The act restructures the board of commissioners of the Colorado state fair authority. Under current law, the appointed members of the board include 2 residents of the county in which the Colorado state fair and industrial exposition is held, one resident of each of the 7 congressional districts, and one person from the state at large. Under the act, the board includes 2 residents of the county in which the Colorado state fair and industrial exposition is held, 2 members from the state at large, and 2 residents from each of the 4 agricultural districts of the state. The governor is required to appoint the 2 members from the state at large on October 31, 2022. The members of the board appointed before the effective date of the act to represent congressional districts may continue to hold office until the expiration of their terms, at which point the governor is required to appoint a new member in accordance with the requirements of the act. Members are appointed for terms of 4 years; except that terms are staggered so that no more than 3 members' terms expire in the same year. Of the 12 appointed members, at least 3 members must be affiliated with each of the major political parties for at least one year prior to appointment, and at least 3 members must be unaffiliated for at least one year prior to appointment. In addition, 4 members must be involved in the agricultural industry. The governor is required to attempt to ensure that the board represents the geographical diversity of the state. If a person appointed on a temporary basis while the general assembly is not in session is not confirmed by the senate during the next regular session, the person's term ends and the person is not eligible for reappointment as a temporary appointee during the next legislative interim. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act adds child representatives, code enforcement officers, health-care workers, an officer or agent of the state bureau of animal protection, an animal control officer, and office of the respondent parents' counsel staff members and contractors to the list of protected persons whose personal information may be withheld from the internet if the protected person believes dissemination of such information poses an imminent and serious threat to the protected person or the safety of the protected person's immediate family. The act adds a protected person's full name and home address to the list of personal information that the protected person's written request for removal must include. The act authorizes access to records maintained by a county recorder, county assessor, or county treasurer for certain individuals if such access is related to a real estate matter. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act authorizes the state review panel to recommend that a district public school be converted to a community school if the district public school fails to make substantial progress under its turnaround plan. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Beginning January 1, 2023, the act increases the salary of full-time newly elected or reelected category II county coroners to match the salary of category II county treasurers, assessors, clerks, and commissioners. The act allows the board of county commissioners to decline the full-time status of a category II county coroner for cause, but only after the coroner is given notice and an opportunity to be heard by the board of county commissioners in a public hearing. The act allows category III and category IV county coroners to work full-time if full-time work is agreed upon in consultation with and approved by the county commissioners. For a category III or category IV county that has a full-time county coroner only, the act increases the salary of a newly elected or reelected county coroner to match the salary of the county treasurer, assessor, clerk, and commissioner. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act excludes a special district director (director) who begins service as a director on or after July 1, 2022, from becoming eligible for membership in the public employees' retirement association (PERA) due to the director's service as a director. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act aligns the medicaid and children's basic health plan income eligibility requirements for pregnant women and children with federal law. Current law requires money in the healthcare affordability and sustainability fee cash fund (fund) to be used to expand eligibility for medicaid by increasing the income eligibility level for children and pregnant women under the children's basic health plan to up to 250% of the federal poverty line. The act increases the eligibility level to up to 260%. Under current law, if the money in the fund is insufficient to fully fund all the purposes of the fund, the medical services board (state board) may reduce the percentage of the federal poverty level. The act authorizes the state board to reduce the percentage of the federal poverty level to below 260%, but not below 250%. The act increases the medicaid income eligibility level for pregnant women from 185% of the federal poverty level to 195% of the federal poverty level, adjusted for family size. The act increases the income eligibility level under the children's basic health plan for children and pregnant women from 250% of the federal poverty level to 260% of the federal poverty level.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act updates the "Older Coloradans' Act" (act). The purpose of the act is to support older Coloradans through community planning, social services, health and well-being services, and strategies to prepare the state's infrastructure for an increasing older population of Coloradans. The act updates include: Reorganizing the commission on aging (commission) and increasing membership from 17 to 19 in order to coordinate and implement the strategic action plan on aging (plan) and to make recommendations; Appointing a state department of human services (state department) liaison to act as the primary contact for the commission in order to coordinate commission-related duties with the state department and other state agencies; Convening a technical advisory committee (committee) comprised of key state agency representatives to direct the implementation of the plan and the commission's recommendations; and Creating the lifelong Colorado initiative within the state department's state office on aging to coordinate strategies and implementation of the plan and the commission's recommendations with the commission, committee, and key state agencies.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law requires an injured employee or someone else with knowledge of the injury to notify the employer within 4 days after the occurrence of an on-the-job injury, authorizes a reduction in compensation to the injured employee for failure to timely notify the employer, and tolls the 4-day period if the employer has failed to post a notice specifying the injured employee's notification deadline. The act changes the 4-day notice period to a 10-day notice period and prohibits a loss of compensation if the employer had actual notice of the injury or good cause is shown for the employee's failure to timely report the injury. If an employer fails to provide a copy of the notice of the injury to the employee or fails to post the required notice to employees, the act specifies that the time period allotted to the employee to notify the employer of an injury is tolled for the duration of the failure. The act also changes the notice that an employer is required to post in the workplace to require that the notice state the name of the insurer and that the: Employer is required to have and pay for workers' compensation insurance; Injured employee has rights under the law if the employer fails to carry workers' compensation insurance; Employee should notify employer if injured; Injury must be reported to the employer; and Employee may file a workers' compensation claim. With regard to occupational diseases, the act also: Limits the ability of the director of the division of workers compensation to reduce compensation to an employee to circumstances where the employer does not have actual knowledge of the contraction of a disease or there is not good cause shown to provide timely notice of the disease; and Repeals the provision that states that an employer is deemed to waive a failure to give notice of an occupational disease or death resulting from the disease unless the employer objects at a hearing on the claim prior to any award or decision.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Under current law, a marijuana transporter license cannot be transferred with a change of ownership. The act removes this prohibition. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law provides an excise tax exemption for up to one gallon, or 4 liters, of alcohol beverages brought by air passengers into the state from a foreign country. The act expands the exemption to all individuals entering the state from another state or a foreign country and allows alcohol beverages to be brought into the state, for personal use and not for sale, up to the following amounts: 2.25 gallons of malt liquor and hard cider; 9 liters of vinous liquor; and 6 liters of spirituous liquor.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act allows a board of county commissioners, which appoints directors to a board of directors for a cemetery district, to remove any director from such a board for cause after giving the director notice and an opportunity to be heard at a public hearing. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act states that in a class action under the "Colorado Consumer Protection Act", a successful plaintiff may recover actual damages, injunctive relief allowed by law, and reasonable attorney fees and costs. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
