The act clarifies the authorized distributions from the local government limited gaming impact fund by:Specifying that "documented gaming impacts" should be for negative impacts and defining that phrase; Requiring grant awards to be prioritized for: Eligible local governmental entities that have lower property values compared to all eligible local governmental entities; or prioritized for eligible local governmental entities located in counties with lower property values compared to the property values of all counties that are eligible local governmental entities. If an eligible local governmental entity has a jurisdictional boundary that includes more than one county, then the prioritization for that eligible local governmental entity is established based on the county in which the eligible local governmental entity's administrative offices are located; and Based on a methodological approach that incorporates a weighted decision matrix which includes community and impact scoring; Defining "property values" as the sum of the actual value of all property, including the actual value of all tax-exempt property, as of December 31 of the prior year; Requiring documented negative gaming impacts to be explicitly identifiable; Defining "negative impacts"; and Allowing grants from the gambling addiction account to be used to provide gambling addiction treatment training to staff at nonprofit community mental health centers or clinics; this is in addition to the current authorized use for gambling addiction counseling services to Colorado residents.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law does not expressly recognize domestic abuse as a form of child abuse or neglect. The act establishes a domestic abuse task force (task force) that will develop a statutory definition for the Colorado Children's Code to define "domestic abuse". The statutory definition should recognize the impact domestic abuse may have on the emotional and developmental well-being of a child. The task force shall review recommendations from the department of human services' domestic violence program and child welfare workgroup (workgroup) to develop the statutory definition. The act requires the department of human services (department) to report the recommended definition to committees of the general assembly no later than December 2022.Under current law, child welfare caseworkers do not have established training policies or assessment procedures to identify and assess situations when a child's parent, legal guardian, or custodian exposes a child to their perpetration of domestic abuse. The act requires the department to promulgate rules based on recommendations from the workgroup to create, implement, and update assessment policies, procedures, and training standards for child welfare caseworkers to recognize, respond to, and assess child abuse or neglect related to domestic abuse while appropriately considering the role of the non-abusive caregiver, the abusive parent, and cultural considerations.For the 2021-22 state fiscal year, $22,500 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of human services for use by the division of child welfare for administration.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Under current law, a juvenile convicted as an adult following the direct filing of charges in district court is not subject to the mandatory minimum sentencing provisions for crimes of violence. However, a juvenile convicted as an adult following the transfer of charges from juvenile court to district court is subject to the mandatory minimum sentencing for crimes of violence. The act adds language to the juvenile transfer statute to mirror the language currently found in the juvenile direct file statutes, so a juvenile transferred to adult court is subject to the same sentencing provisions as a juvenile who is in adult court based on a direct file.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires the governor to make reasonable efforts to appoint members of diverse groups to statewide boards, commissions, committees, and task forces authorized by the general assembly.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act amends provisions related to the operation of the regional transportation district (district), including:Amending a cap on the amount of all vehicular service the district can allow to be provided by third parties under competitive contracts to be measured by platform time or its equivalent; Expanding the types of entities the district can contract with to include nonprofit organizations and local government; Repealing farebox recovery ratio requirements and requiring the district to include in its annual financial reports information on annual operating costs, ridership numbers, and operating costs divided by ridership as a measure of the cost efficiency of its services; Repealing a limitation on developments that would reduce parking at a facility or result in a competitive disadvantage to private businesses near the facility; and Repealing limitations on the district's authority to charge fees and manage parking at district parking facilities.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act repeals a requirement that the state auditor conduct audits of the portion of the limited gaming fund that is transferred to the state historical fund for the preservation and restoration of the cities of Central, Black Hawk, and Cripple Creek.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The requirements of the "Construction Bidding for Public Projects Act" (CBPPA) generally apply to a public project if the cost of the project is reasonably expected to exceed $500,000 for any fiscal year; except that a public project supervised by the department of transportation (CDOT) is subject to the requirements of the CBPPA if the cost of the project is reasonably expected to exceed $150,000 for any fiscal year. The act:Increases the lower cost amount for CDOT projects to $250,000, which means that the requirements of the CBPPA, including the requirement that CDOT prepare a bid estimate when it proposes to undertake a project itself rather than awarding the project to a contractor through competitive bidding, will apply to a CDOT project only if the cost of the project is reasonably expected to exceed $250,000 for any fiscal year; Increases from $50,000 to $150,000 the maximum cost for a CDOT project that is exempt from transportation commission approval; and Requires CDOT to annually identify in a report to the transportation commission and the transportation legislation review committee of the general assembly all highway maintenance projects for the reporting year costing more than $150,000 but not more than $250,000 that: CDOT is completing using CDOT employees; CDOT awarded by invitation for bids or competitive sealed best value bidding; or For which CDOT solicited but did not receive bids. The act also limits the existing requirement that CDOT pay all employees performing work on any public project local prevailing wages in accordance with specified federal acts to projects that cost more than $250,000 and requires all electrical work on a CDOT public project to be performed by licensed electricians or registered apprentices properly supervised by electricians.