Current law authorizes forced pooling, a process by which any interested person–typically an oil and gas operator–may apply to the Colorado oil and gas conservation commission for an order to pool oil and gas resources located within a particularly identified drilling unit. After giving notice to interested parties and holding a hearing, the commission can adopt an order to force owners of oil and gas resources within the drilling unit who have not consented to the application (nonconsenting owners) to allow an oil and gas operator to produce the oil and gas within the drilling unit notwithstanding the owners' lack of consent. The bill specifies that: The hearing notice must be given at least 90 days before the hearing; Before entry of a pooling order, the prospective drilling unit operator must give the affected interest owners a clearly stated, concise, neutral explanation of the laws governing forced pooling; and The operators of drilling units shall, before commencing drilling operations, file an electronic report with the commission that states the number of nonconsenting owners and the percentage of acres that have been pooled, and the commission shall post the reports in a searchable database on its website.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Sponsored bills
Joint Budget Committee. The bill creates the 2013 flood recovery account in the disaster emergency fund. On July 1, 2017, the state treasurer is required to transfer $12.5 million from the general fund to the account. The account consists of money from this transfer and any money that the general assembly appropriates to the account in the future. Money in the account is only available for the governor to use for the costs associated with the response and recovery from the flood that occurred in the state in 2013. The account is repealed on June 30, 2021, at which time the state treasurer will transfer any remaining balance back to the general fund.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill amends the definition of 'durable medical equipment supplier' to include a person or entity that bills or bids or plans to bill or bid in the current calendar year for services or products listed in the centers for medicare and medicaid services durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies in a current bidding program or pursuant to any successor bidding program.. The bill clarifies the requirements for a durable medical equipment supplier to do business in Colorado. For each of its physical locations providing services in Colorado, a durable medical equipment supplier must be licensed by the Colorado secretary of state and attest that each of its physical locations providing services in Colorado are within 100 miles of any Colorado-resident medicare beneficiary being served by the supplier in Colorado or any Colorado medicaid recipient who is being served by the provider in Colorado. The bill includes language relating to licensing durable medical equipment suppliers that prohibits a supplier from meeting the requirements through a durable medical equipment warehouse or repair facility, but does allow a supplier to domicile a fully accredited facility within a durable medical equipment warehouse or repair facility. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Currently, the commissioner of insurance may investigate complaints by health care providers regarding the improper handling or denial of benefits by a health insurance company. The bill requires the commissioner to investigate provider complaints and notify the provider of the results of the investigation. The commissioner is directed to include information on provider complaints in an existing annual report to the general assembly. The commissioner must determine if there is a pattern of misconduct by a health insurance company and, if there is a pattern, must impose an appropriate remedy or penalty as an unfair or deceptive practice. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Under current law, there is an exception to the hearsay rule for a person with an intellectual and developmental disability if the out-of-court statement relates to certain specified crimes. Current law also provides increased penalties if certain crimes are committed against at-risk persons. The bill clarifies that the hearsay exception applies if the defendant is charged under the increased penalties for crimes against at-risk persons. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
For the 2016-17 state fiscal year, the bill increases the amount of reappropriated funds that are appropriated to the department of law for the purpose of providing additional legal services for the department of education. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
For the 2016-17 state fiscal year, the bill increases the appropriation to the department of law to improve the department's information technology security based on an external auditor's recommendations. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Under current law, the division of online learning (division) within the department of education (department) must certify a multi-district online school before the school can operate. The bill continues the certification of multi-district online schools until January 1, 2018. On and after that date, the division will no longer certify the school but will certify a school district, a group of school districts, a board of cooperative services, or the state charter school institute (authorizer) that chooses to authorize a multi-district online school. The bill establishes the areas in which an authorizer must meet specified requirements to be certified. An authorizer must renew the certification every 5 years. If an authorizer is already operating or overseeing a multi-district online school as of January 1, 2018, the authorizer can continue operating or overseeing the school but must obtain a certification by January 1, 2023. The state board of education (state board) must adopt rules concerning the procedures and timelines by which to apply for certification and any additional areas for which an authorizer must meet requirements. The procedures must include an appellate procedure if the division denies an authorizer's application for certification or revokes or does not renew an authorizer's certification. If an authorizer loses its certification, it may continue operating or overseeing the multi-district online school for the remainder of the school year in which it loses the certification and for the next school year. The division must facilitate the multi-district online school's transition to a new authorizer. Under current law, the department must develop parameters and guidelines for pilot projects in online schools to address measures of student achievement, student count processes and competency-based funding models, tiered interventions, and requirements and responsibilities for student success. The bill adds projects to address the needs of specific student groups in online schools. The general assembly is directed to appropriate money for the pilot projects, in addition to any gifts, grants, or donations the department may receive. Under current law, a multi-district online school that operates a learning center in a school district that is not the school's authorizing school district must enter into a memorandum of understanding with the school district to operate the learning center. The bill requires a multi-district online school to also enter into a memorandum of understanding with a school district that is not the school's authorizer if the school seeks to operate a drop-in center within the school district. The bill requires the division to: Study the issue of student mobility into and out of online schools and report to the state board and the general assembly; and Collect data concerning the operations of authorizers and multi-district online schools, identify and disseminate information concerning best practices, and make the data available for research in the field of online education.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)