The act creates the workers, employers, and workforce centers cash fund (fund) for the purpose of responding to the COVID-19 public health emergency and the negative economic impacts of the pandemic as follows:To provide assistance to unemployed workers, including job training; To provide assistance to households; For programs, services, or other assistance for populations disproportionately impacted by the public health emergency, including programs or services to address or mitigate the effects on education; To provide aid to impacted industries, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations through the provision of related educational and job training services; and For related administrative costs. The act directs the state treasurer to transfer to the fund $200 million of the money the state received pursuant to the federal "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" (ARPA) and $25 million from the general fund. Of this amount, the act appropriates a total of $75 million for use in the 2021-22 state fiscal year, allocated in the following amounts and for the following purposes related to assisting unemployed workers, aiding impacted industries, and addressing or mitigating the impacts of the public health emergency on education:$25 million for the investments in reskilling, upskilling, and next-skilling workers program (program), which is an initiative of the state work force development council (state council) to facilitate training for unemployed and underemployed workers in the state during times of substantial unemployment, defined as an unemployment rate that exceeds 4% statewide or within a work force development area. Of this amount, the state council, in collaboration with the department of labor and employment (department), is directed to allocate: $20.75 million to local work force development areas for the program; $3 million for a grant program developed by the state council to award grants to other partners to provide reskilling, upskilling, and next-skilling supports to eligible individuals for up to 13 months; and $1.25 million for the department to conduct outreach and recruitment, provide access to digital platforms for career navigation, issue licenses for virtual training classes, and implement, administer, and report on the program, with any portion of the $1.25 million that is unencumbered and unexpended as of June 30, 2022, reallocated for the program and the grant program. $35 million for programs and initiatives established under the "Work Force Innovation Act", including $17.5 million for allocation to work force development boards for the work force innovation grant program to promote innovation to improve outcomes for learners and workers by helping prepare Coloradans for well-paying, quality jobs; and $17.5 million for use by the state council for statewide work force innovation initiatives; $10 million to the department of higher education for allocation by the state board for community colleges and occupational education to specified career and technical education providers to expand equipment, facility, and instruction capacity in key career and technical education job demand areas identified in the annual Colorado talent report; and $5 million to the department of education for the adult education and literacy grant program. As required by ARPA, the money appropriated in the act must be obligated by December 31, 2024, and expended by December 31, 2026, and recipients of ARPA money must comply with reporting requirements specified in ARPA and by the state controller.The act also authorizes the department to receive and expend money from the general fund or any other state source that is appropriated by the general assembly or passed through another entity for purposes of distributing state funds to work force development areas to implement work force development activities. The act specifies that state money appropriated or passed through to the department is not subject to limits imposed on the use of money received by the department pursuant to specified federal laws.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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The act establishes the office of gun violence prevention (office) within the department of public health and environment to coordinate and promote effective efforts to reduce gun violence. The office is required to conduct public awareness campaigns to educate the general public about state and federal laws and existing resources relating to gun violence prevention.Subject to available money, the office may establish and administer a grant program to award grants to organizations to conduct community-based gun violence intervention initiatives that are primarily focused on interrupting cycles of gun violence, trauma, and retaliation that are evidence-informed and have demonstrated promise at reducing gun violence without contributing to mass incarceration.The office is required to create and maintain a resource bank as a repository for data, research, and statistical information regarding gun violence in Colorado. The office must collaborate with researchers to improve data collection in Colorado and use existing available research to enhance evidence-based gun violence prevention tools and resources available to Colorado communities.The office is required to issue a report to the general assembly every 5 years summarizing gun violence prevention measures adopted by local jurisdictions. This reporting requirement is contingent upon Senate Bill 21-256 being enacted and becoming law.The act appropriates $3,000,000 to the department of public health and environment for program costs related to family and community health for the office of gun violence prevention.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Colorado law requires a driver or operator of certain types of motor vehicles or equipment to, in certain circumstances, stop at a railroad crossing at a safe place, look for trains at the crossing, proceed safely through the crossing, not block the train's crossing, and obey signals. The act amends these safety provisions to apply to, in addition to trains, any equipment that operates on railroad tracks.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act amends provisions related to the operation of the regional transportation district (district), including:Amending a cap on the amount of all vehicular service the district can allow to be provided by third parties under competitive contracts to be measured by platform time or its equivalent; Expanding the types of entities the district can contract with to include nonprofit organizations and local government; Repealing farebox recovery ratio requirements and requiring the district to include in its annual financial reports information on annual operating costs, ridership numbers, and operating costs divided by ridership as a measure of the cost efficiency of its services; Repealing a limitation on developments that would reduce parking at a facility or result in a competitive disadvantage to private businesses near the facility; and Repealing limitations on the district's authority to charge fees and manage parking at district parking facilities.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
