Provides for the payment of expenses of the executive, legislative, and judicial departments of the state of Colorado, and of its agencies and institutions, for and during the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, except as otherwise noted.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act acknowledges the human-animal bond as a life-enhancing resource that impacts the length and quality of human life. The act authorizes the health disparities and community grant program (grant program) to award grants to entities that support the human-animal bond if the grant program is appropriated additional funds for that purpose by the general assembly.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The bill creates the large employer health-care support enterprise (enterprise) to impose, assess, and collect the large employer health-care support fee (enterprise fee) in the amount of $2,300 for each supported worker for the calendar year in an amount determined by the enterprise board (enterprise board) that reflects the costs of the services provided by the enterprise . A worker who is receiving medical assistance benefits under the state medical assistance program, except for a worker eligible for medical assistance benefits based on disability, is a supported worker (supported worker). An employer is subject to the enterprise fee if the employer is a large employer, which is defined in the bill as an employer that has 500 or more supported workers (large employer). An employer is exempted from paying the enterprise fee if the employer:Provides affordable health coverage to all workers working 20 or more hours per week or 80 or more hours per month;Is a franchisee of the employer;Is a nonprofit employer;Is a public employer; orHas a collective bargaining agreement with its employees that includes health-care coverage. The business purpose s of the enterprise are to use enterprise fee revenue to help large employers retain supported workers who are not provided employer-sponsored affordable health coverage by using enterprise fee revenue to:Help finance the costs for medical assistance benefits for large employers' supported workers ; and Provide reimbursement grants to large employers for some or all of an employer's costs incurred for allowing a worker to buy into an employer-sponsored health benefit plan, should the employer choose to participate in the worker buy-in program created in the bill.This These business service s reduce s lost productivity due to worker illness and training costs to replace workers who may otherwise seek employment that provides affordable health coverage. Starting with a review of the 2027 calendar year, the department of health care policy and financing (HCPF) every employer that employed 500 or more workers in the state shall prepare an annual employer report on or before January 31, 2028, and on or before the same date each year thereafter, that includes information about the employer's employees, including the employee's name, date of birth, hours worked, and dates of employment for the preceding calendar year. An employer may seek an exemption from the requirement to file the annual employer report by demonstrating that it provides affordable health coverage to all workers working 20 or more hours per week or 80 or more hours per month. Upon receipt of the annual employer report, the enterprise shall determine whether an employer is a large employer and shall issue a report by March of the following same calendar year that identifies large employers by their number of supported workers for the preceding calendar year and impose the enterprise fee on each large employer . An employer may contest the employer's identification as a large employer. Once identified, a large employer shall either pay the enterprise fee for each of the large employer's supported workers or demonstrate that it provides will offer affordable health coverage to all workers working 20 or more hours per week or 80 or more hours per month. The enterprise may adjust the amount of the enterprise fee to reflect the cost of the services, for inflation, or for other reasons. A large employer commits a petty offense and is subject to a civil penalty for The enterprise shall contract with the department of revenue to collect and enforce the payment of the enterprise fee on behalf of the enterprise, including the failure to provide information necessary to calculate the enterprise fee or to either timely pay the enterprise fee or demonstrate that the large employer offers affordable health coverage as specified in the bill. The department of revenue may collect interest and penalties and institute collection actions on behalf of the enterprise. Enterprise revenue is used to support the pay for payment of medical assistance benefits for working-age adults under the state medical assistance program, and to increase reimbursement rates for ensure access to health-care providers providing medical assistance program services, to ensure worker access to medical services and to pay for large employer reimbursement grants under the worker buy-in program for large employers that pay the enterprise fee. The enterprise is governed by the enterprise board, and the enterprise board shall report annually to the general assembly on the enterprise revenue and the enterprise's use of the enterprise revenue in support of large employers. If the enterprise determines that the enterprise to would receive more than $100 million dollars in its first 5 fiscal years, the state treasurer shall credit the additional fee revenue to the large employer fee cash fund created in the state treasury for administration by HCPF, and that fee revenue is subject to the state fiscal year spending limit imposed by section 20 of article X of the state constitution and the excess revenues cap. The money in the large employer fee cash fund shall be used by HCPF to pay for costs for medical assistance benefits to support large employers' supported workers enterprise shall reduce the amount of the enterprise fee.