The act creates the kidney disease prevention and education task force (task force) and makes an appropriation. The task force consists of members that are part of the general assembly and members that are not part of the general assembly. The task force's purpose is to evaluate and make recommendations to the general assembly about the detection, treatment, education, and awareness of kidney disease in Colorado.The task force has the following duties:To work with various entities to create kidney disease educational programs and increase overall awareness of kidney disease in Colorado; To examine chronic kidney disease, transplantation, donation, and the higher rates of affliction in minority populations; and To develop a plan to raise awareness about kidney disease in Colorado, which shall include an ongoing campaign that incorporates health workshops, preventative screenings, social media campaigns, and television and radio commercials. The task force is required to submit an initial and final report with its findings and recommendations to the department of health care and environment (department) by December 1, 2023, and August 31, 2026. The department is required to include the initial and final report of the task force as part of the department's presentation to its joint committees of reference at a hearing held pursuant to the "State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act".The department is required to select a Colorado medical center with a program dedicated to treating kidney disease to administer the task force. The task force is required to convene by November 1, 2021, and is required to meet at least 4 times every year. The task force is scheduled for sunset review and repeal on September 1, 2026.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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The act creates the rent reporting for credit pilot program (pilot program) and directs the Colorado housing and finance authority (authority) to contract with a third party (contractor) to administer the pilot program in accordance with rules promulgated by the authority.The contractor shall recruit no more than 10 landlords to participate in the pilot program and, to the extent practicable, shall attempt to include a total of at least 100 participant tenants, with an emphasis on selecting participant tenants from populations that are under-served and under-represented in home ownership. To the extent practicable, the contractor shall recruit participant landlords who offer:A variety of types of dwelling units for rent, including dwelling units of various sizes; Dwelling units for rent that are located in diverse areas of the state; and At least 5 dwelling units for rent. In order to become a participant landlord, a landlord must agree in writing to certain terms. A tenant may participate in the pilot program only if the tenant elects to participate and completes a financial education course.On or before June 1, 2024, the authority, in consultation with the contractor, shall submit to the governor and the general assembly a report concerning the pilot program.The act requires the state treasurer to issue a warrant in the amount of $205,000 from the treasury department to the authority for the implementation of the program and, accordingly, for the 2021-22 fiscal year, the act appropriates $205,000 from the general fund to the treasury department for this purpose.The pilot program is repealed, effective September 1, 2024.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act exempts an employee or person acting on behalf of the office of the child protection ombudsman (ombudsman) from testifying in a civil or criminal proceeding in which the ombudsman is not a legal party. The act prohibits information, documents, and reports requested and reviewed by the ombudsman from being subpoenaed in a civil or criminal proceeding in which the ombudsman is not a legal party.The act authorizes the ombudsman to receive information, records, or documents related to an incident of egregious abuse or neglect, near fatality, or fatality of a child during the course of an investigation of a complaint. The department of public health and environment's child fatality prevention review team shall provide the ombudsman the nonidentifying case review findings and recommendations related to an investigation of a complaint. The department of human services' child fatality review team shall provide the ombudsman the final confidential, case-specific review report related to an investigation of a complaint. If electronic copies are not available, the ombudsman shall access, review, and receive copies of documents without cost to the ombudsman.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates the Colorado high-impact tutoring program (program) to provide grant funding to local education providers, as defined in the act to include school districts and charter schools and others, to create high-impact tutoring programs (tutoring programs) to address student learning loss and unfinished learning due to the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic in Colorado.A local education provider or group of providers may apply to the department of education (department) for a grant. To receive a grant, a local education provider shall apply to the department and shall demonstrate need, as determined by the department, which may include serving low-income or underserved students. The application must also include the local education provider's plan for its tutoring program (program plan), which must include the elements of a tutoring program and must detail how the local education provider will implement the program plan. The department shall review grant applications, and the commissioner of education (commissioner) shall award grants. In awarding grants, the commissioner shall consider the alignment of the local education provider's program plan with the requirements of the tutoring program, the number of students projected to be served, the needs of a rural local education provider for financial or technical support to implement a tutoring program, the cost of implementing the local education provider's tutoring program, the amount of available money for program grants, and any other criteria determined by the commissioner. The state board of education may promulgate rules necessary to implement the program.Each year in which a grant is awarded, the act requires a local education provider receiving a grant to report to the department information concerning the implementation of the tutoring program, including student outcomes. The department shall also report annually to the education committees of the general assembly summarizing local education providers' tutoring programs and student outcomes. The department is not required to implement the program if there is insufficient money to award program grants. The act is repealed July 1, 2026.The act appropriates $4,981,720 and 1.1 FTE to the department of education to implement the act.