The act transfers $10 million from the general fund to the public school capital construction assistance fund (assistance fund) for the purpose of providing "Building Excellent Schools Today Act" (BEST) grants to fund public school air quality improvement projects. The public school capital construction assistance board (board) is authorized to make the grants and is required to prioritize grant awards based on grant applicants' existing calculated local match requirements for BEST grants, with applicants with the lowest matching money requirements having the highest priority and applicants with the highest matching money requirements having the lowest priority. The board is also required to submit a report about the grants to the general assembly during the department of education's 2022 "State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act" presentation to legislative committees of reference. Notwithstanding the use of existing calculated local match requirements for grant prioritization purposes, the grants are exempted from existing matching money requirements for BEST grants. $10 million is appropriated from the assistance fund to the board for state fiscal year 2020-21, and any of the money not expended before July 1, 2021, is further appropriated to the board for state fiscal year 2021-22 for the same purpose.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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Under current law, the general assembly is authorized to annually appropriate money from the Colorado telephone users with disabilities fund (fund) to support talking book library services for persons who are blind or physically disabled.The act requires an annual appropriation from the fund for the talking book library services and appropriates $250,000 for that purpose.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act authorizes a school district, a board of cooperative services, an institution of higher education, a nonprofit organization, a charter school, the state charter school institute, a nonpublic school, or any combination of these entities to create an alternative principal program (program). The program must meet statutory requirements and is subject to approval and periodic reapproval by the state board of education. A person who completes an approved program while employed by a school district, board of cooperative services, or charter school may qualify for an initial or professional principal license.For the 2021-22 fiscal year, the act appropriates $16,692 from the educator licensure cash fund to the department of education for the office of professional services.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act allows a winery that holds a manufacturer's or limited winery license to maintain licensed premises comprising up to 2 noncontiguous locations within a 10-mile radius. The department of revenue must approve an application for the use of a proposed noncontiguous location if the alcohol and tobacco tax and trade bureau of the United States department of the treasury has approved the description and diagram of the premises at that location, subject to proof of compliance with local codes and zoning requirements. Application and renewal fees are to be established by rule, subject to a limit of $500 per location.Any additional noncontiguous locations that fall outside the approved boundaries of an entertainment district or a common consumption area are excluded from that district or area, and any noncontiguous location that is to be used as a sales room is subject to individual approval for use as a sales room. Only one sales room may be located at a noncontiguous location.To implement the act, $13,247 is appropriated from the liquor enforcement division and state licensing authority cash fund to the department of revenue for use by the liquor and tobacco enforcement division.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The property tax administrator is required by law to prepare and publish manuals, appraisal procedures, instructions, and guidelines (property tax materials) concerning the administration of the property tax. Beginning January 1, 2022, section 1 of the bill requires the administrator to conduct a public hearing on a proposed change to the property tax materials prior to submitting the proposed change to the advisory committee to the property tax administrator (advisory committee). The administrator must publish notice of the hearing and mail notice to those people who so request. At the hearing, interested persons may submit information and the administrator is required to consider these submissions. Any interested person may also petition the administrator for the issuance, amendment, or repeal of any property tax material. At least 2 weeks prior to the advisory committee reviewing a proposed change to the property tax materials, section 2 requires the property tax administrator to publish notice about the proposed change. Under current law, an assessor may, with the permission of the board of county commissioners, include an estimate of property taxes owed in a notice of valuation. Section 3 requires an assessor to include this estimate and allows the assessor to include a range of values. If in the consideration of a protest an assessor finds that he or she made a systematic error and the valuations of other similar properties are incorrect, section 4 requires the assessor to correct the error for the other similar properties.Sections 4 through 9 extend all deadlines related to protests of the valuation of real or personal property and for appeals to the county board of equalization to the same day of the following month. The deadline for a county assessor to report the total valuation for assessment of land and improvements within a county is likewise delayed.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The act eliminates duplicate fire or radon inspections for a child care center that provides child care exclusively to school-age children on the property of a school district, charter school, or institute charter school if a satisfactory inspection was completed within the preceding 12 months.The act requires an annual inspection of playground facilities on the property where a child care center operates and prohibits a duplicate inspection if a satisfactory inspection was completed within the preceding 12 months.The act permits the possession and self-administration of medication for asthma, a food allergy, or anaphylaxis if certain requirements are satisfied and if:The child is a school-age child enrolled in a child care center that provides child care exclusively to school-age children on the property of a school, district, charter school, or institute charter school; or The child is enrolled in a large child care center. The act provides for staffing flexibility during emergency circumstances, so long as certain requirements are satisfied.