Section 1 of the act repeals the existing statutory criteria for congressional districts. Sections 2 to 13 of the act establish statutory provisions concerning congressional districts established by the new independent congressional redistricting commission (congressional commission) and update the existing statutory provisions related to the independent legislative redistricting commission (legislative commission), including: Stating the general assembly's intent that the congressional commission and legislative commission (commissions) apply the correct federal citation to the "Voting Rights Act of 1965" rather than the incorrect citation contained in the Colorado constitution; Requiring the legislative commission to designate which year an election for each senate district takes place and to specify from which district a new senator is elected when there is a vacancy in a senatorial district; Requiring the commissions to provide maps of the proposed and final congressional and legislative districts to county clerks, the Colorado supreme court, and the secretary of state; Requiring boards of county commissioners to approve new precinct boundaries and to notify the secretary of state and major party chairs of the new precinct boundaries; Specifying how the secretary of state may correct a redistricting plan if an approved plan fails to include property in any district, includes property in more than one district, or splits a residential parcel; Specifying that the boundaries of a district approved in a redistricting plan do not change if there is a change in a county or municipal boundary; and Requiring the secretary of state to provide maps of districts to candidates. Section 14 of the act requires the commissions to use the total population used by the federal census bureau in reapportioning the seats in congress as adjusted by nonpartisan staff to move certain prisoners from being counted in the prison. Section 15 of the act creates separate accounts within the legislative department cash fund (cash fund) for each of the commissions and transfers money from the cash fund to each of the commissions to pay for their work. Sections 16 to 18 of the act make conforming amendments to update the statutes on the redistricting account in the legislative cash fund, the "Colorado Open Records Act", and duties of county commissioners to reflect the congressional and legislative commissions. Sections 19 to 25 of the act contain nonstatutory provisions relating to the commissions as required by the state constitution, including: Appointing nonpartisan staff to assist the commissions; Directing staff to prepare forms for and review applications from persons interested in serving on the commissions and assisting the panels of retired justices and judges who appoint members of the commissions; Assembling the necessary hardware, software, and information necessary for the commissions and nonpartisan staff to redistrict congressional and legislative districts; and Establishing the necessary procedures for the judicial panels, commissions, and nonpartisan staff to receive a per diem and reimbursement of expenses.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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For the period commencing on the first day of the legislative session beginning in January of 2021, and ending on the day before the first day of the legislative session beginning in January of 2022, the act freezes the annual base compensation of members of the general assembly at $40,242, which is the same amount as the annual base compensation for members of the general assembly whose terms commenced on the first day of the legislative session beginning in January of 2019. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Currently, the director of research of the legislative council (director) is required to prepare a fiscal impact statement for every initiative that is submitted to the title board. An abstract of this information is required to be included on a petition section that is circulated for signatures. The act modifies this process by: Requiring the director to prepare a fiscal summary that will appear on a petition section instead of an abstract; Specifying that the fiscal summary must include a description of the measure's fiscal impact, including a preliminary estimate of any change in state and local government revenues, expenditures, taxes, or fiscal liabilities if implemented; Requiring the director to provide the fiscal summary when a measure is submitted to the title board; Requiring the director to only prepare the fiscal impact statement, which will not include an abstract, for those initiated measures for which the secretary of state has approved a petition section; and Requiring the fiscal impact statement to be finished 14 days after the petition section was approved. The act allows a proponent or registered elector to challenge a fiscal summary at a rehearing by the title board and the Colorado supreme court in the same manner as abstracts are challenged. The act requires the secretary of state to notify the director that a petition section for an initiative has been approved. To implement the act, the general fund appropriation made in the annual legislative appropriation act for the 2020-21 state fiscal year to the legislative department for use by legislative council is decreased by $7,865, and the corresponding FTE is decreased by 0.1 FTE. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act specifies that for any act, item, section, or part of an act that is enacted by a bill with an act subject to petition clause during the second regular session of the seventy-second general assembly (2020 legislative session): The act, item, section, or part of the act takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the 90-day period after adjournment sine die of the 2020 legislative session (September 14, 2020, because adjournment sine die was on June 15, 2020), unless a later date is otherwise specified in the act; and If a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the state constitution against an act, item, section, or part of the act within the 90-day period after adjournment sine die of the 2020 legislative session, then the act, item, section, or part of the act will not take effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in November 2022 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
For purposes of suspending legislative interim committee activities during the 2020 interim, the act: Prohibits the legislative council of the general assembly from prioritizing any requests for legislative interim committees, including task forces, for the 2020 interim; and Prohibits meetings, field trips, and legislative recommendations and reports by, and suspends for one year certain reports required to be submitted to, existing legislative interim committees, including the Colorado youth advisory council review committee; wildfire matters review committee; statewide health care review committee; Colorado health insurance exchange oversight committee; pension review commission and pension review subcommittee; early childhood and school readiness legislative commission; water resources review committee; and transportation legislation review committee. Additionally, the act removes the requirement that the early childhood and school readiness legislative commission meet at least 4 times each year and instead limits the commission to up to 4 meetings per year. The act also reduces the state fiscal year 2020-21 general fund appropriation to the general assembly by $100,867 to reflect the savings resulting from the suspension of interim committee activities in the 2020 interim. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act appropriates $50,753,612 to the legislative department for the payment of expenses in the 2020-21 state fiscal year. Additionally, the act appropriates $25,000 to the youth advisory council cash fund within the legislative department. The act specifies that $1,200,000 of unexpended and unencumbered money in the legislative department cash fund at the end of the 2019-20 state fiscal year reverts to the general fund and further appropriates to the legislative council, for use in the 2020-21 state fiscal year for new member orientation, $24,000 that was appropriated to but not expended by the legislative council in the 2019-20 state fiscal year. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law prohibits selling meat or meat products that are imported without the label indicating the fact of importation. The bill expands this to cover any meat derived from animals that were not born, raised, and harvested exclusively in the United States. The bill provides that food is misbranded as "meat" or a cut of meat if it does not come from animals and that lab-grown meat is misbranded as "meat" or a cut of meat unless labeled as "lab-grown" or "artificially cultured". (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The act authorizes a retail food establishment to allow a person to bring a pet dog to an outdoor dining area if: The retail food establishment elects to allow pet dogs in its outdoor dining area, has a separate entrance to the area through which pet dogs may enter and exit without passing through the retail food establishment, does not use the are for food or drink preparation, and complies with any other control measures approved by the county or district public health agency; The person who brings a pet dog to the outdoor dining area does not allow the pet dog on chairs, benches, seats, or other furniture or fixtures and maintains control of the pet dog, including leashing the pet dog or confining the pet dog in a pet carrier; and The retail food establishment licensee ensures compliance with local ordinances related to sidewalks, public nuisances, and sanitation. A person who brings a pet dog in an outdoor dining area is responsible for the behavior of that pet dog. Local governing bodies may prohibit the presence of pet dogs for all retail food establishments within the governing body's jurisdiction. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)