The bill specifies that a patient admitted to a hospital for inpatient care and a resident of a nursing care facility or assisted living residence may have at least one visitor of the patient's or resident's choosing during the stay or residency. A hospital, a nursing care facility, and an assisted living residence (collectively referred to as "health-care facility") must have written policies and procedures regarding the visitation rights of patients and residents, including policies and procedures setting forth any clinically necessary or reasonable restriction or limitation that the health-care facility may need to place on patient and resident visitation rights and the reasons for the restriction or limitation. The bill prohibits a health-care facility from adopting policies or procedures that prohibit visitation of a patient or resident if the sole reason for the prohibition is to reduce the risk of transmission of a pandemic disease, but a health-care facility may impose specified requirements and limitations for visitors to reduce the risk of transmission of the pandemic disease. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill allows eligible electors in the town of Parker to elect to have all of the area within the boundaries of the town included in or excluded from the boundaries of the regional transportation district (district). The bill requires that for the election to go forward, 2 separate ballot questions must be presented to the electors, one regarding the town's inclusion in and one regarding the town's exclusion from each special district. The ballot questions may be initiated by petitions signed by at least 5% of the voters, or the governing body may adopt resolutions to hold elections on the ballot questions. The ballot must include one question allowing the voters to vote for or against the inclusion of the proposed area in the district, and one question allowing voters to vote for or against the exclusion of the proposed area from the district. If one question is approved by a majority of the eligible electors and the other question is not approved by a majority of eligible electors, the question that was approved takes effect. If both questions are approved by a majority of the eligible electors, only the question that received the greater number of votes in favor of the question takes effect. If neither question is approved by a majority of eligible electors, neither question takes effect and the boundaries of the district remain as they were before the election. If the voters elect to be excluded from the district, the exclusion takes effect on the earlier of December 31, 2050, or the date on which any district securities that were secured by the specific pledge of proceeds of sales taxes prior to January 1, 2021, are repaid. The district may continue to collect sales and use tax revenues within the boundaries of the district after the voters elect to be excluded and prior to the effective date of the exclusion, so long as the district provides a reasonably proportionate level of service to the town of Parker during that time. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill requires the public utilities commission (PUC) to adopt by rule, no later than July 31, 2022, greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction programs (reduction programs) for large natural gas utilities (those that have at least 250,000 customer accounts in Colorado) and small natural gas utilities (those that have fewer than 250,000 customer accounts in Colorado) (collectively, utilities). Municipally owned utilities may, but need not, participate in a reduction program. The rules must include reporting requirements and a process for utilities to fully recover qualified investments, which are prudently incurred costs associated with a reduction program. The bill establishes the following GHG emission reduction targets, using a utility's 2019 GHG emissions as a baseline: By January 1, 2025, at least 5%; By January 1, 2030, at least 10%; and On and after January 1, 2035, at least 15%. GHG emission reductions from the delivery of natural gas to other utilities and transportation sector retail customers are excluded from the reduction programs. The following sources of GHG emission reductions are included in the reduction programs: Methane leaked from the transportation and delivery of natural gas from natural gas distribution and service pipelines; and Carbon dioxide emitted by the utility's retail customers (other than those in the transportation sector) as a result of the combustion of natural gas delivered by the utility. GHG emission reductions can be achieved by: Using renewable natural gas, which must account for at least 35% of the emission reductions; Emission offsets; Methane emission reductions from a variety of mechanisms; and Other programs developed by the utility and approved by the PUC that demonstrate GHG emission reductions. If a large utility's total incremental annual cost to meet the GHG emission reduction targets exceeds 2% of the large utility's total revenue requirement for a particular year, the large utility shall not make additional qualified investments under the reduction program for that year without approval from the PUC. Small utilities may opt in to the reduction program as established by the PUC by rule. The rule must include tradeable credits and a rate cap limiting the small utility's costs of making qualified investments. For included emission reductions and until 2025, a utility participating in a reduction program is not subject to any additional GHG emission reduction requirements or required to incur any additional costs under Colorado's generally applicable GHG emission reduction requirements if the utility: Files with the PUC a plan that contains approvable and cost-effective programs that make progress toward the GHG emission reduction targets and are projected to meet either the applicable emission reduction targets or the applicable retail rate impact; Reports GHG emission reductions consistent with the accounting methodology established by the division of administration in the department of public health and environment; and Is either projected to meet the GHG emission reduction targets in an applicable year or the PUC finds that the projected costs to achieve the emission reductions have met the applicable retail rate impact. The bill gives the oil and gas conservation commission the authority to authorize class VI injection permits, which authorize the deep sequestration of carbon dioxide. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The public employees' retirement association (PERA) board (board) is required to create an exclusion list of all fossil fuel companies in whose stocks, securities, equities, assets, or other obligations PERA has any money or assets directly invested. The board is required to notify any company on the list of its inclusion on the list and of the divestment requirements of the bill. The board is required to periodically update the exclusion list. A company that was included on the exclusion list may request that it be removed from the list on the basis of clear and convincing evidence that it is not currently a fossil fuel company or that it will no longer meet such definition by a certain date. Within 6 months from the completion of the exclusion list, the board is required to issue a determination as to whether divestment from the companies on the exclusion list complies with the board's fiduciary obligations. If the board determines that divestment from any company on the exclusion list does not comply with its fiduciary obligations, the board will remove the company from the exclusion list. Beginning one year after the effective date of the bill, the board is required to: Divest the funds managed by PERA (fund) of any stocks, securities, equities, assets, or other obligations of companies on the exclusion list in which any money or assets of the fund are directly invested; and Cease new direct investments of any money or assets of the fund in any stocks, securities, or other obligations of any company that is a fossil fuel company. The board is required to complete divestment from fossil fuel companies by a specified date. Beginning one year after the effective date of the bill, the board is required to endeavor to ensure that no money or assets of the fund are invested in an indirect investment vehicle unless the board is satisfied that such indirect investment vehicle is unlikely to have in excess of 2% of its assets directly or indirectly invested in fossil fuel companies. The board is required to issue periodic reports to the members of the pension review commission of the general assembly outlining all actions taken to comply with the requirements of the bill. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Under current law, a school district, charter school, or board of cooperative services (local education provider) may use per-pupil intervention money received pursuant to the "Colorado READ Act" to purchase core reading instructional programs (programs) that are on an advisory list of programs created by the department of education (department). The bill authorizes a local education provider to use per-pupil intervention money to purchase programs that are not on the advisory list but that the local education provider determines meet the criteria for placement on the list. After the local education provider has used the programs for 2 school years, the department must review the programs and the results achieved and determine whether the programs are effective in improving students' reading competency. If the programs are effective, the department must place the programs on the advisory list. If the programs are not effective, a local education provider may not subsequently use per-pupil intervention money to purchase the programs. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill updates the "Ski Safety Act of 1979" by: Requiring each ski area to adopt and publish, in printed form and on the ski area's website, if any, a safety plan specifying the governance, management, and operational roles, responsibilities, and practices of the ski area to prevent accidents and reduce the frequency and severity of injuries; and Requiring ski areas with an elevation drop of 500 feet or more and at least one elevated lift to: Collect and disseminate seasonal data on ski and snowboard accidents and deaths, including those occurring while boarding or exiting lifts; and Collect and make available, upon request, specific information about each accident, including where and when it occurred, the conditions at the time, the type of injuries and whether death occurred on site or following medical transport, and specified nonprivate information about the injured person. The bill makes any failure to create, maintain, and publish a safety plan or provide the required reports or data grounds for discipline by the passenger tramway safety board. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill creates the dialysis transportation provider reimbursement program (program) within the department of transportation. The program is created to reimburse dialysis transportation providers that transport dialysis patients who are 50 years of age or older and are not otherwise covered by medicaid. The program is funded by a per-treatment fee paid by each for-profit dialysis treatment clinic. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Current law makes it a class 1 traffic misdemeanor when careless driving of a motor vehicle causes serious bodily injury to a vulnerable road user. The bill changes serious bodily injury to a vulnerable road user to serious bodily injury to anyone. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill prohibits a foreign-influenced corporation from making an electioneering communication or a regular biennial school electioneering communication. The bill also expands the group of persons and entities currently prohibited from expending money on an independent expenditure in connection with an election in the state to include a foreign-influenced corporation. An independent expenditure committee is prohibited from knowingly accepting a donation from any foreign-influenced corporation. The bill prohibits an independent expenditure committee from knowingly accepting a contribution, donation, or transfer from a covered organization if all or part of the contribution, donation, or transfer includes money received by the independent expenditure committee from a foreign-influenced corporation. The bill prohibits any person from using funds from a foreign-influenced corporation to make either an electioneering communication or a regular biennial school electioneering communication. A for-profit corporation that is authorized to make a contribution or donation is required to affirm in writing under penalty of perjury that it is not a foreign-influenced corporation before it makes any permissible contributions or donations. The bill prohibits any person from accepting a permissible contribution or donation from a nonprofit corporation unless the written affirmation is provided before the contribution or donation is received by