Section 2 of the bill addresses independent expenditures, meaning purchases expressly advocating the election or defeat of a candidate that are not controlled by or coordinated with a candidate. Under current law, a major independent expenditure that is broadcast, printed, mailed, or delivered must be accompanied by a disclaimer statement. Section 2 expands these forms of communication necessitating the disclosure statement to include communication placed on a website, streaming media service, or online forum for a fee. Section 2 additionally replaces the term 'circulated' with 'distributed' to modify all other forms of communication triggering the disclaimer requirement. Section 2 also modifies the components of the disclaimer statement to: Include online video or audio communication in addition to broadcast communication; and Clarify that nonbroadcast communication includes online communications. Under current law, an issue committee making an expenditure in excess of $1,000 on a communication that supports or opposes a statewide ballot issue or ballot question and that is broadcast by television or radio, printed in a newspaper or on a billboard, directly mailed or delivered by hand to personal residences, or otherwise distributed must disclose in the communication produced by the expenditure the name of the issue committee making the expenditure. Section 3 modifies these disclosure requirements by: Imposing the disclosure requirements on all candidate committees, political committees, issue committees, small donor committees, political organizations, political parties, and other persons, and not just issue committees, by requiring those committees, organizations, parties, and other persons spending in excess of $1,000 per calendar year on certain communications to include in the communication a disclaimer statement; and Expanding the nature of the communication triggering a disclaimer statement from a communication supporting or opposing a statewide ballot issue or ballot question and that is broadcast by television or radio, printed in a newspaper or on a billboard, directly mailed or delivered by hand to personal residences, or otherwise distributed to any communication that is broadcast, printed, mailed, delivered, placed on a website, streaming media service, or online forum for a fee, or that is otherwise distributed. Section 3 also requires any person who expends $1,000 or more per calendar year on any electioneering communication or any regular biennial school electioneering communication to include in such communication a disclaimer statement for communications for which disclosure is required. Current law also requires that the disclaimer be printed on the communication clearly and legibly in a conspicuous manner. Section 3 requires that the disclaimer statement conform to the requirements specified in current law for disclaimers for large independent expenditures with respect to content, size, duration, and placement. The bill deletes other existing requirements pertaining to the disclaimer. Any person who believes that a violation has occurred of disclaimer requirements is authorized to file a complaint with the secretary of state in accordance with existing statutory provisions governing enforcement of the state's campaign finance laws. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill mandates funding instruction in public schools of history and civil government of the United States and Colorado, including but not limited to the history, culture, and contributions of American Indians, Hispanic Americans, African Americans, and Asian Americans. Current law requires school districts to convene community forums to discuss the content standards in history and civil government at least once every 10 years. The bill requires the forums to be held at least every 2 years. The history, culture, and civil government in education commission is established to make recommendations to the state board of education when the state board performs its scheduled 6-year review of education standards so those standards and programs accurately reflect the history, culture, and civil government of the United States and Colorado, including the contributions and influence of American Indians, Hispanic Americans, African Americans, and Asian Americans. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill is a referred measure. The bill specifies that the state and any political subdivision of the state (jurisdiction) shall not: Prohibit or restrict any jurisdiction, official, or employee from sending to, or receiving from, federal immigration agencies information regarding the citizenship or immigration status of any individual; Prohibit or restrict a jurisdiction from doing any of the following with respect to information regarding the immigration status of any individual: Sending the information to, or requesting the information from, federal immigration agencies; Maintaining the information; or Exchanging the information with any other federal, state, or political subdivision of this state; or Encourage the physical harboring of an illegal immigrant. A jurisdiction is deemed a sanctuary jurisdiction if it violates the prohibitions in the bill, is informed by the federal government that it is in violation of federal immigration law, or is denied federal grant money or eligibility for a federal grant due to noncompliance with federal immigration laws. The bill also requires each jurisdiction to give written notice to its elected officials, employees, and law enforcement officers of their duty to comply with all federal laws concerning immigration. The bill requires each county, city and county, or municipality with a population of at least 25,000 to submit an annual report to the department of public safety (department) affirming that it has not violated the prohibitions in the bill, has not been notified by the federal government that it is in violation of federal immigration law, and has not been denied federal grant money or informed that it is ineligible for federal grant money due to noncompliance with federal immigration laws. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) Read More
Pursuant to current law, when a person, company, firm, corporation, or contractor (contractor) enters into a contract with certain governmental entities or governmental bodies to perform work in connection with certain projects, the contractor is required to execute performance bonds and payment bonds. The bill specifies that these bonding requirements apply to all construction contracts situated or located on public real property using public or private money, public or private financing, or public real property; except that the bonding requirements do not apply in the case of contracts for the development, restoration, or enhancement of wildlife habitat. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill requires the oil and gas conservation commission to promulgate rules as soon as practicable to ensure proper wellhead integrity of all oil and gas production wells. The bill requires an oil and gas operator to give electronic notice of the location of each flow line and gathering pipeline installed, owned, or operated by the operator to each local government within whose jurisdiction the subsurface facility is located. The commission promulgated several rules in 2016 to implement 2 of the recommendations of the governor's oil and gas task force. The bill also codifies some of the essential elements of one of the 2 recommendations, with the following modifications: The rules require operators to share their development plans with municipalities within whose jurisdictions the proposed operations will occur; and the bill adds counties within whose jurisdictions the proposed operations will occur. