The bill implements conflict-free case management for individuals enrolled in home- and community-based services under Colorado's medicaid program. The definition of conflict-free case management is included in the bill and reflects the policy that case management services are provided to an individual who is enrolled in home- and community-based services by an agency that is not also providing the same individual services and supports. The bill defines and authorizes case management agencies that will provide case management services and contains provisions for the department of health care policy and financing's oversight of case management agencies. The medical services board shall promulgate rules upon the enactment of the bill for the certification and decertification of case management agencies, as well as rules that ensure that an individual enrolled in home- and community-based services has access to case management services and that there is a process for a person to select the case management agency of his or her choice. The bill authorizes the department of health care policy and financing to seek a federal exemption from conflict-free case management for rural single entry point agencies, as defined in the bill. The bill contains time frames for the implementation of conflict-free case management in Colorado, and includes a date by which all persons receiving home- and community-based services will be served through a system of conflict-free case management. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Under current law: An additional vehicle-age-based motor vehicle registration fee is imposed at the time of registration on passenger cars and certain other types of motor vehicles that are required to be registered; and A road safety surcharge is imposed at the time of registration, subject to limited exceptions, on each vehicle that is required to be registered. For registration periods commencing on or after July 1, 2018, the bill exempts any vehicle that is 30 years old or older from both the road safety surcharge and the additional vehicle-age-based motor vehicle registration fee. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More
The Colorado department of human services (department) operates numerous facilities in the state that provide direct care to vulnerable people, including veterans and their families, youth in rehabilitation programs, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and people with mental health diagnoses. Current law specifies when an employee of the department (employee) will be suspended or dismissed after being charged with specified criminal offenses. However, the department has encountered difficulty in suspending, dismissing, or otherwise disciplining employees through the administrative process when the employee was involved in an egregious incident of mistreatment of a vulnerable person but was not convicted of a criminal offense. The bill specifies that: In considering a disciplinary action against an employee for engaging in mistreatment, abuse, neglect, or exploitation, against a vulnerable person, the appointing authority shall give weight to the safety of vulnerable persons over the interests of any other person. If the appointing authority finds that the employee has engaged in mistreatment, abuse, neglect, or exploitation against a vulnerable person, the appointing authority may take such disciplinary action as the appointing authority deems appropriate, up to and including termination, taking into consideration the harm or risk of harm to vulnerable persons created by the employee's actions.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Executive Committee of the Legislative Council. Currently, salaries for most state employees are paid once a month on the last day of the month; except that salaries for June are paid on the first working day of July. Current law states that salary payments for employees paid through the state's payroll system will change from monthly to twice monthly when the twice monthly payroll system is implemented. The bill exempts members of the general assembly and most employees of the legislative department from the change to the twice monthly payroll system. The bill specifies that members of the general assembly and most employees of the legislative department will continue to be paid monthly as of the last working day of the month; except that salaries for the month of June shall be paid on the first working day of July. The bill also specifies that salary payments for employees of the legislative department who are currently paid on a biweekly basis will change to a twice monthly payment when the twice monthly payroll system is implemented and in place for all other employees. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More
Currently, Columbus day is one of 10 legal holidays in Colorado. Section 2 of the bill repeals Columbus day as a state legal holiday and replaces it with election day. 'Election day' is defined to fall on the day of a general election in even-numbered years and the day on which ballot issues must be decided under the state constitution in odd-numbered years. Section 1 contains a nonstatutory legislative declaration and sections 4 and 5 make conforming amendments.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More
Recent legislation changed the expiration dates of real estate licenses from an anniversary date 3 years after the date of initial issuance to December 31 of the third year after issuance and did not allow the real estate commission a period to transition licenses. To allow more flexibility in transitioning from the anniversary date system to the calendar-year system, the bill authorizes the commission to issue licenses that expire on December 31 of the year of issuance. (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. Under current law, the length of a mandatory parole sentence for a class 2 and 3 felony is 5 years. The bill lowers the length of mandatory parole for a class 2 felony if the offense is not a crime of violence and a class 3 felony to 3 years.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) Read More
The bill authorizes a county treasurer to accept, at the option of a taxpayer, prepayments of property taxes. Payments can only be made within one year of when the taxes are due and no interest accrues to the taxpayer. The taxes collected are distributed to taxing entities in January of the year in which they become due. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More
The bill makes technical modifications to the 'Fair Campaign Practices Act' (FCPA) to facilitate its administration. Specifically: Section 1 of the bill excludes from the definition of 'contribution' in the FCPA the payment of legal fees to advise a candidate on compliance with campaign finance law or regulations or to represent a candidate or candidate committee in any action in which the candidate or candidate committee has been named as a defendant. This section also excludes from the definition of 'expenditure' in the FCPA legal services paid to defend a candidate or candidate committee against any action brought to enforce the campaign finance provisions of the state constitution or the FCPA. Sections 2, 4, and 8 modify various existing statutory provisions to reflect distinctions among different types of committees or other entities. Section 4 also allows a disbursement that is not otherwise defined as an expenditure to be reported to the appropriate officer. Sections 3 and 4 eliminate unnecessary, overly burdensome, and potentially unconstitutional double reporting of certain campaign contributions. Sections 4 and 5 clean up and correct errors that resulted from campaign finance legislation adopted during the 2016 regular session. Section 5 also removes certain paper-filing provisions that are rendered obsolete by electronic filing. Further, section 5 permits the secretary of state to give notice of certain campaign finance reporting deficiencies by regular mail if an e-mail address is not known. Sections 6 and 7 clarify procedures to be followed in connection with a person's failure to file a candidate affidavit or disclosure statement and the investigation of campaign finance violations. Section 7 also allows the parties in a campaign finance enforcement action in which attorney fees and costs have been awarded to apply to the district court to convert an award of fees and costs into a district court judgment. Section 7 also allows the secretary of state to intervene in any action pending before the administrative courts or the court of appeals that is brought to enforce the campaign finance provisions of the state constitution or the FCPA. Section 9 allows the secretary of state discretion in deciding whether to forward to the state controller the collections of past-due debts resulting from campaign finance violations.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill allows hotel and restaurant, retail liquor store, and liquor-licensed drugstore licensees to apply to the state licensing authority for an off-site service permit. The off-site service permit would authorize the permittee to furnish and serve alcohol beverages for private events at an off-premises location subject to certain conditions. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More
Current law requires each person who is convicted of a crime against a child to pay a surcharge to the clerk of the court for the judicial district in which the conviction occurs. The bill adds the crime of human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude to the definition of crime against a child for purposes of the surcharge. For a class 2 felony, the amount of the fine is $1,500. The bill states that if the class 2 felony is for human trafficking of a minor for involuntary servitude or for human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude, then the amount of the fine is $3,000. Additionally, in cases where an offender is required to pay the new surcharge, the court is encouraged to delay any finding of indigence until 6 months after the offender's conviction, at which time the court may require the defendant or defendant's counsel to submit documents that substantiate the defendant's indigence. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Currently, all records of the Denver health and hospital authority (authority) are subject to the open records law. The bill specifies that certain reports, statements, agreements, bonds, guidelines, manuals, handbooks, and accounts of the authority are public records. The bill also specifies that the content of an electronic medical record system and individual medical records or medical information are not public records, and that certain writings and other records concerning the modification, initiation, or cessation of patient care and authority health care programs or initiatives are not public records under certain circumstances. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
