agencies' 2023 sunset report to extend the commission's repeal date until September 1, 2033, and requires a sunset review prior to its repeal. APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act prohibits price gouging in the provision of or offer to provide rent-based housing during a disaster period and within the designated disaster area if the disaster declaration specifically declares a material decrease in residential housing units. A violation of the act is an unfair and unconscionable act or practice. APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 5, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
With exceptions, school districts, district charter schools, institute charter schools, and boards of cooperative services that operate one or more public schools (local education provider), are required to provide free menstrual products: In at least 25% of applicable student bathrooms in all applicable school buildings by June 30, 2025; In at least 50% of applicable student bathrooms in all applicable school buildings by June 30, 2026; and In at least 75% of applicable student bathrooms in all applicable school buildings by June 30, 2025. By June 30, 2028, all local education providers, the Colorado school for the deaf and the blind, and approved facility schools are required to provide free menstrual products to students in all applicable student bathrooms in all applicable school buildings. The act provides exceptions for applicable school buildings that do not have a gender-neutral bathroom, for applicable school buildings that provide educational services only to students who are enrolled in kindergarten through grade 6, and if the local education provider, Colorado school for the deaf and the blind, or approved facility school is experiencing vandalism or destruction of property because of complying with the act. The act expands eligibility for the menstrual hygiene products accessibility grant program (grant program) to make rural school districts, small rural school districts, or charter schools within these districts eligible for a grant award. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $100,000 to the department of education (department) for the grant program. The act allows the department to retain up to 10% of the appropriation on actual administrative costs for the grant program and allows grant awards to be used to acquire a dispensing machine or disposal receptacle for menstrual hygiene products. APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires an online dating service (service) to have a safety policy that includes certain elements, as detailed below. It is a deceptive trade practice if a service does not have a compliant safety policy. A safety policy must include: A description of prohibited content and conduct used by the online dating service, which must include misconduct that threatens public or personal safety; Information about whether and under what circumstances the service conducts background screenings of members who use the service (members) and whether the service excludes from membership individuals with criminal convictions; A description of whether and when the service verifies a member's identity or that the member is at least 18 years of age; A description of whether and when the online dating service, after receiving a report of prohibited content and conduct committed by a member, provides actual notice that it received the report to other members who have had contact with the member and, if so, the types of content and conduct that result in notice; A description of whether and when the service suspends a member profile or bars a member from the service as a result of reports of prohibited content and conduct committed by the member and whether the service allows a member to appeal an adverse action against the member; Guidelines for reporting prohibited content and conduct committed by a member to the service; A notice that engaging in sexual conduct with another person without the other person's consent violates the safety policy and criminal laws, and may result in criminal or civil liability; Information about resources available for members in Colorado who experience sexual assault, domestic violence, and other crimes; and Measures taken by the service that are reasonably designed to promote safer online and in-person dating experiences for members. A service shall post a link to its safety policy on the front page of its website, on the settings or similar screen of its mobile application, and in its dating service contract. A service shall submit the URL for its safety policy, including any updates, to the attorney general's office. On or before January 31, 2026, a service shall annually file a report with the attorney general's office concerning member safety and the service's compliance with the requirement to have a safety policy. Prior to commencing a deceptive trade practice enforcement action against an online dating service, the attorney general or a district attorney must issue a notice of violation to the service if the attorney general or district attorney determines it is possible for the online dating service to cure the violation. The service has 30 days after receiving notice to cure the violation. If the service does not cure the violation, the attorney general or district attorney may commence an enforcement action. The act creates a civil cause of action for a person who was tracked by means of a tracking device or tracking application to bring a claim against the actor who installed a tracking device on the person's property or who caused a tracking device or tracking application to track the person or person's property without the person's consent. Existing law prohibits posting a private image for harassment; posting a private image for pecuniary gain; and posting, possession, or exchange of a private image by a juvenile. Posting a private image for harassment or for pecuniary gain involves posting an image that depicts the private intimate parts of a person. Posting, possession, or exchange of a private image by a juvenile involves an image that depicts specified intimate parts of a person. The act makes those offenses