Rep. Mandy Lindsay

The bill requires an animal shelter or a pet animal rescue to notify each animal shelter and pet animal rescue in the state before euthanizing a pet animal so that another animal shelter or pet animal rescue may take possession of the animal if it wants the pet animal. This requirement does not apply to: A pet animal that is irremediably suffering; A dog adjudicated to be dangerous; A dog ordered to be euthanized by a court; or A dog with a history of repeated unprovoked biting prior to the current impound, as documented by an agency charged with enforcing state or local animal laws.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The act creates the emergency rental assistance grant program (grant program) in the division of housing (division) within the department of local affairs (department) to provide grants to residential tenants who have an annual household income of 80% or less than the area median income and are at risk of eviction or displacement. The division administers the grant program and contracts with nonprofit organizations to award grants. Grants are paid from money in the housing development grant fund. To receive a grant, a tenant must apply through the division's statewide application portal. Grant money may be expended only by a nonprofit organization that contracts with the division. Permissible uses of grant money include only the following: Paying rent in arrears, rent presently owed, and rent up to 2 months in advance on behalf of a grant recipient; Paying utility bills, late fees, court costs, reasonable attorney fees, and any other costs associated with preventing a tenant's eviction; Paying costs associated with relocation, including deposits and other move-in expenses, on behalf of a grant recipient; Paying for efforts to generate awareness of the grant program among tenants who are at risk of eviction or displacement; Paying for project delivery costs associated with application review as determined by the division; Paying for housing stability services, as defined within the implementation guidelines of the federal department of the treasury; and Paying costs of administering the grant program. Contracted nonprofit organizations must report to the executive director of the department (executive director) regarding amounts and uses of grant money awarded. During the 2024 regular session of the general assembly, the executive director must report to the joint budget committee and the legislative committees with oversight of local government matters concerning the grant program. Within 3 days after November 28, 2023, the state treasurer must transfer $15.1 million from the general fund and $14.9 million from the revenue loss restoration cash fund to the housing development grant fund for the purposes of the grant program. The division must use the money by June 30, 2024. Any unencumbered portion of the money on June 30, 2024, reverts to the general fund or to the revenue loss restoration cash fund, as applicable. The grant program is repealed, effective June 30, 2025. APPROVED by Governor November 28, 2023 EFFECTIVE November 28, 2023(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act clarifies that the department of corrections (DOC) shall provide voice penal communications services, and may supplement these services with other communication services, including video calls or electronic mail or messaging, (penal communication services) to persons in DOC custody in a correctional facility or private prison in the state. In administering the penal communications services, the DOC is prohibited from receiving any revenue, including commissions or fees, and the penal communications services, excluding video calls or electronic mail or messaging, must be free of charge to the person initiating and the person receiving the call. DOC shall provide the free penal communication services according to a staggered implementation timeline, as follows: Beginning September 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024, DOC shall cover 25% of the total penal communication services costs; Beginning July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, DOC shall cover 35% of the total penal communication services costs; and Beginning July 1, 2025, and thereafter, DOC shall cover 100% of all penal communication services costs. The department of human services, in its role overseeing juvenile detention facilities, shall provide voice communications services, and may supplement these services with other communication services, including video calls or electronic mail or messaging, in those facilities and is prohibited from receiving any revenue from the communications services, including commissions or fees, and the communications services must be free of charge to the person initiating and the person receiving the call. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, $229,783 is appropriated to the department of corrections from the general fund for use by institutions. The department may use this appropriation for inmate telephone calls related to the superintendent's subprogram. APPROVED by Governor June 7, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

For a residential eviction action filed in county court, the act: Requires the court to allow either party or any witness to choose to appear in person or remotely at any return, conference, hearing, trial, or other court proceeding and to allow either party to change their designation until up to 48 hours before the proceeding; Authorizes a pro se defendant to file an answer to a summons electronically through an e-filing system; and authorizes either party, if the party is pro se, to file a motion or other documents electronically through an e-filing system; Prohibits the court from assessing an e-filing fee or service fee on a motion to waive filing fees, or from assessing an e-filing fee, service fee, or any other fee associated with the electronic filing or e-mailing of motions, answers, or documents for an indigent party; and Requires the court to comply with federal and state law or regulations, including state supreme court directive or policy, regarding accommodations for people with a disability or for people with limited English proficiency. If a party is appearing remotely and is disconnected, the act requires the court to make all reasonable efforts to contact the party and allow reasonable time for the party to reestablish connection. If the party is unable to reestablish connection, the act requires the court to reschedule the hearing for the first available in-person date after the date of the originally scheduled hearing, but no later than one week after the originally scheduled hearing, to the extent practicable. The act prohibits the court from entering a default judgment if a party is unable to participate remotely due to a technological disconnection or failure. The act requires the complaint to include a designation of whether the plaintiff elects to participate in any hearing in person or remotely and a box indicating if the