The 2020 general appropriation act is amended to balance and make adjustments to the total amount appropriated to the department of the treasury. The general fund and cash funds portions of the appropriation are increased.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act repeals the central collection services section (CSS) in the division of finance procurement in the department of personnel, which section was the centralized collection agency for state debts of many state agencies. Thereafter, all state agencies will be responsible for collecting their own debts. The act modifies the collection of state debts by:Repealing CSS and specifying that each state agency is responsible for collecting debts owed to it; Shifting rule-making responsibility related to debt collection from the executive director of the department of personnel to the state controller (controller); Permitting a state agency to certify a debt to the department of revenue, so that the department may deduct the debt from a state tax refund or lottery winnings; Permitting a state agency to certify a debt to the registry operator under the "Gaming Payment Intercept Act", so that the registry operator may deduct the debt from limited gaming winnings; Permitting a state agency to refer a debt to a private counsel or private collection agency; Requiring the controller to include in the fiscal rules requirements for a state agency to refer a debt to private counsel or a private collection agency or to certify a debt to the department of revenue; Eliminating the ability of the state to collect a debt on behalf of a political subdivision; Repealing the requirement that there be written notice and an opportunity for a hearing prior to a tax refund offset being implemented; Eliminating the controller and state treasurer's authority to write off a debt due to the state, so that they only have authority to release or compromise such a debt; Transferring the balance in the debt collection fund to the general fund and then repealing the fund; Authorizing the controller to determine the priority of debts for which amounts will be withheld from disbursements, instead of requiring a pro rata distribution, which cannot be done with decentralized debt collection; Repealing the vendor offset implementation fund, which currently has no balance; Repealing the requirement that the controller establish performance policies and standards for measuring a state agency's debt collection; Repealing the controller's debt collection fee; Requiring the controller, without consultation of others, to select the private counsel or private collection agencies, instead of the executive director of the department of personnel with consultation of others; Eliminating specification for applying a court-ordered award that is insufficient to cover a state debt, so that such disposition is left to the court order; Repealing a written notice to debtors that specifies the amount of the debt, including the itemization of any fees, and the name of the creditor to whom the debt is owed; and Repealing the authority for the department of personnel to enter into a reciprocal agreement with the United States government or another state to offset debts and allowing the department of revenue to enter into such reciprocal agreements.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The 2020 general appropriation act is amended to balance and make adjustments to the total amount appropriated to the department of state. The general fund portion of the appropriation is increased.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The 2020 general appropriation act is amended to balance and make adjustments to the total amount appropriated to the offices of the governor, lieutenant governor, and state planning and budgeting. The general fund and reappropriated funds portions of the appropriation are increased and the cash funds portion is decreased.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The 2020 general appropriation act is amended to balance and make adjustments to the total amount appropriated to the department of personnel. The general fund portion of the appropriation is increased and the cash funds and reapproprated funds portions are decreased.The 2019 general appropriation act is amended to balance and make adjustments to the total amount appropriated to the department of personnel. The general fund portion of the appropriation is increased.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
$30 million is transferred from the general fund to the state highway fund to provide additional funding for the department of transportation's revitalizing main streets and safer main streets programs.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act suspends the administration of state assessments, contingent on receiving a waiver of federal law from the federal department of education, for the following instructional areas and grade levels for the 2020-21 school year:Science for students enrolled in grades 5, 8, and 11; Math for students enrolled in grades 3, 5, and 7; and English language arts for students enrolled in grades 4, 6, and 8. For the 2020-21 school year, the act suspends administration of the social studies assessment for students enrolled in elementary and middle school.The act allows the parent of a student enrolled in a grade for which administration of the English language arts or math assessment is suspended to request through the local education provider in which the student is enrolled that the student participate in the English language arts assessment or the math assessment.The act prohibits a school district from using student academic growth measures or student performance measures when evaluating licensed personnel for the 2020-21 school year.The act requires a school or school district or the state charter school institute to implement the performance plan type that was assigned in the preceding school year. The act also requires the department of education (department), in determining the number of school years that a school or school district or the institute is on performance watch or subject to 2-year review, to exclude the plan types for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years and count the plan type for the 2022-23 school year as if it were consecutive to the 2019-20 school year.If required to implement a priority improvement or turnaround plan during the 2020-21 school year on the basis of its plan type for the 2019-20 school year, the act allows a school or school district or the institute to request a plan type for the 2021-22 school year that reflects its level of attainment based on an alternative body of evidence.For the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years, the act suspends the requirement that the department determine annually the level of attainment for public schools, school districts, the institute, and institute charter schools based on performance indicators.The act reduces the appropriation to the department for the 2020-21 fiscal year.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The actual funded pupil count and the actual at-risk pupil count for the 2020-21 budget year were lower than anticipated when the appropriation amount was established during the 2020 legislative session, resulting in a decrease in total program funding for the 2020-21 budget year. In addition, local property tax revenue and specific ownership tax revenue were less than anticipated, resulting in a decrease in the local share of total program funding.The act declares the general assembly's intent to maintain total program funding at the dollar amount of the original appropriation made during the 2020 legislative session, thereby reducing the budget stabilization factor.The act appropriates additional funding for the 2020-21 budget year for districts that experienced a percentage decrease in total program funding from that estimated during the 2020 legislative session that was greater than the district's percentage decrease in funded pupil count from that estimated during the 2020 legislative session. In addition, the act includes additional funding for districts that have an overall reduction in total program funding that is more than 2% below the districts' estimated total program funding during the 2020 legislative session.Charter schools in districts that qualify for additional funding receive a per-pupil share of the additional funding. If an institute charter school experiences a reduction in total program funding from that estimated during the 2020 legislative session and is in an accounting district that receives additional funding, the institute charter school receives a per-pupil amount of additional funding.Additionally, the act includes an appropriation for rural school funding pursuant to section 22-54-142.For the 2020-21 state fiscal year, the act appropriates to the department of education:$14,710,777 and $4,578,464 from the general fund for additional state funding for school districts and district charter schools; $569,849 from the general fund for additional state funding for institute charter school; and $25,000,000 from the rural schools cash fund for rural school funding.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
For the 2020-21 and 2021-22 state fiscal years only, the act allows the Auraria board to make payments on certain existing bonds for auxiliary facilities from other sources, including money contributed by constituent institutions and from money appropriated to the board by the general assembly.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The 2020 general appropriation act is amended to balance and make adjustments to the total amount appropriated for capital construction projects. The capital construction fund and cash funds portions of the appropriation are increased.The 2019 general appropriation act is amended to reflect the correct the name of the capitol annex repair and renovation project, under the department of personnel.The 2016 general appropriation act is amended to balance and make adjustments to the total amount appropriated for capital construction projects under the department of higher education. The cash funds portion of the appropriation is decreased.The 2011 general appropriation act is amended to extend the total amount appropriated for superfund sites cleanup under the department of public health and environment to June 30, 2021.The capital construction appropriation in House Bill 18-1006, concerning modifications to the newborn screening program administered by the department of public health and environment is amended to increase the amount appropriated for use by the laboratory services division.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act moves the COVID-19 relief program for minority-owned businesses from the minority business office to the Colorado office of economic development and expands the scope of the program to allow relief payments, grants, loans, and technical assistance and consulting support to small businesses disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.Additionally, the act extends the deadlines for allocating and distributing relief payments under the small business relief program.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act enacts the "Colorado Uniform Electronic Wills Act", which declares that an electronic will is a will for all purposes of Colorado law. The act specifies the requirements for:Executing and revoking an electronic will; Simultaneously executing, attesting, and making an electronic will; and Certifying a paper copy of an electronic will.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
