Criminal justice programs - cash funds created - transfers. Currently, money appropriated but unspent for the community-based reentry grant program, the crime victims grant program, the justice reinvestment crime prevention grant program, and the justice reinvestment crime prevention small business program (programs) reverts to the general fund at the end of the fiscal year. The act creates cash funds for each of the programs so that money for the programs is appropriated into the cash funds and unspent money is available for spending in future years. At the end of the 2018-19 and 2019-20 fiscal years, unspent money for the programs is transferred to the new cash funds rather than reverting to the general fund. Currently, the justice reinvestment crime prevention initiative is scheduled for repeal on September 1, 2020. The act extends the repeal date to September 1, 2023. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Medication-assisted treatment expansion pilot program - extension - administration - additional counties to participate - funding increase - appropriation. In 2017, the general assembly enacted Senate Bill 17-074, concerning the creation of a pilot program in certain areas of the state experiencing high levels of opioid addiction to award grants to increase access to addiction treatment, which created a 2-year medication-assisted treatment (MAT) expansion pilot program, administered by the university of Colorado college of nursing, to expand access to medication-assisted treatment to opioid-dependent patients in Pueblo and Routt counties and directed the general assembly to appropriate $500,000 per year for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 fiscal years from the marijuana tax cash fund to the university of Colorado board of regents for allocation to the college of nursing to implement the pilot program. The 2017 act also scheduled the pilot program for repeal on June 30, 2020. The act: Expands the pilot program to the counties in the San Luis valley and 2 additional counties in which a need is demonstrated; Shifts responsibility to administer the pilot program from the college of nursing to the center for research into substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery support strategies; Adds representatives from the San Luis valley and any other counties selected to participate in the pilot program and members from the boards of county commissioners from participating counties to the advisory board that assists in administering the program; Increases the annual appropriation for the pilot program to $2.5 million for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 fiscal years; and Extends the program an additional 2 years. The act appropriates $2.5 million from the marijuana tax cash fund to the department of higher education for use by the board of regents of the university of Colorado to allocate to the center for research into substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery support strategies for the MAT expansion pilot program. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Child care expenses - income tax credit - individuals with low income - extension. For income tax years prior to January 1, 2021, a resident individual who has a federal adjusted gross income of $25,000 or less may claim a refundable state income tax credit for child care expenses for the care of a dependent who is less than 13 years old. The act extends the tax credit for 8 years.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Access to behavioral health treatment - capacity tracking system - care navigation program - building substance use disorder treatment capacity in underserved communities grant program - appropriation. The act: Directs the department of human services to implement a centralized, web-based behavioral health capacity tracking system to track available treatment capacity at behavioral health facilities and at programs for medication-assisted treatment and withdrawal management for substance use disorders, as well as other types of treatment; Directs the department of human services to implement a care navigation program to assist individuals in obtaining access to treatment for substance use disorders, including medical detoxification and residential and inpatient treatment; and Creates the building substance use disorder treatment capacity in underserved communities grant program to provide services in rural and frontier communities, prioritizing areas of the state that are unserved or underserved. For the 2019-20 state fiscal year, the act appropriates: $31,961 and 0.8 FTE to the department of health care policy and financing, executive director's office for personal services and operating expenses, with the expectation that the department will receive additional federal funding; $5,589,344 and 2.5 FTE from the marijuana tax cash fund to the department of human services, office of behavioral health, for community behavioral health administration, the behavioral health capacity tracking system, the care navigation program, and the building substance use disorder treatment capacity in underserved communities grant program; and $160,206 and 1.4 FTE from reappropriated funds received from the department of human services to the office of the governor for use by the office of information technology.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
