The bill is known as the 'Colorado Citizen Protection Against Sanctuary Policies Act'. The bill includes a legislative declaration that states that addressing sanctuary jurisdictions is a matter of statewide concern and that makes findings about how sanctuary policies are contrary to federal law and state interests. The bill states that it is the policy of this state to ensure, to the fullest extent of the law, that the state or a political subdivision (jurisdiction) of the state complies with federal immigration law. In addition, pursuant to a recent presidential executive order, the United States secretary of homeland security has the authority to designate, in his or her discretion and to the extent consistent with law, a jurisdiction as a sanctuary jurisdiction that willfully refuses to comply with federal immigration law. A jurisdiction that violates the following requirements is deemed to be out of compliance with the requirements of federal immigration law and is deemed to have established a sanctuary jurisdiction policy if it: Prohibits, or in any way restricts any jurisdiction, official, or employee from sending to, or receiving from, federal immigration agencies information regarding the citizenship or immigration status, lawful or unlawful, of any individual; or Prohibits, or in any way restricts, a jurisdiction from doing any of the following with respect to information regarding the immigration status, lawful or unlawful, of any individual: Sending such information to, or requesting such information from, federal immigration agencies; Maintaining such information; Exchanging such information with any other federal, state, or political subdivision of the state; or Encourages the physical harboring of an alien in violation of federal law. A jurisdiction is also deemed to have created a sanctuary jurisdiction policy for purposes of the bill if it is officially notified by the federal department of justice or the federal department of homeland security that it is not in compliance with federal immigration law or if it has been denied federal grant funds based on lack of compliance with federal immigration law. The governing body of a jurisdiction is required to provide written notice to each elected official, employee, and law enforcement officer of the jurisdiction of his or her duty to communicate and cooperate with the federal government concerning enforcement of any federal or state immigration law. On or before July 1, 2018, and on or before July 1 of each year thereafter, the governing body of any jurisdiction in this state is required to annually submit a written report and affirmation to the department of public safety (department) that the jurisdiction is in compliance with federal immigration law and the provisions of the bill. If the department does not receive those written reports and affirmations, the department is required to provide the name of that jurisdiction to the state controller. On or before September 1, 2018, and on or before September 1 of each year thereafter, the department is directed to compile and submit annual reports on compliance to the general assembly and to the state controller. Commencing with the 2018-19 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter, the state controller is required to withhold the payment of any state funds to any jurisdiction that is found by the department to have failed to comply with the compliance and affirmation requirement. The state controller shall withhold funds until the department notifies the state controller that the jurisdiction is in compliance. The department is required to republish on its website, once the information is available, the data reported by the federal immigration and customs enforcement agency that pertains to Colorado on the apprehension and release of aliens from custody as compiled by that agency and reported weekly pursuant to a federal memorandum issued by the federal department of homeland security. The bill waives governmental immunity protection from claims brought against a jurisdiction and against its public employees for personal injuries caused to crime victims as a result of the jurisdiction creating sanctuary jurisdiction policies in violation of the federal law. Governmental immunity is waived and compensatory damages may be awarded under the 'Colorado Governmental Immunity Act' to the crime victim if the person who engaged in the criminal activity: Is determined to be an illegal alien; Had established residency in a jurisdiction that had adopted a sanctuary jurisdiction policy; and Is convicted of the crime that is a proximate cause of the injury to the crime victim. The bill states that nothing in the bill relating to compliance with federal immigration laws and nothing in the 'Colorado Governmental Immunity Act' shall be construed to require a jurisdiction or a public employee to violate an applicable court ruling from the United States tenth circuit court of appeals or the United States supreme court regarding the enforcement of any provision of federal immigration law. The bill sets forth the requirements for determining when an illegal alien has established residency in a sanctuary jurisdiction. An 'illegal alien' is defined as a person who is not lawfully present within the United States, as determined by federal immigration law or by a federal immigration agency. The bill includes a severability clause. The bill takes effect January 1, 2018, and applies to acts or omissions occurring on or after said date. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
