The bill creates the Colorado industrial hemp research and development task force to study whether to develop an industrial hemp research and development authority to develop, fund, and promote educational, research, and development programs and collaborative efforts concerning industrial hemp. The task force consists of 8 members with expertise in the industrial hemp industry or higher education. On or before December 31, 2018, the task force is required to prepare a report on its findings and recommendations and to submit the report to the Colorado office of economic development and the agricultural committees in the house of representatives and the senate. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Sunset Process - House Public Health Care and Human Services Committee. The bill implements the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies in its sunset review and report concerning the 'Physical Therapy Practice Act' as follows: Extends the licensing of physical therapists and the certification of physical therapist assistants until 2024 ( sections 1 through 3 ); Clarifies that a physical therapist may make physical therapy diagnoses ( sections 5 and 7 ); Allows a physical therapist to perform dry needling if the physical therapist has the knowledge, skill, ability, and competency to perform the act and has completed a dry needling course and obtains informed consent from the patient. The bill also allows the department to promulgate rules to establish requirements for dry needling ( section 8 ); Clarifies that a physical therapist's scope of practice includes the direct supervision of unlicensed physical therapists ( section 9 ); Requires that physical therapy professional development activities must be measured by a contact-hour-to-credit-hour ratio ( section 10 ); and Adds as grounds for disciplinary action the failure to supervise physical therapist assistants; and the failure to report an adverse action, the surrender of a license, or other discipline taken in another jurisdiction ( section 11 ). In addition, the bill: Allows a physical therapist assistant to perform noninvasive wound debridement under the supervision of a physical therapist ( sections 13 and 15 ); Repeals some elements of the continuing professional competency program for physical therapists ( section 13 ) and subjects physical therapist assistants to a continuing professional competency program ( section 14 ); Replaces a physical therapist member of the physical therapy board with a physical therapist assistant member ( section 6 ); and Removes physical therapists practicing in Colorado pursuant to the 'Interstate Physical Therapy Licensure Compact Act' from the 'Michael Skolnik Medical Transparency Act of 2010' ( section 16 ).(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Under existing law, the state board of education (state board) is required to adopt an approved list of reading assessments, and the department of education (department) is required to adopt advisory lists of literacy programming and professional development in literacy. With regard to the list of approved assessments and the advisory lists, the bill: Clarifies that the assessments and literacy programming must be evidence-based or scientifically based and must be aligned with the state academic standards; Directs the state board and the department to review the approved list of assessments every 4 years and the advisory lists of literacy programming and professional development programs every 2 years; Requires the process for appealing the materials placed on the assessment list or the advisory lists to include appeals by school districts, boards of cooperative services, and charter schools (local education providers) and directs the department to consider certain materials provided by appellants; and Requires the department to ensure that the process for reviewing and adding assessments to the approved list and materials to the advisory lists must include consultation with local education providers and be transparent. The existing statutes specify the portion of the early literacy fund that the department must distribute as grants through the early literacy grant program. The bill allows for an increase in the amount distributed through the early literacy grant program. The bill requires a local education provider, upon the request of the department, to provide specific information explaining how the local education provider spent the per-pupil intervention money it received. The bill expands the purposes for which a local education provider may use the per-pupil intervention money and requires the local education provider to use the money for early-grade reading initiatives rather than replacing money received from other sources. The bill directs the state board, in adopting rules for applying for grants through the early literacy grant program, to ensure that rural school districts and small rural school districts, and district and institute charter schools located within rural and small rural school districts, can submit simplified grant applications. The bill directs the state board to award specified percentages of the total amount allocated for the grant program to applications to fund certain types of programs. The bill directs the commissioner of education (commissioner), by September 1, 2018, to convene a working group to review the creation and use of reading-to-ensure-academic-development (READ) plans by local education providers and to recommend any necessary regulatory or implementation changes to continue and improve the use and effectiveness of READ plans. The commissioner must submit a report of the findings and recommendations to the state board and the education committees of the general assembly by February 1, 2020. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) Read More
For purposes of determining the level of attainment for accreditation of each public high school, each school district, the state charter school institute, and the state as a whole on the postsecondary and workforce readiness performance indicator, the bill adds additional measures of the percentage of students who successfully complete: An advanced placement course in a subject other than English language arts or math and earn a score of 3 or higher on the end-of-course advanced placement exam; A concurrent enrollment course in a subject other than English language arts or math and earn a grade of 'B' or higher in the course; and An international baccalaureate course in a subject other than English language arts or math and earn a score of 4 or higher. The bill appropriates $30,000 to the department of education for information technology services to implement the bill. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) Read More
Section 1 of the bill allows a person on parole to preregister to vote. A person who preregisters is required to meet all the requirements of a person who registers. When the secretary of state (secretary) receives notice that the person has been discharged from parole, the person is automatically registered to vote. Section 2 makes a conforming amendment to the self-affirmation made by a person who is registering or preregistering. Section 3 requires the division of adult parole (division) to facilitate the voting rights of people being discharged from parole. The division is required to provide information to individuals on parole about their right to preregister to vote. When a person is being discharged from parole, the division is required to provide information about the person's right to vote, how the person can register or update their registration, how to obtain and cast a ballot, and how to get voter information materials. The division must send a report of individuals being discharged from parole to the secretary in order to allow the registration of any individual who has preregistered. Section 4 requires a probation officer to provide information to an individual on probation about the person's right to vote, how the person can register or update their registration, how to obtain and cast a ballot, and how to get voter information materials. The bill appropriates funds to the department of corrections, the office of information technology, and the department of state to implement its requirements. