Joint Budget Committee. The bill authorizes a supplemental payment of state-only money to qualified providers of durable medical equipment who experienced a decrease in reimbursement in the 2017-18 state fiscal year as a result of the implementation of the federal '21st Century Cures Act'. The bill directs the department of health care policy and financing (department) to distribute a supplemental payment to qualified providers, as defined in the bill, and includes provisions for determining the amount of each qualified provider's supplemental payment. The bill authorizes the medical services board to adopt rules as necessary. The bill appropriates general fund money to the department for the supplemental payment to qualified providers. (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. The bill requires the department of corrections to: Monitor the number of inmates who need sex offender treatment or services and the number who are not receiving such treatment or services; Develop an incentive plan to contract for more mental health professionals to provide sex offender treatment or services in difficult-to-serve geographic areas; and Report to the joint budget committee the number of inmates needing treatment or services, the number not receiving the treatment or services, and the impact of the incentive plan.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) Read More
The bill creates a legislative committee on state prison population issues that begins in the 2018 interim and continues through June 30, 2020. The committee may meet during the 2019 and 2020 legislative sessions. The bill specifies issues that the committee must study. The chair and vice-chair of the committee may appoint subcommittees to provide technical assistance to the committee. The subcommittees may include members of the committee and other persons with expertise in school prison population issues. The bill appropriates $39,021 to the legislative department to implement the bill. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill creates the Young Americans Center for Financial Education fund (fund) in the state treasury. A voluntary contribution designation line for the fund will appear on the state individual income tax return form (form) for the 5 income tax years following the year that the executive director of the department of revenue (department) certifies to the revisor of statutes that: There is a space available on the form; and The fund is next in the queue. Once the fund is placed on the form, the department is directed to determine annually the total amount contributed to the fund and report that amount to the state treasurer and the general assembly. The state treasurer is required to credit that amount to the fund, and the general assembly appropriates from the fund to the department the costs of administering money designated for the fund. After that amount is deducted, the money remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year is transferred to the Young Americans Center for Financial Education, a nonprofit organization. Following the statutory 2-year grace period for new tax check-offs, the fund is required to achieve the minimum contribution amount of $50,000 per year to remain on the form. The fund is repealed in the sixth income tax year following the year in which the director files the certification, unless it is continued by the general assembly before then. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill allows private employers to give preference to veterans when hiring, promoting, and retaining employees as long as the veterans are equally 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 the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill allows a unit of local government to enact laws increasing the minimum wage within its jurisdiction. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Currently, Colorado criminalizes posting nude images of another person for harassment purposes or for pecuniary gain. The bill makes the following changes to those crimes: Adds images of sex acts that may not include nude images; Removes the requirement that the defendant intend to inflict serious emotional distress; Removes as an exception to the crimes that the image relates to a newsworthy event; and Clarifies that the images subject to the crimes may be disclosed by law enforcement personnel, human or social services personnel, prosecutors, and court personnel in the course of their normal business.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill requires hospitals with surgical services and ambulatory surgical centers to adopt a policy to prevent human exposure to surgical smoke. Surgical smoke is a gaseous byproduct produced by energy-generating surgical medical devices. On or before March 1, 2019, the Colorado department of public health and environment shall promulgate rules regarding requirements for surgical smoke evacuation policies. A policy adopted in accordance with the bill applies to surgical procedures performed on or after July 1, 2019.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More
The bill permits a municipality or county to adopt a local ordinance or resolution regulating the operation of bicycles approaching intersections with stop signs or illuminated red traffic control signals. The ordinance shall not, however, apply to any portion of the state highway system. Under a local regulation, a bicyclist approaching a stop sign must slow to a reasonable speed and, when safe to do so, may proceed through the intersection without stopping. A bicyclist approaching an illuminated red traffic control signal must stop at the intersection and, when safe to do so, may proceed through the intersection. The bill sets the reasonable speed limit at 15 miles per hour. However, a municipality or county may lower the reasonable speed to 10 miles per hour or raise the limit to 20 miles per hour at any individual intersection. If the local government sets a lower or higher reasonable speed limit, the local government must post signage indicating that speed limit at the intersection. If the municipality or county adopts an ordinance or resolution pursuant to the act, it must be consistent with the act. An ordinance adopted before the effective date of the act that similarly regulates bicycles remains valid. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill requires an entity that services a student education loan to be licensed by the administrator of the 'Uniform Consumer Credit Code'. 'Servicing' means receiving a scheduled periodic payment from a student loan borrower, applying the payments of principal and interest with respect to the amounts received from a student loan borrower, and similar administrative services. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
House Bill 16-1316 amended the venue statute for transferring child welfare proceedings between counties and inadvertently struck the word 'not' in one sentence. Due to this error, courts are not allowed to transfer child welfare proceedings between counties after adjudication even though the intent of House Bill 16-1316 was to allow post-adjudication transfers. The bill reinserts the word 'not' to allow such transfers. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill requires each state agency to conduct an analysis of noncompliance with its rules to identify rules with the greatest frequency of noncompliance, rules that generate the greatest amount of fines, how many first-time offenders were given the opportunity to cure a minor violation, and what factors contribute to noncompliance by regulated businesses. The analysis will guide each department on how to improve its education and outreach to regulated businesses on compliance with the department's rules. Each state agency is required to forward that analysis to the department of regulatory agencies, which shall compile and summarize those analyses into one combined analysis of noncompliance to be presented at the department of regulatory agencies' 'State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act' hearing. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
