Rep. Tammy Story

The act repeals the concurrent enrollment advisory board (advisory board) on September 1, 2027. Prior to the repeal, the department of regulatory agencies will conduct a sunset review and make recommendations concerning its continuation. The act requires the advisory board to work with the department of education, department of higher education, and the community college system that supports the enrollment of first-generation students, low-income students, and students of color in concurrent enrollment programs. APPROVED by Governor June 3, 2024 EFFECTIVE September 1, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Under current law, a court may appoint a child and family investigator (investigator) to investigate and report to the court relevant factors for determining the best interest of a child or youth in a proceeding involving parental responsibilities allocation. Similarly, under current law, a court may appoint a parental responsibilities evaluator (evaluator) to evaluate and report to the court concerning disputed issues relating to the parental responsibilities allocation. The act: Requires investigators and evaluators to include all information obtained concerning domestic violence and child abuse in a written report; Requires additional training requirements for investigators and evaluators; Requires investigators and evaluators to provide certain written disclosures to each party before performing duties; and Allows the court to implement caps on charges for duties performed by evaluators. The act defines "coercive control" to include a pattern of threatening, humiliating, or intimidating actions, including assaults or other abuse, that is used to harm, punish, or frighten an individual. If the court orders unsupervised parenting time for a parent, and there is any information, including an accusation, that the parent has committed domestic violence, child abuse, child emotional abuse, or coercive control, the court is required to make a statement in writing or orally on the proceeding record regarding why unsupervised parenting time was determined to be in the best interests of the child. The act states that the court may interview the child in the judge's chambers regarding the child's wishes for parental responsibilities allocation upon a motion. The court is required to make findings why it grants or denies the request to interview the child in chambers and give paramount consideration in cases involving an allegation by a child regarding domestic violence, child abuse or neglect, or child sexual abuse. The act requires that if allegations of domestic violence, child abuse or neglect, or child sexual abuse have been made, the court is required to give strong consideration to the child's or youth's preference concerning allocation of parental responsibilities, if the preference is consistent with protecting the child's safety and needs. The act clarifies that, pursuant to a chief justice directive, the office of the state court administrator is responsible for accepting complaints regarding investigators and evaluators, and is authorized to administer appropriate sanctions. Furthermore, the act requires the judicial department to include information during its annual "SMART Act" hearing and publish information on its website concerning investigator and evaluators. APPROVED by Governor June 3, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires the Colorado state forest service (forest service) to: Conduct enhanced wildfire awareness month outreach campaigns (campaigns) through 2027 and other outreach efforts through the 2026-27 state fiscal year that are expected to increase awareness of wildfire risk mitigation by residents in the wildland-urban interface; and Report to certain legislative committees on an annual basis concerning the campaigns and outreach efforts. For state fiscal year 2024-25, the act appropriates $40,000 from the general fund to the healthy forests and vibrant communities fund for use by the forest service for the ongoing campaigns and outreach efforts. APPROVED by Governor May 20, 2024 EFFECTIVE May 20, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Under current law, the independent ethics commission created in article XXIX of the state constitution does not have jurisdiction over officials or employees of special districts or school districts. The bill gives the independent ethics commission jurisdiction to hear complaints, issue findings, assess penalties, and issue advisory opinions on ethics issues concerning a special district official or employee or school district official or employee. Existing law establishes ethical standards for a special district official or employee or school district official or employee. The bill incorporates those standards under the independent ethics commission's jurisdiction and expands the standards to include those described in article XXIX of the state constitution.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Current law requires the pipeline safety rules of the public utilities commission (commission) to address the mapping of all pipelines within the commission's jurisdiction. The bill clarifies current law by requiring the commission's mapping requirements for all pipelines within its jurisdiction to be available at a scale of 1 to 6,000 or greater. On or before December 31, 2024, the commission must adopt rules that require: An owner or operator of a transmission line, a distribution system, or a gathering line to use advanced leak detection technology in accordance with certain requirements; An owner or operator of a transmission line, a distribution system, or a gathering line or an investor-owned natural gas utility (owner or operator) to repair grade 1 gas leaks immediately upon detection, grade 2 gas leaks no later than 60 days after detection, and grade 3 gas leaks no later than one year after detection; and That all pipeline road and railroad crossings are inspected with advanced leak detection technology on a monthly basis for damage caused from traffic. The bill also requires a section of pipeline that has not been used for 2 or more years to be removed or abandoned in place. An owner or operator may abandon a section of pipeline in place only in certain circumstances. If an owner or operator intends to remove a section of pipeline or abandon a section of pipeline in place, the owner or operator must notify the commission no less than 30 days before the owner or operator commences the removal or abandonment in place. The commission may review a notice of abandonment in place to determine whether the proposed abandonment in place is less impactful than removal. The bill also requires the commission to develop a