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Committee on Legal Services. Current law directs the office of legislative legal services to study the organizational recodification of title 12 of the Colorado Revised Statutes. The law authorizing the study repeals on September 1, 2018. The bill extends the title 12 recodification study for one additional year, through September 1, 2019. The bill appropriates $54,257 from the general fund to the legislative department for use by the committee on legal services to fund the extended study. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Under current law, when a student in out-of-home placement transfers from one school to another school, the sending school must certify to the receiving school or school district the course work that the student has fully or partially completed while enrolled at the school. The receiving school or school district must accept the student's certified course work and the course work certified by previous schools in which the student was enrolled, as reflected in the student's records, as if it had been completed at the receiving school. The receiving school or school district must apply all of the student's certified course work toward completion of the student's requirements for graduating from the grade level in which the student is enrolled at the receiving school or school district or for graduation from the receiving school or school district if the student is enrolled in twelfth grade. The bill requires receiving schools and school districts to follow the same procedures for a student who transfers to a school or school district from a division of youth services placement. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill makes appropriations to the department of higher education for need-based grants, student stipends, fee-for-service contracts with institutions of higher education, local district college grants, and area technical colleges. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Current law creates an annual appropriation to provide lunches at no charge to children in state-subsidized early childhood education programs administered by public schools or in kindergarten through fifth grade who would otherwise have to pay for a reduced-price lunch. The bill extends the grade of eligibility to eighth grade in schools that elect to participate in the expanded program. The bill authorizes an annual appropriation, including a cap on the amount of the annual appropriation, to cover the expanded grades of eligible children. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill creates a framework for the department of revenue to establish electronic processing for issuing certificates of title, filing or releasing liens, or registering vehicles and special mobile machinery. This is subject to the department promulgating rules: Vendors are authorized to electronically register vehicles; County clerks continue to receive registration fees; The department may maintain titling information electronically and may produce paper titles only upon request of a party; The department may accept electronic signatures; Notarization requirements are eliminated; The vender may order, manage, and distribute license plate inventory to a client; The vendor may access, print, and distribute the registration information to a client on demand; The vendor is an agent of the department, so the vendor must collect and remit taxes and fees; and The vendor may perform these services only for business entities. The department's approval of a third-party provider to register a vehicle, file or release liens, or issue any type of certificate of title must be evidenced by an agreement between the department and the third-party provider. The vendor may charge a fee. A vendor is authorized to give the department gifts, grants, and donations to implement electronic transactions. The department may deny a person access to the records for misuse and shall ensure that addresses of people in the address protection program are not released. Current law prohibits denying legal effect or enforceability of an electronic document to issue a certificate of title. The bill expands this provision to cover vehicle registration, clarifies that this includes electronic signatures, and clarifies that this applies to a court of law. Currently, tow carriers, insurers, and salvage pools use an electronic system to access department records to ascertain the motor vehicle's owner and lienholder. The bill allows motor vehicle dealers and other businesses approved by the department to use the same system to determine a motor vehicle's owner and lienholder for purposes authorized by current law. The department shall ensure that addresses of people in the address protection program are not released. Current law requires a manufacturer's certificate of origin to issue a certificate of title for a vehicle. The bill allows a motor vehicle rental company to obtain title without a manufacturer's certificate of origin if the business: Presents a manufacturer's invoice; and Submits a signed affidavit attesting that the motor vehicle is new and has not been issued a certificate of title and that the business is entitled to be issued a certificate of title for the motor vehicle. $1,187,502 is appropriated to the department of revenue from gifts, grants, and donations in the highway users tax fund to implement this act. From that appropriation, $16,590 is appropriated to the office of the governor for use by the office of information technology. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Section 1 of the bill amends the definition of 'appraisal management company' to contain all of the elements specified in recent amendments to Title XI of the federal 'Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989' (FIRREA) and regulations adopted in furtherance of FIRREA. Section 1 also adds a definition of 'appraiser panel' to include appraisers working as independent contractors. Section 2 requires the state board of real estate appraisers to maintain a separate list of appraisal management companies (AMCs) that have an appraiser panel larger than the federal jurisdictional threshold of 15 appraisers in Colorado or 25 appraisers in all states in which the company operates. Section 3 directs the board to require that an AMC establish processes and controls to ensure compliance with the federal 'Truth in Lending Act' and applicable federal regulations. Section 4 directs the board to: Collect an annual registry fee from appraisal management companies that operate as subsidiaries of federally regulated financial institutions; and Transmit that fee to the federal financial institutions examinations council.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Capital Development Committee. The bill creates the governor's mansion maintenance fund (fund), which is comprised of the money generated from the mansion's operation, such as rental fees. Subject to annual appropriation by the general assembly, the governor's office may expend money from the fund for any operating costs for any governor's mansion activities and the department of personnel may expend money from the fund for controlled maintenance of the governor's mansion, except that any appropriation for controlled maintenance is subject to the capital development committee's review. The bill also specifies that the department of personnel is still authorized to seek controlled maintenance funding for the mansion through the existing statutory request process if the money in the fund is insufficient to cover all controlled maintenance needs.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
