Appliances and plumbing fixtures - water and energy efficiency standards for new products sold in Colorado - phase-in of requirements - list of products covered - rule-making authority - enforcement. The act updates and adopts standards for water efficiency and energy efficiency that apply to a list of consumer and commercial appliances and other products. The standards are based on state standards, federal Energy Star and WaterSense specifications, and industry standards in most cases or, where a standard is not incorporated by reference, the standard is specified by statute. The standards apply to new products sold in Colorado and are phased in over a period of 3 years, with general service lamps covered beginning in 2020, air compressors and portable air conditioners covered beginning in 2022, and all other listed products covered beginning in 2021. The act also keeps in place the water efficiency standards on certain products that were added to the Colorado statutes in 2014. The sale of a noncomplying product after the effective date of the applicable standard is punishable through a civil enforcement action by the attorney general, with penalties of up to $2,000 per violation or, in the case of the sale of a noncomplying product to an elderly person, $10,000 per violation. The executive director of the department of public health and environment is directed to collect and publish the standards that are incorporated by reference. The executive director is also authorized, but not required, to adopt rules incorporating more recent versions of standards or test methods in order to maintain or improve consistency with other state or federal agency standards, subject to a one-year grace period between adoption and enforcement of any new or amended standards. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Income tax credit - health care preceptors working in health care professional shortage areas - definition of "preceptorship" - continuation under the sunset law. The act makes the following modifications to the existing income tax credit for health care preceptors working in health care professional shortage areas: Clarifies the definition of "preceptorship" to specify that the period of time for which the period of personalized instruction, training, and supervision must be provided to be eligible to claim the tax credit is not less than 4 working weeks or 20 business days per calendar year; and Extends the existing sunset date under which the tax credit would expire to tax years commencing prior to January 1, 2023.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Air pollution - greenhouse gas emission reporting - air quality control commission - rules - appropriation. The act requires the air quality control commission in the department of public health and environment (department) to collect greenhouse gas emissions data from greenhouse gas-emitting entities and report on the data, including a forecast of future emissions. The commission will adopt rules by June 1, 2020, to require the reporting, and propose draft rules by July 1, 2020, to cost-effectively allow the state to meet its greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. The act also requires the division of administration in the department to update a statewide inventory of greenhouse gas emissions by sector and to post the findings of the inventory on the division's website through 2030. The act appropriates $265,589 to the department from the general fund to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Sunset Process - Senate Health and Human Services Committee. The bill implements the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies' sunset review and report on the regulatory functions of the Colorado podiatry board (board) as follows: Continues the regulation of podiatrists for 7 years, until September 1, 2026 ( sections 1 and 2 of the bill); Requires a podiatrist to notify the board of a physical illness, physical condition, or behavioral or mental health disorder that affects the podiatrist's ability to practice and allows the podiatrist and the board to enter into a confidential agreement to limit the podiatrist's practice based on the illness, condition, or disorder ( sections 4 and 6 ); Specifies that the passage of an examination approved by the board is required for initial licensure as a podiatrist ( section 3 ); and Eliminates the requirement that the board send letters of admonition by certified mail ( section 5 ). The bill also: Allows the board to permit a podiatrist to perform bone marrow aspirations from the tibia distal to the tibial tubercle if the podiatrist meets the specified criteria ( section 7 ); and Makes conforming amendments necessary to harmonize the bill with the title 12 recodification bill, House Bill 19-1172 ( sections 8 through 14 ).(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) Read More
Blockchain technology - study of potential agricultural applications - creation of advisory group - report to general assembly. The act directs the commissioner of agriculture to convene an advisory group to study the potential applications for blockchain technology in agricultural operations and to report to the general assembly by January 15, 2020, with its findings and recommendations for legislation, if any, contingent on the commissioner's receipt of sufficient money through gifts, grants, and donations to fund the study and report. The advisory group is subject to repeal on July 1, 2020.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Forcible entry and detainer - legal aid services - eviction legal defense fund - appropriation. The act creates the eviction legal defense fund (fund). The state court administrator awards grants from the fund to qualifying nonprofit organizations (organizations) that provide legal advice, counseling, and representation for, and on behalf of, indigent clients who are experiencing an eviction or are at immediate risk of an eviction. The act lists permissible uses of grant money awarded from the fund. Organizations that receive a grant from the fund are required to report to the state court administrator certain information about persons served and services provided by the organization. The state court administrator is required to evaluate the use of grants from the fund every 5 years and submit that evaluation to the general assembly. For the 2019-20 state fiscal year, $750,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the eviction legal defense fund created through the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
