Starting in the 2023-24 state fiscal year, the act discontinues the allocation of a portion of premium tax revenues to the health insurance affordability cash fund. APPROVED by Governor June 7, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act authorizes a pharmacy technician or a pharmacy intern, under the supervision of a pharmacist, to replenish medication in a cassette device used for the automatic packaging of medication. The act also allows: A prescription drug that has been dispensed by a cassette device to be returned to the cassette device for redispensing as long as certain safety requirements are met; and A prescription drug that is dispensed but not delivered to a patient to be returned to stock and redispensed as long as it is stored in the container in which it was dispensed and maintains a label that accurately identifies its contents with respect to the original prescription label. APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2024 EFFECTIVE July 1, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act expands the America 250 - Colorado 150 commission (commission) from 15 to 21 voting members by adding the following members to be appointed by the governor: 2 members representing Indigenous communities who are members of a federally recognized tribe with historic ties to Colorado that is not the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe or the Southern Ute Indian Tribe; One member who is an expert in disability history or is working for a disability rights organization; One member representing military and veterans affairs; and 2 at-large members. The act also directs the commission and history Colorado to hold any gifts, grants, or donations in the America 250 - Colorado 150 cash fund (cash fund), transfers $250,000 from the general fund to the cash fund, and modifies the cash fund so that all money therein may be used to support the following duties of the commission: Giving grants to communities across the state to provide local opportunities related to commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and the 150th anniversary of Colorado statehood; and Developing and promoting plans for statewide recognition of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and the 150th anniversary of Colorado statehood between July 1, 2025, and December 31, 2026, including: Historical activities; The creation and publication of historical documents; Cooperation with agencies responsible for the preservation or restoration of historic sites, buildings, art, and artifacts; Educational opportunities for Colorado youth to understand their historic roots in the United States and Colorado; The promotion of scholarship and research that illuminates the history of the American west and Colorado within the larger story of the United States; The arrangement of appropriate public ceremonies; and Commemorative events, supported by a comprehensive marketing and tourism campaign. APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 6, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The state received money from the federal coronavirus state fiscal recovery fund pursuant to the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" (ARPA money). ARPA money was deposited into the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" cash fund and then transferred to various cash funds (recipient funds) and appropriated for various programs. The act requires the state treasurer to transfer specified amounts of ARPA money from specified recipient funds at the close of the 2023-24 state fiscal year to the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" cash fund. The act requires the state treasurer to transfer money from the general fund to a new ARPA refinance state money cash fund. Money in the new ARPA refinance state money cash fund is transferred to the specified recipient funds. The act requires the general assembly to appropriate ARPA money from the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" cash fund to state departments for personal services in fiscal year 2023-24. For fiscal year 2024-25, the general assembly shall appropriate the balance of the cash fund for personal services or for other purposes permitted under the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021", and that money must be expended on or before January 31, 2025. On December 1, 2024, any unspent and unobligated ARPA money in a recipient fund, other than money designated for personal services or operating costs that will be spent by January 31, 2025, reverts to the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" cash fund. The reverted money is continuously appropriated to any department designated by the governor for any purpose that was funded with general fund money in the general appropriations act for fiscal year 2024-25. After December 31, 2024, any ARPA money in a recipient fund that was obligated as of December 31, 2024, but not expended on an eligible activity at the conclusion of the appropriation reverts to the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" cash fund and is continuously appropriated to any department designated by the governor for any purpose for which a general fund appropriation was made in the general appropriation act for the state fiscal year in which the reversion occurred. The amount of general fund money appropriated in a line item in a general appropriations act is reduced by the amount of ARPA money appropriated pursuant to the act's provisions that is spent for the line item. The act repeals the requirement for a subrecipient to obligate ARPA money by November 30, 2024. The act authorizes the state controller to take certain measures to implement the act and ensure that ARPA money is expended within the time allowed by federal law. The governor and the state controller shall jointly submit a report to the joint budget committee, the speaker of the house of representatives, the minority leader of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, and the minority leader of the senate about the transfers in the act and about spending ARPA money. The act makes changes to various programs related to refinancing ARPA money, including clarifying spending and obligation deadlines for program money that is not ARPA money and exempting the use of state money from requirements for capital construction projects that use federal money. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, the act makes the following appropriations from the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" cash fund for personal services: $495 million to the department of corrections, $214 million to the department of human services, and $309 million to the judicial department. The total general fund appropriation made in the annual general appropriation act for the 2023-24 state fiscal year to each department is reduced by the same amount. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the act makes the following appropriations from the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" cash fund for personal services: $324 million to the department of corrections, $63,182,048 to the department of human services, and $200 million to the judicial department. The total general fund appropriation made in the annual general appropriation act for the 2024-25 state fiscal year to each department is reduced by the same amount. The act changes the source of funds for existing appropriations involving refinanced ARPA money. APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 5, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
For the 2024-25, 2025-26, and 2026-27 state fiscal years, the act transfers $500,000 from the breast and cervical cancer prevention and treatment fund to the breast cancer screening fund. The act also removes a requirement that the state treasurer transfer interest and income earned on money in the breast and cervical cancer prevention and treatment fund to the disability support fund. APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 5, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires the state personnel director to establish a "step pay" structure that provides consistent salary increases for employees instead of permitting merit pay. The act provides an exception for employees of the office of the state auditor. The act also repeals the requirement that employees of the division of worker's compensation and the division of labor standards and statistics in the department of labor and employment be paid on a monthly basis. APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 5, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
