Legislative Oversight Committee Concerning the Treatment of Persons with Mental Health Disorders in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Systems. In 2017, the general assembly enacted a provision requiring at the end of the 2016-17 fiscal year the state treasurer to transfer unexpended and unencumbered money appropriated for community corrections programs to a new fund to assist persons transitioning from the criminal or juvenile justice systems. The act repealed the provision in 2018. The bill eliminates the repeal of the provision so that the transfer occurs at the end of each state fiscal year. The bill appropriates $60,788 to the department of local affairs for affordable housing costs. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Capital Development Committee. The bill clarifies that for any capital construction project that is the subject of a lease-purchase agreement, the one percent of the total construction costs that is required to be used for the acquisition of works of art is calculated on the state-funded portion of the total construction costs and not on the total construction costs.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Sentencing in the Criminal Justice System Interim Study Committee. Current law repeals the Colorado commission on criminal and juvenile justice, effective July 1, 2018. The bill extends the repeal date to July 1, 2023, and requires the department of regulatory agencies to perform a sunset review of the commission prior to such repeal. The bill adds 4 new voting members to the commission and reduces the number of at-large members from 3 to 2, thereby increasing the number of voting members of the commission from 26 to 29. The bill requires the commission to annually request a letter from the governor suggesting topics for the commission to study. The bill makes an appropriation. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) Read More
Currently, the first $40 million of retail marijuana excise tax revenue annually collected is credited to the public school capital construction assistance fund (assistance fund) for purposes of the 'Building Excellent Schools Today Act' (BEST) and the remainder of the revenue is credited to the state public school fund. For state fiscal years commencing on and after July 1, 2018, sections 1 and 4 of the bill increase the amount of retail marijuana excise tax revenue credited to the assistance fund to the greater of 90% of the revenue annually collected or the first $40 million of such revenue. The remainder of the revenue continues to be credited to the state public school fund. Section 2 increases the maximum total annual amount of lease payments on BEST lease-purchase agreements authorized to be paid with both state money and local matching money to $110 million for the 2018-19 fiscal year and $120 million for the 2019-20 fiscal year and for each fiscal year thereafter. If, for any state fiscal year, the total amount of revenue credited to the assistance fund from all sources during the prior state fiscal year is less than the total amount of all payments due during the state fiscal year on BEST lease-purchase agreements, then section 3 requires the amount of the annual appropriation to fund the state's share of total program funding for all school districts and institute charter schools to be reduced and general fund money made available by the reduction to be transferred to the assistance fund to make up for the shortfall. Section 5 appropriates $34 million from the assistance fund to the department of education for BEST lease-purchase agreement payments.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill requires motor vehicle manufacturers to fulfill warranty obligations. A manufacturer must compensate each of its motor vehicle dealers in accordance with a set of standards designed to reflect the current market rate for labor and the profit margin on parts the dealer can expect to obtain. Dealers must submit certain repair orders to the manufacturer as required by the bill to establish compensation rates. The manufacturer may contest the rates charged by the dealer. If the manufacturer does not contest the rates within 15 days, the amounts take effect. If the manufacturer timely contests the rates and the manufacturer and dealer cannot agree on the amount charged, the dealer may obtain a determination by a court. The manufacturer has the burden of proving the rates are inaccurate. The dealer may request a modification of rates from a manufacturer only semiannually. A manufacturer is: Prohibited from lowering the retail labor rate below the rate the manufacturer was paying before the bill takes effect; Prohibited from eliminating flat-rate times for labor or establishing unreasonable flat-rate times for labor; Required to establish reasonable flat-rate times for labor for new models; Required to calculate the retail parts markup percentage from the dealer's wholesale cost for the part; Prohibited from reducing the suggested retail or list price to provide the dealer lower compensation; Prohibited from establishing different part numbers for warranty repairs to pay the dealer lower compensation; Prohibited from attempting to recover the costs of paying the dealer from the dealer using other methods; Prohibited from taking action against the dealer for asserting the dealer's rights under the bill; Prohibited from forcing the dealer to change prices for nonwarranty repairs; Prohibited from requiring a dealer to use any method that is unduly burdensome or time-consuming to account for the retail prices set under the bill; Required to reduce the motor vehicle dealer's cost for a part by the same percentage that the manufacturer reduces the retail cost of a part.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More
The bill creates the teacher residency expansion program (program) in the department of education (department). The goal of the program is to identify and communicate to school districts, charter schools, and boards of cooperative services that operate public schools (local education providers) the best practices, effective strategies, and critical components of effective teacher residency programs and thereby facilitate expansion of the effective teacher residency programs across the state. To implement the program, the department will contract with an institution of higher education (institution) and an alternative teacher program (alternative program), each of which is currently operating an effective teacher residency program with a local education provider. The institution and alternative program will expand their respective teacher residency programs with other local education providers as pilot programs that must include specified components. The institution and alternative program will share the specified components with the department, which will share them with other local education providers, institutions, and alternative programs that are not participating in the pilot programs. After the pilot programs have operated for a year, and annually thereafter, the department will evaluate the success of the pilot programs based on specified criteria. The department will submit a report concerning the evaluation to the state board of education, the Colorado commission on higher education, the executive director of the department of higher education, the governor's office, and the education committees of the general assembly. The department will also post the report on its website. The department will distribute to the institution and alternative program that contract with the department an amount to offset a portion of the costs of implementing the pilot program. The institution and alternative program must agree to provide matching funds equal to 100% of the amount distributed to the institution and alternative program by the department. The program is repealed in 5 years. