Under current law, an institution of higher education (institution) receives funding through a fee-for-service contract for specialty education services provided by the institution. Colorado state university and the university of Colorado school of medicine created a partnership that created a 4-year branch campus for university of Colorado medical school students in Fort Collins (partnership). The act allows the use of specialty education services funding for the partnership. APPROVED by Governor April 17, 2023 EFFECTIVE April 17, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act directs the state court administrator's office to reimburse counties located in the eighteenth judicial district for expenses related to establishing a district attorney's office in the new twenty-third judicial district. The act appropriates $668,600 to the judicial department. APPROVED by Governor April 17, 2023 EFFECTIVE April 17, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates a mechanism to set the hourly rate for attorney time for attorneys who contract with the office of alternate defense counsel, the office of the child's representative, or the office of the respondent parents' counsel. The rate for fiscal year 2023-24 is $100 per hour. The hourly rate must be increased annually by no more than $5 each year until it is at least 75% of the rate set in the federal "Criminal Justice Act Revision of 1986" for indigent representation in federal court. The hourly rate may be adjusted in subsequent fiscal years to maintain the hourly rate at or above 75% of the rate set in the federal "Criminal Justice Act Revision of 1986". APPROVED by Governor April 17, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
On July 1, 2023, the state treasurer is required to transfer $4,913,753 from the state employee reserve fund to the general fund. APPROVED by Governor April 17, 2023 EFFECTIVE April 17, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Starting no later than January 1, 2024, The act requires the division of criminal justice (division) in the department of public safety (department) to contract with a third party every 5 years to conduct a financial audit of community corrections programs and report findings to the joint budget committee and the division of criminal justice by July 1, 2025. $100,000 is appropriated to the department from the general fund for use by the division for administrative services. APPROVED by Governor April 17, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law requires the department of health care policy and financing to submit a written report to the joint budget committee concerning the review process for medicaid provider rates on or before November 1, 2025, and each November thereafter. The act changes the date of the first written report to November 1, 2023. APPROVED by Governor April 17, 2023 EFFECTIVE April 17, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires the state treasurer to transfer $1,800,000 from the hazardous substance site response fund to the hazardous substance response fund. APPROVED by Governor April 17, 2023 EFFECTIVE April 17, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
In 2019, the general assembly created the Colorado state apprenticeship resource directory (directory), established by the department of labor and employment (department), that lists registered apprenticeship program sponsors that operate programs in Colorado. The act expands the information the department requires apprenticeship programs to submit to include the credits, certificates, or other credentials earned or prepared for through a program; program completion metrics; and wage-related information. The directory must also include information regarding each program's registration information and registered apprenticeship program standards. The act requires the department, in its efforts to promote awareness of the directory, to conduct annual outreach that includes providing technical assistance and resources to promote apprenticeship openings. APPROVED by Governor April 17, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act allows a metropolitan district, which has existing authority to levy a sales tax to fund safety protection, street improvement, transportation, and fire protection services, to also levy a sales tax to provide parks or recreational facilities or programs within the district in which the tax is levied. APPROVED by Governor April 17, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law requires an electric retail utility (utility) to offer a net metering credit as the means of purchasing output from a community solar garden (CSG) located within the utility's service territory and establishes the means of calculating the net metering credit. The act maintains that calculation if the CSG indicates to the utility that the CSG's subscribers' bill credits change annually. However, if the CSG indicates to the utility that the CSG's subscribers' bill credits remain fixed, the act provides a different calculation for determining the net metering credit. The public utilities commission shall allow a utility to recover costs incurred in implementing and maintaining the net metering credit billing systems. APPROVED by Governor April 17, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires a county that seeks to use county department employees (employees) to deliver employment services that are funded through the federal "Wagner-Peyser Act" to create a merit system for the selection, retention, and promotion of these employees. The act requires each county's merit system to conform to specific standards. If a county already has a system in place, the county is required to update the system to comply with the standards. APPROVED by Governor April 17, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
If the Colorado commission on higher education (commission) enters into a professional student exchange program through the western interstate commission on higher education (WICHE), then, subject to available appropriations, the commission shall establish policies to maximize the benefit of the exchange program to Colorado residents. The policies may include, but need not be limited to: Policies for Colorado residents seeking postsecondary optometry degrees at institutions in other states. Beginning in the 2024-25 academic year, the commission shall ensure that any student who enters the postsecondary optometry program, as a part of the student's post-educational service commitment, shall agree to provide services to Coloradans enrolled in programs established pursuant to the "Colorado Medical Assistance Act". Policies that promote the provision of services in underserved areas. Such policies may include reducing the service requirement for an individual to meet the individual's post-educational service requirement by serving in areas that have insufficient access to optometry services. The act aligns Colorado law with the current operation of WICHE professional student exchange programs. APPROVED by Governor April 17, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