apply to images that include simulated intimate parts of a person. APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act clarifies what constitutes an abbreviated school day and describes the effects of placing children with disabilities on abbreviated school day schedules (abbreviated schedule). The act requires the department of education (department) to create and implement a policy that explains the: Definition of an abbreviated school day, including how the definition applies to attendance and school discipline; Circumstances in which abbreviated schedules are permissible and impermissible; Roles of the teams who determine whether to assign children with disabilities to abbreviated schedules; Extent to which children with disabilities may participate in field trips, school functions, and extracurricular activities; Documentation and maintenance of records relating to children with disabilities' abbreviated schedules; Review of abbreviated schedules on a regular basis by the teams who determine whether to assign children with disabilities to abbreviated schedules; Information that parents, legal guardians, or custodians of children with disabilities (parents) must receive regarding whether parents may consent to, revoke consent to, or oppose abbreviated schedules; and Procedural safeguard information distributed to parents prior to meetings in which abbreviated schedules are discussed. Each administrative unit shall adopt the department's policy and create a plan to support children with disabilities who are assigned an abbreviated schedule. The plan must include the outcomes for placing children with disabilities on an abbreviated schedule and a description of the stages for gradual reintroduction to return children with disabilities to full-time school day schedules. The department shall provide annual training and ongoing technical assistance to administrative units. On or before July 1, 2026, and each July 1 thereafter, a school district, a district charter school, an institute charter school, or a board of cooperative services shall submit a report to the department summarizing: The number of children with disabilities who were placed on abbreviated schedules during the preceding school year; The number of days and the percentage of the school year that each child with disabilities was placed on an abbreviated schedule; The student demographic information for each child with disabilities placed on an abbreviated school day schedule, including race, gender, English language learner status, and whether the child has a disability pursuant to federal law, to the extent possible while maintaining student privacy; and The student demographic data collected, disaggregated by race, gender, English language learner status, and disability status pursuant to federal law, to the extent possible while maintaining student privacy. The act requires the department to post the reports to the department's website on an annual basis. Beginning in January 2027, and in January every year thereafter, the department shall include as part of its presentation during its "SMART Act" hearing information concerning abbreviated schedules. By the beginning of the 2025-26 school year, the department shall standardize the reporting method that schools of a school district, district charter schools, school districts, institute charter schools, and the state charter school institute use to collect and report data concerning: Instructional hours; School calendars; and The number of hours students spend on instructional time during the school year. Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, and each school year thereafter, the department shall collect from schools of a school district, district charter schools, school districts, institute charter schools, and the state charter school institute, at a minimum, the following data: Days of instruction for elementary and secondary schools; Instructional hours for elementary and secondary schools; Estimated non-instructional hours, school closures, snow days, and time spent on lunch and passing between classes; and The number of days and percentage of the school year students were placed on abbreviated schedules. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, $250,108 is appropriated to the department from the general fund to implement this act. APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 5, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Effective July 1, 2026, the act increases the minimum compensation for a district attorney to match the compensation of a full-time district court judge. Effective July 1, 2026, the act requires the minimum compensation of an assistant district attorney to match the compensation of a full-time county court judge and requires the state to pay 50% of the minimum amount of an assistant district attorney's compensation. The district attorney, with the approval of the board or boards of county commissioners of the county or counties comprising the judicial district or with the approval of the city council of a city and county affected, may set an amount in excess of the minimum requirement. APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
On or before July 1, 2026, the act requires the department of education to: Create, deliver, and make publicly available a training program, in plain and easy-to-understand language, regarding individualized education program laws and procedures, including parent and student rights; and Deliver the training program in person and make the training program and related information publicly available online. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $75,288 from the general fund to the department to implement the act. APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Under existing law, the department of corrections may, for an inmate who was sentenced for a nonviolent felony offense, deduct earned time from the inmate's sentence for each accredited degree or other credential awarded by an institution of higher education to the inmate while the inmate is incarcerated or on parole (degree or credential earned time). The act exempts degree or credential earned time from the statutory limit on earned time. APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The state received money from the federal coronavirus state fiscal recovery fund pursuant to the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" (ARPA money). ARPA money was deposited into the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" cash fund and then transferred to various cash funds (recipient funds) and appropriated for various programs. The act requires the state treasurer to transfer specified amounts of ARPA money from specified recipient funds at the close of the 2023-24 state fiscal year to the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" cash fund. The act requires the state treasurer to transfer money from the general fund to a new ARPA refinance state money cash fund. Money in the new ARPA refinance state money cash fund is transferred to the specified recipient funds. The act requires the general assembly to appropriate ARPA money from the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" cash fund to state departments for personal services in fiscal year 2023-24. For fiscal year 2024-25, the general assembly shall appropriate the balance of the cash fund for personal services or for other purposes permitted under the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021", and that money must be expended on or before January 31, 2025. On December 1, 2024, any unspent and unobligated ARPA money in a recipient fund, other than money designated for personal services or operating costs that will be spent by January 31, 2025, reverts to the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" cash fund. The reverted money is continuously appropriated to any department designated by the governor for any purpose that was funded with general fund money in the general appropriations act for fiscal year 2024-25. After December 31, 2024, any ARPA money in a recipient fund that was obligated as of December 31, 2024, but not expended on an eligible activity at the conclusion of the appropriation reverts to the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" cash fund and is continuously appropriated to any department designated by the governor for any purpose for which a general fund appropriation was made in the general appropriation act for the state fiscal year in which the reversion occurred. The amount of general fund money appropriated in a line item in a general appropriations act is reduced by the amount of ARPA money appropriated pursuant to the act's provisions that is spent for the line item. The act repeals the requirement for a subrecipient to obligate ARPA money by November 30, 2024. The act authorizes the state controller to take certain measures to implement the act and ensure that ARPA money is expended within the time allowed by federal law. The governor and the state controller shall jointly submit a report to the joint budget committee, 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 about the transfers in the act and about spending ARPA money. The act makes changes to various programs related to refinancing ARPA money, including clarifying spending and obligation deadlines for program money that is not ARPA money and exempting the use of state money from requirements for capital construction projects that use federal money. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, the act makes the following appropriations from the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" cash fund for personal services: $495 million to the department of corrections, $214 million to the department of human services, and $309 million to the judicial department. The total general fund appropriation made in the annual general appropriation act for the 2023-24 state fiscal year to each department is reduced by the same amount. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the act makes the following appropriations from the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" cash fund for personal services: $324 million to the department of corrections, $63,182,048 to the department of human services, and $200 million to the judicial department. The total general fund appropriation made in the annual general appropriation act for the 2024-25 state fiscal year to each department is reduced by the same amount. The act changes the source of funds for existing appropriations involving refinanced ARPA money. APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 5, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act implements certain recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies (department), as specified in the department's sunset review of the "Bingo and Raffles Law" (law), as follows: Continues the regulation of charitable gaming under the law for 7 years, until September 1, 2031; Modifies the secretary of state's (secretary's) fining authority by increasing the maximum fine amount to $250 per violation and eliminating the provision for a fine in lieu of license suspension or revocation; and Makes technical changes to the law, including the use of gender-neutral language. The act also modifies the structure, powers, and duties of the Colorado bingo-raffle advisory board, recreated in the act as the Colorado charitable gaming board (board). The board's membership is reduced and one member must be the secretary's designee. All members who are licensees under the law are appointed by the governor. In addition to the secretary's designee, the secretary must appoint the member who is a registered elector with no connection to charitable gaming. The board must meet at least 6 times each year and fulfill the following duties: Conduct a continuous study of charitable gaming in Colorado to improve such gaming and ascertain any defects in existing laws or rules; Advise the secretary regarding subjects such as licensing requirements, qualifications, and special conditions; license revocations, suspensions, and summary suspensions; a schedule of fines and the amounts of fees to be imposed pursuant to the "Bingo and Raffles Law"; criteria and training for licensees, games managers, and other individuals involved in the conduct of charitable gaming; and standard licensee audit procedures; and At the