The act repeals the "Colorado Indigent Care Program" on July 1, 2025. For purposes of comprehensive primary care services, current law defines an "uninsured or medically indigent patient" as a patient whose yearly family income is below 200% of the federal poverty line (FPL). The act requires the patient's annual household income to be at or below 200% of the FPL. Beginning February 1, 2026, and each February 1 thereafter, the act requires the executive director of the department of health care policy and financing (state department) to prepare and submit an annual report to the general assembly, the joint budget committee, the governor, and the medical services board concerning the status of the primary care fund. The act creates the hospital discounted care advisory committee in the state department to advise the state department on the operations and policies of health-care billing for indigent patients. The act repeals the advisory committee on September 1, 2029. No later than July 1, 2025, the act requires the medical services board, in consultation with the Colorado healthcare affordability and sustainability enterprise, to promulgate rules concerning the policy for qualification for disproportionate share hospital payments. APPROVED by Governor April 18, 2024 EFFECTIVE July 1, 2025(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law suspends certain provisions related to medicaid eligibility until June 1, 2024. The act extends the suspension of those provisions until January 1, 2025. The act authorizes the department of health care policy and financing (state department) to seek federal authorization to not require additional verification during a medicaid member's (member) eligibility reenrollment process if information about the member's income or assets is not verified through a federally approved electronic data source. For a member's income verification, the act authorizes the state department to use the information on file or the information that was originally collected during the application process to determine whether the member is eligible for reenrollment. The state department shall require additional income verification if information about a member's income is not verified through a federally approved electronic data source for 2 or more consecutive years or as specified through federal authorization. For a member's asset verification, the state department may complete the member's eligibility reenrollment process without any additional asset verification if there has been no change in the member's assets since the initial verification during the application process or as specified through federal authorization. The act authorizes the state department to seek federal authorization to delay a member's procedural termination during the reenrollment process to allow the member to continue receiving necessary services during the reenrollment process. The act authorizes the state department to apply this delay in procedural termination to a specific population or as specified through federal authorization. The act authorizes the state department to seek federal authorization to allow an applicant's or member's eligibility for reenrollment to be based on financial findings from the supplemental nutrition assistance program, the temporary assistance for needy families program, and other means-tested benefit programs administered through the Colorado benefits management system. The state department may apply financial eligibility for medicaid to individuals whose gross income program and assets for applicable means-tested benefit programs are below applicable medicaid limits, regardless of differences in household composition and income-counting rules between programs or as specified through federal authorization. APPROVED by Governor April 18, 2024 EFFECTIVE April 18, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Joint Technology Committee. The bill adds a provision to the procurement code that authorizes an applicable procurement official to select the most appropriate source selection method for a state procurement, even if a different source selection method is specified in statute. The new provision specifies that the procurement official has the discretion, if that official determines that the source selection method specified in statute is not the most appropriate source selection method for the procurement, to determine and use a different source selection method in the best interest of the state, given time requirements, financial considerations, and market conditions.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The act extends the period for which annual general fund transfers of $220,000 are made to the procurement technical assistance cash fund by 10 years so that the last transfer is made on July 1, 2034, rather than July 1, 2024. APPROVED by Governor April 18, 2024 EFFECTIVE April 18, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act directs the state treasurer to transfer the money in the hazardous substance site response fund to the hazardous substance response fund through 2 transfers. The act requires the state treasurer to: Transfer $4 million to the hazardous substance response fund from the hazardous substance site response fund on May 1, 2024; and Transfer to the hazardous substance response fund the unexpended and unencumbered money in the hazardous substance site response fund on May 1, 2025. APPROVED by Governor April 18, 2024 EFFECTIVE April 18, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires the office of information technology (office) in the office of the governor to evaluate, or contract with a third party to evaluate, the information technology functions and services of the department of higher education (department) for the purpose of assessing possibilities for consolidating existing information technology functions and services with those information technology functions and services managed by the office, and if the evaluation shows that consolidation would be beneficial, create a proposed plan and accompanying budget for consolidating the department's information technology functions and services with those information technology functions and services managed by the office. The act appropriates $280,000 for the 2024-25 state fiscal year from the general fund to the governor's office for allocation to the office of the governor to implement the act. APPROVED by Governor April 18, 2024 EFFECTIVE April 18, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act clarifies that the adjutant general, subject to appropriation by the general assembly, may disburse state money in order to: Promulgate regulations as may be ordered for the operation, care, and preservation of existing facilities and installations on all state military campgrounds and reservations; Keep in repair all state buildings and other improvements on campgrounds and military reservations of the state; or Rent, hire, purchase, take the conveyance of, and hold in trust for the use of the state such buildings, lands, tenements, and appurtenances thereof as may be from time to time deemed necessary for use by the National Guard. The act also clarifies that the purchase of buildings or other real property or any capital construction performed on real property purchased or held by the state for the use of the National Guard is subject to current law concerning legislative oversight of capital development. APPROVED by Governor April 18, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
If approved by a vote of at least 55% of the voters of the state voting on the issue at the 2024 general election, the concurrent resolution prohibits a person from being a state representative or senator for a term of office that immediately follows a term for which the person was appointed to fill a vacancy in the general assembly for that office.(Note: This summary applies to this concurrent resolution as introduced.)
