The chief information security officer in the governor's office of information technology (OIT), the director of OIT, the department of state, and the executive director of the department of regulatory agencies are required to take certain actions to protect state records containing trusted sensitive and confidential information from criminal, unauthorized, or inadvertent manipulation or theft. The chief information security officer is required to: Identify, assess, and mitigate cyber threats to state government; Annually collect information from all public agencies to assess the nature of threats to data systems and the potential risks and civil liabilities from the theft or inadvertent release of such information; In coordination and partnership with specified agencies, boards, and councils, annually assess the data systems of each public agency for the benefits and costs of adopting and applying distributed ledger technologies such as blockchains; Develop and maintain a series of metrics to identify, assess, and monitor each public agency data system for its platform descriptions, vulnerabilities, risks, liabilities, appropriate employee access control, and the benefits and costs of adopting encryption and distributed ledger technologies. The director of OIT is required to consider the annual metrics from the office of the chief information security officer to recommend programs, contracts, and upgrades of data systems that have good cost-benefit potential or return on investment. In addition, OIT and the office of the chief information security officer are required to consider developing public-private partnerships and contracts to allow capitalization of encryption technologies while protecting intellectual property rights. The department of state is required to consider research, development, and implementation for encryption and data integrity techniques, including distributed ledger technologies such as blockchains. The department of state is required to consider using distributed ledger technologies when accepting business licensing records and when distributing department of state data to other departments and agencies. The executive director of the department of regulatory agencies or the director's designee is required to consider secure encryption methods, including distributed ledger technologies, to protect against falsification, create visibility to identify external hacking threats, and to improve internal data security. In addition, the bill specifies that institutions of higher education may include distributed ledger technologies within their curricula and research and development activities. The bill also specifies that the university of Colorado at Colorado Springs and any nonprofit organization with which the university has a partnership may consider: Encouraging coordination with the United States department of commerce and the national institute of standards and technologies to develop the capability to act as a Colorado in-state center of excellence on cybersecurity advice and national institute of standards and technologies standards; Studying efforts to protect privacy of personal identifying information maintained within distributed ledger programs, ensuring that programs make all attempts to follow best practices for privacy, and providing advice to all program stakeholders on the requirement to maintain privacy in accordance with required regulatory bodies and governing standards; and Encouraging the use of distributed ledger technologies, such as blockchains, within their proposed curricula for public sector education.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill appropriates the following amounts from the Colorado water conservation board (CWCB) construction fund (fund) to the CWCB or the division of water resources in the department of natural resources for the following projects: Continuation of the satellite monitoring system maintenance, $380,000 ( section 1 of the bill); Continuation of the Colorado floodplain map modernization program, $100,000 ( section 2 ); Continuation of the Arkansas river decision support system, $500,000 ( section 3 ); Continuation of the weather modification program, $175,000 ( section 4 ); Continuation of the Colorado Mesonet, $150,000 ( section 5 ); Continuation of the water forecasting partnership project, $800,000 ( section 6 ); Acquisition of lidar data, $200,000 ( section 7 ); Continuation of technical assistance for federal irrigation improvement cost-sharing program, $200,000 ( section 8 ); Continuation of the Chatfield Reservoir channel improvements program, $200,000 ( section 9 ); South Platte river basin groundwater level data collection, analysis, and remediation, $500,000 ( section 10 ); Central Colorado water conservancy district - Chatfield reservoir reallocation project, $511,894.20 ( section 11 ); and Continuation of the watershed restoration program, $2,000,000 ( section 12 ). Section 13 directs the state treasurer to transfer $30,000,000 from the loan guarantee fund to the severance tax perpetual base fund on June 30, 2018. Section 14 authorizes the CWCB to loan up to $17,170,000 from the severance tax perpetual base fund to the Pueblo conservancy district to repair the levees within the City of Pueblo to bring the levees up to federal emergency management agency standards. Section 15 transfers $4 million on June 30, 2018, from the severance tax perpetual base fund to the fund for the Chatfield reservoir reallocation project; section 16 appropriates this money to the board for this purpose. Section 17 increases loan authorizations from the severance tax perpetual base fund for the Chatfield reservoir reallocation project in the following amounts: Centennial water and sanitation district, an increase of $9,046,267 for a total of $53,486,267; Central Colorado water conservancy district, an increase of $1,548,229 for a total of $29,999,929; and Castle Pines north metro district, an increase of $1,319,464 for a total of $7,773,364. Section 18 appropriates $8,000,000 to the department of natural resources from the fund for Republican river matters. The state treasurer will make the following transfers from the fund: Up to $500,000 on July 1, 2018, to the flood and drought response fund ( section 19 ); Up to $2,000,000 on