The bill creates the Urban Peak Housing and Support Services for Youth Experiencing Homelessness 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 Urban Peak, 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.)
Under current law, peer support team members for certain first responders and a first responder may not be required to testify about communications made during the peer support process without the first responder's consent. The bill clarifies that the communication need not be during an individual peer support meeting. Under current law, there is an exception to the privilege if the information provided to the peer support team member indicates certain actual or suspected crimes. The bill adds crimes against at-risk persons to the list of crimes. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Committee on Legal Services. Under current law, if an executive branch agency rule, including a form incorporated into a rule, contains a citation to statute and the general assembly later relocates the statute in a way that renders the rule's citation to the statute inaccurate, to update the statutory citation the agency must conduct a rule-making hearing, including issuing a notice and receiving comments. The bill allows agencies to correct statutory citations in the code of Colorado regulations without notice, comment, or a hearing by submitting to the secretary of state a specific, written determination by the attorney general. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Currently, the Colorado school of mines (institution) must use its state fee-for-service contract money to provide merit- and need-based scholarships and graduate support funding to reduce tuition for in-state students. In addition to tuition supports, the bill allows the institution to use state fee-for-service contract money to fund services and programs described in the bill, including but not limited to counseling, academic support, student recruiting, and precollegiate programs. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Currently, the board of trustees (board) of the public employees' retirement association (PERA) is comprised of the following 15 trustees: The state treasurer; Three elected members of the state division; Four elected members of the school division; One elected member of the local government division; One elected member of the judicial division; Two elected retirees; and Three trustees appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate who are not PERA members or retirees and who are experts in certain fields. In addition, there is one ex officio trustee from the Denver public schools division. The bill modifies the composition of the board by: Eliminating one elected member trustee position from the state division; Eliminating 2 elected member trustee positions from the school division; Requiring at least one elected member from both the state division and the school division to be at least 20 years from retirement eligibility; and Adding 3 more trustees appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate who are not PERA members or retirees and who are experts in certain fields to replace the eliminated elected member trustee positions. The additional appointed trustees must have significant experience and competence in investment management, finance, banking, economics, accounting, pension administration, or actuarial analysis. The bill does not change the inclusion on the board of the state treasurer, the elected members from the local government division and the judicial division, or the ex officio trustee from the Denver public schools division. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
In 2009, the general assembly enacted the 'Parental Involvement in K-12 Education Act' (2009 act), which allowed an employee of an employer who is subject to the federal 'Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993' to take leave from work for the purpose of attending academic activities for or with the employee's child. Under the 2009 act, academic activities included parent-teacher conferences or meetings related to special education services, interventions, dropout prevention, attendance, truancy, or discipline issues. The leave was allowed for an employee who is the parent or legal guardian of a child enrolled in a public or private school or in a nonpublic home-based educational program in this state in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Leave under the 2009 act was limited to 6 hours per month and 18 hours in any academic year. The 2009 act permitted employers to: Restrict the use of leave in cases of emergency or other situations that may endanger a person's health or safety or if the employee's absence would halt the employer's service or production; and Limit the leave to 3-hour increments at a time and require the employee to submit written verification from the school or school district of the activity necessitating the leave. An employee was required to provide the employer with at least one week's notice of the leave except in emergency situations. The 2009 act specified that the 2009 act would repeal on September 1, 2015. The repeal provision was never amended, so the 2009 act repealed on September 1, 2015. The bill recreates and reenacts the 2009 act with the following modifications: School districts and institute charter schools must post on their websites, and include in district-wide or school-wide communications sent to parents and the community at large, information about the act; The Colorado state advisory council for parent involvement in education must also provide information about the act to the extent possible within existing resources; and The act continues indefinitely and the original repeal date in the 2009 act is amended to specify that the repeal was to apply only to the 2009 act.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill prohibits a person employed by or volunteering in a public school, a state-licensed child care center, a family child care home, or a specialized group facility from imposing corporal punishment on a child. 'Corporal punishment' means the willful infliction of, or willfully causing the infliction of, physical pain on a child. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Under current law, members of the restorative justice coordinating council may not be reimbursed for expenses. The bill allows reimbursement of expenses. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
When property taxes are delinquent, a county treasurer issues a tax certificate, which is a lien on the property. The property can be redeemed upon paying the delinquent taxes, interest, and specified publication, abstract, and search fees. The bill now requires the repayment of any amounts paid to 3rd parties for computer software costs incurred in connection with processing the redemption. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Police Officers' and Firefighters' Pension Reform Commission. To assist fire and police pension association (FPPA) employers in establishing a deferred compensation plan, the FPPA board of directors (board) is currently authorized to develop a master deferred compensation plan document for use by employers to establish individual plans. The bill authorizes the board to develop a multi-employer deferred compensation plan document to allow employers to join a multi-employer plan. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Statutory Revision Committee. Pursuant to section 24-1-136 (11)(a)(I), Colorado Revised Statutes, any report that is required to be made to the general assembly by an executive agency or the judicial branch on a periodic basis expires on the day after the third anniversary of the date on which the first report was due unless the general assembly, acting by bill, continues the requirement. The bill addresses reporting requirements of the department of personnel and administration. Sections 1, 2, 6, 8, and 10 repeal reports that are scheduled to repeal according to section 24-1-136 (11)(a)(I). Currently there are no repeal dates in the organic statutes. Sections 3, 4, 5, 7, and 9 continue indefinitely the reporting requirements contained in those statutory sections. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Legislative Audit Committee. The bill permits the Colorado student loan program (program) to enter into an agreement with the department of higher education or another state entity to administer part or all of the college opportunity fund program. The program's authority to contract is effective on and after July 1, 2015.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
