The bill establishes the community transition specialist program (program) in the office of behavioral health (office) in the department of human services (department). The program coordinates referrals of high-risk individuals to transition specialists by certain behavioral health facilities and programs. High-risk individuals are under an emergency or involuntary hold, have a significant mental health or substance use disorder, and are not in consistent behavioral health treatment. Transition specialists provide services related to housing, program placement, access to behavioral health treatment or benefits, advocacy, and other supportive services. The department is required to adopt rules to implement the program. The bill requires the office to collect data and make recommendations to the department, and the department is required to include program information in the department's annual SMART act report. $1,588,250 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of human services for use by the office of behavioral health to implement the community transition specialist program. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders Interim Study Committee. The bill restricts the number of opioid pills that a health care practitioner, including physicians, physician assistants, advanced practice nurses, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists, and veterinarians, may prescribe for an initial prescription to a seven-day supply and allows each health care practitioner to exercise discretion to include a second fill for a seven-day supply, unless, in the judgment of the practitioner, the patient: Has chronic pain that typically lasts longer than 90 days or past the time of normal healing, as determined by the podiatrist, or following transfer of care from another podiatrist who prescribed an opioid to the patient; Has been diagnosed with cancer and is experiencing cancer-related pain; or Is experiencing post-surgical pain that, because of the nature of the procedure, is expected to last more than 14 days. Additionally, an advanced practice nurse may prescribe a refill if the patient is undergoing palliative or hospice care. The restrictions repeal on September 1, 2021. Current law allows health care practitioners and other individuals to query the prescription drug monitoring program (program). The bill requires health care practitioners to indicate his or her specialty or practice area upon the initial query and to query the program prior to prescribing the second fill for an opioid unless the person receiving the prescription meets certain requirements. The bill requires the department of public health and environment to report to the general assembly its findings from studies regarding the prescription drug monitoring program conducted pursuant to a federal grant program. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Wildfire Matters Review Committee. The wildfire matters review committee (WMRC) is currently scheduled to repeal on July 1, 2018. The bill defers the repeal date to September 1, 2025. The bill also eliminates obsolete provisions relating to the WMRC's consideration of codifying the wildland and prescribed fire advisory commission, an entity created by executive order. The WMRC discharged its obligation by considering this issue during the 2014 legislative session. The bill also appropriates $49,125 from the general fund to the legislative department for the 2018-19 state fiscal year for its implementation. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Joint Budget Committee. The bill addresses numerous reforms to the funding structure for the state's child welfare services. Section 1 of the bill clarifies the types of child welfare services that must be available and provided, as necessary and appropriate, by county departments of human or social services (county departments). Sections 2 and 7 of the bill eliminate the option for county departments to maintain unspent general fund money from the child welfare services block allocation if they participate in the collaborative management program or the integrated care management program. Section 3 of the bill adds a statutory definition of and citation to the federal 'Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018'. Section 4 of the bill creates a program in the child welfare system for residential out-of-home placements for children and youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Section 5 of the bill: Changes the number of and process for appointments to the child welfare allocations committee; and Requires the development of a child welfare system funding model. Section 6 of the bill: Increases the percentage that counties are reimbursed by the state for adoption and relative guardianship subsidies from 80% to 90%; Formalizes the input process of the child welfare allocations committee; Allows the department of human services (state department) to submit supplemental budget requests for increases in out-of-home placement provider rates and adoption and relative guardianship expenditures; Modifies language concerning negotiations between county departments and providers for out-of-home placement rates; Requires capacity evaluations in counties or regions; Requires the state department to perform an analysis and cost projections to determine the fiscal impact on the state for changes in federal reimbursement rates for child welfare expenditures that result from the federal 'Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018'; Modifies the close-out process for child welfare expenditures; and Creates a child welfare prevention and intervention services cash fund into which unspent general fund money allocated to county departments through block allocations are transferred for sustainability of state-approved prevention and intervention programs and services. Section 8 of the bill creates the delivery of child welfare services task force.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill allows county departments of human or social services to extend the provision of certain services for a successful adulthood to foster care youth between the ages of 18 and 21 who have exited the foster care system (former foster care youth), including assistance with employment, housing, education, financial management, mental health care, and substance abuse treatment (services for a successful adulthood). The bill also tasks the state department of human services with establishing a former foster care youth steering committee. The purpose of the steering committee is to develop recommendations for an implementation plan that supports the long-term provision of services for a successful adulthood for former foster care youth. