Sunset Process - House Transportation and Energy Committee. The bill continues the automobile theft prevention authority and the automobile theft prevention board until 2029.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill authorizes the director of the division of labor standards and statistics in the department of labor and employment (director) to administer and enforce the law that prohibits an employer from discriminating against an employee on the basis of sex and to issue awards to employees and impose penalties on employers for violations. The bill removes the director's enforcement authority and instead permits an aggrieved person to bring a civil action in district court to pursue remedies specified in the bill. The bill allows exceptions to the prohibition if the employer demonstrates that a wage differential is based upon one or more factors including a seniority system, a merit system, or a system that measures earnings by quantity or quality of production or a bona fide factor other than sex. The bill prohibits an employer from discharging or retaliating against an employee for actions by an employee asserting the rights established by the bill against an employer. An employer is required to announce to all employees employment advancement opportunities and the pay range for the opportunities. The director is authorized to enforce actions against an employer concerning transparency in pay and employment opportunities, including fines of between $500 and $10,000 per violation. $85,034 is appropriated from the employment support fund to the department of labor and employment for use by the division of labor standards and statistics. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill requires the department of health care policy and financing and the division of insurance in the department of regulatory agencies (departments) to conduct a study and to prepare and submit a report to certain committees of the general assembly concerning the costs, benefits, and feasibility of implementing a medicaid buy-in option, a public-private partnership option, or a community- or regionally based option for health care coverage. The report must contain a detailed analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of each option and must identify the most feasible option based on objectives and criteria described in the bill. In conducting the study, the departments shall engage in a stakeholder process that includes public and private health insurance experts, consumers, consumer advocates, providers, and carriers. The bill includes an appropriation. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Section 1 adds a nonstatutory short title. Section 2 of the bill makes legislative findings. Section 3 adds 'preference point' to the documents listed under the definition of 'license'. Sections 4 and 12 add 'sponsorships', 'contributions', and 'donations' to the list of money transfers that the parks and wildlife commission (commission) is authorized to receive and expend. Sections 5 and 9 change the name of the wildlife management public education advisory council to the wildlife council. Section 6 raises the amount of residential and nonresidential license fees, stamp fees, and surcharges for certain hunting and fishing activities. Section 6 also: Authorizes the commission to apply a consumer price index adjustment to hunting and fishing fees; establishes an annual residential youth fishing fee; and, together with section 7 , moves a reference to the state migratory waterfowl stamp fee amount. Section 7 also allows the division of parks and wildlife (division) to grant up to 25% of the money derived from sales of the state migratory waterfowl stamp to nonprofit organizations implementing the North American waterfowl management plan. Section 8 authorizes the commission to establish by rule a special licensing program for young adult hunters and anglers. Section 10 requires the division to prepare reports on increased licensing fees and to present the reports to the agricultural committees in the house of representatives and the senate. Section 11 removes the restriction on the commission's ability to raise or lower park fees and charges only if the commission reasonably anticipates that the annual revenues from the fees and charges will not increase by more than 20% above the annual amount earned from fees and charges as they existed on July 1, 2011. Section 11 also establishes a maximum fee increase that the commission may impose by rule for park passes in any one year as a one-dollar increase for a daily park pass and a $10 increase for an annual park pass. Section 13 removes the $200,000 limitation on the amount that may be held in the stores revolving fund, which fund is maintained for acquiring stock for warehousing and distributing supplies for retail sales to visitors, and requires that the fund be continuously appropriated. Section 14 removes the $5 cap on the fee that the division may charge a person to replace a lost or destroyed pass or registration. The fee may be set by the commission by rule in an amount up to 50% of the cost of the original pass or registration. Section 15 removes a requirement that an aspen leaf annual park pass be affixed to the vehicle for which the pass was issued. Section 16 directs the commission to determine, by rule, how the columbine annual park pass will be displayed to enter a state park or recreation area. Section 17 authorizes the commission to establish fees by rule for daily and annual passes for individuals entering state parks or state recreation areas by means other than by motor vehicle.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill authorizes the commissioner of insurance to apply to the secretary of the United States department of health and human services for a state innovation waiver, for federal funding, or both to allow the state to implement and operate a reinsurance program to assist health insurers in paying high-cost insurance claims. The state cannot implement the program absent waiver or funding approval from the secretary. The program is established as an enterprise for purposes of section 20 of article X of the state constitution. The division of insurance is to include an update regarding the program in its annual SMART Act report, and the program is subject to sunset review and repeal in 5 years. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill permits each member of the general assembly to employ one full-time legislative aide to assist the member with his or her legislative duties and functions. With the exception of a constituent or legislative stakeholder meeting with a legislator, a legislative aide is required to perform all of his or her work at the capitol complex facilities. The executive committee of the legislative council is required to establish the annual salaries for legislative aides that are not less than $28,000, adjusted for inflation. The general assembly shall annually appropriate money that is sufficient for each member of the general assembly to employ a full-time legislative aide. The appropriation must be in a separate line item to the legislative department.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More