eviction is for a residential or commercial tenancy. The act requires the summons to include a statement in bold-faced type notifying the defendant that either party has a right to appear in person or remotely, include a place for the defendant to indicate whether the defendant will appear in person or remotely, and provide information for how a pro se party can file documents related to the case. The act appropriates $418,118 from the general fund and the judicial department information technology cash fund to the judicial department for trial court programs, capital outlay, and information technology infrastructure. APPROVED by Governor June 7, 2023 EFFECTIVE January 1, 2024 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act creates the task force on corporate housing ownership (task force) in the state demography office in the department of local affairs and directs the task force to: Examine housing ownership by corporate entities and residential real estate transactions by corporate entities in Colorado since January 1, 2008, including purchases resulting from foreclosures; Determine a methodology by which to examine the impacts of corporate acquisition and ownership of residential property, with a focus on single-family homes, condominiums, and townhomes; Gather and analyze data, reports, and public records related to corporate ownership of housing; Make legislative recommendations to mitigate any negative impacts related to corporate ownership of housing that are identified by the task force; and Report to specified legislative committees certain information concerning the impacts of corporate ownership of housing. The task force must report its findings to the transportation, housing, and local government committee of the house of representatives and the local government and housing committee of the senate, or to any successor committees, by October 1, 2025. The task force is repealed, effective September 1, 2027. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, the act appropriates from the general fund: $122,549 to the department of local affairs for use by the state demography office; and $1,416 to the legislative department for use by the general assembly. APPROVED by Governor June 7, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

A state agency or institution of higher education that receives an appropriation for a capital construction project is required to allocate not less than one percent of the state funded portion of the project for the acquisition of works of art. In the 2022-23 fiscal year, the general assembly appropriated money from the revenue loss restoration cash fund to state agencies and institutions of higher education for capital construction projects. The act clarifies that the state funded portion of a capital construction project includes money appropriated from the revenue loss restoration cash fund. In addition, for appropriations for capital construction projects made for the 2022-23 fiscal year only, the act makes the allocation for the acquisition of works of art discretionary rather than mandatory and allows a state agency or institution of higher education that opts not to make such an allocation to use the money that would otherwise be used for works of art for any other costs associated with the capital construction project. APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2023 EFFECTIVE June 6, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act modifies the requirement that the office of legislative legal services have suitable office space in the capitol building by allowing the office space for the office of legislative legal services to be in the state capitol complex and within one-quarter mile of the state capitol building. The act requires the general assembly to provide funding for annual depreciation-lease equivalent payments for appropriations from the revenue loss restoration cash fund in the capital construction section of the annual general appropriation act. In addition, for the 2023-24 fiscal year through the 2028-29 fiscal year, the state controller is required to transfer the money for all annual depreciation-lease equivalent payments for the applicable fiscal year on July 1 rather than on June 30. On July 1, 2023, and each July 1 thereafter through July 1, 2028, the state treasurer is required to transfer to the capitol complex renovation fund the amount transferred to the capitol complex master plan implementation fund that was not required for the financing of the development of the national western center in the applicable fiscal year. The act repeals the specific designation of 2 floors in the capitol building annex at 1375 Sherman street as legislative space and requires the executive committee of the legislative council, the director of the division of capital assets, the secretary of the senate, the chief clerk of the house of representatives, the director of the office of legislative legal services, the director of research of the legislative council, and the state auditor to determine, prior to the beginning of the 2025 legislative session and with the approval of the executive committee of the legislative council and the governor, which areas in the capitol building annex are legislative space. The general assembly is required to vacate the legislative space at the state office building at 1525 Sherman street within one year after the completion of the renovation of the capitol building annex at 1375 Sherman street and thereafter, such space in the office building at 1525 Sherman street will be executive space. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $20,479,729 to the department of personnel from the capitol complex renovation fund for capital construction related to specific capitol complex renovation projects. APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2023 EFFECTIVE June 6, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act amends consumer protection law regarding ticket sales and resales for events, including adding and amending defined terms. The act allows an operator to restrict the resale of tickets to events that are initially offered as part of a charitable event for a charitable purpose. The act requires an operator, primary ticket seller, reseller, or ticket resale marketplace to refund a ticket to the purchaser in certain instances, such as when an event is cancelled. The act prohibits an operator, primary ticket seller, or rights holder from revoking tickets merely because those tickets have been resold through a reseller or ticket resale marketplace; however, an operator may still revoke or restrict tickets for a violation of venue policies, to protect the safety of patrons, or to address fraud or misconduct. The act specifies that a person engages in deceptive trade practices when, in the course of the person's business, vocation, or occupation, the person: Uses computer software or systems that run automated tasks to purchase tickets to events or to circumvent or disable ticket limitation and security measures; Displays