Sunset Process - Senate State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee. The bill repeals the repeal of the statutory sections that create the court security cash fund (cash fund), the court security cash fund commission, and duties related to the cash fund.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill: Extends the duration of the 'Skilled Worker Outreach, Recruitment, and Key Training Act', also known as the 'WORK Act', administered by the department of labor and employment (department) through the 2018-19 state fiscal year; Authorizes the department to use an expedited procedure, instead of following the procedures required under the 'Procurement Code', for accepting and reviewing an application for an additional or extended grant from an applicant who previously received a grant under the WORK grant program if specified conditions are met; and Removes the cap on the amount of money appropriated to the WORK fund that may be expended in a given fiscal year.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill clarifies that the 'Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act' (PACFA) does not apply to the boarding or pet handling of 3 or less pet animals. The bill further clarifies that a pet animal care technology platform is not a 'pet animal facility' as defined in PACFA and thus exempts those businesses from the licensing requirements for pet animal care facilities. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Joint Technology Committee. Current law specifies a process by which any department, institution, or agency of the state, including any institution of higher education, may request permission to expend money differently from the authority granted by an appropriation for a capital construction budget item if the project for which the appropriation was made requires a nonmonetary adjustment for its timely continuation and the nonmonetary adjustment is due to unforseen circumstances arising while the general assembly in not in session. This process includes appropriations for capital construction, controlled maintenance, or capital renewal appropriations. Currently, the process does not include information technology capital projects, as they are no longer included in the definition of capital construction. The bill specifies that a department, institution, or agency of the state, including any institution of higher education, may, under the same circumstances specified for capital construction appropriations, use the process to request permission to expend money differently from the authority granted by the appropriation for an information technology capital project.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill creates the state veterinary education loan repayment council (council), which consists of 5 directors appointed by the governor. The council administers the veterinary education loan repayment program (program) by use of funds from the veterinary education loan repayment fund (fund), which program and fund are also created in the bill. Through the program, the council provides veterinary education loan repayments from the fund to eligible veterinarians who: Have graduated from an accredited doctor of veterinary medicine school; Currently live in Colorado or, at some point, have lived in Colorado for at least 3 years; and Agree to practice veterinary medicine for up to 4 years in a rural area of the state that is experiencing a shortage of veterinarians that the council designates for participation in the program. To implement the program, the council enters into a contract with an eligible veterinarian and the rural area of the state in which the veterinarian will practice veterinary medicine. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill creates the family caregiver support fund (fund) in the state treasury. A voluntary contribution designation line for the fund will appear on the state individual income tax return form (form) for the 5 income tax years following the year that the executive director of the department of revenue (department) certifies to the revisor of statutes that: There is a space available on the form; and The fund is next in the queue. Once the fund is placed on the form, the department is directed to determine annually the total amount contributed to the fund and report that amount to the state treasurer and the general assembly. The state treasurer is required to credit that amount to the fund, and the general assembly appropriates from the fund to the department the costs of administering moneys designated for the fund. After that amount is deducted, the moneys remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year are transferred to Easter Seals Colorado, a nonprofit organization. Following the statutory 2-year grace period for new tax check-offs, the fund is required to achieve the minimum contribution amount of $50,000 per year to remain on the form. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Legislative Oversight Committee Concerning the Treatment of Persons with Mental Illness in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Systems. The bill directs the division of housing in the department of local affairs to establish a program to provide vouchers and supportive services to persons with a behavioral or mental health disorder who are being released from the department of corrections (DOC), the division of youth corrections in the department of human services (DYC), or jails. The program is funded by an appropriation from the marijuana tax cash fund and from money unspent by the division of criminal justice (CDPS) for community corrections programs in the previous fiscal year.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Committee on Cost-benefit Analysis of Legalized Marijuana in Colorado. The bill directs the department of education (department): By July 1, 2017, to create and maintain a resource bank, to be known as the 'Jack Splitt Memorial Resource Bank' (resource bank), for public schools to use without charge, that consists of materials and curricula pertaining to marijuana use; and Upon request of a public school, to provide technical assistance in designing age-appropriate curricula on marijuana use. The bill authorizes the department to contract for the maintenance of the resource bank and the development of the curricula and directs the department to solicit input from persons within and outside of the marijuana industry. After the resource bank and curricula are available, school districts, charter schools, and boards of cooperative services are encouraged to report to the department the effectiveness of them and recommendations for changes. The bill authorizes resource bank expenses to be paid from the marijuana tax cash fund. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill creates the reserve academy grant program to provide a one-time grant to a political subdivision of the state that is comprised of multiple participating jurisdictions and that is formed for the purpose of funding a reserve peace officer academy that will train and certify a shared reserve peace officer auxiliary group. The division of homeland security and emergency management (division) will administer the grant program. The division may accept gifts, grants, and donations to use towards the grant program. The division shall consider the following criteria in awarding the grant: Existing access to start-up capital; The capacity to serve communities statewide; and The ability to assist law enforcement agencies in times of need. The bill appropriates $814,834 to the department of public safety from the marijuana tax cash fund to implement the bill. $800,000 is for the grant award and $14,834 is for personal services to administer the grant program. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill requires that if certain licensed securities professionals (qualified individuals), while acting within the scope of their employment, reasonably suspect that an elderly or at-risk person is the subject of financial exploitation, the broker-dealer or investment adviser shall report the suspected financial exploitation to the commissioner of securities (commissioner). The commissioner is required to forward the report to local law enforcement and to the county department of human or social services. The commissioner has access to records to conduct an investigation, but the records are not subject to an open records request. The bill also authorizes the qualified individual to notify any third party designated by or associated with the elderly or at-risk person of any suspected financial exploitation. It also authorizes the broker-dealer or investment adviser to delay disbursement of a transaction that might result in financial exploitation. The bill provides immunity to qualified individuals, broker-dealers, and investment advisers making reports, disclosures, or delaying disbursements under the bill. For qualified individuals who are also required to report mistreatment of an elderly or at-risk person pursuant to the 'Colorado Criminal Code' (code), the bill clarifies that, if the individual makes a report pursuant to the code, the individual does not have to submit a report with the commissioner, and that filing a report with the commissioner does not satisfy the individual's obligation pursuant to the code. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Current law exempts 'agricultural and livestock products' from the levy and collection of property tax and defines 'agriculture', for purposes of applying the exemption, to include silviculture. Current law also exempts 'agricultural equipment which is used on the farm or ranch in the production of agricultural products' from the levy and collection of property tax. The bill repeals the current exemption and instead clarifies that agricultural equipment includes silviculture personal property that is designed, adapted, and used for the planting, growing, maintenance, or harvesting of trees in a raw or unprocessed state. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Interim Study Committee on Communication Between the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) and Medicaid Clients. The bill requires the department of health care policy and financing (department) to engage in an ongoing process to improve medicaid client communications, including client letters and notices, that concern eligibility for or the denial, reduction, suspension, or termination of a benefit. Among other requirements included in the bill, the department shall ensure that client communications are accurate, readable, and understandable, clearly conveying the purpose of the letter or notice and the specific action or actions that the client must take in response to the letter or notice. The bill requires the department to include in certain notices a specific and plain language explanation of the basis for the denial, reduction, suspension, or termination of a benefit; and a description of necessary information or documents that the client has not provided. If sufficient state and federal appropriations are available, on and after July 1, 2018, the department shall make available electronically a client's information concerning household composition, assets, and income sources and amounts, if relevant to the determination for which the client correspondence was issued. The department may test new or significantly revised client communications against the requirements included in the bill with a representative sample of medicaid clients, advocacy organizations, and counties prior to implementing the client communications. The department shall also develop a process to consider feedback from stakeholders and counties prior to implementing significant changes to correspondence. The department shall also ensure that letters and notices affecting clients with disabilities, seniors, and other vulnerable populations are appropriately prioritized for improvement consistent with the requirements in the bill. The department shall receive feedback from the workgroup established to provide customer and community partner feedback regarding client communications as part of the department's involvement in state-level decision-making relating to computer system changes and training. The department shall provide information concerning medicaid client communications improvements as part of its annual presentation to its legislative committee of reference. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
