Under current law, the division of online learning (division) within the department of education (department) must certify a multi-district online school before the school can operate. The bill continues the certification of multi-district online schools until January 1, 2018. On and after that date, the division will no longer certify the school but will certify a school district, a group of school districts, a board of cooperative services, or the state charter school institute (authorizer) that chooses to authorize a multi-district online school. The bill establishes the areas in which an authorizer must meet specified requirements to be certified. An authorizer must renew the certification every 5 years. If an authorizer is already operating or overseeing a multi-district online school as of January 1, 2018, the authorizer can continue operating or overseeing the school but must obtain a certification by January 1, 2023. The state board of education (state board) must adopt rules concerning the procedures and timelines by which to apply for certification and any additional areas for which an authorizer must meet requirements. The procedures must include an appellate procedure if the division denies an authorizer's application for certification or revokes or does not renew an authorizer's certification. If an authorizer loses its certification, it may continue operating or overseeing the multi-district online school for the remainder of the school year in which it loses the certification and for the next school year. The division must facilitate the multi-district online school's transition to a new authorizer. Under current law, the department must develop parameters and guidelines for pilot projects in online schools to address measures of student achievement, student count processes and competency-based funding models, tiered interventions, and requirements and responsibilities for student success. The bill adds projects to address the needs of specific student groups in online schools. The general assembly is directed to appropriate money for the pilot projects, in addition to any gifts, grants, or donations the department may receive. Under current law, a multi-district online school that operates a learning center in a school district that is not the school's authorizing school district must enter into a memorandum of understanding with the school district to operate the learning center. The bill requires a multi-district online school to also enter into a memorandum of understanding with a school district that is not the school's authorizer if the school seeks to operate a drop-in center within the school district. The bill requires the division to: Study the issue of student mobility into and out of online schools and report to the state board and the general assembly; and Collect data concerning the operations of authorizers and multi-district online schools, identify and disseminate information concerning best practices, and make the data available for research in the field of online education.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
With regard to candidates by petition: Section 1 requires designated election officials to verify that a circulator is qualified to circulate any petitions filed and clarifies that designated election officials may use random sampling, in accordance with rules promulgated by the secretary of state, to verify candidate petition information. Section 2 directs the secretary of state, in consultation with county clerk and recorders and other designated election officials, to create a pilot program to study best practices and modern technology that may be used for electronic candidate petition processes. The secretary of state must report any findings and recommendations during the department of state's 'State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act' presentation in the interim before the 2020 legislative session.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill enacts and enters into with all other states joining therein the agreement among the states to elect the president of the United States by national popular vote (agreement). Among other provisions, the agreement: Permits any state of the United States and the District of Columbia to become members of the agreement by enacting the agreement; Requires each member state to conduct a statewide popular election for president and vice president of the United States; Prior to the time set for the meeting and voting of presidential electors, requires the chief election official of each member state to determine the number of votes cast for each presidential slate in a statewide popular election and to designate the presidential slate with the largest national popular vote total as the national popular vote winner; Requires the presidential elector certifying official of each member state to certify the appointment in that official's own state of the elector slate nominated in that state in association with the national popular vote winner. At least 6 days before the day fixed by law for the meeting and voting by the presidential electors, requires each member state to make a final determination of the number of popular votes cast in the state for each presidential slate and to communicate an official statement of the determination within 24 hours to the chief election official of each other member state. Requires the chief election official of each member state to treat as conclusive an official statement containing the number of popular votes in a state for each presidential slate made by the day established by federal law for making a state's final determination conclusive as to the counting of electoral votes by congress. Specifies that the agreement governs the appointment of presidential electors in each member state in any year in which the agreement is in effect on July 20 in states cumulatively possessing a majority of the electoral votes; Permits a state's withdrawal from the agreement, except in limited circumstances; Specifies that the agreement will terminate if the electoral college is abolished; and Provides that the invalidity of any of the agreement's provisions do not affect the remaining provisions. The bill specifies that when the agreement becomes effective, it supersedes any conflicting provisions of Colorado law. When the agreement becomes effective and governs the appointment of presidential electors, each presidential elector is required to vote for the presidential candidate and, by separate ballot, vice-presidential candidate nominated by the political party or political organization that nominated the presidential elector. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill defines 'classification information' as information that identifies the citizenship status or religion of a student or the student's family. The bill prohibits a school service contract provider from collecting, using, or sharing classification information. With regard to existing statutory exceptions that allow a school service contract provider to share or sell certain student personally identifying information, the bill prohibits the sharing or sale of classification information. