The act requires the Colorado work force development council (council), in collaboration with local work force boards, the department of education, superintendents of local school districts, the state board for community colleges and occupational education (community college board), and other postsecondary partners, to design a career pathway for students in the energy sector using an existing statutory model for the design and implementation of career pathways. The act defines "energy sector" to include electromechanical generation and maintenance, electrical energy transmission and distribution, energy efficiency and environmental technology, and renewable energy production.The act creates the strengthening photovoltaic and renewable careers (SPARC) workforce development program (SPARC program) in the department of labor and employment (department). The purpose of the SPARC program is to create capacity for and bolster training, apprenticeship, and education programs in the energy sector career pathway to increase employment in the energy sector, prioritizing in-demand and growing occupations in the energy sector. The department, the council, the community college board, and the department of higher education shall use money appropriated by the general assembly to expand the capacity of training programs and support the energy sector career pathway, as described in the act. The department, in consultation with the council, the community college board, and the department of higher education, shall determine the amount of money allocated to public institutions of higher education, local workforce development areas, and others. The act creates the SPARC program fund.By November 1, 2022, and each November 1 thereafter, the act requires the council to submit an annual report to the house of representatives business affairs and labor committee, energy and environment committee, and education committee, or their successor committees, and to the senate business, labor, and technology committee, transportation and energy committee, and education committee, or their successor committees , concerning the implementation of the SPARC program and the use of funding, and to present a summary of the report at the department's annual presentation to the general assembly. The act repeals the program, effective July 1, 2026.For the 2021-22 state fiscal year, the act appropriates:$90,048 and 1.3 FTE to the department from the SPARC program fund for one-stop workforce center contracts and the Colorado work force development council; and $1,724,590 to the department of higher education from the SPARC program fund for the community college board and state system community colleges.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act addresses concerns related to child care providers (providers) that are operating without a valid license or are exempt from licensure, including:Adding a requirement for the state department of human services (department) to include the names and locations of cease-and-desist orders that have been issued against a child care provider on the department's child care provider website (website) that is accessible to the public; Adding an additional requirement for the department to post on its website the name and location of any provider operating outside the allowed exemptions and to whom one or more cease-and-desist order has been issued. The information posted must include name, location, and total number of cease-and-desist orders issued to the same provider. Establishing that a person operating a facility, whether licensed or exempt from licensure, that has received a cease-and-desist order from the department or a county department and who fails to cure the violation cited by the department or a county department in the allotted period is guilty of a petty offense; Revising and increasing the language related to civil penalties and fines for persons operating a facility, whether licensed or exempt from licensure; and Clarifying that those petty offenses count toward the withholding of Colorado child care assistance program money for family child care home providers. In honor and memory of Elle Matthews, the act names section 26-6-112 of the Colorado Revised Statutes the "Elle Matthews Act for Increased Safety in Child Care".For the 2021-22 state fiscal year, $83,375 is appropriated to the department of human services for use by the office of early childhood. This appropriation is from federal child care development funds. To implement the act, the office may use the appropriation for child care licensing and administration.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires members of a county board of health or a district board of health and members of the state board of health, on and after January 1, 2022, to attend both annual public health training provided by the department of public health and environment and developed by the department of public health and environment along with the Colorado school of public health and annual public health training developed and provided by the department of public health and environment and the director of the office of emergency management concerning the role of a board of health in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from an emergency disaster.The act also requires the department of public health and environment, on and after January 1, 2022, to develop guidance on recruiting persons to serve on county and district boards of health and to provide this guidance to any board of county commissioners, county board of health, or district board of health that requests it.