The bill creates 2 emergency relief grant programs to allow the state to allocate and quickly distribute money to existing licensed and start-up child care providers (providers) in Colorado. The child care sustainability grant program (sustainability program) is created in the department of human services (department). The purpose of the sustainability program is to provide financial support to licensed providers in Colorado, including those that are in danger of closing as a result of the COVID-19 public health emergency. The department shall develop a formula, criteria, and timeline to allocate grants to eligible providers. A grant award from the sustainability program must range from at least $500 to no more than $35,000. A licensed provider's child care capacity is a key criteria in determining the amount of the grant award. The department shall determine grant award amounts for eligible providers as soon as possible, but no later than January 31, 2021, and distribute the money for grant awards no later than February 28, 2021. The emerging and expanding child care grant program (expansion program) is created in the department. The purpose of the expansion program is to expand access and availability of licensed providers throughout Colorado. The intent of the expansion program is to provide financial assistance to new or existing providers. A grant award from the expansion program must range from at least $3,000 to no more than $50,000. A grant award from the expansion program may be used for costs associated with expansion of an existing provider or to assist with the creation of a new child care program. Costs may include staff training, background check fees, cleaning supplies, educational supplies, and capital or facility improvement costs. The department shall begin the grant award process on or before January 31, 2021. The bill makes an appropriation. (Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.) (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
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The bill directs the state treasurer to transfer, on the effective date of the bill, $5 million from the general fund to the energy outreach Colorado low-income energy assistance fund (fund). The Colorado energy office administers the fund for use by Energy Outreach Colorado, which organization provides direct utility bill payment assistance to low-income households. Energy Outreach Colorado must expend the money before June 30, 2021. On or before July 15, 2021, Energy Outreach Colorado is required to report to the Colorado energy office regarding the amount of the transferred money that was disbursed for direct bill payment assistance and the amount returned to the state. The Colorado energy office may audit Energy Outreach Colorado's financial transactions and accounts regarding the money received. (Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.) (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill establishes immunity from civil liability for small businesses for any act or omission that results in exposure, loss, damage, injury, or death arising out of COVID-19 if the small business attempts in good faith to comply with applicable public health guidelines. The bill is repealed 2 years after the date the governor terminates the state of disaster emergency declared on March 11, 2020. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The act implements recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies in its sunset review and report on the regulation of mental health professionals as follows: Continues the regulation of mental health professionals for 9 years, until September 1, 2029; Clarifies that mental health professionals may possess, furnish, and administer opiate antagonists; Exempts students who are enrolled in a school program and are practicing as part of a school practicum or clinical program; Grants title protection to additional persons practicing in the mental health field; Makes the conviction of a crime that is related to mental health practice a violation of the mental health practice acts; Authorizes the appropriate mental health board to suspend a mental health professional's license, certification, or registration for the failure to comply with a board-ordered mental or physical examination; and Repeals the requirement that members of the mental health boards must be United States citizens. In addition to implementing the sunset recommendations, the act: Allows the staff of a mental health board to approve applications for licensure, certification, and registration without ratification from the respective board unless the board deems ratification necessary; Clarifies that licensees, certificate holders, and registrants are not required to form a professional service corporation; Exempts persons performing auricular acudetox from licensing, certification, and registration requirements; Creates the mental health disciplinary record work group for the purpose of making legislative and rulemaking recommendations concerning records that impact the initial licensure, certification, registration, and ongoing practice of mental health professionals; Clarifies when a mental health professional may disclose a client's confidential communications; Clarifies that it is not a prohibited activity for a mental health professional to offer or accept payment for services provided in connection with a referral as long as the payment is not for the referral itself; Prohibits a contract entered into by a mental health professional for marketing, office space, administrative support, or any other overhead expense from providing remuneration for referrals of clients or patients or otherwise creating financial benefit or incentive to the mental health professional; Allows supervision of an applicant for a social worker license to be done virtually and by a person other than a licensed social worker; Creates a registration process for clinical social work candidates; States that, for licensed social workers or licensed clinical social workers, course work is the only professional competency activity that can fulfill all the continuing competency requirements; Requires applicants for psychology licensure to complete a name-based criminal history record check upon initial application; Requires applicants for a professional counselor license to complete 2,000 hours of practice in counseling, including at least 1,500 hours of face-to-face direct client contact under clinical supervision; Changes the name of "registered psychotherapists" to "unlicensed psychotherapists", allows current psychotherapists to continue to practice as unlicensed psychotherapists, and prohibits the registration of any new psychotherapists with the board of unlicensed psychotherapists; Repeals the provision allowing a licensed mental health professional or a licensure candidate to register with the database of unlicensed psychologists; and Changes the titles of certified addiction counselors to "certified addiction technicians" and "certified addiction specialists" and changes the scope of practice and educational requirements for the certificate holders.