(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 bill creates a special purpose authority (investment performance authority) that is authorized to invest certain public money from certain special funds, enterprise funds, and funds held by other special purpose authorities. State and other governmental entities (eligible entities) may choose to have the investment performance authority invest their money instead of the state treasurer or other authorized investor, under certain conditions. The investment performance authority is governed by a board of directors made up of the following 7 members:The state treasurer or the state treasurer's designee, who serves as chair of the board;The director of the office of state planning and budgeting or the director's designee;An individual with professional experience in managing federal, state, or local government money or managing the money of an institution of higher education or other endowment fund, appointed by the governor;2 individuals with professional experience in investment consulting or investment management, with one individual appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and one individual appointed by the majority leader of the senate;An individual employed in the child care field, appointed by the minority leader of the senate; andAn individual working with a child care advocacy organization, appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives. The investment performance authority uses the earnings from the investment of eligible entities' money:To quarterly disburse to eligible entities on a pro rata basis;To pay the reasonable administrative costs and expenses of the investment performance authority;To create a reserve; and To disburse to counties for child care assistance to families with low incomes according to a formula established in coordination with the child care assistance program allocation committee and the department of early childhood.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The act makes changes and clarifications in the provisions related to the department of early childhood (department). The act:Eliminates the scheduled repeal of licensing exemptions for certain in-home child care arrangements in which the children are related to the caregiver, are siblings, or number fewer than five;Updates provisions related to early care and education provider reimbursement for services performed before final eligibility determinations in the Colorado child care assistance program;Lowers the age limit for children served by the early childhood mental health consultation program from 8 years old to 6 years old and adjusts that program's reporting requirements;Clarifies the sources of money appropriated to the universal preschool program;Requires the department to keep confidential identifying records and facts regarding children and their relatives;Clarifies that child care facilities approved, certified, or licensed by tribal governments are exempt from the department's licensing rules; andAdjusts the membership requirements and duties of the early childhood leadership commission and subcommittee membership requirements for the rules advisory council.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act declares emergency medical services as an essential service in the state and an integral part of the state's health-care infrastructure. The act also declares that emergency medical service providers, whether responding on duty or as a volunteer and regardless of location, provide essential services when providing emergency ambulance services and nonemergency ambulance services. The act also updates certain definitions related to emergency medical services, including the addition of a definition of 'out-of-hospital services', which term is defined to mean the furnishing of necessary health-care goods and services outside of a hospital setting but does not include prehospital setting transports. The act clarifies that an off-duty emergency medical service provider is not obligated to respond to the scene of a medical emergency or provide emergency medical services.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Beginning on July 1, 2027 January 1, 2028 , the bill requires a building with an indoor restroom that is open to the public, including to customers or public visitors, and that does not include private offices or workspaces that are but that is not in a private office or workspace that is generally not open to customers or public visitors (restroom accessible to the public), to have safe, sanitary, and convenient baby diaper changing tables (baby diaper changing station) as follows:At least one baby diaper changing station in each gender-specific one restroom designated for each gender on each floor;At least one baby diaper changing station in a non-gendered single-stall restroom on each floor; orAt least one baby diaper changing station in a non-gendered multi-stall restroom on each floor. The owner or manager of a building with a restroom accessible to the public is required to ensure that each baby diaper changing station is cleaned with the same frequency as the restroom in which it is located and maintained, repaired, and replaced as necessary to ensure safety and ease of use. Beginning on July 1, 2027, for each restroom accessible to the public with a baby diaper changing station, the owner or manager of a building is required to display: A pictogram, void of gender, at or near the restroom accessible to the public that indicates the presence of a baby diaper changing station; and Signage, at or near the entrance to the building, indicating the location of each restroom accessible to the public and each baby diaper changing station in the building. Providing a baby diaper changing station in a restroom accessible to the public and providing the corresponding signage is not required if: a local building permitting entity or building inspector determines thatThe installation of a baby diaper changing station in a restroom accessible to the public would result in a failure to comply with applicable building standards governing the right of access for individuals with disabilities or the 'Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990' , or if the building is a certified historic structure; The building is owned or managed by a state department or state agency, state institution of higher education, a county, a city and county, or a municipality; The building is owned by an employer with 25 or fewer employees that generates no more than $3.5 million in annual gross income and the building has an occupancy of fewer than 25 people; or A portion of the building is occupied by a business that does not admit individuals who are under 21 years old, but only with respect to that portion of the building.(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.)
