The bill exempts a person's earnings from garnishment if the person's family income does not exceed 400% of current federal poverty guidelines and the judgment is for medical debt. A writ of continuing garnishment must include notice that a person's earnings may be exempt if those criteria are met, notice of the judgment debtor's right to object and have a hearing on that objection, and a statement that, to the best of the judgment creditor's knowledge, the judgment debtor's earnings are not exempt. The bill takes effect on January 1, 2020, and applies to judgments entered on or after that date. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More
Read More
The bill creates the literacy enrichment scholarship program (program) for students in kindergarten or grades one through 3 who are identified as having a significant reading deficiency. The scholarship amount is limited to $500 per student per year and may be used by the student's parent to purchase literacy enrichment products and services for the student. The department of education (department) must implement the program by contracting with a nonprofit entity to administer distribution of the scholarship money. The administering entity will accept applications and confirm that the applying student and his or her parents meet the eligibility requirements. The administering entity will then notify the department, and the department will forward the scholarship amount for the eligible student to the administering entity, which will deposit the money in the eligible student's account. The administering entity must establish a money transfer service by which the parent of an eligible student may withdraw money from the account. A parent may use the scholarship money only for literacy enrichment purposes and may not accept payments from literacy enrichment providers. The bill specifies procedures for enforcing these requirements. By January 31, 2023, the department must evaluate whether the program is successful in assisting students to improve literacy skills. The department must submit the evaluation to the state board of education and the education committees of the general assembly. The general assembly will appropriate money annually for the program to the literacy enrichment scholarship fund, which is created in the bill. The program is repealed, effective July 1, 2025. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More
Currently, "United States Mountain Standard Time" (MST) is the standard time within Colorado, except during the period of daylight saving time (i.e., the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November) when time is advanced one hour. The bill exempts the state from observing daylight saving time, making MST the standard time year-round. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More
The bill prohibits a state agency from expending any public funds to undertake, on behalf of the agency, lobbying of the general assembly, any of the staff agencies of the general assembly, or any member of the general assembly. The bill also prohibits the agency from contracting with any lobbying firm or any other private organization or entity that provides lobbying services for the purpose of lobbying on its behalf the general assembly, any of the staff agencies of the general assembly, or any member of the general assembly. The bill defines "state agency" to mean every executive department, board, commission, committee, bureau, and office of state government including the departments of state, law, and treasury; the office of the governor; the office of the lieutenant governor; and the judicial branch of state government. The bill also permits a state agency to employ a legislative liaison on its behalf but prohibits the legislative liaison from undertaking any lobbying on behalf of the agency. In connection with the consideration of any official matter before state government, the bill specifies that a legislative liaison employed by an agency is not undertaking lobbying on behalf of the agency as long as a liaison restricts his or her personal activities to giving testimony or providing information in various settings, the liaison clearly identifies himself or herself and the agency for which the liaison is testifying or providing information, and the liaison does not express his or her personal support of or opposition to any such matter or the agency's position with respect to any such matter. The bill permits an elected public official to express his or her personal opinion in support of or in opposition to any matter before the government of the state. The bill makes conforming amendments to the existing statutory provision authorizing executive departments to designate one person to lobby on behalf of the department. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More
Under existing law, an institution of higher education (institution) is required to administer basic skills placement or assessment tests (tests) in English and math to matriculated students. The institution must select the tests from among those that meet standards established by the Colorado commission on higher education (CCHE). The bill prohibits an institution from using tests that are not available for use by school districts and high schools, including early colleges. CCHE must ensure that this requirement is included in the standards for these tests. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More