State institutions of higher education - tuition assistance - dependents of military members - dependents of law enforcement officers and firefighters. A dependent of a prisoner of war or military personnel missing in action, a dependent of a person who died or was permanently disabled while on duty as a Colorado National Guardsman, or a dependent of any person who has been permanently disabled or killed while acting as a police officer, sheriff, or other law enforcement officer or firefighter (dependent) who is eligible for state tuition assistance and federal educational benefits pursuant to the federal "Public Safety Officers' Benefits Act" may receive the state tuition assistance prior to receiving the federal benefit. The state tuition assistance available to a dependent is reduced by the amount of any federal educational benefit provided to the dependent.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Colorado food - school grant program - nonprofit grant program - appropriation. The act establishes a grant program in the department of education (CDE) to encourage providers that are entitled to federal money for lunches for students (participating providers) to purchase food products from Colorado growers, producers, and processors (Colorado food). The grant program reimburses participating providers for the amount of Colorado food that the provider purchased in the previous school year. The act caps the reimbursements at $500,000 per year. The act establishes a separate program in CDE to make a grant to a nonprofit organization to make grants to entities that promote the sale of Colorado food to schools and to eligible providers to encourage the purchase of Colorado food. The nonprofit organization is required to conduct an annual evaluation and report to CDE. For the 2019-20 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $168,942 from the general fund to CDE for the school purchasing programs. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Colorado brain injury program - Colorado brain injury trust fund - board - appropriation. The act makes revisions to the Colorado traumatic brain injury program (program) and the program board, including: Renaming the program, the trust fund board, and the trust fund to remove "traumatic" from the titles and making conforming amendments in other statutes to reflect the new names; Defining "brain injury" to replace the definition of "traumatic brain injury"; Requiring the trust fund board to include members who have experienced a brain injury, family members of persons who have experienced a brain injury, and those with specific personal or professional experience with brain injuries; Removing obsolete dates relating to trust fund board appointments; Removing the specific statutory listing of potential services under the program and clarifying that all persons served by the program receive service coordination and skills training and may receive other services as determined by the trust fund board; Allowing the trust fund board to prioritize services and eligibility for services while ensuring fidelity to the program's original intent to serve individuals with brain injuries; Removing a restriction on the use of general fund money for the program trust fund; Removing general provisions relating to the administration of the program; and Removing the fee collected by municipalities for speeding traffic offenses and increasing fees currently collected for other offenses for the benefit of the trust fund. For the 2019-20 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $450,000 from the general fund to the Colorado brain injury trust fund and reappropriates money from the trust fund for use in the Colorado brain injury program. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Emergency medical service providers - peer health assistance program - authorized providers - administering entity - appropriation. The act creates a peer health assistance program (program) for emergency medical service providers who do not have access to a peer health assistance program. The program is funded through fees collected from each applicant upon initial or renewal of a certification as an emergency medical service provider. The department of public health and environment (department) is required to select one or more peer health assistance programs as designated providers. To be selected as a provider, the program must: Provide for the education of emergency medical service providers with respect to the recognition and prevention of physical, emotional, and psychological problems and provide for intervention when necessary or under circumstances that may be established by rules promulgated by the department; Offer assistance to an emergency medical service provider in identifying physical, emotional, or psychological problems; Evaluate the extent of physical, emotional, or psychological problems and refer the emergency medical service provider for appropriate treatment; Monitor the status of an emergency medical service provider who has been referred for treatment; Provide counseling and support for the emergency medical service provider and for the family of any emergency medical service provider referred for treatment; Agree to receive referrals from the department; and Agree to make services available to all certified emergency medical service providers. The department is authorized to select a nonprofit private foundation that is dedicated to support medical charitable purposes to administer the program. $57,242 is appropriated to the department to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Legislative interim committee on school finance - 2019 legislative interim - expenses. The act extends the work of the legislative interim committee on school finance (interim committee) for one year to include the 2019 legislative interim. For the 2019 legislative interim, the act maintains the party and chamber balance of legislative members on the interim committee, with 5 members from each chamber and 5 democrats and 5 republicans on the interim committee, and specifies the method for appointing interim committee members. The act permits the interim committee to determine whether and in which interim to study the issues set forth in statute. The act authorizes the interim committee to contract with a vendor or vendors to assist with or facilitate the work of the interim committee. The act authorizes the interim committee to use unexpended money from the 2018-19 budget year during the 2019-20 budget year to cover costs incurred by the interim committee, including the hiring of a consultant or facilitator, if applicable. