Rep. Tim Geitner

The bill creates the information technology and infrastructure advisement committee on Colorado elections (committee). The committee's purpose is to evaluate and make recommendations to the secretary of state on the following issues: The standards for certification of electronic voting systems; Any issues involving electronic voting systems that have arisen in the state; The security, reliability, and integrity of electronic voting systems; and Other information technology issues related to the accuracy and transparency of electronic voting systems in the state. The committee is required to submit an initial report by March 1, 2022, and annual follow-up reports with its findings and recommendations to the secretary of state. The committee is required to meet at least 2 times each year and is scheduled for sunset review before September 1, 2025. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill permits a fermented malt beverage retailer that is licensed to sell fermented malt beverages for off-premises consumption and that has licensed premises comprising less than 7,500 square feet to use a third-party delivery service, instead of its own employees and vehicles, to deliver fermented malt beverages to its customers.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill prohibits the governor from renewing a state of disaster emergency declared in response to any infectious disease, medical, or other health-related situation beyond 30 days, as current law allows, and instead authorizes the general assembly, by adopting a joint resolution, to extend the state of emergency for up to 60 days. The general assembly may continue, by adopting a joint resolution for each extension, to extend a state of disaster emergency for periods of up to 60 days for as long as it deems it necessary to do so. If the general assembly is not scheduled to convene in a regular session when a state of disaster emergency will end as required by the bill, the governor or a 2/3 majority of the members of each house of the general assembly, in accordance with applicable state constitutional provisions, may call the general assembly into an extraordinary session to consider extending the state of disaster emergency. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill creates the remote instruction family stipend program (program) within the department of revenue (department). The program provides stipends to the parents of students who participate in remote instruction as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The parent must use the stipend to cover education-related expenses for the student, which may include child care. The bill establishes eligibility criteria for receiving a stipend and requires an applicant to submit a sworn affidavit attesting that the applicant meets the criteria and describing the education-related expenses for which the applicant expects to use the stipend. The department must pay a stipend to each applicant, subject to available appropriations. The bill specifies the amount of the stipend. Each parent who receives a stipend must retain for one year the receipts for the services and items that the parent purchases using the stipend. The department must conduct a representative sample audit of the stipend recipients to confirm eligibility and the use of the stipends. The department must bring legal action to recover any amount that is illegally distributed or used for an illegal purpose. The program is repealed, effective July 1, 2023. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The act acknowledges the challenges to the state's health care systems caused by the COVID-19 virus, which has resulted in hospitals, in their efforts to keep patients and employees in a safe environment and minimize the risk of spreading the virus, limiting patients' ability to have loved ones visit them during hospitalizations. The act encourages hospitals to follow infection prevention protocols and identify ways to improve patient visitation policies. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The bill prohibits the department of human services (department) from including information about a person suspected of child abuse or neglect to the Colorado TRAILS system (system) absent notice and a hearing. The bill requires the department to provide the person with written notice of the department's intent to list the person's name in the system and request a hearing before a department administrative law judge (ALJ) within 14 days after making a finding substantiating the allegations. A hearing is not required if a court has issued an order in a proceeding in which allegations of child abuse or neglect are at issue. The bill specifies the procedural requirements for a hearing before an ALJ. The department is prohibited from releasing information about the person or the allegations against the person to a third party until all appeals are exhausted or waived. The bill requires the department to maintain each report of suspected child abuse or neglect for 2 years from the date the report is received. Two years after the date of the original adjudication, a person listed in the system may request to have the person's name expunged from the system by submitting a written request to the department. If the request for expungement is denied, the person must wait an additional 2 years before submitting another request for expungement. The department may administratively expunge the person's name from the system. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill requires the office of respondent parents' counsel and the office of the child protection ombudsman to work collaboratively to develop and make recommendations to the department of human services (department) regarding a written document containing notice of the rights afforded to all parties involved in an investigation of child abuse or neglect. The department is required to prepare a standard written document based on those recommendations that must be provided to any party that is subject to an investigation of child abuse or neglect at the start of any such investigation.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)