The bill establishes the Colorado secure savings plan (plan) board of trustees (board) to study the feasibility of creating the Colorado secure savings plan and other appropriate approaches to increase the amount of retirement savings by Colorado's private sector workers. The board consists of the director of the governor's office of state planning and budgeting and 8 additional trustees with certain experience who are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate. The board is required to conduct the following four analyses or assessments (analyses) within 2 years of the appointment of the board's membership, with an update to certain legislative committees after one year: A detailed market and financial analysis to determine the financial feasibility and effectiveness of creating a retirement savings plan in the form of an automatic enrollment payroll deduction IRA, to be known as the Colorado secure savings plan. The plan would be designed to promote greater retirement savings for private sector employees in a convenient, low-cost, and portable manner. A detailed market and financial analysis to determine the financial feasibility and effectiveness of a small business marketplace plan to increase the number of Colorado businesses that offer retirement savings plans for their employees. The marketplace plan would be voluntary for both employers and employees, open to all employees and employers with fewer than one hundred employees, and administered by the state department of labor and employment. The bill specifies certain duties of the state department of labor in connection with the marketplace plan if it is implemented. An analysis of the effects that greater financial education among Colorado residents would have on increasing their retirement savings; and An analysis of the effects that not increasing Coloradans' retirement savings would have on current and future state and local government expenditures. The board may accept any gifts, grants, and donations, or any money from public or private entities to pay for the costs of the analyses. The board may delay implementation of one or more of the analyses if it does not obtain adequate money to conduct the analyses. If after conducting the analyses the board finds that there are approaches to increasing retirement savings for private-sector employees in a convenient, low-cost, and portable manner that are financially feasible and self-sustaining, the board is required to recommend a plan to implement its findings to the governor and the general assembly. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill enacts the 'Patient Drug Costs Savings Act' (act). The act prohibits a carrier that has a contract with a pharmacy or pharmacist, or a pharmacy benefit management firm acting on behalf of a carrier, from: Prohibiting a pharmacy or pharmacist from, or penalizing a pharmacy or pharmacist for, providing a covered person information on the amount of the covered person's cost share for the covered person's prescription drug and the clinical efficacy of any more affordable alternative drugs that are therapeutically equivalent; or Requiring a pharmacy to charge or collect a copayment from a covered person that exceeds the total submitted charges by the network pharmacy. The act requires the commissioner of insurance to act when the commissioner determines that a carrier or pharmacy benefit management firm has not complied with the above prohibitions. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Joint Budget Committee. The transitional jobs program is currently set to end on June 30, 2019, and no new transitional jobs are to be offered after December 31, 2018. The bill extends the program for 5 additional years. The bill appropriates money to the department of human services for the program.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Sunset Process - House Education Committee. The bill implements the recommendation of the department of regulatory agencies to concerning the Colorado youth advisory council and extends the sunset date to September 1, 2023.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill enacts the 'Colorado Prescription Drug Price Transparency Act of 2018', which requires: Health insurers, starting in 2021, to submit to the commissioner of insurance (commissioner), as part of the health care cost reporting requirement, information regarding prescription drugs covered under their health insurance plans that were dispensed in the preceding calendar year; Prescription drug manufacturers to notify state purchasers, health insurers, and pharmacy benefit management firms when the manufacturer, on or after July 1, 2020, increases the price of certain prescription drugs by more than 10% or introduces a new specialty drug in the commercial market; and Prescription drug manufacturers, within 15 days after the end of each calendar quarter that starts on or after July 1, 2020, to provide specified information to the commissioner regarding the drugs about which manufacturers are required to notify purchasers of a drug price increase or new specialty drug on the market. The commissioner is required to post the information received from prescription drug manufacturers on the division of insurance website. Additionally, the commissioner, or a disinterested third-party contractor, is to analyze the data submitted by health insurers and prescription drug manufacturers and other relevant information to determine the effect of prescription drug costs on health insurance premiums. The commissioner is to publish a report each year, submit the report to specified legislative committees, and present the report during annual 'State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act' hearings. The commissioner is authorized to adopt rules as necessary to implement the requirements of the act. A prescription drug manufacturer that fails to notify purchasers or fails to report required data to the commissioner is subject to discipline by the state board of pharmacy, including a penalty of $1,000 per day for each day the manufacturer fails to comply with the notice or reporting requirements. The commissioner is to report manufacturer violations to the state board of pharmacy. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) Read More
