Medicaid - 1115 demonstration waiver - criminal or juvenile justice system prevention - mental health institute admission criteria - community behavioral health safety net system - appropriation. The act requires the department of health care policy and financing (state department) to develop measurable outcomes to monitor efforts to prevent medicaid recipients from becoming involved in the criminal or juvenile justice system. The act requires the state department to work collaboratively with managed care entities to create incentives for behavioral health providers to accept medicaid recipients with severe behavioral health disorders. The act requires the state department to determine if seeking a 1115 demonstration waiver is the necessary response to ensure inpatient services are available to individuals with a serious mental illness. If the state department determines it is not appropriate, the state department shall submit a report to the general assembly with the state department's reasoning and an alternative plan and proposed timeline for the implementation of the alternative plan. The act requires the state department to develop and implement admission criteria to the mental health institutes at Pueblo and Fort Logan. The act creates a community behavioral health safety net system (safety net system) and requires the department of human services, in collaboration with the state department, to conduct the following activities: Define what constitutes a high-intensity behavioral health treatment program (treatment program), determine what an adequate network of high-intensity behavioral health treatment services includes, and identify existing treatment programs; Develop an implementation plan to increase the number of treatment programs in the state; Identify an advisory body to assist the department in creating a comprehensive proposal to strengthen and expand the safety net system; Develop a comprehensive proposal to strengthen and expand the safety net system that provides behavioral health services for individuals with severe behavioral health disorders; Implement the comprehensive proposal and the funding model no later than January 1, 2024; and Provide an annual report from January 1, 2022, until July 1, 2024, on the safety net system to the public through the annual SMART Act hearing. The act appropriates $75,000 to the department of health care policy and financing from the general fund. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Small game hunting and fishing license - columbine annual pass - property tax work-off program - first responders with a permanent occupational disability. The act grants first responders with a permanent occupational disability free lifetime small game hunting and fishing licenses and a free columbine annual pass for entrance into state parks. The act also allows first responders with a permanent occupational disability to be eligible to participate in a property tax work-off program established by a taxing entity. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Regulation of lobbyists - clarification of term "client" - heightened disclosure requirements - secretary of state to convene working group to consider upgrades to electronic filing system used by lobbyists - appropriation. The act clarifies that the term "client" used in connection with statutory provisions regulating lobbyists means the person who employs or retains the professional services of one or more lobbyists to undertake lobbying on behalf of that person. The act also clarifies that a professional lobbyist is not, for purposes of the statute, a client of either a lobbying firm or any other person that employs or retains one or more professional lobbyists to undertake lobbying on behalf of one or more clients. The act clarifies that existing provisions that require heightened disclosure when a lobbyist enters into an agreement to engage in lobbying apply when the general assembly is in regular or special session. In addition to any other disclosure, during the period that the general assembly is in regular or special session, the act also requires a professional lobbyist to notify the secretary of state (secretary) by means of the electronic filing system within 72 hours after: The lobbyist agrees to undertake lobbying in connection with new legislation, standards, rules, or rates for either a new or existing client of the lobbyist; or The lobbyist takes a new position on a new or existing bill for a new or existing client of the lobbyist. During this period, where the lobbyist agrees to undertake lobbying in connection with new or existing legislation for either a new or existing client, the disclosure required by the act includes the bill number of the legislation at issue and whether the lobbyist's client is supporting, opposing, amending, or monitoring the legislation at the time the lobbyist agrees to undertake lobbying in connection with the legislation or takes a new position. The act also states that an attorney who is a professional lobbyist may not decline to disclose his or her lobbying as such lobbying is required to be disclosed on the grounds that the lobbying is protected against disclosure as confidential matters between an attorney and a client. In connection with any requirement under existing law to disclose the identity of a client, a professional lobbyist who is a natural person and who is employed or retained by a lobbying firm or any other firm or entity may disclose the name of the lobbying firm or other person or entity by means of which, or under the name of which, a professional lobbyist does business, but to satisfy such disclosure requirement the lobbyist is also required to disclose the name of the client who employs or retains the professional services of the lobbyist, or a lobbying firm or any other person or entity that employs or retains the lobbyist, to undertake lobbying on its behalf. The act also requires the secretary to convene a working group to consider upgrades to the electronic filing system used by lobbyists to file their disclosure reports. The act specifies the mission of the working group and requirements affecting its organization and membership. The working group is required to report its conclusions to the general assembly. For the 2019-20 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $38,160 to the department of state from the department of state cash fund for use by the information technology division. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
State board of accountancy - continuing education requirements - continuation under sunset law. The automatic termination date of the regulation of accountants by the state board of accountancy is extended until September 1, 2030, pursuant to the provisions of the sunset law. The act implements the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies' sunset review and report on the state board of accountancy by: Making the use of fraudulent, coercive, or dishonest practices, or the demonstration of incompetence, untrustworthiness, or financial irresponsibility, grounds for discipline (section 9 of the act); Clarifying that foreign corporations operating a Colorado office must register with the board and adding "limited liability partnership" to the list of business types that must register (section 8); Permitting a person that is not certified or registered to use an accounting designation that includes the word "management" conferred by a bona fide nationally recognized accounting organization if the designation does not purport to confer the right to perform audit or attest services (sections 4 and 7); Authorizing the board to take disciplinary action against uncertified or unregistered persons, including resident managers, if they provide services that require certification or registration (section 9); Allowing a person to request inactive status via any board-approved method (section 5); and Making technical changes (sections 5, 10, and 11). Section 3 updates the names of several regional accrediting agencies. Section 6 specifies that a nonresident certificate holder's completion of continuing education requirements in the holder's home state satisfies the Colorado continuing education requirements. Specified provisions of the act are contingent upon House Bill 19-1172 becoming law. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Colorado state university global campus - national guard tuition assistance. The act adds Colorado state university - global campus to the list of designated institutions of higher education for purposes of tuition assistance for members of the National Guard.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Violation of rental agreements - notice requirements - time to cure violation. The act concerns the time frames in which certain landlords must give notice to tenants prior to commencing eviction proceedings for failure to pay rent or for a first or subsequent violation of any other condition or covenant other than a substantial violation. Under most residential agreements, a landlord is required to give 10 days notice. Under a nonresidential or an employer-provided housing agreement, a landlord is required to give 3 days notice. For an exempt residential agreement, meaning for the lease of a single family home by a landlord who owns 5 or fewer single family rental homes, 5 days notice is required.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Self-contained breathing apparatus - testing and certification - administration by department of public safety - rule-making authority - appropriation. Currently, local fire departments and other users of self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) rely on certification under standards promulgated by the United States department of transportation (DOT) or the national institute for occupational safety and health (NIOSH) for quality control of pressure vessels. These certifications are considered valid through the vessel's recommended service life, but that service life is finite. Section 1 of the act declares that, with the emergence of new technology to test the continuing safety of vessels that are at the end of their initial recommended service life, vessels that remain safe can and should be recertified for an additional period rather than discarded, resulting in a saving of tax dollars for local governments. Sections 2 and 3 give the director of the division of fire prevention and control in the department of public safety the authority to inspect SCBA equipment and, if necessary, to write rules governing the inspection and certification of pressure vessels. Any such rules must incorporate or recognize current DOT or NIOSH standards for certification and recertification with regard to any technology that is accepted by those federal agencies. $40,291 is appropriated to the department of public safety for use by the division of fire prevention and control to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Foster care - bill of rights for sibling youth in foster care. The act establishes certain rights for sibling youth in foster care, unless the rights are not in the best interests of either sibling, regardless of whether the parental rights of one or more of the foster youth's parents have been terminated.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Passenger tramway safety board - continuation under sunset law. The act implements some of the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies' sunset review and report on the passenger tramway safety board (board) by: Continuing the functions of the board for 11 years, until 2030; Removing the requirement that letters of admonition be sent by certified mail; and Replacing statutory references to the program administrator with references to the program director. Specified provisions of the act are contingent upon House Bill 19-1172 becoming law. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Internet service providers - state-funded broadband deployment - state procurement preferences - open internet requirements to receive state funds or contracts - complaints to federal trade commission. Section 1 of the act disqualifies an internet service provider (ISP) from receiving money through a grant from the broadband deployment board (board) or through any state fund established to help finance broadband deployment if the ISP engages in any of the following practices: Blocking lawful internet content, applications, services, or devices unless such blocking is conducted in a manner consistent with reasonable network management practices; Engaging in paid prioritization of internet content; Regulating network traffic by throttling bandwidth or otherwise impairing or degrading lawful internet traffic on the basis of internet content, application, service, or use of a nonharmful device unless the impairment or degradation is conducted in a manner consistent with reasonable network management practices; or Not providing reasonable transparency regarding its network management practices. Section 1 also requires that, if an ISP is found to have engaged in any of the practices listed above, the ISP must refund any money that it received in the prior 24 months through a grant from the board or from any other state funding source established to help finance broadband deployment. Section 2 requires the broadband deployment board to periodically review the federal trade commission's and federal communications commission's websites to identify any actions the federal agencies have taken against an ISP that seeks or has received broadband deployment grant money from the board. If the board determines from a review of the federal agency action that the ISP engaged in one of the practices listed above, the board shall deny the application or inform the public utilities commission of the action. Section 3 requires the attorney general or the attorney general's designee, in collaboration with the board, to develop guidance for consumers on how to file a complaint with the federal trade commission to allege that an ISP has engaged in any of the practices that violate federal law regarding interference with the open internet. The department of law shall post the guidance on its website. Section 4 requires a governmental body, when contracting for broadband internet access service, to give preference to an ISP that certifies to the governmental body that it will not engage in any of the practices listed in section 1. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Traffic infractions - passing authorized snow plows in echelon formation - appropriation. The act states that a person commits a class A traffic offense if the person passes a snowplow that is operated by a state, county, or local government, displaying its lights, and performing its service function in echelon formation with one or more other such snowplows. "Echelon formation" means a formation in which snowplows are arranged diagonally, with each unit stationed behind and to the right, or behind and to the left, of the unit ahead. $3,375 is appropriated to the department of revenue to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Traction control equipment. The act amends the traction-control statute, which requires certain equipment during a winter storm, by: Updating the equipment options to authorize current technology and traction options; Setting minimum standards for tires; and Requiring the traction equipment to be carried on I-70 between milepost 133 (Dotsero) and milepost 259 (Morrison) from September 1 through May 31 for icy or snow-packed conditions.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