An individual who owns a firearm must report the loss or theft of that firearm to a law enforcement agency within 5 days after discovering that the firearm was lost or stolen. A first offense for failure to make such a report is a civil infraction punishable by a $25 fine, and a second or subsequent offense is a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum $500 fine. The 5-day reporting requirement does not apply to a licensed gun dealer.Another person who is a member of the owner's family or who resides with the owner may report the lost or stolen firearm. If the other person reports the loss or theft of the firearm, the owner is not required to make a report. A report by another person is not an acknowledgment of firearm ownership.A person who reports a lost or stolen firearm is immune from criminal prosecution for an offense pursuant to state law related to the storage of firearms.The act requires a law enforcement agency that receives a report of a lost or stolen firearm to enter information about the lost or stolen firearm into the Colorado bureau of investigation crime information center database.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act designates March 30 as "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day", a commemorative state holiday, and allows for appropriate observance by the public and in all public schools in tribute to the service and sacrifice of Vietnam veterans.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Beginning in calendar year 2021 and each year thereafter, the act increases the amount of wages paid to an individual employee during a calendar year on which the employer of that employee is required to pay premiums to the unemployment compensation fund (fund). The act exempts payment for services to an election judge, up to the maximum amount permissible by federal law, for the purposes of calculating total unemployment compensation benefits. Current law requires the weekly total and partial unemployment benefit amounts to be reduced by the amount of an individual's wages that exceeds 25% of the weekly benefit amount. For the next 2 calendar years only, the act changes the deduction amount to the amount of an individual's wages that exceeds 50% of the weekly benefit amount. When determining whether an individual qualifies for unemployment insurance, the act directs the division of unemployment insurance (division) in the department of labor and employment (department) to consider whether the individual has separated from employment or has refused to accept new employment because: The employer requires the individual to work in an environment that is not in compliance with: Federal centers for disease control and prevention guidelines applicable to the employer's business and workplace at the time of the determination; state and federal laws, rules, and regulations concerning disease mitigation and workplace safety; or an executive order issued by the governor, or a public health order issued by the department of public health and environment or a local government, requiring the employer to close the business or modify the operation of the business; The individual is the primary caretaker of a child enrolled in a school that is closed due to a public health emergency or of a family member or household member who is quarantined due to an illness during a public health emergency; or The employee is immunocompromised and more susceptible to illness during a public health emergency. The act changes the time period that an interested party has to respond to a notice of claim received by the division concerning unemployment benefits from 12 calendar days to 7 calendar days. Current law authorizes the division to approve a work share plan submitted by an employer if the employee's normal weekly work hours have been reduced by at least 10% but not more than 40%. The act changes the amount that hours may be reduced to an amount consistent with rules adopted by the division and federal law. The act removes the cap on the amount of money that can be paid into and remain in the employment support fund. The act prohibits the division from assessing a solvency surcharge for the fund on employers for the calendar years 2021 and 2022. The act requires the state treasurer to transfer any unexpended federal funds received by the state from the federal "CARES Act" to the fund prior to the close of business on December 30, 2022. The act requires the office of future of work in the department to study unemployment assistance as part of a study on the modernization of worker benefits and protections and report its findings to the governor and the general assembly. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act implements the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies in its sunset review and report of the motorcycle operator safety training (MOST) program by: Extending the repeal date of the MOST program until September 1, 2025 ; and Removing the requirement that an applicant for a MOST instructor certificate have a license to drive a motorcycle that was issued in Colorado. The act also changes the membership of the motorcycle operator safety advisory board by replacing a representative of unaffiliated motorcycle training providers with a representative of instructor training specialists. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act prohibits a principal, which includes an employer, certain labor contractors, public employers, and entities that contract with 5 or more independent contractors, from discriminating, retaliating, or taking adverse action against any worker who: In good faith, raises any concern about workplace health and safety practices or hazards related to a public health emergency to the principal, the principal's agent, other workers, a government agency, or the public if the workplace health and safety practices fail to meet guidelines established by a federal, state, or local public health agency with jurisdiction over the workplace; Voluntarily wears at the worker's workplace the worker's own personal protective equipment, such as a mask, faceguard, or gloves, under specified circumstances; or Opposes a practice the worker reasonably believes is unlawful or makes a charge, testifies, assists, or participates in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing of alleged unlawful acts. Additionally, a principal is prohibited from requiring or attempting to require a worker to sign a contract or other agreement that limits or prevents the worker from disclosing information about workplace health and safety practices or hazards related to a public health emergency. A worker who knowingly discloses false information or discloses information with reckless disregard for the truth or falsity of the information is not protected under the act. A person may seek relief by: Filing a complaint with the division of labor standards and statistics (division) in the department of labor and employment; Bringing an action in district court, after exhausting administrative remedies; or Bringing a whistleblower action in the name of the state in district court, after exhausting administrative remedies. The division is authorized to adopt rules necessary to implement the act. $270,153 is appropriated to the department of labor and employment from the employment support fund, of which $206,193 is allocated for use by the division for enforcement of worker's rights related to a public health emergency, based on the assumption that the division will require an additional 2.5 FTE, and $63,960 is reappropriated to the department of law for legal services. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)