The Public Airport Authority Law authorizes a county or a municipality, or a combination of counties and municipalities, to create an airport authority to operate an airport located within the county or municipality or the combination of counties and municipalities. The act modernizes the Public Airport Authority Law by: Clarifying the extent of the power of a county, a municipality, or a combination of counties and municipalities, to terminate an airport authority. The act requires a terminating county, municipality, or combination to assume the terminated authority's outstanding financial and contractual obligations, maintain the airport that the airport authority previously operated, and receive and hold title to the land on which the airport is located. Specifying that members of an airport authority's board of commissioners (board) do not receive compensation for their services, are local government officials, and are subject to the statutory ethics and conflict of interest provisions that apply to local government officials; Clarifying that a member of a board who was appointed to fill a vacancy may be appointed to serve a successive term, and that board meetings are subject to statutory open meetings requirements; Changing the requirement that 60% of board members be present for a quorum to 50%; Clarifying that the majority vote of all members of a board is required for questions involving the inclusion in or exclusion from an airport authority of a municipality or county and for authorizing an expenditure greater than $250,000; Modifying the process by which a board procures contracts, including updating the process for a board to award a contract to the lowest bidder after soliciting an invitation for bids and clarifying that the process to award a contract to the lowest bidder applies only to capital improvement projects and the purchase of new vehicles and equipment; Clarifying an airport authority's powers to remove hazards and encroachments, impose fees on airport users to defray the cost of operating an airport, and regulate commercial activities conducted at an airport; Clarifying that an airport authority must follow local zoning regulations when erecting structures within an airport authority and that an airport authority may invest surplus money in a local government investment pool; Allowing an airport authority to request that a county or municipality within which the airport authority is located levy a tax for the airport authority's benefit or modify or adopt certain local zoning regulations; and Clarifying that tenants or users of an airport that an airport authority operates are not entitled to any of the tax exemptions that apply to airport authorities. APPROVED by Governor April 10, 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.)
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The law has required an employer to provide its employees with an annual statement showing the total compensation paid and the income tax withheld for the preceding calendar year. The act requires an employer to also provide written notice of the availability of the federal and state earned income tax credits and the federal and state child tax credits at least once annually. An employer may send the written notice to employees electronically, including via e-mail or text message. The written notice must be in English and any other language the employer uses to communicate with employees and must include any additional content that the department of revenue prescribes. APPROVED by Governor March 31, 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.)
To determine if a faculty or teacher at a state or nonprofit institution of higher education (institution) is a full-time employee under the federal public loan forgiveness program (program), the act requires the faculty's or teacher's credit or contact hours to be multiplied by at least 4.35 to determine the number of hours worked. The act directs institutions to either directly certify employment for the program or annually provide employees with partially completed forms to certify their employment. The act allows an institution to apply this calculation going back to October 1, 2007. APPROVED by Governor March 23, 2023 EFFECTIVE March 23, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates the "Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact," which is designed to make it easier for teachers from member states, especially active military members and eligible military spouses, to receive a teacher's license from other member states. The compact becomes effective when 10 or more states enact it. APPROVED by Governor March 10, 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.)
