Medication-assisted treatment expansion pilot program - extension - administration - additional counties to participate - funding increase - appropriation. In 2017, the general assembly enacted Senate Bill 17-074, concerning the creation of a pilot program in certain areas of the state experiencing high levels of opioid addiction to award grants to increase access to addiction treatment, which created a 2-year medication-assisted treatment (MAT) expansion pilot program, administered by the university of Colorado college of nursing, to expand access to medication-assisted treatment to opioid-dependent patients in Pueblo and Routt counties and directed the general assembly to appropriate $500,000 per year for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 fiscal years from the marijuana tax cash fund to the university of Colorado board of regents for allocation to the college of nursing to implement the pilot program. The 2017 act also scheduled the pilot program for repeal on June 30, 2020. The act: Expands the pilot program to the counties in the San Luis valley and 2 additional counties in which a need is demonstrated; Shifts responsibility to administer the pilot program from the college of nursing to the center for research into substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery support strategies; Adds representatives from the San Luis valley and any other counties selected to participate in the pilot program and members from the boards of county commissioners from participating counties to the advisory board that assists in administering the program; Increases the annual appropriation for the pilot program to $2.5 million for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 fiscal years; and Extends the program an additional 2 years. The act appropriates $2.5 million from the marijuana tax cash fund to the department of higher education for use by the board of regents of the university of Colorado to allocate to the center for research into substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery support strategies for the MAT expansion pilot program. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
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State institutions of higher education - tuition assistance - dependents of military members - dependents of law enforcement officers and firefighters. A dependent of a prisoner of war or military personnel missing in action, a dependent of a person who died or was permanently disabled while on duty as a Colorado National Guardsman, or a dependent of any person who has been permanently disabled or killed while acting as a police officer, sheriff, or other law enforcement officer or firefighter (dependent) who is eligible for state tuition assistance and federal educational benefits pursuant to the federal "Public Safety Officers' Benefits Act" may receive the state tuition assistance prior to receiving the federal benefit. The state tuition assistance available to a dependent is reduced by the amount of any federal educational benefit provided to the dependent.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Colorado food - school grant program - nonprofit grant program - appropriation. The act establishes a grant program in the department of education (CDE) to encourage providers that are entitled to federal money for lunches for students (participating providers) to purchase food products from Colorado growers, producers, and processors (Colorado food). The grant program reimburses participating providers for the amount of Colorado food that the provider purchased in the previous school year. The act caps the reimbursements at $500,000 per year. The act establishes a separate program in CDE to make a grant to a nonprofit organization to make grants to entities that promote the sale of Colorado food to schools and to eligible providers to encourage the purchase of Colorado food. The nonprofit organization is required to conduct an annual evaluation and report to CDE. For the 2019-20 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $168,942 from the general fund to CDE for the school purchasing programs. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
The bill requires the university of Colorado school of medicine (school) to provide scholarships to students who: Will complete clinical studies in a rural or frontier area in Colorado; Have demonstrated financial need; and Have committed in writing to living and serving as physicians in rural or frontier areas in Colorado that are also primary care health professional shortage areas for at least 4 years following the completion of their residency training. The bill requires the school to submit an annual written report to the education committees of the house of representatives and senate concerning the operation of the school's rural track during the preceding academic year. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More
The federal "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act", which became law in December 2017, added distributions for elementary or secondary school expenses as qualified distributions from a qualified state tuition program, also known as a 529 account, thereby allowing, on the federal level, income tax-free distributions for elementary and secondary school expenses in addition to already authorized income tax-free distributions for higher education expenses. The bill amends Colorado law to ensure that a taxpayer may not claim a deduction for contributions to qualified state tuition programs for elementary or secondary school expenses and clarifies that such expenses are not qualified distributions. The bill also requires Colleginvest to provide the department of revenue with available information related to distributions that are not used to pay qualified higher education expenses. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) Read More