Current law establishes a statewide integrated system of early childhood councils (councils) to improve and sustain the availability, accessibility, capacity, and quality of early childhood services. The act expands the powers, functions, and responsibilities of a council in implementing a comprehensive system of early childhood and family support programs and services (programs and services) within the council's community. Current law establishes local coordinating organizations (LCOs) to increase access to, coordinate, and allocate funding for programs and services through work with the families, program and service providers, and local governments in a community and with the department of early childhood (department). Effective July 1, 2026, the act repeals provisions authorizing the creation and operation of LCOs and transfers the LCO rights, powers, duties, functions, and obligations concerning supporting access to and delivery of programs and services to the councils (transfer). If the transfer requires the consolidation, reassignment, or material modification of the duties of a council or LCO, the department may authorize a one-time extension of the transition period for up to 3 years. Current law requires a council to develop a community strategic plan based upon an assessment of the early childhood needs in the council's designated service area (community strategic plan). The act requires a community strategic plan to address specified issues, including:Assisting families in applying for programs and services;Coordinating outreach efforts with other local entities and tribal agencies;Recruiting and coordinating providers to form a mixed delivery system that promotes family choice; andSupporting increased recruitment and retention of individuals in the early care and education workforce. The act requires a council, in partnership with the department, to create, review, and revise a scope of work that reflects the community strategic plan and accurately represents the programs and services within the community, meets families' needs, and aligns with available appropriations and the department's statewide strategic planning process. Associated accountability metrics must also be reviewed and revised to align with the scope of work. The act specifies a council's new obligations regarding improving access to high-quality programs and services, early childhood workforce development, data-sharing agreements, outreach for holistic family services, and auditing. The act establishes requirements for an agreement that sets forth the respective duties of a council and the department in implementing a community strategic plan (agreement). The act identifies the department's responsibilities for the coordinated distribution of public funding for programs and services; council training and technical assistance; dissemination of information about successful council strategies and innovations; and standards for communication, resolution of disputes, and contracting protocols. The act modifies the process for the department to approve or facilitate a waiver of the rules for the implementation of council projects. The act requires the department to implement an annual performance review process for each council and solicit community feedback about a council's performance at intervals ranging from 3 to 5 years. If the department determines that a council is not meeting the requirements of the scope of work and accountability metrics contained in the agreement, the department may require the council to implement a performance improvement plan. If a council fails to make substantial progress toward addressing the issues raised in the performance improvement plan, the department may terminate the council's agreement. The act makes substantive and technical conforming amendments to address the reallocation of responsibilities and functions from LCOs to councils, including administrative and funding provisions related to the Colorado child care assistance program and the Colorado universal preschool program.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Maddy summaryThis bill establishes new educational requirements for individuals seeking to become licensed school counselors in Colorado. To qualify for an initial school counselor license, applicants must now hold a master's degree or higher specifically in school counseling from an accredited institution, with the program requiring at least 48 graduate semester credit hours. The legislation aims to ensure that school counselors entering the profession have comprehensive graduate-level preparation in counseling practices, student development, and strategies to support students facing behavioral and academic challenges. This change directly affects current and future school counselor candidates in Colorado who must meet these updated academic standards to obtain their professional license.
The act continues the compliance advisory panel to the air pollution control division in the department of public health and environment for 10 years, until September 1, 2036, pursuant to the provisions of the sunset law.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