Section 2 of the bill establishes leave savings accounts. A leave savings account is an account with a financial institution for which the individual uses money to pay for any expense while he or she is on eligible leave, which includes: The birth of a child of the individual and in order to care for the child; The placement of a child with the individual for adoption or foster care; Caring for a spouse, child, or parent of the individual if the spouse, child, or parent has a serious health condition; A serious health condition that makes the individual unable to perform the functions of the position of the individual; or Any qualifying exigency, as determined by the United States secretary of labor, arising out of the fact that a spouse, child, or parent of the individual is on covered active duty, or has been notified of an impending call or order to covered active duty, in the United States armed forces. An individual may annually contribute up to $5,000 of state pretax wages to a leave savings account. Employers may also make a matching contribution to an employee's leave savings account. The department of revenue is required to establish a form about a leave savings account, and the individual must annually file this form to be eligible for the tax benefit. Sections 3 and 4 allow an employee and an employer to claim a state income tax deduction for amounts they contribute to the employee's leave savings account. Section 3 also allows a taxpayer to deduct any interest or other income earned on the investment during the taxable year from their leave savings account. Regardless of how the money is deposited in the leave savings account, if an individual uses money in the account for an unauthorized purpose, then the money is subject to recapture in the year it is withdrawn and to a penalty equal to 10% of the amount recaptured. Section 5 creates an income tax credit for an employer that pays an employee for leave that is between 6 and 12 weeks long for one of the following reasons: The birth of a child of the employee and in order to care for the child; Placement of a child with the employee for adoption or foster care; Caring for a spouse, child, or parent of the employee if the spouse, child, or parent has a serious health condition; A serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the functions of the position of the employee; or Any qualifying exigency, as determined by the United States secretary of labor, arising out of the fact that a spouse, child, or parent of the employee is on covered active duty, or has been notified of an impending call or order to covered active duty, in the United States armed forces. For employers with fewer than 50 employees, the credit is equal to 50% of the amount paid, and for employers with 50 or more employees it is equal to 25% of the amount paid. The credit is not refundable, but it may be carried forward up to 5 years. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More
Alcohol beverages - removal of dual licensing requirement - fermented malt beverage and malt liquor manufacturers, wholesalers, and importers. The act removes the dual licensing requirement for manufacturers, wholesalers, and importers under the "Colorado Beer Code" (beer code) and the "Colorado Liquor Code" (liquor code) by: Converting each manufacturer's license issued under the beer code to a manufacturer's license issued under the liquor code; Converting each wholesaler's license issued under the beer code to a wholesaler's beer license issued under the liquor code; Converting each nonresident manufacturer's license issued under the beer code to a nonresident manufacturer's license issued under the liquor code; Converting each importer's license issued under the beer code to a malt liquor importer's license issued under the liquor code; and Repealing the authority of the state licensing authority to issue new licenses under the beer code, except for licenses authorizing the retail sale of fermented malt beverages. The act specifies that it applies to conduct occurring on or after January 31, 2019. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Colorado Commission on Uniform State Laws. Current law requires an individual who wishes to have a document notarized to appear personally before a notary public. The bill enacts the 2018 amendments to the "Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts", drafted by the Uniform Law Commission, which authorize notaries public to perform a notarial act on behalf of an individual who is not in the notary's physical presence. To perform a remote notarization, a notary must use an electronic system that conforms to standards established by rules of the secretary of state, including using communication technology and keeping an audio-video recording of the notarization for at least 10 years. The bill establishes the standards that a notary must comply with to have satisfactory evidence of the identity of the individual seeking the remote notarization. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More
The bill allows private employers to give preference to veterans of the armed forces or the National Guard when hiring, promoting, and retaining employees as long as the veterans are as qualified as other individuals. The bill clarifies that employers who adopt a program that gives preferences to veterans are not committing a discriminatory or unfair labor practice.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More
The bill requires the state board of licensure for architects, professional engineers, and professional land surveyors to adopt rules establishing a continuing education requirement for professional land surveyors. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More
Under current law, a traffic control signal is required to cycle yellow before cycling red to indicate to vehicles and pedestrians facing the signal that movement in that direction is being terminated. The bill would require a traffic control signal to cycle yellow before cycling green as well to indicate to vehicles and pedestrians facing the signal that movement in that direction will soon commence.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More
