The bill prohibits teaching or using instructional materials at public schools that promote discrimination. The bill prohibits public schools from certain discriminatory practices based on a student's, student's family, or teacher's race or ethnicity. The bill creates a $25,000 fine to be paid by the school district of the public school, or by the state charter school institute in the case of an institute charter school, to the state education fund if the commissioner of education finds that a public school knowingly violates a prohibition. The bill waives sovereign immunity and creates a civil action against a public school and the school district or board of cooperative services or the state charter school institute that violates a prohibition.
The bill creates a requirement that any bill that imposes a new fee, authorizes the imposition of a new fee, increases an existing fee, or authorizes the increase of an existing fee be approved by a two-thirds vote of all members elected to each house of the general assembly to become law. The two-thirds vote requirement applies only to the vote on final passage of such a bill in each house of the general assembly. The bill defines a "fee" as a charge that is levied to defray the cost of the particular government service provided to those charged and not levied for the purpose of raising any revenue for a general public purpose. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill establishes licensure requirements for business entities that perform community association management for common interest communities in the state. The division of real estate (division) in the department of regulatory agencies (department) is tasked with administering the regulatory program for community association managers (CAMs). To be licensed, a business entity must: Demonstrate compliance with insurance requirements specified by the director of the division (director) by rule; Designate an individual as the business entity's controlling manager who is responsible for the community association management activities of the business entity and its employees; Pay a fee based on the number of individuals who perform community association management on behalf of the business entity; and Obtain criminal history record checks for its controlling manager and each individual that performs community association management on behalf of the business entity. A business entity licensed as a CAM must ensure that its controlling manager and each individual performing community association management on behalf of the licensed entity is credentialed by the Community Association Managers International Certification Board or the Community Associations Institute and complies with periodic continuing education requirements. The bill sets forth various grounds for disciplining a licensed entity and directs the director to establish a points-based disciplinary system for determining the appropriate level of discipline to impose on a licensed entity based on the level of violation. The bill repeals the licensure of CAMs on September 1, 2029, and directs the department to conduct a sunset review of the licensure program before that date. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Current law restricts the sale of malt, vinous, or spirituous liquors to between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m., and restricts the sale of fermented malt beverages to between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 12 midnight. The bill creates an extended service hours permit to authorize certain liquor licensees that are authorized to sell alcohol beverages for consumption on the licensed premises to sell alcohol beverages outside of these specified hours. A licensee must obtain a permit from both the state and local licensing authorities before operating during extended hours.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill requires a 5-minute high-definition ultrasound video demonstration showing each stage of human development as a requirement of comprehensive human sexuality education. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill specifies that: A physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse with prescriptive authority may prescribe and dispense, and a pharmacist may dispense, therapeutic drugs for off-label use, including hydroxychloroquine sulfate and ivermectin, to provide prophylaxis or outpatient (at-home) and inpatient (hospital) treatment to an individual with COVID-19; and This practice is not unprofessional conduct or otherwise grounds for discipline.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill requires a federal government employee who is not designated as a peace officer in Colorado to receive permission from the sheriff, or the sheriff's designee, before executing an arrest or search warrant within the sheriff's jurisdiction, with exceptions. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill modifies the relationship between a physician assistant and a physician or podiatrist by removing the requirement that a physician assistant be supervised by a physician or podiatrist. Instead: A physician assistant who has completed fewer than 3,000 hours of post-graduate clinical practice experience or who is beginning practice in a new specialty must enter into a collaborative plan with a physician; and A physician assistant who has completed fewer than 3,000 hours of post-graduate clinical practice must enter into a collaborative plan with a podiatrist before practicing podiatry. A physician assistant who has completed 3,000 or more practice hours or, for a physician assistant practicing a new specialty, has completed 2,000 practice hours in the new specialty and at least 3,000 total practice hours, is no longer required to maintain a collaborative plan and is instead required to consult with and refer to appropriate members of the physician assistant's health-care team based on a patient's condition; the physician assistant's education, experience, and competencies; and the standard of care. The bill specifies the requirements of the collaborative plan. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
One of the mechanisms for refunding state revenues in excess of the state fiscal year spending limit imposed by the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR) is a temporary income tax rate reduction. For any state fiscal year commencing on or after July 1, 2022, the bill makes this income tax rate reduction permanent and establishes the reduction as always equaling a .05% reduction of the current income tax rate. Thus, under the bill, every year when the executive director of the department of revenue determines it is necessary to reduce the state income tax, both the individual state income tax rate and the corporate tax rate are permanently reduced by .05%. The bill exempts the state income tax rate and corporate tax rate reduction in the bill from the otherwise required tax preference performance statement and repeal date. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
For income tax years commencing on and after January 1, 2022, the bill reduces both the individual and the corporate state income tax rates from 4.55% to 4.4%. The bill also exempts the rate reductions from the existing statutory requirements that tax expenditure legislation include a tax preference performance statement in a statutory legislative declaration and a repeal after a specified period of tax years. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill makes changes to the laws governing elections. The secretary of state is required, within 30 days after the effective date of the bill, to withdraw the state from participation in the electronic registration information system. Voters are required to cast their ballots in person at the voters' precinct polling place on election day, unless the voter has completed a valid request for an absentee ballot. A voter may request an absentee ballot if the voter will be out of the state on election day, is hospitalized or in a nursing home, has a visual impairment, or is a uniformed overseas voter. All ballots are required to be counted by hand. Counting and canvassing must be completed within 24 hours after polls close. County clerk and recorders are required to mail ballots to electors prior to election day, with written instructions advising that the voter must appear in person at a precinct polling place to cast the ballot. A person is required to show a valid state-issued identification to vote. County clerk and recorders are required to divide the county into precincts and to designate adequate and reasonable polling places in each precinct. County clerk and recorders are required to use schools and government buildings as polling places when possible and are prohibited from changing a polling place in a precinct unless the electors of the precinct are given 2 years notice, or in the event of an emergency rendering the original polling place unusable. The bill establishes new requirements for the certification and use of electronic voting systems. The secretary of state (secretary) is required to create a committee consisting of a member of the faculty in the engineering department at a state institution of higher education, a member of the state bar of Colorado, and one person familiar with voting processes in the state. The committee must test voting systems and make recommendations to the secretary, who is then required to make final adoption of the systems to be certified for use in the state. Use of electronic voting systems is limited to complying with accessibility requirements for voters who are blind or visually impaired established in the bill. The bill makes additional changes to the election laws, including: Requiring county clerk and recorders to send sample ballot proofs of primary ballots to party committee chairs, and to send a proof of the general election ballot to any candidate who was not on the primary ballot; Establishing a 100-foot limit around polling places, requiring voters to promptly leave the 100-foot area after voting, and allowing electioneering activity outside the 100-foot limit except in specific circumstances; Requiring ballots to be printed on anti-fraud paper; Allowing a court to order a recount when presented with facts that require one; and Establishing new election offenses related to unlawful acts by voters and other persons.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill clarifies the purposes of licensed educator performance evaluations. The bill directs the state board of education (state board) to adopt rules as necessary to ensure that: Beginning in the 2022-23 school year, student academic growth is considered, without a percentage, along with the quality standards as part of a comprehensive evaluation of a teacher's or principal's performance; and Student assessment scores may be used collectively at a particular grade level or the school-building level solely for specified purposes, and collective measures may not be used beyond the school level. The bill specifies the measures a school district or board of cooperative services may consider in determining student academic growth for purposes of evaluating teacher performance. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
