An assistance unit that receives a basic cash assistance (BCA) payment from the Colorado works program at any time within one month after the effective date of the act shall receive a one-time $500 supplemental payment in addition to the amount of BCA an assistance unit currently receives. The one-time supplemental payment is not income for the purpose of any publicly funded program. The act prohibits the general assembly from appropriating more than $10 million for the one-time supplemental payments. If the one-time supplemental payment to each assistance unit exceeds $10 million, the one-time supplemental payment must be distributed evenly to each assistance unit. Beginning July 1, 2021, and each fiscal year thereafter, the joint budget committee must review the sustainability of the Colorado long-term works reserve. The act appropriates $8,424,500 to the department of human services from the federal temporary assistance for needy families block grant. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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The act implements the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies' 2019 sunset review and report on the functions of the Colorado state board of chiropractic examiners (board) by: Continuing the board for 9 years, until 2029; Repealing the requirement that members of the board be citizens of the United States; Repealing the requirement that an applicant for licensure pass the examination given by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners and authorizing the board to determine the appropriate examination; Changing the continuing education requirements for a licensed chiropractor (licensee) from 15 hours annually to 30 hours every 2 years; Clarifying the grounds for discipline of a licensee concerning the use or abuse of controlled substances or alcohol and modifying the definition of "unethical advertising"; Requiring a licensee to notify the board of any physical or mental conditions that limit the ability to safely deliver chiropractic services and allowing the board to enter into an agreement with the licensee that specifies the limitations on the licensee's practice; Clarifying that a license is not prohibited or required for a chiropractic student or intern to perform chiropractic services in this state while under the supervision of a licensee; and Allowing chiropractic students at board-approved schools to perform supervised chiropractic services with the signed, written consent of the patient.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law requires an individual who wishes to have a document notarized to appear personally before a notary public. Effective December 31, 2020: The act authorizes a notary public to perform a notarial act on behalf of an individual who is not in the notary's physical presence, but only with respect to an electronic document; To perform a "remote notarization", a notary must use an electronic system that conforms to standards established by rules of the secretary of state, including using real-time audio-video communication; The act establishes the standards that a notary must comply with to have satisfactory evidence of the identity of the individual seeking the remote notarization; and The use or sale of personal information of a remotely located individual by a remote notary and the provider of a remote notarization system is prohibited except in specific, limited circumstances. The governor issued an emergency executive order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that directed the secretary of state to issue an emergency rule to authorize remote notarizations, which the secretary of state did. The act ratifies remote notarizations conducted pursuant to the emergency rule between March 30, 2020, and December 31, 2020. The act appropriates $132,795 from the department of state cash fund to the department of state to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Transportation Legislation Review Committee. The bill creates the foster children's driver education grant program (program) in the state department of human services (state department) to reimburse county departments of human or social services (county departments) for costs paid to private driving schools for providing driving instruction to persons in the custody of the county department who are at least 15 years and less than 18 years of age. The state department shall administer the program and award grants to county departments. On or before December 1, 2020, the state board of human services (state board) shall promulgate rules for the administration of the program. On or before November 1, 2021, and on or before January 1 each year thereafter, each county department that receives a grant through the program shall submit a report to the state department. At a minimum, the report must include the information required by rules promulgated by the state board. On or before January 1, 2021, and on or before January 1 each year thereafter for the duration of the program, the state department shall submit a summarized report to the appropriate reference committees of the general assembly. At a minimum, the report must include the information submitted to the state department by county departments. The program is repealed, effective September 1, 2030. Before the repeal, the program is scheduled for a sunset review by the department of regulatory agencies. The bill states that the program does not create any liability on behalf of a county department for contracting with a private driving school to provide driving instruction or for an injury alleged to have occurred while a person in the custody of the state department receives driving instruction from a private driving school, the cost of which instruction may be reimbursed to the county department from the program. The bill states that a certified court order is sufficient to establish the legal name, identity, date of birth, lawful presence in the United States, or Colorado residency of a person who is in the custody of the state department, is at least 15 years and less than 18 years of age, and is applying for a driver's license. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill extends indefinitely the voluntary income tax return check-off for contributions to the Colorado domestic abuse program fund (fund). The bill also authorizes the department of human services to seek gifts, grants, and donations for the fund and to expend such money for domestic abuse programs. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill requires the department of health care policy and financing (department) to create and implement an expedited provider enrollment approval process and an expedited review of qualifications for transportation service providers for medicaid waiver recipients (providers) no later than July 1, 2021. The bill requires the department to engage in a stakeholder process to develop a report that identifies barriers and potential solutions to medicaid waiver recipients accessing transportation services within the long-term support and services system and to submit the report to specified committees of the general assembly no later than January 15, 2021.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill creates the offense of unlawful storage of a firearm if a person stores a firearm in a manner that the person knows, or should know: That a juvenile can gain access to the firearm without the permission of the juvenile's parent or guardian; or A resident of the premises is ineligible to possess a firearm under state or federal law. Unlawful storage of a firearm is a class 2 misdemeanor. The bill requires licensed firearms dealers to provide with each firearm, at the time of a firearm sale or transfer, a locking device capable of securing the firearm. Transferring a firearm without a locking device is an unclassified misdemeanor punishable by a maximum $500 fine. The bill requires the state court administrator to annually report to the general assembly about the number of charges related to safe firearms storage, and the disposition of those charges. The bill requires the department of public health and environment to develop and implement a firearms storage education campaign to educate the public about the safe storage of firearms and state requirements related to firearms safety and storage. The bill creates the firearms safe storage education campaign fund (fund) in the state treasury. A voluntary contribution designation line for the fund will appear on the state individual income tax return form (form) for the 5 income tax years following the year that the executive director of the department of revenue certifies to the revisor of statutes that there is a space available on the form and the fund is next in the queue. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill modifies the Colorado health service corps program administered by the primary care office (office) in the department of public health and environment, which includes a loan repayment program, as follows: Allows geriatric advanced practice providers, which include advanced practice nurses and physician assistants, to participate in the loan repayment program on the condition of committing to provide geriatric care to older adults in health professional shortage areas for a specified period; and Requires the general assembly to annually and continuously appropriate money from the general fund to the office for the 2020-21 through the 2024-25 fiscal years to help repay loans for geriatric advanced practice providers.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill creates the "Traveling Exotic Animal Safety Protection Act" (Act), which prohibits the use of exotic animals in a traveling animal act. A person who violates the Act commits a misdemeanor and is subject to a fine of between $250 and $1,000 per violation. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Current state law prohibits local governments from substantively regulating the use and application of pesticides. The bill authorizes local governments to regulate pesticide use and application. In connection with this authorization, the bill: Declares pesticide regulation a matter of both statewide and local concern; Repeals provisions that prohibit local regulation of pesticide use and application and explicitly authorizes a county to enact this type of regulation; Permits local governments to regulate pesticide use and application except in connection with the cultivation of marijuana and the production of agricultural products; Clarifies that a local government must meet the requirements of state and federal law; and Gives state courts exclusive jurisdiction to review local pesticide laws.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)