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Current law sets the fees paid by stationary sources of air pollutants by statute and allows the air quality control commission to set the fees below the cap by rule as needed to comply with TABOR. The bill increases the statutory caps as follows: Type of Fee Current Cap New Cap Air pollutant emission notices$152.90$191.13 Per-ton fee for regulated pollutants$ 22.90$ 28.63 Per-ton fee for hazardous pollutants$152.90$191.13 Per-hour permit processing fee$ 76.45$ 95.56 The maximum statutory fees automatically increase by the rate of inflation on each January 1 from 2019 to 2028, but the actual fees collected will be set at or below the statutory cap by the commission by rule. The division of administration in the department of public health and environment shall prioritize its use of the revenues generated by the fee increases to reduce permit processing times. The division will: Engage affected industries to identify and assess measures to improve billing practices, increase accounting transparency, and assess potential efficiency improvements with respect to division activities financed by the fees; and Report to the general assembly through 2022 to provide status updates on the stakeholder process. The bill appropriates $1,555,293 to the department to implement the act. (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 labor and employment and the state medical services board in the department of health care policy and financing to promulgate rules that require all providers of supported employment services for persons with disabilities to obtain a nationally recognized supported employment training certificate or earn a nationally recognized supported employment certification relating to supported employment services. The rules must specify time frames for completion of the training or certification. The time frames must provide for training to be completed over a 5-year period, subject to appropriations for reimbursement of vendors. The state medical services board shall adopt rules for administering the reimbursements to vendors, which must be $300 for each certification exam and $1,200 for each training program certificate, which includes reimbursement for both the cost of training and wages paid to employees during training. The bill requires that the department of labor and employment's fee schedule for rehabilitation services include the discovery process as an alternative comprehensive assessment if appropriate for persons with disabilities. The bill lists annual employment data, reported by county, that the department of health care policy and financing must collect. The bill corrects the repeal provision language for the employment first advisory partnership and its duties. 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 creates the school access for emergency response grant program (grant program) in the division of homeland security and emergency management (division) in the department of public safety (department). The purpose of the grant program is to provide funding for interoperable communication hardware, software, equipment maintenance, and training to allow for seamless communications between existing school communications systems and first responder communications systems. Grant recipients may use the money received through the grant program to deliver training programs to teach effective communications with first responders in an emergency, to implement an interoperable technology solution to provide or upgrade a system for effective communication with first responders in an emergency, to maintain, improve, or provide interoperable communications hardware or software, and for any necessary radio system capacity expansions where school loading has been determined to have a significant impact on public safety system loading. The division, in consultation with the grant selection committee created in the bill, is required to implement the grant program and, subject to available appropriations, award grants to be paid from the grant program fund. The director of the division is required to promulgate rules necessary to implement the grant program. The grant selection committee is created to work with the director of the division to determine whether a grant applicant satisfies the criteria to receive a grant. To be eligible to receive a grant, a school district, school, charter school of the district, institute charter school, or state charter school institute must have a memorandum of understanding with its regional public safety 911 answering point or the local law enforcement agency that serves the school for communications interoperability and must submit an application, including specified information, to the division. The grant selection committee is required to review the applications received and consider certain criteria in awarding the grants. Each grant recipient is required to submit a report to the division and the department is required to provide an annual update to the general assembly regarding the grant program. The bill creates the grant program cash fund in the state treasury, which consists of a specified amount of money that the state treasurer transfers to the fund for each of the next 6 fiscal years. The bill also makes an appropriation. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Under current law, there are no provisions that specifically address what happens to a regulated marijuana business when a representative is appointed for the business. The bill requires a potential appointee to certify to the court prior to the appointment that he or she is suitable to hold a marijuana business license. After the appointment, the appointee shall apply to the state licensing authority for a finding of suitability. The state licensing authority must provide the appointee with a temporary appointee registration after receiving notification of the initial appointment. The bill gives the state licensing authority rule-making authority regarding temporary appointee registrations. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill states that it is unlawful for a seller, retailer, or vendor to knowingly or willfully dispense, sell, or distribute a finished drug product containing any quantity of dextromethorphan to a person less than 18 years of age. A seller, retailer, or vendor making a retail sale of a finished drug product containing any quantity of dextromethorphan must require and obtain proof of age from the purchaser before completing the sale unless the seller, retailer, or vendor reasonably presumes from the purchaser's outward appearance that the purchaser is at least 25 years of age. A seller, retailer, or vendor who violates the prohibition or who fails to obtain proof of age when required to do so commits an unclassified petty offense and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished as follows: For a first offense, the court shall warn the seller, retailer, or vendor in writing; and For a second or subsequent offense, the seller, retailer, or vendor shall pay a fine of not more than $200. The prohibition does not apply to a medication containing dextromethorphan, which medication is sold pursuant to a valid prescription. It is an affirmative defense if the seller, retailer, or vendor is an employer and trains its employees concerning the bill's restrictions on the distribution of medications containing dextromethorphan. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Committee on Legal Services. Based on the findings and recommendations of the committee on legal services, the bill extends all state agency rules that were adopted or amended on or after November 1, 2016, and before November 1, 2017, with the exception of the rules specifically listed in the bill. Those specified rules will expire as scheduled in the "State Administrative Procedure Act" on May 15, 2018, on the grounds that the rules either conflict with statute or lack or exceed statutory authority.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Sunset Process - House Agriculture, Livestock, and Natural Resources Committee. The bill implements the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies in its sunset review and report on the 'Custom Processing of Meat Animals Act' (act) by: Extending the act for 5 years; and Authorizing custom meat processors licensed under the act to sell poultry to retail food establishments.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