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For elections conducted under both the 'Uniform Election Code of 1992' (uniform code) and the 'Municipal Election Code of 1965' (municipal code), an elector who shows his or her ballot after it is prepared for voting in such a way as to reveal its contents, commonly known and referred to as a 'ballot selfie', is subject to a criminal misdemeanor penalty. Section 1 of the bill modifies the ballot selfie prohibition in the uniform code. Specifically, section 1 deletes existing language prohibiting a voter from showing his ballot after it is prepared for voting to any person in such a way as to reveal its contents. Under the bill, any voter may show his or her voted ballot to any other person as long as the disclosure is not undertaken in furtherance of any election violation proscribed in the uniform code. The bill further provides that any voter makes available an image of the voter's own ballot through electronic means after it is prepared for voting is deemed to have consented to the transmittal of that image. The ability of a voter to exercise such right at a voter service and polling center (VSPC) or at any other location at which votes are being tabulated is subject to the power of a county clerk and recorder to monitor activity at such VSPC or other location, including placing reasonable restrictions on the use of photography in such settings or imposing other restrictions on activity in such settings as the county clerk and recorder finds necessary, to ensure the fair and efficient conduct of elections. Section 2 of the bill makes parallel modifications to the municipal code as section 1 of the bill makes to the uniform code regarding ballot selfie requirements.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill clarifies that high occupancy vehicle lanes are lanes on which a vehicle carrying 2 or more individuals, including the driver, may travel and that high occupancy toll lanes are lanes on which a vehicle carrying fewer than 2 individuals, including the driver, must pay a toll. The bill also raises the priority of currently unfunded projects to expand the capacity of interstate highway 25 between the town of Castle Rock and the town of Monument and between state highway 14 and state highway 66 (high priority projects) by: Requiring the department of transportation (CDOT) to put the high priority projects above all other unfunded projects on its priority list for project funding; Requiring all federal money received by CDOT that the federal government does not require to be allocated for other projects and that CDOT has not previously allocated for other projects to be used to fund the high priority projects before being used to fund other projects; and Requiring any environmental studies or other studies required to be completed before the high priority projects may begin to be completed no later than 6 months following the effective date of the bill and prohibiting study findings from being used to prevent the high priority projects from being undertaken.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill is known as the 'Colorado Politician Accountability Act'. The bill includes a legislative declaration that states that addressing sanctuary jurisdictions is a matter of statewide concern and that makes findings about how sanctuary policies are contrary to federal law and state interests. The bill creates a civil remedy against the state or a political subdivision of the state (jurisdiction) and against its elected officials for creating sanctuary policies. The bill also creates a crime of rendering assistance to an illegal alien that can be brought against an elected official for creating a sanctuary jurisdiction. An elected official is responsible for the creation of a sanctuary jurisdiction if the elected official votes in favor of imposing or creating a law, ordinance, or policy that allows the jurisdiction to operate as a sanctuary jurisdiction, fails to take steps to try to change a law, ordinance, or policy that allows the jurisdiction to operate as a sanctuary jurisdiction, or is a county sheriff who imposes or enforces a policy that allows the jurisdiction to operate as a sanctuary jurisdiction in a county in which the elected officials have not voted to impose or create a sanctuary jurisdiction. The bill allows any person who claims that he or she is a victim of any crime committed by an illegal alien who established residency in a sanctuary jurisdiction to file a civil action for compensatory damages against a jurisdiction and against the elected officials of the jurisdiction who were responsible for creating the policy to operate as a sanctuary jurisdiction. Notwithstanding the protections of the 'Colorado Governmental Immunity Act', the jurisdiction and its officials who are responsible for creating a sanctuary jurisdiction are civilly liable for damages if the person who engaged in the criminal activity: Is determined to be an illegal alien; Had established residency in the sanctuary jurisdiction; and Is convicted of the crime that is a proximate cause of the injury to a person or property. The maximum amount of compensatory damages for injury to persons is $700,000 per person or $1,980,000 for injury to 2 or more persons; except that no person may recover in excess of $700,000. The maximum amount of compensatory damages for injury to property is set at $350,000 per person or $990,000 for injury to multiple persons; except that no person may recover in excess of $350,000. The bill defines a 'sanctuary jurisdiction' as a jurisdiction that adopts a law, ordinance, or policy on or after the effective date of this bill that prohibits or in any way restricts an official or employee of the jurisdiction from: Cooperating and complying with federal immigration officials or enforcing federal immigration law; Sending to or receiving from or requesting from federal immigration officials information regarding the citizenship or immigration status, lawful or unlawful, of an individual; Maintaining or exchanging information about an individual's