The office of future of work (OFW) was created in the department of labor and employment (department) by executive order of the governor in 2019 to respond to the changing nature of work in the state. The act creates the OFW in statute and expands the duties of the OFW. The purpose of the OFW is to: Identify opportunities for Colorado's communities to transition effectively to emerging industries; Ensure the inclusion of key stakeholders and engage partnerships across public and private sectors; Host, organize, and convene task forces, summits, and other appropriate meetings with diverse stakeholders, designed to improve the state's understanding of the social and economic impacts of the changing nature of work; Explore ways that the state can prepare for current and future impacts, including through the modernization of worker benefits and protections, the development of a skilled and resilient workforce through coordination of registered apprenticeship programs, and the identification of new policy and program solutions; and Undertake studies, research, and factual reports related to issues of concern and importance to Colorado's future workforce. The executive director of the department is required to submit a report to the governor, at least once per calendar year, that includes recommendations for potential policy initiatives. In 2021, House Bill 21-1007 created the state apprenticeship agency (SAA) in the department. The act amends provisions governing the SAA to enable the United States department of labor's office of apprenticeship to recognize Colorado's state apprenticeship agency and authorize the SAA to register and oversee apprenticeship programs. To conform with regulations promulgated by the United States secretary of labor under the federal "National Apprenticeship Act", the act: Modifies references to apprenticeships in Colorado statutes; Directs the SAA to establish the state apprenticeship council (SAC) to provide advice and guidance to the SAA; Creates the committee for apprenticeship in the building and construction trades (CABCT) as a subcommittee of the SAC to advise the SAA on registered apprenticeship programs for the building and construction trades in the state; and Changes the name of the interagency advisory committee on apprenticeship to the committee for apprenticeship in new and emerging industries (CANEI), designated as a subcommittee of the SAC and tasked with advising the SAA on apprenticeship programs that are not within the jurisdiction of the CABCT. The bill allows the general assembly to appropriate money from the general fund or any other available source to the department to pay for the OFW to carry out the duties specified in the act. The OFW is also authorized to seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations to fund its duties. APPROVED by Governor March 23, 2023 EFFECTIVE March 23, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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Currently, the division of veterans affairs (division) is authorized to accept gifts, grants, contributions, and donations to the western slope military veterans' cemetery fund but is not authorized to expend such gifts, grants, contributions, or donations. The act gives the division such authority to expend. Current law also allows certain programs housed within the department of public safety (department) to accept and expend gifts, grants, and donations for each program's specific purpose. However, the department does not have authority to accept or expend gifts, grants, or donations generally. The act authorizes the department to accept and expend gifts, grants, and donations for the purposes of the department and creates the department of public safety gifts, grants, and donations fund. The act does not affect existing programs within the department that are authorized to accept and expend gifts, grants, and donations for their specific purposes. APPROVED by Governor March 10, 2023 EFFECTIVE March 10, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act states that if the United States food and drug administration approves a prescription medicine that contains 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), and if that medicine has been placed on a schedule of the federal "Controlled Substances Act", other than schedule I, or has been exempted from one or more provisions of such act, then thereafter prescribing, dispensing, transporting, possessing, and using that prescription drug is legal in Colorado only if the medicine is possessed by a person authorized to legally possess such a controlled substance in Colorado. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates a United States Space Force license plate. To qualify for the license plate, a person must be a serving member or veteran of the United States Space Force. In addition to the normal fees for a license plate, a person must pay 2 one-time fees of $25 for the issuance of the plate. The fees are credited to the highway users tax fund and the licensing services cash fund, respectively. To implement the act, $23,278 is appropriated from the general fund and license plate cash fund to the department of revenue for use by the division of motor vehicles. Of the amount appropriated to the department of revenue, $2,426 is reappropriated to the office of the governor for use by the office of information technology to provide information technology services for the department. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act prohibits the department of health care policy and financing (state department) from requiring prior authorization for any repair of complex rehabilitation technology (CRT). No later than October 1, 2023, the act requires the medical services board to promulgate rules establishing repair metrics for all CRT suppliers and CRT professionals. Prior to promulgating rules, the act requires the state department to engage in a stakeholder process. Beginning January 2024, the act requires the state department to report on the metrics and compliance with the metrics. Beginning 3 years after the date the repair metric rules are established, the act authorizes the state department to engage in a stakeholder process to determine the need for additional accountability of a qualified CRT supplier through penalties, audits, or similar tools, for violations of the metric rules. Beginning December 1, 2024, the act requires the state department to reimburse labor costs at a rate that is 25% higher for clients residing in rural areas than urban areas. The act appropriates $112,668 from the general fund to department of health care policy and financing to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Usually, an owner of a powered wheelchair must seek diagnostic, maintenance, or repair services of the wheelchair from the manufacturer. Starting January 1, 2023, the act requires a manufacturer to provide parts, embedded software, firmware, tools, or documentation, such as diagnostic, maintenance, or repair manuals, diagrams, or similar information, to independent repair providers and owners of the manufacturer's powered wheelchairs to allow an independent repair provider or owner to conduct diagnostic, maintenance, or repair services on the owner's powered wheelchair. A manufacturer's failure to comply with the requirement is a deceptive trade practice. In complying with the requirement to provide these resources, a manufacturer need not divulge any trade secrets to independent repair providers and owners. Any new contractual provision or other arrangement that a manufacturer enters into on or after January 1, 2023, that would remove or limit the manufacturer's obligation to provide these resources to independent repair providers and owners is void and unenforceable. A manufacturer is not liable for faulty or otherwise improper repairs that an independent repair provider or owner performs on a powered wheelchair. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act provides a lessee, including a person with a disability, the right to request adaptive equipment in rental motor vehicles. The act also: Requires lessors of motor vehicles to provide lessees the option to request the a motor vehicle with adaptive equipment during online or in-person reservations; Requires lessors of motor vehicles to display certain information in any reservation or reservation confirmation that includes a request for a motor vehicle with adaptive equipment; Requires lessors of motor vehicles to fulfill reservations made by lessees for motor vehicles with adaptive equipment within a set period of time depending on where a lessee requests the delivery of the motor vehicle; and Provides civil remedies for lessees who are subject to a violation of the requirements of the act that occurs on or after July 1, 2025, or, if the violator is a small business, on or after July 1, 2026.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The concurrent resolution amends section 2 of article XVIII of the Colorado constitution by: Repealing the 5-year continuous existence requirement to obtain a charitable gaming license; and Authorizing a manager or operator of a charitable game to make minimum wage until 2024, when the provision repeals the prohibition on paying managers or operators.(Note: This summary applies to this concurrent resolution as adopted.)
The act requires an institution of higher education that has a program or policy that permits a person to audit courses for no credit to permit a veteran to audit courses, subject to any other requirements of the program or policy. An institution may set and collect a fee of no more than $10 per course audited by a veteran for up to three courses per academic semester. The institution may permit a veteran to audit additional courses for a different fee. The general assembly encourages each institution that does not have an existing audit program or policy to permit veterans to audit courses for no credit. A veteran auditing a course is not an eligible student for the purposes of receiving a college opportunity fund stipend. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)