user-friendly, public-facing website (website) for pipeline safety data in the state. The website must include the location, date, and owner or operator for the following data: Reportable safety events; Violations; Compliance actions; Pipeline inspection data; and How to access the mapping of pipelines within the commission's jurisdiction. Current law provides that any person that violates certain pipeline safety laws is subject to a penalty of up to $200,000 dollars per violation. The bill changes this maximum penalty to $500,000 per violation. The amount of the penalty must also be no less than $5,000 for each day of a violation and, in the event that the commission deems that the penalty is necessary for the protection of public health, safety, welfare, the environment, or wildlife resources, no less than $15,000 per day of a violation. Beginning in 2026, the commission is required to adjust the penalty amounts for inflation every 2 years. Current law allows the commission to reduce penalties based on certain metrics and factors (factors). The bill changes current law to allow the commission to also increase penalties based on the factors and adds additional factors that the commission must consider. Except with respect to an owner or operator of a distribution system serving fewer than 1,000 customers in the state, the commission is prohibited from reducing a penalty based on the factors by more than 15% and the violator is required to conduct certain compliance actions before a reduction occurs. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The Colorado broadband office (office) is authorized to seek or apply for, accept, and expend money from the federal government for broadband deployment. The bill requires that for federal money that the office distributes, or for state money that it distributes as matching funding for federal money, it must give substantial weight, but not less than 25% weight, to fair labor practices by establishing evaluation metrics for applicants. Additionally, for projects that receive an award of over $500,000, workers involved in the projects must be paid prevailing wages for the project to receive the award. The bill requires the Colorado broadband office (office), by and through the chief information officer of the office of information and technology, to promulgate rules that establish labor standards for grantees and subgrantees no later than 91 days after the office receives approval of its initial proposal for federal funding under the broadband equity, access, and deployment program authorized by the federal "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act" and before, in connection with receipt of such federal funding, approving grants to internet service providers. (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 authorizes the state historical society, also known as history Colorado, to sell the real property that is referred to as its north storage property. History Colorado is required to credit the proceeds of the sale to the state museum cash fund to be used for moving, retrofitting, lease-related, and acquisition costs for a new storage facility that history Colorado will lease in the future or for controlled maintenance. APPROVED by Governor May 1, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Currently, 12 Colorado counties, including Archuleta, Boulder, Chaffee, Clear Creek, Douglas, Eagle, El Paso, Gilpin, Gunnison, Jefferson, Ouray, and Summit (affected counties), require some form of wildfire mitigation in connection with the construction of a new residence but not with the sale of an respect to an existing residence. Because the affected counties are among the most at-risk counties for wildfires, section 2 of the bill requires the affected counties to leverage their existing wildfire mitigation expertise to establish a program for point-of-sale wildfire mitigation certification in connection with the sale of an existing residence located in the county. Likewise, the codes and standards for wildfire mitigation developed by the wildfire resiliency code board apply only to permitting and inspections for new construction or significant structural expansions or alterations. Section 1 of the bill authorizes counties to establish a program to require wildfire mitigation of existing residences and other structures in accordance with wildfire mitigation standards developed by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS), the Colorado state forest service (forest service), the wildfire resiliency code board, or other standards as determined by the county. Section 3 details the minimum requirements for a county point-of-sale wildfire mitigation certification program. The bill also specifies limitations on such programs and encourages counties to create and maintain a web-based clearing house of state and county-level technical assistance and funding resources. Section 3 also authorizes any county that is not an affected county and any municipality to establish by ordinance or regulation a program for a homeowner to obtain certification of compliance with the Colorado state forest service's phase one wildfire mitigation standards in connection with the sale of the homeowner's residence. Section 4 makes a conforming amendment to the existing Colorado state forest service web-based clearing house to require the inclusion of information to educate and assist homeowners in accessing resources to comply with the county point-of-sale programs established pursuant to section 3. Section 2 sets forth the requirements and limitations for a wildfire mitigation program for existing residences that an affected county, or any other county, may establish pursuant to its authority granted in section 1. A county may establish by ordinance or regulation a program to require wildfire mitigation of an existing residence or structure located in an area within the county that is subject to a building code that includes wildfire mitigation requirements in connection with the issuance of a residential building permit or certificate of occupancy in accordance with one or more of the following: IBHS wildfire mitigation standards; Zone one, zone 2, or zone 3 wildfire mitigation standards as set forth in the forest service's publication, "The Home Ignition Zone"; Wildfire resiliency code board wildfire mitigation standards; or Other standards as determined by the county. Such a program must include a written policy and procedure for a homeowner to seek a reasonable extension of a program deadline or an exemption from a program requirement on the basis of unforeseen or emergency circumstances or undue burden, as determined by the county. Section 2 also requires that each of the affected counties post on a