Rep. Julie McCluskie

Maddy summaryThis House Joint Resolution formally asks the people of Colorado to remember the Holocaust and acknowledges specific survivors, including Fred Bryner, Samuel Weinberg, and Silvia Weinberg. It encourages schools and universities to promote antibias and bullying prevention programs to stop antisemitic incidents targeting Jewish students. The resolution also declares that citizens should understand the power of words and commit to preventing future atrocities, and it directs copies of the document to various local and national organizations focused on Holocaust education and remembrance.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates a specific section of State Highway 92 in Delta County as the "Educators and Teachers Memorial Highway" to honor the contributions of local educators and teachers. The designated stretch runs from mile marker 3 to mile marker 7, passing through the unincorporated community of Read, Colorado, which historically housed the headquarters for Delta County Joint School District 50J. The resolution authorizes the Colorado Department of Transportation to accept donations and grants for installing commemorative signs along this highway segment. This measure serves as a symbolic recognition of the role schools and teachers play in the community without changing any laws or regulations.

Maddy summaryThis bill encourages Colorado public employees to improve their retirement readiness by seeking financial education and recommends adding lifetime income options to certain retirement plans. It specifically targets the Public Employees' Retirement Association (PERA), which serves over 226,000 public employees across more than 400 government agencies. The resolution suggests that the General Assembly consider expanding lifetime income choices in the PERA defined contribution plan and voluntary savings plans to provide guaranteed retirement income similar to the existing defined benefit plan. The bill also recognizes the economic importance of retirement security for Colorado residents and directs copies to relevant state committees for review.

The act authorizes the state auditor, in the state auditor's discretion, to audit the records of a school district that received state education fund money (school district) for capital construction projects for qualified charter schools in the district to determine the amount of state education fund money expended by each school district in the state for capital construction and to identify the schools and projects on which school districts expended the money.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The department of regulatory agencies (DORA) conducted a sunset review of the cold case task force (task force) in the department of public safety (department) and recommended:Authorizing the executive director of the department to appoint additional task force members;Extending the task force until September 1, 2039; andChanging the type of sunset review that is performed by DORA.     The act implements DORA's recommendations.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act changes state law to reflect changes to federal law that expand the authority of states, counties, and tribal governments to enter into good neighbor agreements with the federal government to carry out recreation and improvement services on land by:Specifying that the Colorado state forest service may enter into good neighbor authority agreements with the United States department of the interior, the United States department of agriculture, or any agency of the United States department of the interior or United States department of agriculture; andClarifying that the Colorado state forest service is required to conduct, or contract with one or more entities to conduct, demonstration projects that utilize Colorado's good neighbor authority to implement forest management projects that improve forest health, resilience, wildlife habitat, or outdoor recreation opportunities.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act establishes civil immunity for a board member, staff member, or volunteer of a child advocacy center that arises from the performance of the board member's, staff member's, or volunteer's duties if the board member's, staff member's, or volunteer's acts are in good faith.     The act allows certain entities to share information under certain circumstances that is relevant to the protection of a child that is the subject of a child maltreatment case.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act creates the pathways to public service program (program) in the department of personnel (department) using existing resources. The purpose of the program is for the department to work with academic and workforce entities to identify existing curriculum and course work that would qualify students for positions within state government. Participation by academic and workforce entities is voluntary.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act prohibits a person from:Identifying an agricultural product as being produced in the state when selling, marketing, advertising, or distributing the product unless the product is grown in the state; andUsing the Colorado proud designation or logo unless authorized by the department of agriculture.     A violation of these prohibitions constitutes a deceptive trade practice. There is no private right of action to enforce a violation of the prohibitions.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The fire and police pension association (association) provides disability retirement and survivor benefits (disability and survivor benefits) for eligible members of the association (members) who become disabled or die. The act recodifies and reorganizes the disability and survivor benefits statutes, removes outdated provisions, and clarifies ambiguous language. In addition, the act makes the following modifications to the disability and survivor benefits statutes:Removes the current requirement that the association require every member who applies for disability retirement benefits to have 3 independent medical exams and instead authorizes the board of the association (board) to appoint a medical advisor to assess the needs of each applicant for disability retirement benefits;Authorizes the board to adopt rules to streamline the appeal process for disability retirement benefit applicants who are denied benefits;Allows the association to require a member who is occupationally disabled to participate in a rehabilitation and retraining program to help the member gain additional skills and knowledge so the member can earn a wage doing a job other than being a police officer or firefighter;Clarifies that a member who is a total disability retirement benefit recipient will begin receiving a cost of living adjustment when the member starts receiving a total disability retirement benefit;Clarifies eligibility for a member to apply for disability retirement benefits; Repeals the statute that makes an employer liable for the payment of disability retirement benefits if a member's disability existed at the commencement of employment, the employment was not ordered by a court, and the employer failed to require the member to complete and file a health history form prior to commencing employment; andRequires members to fill out a health history form, which notifies the association of any preexisting health conditions, prior to employment.     The act does not change the amounts of disability retirement and survivor benefits or the length of time a member must be employed to be eligible for a benefit, nor does it require additional money from the state, employers, or members.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)