the recipient. The recipient of the contribution or donation is required to retain the written affirmation for not less than one year following the date of the end of the election cycle during which the contribution or donation is received. An affirmation statement is not required if the for-profit corporation has previously provided a statement to the recipient in the 3-month period prior to the date on which it makes the permissible contribution or donation. The bill defines the terms "foreign-influenced corporation", "foreign owner", and "widely held diversified fund". (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill requires the state board of education to promulgate rules to standardize the reporting method for school districts and charter schools to report disproportionate discipline data to the department of education (department) and the federal department of education's biennial survey. The bill requires each school district and institute charter school to disaggregate reports of conduct and discipline violations by race, ethnicity, gender, status as a student with a disability, and socioeconomic status to the maximum extent possible in compliance with the federal "Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974", 20 U.S.C. sec. 1232g. The bill also requires each school district and institute charter school to report the specific action taken in response to each discipline violation. The bill prohibits law enforcement officers from arresting students, or issuing a summons, ticket, or notice requiring the appearance of a student in court or at a police station for certain offenses and conduct. The bill also prohibits a school resource officer or law enforcement officer acting in their official capacity from handcuffing an elementary school student. The bill requires school districts and institute charter schools to adopt policies for selecting school resource officers if the school district or institute charter school elects to contract for one or more school resource officers. The bill requires each school district or institute charter school and the employing law enforcement agency to jointly create an evaluation process for school resource officers. Each school district or institute charter school and employing law enforcement agency shall enter into a memorandum of understanding to address issues such as strategies, procedures, and practices that minimize student exposure to the criminal and juvenile justice system; prioritization of strategies for enhancing student learning, safety, and well-being; and creation of a sustainable and successful balance between education and protecting students, teachers, and the school. The bill requires each school district board of education and each institute charter school to adopt a policy to report and address disproportionate disciplinary practices in public schools. Each school district and institute charter school shall develop, implement, and annually review improvement plans to address disproportionate discipline practices by race, ethnicity, gender, status as a student with a disability, and socioeconomic status based on the policy and disciplinary data reported to the department under the safe school reporting requirements. In implementing an improvement plan to address disproportionate discipline practices, each school district and institute charter school shall provide to the parents of the students enrolled in the school written notice of the improvement plan and issues identified by the department as giving rise to the need for the plan. The written notice must include the timeline for developing and adopting the improvement plan and the dates, times, and locations of the public meeting and a public hearing. The bill requires school districts and institute charter schools to address chronic absenteeism and disproportionate disciplinary practices in order to provide support to students who are identified as at risk of chronic absenteeism and disciplinary actions, including classroom removal, suspension, and expulsion. The bill amends the expelled and at-risk student services grant program to focus on services for students identified as at risk of dropping out of school due to chronic absenteeism and disciplinary actions. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Under federal law, money deposited in a qualified tuition program under section 529 of the internal revenue code (529 plan) grows tax deferred and is withdrawn tax free when used for eligible expenses. In addition to the federal tax benefit, the state provides an incentive for the deposit of money into a 529 plan by offering a state income tax deduction for contributions to such 529 plans. In 2019, the federal government included paying principle or interest on any qualified education loan, up to $10,000 per year, as an eligible expense. Current law requires the state income tax deduction to be recaptured from the taxpayer if a distribution is not used for listed purposes. The bill specifies that using a 529 plan for paying principle or interest on any qualified education loan, not to exceed $10,000, is also an eligible distribution for purposes of the state income tax deduction for contributions to such 529 plans. The bill also requires collegeinvest to provide the department of revenue with a secure electronic report containing information for the 529 plan owners and third-party contributors necessary for the administration of the income tax deduction. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill requires a supervising representative of a law enforcement agency to order a designated security employee of a wireless telecommunications provider to provide the law enforcement agency, without requiring the agency to obtain a court order, location information concerning the telecommunications device of a missing child if: An emergency situation exists because the time required to obtain a search warrant or other court order authorizing the acquisition of the information would frustrate the timely and safe recovery of the missing child; and The request for location is made to the law enforcement agency by the missing child's parent or legal guardian. However, a law enforcement agency shall not order the location information if the request is made by a parent or legal guardian who is a restrained person pursuant to an active protection order that identifies the missing child as a protected person, or if a law enforcement agency has an articulable reason to believe there is a custodial issue that has not been reviewed by a court. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
