Rep. Terri Carver

A crime victim is entitled to compensation under the "Colorado Crime Victim Compensation Act" if, in part, the victim cooperates with law enforcement officials. The act clarifies that a victim of strangulation satisfies the cooperation requirement by undergoing a medical forensic examination.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act specifies information and issues that public schools must teach in providing courses on civil government. The act directs the state board of education to review the state civics standards and update them as necessary to include the identified information and issues. The act encourages each school district and public school to partner with local service organizations to solicit donations to improve the quality of the civics education program. Donations may be used to pay the cost to develop a high-quality curriculum, invite speakers to interact with students, and provide students with opportunities for civics learning and engagement outside of the classroom.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Under current law, a retired member of the judicial division may perform assigned judicial duties without pay for not less than 60 or 90 days each year. Such a member of the judicial division will receive a benefit increase equal to not less than 20% or more than 30% of the current monthly salary of judges serving in the same position held by the retiree at the time of retirement.The act changes the amount of time that a retired member of the judicial division may perform assigned judicial duties without pay and the amount of a benefit increase such a judge will receive. The act specifies that a retired member of the judicial division may perform assigned judicial duties without pay for 10, 20, 30, 60, or 90 days each year and will receive a benefit increase equal to 3.3%, 6.7%, 10%, 20%, or 30% respectively of the current monthly salary of judges serving in the same position held by the retiree at the time of retirement.Additionally, under current law, within 5 years after retirement, a retired member of the judicial division who did not enter into an agreement prior to retirement to perform assigned judicial duties without pay during retirement may enter into such a written agreement within 30 days prior to each anniversary date of retirement. The act removes this requirement.The act also states that the following retirees from the judicial division are not eligible to perform the assigned judicial duties described above:Retirees who received "a does not meet performance standards" or "do not retain" recommendation in their last judicial performance evaluation before retirement, either published or unpublished; Retirees who received a disciplinary disposition from the commission on judicial discipline or private admonishment, private reprimand, private censure, public reprimand, public censure, suspension, or removal; and Retirees who, during or after their term in office, received private or public discipline from the office of the presiding disciplinary judge.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Under preexisting law, a county clerk may conduct a pilot kiosk program using private providers to issue driver's licenses, register motor vehicles, or issue certificates of title. The act eliminates the program's pilot status, converting it to a regular program, and makes the following substantive changes: Requires counties to provide services across county jurisdictions; Expands the services the program may provide; Authorizes mobile telephone and web-based services; Replaces the cap of $3.00 on the convenience fee for services with a requirement that the cap be negotiated between the county clerk and the private provider; Adds data security requirements for the private provider; and Limits the private provider's ability to retain and transfer data to those purposes contemplated by the motor vehicle statutes. $112,500 is appropriated from the Colorado DRIVES vehicle services account to the department of revenue to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Current law requires an individual who wishes to have a document notarized to appear personally before a notary public. Effective December 31, 2020: The act authorizes a notary public to perform a notarial act on behalf of an individual who is not in the notary's physical presence, but only with respect to an electronic document; To perform a "remote notarization", a notary must use an electronic system that conforms to standards established by rules of the secretary of state, including using real-time audio-video communication; The act establishes the standards that a notary must comply with to have satisfactory evidence of the identity of the individual seeking the remote notarization; and The use or sale of personal information of a remotely located individual by a remote notary and the provider of a remote notarization system is prohibited except in specific, limited circumstances. The governor issued an emergency executive order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that directed the secretary of state to issue an emergency rule to authorize remote notarizations, which the secretary of state did. The act ratifies remote notarizations conducted pursuant to the emergency rule between March 30, 2020, and December 31, 2020. The act appropriates $132,795 from the department of state cash fund to the department of state to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The bill extends indefinitely the voluntary income tax return check-off for contributions to the Colorado domestic abuse program fund (fund). The bill also authorizes the department of human services to seek gifts, grants, and donations for the fund and to expend such money for domestic abuse programs. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Because the United States equal employment opportunity commission and the federal courts have found that a private employer's veterans preference employment policy is not a violation of Title VII of the "Civil Rights Act of 1964" if there is a basis for the policy in state law, the bill creates a statutory basis to allow a private employer to give preference to a veteran of the armed forces or the National Guard and the spouse of a disabled veteran or a veteran killed in the line of duty when hiring a new employee as long as the veteran or the spouse is as qualified as other applicants for employment. The bill clarifies that an employer who adopts a program that gives preferences to veterans or their spouses is not committing a discriminatory or unfair labor practice.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)