The act: Repeals an income tax deduction for money earned on Colorado investment deposits issued by a qualified financial institution because the definition of "Colorado investment deposits" relies on the "Colorado Investment Deposit Act", which was repealed in 2004, so it is unlikely that there have been any new certificates of deposit issued since 2004; and there are also no known eligible certificates of deposit that still exist and thus there would be no allowable amount of interest earnings to subtract. Repeals 2 income tax deductions meant to correct for the difference between the standard deduction amounts for federal income tax filings that used to be called the "marriage penalty" approximately 15 years ago. The "marriage penalty" was addressed by Congress in 2003, so the deductions are no longer necessary. Repeals an income tax credit for estate taxes paid on the transfer of agricultural land. The Colorado estate tax is effectively zero because it is based on a federal credit in the provisions of the federal estate tax. The federal provision for the credit is not allowed for estates of decedents who passed away after December 31, 2004. Because the federal credit has not been extended, there is no state estate tax, and thus the income tax credit is not useable. Addresses some circular cross references within the statutory section. Corrects an issue in statute that erroneously requires nonresident beneficiaries to prepay income tax twice, once through estimated payments and again through tax withheld by the fiduciary.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act authorizes the department of higher education to collect the data necessary to calculate return on investment metrics for certain higher education institutions not currently covered in the department's annual return on investment report. The department may include the information collected in its annual return on investment report. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act: Declares that the jurisdiction of the Colorado public utilities commission (commission) does and traditionally has always been understood to extend to the determination of just and reasonable rates by all public utilities; Explicitly states that the terms and conditions imposed by one cooperative electric association on another regarding the installation, interconnection, and use of energy storage systems must be just and reasonable; and Declares that if a retail cooperative electric association withdraws from membership in a wholesale electric cooperative, the withdrawal is a matter of statewide concern for which the commission has authority to adjudicate complaints regarding such withdrawal. In relation to a retail cooperative electric association's withdrawal from membership, the wholesale electric cooperative must act in good faith and fair dealing, cannot impose unreasonable contractual terms in relation to the withdrawal, and must facilitate maintaining the retail cooperative electric association's native electric load priority for accessing firm transmission capacity.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Under current law, the fuel tax exemption for nonprofit transit agencies exempts nonprofit transit agencies from the fuel excise tax on liquefied petroleum gas and natural gas used in vehicles for transit purposes. The act repeals this tax exemption. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires the department of transportation to study relevant and appropriate state highways in rural areas of the state for the purpose of identifying portions of rural state highways where the speed limit can be raised without endangering public safety. On or before March 1, 2021, the department shall complete its study. The department shall include a summary of the study in the department's next annual report to the legislative committees of reference. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law authorizes the formation of marijuana financial services cooperatives under the regulation of the state commissioner of financial services. The act implements the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies' sunset review of marijuana financial services cooperatives by repealing the authorizing law. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
For the local school food purchasing program, the act: Makes technical changes to when a local education provider may apply to the program and when the department of education (department) selects providers; Requires the department to ensure geographic and district pupil size diversity among providers; Changes the limit for the number of lunches that all local education providers provided in the prior year to 10 million; Changes the reimbursement formula to $0.05 for every meal that the local education provider provided in the previous year; and Specifies that if the department does not spend the full appropriation for the program, up to 5% of the appropriation is available to the department in the following year to pay for the required evaluation and report.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act: Addresses an inconsistency in statute regarding section 39-21-113 (4), which prohibits the disclosure by the executive director of the department of revenue and his or her agents, clerks, and employees of information obtained during the course of investigations conducted by the department or disclosed in any document, report, or return filed in connection with the collection and payment of tax; various provisions of the section allow for exceptions to the prohibition, but not all of them are listed together and therefore the bill updates the section to reflect all the exceptions to the prohibition; Adds some missed mandatory electronic filing and payment requirements that didn't make it into the correct section of House Bill 19-1256, concerning electronic filing of certain taxes, which broadly authorized the department of revenue to promulgate rules requiring mandatory electronic filing and payment; and Fixes a conflict with regard to the tax threshold above which a taxpayer must remit estimated payments between 2 statutes that jointly impose payment requirements for severance tax on corporations.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act clarifies that a registered prescription drug outlet and an other outlet may make a casual sale of a drug in the manufacturer's sealed container to another registered outlet and to a practitioner authorized to prescribe the drug. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law allows a board of county commissioners to transfer money from the county general fund to the county road and bridge fund if the governor declares a disaster emergency in the applicable county. The transfers are allowed for 8 years following the date of the governor's declaration of a disaster in the county. The act clarifies that the 8 years begins the day after the date of the governor's final declaration of an emergency for the disaster, including all extensions to the declaration. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
For renewal of an educator license, the act requires teachers, special services providers, principals, and administrators to complete 10 clock hours of the professional development required during the term of the license relating to increasing awareness of laws and practices relating to the education of students with disabilities in the classroom, including educating students with behavioral concerns or behavioral disabilities. The laws and practices include but are not limited to child find and inclusive learning environments. A licensee who has less than 3 years left in the license renewal period on June 30, 2020, has until the end of the next license renewal period to complete the professional development content requirement and may use classes and activities completed during a 5-year look-back period to comply with the content requirement. Nothing in the act prevents the licensee from applying a single professional development course to one or more content or hour requirements established in law. The act also requires each educator preparation program, alternative teacher program, and alternative principal preparation program to include course work that provides educator candidates or alternative teachers or principals with an overview of federal laws relating to the education of students with disabilities, individualized education programs, and child find and that teaches educators effective special education classroom practices, including but not limited to inclusive learning environments. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Under current law, it is unlawful for a person to make available on the internet personal information of a law enforcement official (official) or child abuse or neglect caseworker (caseworker), or the official's or caseworker's family if the dissemination of the personal information poses an imminent and serious threat to the official's or caseworker's safety or the safety of his or her family. The act replaces the definition of "caseworker" in statute with a new definition of "human services worker" to include state and county employees, including county attorneys and contractors who are engaged in duties relating to the following matters and who have contact with the public regarding these duties: Investigating allegations of child abuse or neglect pursuant to article 3 of title 19; Investigating allegations of mistreatment of an at-risk adult pursuant to article 3.1 of title 26; Establishing, modifying, and enforcing child support orders pursuant to article 13 of title 26; and Determining eligibility for or investigating fraud in public programs established in article 2 of title 26. "Human services worker" also includes employees of juvenile detention facilities who have contact with juveniles. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
