Current law provides for a diploma endorsement of biliteracy by completing certain educational requirements in English in addition to a second language. The act changes the educational requirements for the biliteracy program and creates a diploma endorsement for bilingualism for graduating high school students. The act allows high school students in local education providers that do not offer the biliteracy or the bilingualism program to access the program through other local education providers or a state institution of higher education. If the student's local education provider does not offer and chooses not to establish a program that offers the endorsement that the student is seeking, the student's local education provider may enter into an agreement with another local education provider or state institution of higher education that offers the endorsement that the student is seeking. A local education provider or state institution of higher education may charge a fee to provide the diploma endorsement program. The fee must reflect the actual and indirect costs of running the diploma endorsement program. The enrolled student's local education provider must pay the fee on behalf of the student.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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The act expands the Colorado commission on higher education (commission) from 11 to 13 members by adding 2 nonvoting student members who are enrolled at a state-supported institution of higher education (student members). Specifically, the act adds:One student member from a graduate research university or a 4-year institution of higher education; andOne student member from a community college, local district college, or area technical college. The governor shall make initial appointments of student members on or before July 1, 2027. Student members serve on the commission for a term of 2 years. The act shrinks the advisory committee to the commission from 13 to 12 members by removing the advisory committee member designated to represent the students of the state.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires the department of health care policy and financing and the behavioral health administration to publish on each department's website an easily accessible list of secure transportation providers that have contracts with managed care entities and behavioral health administrative services organizations, as applicable.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act allows the division of fire prevention and control to seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations to implement the requirements of the firefighter behavioral health benefits program.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Beginning on or before July 1, 2028, the act extends certain application, accounting, and notice provisions already in place for federal survivor benefits awarded to a child or youth who is in foster care (child or youth) to federal supplemental security income benefits (SSI), which are monthly payments awarded to a child or youth with a disability and limited resources. The act adds requirements for a county department of human or social services (county department) to follow specified procedures for identifying a child or youth with a disability who may qualify for SSI and for documenting the disability. If the county department determines that a child or youth may be eligible to receive SSI, the county department is required to initiate the application process within 45 days after receiving certain information. If a child or youth is receiving SSI, the county department must document how the money is spent in the state's child welfare case management system. If legal custody of a child or youth receiving SSI or federal survivor benefits is transferring from a county department to another individual, the act requires the county department to reassess the designation of the representative payee or fiduciary receiving and managing federal benefits on behalf of the child or youth. The reassessment must be performed in consultation with interested parties and in compliance with federal requirements.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Risk assessments assess a parolee's criminogenic needs and risk of recidivism and are used to guide parole supervision planning, identify appropriate interventions, and establish parole supervision levels or categories. The act requires the department of corrections (department) to establish a risk assessment quality review team to develop policies and implement practices that determine whether risk assessments are completed accurately and consistently and to ensure a sustained process of review and training. For its 'SMART Act' hearing beginning in 2027, and each year thereafter, the department is required to include information concerning reviewed risk assessments, including findings and measures implemented to mitigate recent high error rates in risk assessments. The act clarifies that risk assessment outputs are criminal justice records for purposes of public inspection. The act prohibits an agreement that prohibits the disclosure of information in a risk assessment output that is subject to disclosure under the law.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act expands the definitions of 'grandparent' and 'great-grandparent' in the context of court-ordered family time to account for situations in which the child's father or mother is deceased. To align with changes enacted in 2023 that address kinship and relative placements more broadly, the act repeals language specific to grandparent placements in child welfare cases and the types of evidence a court considers in connection with a grandparent's past abusive or neglectful conduct. When a child or youth is removed from the home, the act requires the court to prioritize the child's or youth's temporary placement with a relative or kin, unless the court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that temporary placement with the relative or kin is not in the best interests of the child.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act makes the following changes to the legislative department cash fund (fund):Transfers $12,674,766 from the fund to the general fund;Establishes a fund limit, equal to $8 million for the state fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2025, and, thereafter, adjusts the fund limit proportionally with the percentage change in total general fund appropriations for the legislative branch;Limits reversion of unexpended appropriations to the fund to prevent the balance from exceeding the fund limit and annually transfers any portion of the fund that exceeds the balance to the general fund;Excludes money in the congressional redistricting and legislative redistricting accounts (redistricting accounts) and gifts, grants, and donations in the fund from any calculations related to the fund limit;Codifies that any money received related to public records requests is deposited into the fund and that the house of representatives, the senate, and the legislative service agencies are authorized to seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations; andClarifies that the interest and income in the redistricting accounts in the fund are transferred to the general fund, along with other interest and income from the fund.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act allows an injured person to bring a cause of action for claims of injury caused by sexual orientation or gender identity change efforts (efforts) against a licensed mental health professional and allows the cause of action to be commenced at any time without limitation. Specifically, the act applies to a civil cause of action brought against a licensed mental health professional who seeks to direct a patient toward a predetermined sexual orientation or gender identity outcome or eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of a particular sex or gender. The act permits the injured individual, or the individual's personal representative or estate if the individual is deceased, to recover economic, noneconomic, and exemplary damages, and any other damages deemed appropriate by the court. A cause of action may be brought as a survival action within 5 years after the death of the person who underwent efforts.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act extends the availability of the conservation easement tax credit from income tax year 2031 through income tax year 2036. The act also prohibits the division of conservation from issuing any additional credit certificates or amending previously issued credit certificates as a result of the additional authority granted by the act for a donation made prior to the effective date of the act.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)