Current law grants the department of personnel the authority to manage existing display space in the Colorado convention center that is available for the promotion of the state. The bill instead grants the management responsibility to the office of economic development. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Section 1 of the bill defines and exempts a financial organization loyalty card from the property that is subject to the "Revised Uniform Unclaimed Property Act", which is effective on July 1, 2020. Section 2 repeals the presumption of abandonment in the act for demand, savings, or time deposits with a financial organization, and section 3 replaces it by reenacting the current law, which otherwise is effective until July 1, 2020. The continued, current law has the same 5-year period for property to be presumed abandoned but has different owner activities that rebut the presumption of abandonment. It also delays the time that a financial organization is required to deliver this property to the administrator, if a penalty or forfeiture in the payment of interest would result from the delivery of the property. Section 4 requires the administrator to record the partial last-known address, instead of the full address, for each person appearing on a holder's report provided to the administrator, and for this record to be available on the website or database maintained by the administrator, instead of through public inspection. (Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.) (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill requires the public utilities commission to adopt by rule, no later than July 31, 2021, renewable natural gas programs for large natural gas utilities (those that have at least 200,000 250,000 customer accounts in Colorado) and small natural gas utilities (those that have fewer than 200,000 250,000 customer accounts in Colorado). Municipally owned natural gas utilities may, but need not, participate in a renewable natural gas program. The rules must include reporting requirements and a process for natural gas utilities to fully recover prudently incurred costs associated with the large and small renewable natural gas programs. "Renewable natural gas" is defined to mean any of the following products processed to meet pipeline quality standards or transportation fuel-grade requirements or delivered by an alternative energy carrier : Biogas that is blended with, or substituted for, geologic natural gas; Hydrogen gas derived from renewable energy sources; or Methane gas derived from any combination of biogas; hydrogen gas or carbon oxides derived from renewable energy sources; waste carbon dioxide; coalbed methane resulting from human activity; naturally occurring coalbed deposits; a municipal solid waste landfill; waste tire or municipal solid waste pyrolysis; or biogas recovery from manure management systems and anaerobic digesters ; or the decomposition of organic food waste . If a large natural gas utility's total incremental annual cost to meet the targets of the large renewable natural gas program exceeds 5% 2% of the large natural gas utility's total revenue requirement for a particular year, the large natural gas utility shall not make additional qualified investments under the large renewable natural gas program for that year without approval from the commission. The bill establishes the following portfolio targets for the percentage of gas purchased by large natural gas utilities that is renewable natural gas: By January 1, 2025, at least 5% must be renewable natural gas; By January 1, 2030, at least 10% must be renewable natural gas; and On and after January 1, 2035, at least 15% must be renewable natural gas. Small natural gas utilities may opt in to the small renewable natural gas program as established by the commission by rule. The rule must include tradeable credits and a rate cap limiting the small natural gas utility's costs of procuring renewable natural gas from third parties and qualified investments in renewable natural gas infrastructure. The bill appropriates $83,555 from the fixed utilities cash fund to the department of regulatory agencies for use by the public utilities commission to implement the bill. (Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.) (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill enacts the "Genetic Counselor Licensure Act". On and after June 1, 2021, a person cannot practice genetic counseling without being licensed by the director of the division of professions and occupations in the department of regulatory agencies. To be licensed, a person must have been certified by a national body; except that the director may issue a provisional license to a candidate for certification pursuant to requirements established by rule. The bill gives title protection to genetic counselors and standard licensing, rule-making, and disciplinary powers to the director. Genetic counselors must have insurance. The bill repeals the act on September 1, 2027, subject to sunset review. Genetic counselors are subject to the mandatory disclosures of the "Michael Skolnik Medical Transparency Act of 2010". The bill appropriates $35,895 from the division of professions and occupations cash fund to the division of professions and occupations in the department of regulatory agencies, of which $15,990 is reappropriated to the department of law, to implement the act. (Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.) (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill creates the "Traveling Exotic Animal Safety Protection Act" (Act), which prohibits the use of exotic animals in a traveling animal act. A person who violates the Act commits a misdemeanor and is subject to a fine of between $250 and $1,000 per violation. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Statutory Revision Committee. The bill clarifies that electrical inspection fees charged by the state electrical board, which are generally based on the actual expense of the inspection, may be doubled if an application for an electrical permit is not filed in advance of the commencement of an electrical installation.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Veterans who have disabilities may obtain a special license plate without paying taxes or fees. For additional vehicles, the veteran pays the normal fees plus 2 one-time fees of $25, one of which goes to the highway users tax fund and the other goes to the licensing services cash fund. The bill creates a license plate that honors United States women veterans who have disabilities. The requirements and benefits are substantially the same as they are for a disabled veteran license plate. To implement the bill, $9,675 is appropriated from the Colorado DRIVES vehicles services account in the highway users tax fund for the division of motor vehicles. (Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.) (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Current law makes it a class 1 traffic misdemeanor when careless driving of a motor vehicle causes serious bodily injury to a vulnerable road user. The bill changes serious bodily injury to a vulnerable road user to serious bodily injury to anyone. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Signed by the President of the Senate
The bill authorizes a physician or a mental health professional (professional) to evaluate or treat a minor patient (minor) for a behavioral health disorder with the consent of only one parent or legal guardian of the minor if both parents have legal decision-making authority over the minor, but not when there is an existing court order providing that the parents or legal guardians have joint-decision making authority concerning the medical or behavioral health decisions of the minor . The professional shall act in the best interest of the minor and provide services for a behavioral health disorder only in accordance with the professional's own advice or recommendation. The bill defines a minor as a person who is under 15 years of age. (Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.) (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Energy Legislation Review Interim Study Committee. The bill requires that all diesel fuel sold or offered for sale in nonattainment areas in Colorado between June 1 and September 15 of each year, commencing June 1, 2021, be blended with and contain at least 5% biodiesel, which includes renewable diesel , and that all diesel fuel sold or offered for sale in Colorado between June 1 and September 15 of each year, commencing June 1, 2023, be blended with and contain at least 10% biodiesel. The blending requirement does not apply to diesel fuel used in locomotives or off-road mining equipment. The air quality control commission, in consultation with the director of the division of oil and public safety in the department of labor and employment shall promulgate rules regarding the blending standard, including rules to establish a waiver process and to require labeling on a bill of lading of biodiesel-blended fuel to reflect the percentage of biodiesel included in the blended fuel when the blend is equal to or above 5% biodiesel. The division may use money in the petroleum storage tank fund to implement the bill. (Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.) (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Current law specifies that a person who commits criminal pollution of state waters that is committed: With criminal negligence or recklessly is subject to a maximum daily fine of $12,500; and Knowingly or intentionally is subject to a maximum daily fine of $25,000. Section 1 of the bill makes a: Criminally negligent or reckless violation a misdemeanor and increases the penalty to $25,000, imprisonment of up to one year, or both; and Knowing or intentional violation a class 5 felony and increases the penalty to $50,000, imprisonment of up to 3 years, or both. Current law specifies that a person who knowingly makes any false representation in a required record or who knowingly renders inaccurate any required water quality monitoring device or method is guilty of a misdemeanor and is subject to a fine of not more than $10,000, imprisonment in the county jail for not more than 6 months, or both. Section 2 makes these violations a class 5 felony and specifies that if 2 separate offenses occur in 2 separate occurrences during a period of 2 years, the maximum fine and imprisonment for the second offense are double the default amounts.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