immigration status, lawful or unlawful, with other federal agencies, state agencies, or municipalities; Inquiring about an individual's name, date and place of birth, and immigration status while enforcing or conducting an official investigation into a violation of any law of this state; Continuing to detain an individual, regardless of the individual's ability to be released on bail, who has been identified as an illegal alien while in custody for violating any state law; or Verifying the lawful presence and eligibility of a person applying for a state or local public benefit as required by state and federal law. The bill sets forth the requirements for determining when an illegal alien has established residency in a sanctuary jurisdiction. An 'illegal alien' is defined as a person who is not lawfully present within the United States, as determined by federal immigration law. The governing body of any jurisdiction is prohibited from adopting a law, ordinance, rule, policy, or plan or taking any action that limits or prohibits an elected official, employee, or law enforcement officer from communicating or cooperating with an appropriate public official, employee, or law enforcement officer of the federal government concerning the immigration status of an individual residing in the state. The governing body of a jurisdiction is required to provide written notice to each elected official, employee, and law enforcement officer of the jurisdiction of his or her duty to communicate and cooperate with the federal government concerning enforcement of any federal or state immigration law. The governing body of any jurisdiction in this state is required to annually submit a written report to the department of public safety (department) that the jurisdiction is in compliance with the cooperation and communication requirements. If the department does not receive those written reports, the department is required to provide the name of that jurisdiction to the state controller. A law enforcement officer of a jurisdiction who has reasonable cause to believe that an individual under arrest is not lawfully present in the United States shall immediately report the individual to the appropriate U.S. immigration and customs enforcement office (ICE) within the department of homeland security. The governing body of any jurisdiction is required to report annually to the department on the number of individuals who were reported to ICE by law enforcement officers from that jurisdiction. The department is directed to compile and submit annual reports on compliance to the general assembly and to the state controller. The state controller is required to withhold the payment of any state funds to any jurisdiction that is found by the department to have failed to comply with these reporting requirements. The state controller shall withhold funds until the department notifies the state controller that the jurisdiction is in compliance. The bill creates the crime of rendering assistance to an illegal alien through a sanctuary jurisdiction, which is a class 4 felony. A person who is an elected official of a jurisdiction commits rendering assistance to an illegal alien through a sanctuary jurisdiction if, with intent to hinder, delay, or prevent the discovery, detection, apprehension, prosecution, conviction, or punishment of illegal aliens within the jurisdiction: He or she was responsible for creating a sanctuary jurisdiction in the jurisdiction to which the official is elected; and When, as a result of the protection afforded by a sanctuary jurisdiction, a third person engages in criminal activity and the third person: Is an illegal alien as legally defined by federal immigration law; Had established residency in the sanctuary jurisdiction that was created by the official; and Has been convicted of a crime that caused injury to a person or to property. A person who has knowledge of a crime committed by an illegal alien as a result of the creation of a sanctuary jurisdiction may file an affidavit with the attorney general or with a district attorney outlining the crime and requesting that charges be brought or that a grand jury be impaneled. The attorney general or district attorney shall investigate and respond in writing with his or her decision to the person filing the affidavit within 49 days. If the attorney general or district attorney declines to bring charges or impanel a grand jury, the person may file a second affidavit directly with the applicable court. The bill includes a severability clause and a provision that states that the bill is not subject to judicial review. The bill takes effect upon passage and applies to acts or omissions occurring on or after said date. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill: Specifies that no state action may burden a person's exercise of religion, even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability, unless it is demonstrated that applying the burden to a person's exercise of religion is essential to further a compelling governmental interest and the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest; Defines 'exercise of religion' as the practice or observance of religion. The bill specifies that exercise of religion includes the ability to act or refuse to act in a manner substantially motivated by a person's sincerely held religious beliefs, whether or not the exercise is compulsory or central to a larger system of religious belief; except that it does not include the ability to act or refuse to act based on race or ethnicity. Provides a claim or defense to a person whose exercise of religion is burdened by state action; and Specifies that nothing in the bill creates any rights by an employee against an employer unless the employer is a government employer.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)