Under current law, when an employer is going to hire a person to work in a position in which the person has contact with at-risk adults, the employer must perform a check of the system that contains substantiated claims of mistreatment against an at-risk adult (CAPS check). The bill requires a staffing agency that provides employees who will have contact with at-risk adults to perform a CAPS check and to provide the results to the employer. Under current law, disclosure of a report of mistreatment or neglect is generally only allowed with a court order. The bill clarifies a court order is not required when the report is disclosed for purposes of a guardian's appeal of a substantiated case of at-risk adult mistreatment. APPROVED by Governor March 10, 2023 EFFECTIVE January 1, 2024 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The bill allows a former member of the general assembly to obtain a name badge indicating that the former member served in the general assembly. To obtain a former member name badge, the former member must submit an application to the secretary of the senate (secretary) or the chief clerk of the house of representatives (chief clerk), depending on which chamber of the general assembly the former member served in, or to either the secretary or the chief clerk if the former member served in both chambers. The former member is responsible for the costs associated with obtaining a former member name badge. The secretary of the senate and the chief clerk are required to jointly develop uniform application procedures for obtaining a former member name badge, and the design and color of the badge. The bill requires that the badge state "Former Representative", "Former Senator", or "Former Representative and Senator", depending on which chamber or chambers of the general assembly the former member served in.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The act enacts the "Interstate Licensed Professional Counselors Compact", which, once effective, will allow licensed professional counselors in any state that has joined the compact (member state) to provide: Licensed professional counselor services in each member state under a privilege to practice; and Telehealth services in each member state under a privilege to practice. The act authorizes the state board of licensed professional counselor examiners (board) to promulgate rules and to facilitate Colorado's participation in the compact, including notification to the Counseling Compact Commission (commission) established by the compact of any adverse action taken by the board against a Colorado licensed professional counselor. The commission includes a delegate from each member state and has the powers and duties set forth in the act. The compact becomes effective on the date the compact is enacted in the tenth member state. The act appropriates $104,538 to the department of regulatory agencies from the division of professions and occupations cash fund for use by the division of professions and occupations to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act renames the area agency on aging grant program to the strategic investments in aging grant program (grant program). The grant program administers state assistance to finance projects across the state that are intended to assist and support older Coloradans. The act extends the grant program indefinitely to continue the support of projects that promote the health, equity, well-being, and security of older Coloradans across the state. The act renames the area agency on aging cash fund to the strategic investments in aging cash fund (fund). Money in the fund is continuously appropriated to the department of human services to fund programs and projects consistent with the grant program. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Section 1 of the act requires the department of higher education to contract for and facilitate use of an online platform by public or private institutions of higher education in the state to assist students accessing public benefits (online platform). Section 2 creates the economic mobility program within the department of public health and environment and requires the department to develop and implement the program to improve health and educational outcomes associated with reduced poverty and improved economic mobility for Coloradans. To fund the program, the economic mobility program fund (fund) is created and $4 million is transferred to the fund from the economic recovery and relief cash fund. For the 2022-23 state fiscal year, $1,720,060 is appropriated from the fund to the department of public health and environment for use by the prevention services division for maternal and child health and administration and $171,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of education for the online platform. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates the mandatory reporter task force (task force). The purpose of the task force is to analyze best practices and recommend changes to training requirements and reporting procedures for people required by law to report child abuse or neglect. The task force shall analyze issues, including, but not limited to: The effectiveness of mandatory reporting and its relationship with systemic issues, including the disproportionate impact of mandatory reporting on under-resourced communities, communities of color, and persons with disabilities; The definition of "immediately" and how reporting time frames affect mandatory reporters from different professions; Reporting time frames for mandatory reporters who are creating a safety plan for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking to ensure the safety of the victim and the victim's family members while creating the safety plan; Medical child abuse and the process to report medical child abuse; Whether mandatory reporters should report incidents observed outside of a mandatory reporter's professional capacity; A reporting process for 2 or more mandatory reporters to report child abuse or neglect when they have joint knowledge or joint reasonable cause to make a report of child abuse or neglect; Whether institutions that employ mandatory reporters may develop procedures to assist mandatory reporters in meeting reporting requirements; and The benefits of an electronic reporting platform for the state. The task force is required to analyze national best practices and consult with additional stakeholders as necessary to finalize its findings and recommendations. The task force may propose clarifications to the law to help implement its recommendations. The task force operates for 2 years. The task force shall submit a final report on its findings and recommendations on January 1, 2025, to the house of representatives public and behavioral health and human services committee and the senate health and human services committee, or their successor committees; the governor; and the department of human services. The act appropriates $97,500 from the general fund to the judicial department for use by the office of the child protection ombudsman for program costs. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)