Colorado Bills

The bill reduces the regulation of taxicab service provided in large metropolitan areas by changing taxicab service provided in such areas from common carrier status to motor carrier status. Section 4 of the bill defines a large-market taxicab service as indiscriminate passenger transportation for compensation in a taxicab on a call-and-demand basis, within and between points in the counties of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld, and between those points and all points within the state of Colorado, with the first passenger in the taxicab having exclusive use of the taxicab unless the passenger agrees to multiple loadings. Section 9 requires that, on or after January 1, 2019, a person obtain a permit from the public utilities commission to operate a large-market taxicab service. To obtain a permit, a motor carrier providing large-market taxicab service must have at least 25 vehicles in its fleet at all times; except that a motor carrier providing large-market taxicab service in El Paso, Larimer, or Weld county need only have 10 vehicles in its fleet at all times. The commission shall determine by rule the maximum rate that may be charged for large-market taxicab service in each county in which large-market taxicab service is authorized. Section 9 also requires permittees to file with the commission a rate schedule and does not limit the number or frequency of updated rate schedules that a permittee may file. Unless a rate schedule exceeds the maximum rate established by the commission by rule, the commission is not authorized to reject a rate schedule filed in the form and manner required by the commission. Sections 1 through 3, 5 through 8, and 10 make conforming amendments.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

The bill aligns state law with federal 'Every Student Succeeds Act' (ESSA) provisions relating to students in foster care, referred to in state statutes as 'students in out-of-home placement'. ESSA permits students in out-of-home placement at any time during the school year to remain in their school of origin, as defined in the bill, rather than move to a different school upon placement outside of the home or changes in placement, unless the county department of human or social services (county department) determines that it is not in the child's best interest to remain in his or her school of origin. Specifically, the bill: Defines 'education provider' to include public schools, school districts, and boards of cooperative services; Clarifies the role of an education provider's child welfare education liaison with respect to the best interest determination, the transfer of records, transition planning, and immediate enrollment of the child or youth; Subject to available appropriations, establishes a permanent foster care education coordinator at the department of education with duties beginning in the 2019-20 fiscal year; Requires education providers to immediately enroll students in out-of-home placement in school even without academic and immunization records and includes provisions for requesting and receiving records from a sending school; Requires education providers and county departments to enter into agreements relating to how transportation and other necessary services for students in out-of-home placement will be provided, arranged, and funded; and Removes barriers to obtaining a high school diploma by allowing education providers to waive course requirements or provide competency-based measures to satisfy graduation requirements. Commencing with the 2019-20 fiscal year, the bill creates the educational stability grant program (grant program) in the department of education to provide, subject to available appropriations, grants to education providers to provide educational services and supports to highly mobile students. The state board of education shall adopt rules for the grant program and award the grants. The department of education shall report on the implementation and outcomes of the grant program. The bill requires county departments to develop a process for determining the best interests of a child or youth in remaining in the school of origin. Counties are required to provide services, including transportation, for students remaining in the school of origin and services for those students transferring to another school, and to enter into agreements with education providers regarding the provision of these services and funding for the services. The bill updates the definition of 'homeless child' to include children and youth and amends education statutes relating to school attendance and services for homeless children and youth. The bill makes an appropriation. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