trademarked, copyrighted, or substantially similar web designs, URLs, or other images and symbols without the consent of the trademark or copyright holder, operator, or rights holder; Sells a ticket to an event without disclosing the total cost of the ticket, including the cost of any service charge or other fees that must be paid, or displays service charges and fees less prominently than the total price of the ticket; Increases the price of a ticket once the ticket has been selected for purchase, with the exception of adding delivery fees; or Advertises, offers for sale, or contracts for the resale of a ticket unless the person has possession or constructive possession of the ticket and the person has an agreement with the rights holder. The act also specifies civil penalties that may be imposed for deceptive trade practices or violations of the consumer protection statute. VETOED by Governor June 6, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act creates the Colorado multidisciplinary health-care provider access training program (program) to improve the health care of medically complex, costly, compromised, and vulnerable older Coloradans. The university of Colorado Anschutz medical campus shall develop, implement, and administer the program. The program may be offered to Colorado institutions of higher education with clinical health professions graduate degree programs. The program coordinates and expands geriatric training opportunities for clinical health professions graduate students (students) enrolled in participating Colorado institutions of higher education (participating institutions) across Colorado studying to become advanced practice providers; dentists; nurses; occupational therapists; pharmacists; physicians, including medical doctors and doctors of osteopathy; physical therapists; psychologists; social workers; and speech-language therapists. Students who successfully complete the program are awarded certificates and issued letters authorizing those students to become trainers for the program in clinics across the state. The act creates the Colorado multidisciplinary health-care provider access training program advisory committee (committee) to ensure that the training for the program is consistent and collaborative across the fields of study. The committee is required to: Appoint a program chair; Set the program's standards for training and delivery of multidisciplinary medical care to medically complex, costly, compromised, and vulnerable older Coloradans; Establish requirements for the program; Identify and invite institutions of higher education that offer appropriate clinical health professions graduate degree programs to become participating institutions; Collaborate with participating institutions across Colorado to enhance recruitment of students to enter a field specific to geriatrics and select students with an interest in geriatric care to participate in the program; Assist with updating the program's curricula; Analyze data collected by the program; Build a multidisciplinary network of trained geriatric clinicians to collaborate and provide opportunities for clinicians to work together to better understand the roles of each health-care discipline in urban, rural, and underserved communities when caring for older Coloradans; Improve placement of students in experiential clinical training opportunities, prioritizing rural and underserved communities; Coordinate with graduates of the program to become geriatric trainers for future students; and Increase the number of clinical training sites across Colorado, specifically in rural and underserved communities. The act requires a representative of the program to submit a report on July 1, 2025, and no later than July 1 each year thereafter, summarizing program data to the health and human services committee of the senate and the health and insurance committee of the house of representatives, or their successor committees. The report must include the following: The number of students participating in the program; The number of students who successfully complete the program; The subsequent locations and job placements of program graduates; The number of program graduates who become trainers; and The description of facilities where program graduates become trainers. The act appropriates $784,269 to the department of higher education from the general fund. APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2023 EFFECTIVE June 5, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Current law prohibits a written rental agreement from including: An unreasonable liquidated damages clause that assigns a cost to a party stemming from an eviction notice or an eviction action for a violation of the rental agreement; or A one-way, fee-shifting clause that awards attorney fees and court costs only to one party. Any fee-shifting clause in a rental agreement must award attorney fees to the prevailing party in a court dispute. The act amends these prohibitions so that: A written rental agreement must not include any clause that assigns a penalty to a party stemming from an eviction notice or an eviction action that results from a violation of the rental agreement; and Any fee-shifting clause in a rental agreement must award attorney fees to the prevailing party only following a determination that the party prevailed and the fee is reasonable. With certain exceptions, the act also prohibits a written rental agreement from including: A waiver of the right to a jury trial; the ability to pursue, bring, join, litigate, or support certain class or collective claims or actions; the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing; or the implied covenant of quiet enjoyment; A provision that purports to affix any fee, damages, or penalty for a tenant's failure to provide notice of nonrenewal of a rental agreement prior to the end of the rental agreement; A provision that characterizes any amount or fee set forth in the rental agreement, with the sole exception of the set monthly payment for occupancy of the premises, as "rent" for which all remedies to collect rent, including eviction, are available; A provision that requires a tenant to pay a fee markup or for a service for which the landlord is billed by a third party; or A provision that purports to allow a provider operating under any local, state, or federal voucher or subsidy program to commence or pursue an action for possession based solely on the nonpayment of utilities. The act specifies that some of the new prohibitions do not apply to a rental agreement concerning the occupancy of a mobile home in a mobile home park or to a duplex or triplex or to an accessory dwelling unit of a residential premises if: The owner of the duplex, triplex, or residential premises uses the residential premises or at least one of the units of the duplex or triplex, as applicable, as the owner's primary residence; or The owner's primary residence is on the same lot as the duplex, triplex, or residential premises. APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)