The bill establishes the ninth grade success grant program (grant program) to provide money for school districts, boards of cooperative services (local education providers), and charter schools to implement a ninth grade success program to assist ninth-grade students in developing the skills they need to graduate from high school and be successful postgraduation. The grant program is funded by annual appropriations, which may include appropriations from the marijuana tax cash fund. The department of education (department) may also accept and expend gifts, grants, and donations for the grant program. The bill specifies the minimum application requirements for a local education provider or charter school that chooses to apply for a grant. The department shall administer the grant program by reviewing applications and making recommendations to the state board of education (state board), which will award the grants. In making recommendations and awarding grants, the department and the state board shall prioritize those applying local education providers and charter schools that have 4-year high school graduation rates that rank in the bottom 20% of the 4-year high school graduation rates statewide. The bill includes additional criteria that the department and the state board must consider. A local education provider or charter school that receives a grant must provide matching money or in-kind contributions in amounts set by the state board, not to exceed specified percentages. Each local education provider and charter school that receives a grant must use the money to implement a ninth grade success program that meets the requirements specified in the bill. Each grant recipient must report information concerning its ninth grade success program, including evaluation data for several specified outcome measures. The department must submit a report concerning the implementation of the grant program to the state board and to the education committees of the general assembly. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) Read More
The bill requires the state archivist to develop and implement a plan to provide a permanent public display of the original Colorado constitution in the state capitol building. The plan must be approved by the capitol building advisory committee and the capital development committee. State archives would be responsible for constructing and maintaining the display as well as protecting and preserving the state constitution itself. State archives would have the authority to accept bequests, gifts, or grants in addition to any appropriations for the display.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More
Early childhood leadership commission - infant and family child care strategic action plan. The act requires the department of human services (department), in consultation with the early childhood leadership commission (commission) and various stakeholders, to draft a strategic action plan addressing the declining availability of family child care homes and infant child care. The act requires the department to submit the completed strategic action plan to the commission; the state board of human services; the joint budget committee; the health and human services and education committees of the senate, or any successor committees; and the public health care and human services and education committees of the house of representatives, or any successor committees, no later than December 1, 2019. The act anticipates the department will receive $50,688 in federal funds to implement this act for the 2019-20 state fiscal year. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
The bill creates the government youth apprenticeship stipend program (program) in the state work force development council (council) to provide grants to certain nonprofit organizations to enable the nonprofit organizations to provide stipends to governmental entities that offer government youth apprenticeships. The bill specifies that governmental entities include the state and any state agency or institution, including the judicial and legislative departments, a county, city and county, incorporated city or town, school district, special improvement district, and authority. The bill specifies the dates by which a nonprofit organization must apply to the council for grant money and dates by which the council is required to award and distribute the grants to one or more nonprofit organizations. The nonprofit organizations that receive a grant are required to use the grant money to distribute stipends to governmental entities that apply for the stipend. The bill specifies limitations on the amount of the stipend that may be provided to a governmental entity for a single government youth apprenticeship. The bill also specifies limitations on the number of stipends that may be provided to a single governmental entity in any calendar year. In addition, the bill specifies that a nonprofit organization that receives grant money is required to use at least 20% of the total amount awarded to provide stipends to governmental entities located in a rural area. A governmental entity must apply to a nonprofit organization that received a grant to receive a stipend for its government youth apprenticeship. To be eligible to receive a stipend, a governmental entity is required to satisfy certain specified criteria, including the contribution of at least $2,000 toward the costs of a government youth apprenticeship. A governmental entity that receives a stipend is required to use the money from the stipend, as well as the $2,000 that the governmental entity contributes to the government youth apprenticeship, only for certain specified purposes. The bill creates the government youth apprenticeship stipend fund (fund) in the state treasury and requires the state treasurer to transfer $2 million from the general fund to the fund in the 2019-20, 2020-21, and 2021-22 state fiscal years. The council is required to submit an annual report on the program as part of the Colorado talent pipeline report that is prepared and submitted to the governor and the general assembly. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More
Metropolitan district - fire protection - sales tax. A metropolitan district is authorized to levy a property tax to provide services; however, the district can also levy a sales tax for safety protection, street improvement, and transportation purposes. The act allows a metropolitan district to also levy a sales tax to provide fire protection in the areas of the district in which the sales tax is levied.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More