Colorado Bills

In 2009, the general assembly enacted the 'Parental Involvement in K-12 Education Act' (2009 act), which allowed an employee of an employer who is subject to the federal 'Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993' to take leave from work for the purpose of attending academic activities for or with the employee's child. Under the 2009 act, academic activities included parent-teacher conferences or meetings related to special education services, interventions, dropout prevention, attendance, truancy, or discipline issues. The leave was allowed for an employee who is the parent or legal guardian of a child enrolled in a public or private school or in a nonpublic home-based educational program in this state in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Leave under the 2009 act was limited to 6 hours per month and 18 hours in any academic year. The 2009 act permitted employers to: Restrict the use of leave in cases of emergency or other situations that may endanger a person's health or safety or if the employee's absence would halt the employer's service or production; and Limit the leave to 3-hour increments at a time and require the employee to submit written verification from the school or school district of the activity necessitating the leave. An employee was required to provide the employer with at least one week's notice of the leave except in emergency situations. The 2009 act specified that the 2009 act would repeal on September 1, 2015. The repeal provision was never amended, so the 2009 act repealed on September 1, 2015. The bill recreates and reenacts the 2009 act with the following modifications: School districts and institute charter schools must post on their websites, and include in district-wide or school-wide communications sent to parents and the community at large, information about the act; The Colorado state advisory council for parent involvement in education must also provide information about the act to the extent possible within existing resources; and The act continues indefinitely and the original repeal date in the 2009 act is amended to specify that the repeal was to apply only to the 2009 act.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

The bill prohibits an employer from requiring any person, as a condition of employment, to become or remain a member of a labor organization or to pay dues, fees, or other assessments to a labor organization or to a charity organization or other third party in lieu of the labor organization. Any agreement that violates these prohibitions or the rights of an employee is void. The bill creates civil and criminal penalties for violations and authorizes the attorney general and the district attorney in each judicial district to investigate alleged violations and take action against a person believed to be in violation. The bill states that all-union agreements are unfair labor practices. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

The 'Immigration and Nationality Act' allows states to pass laws requiring United States citizenship as a condition of employment. The bill imposes a United States citizenship requirement for peace officers, including certified peace officers, in Colorado. Honorably discharged veterans of the United States military are exempted from the United States citizenship requirement. A person who is a legal permanent resident and who is employed by a law enforcement agency as a peace officer or certified peace officer on the effective date of the bill is exempted from the United States citizenship requirement until July 1, 2022, unless the P.O.S.T. board extends the date for compliance. A person who is a legal permanent resident and is a certified peace officer but not employed on the effective date of the bill is exempted from the United States citizenship requirement until July 1, unless the P.O.S.T. board extends the date for compliance. The P.O.S.T. board, upon request of the employing law enforcement agency of a certified peace officer whose compliance was grandfathered, may extend the date for the certified peace officer's compliance with the United States citizenship requirement based upon a showing that the certified peace officer is making progress towards attaining citizenship and needs an extension of time. If the person fails to obtain United States citizenship during the grandfathered-time period, the P.O.S.T. board shall revoke the person's peace officer certification, if applicable, unless the P.O.S.T. board extends the date for compliance. For purposes of the grandfather provision, an adult probation officer and a juvenile probation officer are considered to be employed by a law enforcement agency. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

If a court determines that a criminal defendant is currently serving in the United States armed forces or is a veteran of such forces (military defendant) and has been diagnosed as having any of certain mental health problems relating to his or her military service, the court shall: Order the person preparing the presentence report to consult with the federal department of veterans affairs or another agency or person with suitable knowledge or experience, for the purpose of providing the court with information regarding treatment options available to the defendant, including federal, state, and local program options; and Consider such treatment options, as well as the treatment recommendations of any diagnosing or treating mental health professionals, in imposing sentence. If the court determines that a military defendant suffers sexual trauma, traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, or mental health problems during his or her service in the United States armed forces and the defendant is eligible for probation, the court shall consider such fact favorably in determining whether to grant probation and in assessing whether he or she should be ordered into a federal or community-based treatment service program. The bill allows a court to order the criminal conviction records of a military defendant to be sealed when certain conditions are satisfied. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Under current law, a licensed chiropractor, whether or not he or she is registered with the state board of chiropractic examiners to perform animal chiropractic, must obtain a veterinary medical clearance from a licensed veterinarian before performing an act that falls within the chiropractor's scope of practice on an animal patient. The bill removes the veterinary medical clearance requirement for chiropractors who are registered with the state board as animal chiropractors. A licensed chiropractor who is registered as an animal chiropractor and performs animal chiropractic on an animal patient is encouraged, in a timely manner, to consult with a veterinarian treating the animal patient. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Currently, 'United States Mountain Standard Time' (MST) is the standard time within Colorado, except during the annual period of 'daylight saving time' (the second Sunday in March through the first Sunday in November), during which MST is advanced one hour. The bill makes daylight saving time the year-round standard time within the state, but takes effect only: If approved by Colorado voters in the November 2018 general election; and When the other states wholly or partially in the Mountain time zone also adopt permanent daylight saving time for the states or portions thereof within that time zone.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Water Resources Review Committee. The bill appropriates $5 million from the Colorado water conservation board construction fund to the Colorado water conservation board to make loans and grants to enable the recipients to dredge existing reservoirs located in the South Platte river basin to restore the reservoirs' full decreed storage capacity. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill prohibits a person employed by or volunteering in a public school, a state-licensed child care center, a family child care home, or a specialized group facility from imposing corporal punishment on a child. 'Corporal punishment' means the willful infliction of, or willfully causing the infliction of, physical pain on a child. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)