July 1, 2018, to the litigation fund ( section 20 ); $500,000 on July 1, 2018, to the feasibility study small grant fund ( section 21 ); and $2,000,000 on June 30, 2018, to the water supply reserve fund ( section 22 ). Section 23 appropriates $7,000,000 from the fund to the CWCB for continuing implementation of the Colorado water plan as follows: Up to $3,000,000 to facilitate the development of additional storage, artificial recharge into aquifers, and dredging existing reservoirs; Up to $1,000,000 for agricultural projects; Up to $1,000,000 for grant funding to implement long-term strategies for conservation, land use, and drought planning; Up to $500,000 for grants for water education, outreach, and innovation efforts; and Up to $1,500,000 for environmental and recreational projects. Current law: Prohibits the CWCB from using the fund for 'domestic water treatment and distribution systems'; section 24 harmonizes this with other laws by excluding 'water treatment facilities'; Continuously appropriates money in the emergency dam repair cash fund to the CWCB and authorizes the CWCB to transfer up to $50,000 from the fund to the emergency dam repair cash fund; section 25 adds the division of water resources to the continuous appropriation and increases the transfer cap to $500,000; Repeals the natural hazard mapping fund on July 1, 2018; section 26 extends this to July 1, 2019; and Authorizes taxpayers to contribute money to the Colorado healthy rivers fund, the department of revenue to deduct its administrative costs from that fund, and the annual transfer of the remaining balance to the fund; section 27 specifies that the transferred money is continuously appropriated to the CWCB.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Legislative Oversight Committee Concerning the Treatment of Persons with Mental Health Disorders in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Systems. In 2017, the general assembly enacted a provision requiring at the end of the 2016-17 fiscal year the state treasurer to transfer unexpended and unencumbered money appropriated for community corrections programs to a new fund to assist persons transitioning from the criminal or juvenile justice systems. The act repealed the provision in 2018. The bill eliminates the repeal of the provision so that the transfer occurs at the end of each state fiscal year. The bill appropriates $60,788 to the department of local affairs for affordable housing costs. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Capital Development Committee. The bill clarifies that for any capital construction project that is the subject of a lease-purchase agreement, the one percent of the total construction costs that is required to be used for the acquisition of works of art is calculated on the state-funded portion of the total construction costs and not on the total construction costs.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Sentencing in the Criminal Justice System Interim Study Committee. Current law repeals the Colorado commission on criminal and juvenile justice, effective July 1, 2018. The bill extends the repeal date to July 1, 2023, and requires the department of regulatory agencies to perform a sunset review of the commission prior to such repeal. The bill adds 4 new voting members to the commission and reduces the number of at-large members from 3 to 2, thereby increasing the number of voting members of the commission from 26 to 29. The bill requires the commission to annually request a letter from the governor suggesting topics for the commission to study. The bill makes an appropriation. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) Read More
Currently, the first $40 million of retail marijuana excise tax revenue annually collected is credited to the public school capital construction assistance fund (assistance fund) for purposes of the 'Building Excellent Schools Today Act' (BEST) and the remainder of the revenue is credited to the state public school fund. For state fiscal years commencing on and after July 1, 2018, sections 1 and 4 of the bill increase the amount of retail marijuana excise tax revenue credited to the assistance fund to the greater of 90% of the revenue annually collected or the first $40 million of such revenue. The remainder of the revenue continues to be credited to the state public school fund. Section 2 increases the maximum total annual amount of lease payments on BEST lease-purchase agreements authorized to be paid with both state money and local matching money to $110 million for the 2018-19 fiscal year and $120 million for the 2019-20 fiscal year and for each fiscal year thereafter. If, for any state fiscal year, the total amount of revenue credited to the assistance fund from all sources during the prior state fiscal year is less than the total amount of all payments due during the state fiscal year on BEST lease-purchase agreements, then section 3 requires the amount of the annual appropriation to fund the state's share of total program funding for all school districts and institute charter schools to be reduced and general fund money made available by the reduction to be transferred to the assistance fund to make up for the shortfall. Section 5 appropriates $34 million from the assistance fund to the department of education for BEST lease-purchase agreement payments.