In 1999, the voters of the state authorized the executive director of the department of transportation (executive director) to issue transportation revenue anticipation notes (TRANs) in a maximum principal amount of $1.7 billion and with a maximum repayment cost of $2.3 billion in order to provide financing to accelerate the construction of qualified federal aid transportation projects. The executive director issued the TRANs as authorized, and the TRANs have been fully repaid. In 2017, the general assembly enacted Senate Bill 17-267 (SB 267), which requires the state to enter into a total of $1.88 billion of lease-purchase agreements and to use the proceeds of the lease-purchase agreements to fund transportation projects and specifically requires the state to enter into $380 million of the lease-purchase agreements in the 2018-19 state fiscal year and $500 million of such agreements in each of the 2019-20, 2020-21, and 2021-22 state fiscal years. Section 3 of the bill requires the state treasurer to transfer $500 million from the general fund to the state highway fund on June 30, 2019, and to transfer $250 million from the general fund to the state highway fund annually on June 30 of state fiscal years 2019-20 though 2038-39. Section 4 repeals the requirement that the state enter into $500 million of lease-purchase agreements in each of the 2019-20, 2020-21, and 2021-22 state fiscal years but takes effect only if, as specified in section 12 , the voters of the state approve a ballot measure that authorizes the state to issue TRANS and that is either initiated and voted on at the 2018 general election or referred to the voters as specified in section 10 at the 2019 statewide election. Section 5 restricts the authority of the department of transportation (CDOT) and any enterprise of CDOT, such as the high-performance transportation enterprise, to construct or designate or enter into a public-private partnership to construct or designate a managed lane, which is defined as a toll lane, high-occupancy tool lane, or high-occupancy vehicle lane on any state highway. Section 6 requires CDOT to expend the $500 million transferred from the general fund to the state highway fund pursuant to section 3 only for new highway construction projects and further specifies that: If the voters of the state approve an initiated ballot measure that authorizes the state to issue TRANs at the November 2018 general election, CDOT shall expend the $250 million annually transferred from the general fund to the state highway fund pursuant to section 3 first, to the extent needed, for maintenance of the transportation infrastructure projects financed by the TRANs and thereafter exclusively for maintenance of the state highway system; and If the voters of the state approve a ballot measure that authorizes the state to issue TRANs that is referred pursuant to section 10 at the November 2019 general election, CDOT shall expend the $250 million annually transferred from the general fund to the state highway fund pursuant to section 3 first, to the extent needed, to make the full amount of payments due on the TRANs and thereafter exclusively for maintenance of the state highway system. Section 7 expresses the intent of the general assembly that CDOT strongly consider, when choosing between a standard low bid process or a design-build process for the procurement of a project contract, whether the use of the design-build process is likely to reduce competition and increase project costs. Section 8 requires CDOT to include specified information about the general fund money transferred to the state highway fund pursuant to section 3 and the proceeds of SB 267 lease-purchase agreements in its annual report to the transportation committee of the senate and the transportation and energy committee of the house of representatives. Section 9 is nonsubstantive and changes the previously defined term 'revenue anticipation notes' to 'transportation revenue anticipation notes' to reflect the use of the latter term throughout the bill. If no citizen-initiated ballot measure that authorizes the state to issue TRANs is approved by the voters of the state at the November 2018 general election, section 10 requires the submission of a ballot measure seeking voter approval for the state to issue TRANs in an amount of $3.5 billion with a maximum repayment cost of $5 billion at the November 2019 statewide election. Any TRANs issued following approval of the ballot measure must have a maximum repayment term of 20 years, the certificate, trust indenture, or other instrument authorizing their issuance must provide that the state may pay the TRANs in full before the end of the specified payment term without penalty, and the transportation commission must pledge to annually allocate from legally available money under its control any money needed for payment of the notes until the notes are fully repaid. Section 11 requires TRANs proceeds not otherwise pledged for TRANs payments to be credited to the state highway fund and expended by CDOT only for qualified federal aid transportation projects that are included in CDOT's strategic transportation project investment program and designated for tier 1 funding as 10-year development program projects on CDOT's development program project list. At least 25% of the TRANs net proceeds must be used for projects in counties with populations of 50,000 or less and at least 10% of the TRANs net proceeds must be used for transit purposes or transit-related capital improvements.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

The bill states that any civil action to recover damages caused by an act of domestic violence must be commenced within 6 years after a disability has been removed for a person under disability or within 6 years after a cause of action accrues, whichever occurs later. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

