Under current law, the members of the Auraria board of directors (board) who are the representatives of the student advisory committee and faculty advisory committee are nonvoting members. The act makes the student board member and the faculty board member voting members of the board. Concerning the student board member, the act repeals the requirement that the student be a full-time student and reduces the Colorado residency requirement from 3 years prior to the member's election to one year prior to the member's election. The faculty advisory committee is expanded from 6 to 9 members. One of the additional members is elected from each constituent institution of the Auraria higher education center. The act states that board members are fiduciaries of the Auraria higher education center and requires board members to recuse themselves from a vote or executive session of the board when they have a conflict of interest.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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The act prohibits sterilization of a person with an intellectual and developmental disability without the person's informed consent if the person has decision-making capacity. The act prohibits sterilization of a person with an intellectual and developmental disability without the person's informed consent if the person does not have decision-making capacity, except in accordance with processes in existing law that allow another person with legal authority to make medical decisions for the person to consent on the person's behalf. The act repeals provisions that:Explain what happens when there is a disagreement about whether an adult with an intellectual and developmental disability is capable of consenting to sterilization;Set forth a process for a person to petition a court for, and a court to order, sterilization of a person with an intellectual and developmental disability who either cannot consent or is a minor; andRequire all records, hearings, and proceedings related to a decision to sterilize a person with an intellectual and developmental disability to remain confidential.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act amends the law and adds new provisions to law relating to access to vaccines as follows: For the cervical cancer vaccine: (Sections 3 and 14)Updates insurance coverage statutes to refer to the vaccine as the human papillomavirus vaccine, rather than the cervical cancer vaccine; Recognizes coverage for both women and men;Authorizes the commissioner of insurance to adopt coverage rules for the vaccine if the advisory committee on immunization practices to the centers for disease control in the federal department of health and human services (ACIP) no longer recommends the vaccine; andUpdates language in the cervical cancer immunization program to define the cervical cancer vaccine as the human papillomavirus vaccine and to refer in the program to underinsured minors, rather than just uninsured female minors, since both male and female minors receive the vaccine; Under Colorado law, a naturopathic doctor must provide a parent or legal guardian with a copy of the most recent schedule of immunizations recommended by the ACIP. The act removes references to ACIP and requires a naturopathic doctor to refer patients to a schedule of immunizations established by rule of the state board of health (board of health) (Sections 4 and 5); The act authorizes pharmacists to exercise independent prescriptive authority for vaccines and requires the state board of pharmacy to review and repeal record-keeping rules for vaccines (Sections 6 and 7); In the context of vaccines required for school entry, updates vaccine-related liability limitation provisions to limit liability for injuries if the vaccine was administered to a child of any age according to the schedule of immunizations established by the board of health or to ACIP's schedule referenced in Colorado law (Section 8); The act also does the following:Directs the board of health, in adopting rules addressing which vaccines are to be administered to infants, to consider the recommendations of ACIP, as well as the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics and other similar entities (Section 9);Removes the prohibition on the use of state money for infant immunization programs if the state does not receive federal money for the infant immunization programs, and requires any additional general fund money for the programs to be appropriated through the annual state budget process or emergency supplemental process (Section 10);For claims brought on or before January 30, 2029, adds pharmacies, manufacturers, and wholesalers to liability limitation provisions for hospitals, clinics, and other providers relating to the handling, storage, and distribution of vaccines for infants. Manufacturer and wholesaler liability limitation provisions are removed from the law for claims brought on or after January 31, 2029 (Section 11).Authorizes the department of public health and environment to consider vaccines adopted by the board of health by rule, recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics and other similar entities, in addition to ACIP, in recommending the purchase of vaccines, sending notifications concerning overdue vaccines and vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks, and when considering equivalent vaccines (Section 12). The act creates the 'Adult Immunization