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act directs the state department of health care policy and financing (department) to obtain a vendor to provide a comprehensive care coordination and treatment training model (model) for persons who work with persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and co-occurring behavioral health needs. The selected vendor must be able to provide the model using teleconferencing formats to better reach rural areas of the state. Case management agencies, mental health centers, and program-approved service agencies shall nominate up to 20 providers to receive the training. The department may select an additional 10 providers from underserved areas of the state to receive the training.For the 2021-22 state fiscal year, $67,680 is appropriated to the department of health care policy and financing for use by the executive director's office. This appropriation is from the general fund. The office may use this appropriation for general professional services and special projects to implement the provisions of the bill.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act directs the state treasurer to make an immediate, one-time transfer of $3 million from the general fund to the agriculture value-added cash fund to augment the department of agriculture's ongoing advancing Colorado's renewable energy and energy efficiency (ACRE 3 ) program. At least $150,000 of this money must be allocated to research, guidance, technical assistance, feasibility studies, and projects related to agrivoltaics. "Agrivoltaics" is defined as solar energy generation facilities located on land that is also used for agricultural production.The act appropriates the $3 million from the agriculture value-added cash fund to the department of agriculture for use by the commissioner's office to make grants to implement the ACRE 3 program.The act also appropriates $2 million from the general fund to the department of agriculture for use by the conservation services division for the purpose of administering voluntary soil health programs. Of this amount, the department is directed to expend at least $1 million in grants to conservation districts, and all of the money appropriated to the conservation services division must be expended by December 31, 2022.The act requires the department of agriculture to periodically report on its expenditures to the office of state planning and budgeting and the general assembly.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act appropriates $5 million to the department of local affairs (department) to use for the rural economic development initiative (REDI) grant program, and permits the department to use up to 3.75% of the appropriation for any direct and indirect administrative expenses related to the grants awarded from the appropriation.If the department determines that a rural community needs resources or assistance because it has been impacted by a significant economic event or an anticipated event that has been announced, the department may use all or a portion of the money appropriated for the REDI grant program for the purposes of the "Rural Economic Advancement of Colorado Towns (REACT) Act". The act repeals the sunset of the REACT Act.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act transfers $30 million from the general fund to the Colorado water conservation board construction fund and appropriates the money for use by the Colorado water conservation board (CWCB) to protect watersheds against the impacts of wildfires through the existing watershed restoration grant program and for conducting a statewide watershed analysis to investigate the susceptibility of life, safety, infrastructure, and water supplies to wildfire impacts. The CWCB can use up to 5% of the money to administer the grant program and up to 10% to provide technical engineering services to grantees. The CWCB is directed to:Spend up to $500,000 by December 31, 2022, to conduct the analysis; and Award at least $10 million dollars in grants under the grant program by July 1, 2022, and award the remaining money, less the money the CWCB uses to administer the grant program and provide technical engineering services, in grants by December 31, 2022.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act allows the forest service to issue forest restoration and wildfire risk mitigation grants for projects on federal lands, so long as the project maintains continuity across a landscape including federal lands and the area of federal lands does not exceed the combined area of the nonfederal lands involved in the project.The act increases the amount that the forest service may use for the direct and indirect costs in administering the forest restoration and wildfire risk mitigation grant program from 3% to 7% of any amounts appropriated in any fiscal year.The act allows for the technical advisory panel that evaluates the proposals for forest restoration and wildfire risk mitigation grants to scale up and down in size.The act expands the allowable uses of the forest restoration and wildfire risk mitigation grant program by allowing the grant program to fund capacity-building efforts to provide local governments, community groups, and collaborative forestry groups with the resources and staffing necessary to plan and implement forest restoration and wildfire risk mitigation projects, including community and partner outreach and engagement, identifying priority project areas, prescription planning, and acquiring community equipment for use by landowners.The act allows for the forest service to hire nontemporary additional field capacity to support the implementation and monitoring of fuels mitigation grant awards and wildfire risk mitigation program grant awards and to hire full-time, nontemporary staff for developing, revising, and implementing community wildfire protection plans and collaborative landscape level prioritization plans; developing and implementing risk mitigation and watershed restoration plans; strengthening the responsible use of prescribed fire; and supporting economically beneficial uses of woody biomass.The act also creates 2 funds. First, the act creates the wildfire mitigation capacity development fund. Money from the wildfire mitigation capacity development fund is continuously appropriated to the department of natural resources to support a number of wildfire related areas administered by the department. Second, the act creates the hazard mitigation fund to assist local jurisdictions in obtaining the matching funds required for certain federal hazard mitigation grants.Finally, the act requires the following immediate transfers:$5 million from the general fund to the healthy forests and vibrant communities fund; $2.5 million from the general fund to the wildfire risk mitigation revolving fund for loans issued by the wildfire risk mitigation loan program; $17.5 million from the general fund to the wildfire mitigation capacity development fund; $3 million from the wildfire preparedness fund to the hazard mitigation fund; and $600,000 from the wildfire preparedness fund and $1.2 million from the Colorado firefighting air corps fund to the wildfire emergency response fund for both the 2020-2021 fiscal year and the 2021-2022 fiscal year.