board's discretion, submit an annual report to the general assembly including recommendations for legislation related to charitable gaming. The secretary is encouraged to collaborate with the board on proposals developed by the board related to existing and potential future types of charitable gaming activities and all charitable gaming rules. The act also clarifies the requirements and limitations for a strip bingo game. The act appropriates $226,445 for the 2024-25 state fiscal year from the department of state cash fund to the department of state for implementation of the act. APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 5, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Section 1 of the act amends the statute that governs the use of automated vehicle identification systems (AVIS) on roadways other than toll highways operated by a public highway authority or the high-performance transportation enterprise in the department of transportation (CDOT) to: Clarify that CDOT and the Colorado state patrol (CSP) have authority to use AVIS to detect traffic violations on any portion of a highway that is owned or maintained by the state (state highway); Clarify the notification and coordination process between local governments, CDOT, and the CSP with respect to the use of AVIS on a state highway; Authorize CDOT to promulgate rules relating to the use of AVIS where it is not designated for use or implemented on state highways by the later of January 1, 2025, or the date the rules are promulgated; Clarify that if the registered owner of a motor vehicle involved in a traffic violation detected by AVIS is engaged in the business of leasing or renting motor vehicles, the registered owner remains liable for payment of a civil penalty assessed for the violation even if the registered owner was not driving the motor vehicle but may obtain payment from the lessor or renter of the motor vehicle and forward the payment to the jurisdiction imposing the civil penalty; and Require civil penalties collected by the state for traffic violations detected by AVIS, net of court and operations costs, to be credited to the state highway fund and used only to fund road safety projects, with priority given to those road safety projects that have the highest potential to reduce vulnerable road user injuries and fatalities while taking into account the planning capacity of each region, that protect vulnerable road users. Section 2 requires CDOT to establish and include in its statutorily required performance plan declining annual targets for vulnerable road user fatalities and, as part of the targets, also establish engineering methodology and internal education requirements for practices to prioritize safety over speed on high-injury networks. For state fiscal year 2025-26 and each succeeding state fiscal year, section 3 requires CDOT, after accounting for eligible critical safety-related asset management surface transportation infrastructure projects and as determined by the transportation commission, to expend a specified minimum amount of the money allocated to the state highway fund from the road safety surcharge and certain other fees, fines, and surcharges that are imposed on motor vehicle registrations and dedicated for certain types of road safety projects that protect vulnerable road users. To guide CDOT in implementing sections 2 and 3, section 4 amends an existing definition of "road safety project" to include certain types of projects that protect vulnerable road users and defines the term "vulnerable road user". APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 5, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates a voluntary recovery-friendly workplace program (program) in the center for health, work, and environment at the Colorado school of public health. The program recognizes and assists employers that implement recovery-friendly policies to help employees in recovery from substance use disorders. The program repeals September 1, 2028. The act creates a grant program in the department of education for schools that: Educate and support students in recovery from substance use or co-occurring disorders, including self-harm and disordered eating; Intend that all students enrolled are working in an active and abstinence-focused program of recovery as determined by the student and the school; and Provide support for families learning how to live with, and provide support for, their teens who are entering into the recovery lifestyle. For purposes of public school financing, the act allows a school district to include in its annual pupil count a student who has transferred to a recovery high school before the pupil count date. The act allows a recovery community organization that receives a grant through the recovery support services grant program to use the money to provide guidance to individuals on the many pathways for recovery. Current law establishes the requirements a facility must meet before operating as a recovery residence. The act requires the behavioral health administration in the department of human services to send a cease-and-desist letter to a recovery residence operating unlawfully. The act declares recovery residences, sober living facilities, and sober homes as residential use of land for zoning purposes. The act requires the liquor enforcement division in the department of revenue to adopt rules related to the location of alcohol beverages displays. Before adopting rules, the division must convene a stakeholder group consisting of recovery providers, individuals representing recovery residences, and individuals representing specified retailers licensed to sell alcohol beverages. To implement the act: $144,321 is appropriated for the 2024-25 state fiscal year from the general fund to the department of education; $303,752 is appropriated for the 2024-25 state fiscal year from the general fund to the department of higher education; $37,980 is appropriated for the 2024-25 state fiscal year from the liquor enforcement division and state licensing authority cash fund to the department of revenue. APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 5, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