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law allows renewal of a driver's license by mail only every other renewal period. The act eliminates this restriction and allows renewal by mail only if the photo of the person that is on file with the department of revenue (department) is at least as recent as required by federal law.Under current law, to renew a driver's license by mail, a person who is under 66 years of age must attest under penalty of law that the person has had an eye examination within the preceding 3 years. A person who is 66 years of age or older must obtain a signed statement from an optometrist or ophthalmologist attesting that the person has had an eye examination within the last 6 months and attesting to the results of the examination. For both of these requirements, the act changes the threshold from 66 to 80 years of age. The act also requires a person who is under 80 years of age and renewing by mail to attest that the person has had an eye examination within one year before the renewal.Current law allows electronic renewal of a driver's license only for drivers who are 21 to 65 years of age and only for 2 consecutive driver's license renewal periods. The act eliminates the upper age limit for electronic renewal and the renewal period restriction and allows a person to renew a driver's license electronically only if the photo of the person that is on file with the department is at least as recent as required by federal law.Current law requires a person renewing a driver's license electronically to attest under penalty of law that the person has had an eye examination within the preceding 3 years. The act requires a person who is under 80 years of age and renewing electronically to attest that the person has had an eye examination within one year before the renewal. A person who is 80 years of age or older and renewing electronically must obtain a signed statement from an optometrist or ophthalmologist attesting that the person has had an eye examination within the preceding 6 months and attesting to the results of the examination.Current law allows an applicant to renew an identification card electronically if the applicant is 21 to 64 years of age. The act allows applicants who are 65 years of age or older to renew an identification card electronically.Under current law, the department may not issue a driver's license to a person under 18 years of age unless the person has submitted a log or other written evidence certifying that the person has completed a minimum amount of actual driving experience, and the form must be signed by the person who signed an affidavit of liability for the person. The act allows this form to be signed by the person's parent or guardian or by a responsible adult.The act requires the department, on or before June 1, 2022, and on or before June 1 each of the next two years thereafter, to provide to the general assembly a report concerning motor vehicle accidents in Colorado, which report includes data, organized by the age of each at-fault driver, concerning the cause of each such accident, including data related to driver actions and the most apparent human contributing factor of each accident.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act continues the "Athletic Trainer Practice Act" (practice act) and the licensing of athletic trainers by the director of the division of professions and occupations in the department of regulatory agencies for 10 years, until 2031. The act also makes the following substantive changes to the practice act:Allows athletic trainers to practice only under the supervision of a licensed physician or physician assistant; Broadens the range of available disciplinary measures to include letters of admonition, confidential letters of concern, and probationary periods; Imposes a 2-year waiting period before an athletic trainer whose license has been revoked or who has surrendered a license in lieu of disciplinary proceedings may reapply for a license; and Updates the grounds for discipline based on alcohol or drug use to conform to current standards and terminology.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act enacts part 5 of the Uniform Trust Code, including a number of Colorado-specific amendments. The act addresses the validity of spendthrift provisions and the rights of creditors, both of the settlor and beneficiaries, to reach a trust to collect a debt. The act provides certain exceptions that allow children for whom an order or judgment for child support has been entered to reach a trust in order to satisfy the child support order or judgment.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires that, prior to initiating a review or audit of a medicaid provider's records, the reviewer or auditor, or a qualified agent contracted with the department of health care policy and financing (state department) shall confirm the provider's contact information with the provider. After confirming the provider's contact information, the reviewer or auditor, or qualified agent, shall notify the provider of additional information concerning the review or audit.Current law requires the reviewer or auditor, prior to initiating the review or audit, to deliver to the provider not less than 10 business days prior to the commencement of the audit a written request describing in detail such records and offering the provider the option of providing either a reproduction of such records or inspection at the provider's site. The act requires the written request to be provided through both e-mail and certified mail.The act requires the state department to ensure providers understand the relationship between the state department and the qualified agent and how to contact the qualified agent prior to a qualified agent commencing any review or audit.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires each animal shelter and pet animal rescue to:Provide each dog and cat held in its custody with timely veterinary care to address and prevent unnecessary or unjustifiable pain and suffering; and Address the behavioral needs of each dog and cat held in its custody to ensure that the dog or cat is not housed or kept in a manner that fosters stereotypic or self-mutilating behavior. The act also makes it unlawful for a person to import or cause to be imported any dog or cat for the purpose of sale by a pet animal facility, unless the dog or cat has a certificate of veterinary health and, if the dog or cat is over 6 months old, proof of a rabies vaccination.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