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
If a school district, board of cooperative services, or charter school (local education provider) provides educational programming via online instruction to a student (online student), the act prohibits the local education provider from:Prohibiting the online student's parent from being in the same room while the student participates in online instruction, but the person leading the instruction may require a disruptive parent to leave the area of online instruction; Requiring an online student to use a camera while participating in online instruction if the student's technology does not allow for use of a camera; and Suspending or expelling an online student based on an item observed in the student's physical environment or the student's behavior while participating in online instruction, unless the behavior constitutes one of the statutory grounds for suspension or expulsion. The act specifies that the limitation on suspending or expelling an online student applies to suspensions and expulsions that occur on or after March 23, 2020.The act specifies that the premises, facilities, and buildings of an educational institution do not include an online student's private residence for purposes of the crime of interference with staff, faculty, or students of educational institutions.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act authorizes a school district board of education to establish a scholarship program for graduates of the school district. The scholarships must be paid from additional mill levy revenue that the school district is authorized to collect; gifts, grants, and donations; or both. A school district board of education that establishes a scholarship program is encouraged to prioritize low-income and first-generation students and limit the allowable uses of scholarship money.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
With certain exceptions, a local government is currently required to obtain voter approval and meet other requirements before providing internet access (advanced service) to the public. The act specifies that these requirements do not apply to a school district or board of cooperative services providing advanced service that enables students, teachers, and staff members of the district to access a school-owned and operated network to facilitate remote learning.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The law existing before the passage of the act required school districts, charter schools, and boards of cooperative services to demonstrate that, by the beginning of the 2021-22 school year, the kindergarten-through-third-grade teachers they employ have completed evidence-based training in teaching reading. The act extends the deadline for completing the training until the beginning of the 2022-23 school year.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act expands the community transition specialist program (program) by redefining "high-risk individual" to allow more individuals to access program services. The act also expands facilities that can access program services.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The starting point for determining state income tax liability is federal taxable income. This number is adjusted for additions and subtractions (deductions) that are used to determine Colorado taxable income, which amount is multiplied by the state's income tax rate. Income earned from pensions or annuities, including military retirement benefits, can be considered income for purposes of the state's income tax. In Colorado, current law provides an income tax deduction that subtracts from federal taxable income amounts received from pensions or annuities for individuals who are 55 years or older. For individuals who are 55 to 64, that benefit is capped at $20,000 per income tax year. For individuals who are 65 or older, that benefit is capped at $24,000 per income tax year. This existing benefit applies to pensions or annuities received, among other things, from service in the uniformed services of the United States. The bill does not change this current tax benefit. In 2018, the general assembly enacted a separate temporary income tax deduction through the income tax year commencing on or after January 1, 2023, that subtracts from federal taxable income amounts received from military retirement benefits for individuals who are under 55 years old. This additional deduction for military retirements benefits is currently capped as follows: $7,500 for the income tax year commencing on or after January 1, 2020, but before January 1, 2021; $10,000 for the income tax year commencing on or after January 1, 2021, but before January 1, 2022; and $15,000 for income tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2022, but before January 1, 2024. The bill makes modifications to the existing tax deduction for military retirement benefits for individuals who are under 55 years old by: Extending the number of years the temporary income tax deduction is available by 10 years; and Increasing the maximum benefit to $20,000 for income tax years commencing January 1, 2023, and for each income tax year thereafter.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)