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill creates the crisis and suicide prevention training grant program (grant program) in the department of public health and environment (department). The purpose of the grant program is to provide financial assistance to schools in providing crisis and suicide prevention training to schools, with priority given to those schools that have previously not received such training. The grant program may authorize up to $400,000 in grants per year in varying amounts. The office of suicide prevention and the school safety resource center shall work collaboratively with the department to develop guidelines and criteria for the grant program. Grant recipients are required to report on their activities using grant money. The crisis and suicide prevention training grant program fund is created and authorized to accept appropriations from the general assembly, as well as gifts, grants, and donations. The bill makes conforming amendments that authorize the existing office of suicide prevention in statute. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill provides an income tax credit to an individual who retrofits or hires someone to retrofit the individual's residence. The bill specifies that the retrofit must: Be necessary to ensure the health, welfare, and safety of a qualified individual; Increase the residence's visitability; Enable greater accessibility and independence in the residence for a qualified individual; Be required due to illness, impairment, or disability of a qualified individual; and Allow a qualified individual to age in place.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Early Childhood and School Readiness Legislative Commission. The bill extends the repeal date of the early childhood and school readiness legislative commission (commission). The bill allows the commission to meet up to 4 times each year but does not require the commission to meet. The bill specifies that the commission shall not meet unless it is granted meetings through the interim committee process through legislative council or unless it receives administrative support from a nonprofit organization or government entity. The bill makes an appropriation for the commission members' travel and per diem. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill creates the defense counsel on first appearance grant program (program) in the division of local government (division) within the department of local affairs. The division shall award grants from the program to reimburse local governments, in part or in full, for costs associated with the provision of defense counsel to defendants at their first appearances in municipal courts. The program is repealed, effective September 1, 2023. Before such repeal, the department of regulatory agencies shall review the program. The bill makes an appropriation. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill requires the department of health care policy and financing (department) to create and implement a method for meeting urgent transportation needs within the existing nonemergency medical transportation benefit under the medical assistance program. The method created by the department must provide medical service provider and facility access to approved providers who can meet urgent transportation needs, and include an efficient method for obtaining and paying for the transportation services. The department shall annually report to certain committees of the general assembly on the implementation and effectiveness of the process. The bill includes an appropriation to implement the bill. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Under current law, in connection with the use of a special fund (fund) of an urban renewal authority (authority) to collect the increment used to finance urban renewal projects, any additional revenues received by a municipality, county, special district, or school district (collectively, taxing entity) resulting because the voters have authorized the taxing entity to retain and spend such money under the TABOR requirements of the state constitution after the creation of the fund or as a result of an increase in the property tax mill levy approved by the voters of the taxing entity after the creation of the fund, to the extent the total mill levy of any taxing entity exceeds the respective mill levy in effect at the time of approval or substantial modification of the urban renewal plan, are not included in the amount of the increment that is allocated to and, when collected, paid into the special fund. Under the bill, such additional revenues that have been received because of the 2 specified forms of voter-approved revenue changes are restricted from being pledged by an authority for the payment of any bonds of, or any loans or advances to, or any indebtedness incurred by the authority without the consent of the relevant taxing entity. To the extent the authority has received a certain notification specified in the bill, such additional revenues shall then be promptly repaid by the authority to the municipality or other taxing entity. The bill requires the authority to be notified of the amount of additional revenues and the calculations used in computing the amount by the applicable municipality or other taxing entity prior to making repayment and, in any event, not later than February 1 in each fiscal year following the year in which a voter-approved revenue increase has taken effect. The bill permits an authority and a municipality or any other taxing entity to negotiate for the purpose of entering into an agreement on the issues of the amount of repayment, the mechanics of how repayment of the additional revenues will be accomplished, a method for resolving disputes regarding the amount of repayment, and whether the municipality or taxing entity will waive the repayment requirement, singularly or in combination, and are further authorized to enter into an intergovernmental agreement regarding any of these issues. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