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act authorizes the department of human services (state department) to disclose the results of a CAPS check without a court order to:A health oversight agency within the department of regulatory agencies (DORA), or a regulator within such a health oversight agency, for the purpose of a regulatory investigation; or The court if an individual is petitioning the court for conservatorship or guardianship of an at-risk adult. The act requires an employer and a current or former employee to provide, upon request of a county department of human or social services and for the purposes of an investigation into an allegation of mistreatment, the professional license number issued by DORA for the employee who holds a health-care provider or health-care occupation license and who, as a result of the investigation, is substantiated in a case of mistreatment of an at-risk adult.Current law requires the state department to promulgate rules to establish a process at the state level by which a person who is substantiated in a case of mistreatment of an at-risk adult may appeal the finding to the state department. The act requires the state department to promulgate rules to address the process to share information on the outcome of an appeal with a health oversight agency within DORA, or a regulator within such health oversight agency, if the health oversight agency or its regulator requests information for the purpose of a regulatory investigation. Appeal information is confidential and used only for the regulatory investigation.Beginning January 1, 2022, the state department shall provide the court the results of a CAPS check, upon the court's request, to determine if the person is substantiated in a case of mistreatment of an at-risk adult.The act requires the state department to promulgate rules that address:The process for the state department to notify a health oversight agency within DORA or a regulator within such health oversight agency when a professional regulated by a regulator within such health oversight agency is substantiated in a case of mistreatment of an at-risk adult; and The information that will be made available to a health oversight agency within DORA or a regulator within such health oversight agency for the purpose of conducting a regulatory investigation. A person who may be appointed as a conservator or guardian of an at-risk adult who knowingly provides inaccurate information to the court for a CAPS check commits a class 1 misdemeanor.Beginning January 1, 2022, prior to appointing a person as a conservator or guardian of an at-risk adult, the court shall request a CAPS check by the state department to determine if the person is substantiated in a case of mistreatment of an at-risk adult. Within 7 calendar days after the date of the court's request, if the person has been substantiated in a case of mistreatment of an at-risk adult, the state department shall provide the court with information concerning the mistreatment, unless the finding was expunged through a successful appeal to the state department. The state department shall disclose to the court that the person substantiated in a case of mistreatment of an at-risk adult has the right to initiate an appeal of the substantiated finding within the time frame set forth in state department rules. If the appeal is active, the state department shall inform the court that such appeal is active. The court shall have the discretion to consider the results of the CAPS check and determine the weight of the information and its probative value. Nothing delays or precludes the court's appointment of an emergency guardian or conservator of an at-risk adult, regardless of the timing of the state department's notification of the CAPS check results.The act requires the state department to notify the court within 7 calendar days after a substantiated finding of mistreatment by a person appointed as a conservator or guardian for an at-risk adult is subsequently entered into CAPS.The act requires the state department to notify a health oversight agency within DORA or a regulator within such health oversight agency within 10 calendar days after a substantiated finding of mistreatment by a professional regulated by DORA. Any information provided to a health oversight agency is confidential. A health oversight agency shall have the discretion to consider the results of the CAPS check and determine the weight of the information and its probative value.The act requires a licensee, certificate holder, or registrant substantiated in a case of mistreatment of an at-risk adult to provide the person's professional license number to county adult protective services.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law makes it a class 1 traffic misdemeanor when careless driving of a motor vehicle causes serious bodily injury to a vulnerable road user. The bill changes serious bodily injury to a vulnerable road user to serious bodily injury to anyone. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The federal "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act", which became law in December 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", which became law in December 2019, expands the qualified distributions from a 529 account to include repayment of qualified education loans and payments for registered apprenticeships. The bill creates the foundational learning experience savings program (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; Anyone may contribute to the account, irrespective of their relationship to the account's designated beneficiary; An account owner may transfer money to the FLEX savings program accounts from a 529 account, if the total of all amounts transferred does not exceed $10,000 and is less than or equal to the lowest balance in the 529 account at any point during the previous 2 years; and Money in the account can be transferred to a different 529 account. 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.)
Under current law, a retail liquor store licensee that was licensed on or before January 1, 2016, and is a Colorado resident is permitted to obtain one additional retail liquor store license on or after January 1, 2017; 2 additional retail liquor store licenses on or after January 1, 2022; and 3 additional retail liquor store licenses on or after January 1, 2027. The bill modifies the provisions governing the ability of a retail liquor store to obtain additional retail liquor store licenses as follows: Retains the ability of a retail liquor store owner that applied for a license on or before January 1, 2016, to obtain one additional retail liquor store license on or after January 1, 2017, but removes the requirement that the licensee be a Colorado resident; On or after the effective date of the bill, mirrors the multiple license provisions applicable to liquor-licensed drugstore licenses by allowing a retail liquor store owner to obtain: A maximum of 5 total retail liquor store licenses between the effective date of the bill and December 31, 2021; a maximum of 8 total retail liquor store licenses between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2026; a maximum of 13 total retail liquor store licenses between January 1, 2027, and December 31, 2031; a maximum of 20 total retail liquor store licenses between January 1, 2032, and December 31, 2036; and an unlimited number of retail liquor store licenses on or after January 1, 2037; and For additional licenses obtained on or after the effective date of the bill, requires a person seeking additional licenses to apply to transfer ownership of, change location of, and merge at least 2 retail liquor store licenses located within the same local licensing authority jurisdiction as the applicant's premises into a single retail liquor store license. Additionally, the bill prohibits a retail liquor store from allowing customers to use a self-checkout to complete an alcohol beverage purchase and requires a retail liquor store to: Verify the age of a customer attempting to purchase an alcohol beverage by examining the customer's valid identification; and Maintain certification as a responsible alcohol beverage vendor. The bill sets state and local application fees for a retail liquor store licensee applying for a transfer of ownership, change of location, and merger of 2 retail liquor store licenses. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)