Act' (act), which applies to individuals at least eighteen years old. A person that administers a vaccine or other immunizing agent to an adult is not liable for civil damages for injury or death of an adult caused by a vaccine or immunizing agent if:The vaccine or immunizing agent was administered according to the schedule of immunizations establish by the board of health by rule, after considering recommendations from ACIP, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and other similar entities;There were no medical contraindications; and The vaccine or immunizing agent was administered in accordance with generally accepted clinical methods. For claims brought on or before January 30, 2029, against a hospital, clinic, pharmacy, manufacturer, wholesaler, or provider arising from injuries resulting from the handling, storage, or distribution of vaccines, there is no liability unless the injuries are the result of the negligent failure of an employee of the hospital, clinic, pharmacy, or manufacturer, wholesaler, or provider to conform to recognized standards to protect public health. Manufacturer and wholesaler liability protections are removed from the law for claims brought on or after January 31, 2029 (Section 15). The act authorizes the department of health care policy and financing to purchase for the children's basic health plan vaccines that are recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other similar entities, in addition to those recommended by ACIP (Section 16).(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Maddy summaryThis bill is a House Joint Resolution that formally recognizes Latino/a Advocacy Day in Colorado, an annual event celebrating two decades of Latino/a community engagement in state policy-making. The resolution honors the contributions of Latinas and Latinos to Colorado's political history and acknowledges participants who travel to the state capitol to advocate for equitable treatment of Latino/a communities. It directs copies of the resolution to the organizations that convene the event, the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights and Voces Unidas de las Montanas. The measure does not create new laws or policies but serves as a ceremonial acknowledgment of the Latino/a community's role in Colorado's democracy.
Maddy summaryThis bill officially designates a specific section of Arapahoe Road in Boulder County, Colorado, as the "Road of Remembrance" to honor local World War I veterans. It authorizes the Colorado Department of Transportation to accept donations for placing commemorative signs along the road and to explore agreements with Boulder County for maintaining those signs. The legislation also acknowledges the historical significance of the nearby stone pillars, known as the Gateway, which were originally built in 1928 to mark the entrance to a planned memorial roadway that was never fully completed.
Colorado imposes 3 charges on all retail sales of prepaid wireless telecommunications services: A prepaid wireless 911 charge, a prepaid wireless 988 charge, and a prepaid wireless telephone disability access (TDA) charge, which, effective January 1, 2026, replaced the former telecommunications relay service charge. The act makes the following modifications to the laws implementing the 3 prepaid wireless telecommunications services:Corrects erroneous cross references in connection with the prepaid wireless telecommunications services;Modifies the definition of 'prepaid wireless telecommunications service' (prepaid wireless definition) in the statute that implements the prepaid wireless 911 charge to include a wireless telecommunications service that is paid in advance, sold in predetermined units of time or money that decline with use or provides unlimited use of the service for a fixed time, and allows a user to make 911 calls. In addition, the act harmonizes the prepaid wireless definition for all 3 of the prepaid wireless telecommunication services.Adds providers of prepaid wireless telecommunications services (providers) to the definition of 'retail transaction' and to surcharge remittance procedures for the prepaid wireless 911 charge;Includes the prepaid wireless 988 charge in the list of taxes or fees that are administered by the department of revenue (department); Consistent with the treatment of confidential tax information regarding the prepaid wireless 911 charge, allows the department to disclose confidential tax information regarding the prepaid wireless TDA charge and the prepaid wireless 988 charge to their respective enterprises and to the public utilities commission;Consistent with the requirement for electronic filing and payment for the prepaid wireless 911 charge and the TDA charge, allows the department to require electronic filing and payment for the prepaid wireless 988 charge;Consistent with the prepaid wireless 911 charge, clarifies that telecommunications services that are not subject to the prepaid wireless TDA charge are subject to other TDA charges imposed by law and makes the same clarification regarding the prepaid wireless 988 charge; andConsistent with the prepaid wireless 911 charge, imposes the prepaid wireless 988 charge on providers that use federally supported services to provide free prepaid wireless telecommunications services.