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Currently, a person may qualify as an eligible elector in certain district elections if the person is an owner of taxable real (or, for some districts, personal) property situated within the boundaries of the district or the area to be included in the district. Further, a person is considered to be an owner for election purposes if the person is obligated to pay taxes under a contract to purchase such taxable property. For a person qualifying as an eligible elector as an owner by virtue of a contract to purchase taxable property in elections in the following types of districts, the bill mandates that the tax obligation must require the person to pay taxes prior to the date of purchase: Local governments, as defined in the 'Local Government Election Code' (i.e., any district, business improvement district, special district created pursuant to title 32 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, authority, or political subdivision of the state, authorized by law to conduct an election; but does not include a county, school district, regional transportation district, or municipality) ( section 1 of the bill); Law enforcement authorities ( section 2 ); Public improvement districts ( section 3 ); Local improvement districts ( section 4 ); Downtown development authorities ( section 5 ); Special districts formed under the 'Special District Act' ( sections 6 and 7 ); The urban drainage and flood control district ( section 8 ); Water conservancy districts ( section 9 ); and Groundwater management districts ( section 10 ).(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill requires all higher education institutions that receive money from the college opportunity fund (institutions) to adopt policies on sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and hate crimes involving a student, faculty, or staff member consistent with the provisions of the bill. The bill requires the policy to be published in handbooks and on the institution's website. Institutions are required to review and, if necessary, update the policies every 2 years. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill changes the amount of wages that may be withheld and paid under a garnishment to the lesser of: 25% of an individual's disposable earnings; or If the individual makes less than 250% of the federal poverty level adjusted for family size, 10% of the individual's gross earnings; or Zero if the individual's weekly take-home pay is less than 30 times the state's minimum wage.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
Each higher education institution that receives funding from the state must file a verified report each December 1 with the joint budget committee stating whether or not the institution engaged, directly or indirectly, in the purchase or trafficking of aborted human body parts in the previous year. If a higher education institution files a report affirming that the institution engaged, directly or indirectly, in the purchase or trafficking of aborted human body parts, the general assembly shall not appropriate any state funding in the next fiscal year. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill prohibits a public official from appointing, employing, promoting, or advancing a relative, and from advocating for the appointment, employment, promotion, or advancement of a relative, in or to a position in the state agency in which the public official is serving or over which the public official exercises jurisdiction or control. An individual who is appointed, employed, promoted, or advanced by a public official who is a relative, or who had a relative who is a public official advocate for his or her appointment, employment, promotion, or advancement, is not entitled to salary or benefits in connection with state employment. These requirements do not apply to positions in which the employee is paid hourly. The executive director of the department of personnel is authorized to promulgate rules for the temporary employment of individuals whose employment would otherwise be prohibited in the event of emergencies resulting from natural disasters or similar unforeseen events. The bill does not prohibit an individual from being appointed, employed, promoted, or advanced in a state agency in which he or she has a relative who is a public official, so long as the public official did not violate the provisions of the bill and the appointment, employment, promotion, or advancement is accordance with the requirements of the state personnel system specified in the state constitution and the 'State Personnel System Act'. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill requires the division of criminal justice in the department of public safety (division) to establish and maintain a website containing: Specified information on each criminal forfeiture involving property; and Specified information on how each governmental agency that received proceeds from forfeitures used those proceeds. The bill requires each governmental agency involved in seizing property under forfeiture statutes (seizing agency) to update the information posted on the division's website and establishes consequences if a seizing agency fails to update the website in a timely manner. The executive director of the department of public safety (executive director) is authorized to adopt rules concerning the website. The state auditor is required to annually perform a financial audit of seized property and expenditures of forfeiture proceeds and submit a report on the audit to certain committees of the general assembly and to the executive director. The executive director shall submit an annual report to certain committees and officers summarizing seizure and forfeiture activities in the state. The bill prohibits a seizing agency from transferring or referring seized property to a federal governmental agency for forfeiture litigation unless the property includes currency in excess of $100,000. The bill authorizes the division to charge a seizing agency a fee when the seizing agency updates the website to offset the division's costs of developing and maintaining the website. The bill establishes a cash fund for the fees. The bill clarifies that information and reports developed pursuant to the bill are public records subject to inspection under the 'Colorado Open Records Act'. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill directs specified electric utilities to prepare, and the Colorado public utilities commission to review, proposals to integrate distributed energy resources into their plans to acquire new infrastructure. 'Distributed energy resources' is defined to include renewable distributed generation facilities, such as rooftop solar, energy storage facilities, electric vehicles, and other features of an improved and diversified electrical grid architecture. The commission may approve the plans as submitted or modify them in ways that improve system reliability, reduce costs, or increase the benefits to ratepayers. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