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Under current law, the department of public health and environment (department) receives pharmaceutical rebates for money it receives based on charges in excess of a federal price agreement related to the state's operation of a drug assistance program to assist individuals with lower incomes who have medical or preventive needs regarding AIDS or HIV (state program). The rebates are designated in statute as donations. The act removes the statutory designation of the rebates as a donation and creates a cash fund into which the rebates are credited for continuous appropriation to the department for the state program. The cash fund is exempted from the statutory limit on uncommitted reserves in a cash fund. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act implements the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies in its sunset review and report on the regulation of naturopathic doctors as follows: Continues the regulation of naturopathic doctors by the department of regulatory agencies for 9 years, until September 1, 2029; and Provides immunity from liability for the director of the division of professions and occupations (director), division staff, consultants, and complainants in any civil action brought against the individual for acts occurring while the individual is acting in the individual's capacity as director, board member, staff, consultant, or witness, respectively. The act also: Requires that of the 3 doctors of medicine or osteopathy who serve on the naturopathic medicine advisory committee (committee), one must be a pediatrician and one must be a member of a statewide multispecialty medical society; Requires the committee to meet at least once each year and tasks the committee with reviewing the naturopathic doctor formulary, making recommendations to the director on additions to the formulary, and discussing issues of importance to naturopathic doctors and their patients; Allows the director to make additions to the naturopathic formulary; and Prohibits a person who is not registered as a naturopathic doctor from using any title that implies the person is registered or licensed as a naturopathic doctor.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law disqualifies a recipient who is found to have committed an intentional violation from participation in any public assistance program for a specified amount of time. The act clarifies that a recipient who is found to have committed an intentional violation is only disqualified from participating in the public assistance program in which the recipient is found to have committed the intentional violation. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act addresses the authority of the state government to regulate perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Section 1 of the act addresses when PFAS may be used for firefighting foam system testing both in general and in certain aircraft hangars. Section 2 requires the solid and hazardous waste commission to promulgate rules for both a certificate of registration for any facility, fire department, or lessee subject to federal rules and regulations that uses or stores PFAS in its operations and for standards for the capture and disposal of PFAS. Section 3 prohibits the use of class B firefighting foam that contains intentionally added PFAS in certain aircraft hangars beginning January 1, 2023. The act appropriates $43,836 from the hazardous waste service fund to the department of public health and environment for use by the hazardous materials and waste management division. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law provides 2 means by which veterans with qualifying disabilities may be exempted from paying vehicle ownership tax and registration fees: The first exemption is associated with the issuance of a disabled veteran license plate, but the second exemption is not specifically associated with the issuance of the disabled veteran license plate. The bill clarifies that a veteran who is disabled need not obtain the disabled veteran license plate to qualify for the second exemption.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill makes changes to a program (program) within the department of human services (department) for children and youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities or co-occurring disorders (children and youth). The scope of rules to be promulgated by the department for the program is expanded to include planning for services for children and youth who become 18 years of age while in the program; access to behavioral health services; wait list management; process for a child or youth who is at risk for out-of-home placement; and program evaluation. Current law only allows for a county department of human or social services to submit an application to the program for a child or youth. The bill extends this option to the parent or legal guardian of the child or youth, and extends all notification requirements related to the program to the parent or legal guardian as well. The bill updates reimbursement provisions so that if a child or youth is not in the custody of a county department of human or social services or the department, the department shall directly reimburse the licensed provider where the child or youth is placed. Beginning on or before September 1, 2020, the department is required to compile and make public an annual report on the program. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)