The bill creates tax incentives to encourage employers to voluntarily support paid parental and medical leave programs for their eligible employees and to encourage eligible employees to save for time away from work during parental and medical leave. Specifically, section 2 of the bill establishes leave savings accounts. A leave savings account is an account with a financial institution for which the individual uses money to pay for any expense while he or she is on eligible leave, which includes: The birth of a child of the individual and caring for the child; The placement of a child with the individual for adoption or foster care; Caring for a spouse, child, or parent of the individual if the spouse, child, or parent has a serious health condition; A serious health condition that makes the individual unable to perform the functions of the position of the individual; Time for an individual to care for himself or herself or to care for a parent or child after being a victim of domestic abuse; or Any qualifying exigency, as determined by the United States secretary of labor, arising out of the fact that a spouse, child, or parent of the individual is on covered active duty, or has been notified of an impending call or order to covered active duty, in the United States armed forces. An individual may annually contribute up to $5,000 of wages to a leave savings account. An employer may make a contribution to the employee's leave savings account in any amount. The department of health care policy and financing is required to establish a form for an individual to report information regarding leave savings accounts, and the individual must annually file this form with the department of revenue to be eligible for the tax benefit. Section 3 allows an employee to claim a state income tax deduction for amounts they or their employer contribute to a leave savings account. A taxpayer is also allowed to deduct any interest or other income earned during the taxable year on the investment of money in their leave savings account. Section 4 creates an income tax credit for an employer that pays an employee for leave that is between 8 and 12 weeks long. The leave must be for one of the same reasons for which an employee may use money in a leave savings account as specified above. The amount of the credit is equal to 15% of the amount paid, so long as the amount paid is at least 50% of the employee's regular salary for a specified time period. Section 4 also creates an income tax credit for an employer that contributes to an employee's leave savings account. The amount of the credit is equal to 15% of the amount contributed to the account; except that a credit is not allowed for contributions to a leave savings account that exceed $3,000 in a single year. Both credits are not refundable, but they may be carried forward up to 5 years. The bill also specifies that for employers, an amount equal to the amount the taxpayer contributed to an employee's leave savings account and an amount equal to the amount the taxpayer paid in wages for an employee while on family leave, to the extent an income tax credit is claimed, will be added to the taxpayer's federal taxable income. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Sponsored bills
The bill updates various provisions of the "Colorado Children's Trust Fund Act", including renaming it the "Colorado Child Abuse Prevention Trust Fund Act" (act). Changes include: Expanding the membership on the Colorado child abuse prevention board (board) from the current 9 members to 17 members; Expanding the powers and duties of the board to include advising and making recommendations to the governor, state agencies, and other entities regarding child maltreatment prevention; developing strategies to decrease the incidences of child maltreatment and other adverse childhood experiences; and implementing and monitoring the ongoing development of local child maltreatment prevention plans throughout the state; and Extending the repeal of the act from 2022 to 2026.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The act reorganizes the "Dental Practice Act", which includes the laws governing the practices of dentistry and dental hygiene and other procedures, tasks, and activities related to those practices. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates the Colorado legion of merit medal, which may be awarded by the department of military and veterans affairs (department) to any person who has rendered service in a clearly exceptional, unprecedented, or superior manner. The act makes changes regarding eligibility and criteria for certain medals awarded by the department and repeals awards that are duplicative of other department or federal awards. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Training and testing restrictions with certain firefighting foams - restriction on sale of certain firefighting foams - notification of chemicals in protective equipment -survey. The act prohibits the use of class B firefighting foam that contains intentionally added perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS foam) for training purposes or for testing firefighting foam fire systems and creates a civil penalty for doing so. The act also creates the "Firefighting Foams Control Act" (act) which: Prohibits the sale of PFAS foam in certain circumstances; Requires manufacturers of PFAS foam to notify sellers of the provisions of the act; Requires manufacturers to disclose whether the personal protective equipment they produce contains perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances; Allows for the department of public health and environment to request a certificate of compliance from a manufacturer of class B firefighting foam or firefighting personal protective equipment to ensure that those manufacturers are complying with the limitations on the manufacture of PFAS foam as set forth in the act; Creates a civil penalty for violating the provisions of the act; and Requires the department of public health and environment to conduct a survey to determine the amount of PFAS foam currently held, used, and disposed of by fire departments.