public website a list of individuals and entities that perform wildfire mitigation services in the county, including contact information. The counties are also encouraged to include on the same website a copy of or link to: The IBHS's wildfire-prepared home program guide, or a successor publication; The forest service's publication, the "The Home Ignition Zone", or a successor publication; The wildfire resiliency code board's recommendations for wildfire mitigation, including recommendations set forth in codes, standards, or rules of the board; and County-specific technical assistance and funding resources for wildfire mitigation by homeowners. (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 following requirements are repealed, as they are duplicative of an annually required inventory of unused state-owned real property prepared by the department of personnel: The requirement that each state agency and state institution of higher education annually submit to the capital development committee (committee) a list of all nondeveloped real property owned by or under the control of the agency or institution (nondeveloped real property list); The requirement that the committee include the information from the nondeveloped real property list in an annual report; and The requirement that the division of housing within the department of local affairs post a link to the report on the division's website. APPROVED by Governor April 19, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The bill requires, when appointing members to a charter school's governing body, that the appointing authority make reasonable efforts to ensure that at least one-third of the board is comprised of parents or legal guardians of students who are enrolled in the charter school and people who reflect the demographics of the community where the charter school is located. The bill prohibits: Automatic waivers from being included in charter contracts executed or renewed on or after July 1, 2024; and A charter contract from waiving educator personnel performance evaluation system requirements. Under current law, a charter school is not required to pay rent for school district facilities that are available, and an independent charter school is not required to pay more than $12 in rent per year for a building of a public school that is subject to conversion. The bill repeals this provision. The bill repeals a requirement that a school district prepare, and provide upon request, a list of vacant or underused buildings and land to the district charter schools, charter school applicants, and other interested persons, and repeals the ability of a district charter school or charter school applicant to apply to use the district building or land. The bill requires information about laws and policies waived by the charter school to be provided in plain and easy-to-understand language on: A school district's enrollment website portal; and A charter school's website. Failure to satisfy this requirement is grounds for revocation or nonrenewal of the charter contract. The bill requires a charter school to publicly report on its website its unredacted federal form 990 and an unredacted copy of any form including revenue and expenses related to marketing and student recruitment, except for redactions required to protect personal or confidential information. The bill requires a charter school application or renewal to include: Descriptions of educational services that the applicant will provide that meet the unmet needs of the students in the community where the charter school is located and, in a charter renewal application, information concerning the progress and results in satisfying this purpose; and Its annual minimum pupil enrollment requirement. Failure to satisfy this requirement is grounds for revocation or nonrenewal of the charter contract. Under current law, certain local board of education (local board) decisions may be appealed to the state board of education (state board). The state board may remand a decision to the local board for reconsideration. If the local board's decision remains unchanged, that decision may be appealed to the state board again. The state board's decision is then the final decision. The bill repeals the second remand to the state board, so that the local board's final decision ends the appeal process. The bill creates a process for community members to appeal a local board's decision to approve a charter application. Under current law, a local board is prohibited from imposing a moratorium on the approval of district charter schools. The bill creates an exception for a school district whose pupil enrollment is less than the immediately preceding budget year or is projected to decline over the next 3 budget years. The bill allows a local board to revoke or not renew a district charter school charter because of the school district's declining pupil enrollment or the district charter school's declining enrollment. The charter school may appeal the decision. Under current law, a district accountability committee is required to review a charter school application. The bill requires a district accountability committee to also review a charter school renewal application. The bill prohibits a charter school governing board member or leader from engaging in activity or having any financial interest that might result in a conflict of interest between the board member's or leader's charter school duties and personal or financial interest. Under current law, as a part of a charter school contract, the school district and charter school negotiate funding. A school district may retain the actual amount of the charter school's per pupil share of central administrative overhead costs for services provided to the charter school, up to 5% of the district per pupil revenues for each pupil enrolled in a charter school. The bill requires the school district to retain the costs, including any costs that are otherwise not reimbursed for special education services provided to the charter school, and repeals the 5% cap. Under current law, the department of education is required to submit an annual report to the governor and the house of representatives and senate education committees concerning charter schools. The bill requires the report to include data concerning attrition rates for charter school student enrollment and teacher and administration employment. Current law generally requires school districts and boards of cooperative services to evaluate the performance of their licensed personnel. The bill requires an evaluation of all personnel, including at institute charter schools, regardless of whether the person is licensed. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)