The bill directs the Colorado commission on criminal and juvenile justice to study the issue of institutional child abuse for children and youth in facilities operated by the department of human services. On or before July 1, 2019, the commission shall provide a report with its findings and recommendations to the general assembly. The bill adds language to the definition of 'institutional abuse' in the Colorado Children's Code to clarify that it includes an act or omission that threatens the life, health, or welfare of a person younger than 21 years of age who is under the continuing jurisdiction of the court. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

Sunset Process - House Agriculture, Livestock, and Natural Resources Committee. The bill implements the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies in its sunset review and report on the Colorado food systems advisory council by extending the council indefinitely.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

The bill extends the end date to be eligible for a veteran of the Vietnam war specialty license plate from January 27, 1973, to July 1, 1975. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

A taxpayer who makes a monetary contribution to promote child care in the state is allowed an income tax credit that is equal to 50% of the total value of the contribution. This exemption is currently available for income tax years that commence prior to January 1, 2020. The bill extends the credit for 5 years. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More

Sunset Process - House Judiciary Committee. Under current law, a grant program exists in the department of corrections (department) to provide funding to eligible community-based organizations that provide reentry services to offenders. The grant program is scheduled to repeal on September 1, 2018. The bill reschedules the repeal of the grant program to September 1, 2023. The bill also provides that, in awarding grants from the grant program, the department shall release as much as one quarter of the amount annually appropriated to the grant program to an intermediary at the beginning of each fiscal year. The intermediary shall determine how much of this amount is awarded to each community partner as an advance portion of grant money to be awarded to the community partner. The bill requires the department to expand the grant program in the 2018-19 fiscal year to maximize the number of grantees; add grantees in underserved communities, especially in rural areas; and add one or more grantees that specialize in serving the reentry needs of women offenders. The bill makes an appropriation. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

The bill establishes that food and cosmetics are not adulterated or misbranded by virtue of containing industrial hemp. The bill also sets forth the department of public health and environment's powers with regard to applicants and registrants engaged in, or attempting to engage in, the wholesale food selling, manufacturing, processing, or storage of an industrial hemp product, as that term is defined in the bill. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

Current law directs a state or local agency, when deciding whether to issue a license or permit, to consider an individual's criminal record in determining whether the individual is of good moral character. The bill changes the determination to consider whether the individual is qualified. The bill adds to the factors that an agency considers whether the applicant will be directly responsible for the care of individuals susceptible to abuse or mistreatment. The bill also prohibits a state or local agency from taking adverse action concerning a license or permit or not extending an offer of employment if an individual has been arrested but not charged, or has been convicted but pardoned, had the conviction record sealed, or had a collateral order entered concerning the conviction. The bill authorizes the department of regulatory agencies (department) to issue a conditional license to a person who has a criminal conviction and requires the department to delete and keep confidential the conditional designation if the person has no subsequent conviction when applying for renewal or within 2 years unless the department determines that the conditional designation remains necessary. For sunset review hearings conducted after review by the department, the bill requires the collection of data concerning licensing and registration action taken due to specified criminal justice actions. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

Sunset Process - House Public Health Care and Human Services Committee. The bill continues the Colorado advisory council for persons with disabilities (council), but transfers it from the office of the governor to the department of health care policy and financing (department). The makeup of the council is decreased from no more than 20 members to a total of 10 members, 3 of whom are nonvoting members. The newly appointed council shall convene its first meeting on or before August 1, 2018, and meet quarterly thereafter. The department is authorized to provide staff support to the council. The powers and duties of the council are expanded and articulated. On or before January 1, 2019, the department shall designate, from interested applicants, a Colorado nonprofit organization (nonprofit) to perform the duties and responsibilities of the disabled parking education program that, under current law, is under the purview of the council. On or before December 1, 2019, the council shall make a recommendation to the department concerning whether or not to contract with the nonprofit to administer the disabled parking program for an addition year or to return the duties to the council. The council is scheduled for a sunset review prior to repeal in September 2023. The bill makes conforming amendments. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More