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Medical practice - physician assistants - supervision requirements - liability - representation on Colorado medical board - appropriation. The act establishes supervisory requirements for physician assistants who: Have practiced for less than 3 years; Have practiced for 3 years or more; or Have practiced for at least 12 months and are making a substantive change in their scope of practice or practice area. The act states that a licensed physician may be responsible for the direction and supervision of up to 8 physician assistants at any one time. A licensed physician shall not be made responsible for the direction and supervision of more than 4 physician assistants unless the licensed physician agrees to assume the responsibility. The act adds one more physician assistant as a member of the Colorado medical board (board), for a total of 2 physician assistant members, and adds a fourth member to the licensing panel established by the board president, which fourth member must be a physician assistant board member. The act states that a physician assistant who has practiced for at least 3 years may be liable for damages resulting from negligence in providing care to a patient, unless the damages occur as a result of the physician assistant following a direct order from a supervising physician, and shall maintain professional liability insurance in an amount not less than $1 million per claim and $3 million for all claims. For the 2019-20 fiscal year, the act appropriates $4,650 to the department of regulatory agencies for use by the division of professions and occupations. Specified provisions of the act are contingent upon House Bill 19-1172 becoming law. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Marriage of underage persons - issuance of marriage license - rights and conditions - appropriation. The act prohibits persons under 16 years of age from obtaining a marriage license. A person who is 16 or 17 years of age may only obtain a marriage license if a juvenile court determines that the underage party is capable of assuming the responsibilities of marriage and that the marriage would serve the underage party's best interests. Prior to making this determination, the court shall appoint a guardian ad litem for the underage party to investigate the underage party's circumstances and best interests and to file a report with the court addressing the factors listed in the act and stating a position regarding whether the issuance of a marriage license is in the underage party's best interests. The act authorizes the juvenile court to appoint a guardian ad litem for purposes of judicial consent for underage marriage. The act clarifies that an underage married person has certain rights under law, including the right to establish a separate domicile from the married person's parents; the right to file motions and petitions in the married person's own name; the right to enter into enforceable contracts, including leases for housing; and the right to consent to their own medical care. The act clarifies that both parties to a proxy marriage must be 18 years of age. The act prohibits complete social security numbers from appearing on marriage forms and certificates issued by county clerks and recorders and allows certain documents to prove the applicant's identity. For the 2019-20 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $59,850 from the general fund to the judicial department for use by the office of the child's representative for operating expenses and for court-appointed counsel. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Living organ donors - discrimination prohibited - duty to make information available to the public. The act: Prohibits a person who offers life insurance, disability income insurance, health insurance, or long-term care insurance from discriminating against a person based solely on the person's status as a living organ donor; Requires the division of insurance (division) to provide information to the public on a living organ donor's access to insurance; and Requires the division and the department of public health and environment to make materials related to live organ donation available to the public if the materials are from a recognized organ donation organization.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Freestanding emergency departments - mandatory licensure - exceptions - appropriation. Effective July 1, 2022, the act creates a new license, referred to as a "freestanding emergency department license". The department of public health and environment (department) may issue the license to a health facility that offers emergency care, that may offer primary and urgent care services, and that is either: Owned or operated by, or affiliated with, a hospital or hospital system and located more than 250 yards from the main campus of the hospital; or Independent from and not operated by or affiliated with a hospital or hospital system and not attached to or situated within 250 yards of, or contained within, a hospital. A facility licensed as a community clinic before July 1, 2010, and that serves a rural community or ski area is excluded from the definition of "freestanding emergency department". The act allows the department to waive the licensure requirements for a facility that is licensed as a community clinic or that is seeking community clinic licensure and serves an underserved population in the state. The state board of health must adopt rules regarding the new license, including rules to set licensure requirements and fees and safety and care standards. $43,248 is appropriated to the department from the health facilities general licensure cash fund to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Certificates of title - vehicle identification number - certified inspection - fee. The act raises the fee for performing a certified vehicle identification number inspection from $20 to $50 and provides for the fee to be adjusted annually to account for inflation. A peace officer's certification to perform these inspections expires 3 years after issuance unless renewed.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More