Rep. Daneya Esgar

Unclaimed property trust fund - transfer - general fund. On July 1, 2019, the act requires the state treasurer to transfer $30 million from the unclaimed property trust fund to the general fund. The amount transferred constitutes fiscal year spending subject to the state fiscal year spending limit.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Computer science education grant program - appropriation. The act creates in the department of education the computer science education grant program (grant program) to provide money to public schools or school districts in order to increase enrollment or participation of traditionally underrepresented students in computer science education activities. The act requires the state board of education (board) to promulgate rules necessary for the implementation of the grant program. The act requires the board to give priority to grant applications that: Demonstrate how the applicant will use the grant to serve a high-poverty student population, a high percentage of minority students, students in rural areas, or a high percentage of female students; Expose students to diverse professionals within the computer science industry; or Demonstrate a low number of computer science education courses or clubs offered in the public school or school district, if any. The act appropriates $250,000 each year for the 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2022-23 fiscal years, from the general fund to the department of education. The department shall distribute the money to the education providers that receive a grant. The act requires each grant recipient to submit a report to the board. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Voter registration - transfer of records from department of revenue - transfer of records from department of health care policy and financing - voter registration agency reports - verification of signatures - appropriation. Beginning July 1, 2020, the department of revenue is required to transfer to the secretary of state (secretary) the electronic record of each unregistered elector or person eligible to preregister who applies for the issuance, renewal, or correction of a Colorado driver's license or identification card and who provides documentation of citizenship. The elector's county clerk reviews the record for completeness and sends the elector a notice advising that the elector has been registered to vote. The elector can return the notice to either decline to be registered or affiliate with a party. If the elector does not decline to be registered within 20 days after the notice is mailed and the form is not returned as undeliverable, the elector is registered to vote. The department of health care policy and financing is also required to begin transferring to the secretary the electronic records of electors who apply for medicaid, subject to compliance with all federal laws and regulations. The elector's county clerk reviews the record for completeness and sends the elector a notice advising that the elector has been registered to vote. The elector can return the notice to decline to be registered, affiliate with a party, or provide a signature if necessary for their record. If the elector does not decline to be registered within 20 days after the notice is mailed and the form is not returned as undeliverable, the elector is registered to vote. Agencies that oversee offices designated as voter registration agencies are required to begin reporting information to the secretary related to the number of people who apply for benefits or programs, the number of voter registration choice forms the offices collect, and the number of people who receive voter registration forms. The office of information technology is required to assess and report to the secretary which voter registration agencies collect sufficient information for voter registration purposes. When the office of information technology and the secretary determine that an agency collects sufficient information, the agency is required to begin transferring records to the secretary for voter registration purposes. Unless a person who knows they are ineligible to vote intentionally takes voluntary action to become registered, the transfer of the person's record by a voter registration agency does not constitute completion of a voter registration form by that person. Beginning July 1, 2020, the act creates a process for electors who are registered through a voter registration agency to provide a signature for verification if they return a ballot in an election but a copy of their signature is not found in the statewide voter registration system. For the implementation of the act, $67,840 is appropriated to the department of state, $136,240 is appropriated to the office of the governor for use by the office of information technology, $18,000 is appropriated to the department of revenue for use by the division of motor vehicles, and $90,287 is appropriated to the department of human services. It is anticipated that the department of human services will receive an additional $45,413 in federal funds for the office of information technology services to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Department of labor and employment - Colorado call center jobs - workforce data. The department of labor and employment is required to include, as part of its annual presentation to its legislative committee of reference at a hearing held pursuant to the "State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act", data that it currently collects regarding the call center work force, including tracking call center jobs and wage analysis of customer service employees.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Registrations and certificates of title - electronic issuance - appropriation. To electronically issue registrations and certificates of title, the act appropriates $1,187,502 out of gifts, grants, and donations and to the department of revenue for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 state fiscal years.