The bill prohibits a state or political subdivision from: Providing the race, ethnicity, national origin, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical disability, intellectual and developmental disability, or religious affiliation of a Colorado resident to the federal government without determining that it is for a legal and constitutional purpose; Aiding or assisting the federal government in creating, maintaining, or updating a registry for the purpose of identifying Colorado residents based on race, ethnicity, national origin, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical disability, intellectual and developmental disability, or religious affiliation; Aiding or assisting the federal government or a federal agency in marking or otherwise placing a physical or electronic identifier on a person based on his or her race, ethnicity, national origin, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical disability, intellectual and developmental disability, or religious affiliation; and Aiding or assisting, including using state or local lands or resources, the federal government in interning, arresting, or detaining a person based on his or her race, ethnicity, national origin, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical disability, intellectual and developmental disability, or religious affiliation.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill authorizes the regional transportation district (RTD) to create a program to offer reduced fares to low-income riders and directs the rail and transit division of the department of transportation to provide assistance and oversight. The bill makes an appropriation of $80,000 to be used to establish and implement the program. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More
Section 2 of the bill prohibits a person from serving on the public utilities commission if, on or after July 1, 2018, he or she has or acquires any official relation to, or financial interest in, a regulated utility. Section 3 encourages the director of the commission to assign employees to temporary training and development sessions with other state agencies, particularly those with which the commission has frequent interaction, to improve the employees' substantive expertise and familiarity with the operations of those agencies. Section 3 also requires the director to keep written and audio records of the commission's proceedings and make them publicly available online. In addition, section 3 expressly authorizes the executive director of the department of regulatory agencies (of which the commission is a part) to request that the state auditor conduct performance audits of the commission and its staff and operations. Section 4 directs the commission to adopt rules concerning: Policies under which commissioners should recuse themselves from certain proceedings; Conflicts of interest; Activities and relationships that the commission deems incompatible with its policies concerning conflicts of interest; and Ex parte communications. Section 1 makes conforming amendments.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill creates the family and medical leave insurance (FAMLI) program in the division of family and medical leave insurance (division) in the department of labor and employment to provide partial wage-replacement benefits to an eligible individual who takes leave from work to care for a new child or a family member with a serious health condition or who is unable to work due to the individual's own serious health condition. Each employee in the state will pay a premium determined by the director of the division by rule, which premium is based on a percentage of the employee's yearly wages and must not initially exceed .99%. The premiums are deposited into the family and medical leave insurance fund from which family and medical leave benefits are paid to eligible individuals. The director may also impose a solvency surcharge by rule if determined necessary to ensure the soundness of the fund. The division is established as an enterprise, and premiums paid into the fund are not considered state revenues for purposes of the taxpayer's bill of rights (TABOR). (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill prohibits public school teachers and teacher organizations from directly or indirectly inducing, instigating, encouraging, authorizing, ratifying, or participating in a strike against any public school employer. Public school employers are prohibited from consenting to or condoning a strike and from paying a public school teacher for any day during which the public school teacher participates in a strike. In the event of a strike or the imminent threat of a strike in violation of the bill, the public school employer is authorized to seek an injunction from the district court. Failure by a public school teacher or teacher organization to comply with the injunction constitutes contempt of court and may be punished with fines or up to 6 months in county jail, or both. If a public school teacher is found in contempt of court for failure to comply with an injunction, the bill directs the public school employer to immediately terminate his or her employment, without a hearing. If a teacher organization is found in contempt, any collective bargaining agreement negotiated by the organization is rendered null and void. The organization cannot represent public school teachers or collect dues from them for one year, and a public school employer is prohibited from negotiating with the organization during that time. These penalties may be suspended or modified by the court if the public school employer so requests and the court finds it is in the public interest to do so. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More
Joint Budget Committee. On July 1, 2019, the bill repeals the local government retail marijuana impact grant program, under which the department of local affairs (department) awards grants to eligible local governments for documented marijuana impacts. Any encumbered money from the fiscal year 2017-18 appropriation to the department remains available for expenditure in the next fiscal year. The bill also repeals a reporting requirement regarding the effectiveness of the grant program.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Under current law, persons who offer cryptocurrency "wallets", buy or sell cryptocurrencies, or exchange cryptocurrency with fiat currency are not clearly outside the scope of activity subject to the "Colorado Securities Act" or the "Money Transmitters Act". The bill defines a new term, "open blockchain token", to describe a unit of cryptocurrency (e.g., bitcoin), and amends the definition of a security to exclude an open blockchain token so long as it is developed and sold in accordance with specified standards. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