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act authorizes landlords to use a ratio utility billing system to allocate utility charges for a residential premises to individual tenants. The landlord may charge tenants a utility bill using a ratio utility billing system if the landlord meets certain requirements, such as:The aggregate amount billed to all tenants does not exceed the amount charged by the utility provider for service to the entire residential premises;The landlord does not apply a fee or other charge to the tenant in addition to the actual charges from the utility;The utility costs for common areas or shared facilities are excluded from the charges to the tenant; andThe landlord clearly discloses the method of allocation for the dwelling unit in the tenant's rental agreement. For residential premises constructed with permits applied for on or after July 1, 2027, utility service must be metered directly by the utility provider or by a submeter.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act makes multiple changes to procedural requirements for the administration of property tax in 2 broad categories: Deadlines and requirements for transmitting information. Modifications to deadlines. The act modifies property tax-related deadlines as follows:Aligns the regular and late application dates for the qualified-senior primary residence real property classification and the property tax exemption for qualifying veterans with disabilities and their spouses with those for the property tax exemption for qualifying seniors and their spouses. The regular application deadline is July 15, and late applications may be accepted until August 15.Increases from $10,000 to $20,000 the current threshold for a board of county commissioners (board) to recommend, or a county assessor with the approval of a board to settle, an abatement or refund of taxes. The threshold for the board being required to submit recommended abatement applications to the property tax administrator (administrator) for review is similarly increased from $10,000 to $20,000. The board is not required to submit an application to the administrator in the case of an abatement or refund caused by a valuation change made to ensure matching values within the same reassessment cycle.Clarifies the timeline for a petitioner to appeal a decision of the board of county equalization to the board of assessment appeals or submit the case to arbitration;Changes the real property protest deadline from June 8 to June 1;Changes the deadline from June 15 to July 15 for a county assessor to send a notice of valuation of personal property and changes the personal property protest deadline from June 30 to July 31 for a county that uses alternate protest and appeal procedures (alternate procedures) to determine objections and protests for taxable property;Clarifies that a county's use of alternate procedures may apply to real or personal property, or both; andAligns the protest deadline for personal property with the date that county assessors must conclude their hearings on such protests so that both the protest and hearing conclusion dates for personal property are June 30, or, for a county that uses alternate procedures, July 31. Modifications to requirements for transmitting information. The act modifies requirements for transmitting property tax information as follows:Clarifies that a county assessor or the board may transmit a required abstract of assessment, certification of taxes levied, or application for a recommended abatement or refund in excess of $20,000 to the administrator in a paper or electronic format;Reduces the number of copies of an application for a recommended abatement or refund in excess of $20,000 that the board must send to the administrator for review to one;Repeals the requirement that the administrator conduct a public hearing on proposed changes to property tax manuals, appraisal procedures, instructions, and guidelines, which are still required to be reviewed by the advisory committee to the administrator;Requires the administrator to prepare and publish standardized forms, including a letter of authorization, for all levels of property tax appeals;Reduces the number of copies of a notice of determination that an assessor must send to a taxpayer who has objected to the valuation of the taxpayer's property to one; andReduces the number of copies of an abstract of assessment that needs to be prepared to one.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Maddy summarySB 13 removes cohabitation (living together as a couple) from the legal definition of bigamy in Colorado. It changes the law so that merely living with someone else without a formal marriage or civil union no longer constitutes bigamy. The bill specifically amends Colorado's bigamy statute to delete "cohabits" as a potential element and repeals the definition of "cohabitation" in the law. This change directly affects individuals living together without marriage, ensuring they cannot be charged with bigamy solely based on their living arrangement.
The executive committee of the legislative council (executive committee) is authorized to adopt policies regarding the ability of members of the general assembly to remotely participate in interim committee meetings and in legislative proceedings during a disaster emergency. The act expands the executive committee's authority to adopt policies to allow remote participation in meetings of any joint committees comprised of members from both chambers that are held at any time of the year.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)