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Title IV-E waiver demonstration project - extension - administrative costs in foster care proceedings - allocation of child welfare money to counties - appropriation. The act authorizes the state department of human services (department) to pursue federal reimbursement for Title IV-E administrative costs associated with independent legal representation in foster care proceedings. The act creates a fund for fees collected for reimbursement of these administrative costs. The act extends the repeal date of the Title IV-E waiver demonstration project by one year to June 30, 2020. The act clarifies provisions relating to the annual close-out process for small- and medium-sized counties and for all counties, including provisions relating to the allocation of unspent appropriations. The act creates 2 accounts within the child welfare prevention and intervention services cash fund (fund) and relocates general provisions relating to the fund within the statute. The act clarifies that all money in the fund must be used for the delivery of child welfare prevention and intervention services that have been approved by the department. For the 2019-20 state fiscal year, the act adjusts the appropriation made to the department of human services in the annual general appropriation act for child welfare services by $9,700,000 to reflect federal child welfare funding allocations, and appropriates $9,700,000 to the child welfare prevention and intervention services cash fund for use for child welfare prevention and intervention services. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Department presentation to legislative committees of reference - department regulatory agendas. The act requires all presentations made to joint committees of reference under the "State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act" to be conducted in the first 2 weeks of the regular legislative session rather than during the interim between legislative sessions, and as a result: Repeals the requirement that appointees to committees of reference be designated no later than December 1 prior to the convening of the general assembly; and Repeals the authorization that members and members-elect are entitled to per diem and reimbursement of expenses.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Office of information technology - state agency definition - department of education excluded. The department of education is excluded from the definition of "state agency" as used in the office of information technology (office) provisions. Although the department of education is not a state agency for purposes of the office, the chief information officer may enter into contracts with the department of education for the purpose of providing disaster recovery services.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Medicaid - 1115 demonstration waiver - criminal or juvenile justice system prevention - mental health institute admission criteria - community behavioral health safety net system - appropriation. The act requires the department of health care policy and financing (state department) to develop measurable outcomes to monitor efforts to prevent medicaid recipients from becoming involved in the criminal or juvenile justice system. The act requires the state department to work collaboratively with managed care entities to create incentives for behavioral health providers to accept medicaid recipients with severe behavioral health disorders. The act requires the state department to determine if seeking a 1115 demonstration waiver is the necessary response to ensure inpatient services are available to individuals with a serious mental illness. If the state department determines it is not appropriate, the state department shall submit a report to the general assembly with the state department's reasoning and an alternative plan and proposed timeline for the implementation of the alternative plan. The act requires the state department to develop and implement admission criteria to the mental health institutes at Pueblo and Fort Logan. The act creates a community behavioral health safety net system (safety net system) and requires the department of human services, in collaboration with the state department, to conduct the following activities: Define what constitutes a high-intensity behavioral health treatment program (treatment program), determine what an adequate network of high-intensity behavioral health treatment services includes, and identify existing treatment programs; Develop an implementation plan to increase the number of treatment programs in the state; Identify an advisory body to assist the department in creating a comprehensive proposal to strengthen and expand the safety net system; Develop a comprehensive proposal to strengthen and expand the safety net system that provides behavioral health services for individuals with severe behavioral health disorders; Implement the comprehensive proposal and the funding model no later than January 1, 2024; and Provide an annual report from January 1, 2022, until July 1, 2024, on the safety net system to the public through the annual SMART Act hearing. The act appropriates $75,000 to the department of health care policy and financing from the general fund. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Traffic infractions - passing authorized snow plows in echelon formation - appropriation. The act states that a person commits a class A traffic offense if the person passes a snowplow that is operated by a state, county, or local government, displaying its lights, and performing its service function in echelon formation with one or more other such snowplows. "Echelon formation" means a formation in which snowplows are arranged diagonally, with each unit stationed behind and to the right, or behind and to the left, of the unit ahead. $3,375 is appropriated to the department of revenue to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More