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill prohibits state agencies from imposing a personal qualification requirement in order to engage in a profession or occupation unless the agency can show that the requirement is demonstrably necessary and narrowly tailored to address a specific, legitimate public health, safety, or welfare objective. On or before July 1, 2019, every agency is required to review occupational regulations and determine whether the regulation should be repealed or amended. Any person may file a petition with an agency requesting that an occupational regulation be repealed or amended. Regardless of whether a petition is filed with an agency, any person may file a civil suit requesting the court enjoin an occupational regulation. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) Read More
The bill prohibits the governor from involving Colorado in any state-level climate collaboration that attempts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions or to otherwise promote the goals of the Paris Agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) Read More
Sunset Process - House Transportation and Energy Committee. The bill implements the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies in its sunset review of the certification of conservation easement holders by: Continuing the certification of conservation easement holders by the conservation easement oversight commission (commission) for 7 years until 2025 (Recommendation 1); and Authorizing the director of the division of real estate (director), in consultation with the commission, to share conservation easement information with a third-party vendor to develop a registry of conservation easements in the state for which conservation easement holders have received tax credits (Recommendation 4) and to annually report on the information as part of its 'State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Act' presentation.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill establishes a test for determining whether a marketplace contractor is considered an 'employee' under the 'Workers' Compensation Act of Colorado' and whether services provided by a marketplace contractor are considered 'employment' under the 'Colorado Employment Security Act'. The bill defines a 'marketplace contractor' as a person that enters into a written agreement with a marketplace platform to use the platform's online-enabled application, software, website, or system to receive services requests from third parties seeking the types of services offered by the contractor. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) Read More
The bill creates the emergency completion and retention grant program (grant program) in the department of higher education (department). The Colorado commission on higher education implements the grant program by annually distributing an amount to each state institution of higher education (institution) to use in awarding emergency assistance grants to eligible students who are experiencing qualifying fiscal emergencies. The bill describes minimum procedures an institution must adopt for the financial aid director at the institution to award the emergency assistance grants. The commission is required to include in the annual financial aid report submitted to the joint budget committee a summary of the implementation of the grant program and an evaluation of its effect in increasing the retention and completion rates at institutions. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill authorizes a school district, board of cooperative services, or charter school (local education provider) or group of local education providers to create local, student-centered pilot accountability systems (pilot accountability system) for measuring the performance of the public school systems operated by the participating local education providers. A pilot accountability system must be designed to assess student learning, professional culture, and resource allocation within a participating local education provider. The bill describes the minimum requirements for a pilot accountability system proposal, including the manner in which the participating local education providers will determine whether the pilot accountability system is successful. A local education provider that participates in a pilot accountability system must continue to comply with the accountability and accreditation statutes. A local education provider or group of local education providers may receive a grant to operate the pilot accountability system by submitting the proposal to the department of education (department), agreeing to allow the department to monitor implementation of the pilot accountability system, and agreeing to submit to the department its evaluations of the success of the pilot accountability system. Subject to available appropriations, the participating local education provider or group of local education providers will receive an annual grant so long as they comply with the monitoring and reporting requirements. For each year in which the department distributes a grant, the department must prepare a report of the implementation of the pilot accountability systems; submit it to the governor, the state board of education, and the education committees of the general assembly; and post it on the department website. The authorization for the pilot accountability system grants repeals in 5 years. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill creates a 3-year pilot program in the division of employment and training (division) in the department of labor and employment (department) to provide emergency employment support services to rural and nonrural counties in the state. The bill requires the division to contract with an administering entity to operate the pilot program to provide reimbursement for emergency employment support services provided to eligible individuals in the eligible counties. In order to be eligible for services for which a service provider may be reimbursed under the pilot program, an individual must be 16 years or older, eligible to work in the United States, have an income at or below 200% of the federal poverty line, and be actively pursuing employment or job training. The bill sets forth a list of services that are eligible for reimbursement. The bill requires the administering entity to report to the division at the end of the pilot program. The division is required to devise a formula for poverty reduction, employment, and workforce development programs for the distribution of money within the program area. The bill establishes the emergency employment support services pilot program cash fund to consist of gifts, grants, and donations, and any other money that the general assembly may transfer to the fund. The pilot program is subject to sunset review at the end of the 3-year period. The division is required to promulgate rules to implement and set parameters for the operation of the pilot program. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
