The bill requires the state department of human services (state department) and county departments of human or social services (county departments) to provide notice and to collect and share information with the command authority of national military installations regarding any report received of known or suspected instances of child abuse or neglect in which the person having custody or control of the child is a member of the armed forces or a spouse, or a significant other or family member residing in the home of the member of the armed forces assigned to that military installation. The state department and county departments may enter into memorandums of understanding with military installations establishing protocols for the sharing of information and for collaboration on the investigations into child abuse or neglect by a member of the armed forces or a spouse, or a significant other or family member residing in the home of the member of the armed forces. The state board of human services shall promulgate rules related to the collection and sharing of information. The bill allows designated authorities at the military base of assignment or installation for the member of the armed forces or a spouse, or a significant other or family member residing in the home of the member of the armed forces to have access to reports of child abuse or neglect. Reports of known or suspected child abuse or neglect must include the military affiliation of any person who has custody or control of the child who is the subject of the investigation of child abuse or neglect, if such individual is a member of the armed forces or a spouse, or a significant other or family member residing in the home of the member of the armed forces. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Current law prohibits an employee of a tavern or lodging and entertainment facility who is under 21 years of age from selling malt, vinous, or spirituous liquors. The bill permits a licensed tavern or lodging and entertainment facility that regularly serves meals to allow an employee who is at least 18 years of age but under 21 years of age to sell malt, vinous, or spirituous liquors if the employee is supervised on-site by a person who is at least 21 years of age. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Sunset Process - Senate State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee. The bill repeals the repeal of the statutory sections that create the court security cash fund (cash fund), the court security cash fund commission, and duties related to the cash fund.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill: Extends the duration of the 'Skilled Worker Outreach, Recruitment, and Key Training Act', also known as the 'WORK Act', administered by the department of labor and employment (department) through the 2018-19 state fiscal year; Authorizes the department to use an expedited procedure, instead of following the procedures required under the 'Procurement Code', for accepting and reviewing an application for an additional or extended grant from an applicant who previously received a grant under the WORK grant program if specified conditions are met; and Removes the cap on the amount of money appropriated to the WORK fund that may be expended in a given fiscal year.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill clarifies that the 'Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act' (PACFA) does not apply to the boarding or pet handling of 3 or less pet animals. The bill further clarifies that a pet animal care technology platform is not a 'pet animal facility' as defined in PACFA and thus exempts those businesses from the licensing requirements for pet animal care facilities. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Joint Technology Committee. Current law specifies a process by which any department, institution, or agency of the state, including any institution of higher education, may request permission to expend money differently from the authority granted by an appropriation for a capital construction budget item if the project for which the appropriation was made requires a nonmonetary adjustment for its timely continuation and the nonmonetary adjustment is due to unforseen circumstances arising while the general assembly in not in session. This process includes appropriations for capital construction, controlled maintenance, or capital renewal appropriations. Currently, the process does not include information technology capital projects, as they are no longer included in the definition of capital construction. The bill specifies that a department, institution, or agency of the state, including any institution of higher education, may, under the same circumstances specified for capital construction appropriations, use the process to request permission to expend money differently from the authority granted by the appropriation for an information technology capital project.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Under current law, for a child to be adopted, the child must be present in the state at the time that the petition for adoption is filed. Under the bill, the child need not be present in the state if the child has been under the jurisdiction of a court in Colorado for at least 6 months. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill creates the office of public guardianship (office) within the judicial department to provide legal guardianship services to indigent and incapacitated adults who: Have no responsible family members or friends who are available and appropriate to serve as a guardian; Lack adequate resources to compensate a private guardian and pay the costs and fees associated with an appointment proceeding; and Are not subject to a petition for appointment of guardian filed by a county adult protective services unit or otherwise authorized by law. The office is established as a pilot program, to be evaluated and then continued, discontinued, or expanded at the discretion of the general assembly in 2021. On or before January 1, 2021, the director of the office shall submit a report to the judiciary committees of the senate and the house of representatives. The report, at a minimum, must: Quantify, to the extent possible, Colorado's unmet need for public guardianship services for indigent and incapacitated adults; Quantify, to the extent possible, the average annual cost of providing guardianship services to indigent and incapacitated adults; Quantify, to the extent possible, the net cost or benefit, if any, to the state that may result from the provision of guardianship services to each indigent and incapacitated adult in each judicial district of the state; Assess whether an independent statewide office of public guardianship is preferable and feasible; Analyze costs and off-setting savings to the state from the delivery of public guardianship services; and Provide uniform and consistent data elements regarding service delivery in an aggregate format that does not include any personal identifying information of any person. The bill creates the public guardianship commission (commission) within the judicial department and charges the commission with appointing a director of the office. The director serves at the pleasure of the commission. The bill creates the office of public guardianship cash fund (fund) in the state treasury. The fund consists of any money that the office receives from gifts, grants, or donations as well as any other money appropriated to the fund by the general assembly. The bill requires the director of the office to develop rules to implement the pilot program. The bill delays the creation of the pilot program and the appointment of the director of the pilot program until the fund receives at least $1,700,000 in gifts, grants, and donations. The office and the fund are repealed, effective June 30, 2021. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill requires the center of excellence (center) within the division of fire prevention and control within the department of public safety (department), upon receiving sufficient money in the form of gifts, grants, and donations, to conduct a study concerning the integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) within state and local government operations that relate to certain public-safety functions (study). At a minimum, the study must: Identify the most feasible and readily available ways to integrate UAS technology within local and state government functions relating to firefighting, search and rescue, accident reconstruction, and emergency management; and Include consideration of privacy concerns, costs, and timeliness of deployment. The bill also creates, upon receipt of sufficient money in the form of gifts, grants, and donations, a UAS pilot program (pilot program) to integrate UAS within state and local government operations that relate to certain public-safety functions. The bill requires the center to operate the pilot program. Not later than one month after completing the study, the center shall submit a report to the wildfire matters review committee and to the judiciary committees of the house of representatives and senate, or to any successor committees. The report must address each item of the center's study, as well as the results of the pilot program. The bill adds the study and the pilot program as permissible uses of money from the existing Colorado firefighting air corps fund. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill creates the state veterinary education loan repayment council (council), which consists of 5 directors appointed by the governor. The council administers the veterinary education loan repayment program (program) by use of funds from the veterinary education loan repayment fund (fund), which program and fund are also created in the bill. Through the program, the council provides veterinary education loan repayments from the fund to eligible veterinarians who: Have graduated from an accredited doctor of veterinary medicine school; Currently live in Colorado or, at some point, have lived in Colorado for at least 3 years; and Agree to practice veterinary medicine for up to 4 years in a rural area of the state that is experiencing a shortage of veterinarians that the council designates for participation in the program. To implement the program, the council enters into a contract with an eligible veterinarian and the rural area of the state in which the veterinarian will practice veterinary medicine. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill creates the family caregiver support 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 moneys designated for the fund. After that amount is deducted, the moneys remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year are transferred to Easter Seals Colorado, 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. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Legislative Oversight Committee Concerning the Treatment of Persons with Mental Illness in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Systems. The bill directs the division of housing in the department of local affairs to establish a program to provide vouchers and supportive services to persons with a behavioral or mental health disorder who are being released from the department of corrections (DOC), the division of youth corrections in the department of human services (DYC), or jails. The program is funded by an appropriation from the marijuana tax cash fund and from money unspent by the division of criminal justice (CDPS) for community corrections programs in the previous fiscal year.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