Under current law, aggravated cruelty to animals is a class 4 felony. The act specifies that a person commits the offense of aggravated cruelty to animals if the person knowingly kills or causes serious bodily injury resulting in death to a law enforcement animal whether the of a law enforcement animal is on duty or not. The act creates an affirmative defense stating that a person is justified in using physical force upon a law enforcement animal to defend their own person or a third person when the person reasonably believes that a law enforcement animal is an application of unreasonable or excessive force. The act requires an on-duty peace officer to intervene to prevent or stop another peace officer who is the handler of a law enforcement animal from allowing the law enforcement animal from using the degree of excessive physical force permitted by law while carrying out the peace officer's duties. A peace officer who witnesses the use of excessive force by a law enforcement animal, as permitted by the animal's handler, must report the excessive force to the officer's or handler's supervisor. The act specifies situations in which a licensed veterinarian or a person who owns or is charged with the care of a law enforcement animal has immunity from liability when it is necessary to euthanize or provide immediate veterinary care to a law enforcement animal. APPROVED by Governor April 17, 2024 EFFECTIVE April 17, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act limits the sale or transfer of a product containing sodium nitrite in a concentration greater than 10% of the mass or volume of the product (covered product) to commercial businesses that are verified to require a covered product. The act requires covered products to meet specified labeling requirements. A person who violates the requirements of the act is subject to a civil penalty of $10,000 for a first offense and up to $1,000,000 for a second or subsequent violation. The attorney general or an aggrieved individual may bring a civil action to enforce the act and, if an aggrieved individual prevails in a civil action, the aggrieved individual is entitled to the greater of actual economic damages or $3,000, attorney fees, and costs. APPROVED by Governor April 17, 2024 EFFECTIVE July 1, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Effective September 1, 2024, the act makes changes to Colorado's occupational credential portability program (program) relating to the spouses and dependents of military members and other qualified servicemembers serving in the United States uniformed services, including: In addition to military spouses already covered by the program, allowing gold star military spouses, dependents of military members, and spouses and dependents of other qualified servicemembers who are licensed, certified, registered, or enrolled in a profession or occupation (credentialed) in good standing in another state or United States territory (current state) to be credentialed in Colorado by endorsement from the current state to practice the same profession or occupation in Colorado; Allowing an applicant to be credentialed under the program if the applicant committed an act that would have been grounds for discipline in this state, but for which the applicant remains in good standing in the current state because the act is not grounds for discipline in the current state; Removing the 3-year limitation and nonrenewal provision for a military spouse's credential and allowing military spouses, gold star military spouses, military dependents, and spouses and dependents of other qualified servicemembers to obtain a renewable 6-year credential while in Colorado; Waiving the application and renewal fee for Colorado credentials issued to military spouses, gold star military spouses, military dependents, and spouses and dependents of other qualified servicemembers; and Expanding eligibility for the program to spouses and dependents of Armed Forces Reserve, Ready Reserve, National Guard members in Colorado, and spouses and dependents of other qualified servicemembers. APPROVED by Governor April 17, 2024 EFFECTIVE September 1, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
To protect public health and the environment, a metropolitan sewage disposal district (district) is required to ensure that wastewater generated by local businesses is properly treated pursuant to the industrial pretreatment program (program) approved by the environmental protection agency. This requires district inspectors to inspect certain properties to investigate actual, suspected, or potential violations of the program. Under current law, the boundaries of a district may exist within multiple municipal and county lines, which makes it challenging for the district to obtain administrative inspection warrants when property owners deny district inspectors entry to a property. The act allows authorized inspectors of a district to enter and inspect, in a reasonable time and manner, any property for the purpose of investigating any violations of the program. If an inspection is denied, the act authorizes a district to obtain a warrant from the district court or county court upon a proper showing of the need for entry and inspection. APPROVED by Governor April 17, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