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Financial assistance programs - student eligibility - Colorado high school graduates. A student who does not have lawful immigration status who attended high school in Colorado for at least 3 years before graduating from a Colorado high school or before successfully completing a high school equivalency examination, is admitted to a qualifying institution of higher education within 12 months after high school graduation, and has submitted an affidavit stating that the student has applied for lawful presence or will apply as soon as he or she is eligible, is eligible for existing student financial assistance programs offered by the department of higher education to in-state students. Prior to becoming eligible, the student is subject to the same verification requirements for eligibility to participate in the college opportunity fund program.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Business entities - updates to governing law - appropriation. The act makes the following changes to the "Colorado Business Corporation Act" (CBCA) and conforming changes to the "Colorado Corporations and Associations Act" (CCAA): Deletes definitions in the CCAA that are no longer necessary (section 1); Updates provisions in the CCAA to clarify conversions and mergers of entities and exchanges of owners' interests in entities (sections 2 through 18); Updates provisions in the CCAA addressing the requirements for the name of an entity formed under Colorado law or qualified to do business in Colorado as a foreign entity (sections 19 through 21); Updates provisions in the CCAA regarding court proceedings that may be filed by a dissolved Colorado entity for a determination of the amount and form of security to be provided for payment of claims that are contingent or unknown or that arose from events occurring after dissolution (sections 22 through 24); Adds definitions to and updates definitions in the CBCA (section 25); Reorganizes certain provisions that are optional to include in the articles of incorporation of a Colorado corporation so that they appear in a single location to avoid confusion (section 28); Adds an optional forum selection provision similar to that found in other states and the "Model Business Corporation Act" (section 29); Updates provisions for proxies and treatment for voting purposes of shares held by intermediaries and nominees (sections 31 and 32); Updates provisions for the general standards of conduct for directors and officers and standards of liabilities for directors (section 35); Updates provisions dealing with conflicting interest transactions and corporate opportunities (section 36); Updates provisions dealing with indemnification of directors, officers, employees, fiduciaries, and agents and advancement of expenses (sections 38 through 46); Updates provisions dealing with corporate mergers, conversions, and exchanges by reference to the updated provisions in the CCAA (sections 47 through 55); Repeals and reenacts, with amendments, former article 113 of title 7, Colorado Revised Statutes, relating to dissenters' rights and substitutes provisions to define the procedure to obtain appraisal rights in lieu of dissenters' rights (section 56); and Updates the provisions establishing the grounds and procedures for seeking judicial dissolution and providing for an election by one or more shareholders to purchase shares owned by the petitioning shareholders in lieu of proceeding with judicial dissolution (sections 57 through 60). The act also updates certain provisions of articles 55 and 56 of title 7, Colorado Revised Statutes, regarding various forms of cooperatives, as well as articles 41 (domestic associations organized as savings and loan associations) and 103 (state banks) of title 11, Colorado Revised Statutes, to be consistent with changes made in the CBCA (sections 63 through 65, 68, and 69). $59,360 is appropriated from the department of state cash fund to the department of state to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Income tax - tax credit - eligible early childhood educators. The act provides a refundable income tax credit to an eligible early childhood educator with a federal adjusted gross income less than or equal to $75,000 for an individual filing a single return, or less than or equal to $85,000 for an individual filing a joint return, who, for at least 6 months of the taxable year for which the credit is claimed, holds an early childhood professional credential and is either the licensee of an eligible program or employed by an eligible program. The act specifies that an eligible program means either an early childhood education program or a licensed family child care home and the eligible program must have held at least a level 2 quality rating under the Colorado shines quality rating and improvement system for the income tax year for which the credit is claimed and, for the income tax year for which the credit is claimed, either have fiscal agreements with the Colorado child care assistance program or be a program that meets the federal early head start or head start standards. The amount of the credit is dependent on the eligible early childhood educator's credentialing level and is annually adjusted for inflation. The department of human services is required to provide to the department of revenue an annual report of each individual who held an early childhood professional credential during the previous calendar year for which the income tax credit is allowed. The act takes effect only if, at the November 2019 statewide election, a majority of voters do not approve a referred measure that allows the state to increase the cigarette tax, increase the tobacco products tax, and to create a new tax on nicotine products and use a significant portion of the tax revenue for preschool programs and expanded learning opportunities. If the voters at the November 2019 statewide election do not approve such a measure, then the act takes effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