High-cost special education trust fund - trust fund grants. The act creates the high-cost special education trust fund (trust fund) to be used for high-cost special education trust fund grants (trust fund grants) to public school special education administrative units that have made significant expenditures in providing special education services to a child with a disability. The trust fund consists of $2.5 million transferred from the marijuana tax cash fund to the trust fund on July 1, 2019. The general assembly is encouraged to prioritize the transfer or appropriation of money to the trust fund in future fiscal years. The department of education may expend interest and income from the trust fund for trust fund grants awarded by the Colorado special education fiscal advisory committee (committee). The act specifies the eligibility criteria for a trust fund grant and criteria that the committee shall consider in determining the trust fund grant recipients and the amount of the trust fund grants. The act requires an annual report to the education committees of the general assembly concerning trust fund grants awarded during the fiscal year, and repeals the trust fund on July 1, 2027. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Waste diversion - front range waste diversion enterprise created - increased waste diversion goals established - new tipping fee - grant program. Section 1 of the act creates the front range waste diversion enterprise. The enterprise will collect a user fee on each load of waste disposed of at a landfill in the front range and credit the fee to the new front range waste diversion cash fund to finance the front range waste diversion grant program. Section 2 sets the user fee at 15 cents per cubic yard per load from January 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020. The fee increases 15 cents per year so that on and after January 1, 2023, the fee is 60 cents per cubic yard per load; except that this amount is adjusted annually by inflation after January 1, 2024. Section 3 adjusts the fine amount for littering on public or private property annually, commencing on January 1, 2020, by inflation and credits the increased amount of the fine to the fund. The front range is defined as the counties of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Douglas, Elbert, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, Pueblo, Teller, and Weld and the cities and counties of Broomfield and Denver. The following entities that are located or provide services in the front range are eligible to apply for grants: Municipalities, counties, and cities and counties; nonprofit and for-profit businesses involved in waste disposal or diversion; and institutions of higher education and public or private schools. The enterprise shall administer the grant program and provide technical assistance to eligible entities to achieve the following municipal waste diversion goals within the front range: 32% diversion by 2021; 39% diversion by 2026; and 51% diversion by 2036. The board of directors of the enterprise shall submit a report by July 1 of each year to the committees of reference of the general assembly with jurisdiction over the environment regarding the grant program. The enterprise, increased user fee, and increased amount of the littering fine are repealed, effective September 1, 2029. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Statewide health care review committee - creation - membership - duties - appropriation. The act recreates the former health care task force, renamed as the statewide health care review committee, to study health care issues that affect Colorado residents. The committee consists of no more than 10 of the members from the house of representatives committees on health and insurance and public health care and human services and the senate committee on health and human services. The committee may hold 2 meetings during the interim between legislative sessions, each of which may be a field trip. $16,062 is appropriated from the general fund to the legislative department to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Air pollution - statewide greenhouse gas pollution abatement - air quality control commission - rules - appropriation. Section 1 of the act states that Colorado shall have statewide goals to reduce 2025 greenhouse gas emissions by at least 26%, 2030 greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50%, and 2050 greenhouse gas emissions by at least 90% of the levels of statewide greenhouse gas emissions that existed in 2005. Section 3 specifies considerations that the air quality control commission is to take into account in implementing policies and promulgating rules to reduce greenhouse gas pollution, including the benefits of compliance and the equitable distribution of those benefits, the costs of compliance, opportunities to incentivize clean energy in transitioning communities, and the potential to enhance the resilience of Colorado's communities and natural resources to climate impacts. The commission will consult with the public utilities commission with regard to rules that affect the providers of retail electricity in Colorado. The commission shall not mandate an electric public utility to reduce its emissions by 2030 more than is required by a clean energy plan filed with the public utilities commission if the plan demonstrates an 80% reduction from 2005 statewide green gas emission levels by 2030. A clean energy plan voluntarily filed by a cooperative electric association that has exempted itself from the public utilities commission's jurisdiction or a municipally owned utility with the public utilities commission is deemed approved if the plan demonstrates an 80% reduction by 2030. $281,588 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of public health and environment to implement the act, of which $93,267 is reappropriated to the department of law. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Living organ donors - discrimination prohibited - duty to make information available to the public. The act: Prohibits a person who offers life insurance, disability income insurance, health insurance, or long-term care insurance from discriminating against a person based solely on the person's status as a living organ donor; Requires the division of insurance (division) to provide information to the public on a living organ donor's access to insurance; and Requires the division and the department of public health and environment to make materials related to live organ donation available to the public if the materials are from a recognized organ donation organization.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Unclaimed property trust fund - transfer - general fund. On July 1, 2019, the act requires the state treasurer to transfer $30 million from the unclaimed property trust fund to the general fund. The amount transferred constitutes fiscal year spending subject to the state fiscal year spending limit.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
