The bill authorizes the executive director of the department of local affairs (executive director) or the executive director's designee to coordinate the provision of nonmonetary resources to assist with job retention or creation in a rural community experiencing a significant economic event, such as a plant closure or layoffs, including industry-wide layoffs, that has a significant, quantifiable impact on jobs within that community. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Under current law, the department of education may issue a professional license to a teacher or special services provider who holds a comparable license from another state and has 3 years of continuous teaching or special services experience. The bill exempts military spouses, as defined in the bill, from the requirement that the teaching or special services experience be continuous, and instead requires 3 years of experience within the previous 7 years. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) Read More
Under current law, a 2-year institution of higher education may provide a concurrent enrollment program or course to local education providers that are located within the institution's college service area approved by the Colorado commission on higher education (commission). The bill requires the commission to establish a policy that allows a 2-year institution of higher education to provide a concurrent enrollment program or course to a local education provider that is not within its college service area if the designated 2-year institution of higher education chooses not to provide a concurrent enrollment program or course requested by the local education provider. The bill specifies how concurrent enrollment programs or courses provided by a 2-year institution outside of its service area will be funded and clarifies that the bill does not affect provisions in article 35 of title 22, Colorado Revised Statutes, relating to the tuition rate paid for concurrent enrollment programs or courses. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Currently, several statutes require a person to donate to a nonprofit organization to qualify for a special license plate. The fee is sometimes set in statute, and sometimes the fee is limited by statute. The bill authorizes the organization to increase by $10 the minimum donation for the issuance of the plate. Beginning July 1, 2019, this amount may be adjusted annually for inflation. (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 establishes a juvenile-specific definition of 'competent to proceed' and 'incompetent to proceed' for juveniles involved in the juvenile justice system, as well as specific definitions for 'developmental disability', 'mental capacity', and 'mental disability' when used in this context. The bill clarifies the procedures for establishing incompetency, as well as for establishing the restoration of competency.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) Read More
Under current law, when a complaint against a mental health professional is dismissed, information contained in the files of a mental health professional regulatory board is exempt from disclosure under the open records law. The bill allows a mental health professional who is a respondent to a dismissed complaint to access the information contained in the division of professions and occupations's and applicable regulatory boards' files. The names of the respondent's clients and other recipients of services, and any other information that would identify an individual person, must be redacted from the information provided to the respondent. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Under current law, a candidate for school director shall not run as a candidate of any political party for that school directorship, but the statute is not clear whether the candidate is prohibited from identifying his or her political party affiliation. The bill permits a candidate for the office of school district director to declare the political party with which he or she is affiliated at any time up to 67 days before the election date. If a candidate chooses to declare his or her political party affiliation, the name or abbreviation of the political party with which the candidate is affiliated will be printed on the ballot after his or her name. In order to be able to exercise the option of declaring his or her affiliation, the candidate must have been affiliated with the political party, as shown in the statewide voter registration system, as of the first business day in the month of January during the year in which the election is held. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More
The bill allows a person who legally possesses a handgun under state and federal law to carry a concealed handgun in Colorado. A person who carries a concealed handgun under the authority created in the bill has the same carrying rights and is subject to the same limitations that apply to a person who holds a permit to carry a concealed handgun under current law, including the prohibition on the carrying of a concealed handgun on the grounds of a public elementary, middle, junior high, or high school. The bill reduces an appropriation. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) Read More
Statutory Revision Committee. The bill modernizes and makes nonsubstantive changes to provisions of statute that use terms like 'mental retardation' or 'mentally retarded' by replacing the terms with more appropriate 'intellectual and developmental disability' language.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill establishes the task force concerning youth who are experiencing homelessness (task force) to study and make recommendations on issues related to the issue of youth experiencing homelessness in Colorado. The membership of the task force is set forth, as well as reporting requirements and a repeal date. The bill makes conforming amendments to correct citations to an earlier relocation of the office of homeless youth services to the department of local affairs. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill creates the Seabees license plate. In addition to the standard motor vehicle fees, the plate requires 2 one-time fees of $25. One fee is credited to the highway users tax fund and the other to a fund that provides licensing services. $1,918 is appropriated to the division of motor vehicles from the license plate cash fund to implement the bill. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Current law allows the Colorado water conservation board to approve up to 15 pilot projects for agricultural water leasing or fallowing projects. The bill expands the types of projects that may be approved to include deficit irrigation projects, which use less than the optimal amount of water on a particular crop, but limits these projects to water divisions 2 and 3 and within the boundaries of the upper Gunnison water conservancy district. The bill also excludes from the determination of historical consumptive use decreases in use resulting from deficit irrigation projects to conserve or lease water. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
