Under current law, it is an unfair housing practice to honor or exercise, or attempt to honor or exercise, any restrictive covenant pertaining to housing. Section 1 of the bill adds to the definition of 'restrictive covenant' limitations on the transfer, rental, or lease of housing based on records of any arrest or charge that did not result in a conviction and the criminal case is not actively pending (arrest records) or criminal justice records that have been sealed or expunged. Section 2 makes it an unfair housing practice to inquire about or take an adverse action based on arrest records or sealed or expunged criminal justice records. Section 3 prohibits landlords from requiring an applicant to disclose any information contained in sealed criminal records. Section 4 prohibits housing authorities from denying or terminating dwelling accommodations, or taking adverse action against a person, on the basis of arrest records or certain conviction records. Section 6 requires a landlord to provide applicants with access to records that are used as the basis for denying a rental application. Section 5 prevents certain tenant criminal records from being admitted as evidence in a civil case against a landlord that is based on the tenant's conduct.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More
The bill formally establishes in statute the circle program, a 90-day inpatient treatment program for persons with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More
Current law regulating campaign finance does not set limits on contributions to candidates for school district director. Section 2 of the bill: Sets aggregate limits on contributions to candidates for school district director from persons other than small donor committees for any regular biennial or special school election in the amount of $500; and Sets aggregate limits on contributions to candidates for school district director from small donor committees for any regular biennial or special school election in the amount of $5,000. Section 3 subjects the new contribution limits to existing statutory provisions governing the disclosure of campaign contributions. Section 4 contains requirements governing when a candidate for school district director is required to disclose information concerning campaign contributions and clarifies that such candidates are required to file their disclosure with the secretary of state.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More
On March 1, 2018, the bill repeals the general state sales tax exemption for sales of retail marijuana and reduces the retail marijuana sales tax by 2.9% from 15% to 12.1%. With the repeal of the state exemption, sales of retail marijuana will automatically be subject to the sales tax levied by a limited purpose governmental entity whose sales tax authority is the same as the state. Currently, statutory municipalities and counties are authorized to create an exemption for sales of retail marijuana that are exempt from the state general sales tax. Along with the repeal of the state exemption, this contingent authority is repealed. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More
The bill adds the duty to develop a Colorado climate leadership awards program to the responsibilities of the climate change position. The program will award organizations and individuals that provide leadership in response to climate change. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More
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The bill establishes a crime if a person knows or should know that another person is in need of emergency assistance and fails to call 911 or use another means to summon assistance. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More
Currently, each county clerk and recorder collects a surcharge of one dollar for each document received for recording or filing in his or her office. The surcharge is in addition to any other fees permitted by statute. Section 2 of the bill allows counties to impose an increased surcharge in the amount of $5 for documents received for recording or filing on or after January 1, 2019. In a county that has elected to collect the increased surcharge of $5, out of each $5 collected, the bill requires the clerk to retain one dollar to be used to defray the costs of an electronic or core filing system in accordance with existing law. The bill requires the clerk to transmit the other $4 collected to the state treasurer, who is to credit the same to the statewide attainable housing investment fund (fund). Section 3 creates the fund in the Colorado housing and finance authority (authority). The bill specifies the source of money to be deposited into the fund and that the authority is to administer the fund. The bill directs that, of the money transmitted to the fund by the state treasurer, on an annual basis, not less than 25% of such amount must be expended for the purpose of supporting new or existing programs that provide financial assistance to persons in households with an income of up to 80% of the area median income for the purpose of allowing such persons to finance, purchase, or rehabilitate single family residential homes as well as to provide financial assistance to any nonprofit entity and political subdivision that makes loans to persons in such households to enable such persons to finance, purchase, or rehabilitate single family residential homes. Section 3 also requires the authority to submit a report, no later than June 1 of each year, specifying the use of the fund during the prior calendar year to the governor and to the senate and house finance committees. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More
The bill creates a closed-loop payment processing system pilot project (pilot project) in the marijuana state licensing authority. The state licensing authority, in consultation with the state treasurer, the department of public health and environment, and the department of regulatory agencies, shall promulgate rules to establish the pilot project. The pilot project shall include marijuana-related businesses and affiliated businesses and must create a mechanism for medical marijuana patients and retail marijuana customers to enroll in the pilot project. The state licensing authority shall submit a report to the general assembly regarding the pilot project. The bill makes the closed-loop payment processing system subject to the unclaimed property act.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More
The bill creates the 'Colorado Wholesale Importation of Prescription Drugs Act', under which the department of health care policy and financing (department) must design a program to import prescription pharmaceuticals from Canada for sale to Colorado consumers. The program design must ensure both drug safety and cost savings for Colorado consumers. The department must submit the program design to the secretary of the United States department of health and human services and request the secretary's approval of the program as meeting the requirements of federal law to import Canadian pharmaceutical products. If the secretary approves the program, the department must implement the program. The department must adopt a funding mechanism to cover the program's administrative costs, and the department must annually report on the program to the general assembly. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More
Under existing law, the 'Public School Finance Act of 1994' funds kindergarten students as half-day pupils plus the supplemental kindergarten enrollment. Under existing law, the supplemental kindergarten enrollment is an additional .08 of a full-day pupil. The bill increases the supplemental kindergarten enrollment for the 2017-18 budget year and each budget year thereafter to .15 of a full-day pupil. The bill expresses the general assembly's intent to increase funding annually for full-day kindergarten starting in the 2018-19 budget year and continuing through the 2022-23 budget year so that by the 2022-23 budget year, the general assembly is funding kindergarten students as full-day pupils. Pursuant to referendum C passed by the voters in 2005, the state is currently authorized to retain and spend up to a capped amount of revenues each year that would otherwise be refunded in accordance with the taxpayer's bill of rights. Subject to a vote of the people, the bill authorizes the state to retain and spend all additional excess revenues beginning in the 2017-18 fiscal year. The general assembly is required to appropriate the additional retained money first to fund kindergarten pupils as full-day pupils and then to fund the state's share of total program funding. The state treasurer must transfer any amount of remaining additional excess revenues to the state education fund. The director of research of the legislative council must prepare an annual report concerning how the retained excess revenues are expended. The secretary of state is directed to place the question of whether to allow the state to retain excess revenues on the ballot for the 2018 general election. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More
The bill prohibits the state or a state agency, or an employee or personnel of the state or a state agency while acting in an official capacity, from aiding or assisting a federal agency in: Arresting a Colorado citizen or person lawfully present in Colorado for committing an act in Colorado that is a Colorado constitutional right; or Violating a Colorado constitutional right of a Colorado citizen or a person lawfully present in Colorado. The bill does not prohibit the state, an agency of the state, or an employee or personnel of the state or a state agency from participating in an investigation until it is recognized that the action being investigated is a Colorado constitutional right. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More