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill requires motor vehicle manufacturers to fulfill warranty obligations. A manufacturer must compensate each of its motor vehicle dealers in accordance with a set of standards designed to reflect the current market rate for labor and the profit margin on parts the dealer can expect to obtain. Dealers must submit certain repair orders to the manufacturer as required by the bill to establish compensation rates. The manufacturer may contest the rates charged by the dealer. If the manufacturer does not contest the rates within 15 days, the amounts take effect. If the manufacturer timely contests the rates and the manufacturer and dealer cannot agree on the amount charged, the dealer may obtain a determination by a court. The manufacturer has the burden of proving the rates are inaccurate. The dealer may request a modification of rates from a manufacturer only semiannually. A manufacturer is: Prohibited from lowering the retail labor rate below the rate the manufacturer was paying before the bill takes effect; Prohibited from eliminating flat-rate times for labor or establishing unreasonable flat-rate times for labor; Required to establish reasonable flat-rate times for labor for new models; Required to calculate the retail parts markup percentage from the dealer's wholesale cost for the part; Prohibited from reducing the suggested retail or list price to provide the dealer lower compensation; Prohibited from establishing different part numbers for warranty repairs to pay the dealer lower compensation; Prohibited from attempting to recover the costs of paying the dealer from the dealer using other methods; Prohibited from taking action against the dealer for asserting the dealer's rights under the bill; Prohibited from forcing the dealer to change prices for nonwarranty repairs; Prohibited from requiring a dealer to use any method that is unduly burdensome or time-consuming to account for the retail prices set under the bill; Required to reduce the motor vehicle dealer's cost for a part by the same percentage that the manufacturer reduces the retail cost of a part.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More
The bill creates the teacher residency expansion program (program) in the department of education (department). The goal of the program is to identify and communicate to school districts, charter schools, and boards of cooperative services that operate public schools (local education providers) the best practices, effective strategies, and critical components of effective teacher residency programs and thereby facilitate expansion of the effective teacher residency programs across the state. To implement the program, the department will contract with an institution of higher education (institution) and an alternative teacher program (alternative program), each of which is currently operating an effective teacher residency program with a local education provider. The institution and alternative program will expand their respective teacher residency programs with other local education providers as pilot programs that must include specified components. The institution and alternative program will share the specified components with the department, which will share them with other local education providers, institutions, and alternative programs that are not participating in the pilot programs. After the pilot programs have operated for a year, and annually thereafter, the department will evaluate the success of the pilot programs based on specified criteria. The department will submit a report concerning the evaluation to the state board of education, the Colorado commission on higher education, the executive director of the department of higher education, the governor's office, and the education committees of the general assembly. The department will also post the report on its website. The department will distribute to the institution and alternative program that contract with the department an amount to offset a portion of the costs of implementing the pilot program. The institution and alternative program must agree to provide matching funds equal to 100% of the amount distributed to the institution and alternative program by the department. The program is repealed in 5 years. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill creates the crisis and suicide prevention training grant program (grant program) in the department of public health and environment (department). The purpose of the grant program is to provide financial assistance to schools in providing crisis and suicide prevention training to schools, with priority given to those schools that have previously not received such training. The grant program may authorize up to $400,000 in grants per year in varying amounts. The office of suicide prevention and the school safety resource center shall work collaboratively with the department to develop guidelines and criteria for the grant program. Grant recipients are required to report on their activities using grant money. The crisis and suicide prevention training grant program fund is created and authorized to accept appropriations from the general assembly, as well as gifts, grants, and donations. The bill makes conforming amendments that authorize the existing office of suicide prevention in statute. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill provides an income tax credit to an individual who retrofits or hires someone to retrofit the individual's residence. The bill specifies that the retrofit must: Be necessary to ensure the health, welfare, and safety of a qualified individual; Increase the residence's visitability; Enable greater accessibility and independence in the residence for a qualified individual; Be required due to illness, impairment, or disability of a qualified individual; and Allow a qualified individual to age in place.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Early Childhood and School Readiness Legislative Commission. The bill extends the repeal date of the early childhood and school readiness legislative commission (commission). The bill allows the commission to meet up to 4 times each year but does not require the commission to meet. The bill specifies that the commission shall not meet unless it is granted meetings through the interim committee process through legislative council or unless it receives administrative support from a nonprofit organization or government entity. The bill makes an appropriation for the commission members' travel and per diem. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill creates the defense counsel on first appearance grant program (program) in the division of local government (division) within the department of local affairs. The division shall award grants from the program to reimburse local governments, in part or in full, for costs associated with the provision of defense counsel to defendants at their first appearances in municipal courts. The program is repealed, effective September 1, 2023. Before such repeal, the department of regulatory agencies shall review the program. The bill makes an appropriation. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