The bill requires the state court administrator to administer a court reminder program to remind criminal defendants to appear at their scheduled hearings in the county courts and district courts of the state, except for the Denver county court. The objective of the program is to significantly reduce the number of defendants who are committed to the custody of a county jail solely as a result of their failure to appear in court. The bill makes an appropriation. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Current law requires independent operators of commercial vehicles to have workers' compensation or a private insurance policy that provides similar coverage. The bill changes 'private insurance policy' to 'occupational accident coverage insurance policy' and specifies the requirements for when such a policy may be considered as providing similar coverage. The bill requires the commissioner of insurance to promulgate rules establishing the minimum coverages for benefits under an occupational accident coverage insurance policy. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Joint Budget Committee. The bill authorizes the department of human services to retain money for its indirect costs, based on a federally approved cost allocation plan, from the older Coloradans cash fund and the nurse home visitor program fund.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill makes it a misdemeanor criminal offense for a person to trade a vote or offer to trade a vote with another elector in this state or a person in another state in exchange for the other person's vote for or against a particular candidate, ballot issue, or ballot question. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Joint Budget Committee. Under current law, money is transferred from the severance tax operational fund (operational fund) to certain cash funds to benefit programs that are commonly referred to as the tier 2 programs. On June 30, 2018, the bill requires the state treasurer to transfer money to the operational fund from the following cash funds to recoup money that was previously transferred in this fiscal year for tier 2 programs: $727,888 from the species conservation trust fund ( section 8 of the bill); $18,488 from the special account in the general fund used by the mined land reclamation board for reclaiming certain lands ( section 10 ); $80,068 from the water efficiency grant program cash fund ( section 11 ); $108,465 from the interbasin compact committee operation fund ( section 12 ); and $1,455,776 from the water supply reserve fund ( section 14 ). Section 9 transfers to the general fund $393,272 from the division of parks and outdoor recreation aquatic nuisance species fund and $189,912 from the division of wildlife aquatic nuisance species fund. To replace funding from the operational fund, the bill requires the state treasurer to transfer the following amounts on July 1, 2018, from the general fund to pay for tier 2 programs for the next fiscal year: $954,545 to the forest restoration and wildfire risk mitigation grant program cash fund ( section 1 ); $1,186,363 to the healthy forests and vibrant communities fund ( section 2 ); $3,000,000 to the species conservation trust fund ( section 3 ); $45,455 to the wildland-urban interface training fund ( section 4 ); $86,364 to the wildfire preparedness fund ( section 5 ); $127,000 to the special account in the general fund established by the mined land reclamation board ( section 6 ); $450,000 to the conservation district grant fund ( section 7 ); $2,452,193 to the division of parks and outdoor recreation aquatic nuisance species fund (section 9); and $1,184,171 to the division of wildlife aquatic nuisance species fund (section 9). Section 16 further appropriates the $3 million transferred to the species conservation trust fund for programs submitted by the executive director of the department of natural resources that are designed to conserve native species that state or federal law list as threatened or endangered or that are candidate species or are likely to become candidate species as determined by the United States fish and wildlife service. If, prior to July 1, 2018, there is insufficient money in the severance tax reserve, which is used to make severance tax refunds, then under current law, money would be recouped from the various severance tax cash funds in order to make the refunds. Section 13 requires income tax revenue that would otherwise be deposited in the general fund to be deposited in the reserve to make the refund instead of recouping money from the operational fund. Section 15 requires the state treasurer to make 3 transfers from the general fund to the operational fund: $17,030,925 on July 1, 2018, which amount will fund the programs commonly known as the tier 1 programs; $3,000,000 on January 1, 2019; and On July 1, 2019, an amount equal to the operational fund reserve required for the fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2019, or $14,214,854, whichever is less. The transfers made in 2019 will be used to fund the tier 1 operational fund reserve. To offset the general fund transfers, section 14 requires revenue, up to a maximum of $40,942,016, that was or otherwise would be deposited in the operational fund from February 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, to instead be transferred or deposited in the general fund. It also requires the department of revenue to submit an annual report to each member of the general assembly about revenues, property tax credits, stripper well exemptions, and deductions for the oil and gas severance tax. Section 15 also prohibits the state treasurer from making any transfers from the operational fund to benefit the tier 2 programs for the next fiscal year, unless severance tax receipts are deposited in the operational fund during the fiscal year and there is sufficient money in the operational fund reserve so that no transfer will be made to the fund from the general fund on July 1, 2019. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Sunset Process - House Health, Insurance, and Environment Committee. The bill implements the recommendation in the department of regulatory agencies' sunset review of the stroke advisory board by continuing the board but imposes a 10-year sunset period rather than continuing the board indefinitely, as was recommended.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
