Rep. Jarvis Caldwell

The act implements some of the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies (department) regarding the motorcycle operator training (MOST) program, as contained in the department's sunset review of the MOST program, as follows: Lowers the required minimum age to be a MOST instructor from 21 to 18 years of age; and To align with the placement of the MOST program within the Colorado state patrol rather than the department of transportation, clarifies that a MOST vendor must meet standards promulgated by the Colorado state patrol rather than by the department of transportation. The act also makes the following changes to the MOST program that were not included in the department's sunset review: Continues the MOST program in the office of the chief of the state patrol in the department of public safety (chief) for 5 years, until September 1, 2030; and Allows the chief to expend money from the MOST fund for a tuition benefit paid to MOST vendors to be passed on to eligible students in the form of reduced costs for eligible courses, as established by the chief by rule.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

In addition to individuals who may already request that their address included in certain records be kept confidential (address confidentiality) under certain circumstances, the act allows an individual or the spouse of an individual who is or has been a peace officer, firefighter, volunteer firefighter, emergency medical service provider, or emergency communications specialist (first responder) to also request address confidentiality for voter registration records that are in the custody of a county clerk and recorder or in the centralized statewide registration system maintained by the secretary of state (secretary) and financial disclosures that certain public officials are required to file with the secretary. A first responder may request address confidentiality with the county clerk and recorder of the county where the first responder who is making the request for address confidentiality resides. The secretary is required to approve the application form for a request for address confidentiality. Each county clerk and recorder is required to make the address confidentiality request application forms available in their office, provide the address confidentiality request application forms to interested persons by United States mail, email delivery, or facsimile transmission, and to process applications for address confidentiality without imposing a processing fee or any other charge. The custodian of any records specified in the act that concern a first responder who has requested address confidentiality is required to deny, with limited exceptions, the right of inspection of the first responder's address contained in the records on the ground that disclosure would be contrary to the public interest. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Current law states that a person who commits careless driving and thereby causes the death of an individual commits a class 1 misdemeanor traffic offense. The act expands current law to include careless driving resulting in serious bodily injury and states that if a person commits careless driving and thereby causes the serious bodily injury or death of more than one individual, each individual injure or killed is a separate violation. The act also clarifies that careless driving resulting in serious bodily injury or death is an included crime for the purposes of the "Victim Rights Act". (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act prohibits a peer support team member from disclosing, without the consent of the recipient of peer support (recipient), the confidential communications made by the recipient during a peer support interaction, with specified exceptions. With respect to an exception for which disclosure is permissible, a peer support team member who discloses or does not disclose a communication with a recipient is not liable for damages in a civil action for disclosing or not disclosing the communication. The act expands an exception allowing specified mental health professionals to disclose confidential information when a recipient makes a threat against an individual or themself or makes a threat that, if carried out, would result in harm to an individual or themself. In addition, a peer support team member is exempted from the prohibition on disclosure established by the act if: The peer support team member was a witness or a party to the incident that prompted the delivery of peer support services; A recipient admits to committing a crime or provides information pertaining to the recipient or another individual that is indicative of criminal conduct; Criteria related to an individual's participation as a witness in a court proceeding are met; or A recipient makes a threat involving damage or destruction of private or public property.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act repeals an obsolete provision that: Authorized the department of public health and environment to award grants to 3 state institutions of higher education in state fiscal year 2006-07; and Required each recipient of a grant award to report to committees of the general assembly on or before March 15, 2007, regarding the use of the grant money awarded.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act changes the term "epinephrine auto-injector" to "emergency-use epinephrine" in order to encompass alternatives to injecting epinephrine as a means to treat anaphylaxis in school settings. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

For ground ambulance services (ambulance services), the act: Allows a political subdivision or an ambulance service providing ambulance services on behalf of the political subdivision to submit to the division of insurance (division) the established rates for the ambulance services, if the rates meet specified conditions; Requires the division to publish reimbursement rates on the division's public-facing website; Establishes reimbursement rates for ambulance services that are out of network; and Prohibits an out-of-network ambulance service from billing an individual covered under a health insurance coverage plan (covered person) any outstanding balance for a covered service not paid for by an insurance carrier, except for any coinsurance, deductible, or copayment amount required to be paid by the covered person. If a covered person makes a payment for an out-of-network ambulance service, the payment must be applied to the covered person's in-network deductibles and in-network out-of-pocket maximum amounts. For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, $38,149 is appropriated from the division of insurance cash fund to the department of regulatory agencies for use by the division to implement the act. VETOED by Governor 5/29/2025(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act allows enrolled members of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and enrolled members of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe to enter state parks without having to pay an entrance fee. By June 1, 2026, the division of parks and wildlife (division) in the department of natural resources (department) shall build on existing efforts to conduct outreach to and engagement with the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, other tribal governments, American Indian communities, and Indigenous communities about opportunities related to state parks that are managed by the division. In January 2026 and January 2027, the department shall include, as part of its presentation during its "SMART Act" hearing, information concerning the division's outreach and engagement about opportunities related to state parks. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires the state board of education (board) to adopt high school health education standards regarding drug overdose risks, identification of a drug overdose event, and drug overdose prevention and response. The act authorizes the board to seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations for the purpose of adopting these standards. The board must adopt the standards on or before July 1, 2028, if, the board receives by July 1, 2026, $20,000 from gifts, grants, or donations to adopt the standards. If sufficient money is not received, the board is required to adopt the standards on or before July 1, 2032, pursuant to the general standards schedule. Under current law, a school district, the state charter school institute (institute), or the governing board of a nonpublic school may adopt and implement a policy allowing an employee or agent of the school to furnish an opioid antagonist to any individual, including a student, but only if the student has received appropriate school-sponsored training. The act repeals the required condition that a student must receive appropriate school-sponsored training. The act authorizes a school district, the institute, a public school, or a nonpublic school to seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations for purposes related to acquiring, maintaining, and providing training for administering opioid antagonists. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Current law states that an employer shall not interfere with an agricultural worker's reasonable access to key service providers (KSP) at any location when the worker is not performing compensable work and with respect to health-care providers at any time. The act exempts an employer's property from this provision; except that the act prohibits an employer from interfering with a worker's access to KSP through remote channels on the employer's property. The act also removes language referring to health-care providers. Current law states that the division of labor standards and statistics (division) may adopt rules regarding additional times that an employer may not interfere with a worker's reasonable access to KSP. The act clarifies that such rules must apply only to locations other than the employer's property. Lastly, the act states the division shall not adopt rules that: Infringe upon an employer's private property rights; or Conflict with the common law rights of an individual to access private property in a time of emergency.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)