In determining whether an applicant for a state-regulated occupation is qualified to be registered, certified, or licensed, the act allows the entity with regulatory authority concerning the occupation (regulator) to consider an applicant's conviction for a crime for a 3-year period beginning on the date of conviction or the end of incarceration, whichever date is later. If an individual's conviction is directly related to the profession or occupation for which the individual has applied for registration, certification, or licensure, the regulator may consider the conviction after the 3-year period has passed. A regulator may only deny or refuse to renew a registration, certification, or license if the regulator determines that the applicant has not been rehabilitated and is unable to perform the duties and responsibilities of the profession or occupation without creating an unreasonable risk to public safety. An applicant's conviction for a crime does not, in and of itself, disqualify the applicant from being issued a registration, certification, or license. The act allows an individual to petition a regulator to determine whether a criminal conviction will preclude the individual from becoming registered, certified, or licensed prior to that individual completing any other requirements for such credentialing. If a regulator determines that an individual's conviction will likely be considered, the regulator shall advise the individual of any actions the individual may take to remedy the disqualification. The act places the burden of proof for denial of an applicant on the regulator to demonstrate that denial based on the applicant's criminal conviction directly connects to potential performance in the profession or occupation for which the applicant seeks credentialing. APPROVED by Governor June 4, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act extends for an additional 5 years the availability of the state income tax credit allowed to a taxpayer for an approved environmental remediation of contaminated property, through income tax years commencing prior to January 1, 2030. APPROVED by Governor June 4, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates a process for the establishment of a county revitalization authority (authority). An authority is a corporate body that uses tax increment and private financing to conduct a county revitalization project (project) in a revitalization area in accordance with a county revitalization plan. A county revitalization plan (plan) is a plan for the project. A plan must be: Reviewed by the county planning commission, accompanied by a county revitalization impact report, the subject of a public hearing, and approved by the board of county commissioners (the governing body). Any modifications to the plan must also be approved by the governing body. A plan may provide for tax increment financing. An authority may not undertake a project unless, based on evidence presented at a public hearing, the governing body by resolution has both determined that the area where the authority will undertake the project is a revitalization area and designated the area as appropriate for the project. A revitalization area is an area that, upon the implementation of a plan, could substantially promote the sound growth of the county, improve economic and social conditions, and further the health, safety, and well-being of the public. The creation of an authority may be initiated by the registered electors of a county filing a petition with the governing body or by the governing body adopting a resolution. In either case, there is a public hearing and, after that hearing, the governing body determines whether to create the authority. If a governing body decides to create an authority, the governing body appoints the authority commissioners, except for commissioners who are appointed by and as representatives of special districts that have joined the authority. Any taxing entity, other than the county itself or a school district, that levies taxes in an area that would fall under the plan proposed by an authority may file a petition with the authority requesting to join the authority. The authority shall hold a hearing to determine whether to allow the taxing entity to join the authority. An authority may: Undertake projects; Agree with the county or other relevant public body to plan, replan, zone, or rezone any part of the county or other public body in connection with a project; Make bylaws, orders, rules, and regulations; Make and execute contracts; Acquire property by purchase, lease, option, gift, grant, devise, condemnation, or eminent domain; Dedicate property acquired by the authority for public works, improvements, facilities, utilities, and other purposes; Mortgage, pledge, hypothecate, or otherwise encumber or dispose of its property; Set aside, dedicate, and devote project real property to public uses in accordance with the plan or set aside, dedicate, and transfer real property to an appropriate public body for public uses in accordance with the plan; Sell, lease, or otherwise transfer real property or any interest therein acquired by the authority as part of a project; Insure any of its properties or operations; Invest any of its money in the same manner as a public body; Issue bonds; Borrow money and apply for and accept loans, grants, and contributions; Make appropriations and expenditures of its money; Establish and maintain general, separate, or special funds and bank accounts; and Make reasonable relocation payments to individuals, families, and business concerns situated in the county revitalization area that will be displaced by the authority. An authority does not have any power to levy or assess ad valorem taxes, personal property taxes, or any other forms of taxes, including special assessments against any property. APPROVED by Governor June 4, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
With regard to prior authorization requirements imposed by carriers, private utilization review organizations (organizations), and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) for certain health-care services and prescription drug benefits covered under a health benefit plan, the act requires carriers, organizations, and PBMs, as applicable, to adopt a program, in consultation with participating providers, to eliminate or substantially modify prior authorization requirements in a manner that removes administrative burdens on qualified providers and their patients with regard to certain health-care services, prescription drugs, or related benefits based on specified criteria. Additionally, a carrier or organization is prohibited from denying a claim for a health-care procedure a provider provides, in addition or related to an approved surgical procedure, under specified circumstances or from denying an initially approved surgical procedure on the basis that the provider provided an additional or a related health-care procedure. Starting January 1, 2027, if a provider submits a prior authorization request through an electronic interface or secure electronic transmission system used by the carrier, organization, or PBM, as applicable, the carrier, organization, or PBM to which the request was submitted is required to accept and respond to the request through its interface or electronic transmission system. A carrier or PBM is prohibited from imposing prior authorization requirements more than once every 3 years for a chronic maintenance drug approved by the federal food and drug administration that the carrier or PBM has previously approved for a person covered under the carrier's or PBM's health benefit plan, except under specified conditions. The act extends the duration of an approved prior authorization for a health-care service or prescription drug benefit from 180 days to a calendar year. Carriers are required to post, on their public-facing websites, specified information regarding: The number of prior authorization requests that are approved, denied, and appealed; The number of prior authorization exemptions from or alternatives to prior authorization requirements provided pursuant to a program developed and offered by the carrier, an organization, or a PBM; and The prior authorization requirements as applied to prescription drug formularies for each health benefit plan the carrier or PBM offers. The act appropriates $36,514 from the division of insurance cash fund to the department of regulatory agencies for use by the division of insurance to implement the act. APPROVED by Governor June 3, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
