The bill creates the math achievement accelerator grant program (grant program) in the department of education (department). A school district, board of cooperative services that operates a school that serves kindergarten or any of grades one through 8, or a charter school that serves kindergarten or any of grades one through 8 may apply to the department to participate in the grant program. The department, with the assistance of a grant review committee convened by the commissioner of education, shall review the grant applications and recommend to the state board of education (state board) grant recipients and the grant amounts. The state board shall select the applicants that will receive 3-year grants to implement research-based, school-based plans to improve student achievement in mathematics in the elementary and middle school grades. The bill specifies the required contents of the application and the criteria the department and the state board shall apply in recommending and selecting grant recipients. Distribution of grant money in the second and third years of a grant is conditioned on the department finding that the grant recipient is meeting specified requirements. The department shall pay grants out of the math achievement accelerator grant fund created in the bill. The bill directs the department to contract with an independent evaluator to annually evaluate the school-based plans implemented using the grant money, their effectiveness in improving student achievement in mathematics, and the overall implementation of the grant program. The department shall submit the evaluation reports prepared by the independent evaluator to the state board and the education committees of the general assembly. The bill makes an appropriation. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
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The bill creates the competitive transportation innovation grant program (grant program) in the department of education (department) to address the public school transportation shortage. The bill allows school districts, charter schools, institute charter schools, the state charter school institute, boards of cooperative services, a consortium of school districts, tribal governments, local governments, and community organizations that partner with school districts (eligible applicants) to apply to the grant program. The state board of education (state board) shall select grantees who develop and implement innovative solutions, strategies, and services to address the public school transportation shortage. Eligible applicants shall serve students of color and students from under-resourced communities who are disproportionately impacted by the transportation shortage and struggle to access school districts of their choice and career pathway programs because of their limited access to transportation. The department operates the grant program. The grant program is a one-time grant program, but grantees have 2 years to spend the grant money. If selected for a grant, a grantee is required to submit a report to the department on or before August 1, 2024, and to submit a second report on or before August 1, 2025. The report must include an explanation of the solutions, strategies, and services developed and implemented with the grant money as described in the grantee's grant application. On or before August 30, 2024, and again on or before August 30, 2025, the department is required to submit a report summarizing information submitted by the grantee. The bill requires the general assembly to appropriate money from the revenue loss restoration cash fund to address the public school transportation shortage resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill repeals the grant program, effective July 1, 2026. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill creates a task force in the department of revenue to study the regulation of alcohol beverages. The task force is required to review the current statutes regulating alcohol beverages and make recommendations concerning how to modernize, clarify, and harmonize the statutes. The task force is required to report its findings to the general assembly by December 1, 2023. The bill modifies laws governing the licensure of retail liquor stores and liquor-licensed drugstores and creates the new beer-and-wine-licensed grocery store license.With regard to retail liquor store licenses, the bill: Removes the requirement that a new retail liquor store must be located a certain distance from an existing liquor-licensed drugstore;Expands the minimum distance between a new retail liquor store and other existing retail liquor stores from 1,500 feet to 3,000 feet;Effective January 1, 2024, removes the requirement that only an employee of the retail liquor store may deliver alcohol beverages and instead allows delivery by any person who is authorized by the retail liquor store, subject to specified requirements including that the licensee or the authorized deliverer obtain a delivery permit from the state licensing authority and other requirements specified in state licensing authority rules; andIncreases the maximum number of retail liquor store licenses that a person may own. With regard to liquor-licensed drugstore licenses, the bill:Prohibits the state and local licensing authorities from issuing new liquor-licensed drugstore licenses after the date the bill takes effect and repeals provisions related to the ability of liquor-licensed drugstore licensees to obtain additional licenses;Allows a liquor-licensed drugstore licensed before January 1, 2022, to continue to renew the licensee's license, unless the license has converted to a beer-and-wine-licensed grocery store license;On January 1, 2026, converts every liquor-licensed drugstore license in effect on that date to a beer-and-wine-licensed grocery store license, unless the licensee chooses to remain a liquor-licensed drugstore, and eliminates the ability of those licensees that convert to a beer-and-wine-licensed grocery store license to sell spirituous liquors; andEffective January 1, 2024, removes the requirement that only an employee of the liquor-licensed drugstore may deliver alcohol beverages and instead allows delivery by any person who is authorized by the liquor-licensed drugstore, subject to specified requirements including that the licensee or the authorized deliverer obtain a delivery permit from the state licensing authority and other requirements specified in state licensing authority rules. With regard to beer-and-wine-licensed grocery store licenses, the bill:Creates the new license, available on or after January 1, 2026, with requirements similar to the requirements applicable to liquor-licensed drugstores, to permit a grocery store that obtains the license to sell beer and wine only;Specifies that a beer-and-wine-licensed grocery store cannot be located within 1,500 feet of a retail liquor store;Allows a beer-and-wine-licensed grocery store to deliver beer and wine to its customers under the same requirements applicable to retail liquor stores and liquor-licensed drugstores;Allows a beer-and-wine grocery store to own multiple stores as follows: On and after January 1, 2026, and before January 1, 2027, a maximum of 8 stores; on and after January 1, 2027, and before January 1, 2032, a maximum of 13 stores; on and after January 1, 2032, and before January 1, 2037, a maximum of 20 stores; and on and after January 1, 2037, an unlimited number of additional stores;Allows a licensee licensed as a liquor-licensed drugstore on December 31, 2025, whose license converted to a beer-and-wine-licensed grocery store license on January 1, 2026, to transfer any spirituous liquors in its possession to a licensee authorized to sell spirituous liquors but prohibits the licensee from selling spirituous liquors;Permits a beer-and-wine-licensed grocery store to offer tastings on the licensed premises if authorized by the local licensing authority; andDefines "grocery store" as an establishment that generates at least 20% of its gross annual income from the sale of food items. (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 act continues the school safety resource center advisory board indefinitely. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The federal "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017" added distributions for elementary or secondary tuition expenses as qualified distributions from a qualified state tuition program (529 account), thereby allowing, on the federal level, income tax-free distributions for elementary and secondary tuition expenses in addition to already authorized income tax-free distributions for higher education expenses. Similarly, the federal "Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019" expanded the qualified distributions from a 529 account to include repayment of qualified education loans and payments for registered apprenticeships. For the purpose of allowing Coloradans to take advantage of these federal tax benefits, the bill creates the foundational learning experience (FLEX) savings program. The bill also specifies that distributions from FLEX savings program accounts are not counted as federal or state taxable income and that contributions to FLEX savings program accounts for qualified elementary or secondary tuition expenses may not be deducted from state taxable income. The accounts created under the FLEX savings program are defined by the following characteristics: Account owners may only use distributions from the accounts for qualified elementary or secondary tuition expenses; and Anyone may contribute to the account irrespective of their relationship to the account's designated beneficiary. The bill also allows for expenses for fees, books, supplies, and equipment required for the participation of a designated beneficiary in certain apprenticeship programs to be treated as "qualified higher education expenses" and subtracted from federal taxable income. The bill clarifies that "qualified higher education expenses" does not include repayment of qualified education loans. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The act adds child representatives, code enforcement officers, health-care workers, an officer or agent of the state bureau of animal protection, an animal control officer, and office of the respondent parents' counsel staff members and contractors to the list of protected persons whose personal information may be withheld from the internet if the protected person believes dissemination of such information poses an imminent and serious threat to the protected person or the safety of the protected person's immediate family. The act adds a protected person's full name and home address to the list of personal information that the protected person's written request for removal must include. The act authorizes access to records maintained by a county recorder, county assessor, or county treasurer for certain individuals if such access is related to a real estate matter. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The bill modifies the requirements for a state agency to make an emergency procurement when there exists a threat to public health, welfare, or safety under emergency conditions as follows: Current law authorizes a designee of the chief procurement officer or the procurement official to make an emergency procurement. The bill repeals the authorization of a designee to make an emergency procurement. Current law specifies that a state agency is required to make an emergency procurement with competition as is practicable under the circumstances. The bill requires a state agency to obtain at least 3 informal bids in executing an emergency procurement. For an emergency procurement that exceeds $150,000, a state agency is required to provide to the state controller a written determination of the basis for the emergency and for the selection of any vendor awarded a contract; and A state agency is required to provide to the state controller a written attestation that no conflict of interest exists between the vendor awarded the contract and the state agency awarding the contract or within that state agency and that the selection of the vendor and reason for the procurement were not unduly influenced by the person executing the procurement or any officer or employee of the executive branch of state government. The state controller is prohibited from approving a contract or invoice for an emergency procurement unless the state agency has obtained 3 bids, provided a written determination of the basis for the emergency and selection of the vendor when required, and provided an attestation that there is no conflict. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Under current law, a seller, lessor, or company issuing a credit or charge card is prohibited from imposing a surcharge against a person who elects to pay for a sales or lease transaction by using a credit or charge card. The act:Repeals the prohibition; and Limits the maximum surcharge amount per transaction to 2% of the total cost to the buyer or lessee for the sales or lease transaction or the merchant discount fee, which is defined as the actual fee that a seller or lessor (merchant) pays its processor or service provider to process the transaction. A merchant is required to display notice regarding the surcharge on the merchant's premises or, for online purchases, before an online customer's completion of the sales or lease transaction.The act clarifies that a merchant is prohibited from applying the surcharge to cash or check payments, debit card payments, or payments made by redemption of a gift card.If a merchant imposes a surcharge in violation of the act, the merchant is subject to liability as a creditor under the "Uniform Consumer Credit Code".(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Before the act was passed, the law provided for an electronic system to transmit registration, lien, and titling information to the department of revenue (department).The act imposes a per-transaction fee up to $3, set by the department, on third-party providers that issue registrations and titles to administer the system. This fee will also be set and collected to reimburse the general fund for the $1,631,792 appropriated to implement the system.The general assembly is authorized to make an appropriation from the general fund or the highway users tax fund to fund the system. For the 2021-22 state fiscal year, $1,631,792 is appropriated from the general fund to the department.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act increases the alcohol beverage production limits for distillery pubs and vintner's restaurants, per calendar year:From 45,000 liters to 875,000 liters of spirituous liquor for distillery pubs; and From 250,000 gallons to 925,000 gallons of wine for vintner's restaurants.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)