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates the rural jump-start zone grant program (grant program) and authorizes the Colorado economic development commission (commission) to issue grants, subject to available appropriations, as follows:Up to $20,000 to new businesses to establish operations; Up to $40,000 to new businesses to establish operations in a tier one transition community; Up to $2,500 to new businesses for each new hire; and Up to $5,000 to new businesses for each new hire who is hired for operations established in a tier one transition community. The act also authorizes the commission to issue grants, at its discretion and subject to available appropriations, not to exceed $30,000 per applicant, to a state institution of higher education or an economic development organization that collaborates with a new business in order to support the new business in meeting the requirements for the business under the grant program.The act creates the rural jump-start zone grant fund account in the Colorado economic development fund, which consists of any money appropriated to the fund by the general assembly, and may be used:By the commission to issue grants; and For the direct and indirect costs that the Colorado office of economic development incurs, not to exceed a specified amount, to administer the grant program.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates the agriculture and drought resiliency fund (fund), directs the state treasurer to transfer $3 million from the general fund to the fund, and appropriates the money from the fund to the department of agriculture (department). The department will use the fund to anticipate, prepare for, mitigate, adapt to, or respond to any event, trend, or climatological disturbance related to drought or climate. The department will distribute $15,000 from the fund to each conservation district by July 1, 2021. The fund is repealed, effective September 1, 2022.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates the Colorado meeting and events incentive program (program) in the Colorado tourism office (office) to provide rebates and direct support to eligible events in Colorado to assist in the state's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.An eligible event means an event, including a meeting, conference, or festival, that:Takes place in Colorado between July 1, 2021, and December 31, 2022; Can demonstrate a significant economic benefit for the host community as determined by the office; Generates at least 25 paid overnight stays in a motel, hotel, vacation rental, or other lodging establishment; and Meets any additional criteria established by the office. The program may offer rebates of up to 10% of the hard costs of an eligible event. A hard cost means an actual incurred cost associated with hosting the event, as determined by the office in consultation with industry stakeholders. The program may also offer rebates of up to 25% for COVID-19-related costs, which are hard costs that are directly related to complying with public health orders or other mandates issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as determined by the office in consultation with industry stakeholders. The primary organizer or booking agent, as determined pursuant to guidelines developed by the office, may apply for and receive the rebate for an eligible event.The program may provide direct support to attract eligible events that have the potential to generate significant economic impact and affect multiple counties. The costs of all such direct support cannot exceed 5% of the total appropriation for the program.The office is required to create guidelines for the program. In doing so, the office must consider mechanisms to:Make rebates and direct support available equitably and proportionally across the state; Prioritize events with significant economic impacts; and Retain existing events with a demonstrated risk of cancellation, delay, or relocation in addition to attracting new events to the state. The act appropriates $10 million to the office for the program. The program is repealed, effective January 1, 2024.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires the state treasurer to transfer $1,500,000 from the general fund to the family and medical leave insurance fund for the purpose of defraying expenses incurred by the division of family and medical leave insurance (division) before the division receives premium revenue or revenue bond proceeds. The transfer is a loan from the state treasurer to the division that is required to be repaid and is not a grant for purposes of the state constitution or any other state law.The division is required to repay the loan and accumulated interest by December 31, 2023.Of the $1,500,000 transferred pursuant to the act:$1,162,202 is available for use by the division for program costs, including an additional 6.0 FTE; $231,920 is reappropriated to the office of the governor for use by the office of information technology to provide information technology services for the department of labor and employment; and $105,878 is reappropriated to the department of law to provide legal services for the department of labor and employment.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
