Current law exempts 'agricultural and livestock products' from the levy and collection of property tax and defines 'agriculture', for purposes of applying the exemption, to include silviculture. Current law also exempts 'agricultural equipment which is used on the farm or ranch in the production of agricultural products' from the levy and collection of property tax. The bill repeals the current exemption and instead clarifies that agricultural equipment includes silviculture personal property that is designed, adapted, and used for the planting, growing, maintenance, or harvesting of trees in a raw or unprocessed state. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Interim Study Committee on Communication Between the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) and Medicaid Clients. The bill requires the department of health care policy and financing (department) to engage in an ongoing process to improve medicaid client communications, including client letters and notices, that concern eligibility for or the denial, reduction, suspension, or termination of a benefit. Among other requirements included in the bill, the department shall ensure that client communications are accurate, readable, and understandable, clearly conveying the purpose of the letter or notice and the specific action or actions that the client must take in response to the letter or notice. The bill requires the department to include in certain notices a specific and plain language explanation of the basis for the denial, reduction, suspension, or termination of a benefit; and a description of necessary information or documents that the client has not provided. If sufficient state and federal appropriations are available, on and after July 1, 2018, the department shall make available electronically a client's information concerning household composition, assets, and income sources and amounts, if relevant to the determination for which the client correspondence was issued. The department may test new or significantly revised client communications against the requirements included in the bill with a representative sample of medicaid clients, advocacy organizations, and counties prior to implementing the client communications. The department shall also develop a process to consider feedback from stakeholders and counties prior to implementing significant changes to correspondence. The department shall also ensure that letters and notices affecting clients with disabilities, seniors, and other vulnerable populations are appropriately prioritized for improvement consistent with the requirements in the bill. The department shall receive feedback from the workgroup established to provide customer and community partner feedback regarding client communications as part of the department's involvement in state-level decision-making relating to computer system changes and training. The department shall provide information concerning medicaid client communications improvements as part of its annual presentation to its legislative committee of reference. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Sunset Process - Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill extends the domestic violence offender management board (board) until September 1, 2022. In addition, the bill: Changes the appointment authority for 5 members of the board from the executive director of the department of regulatory agencies (DORA) to the executive director of the department of public safety (director); Changes the qualifications for 5 members of the board to require all to have experience in the field of domestic violence, at least 3 members to be licensed mental health professionals, and at least 3 to be on the list of approved providers published by the board; Requires the director to consult with a statewide organization of criminal defense attorneys prior to appointing the private defense attorney to the board; Repeals language concerning staggered terms for members of the initial board; Authorizes the board to elect a presiding officer rather than having the director appoint the presiding officer; Changes the responsibility for the review of providers' applications and review of mandatory continuing education course requirements from DORA to the board; and Makes the board solely responsible for publishing the list of approved providers and relieves DORA from this responsibility.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill appropriates $1.5 million from the species conservation trust fund for programs submitted by the executive director of the department of natural resources that are designed to conserve native species that state or federal law list as threatened or endangered or that are candidate species or are likely to become candidate species as determined by the United States fish and wildlife service as follows: Native terrestrial wildlife conservation, $375,000; Native aquatic wildlife conservation, $375,000; Platte river recovery implementation program, $600,000; and Nonnative fish control, $150,000.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Current law requires an opportunity for public notice and a hearing for proposed transactions that would result in the acquisition of control of a domestic insurer, which is one that is incorporated or formed pursuant to Colorado law. Section 1 of the bill expands the public notice for acquisition of a domestic insurer that offers health plans by requiring the commissioner of insurance to make certain information available for public inspection if the application presents prima facie evidence of a violation of the competitive standards established by law. Section 2 appropriates $9,505 from the division of insurance cash fund, which is reappropriated to the department of law for implementation of the act along with 0.1 FTE.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill allows the state licensing authority to authorize single-instance transfers of retail marijuana or retail marijuana products from a retail marijuana licensee to a medical marijuana licensee. If granted, the transfer must be completed within 30 days of the date the transfer was approved. A retail marijuana license that is subject to suspension is not eligible for the transfer and any retail marijuana or retail marijuana product that is subject to an administrative hold is not eligible for transfer. Under current law, the department of revenue determines the average market rate for purposes of excise tax collection on retail marijuana every 6 months. The bill gives the department the authority to calculate the average market rate on a quarterly basis. The average market rate cannot include taxes paid on sales or transfers. The bill requires a separate average market rate for unprocessed marijuana for extraction that is lower than the average market rate for unprocessed marijuana for direct sale. The bill states that the average market rate should be used to calculate the state excise tax on affiliated transactions, and the contract price should be used to calculate the excise tax on unaffiliated transactions. The bill clarifies that the average market rate will be used to calculate the excise tax on all county, municipal, or metropolitan district transactions. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Sunset Process - Senate Business, Labor, and Technology Committee. The bill implements one of the two recommendations contained in the department of regulatory agencies' (department) sunset report on the regulation of landscape architects by the division of professions and occupations, including the state board of landscape architects (board). Sections 1 and 2 of the bill implement recommendation 1 of the sunset report to continue the licensing of landscape architects for 11 years, until 2028.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Currently, a tow carrier who tows abandoned motor vehicles uses an electronic system to access department records to ascertain and notify the motor vehicle's owner and lienholder. The bill allows insurers and salvage pools to use the same system to determine a motor vehicle's owner and lienholder. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill prohibits a carrier from requiring a covered person to undergo step therapy: When being treated for a terminal condition; or If the covered person has tried a step-therapy-required drug under a health benefit plan and the drug was discontinued by the manufacturer. A carrier that requires step therapy must have an override process for health care providers. 'Step therapy' is defined as a protocol that requires a covered person to use a prescription drug or sequence of prescription drugs, other than the drug that the covered person's health care provider recommends for the covered person's treatment, before the carrier provides coverage for the recommended drug. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill specifies that it is neither a conflict of interest nor a breach of fiduciary duty or the public trust for a local government official to serve on the board of directors of a nonprofit entity. A local government official who serves on the board of directors of a nonprofit entity shall publicly announce his or her relationship with the nonprofit entity before voting on a matter that provides a direct and substantial economic benefit to the nonprofit entity. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
For the 3 income tax years prior to January 1, 2017, a residential 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. The tax credit is equal to 25% of eligible child care expenses that the individual incurred during the taxable year, up to a maximum amount of $500 for a single dependent or $1,000 for 2 or more dependents. The bill extends the tax credit for 3 more income tax years. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill creates a legislative interim committee to study school finance issues and make legislative recommendations concerning how to most accurately meet the educational needs of students through the funding of education in Colorado. The interim committee will meet during the 2017 and 2018 legislative interims. The bill specifies issues that the interim committee must study. The interim committee is required to contract with a private entity to assist in the study. The chair and vice-chair of the interim committee may appoint subcommittees to provide technical assistance to the interim committee. The subcommittees may include members of the interim committee and other persons with expertise in school finance. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
