Section 2 of the bill: Sets forth a process and deadlines for and requires the conversion of Pinnacol Assurance from a political subdivision of the state to a stock insurance company owned by a mutual insurance holding company, the initial members of which are the policyholders of Pinnacol Assurance immediately prior to the conversion, and also sets forth a process and deadlines for the disaffiliation of Pinnacol Assurance from the public employees' retirement association (PERA), with details as to how the disaffiliation is to be accomplished; Requires the transfer of a specified amount from Pinnacol Assurance to the state within 5 days of the effective date of the conversion and requires the money transferred to be allocated in equal shares to the controlled maintenance trust fund and to the just transition trust fund; and Requires the commissioner of insurance to contract with an insurance company as the carrier of last resort for employers seeking workers' compensation insurance and for the successor stock insurance company to serve in that capacity for a transitional period. Section 3 repeals the existing statutes concerning Pinnacol Assurance in its current form as a political subdivision of the state.Sections 4 to 35 make conforming amendments necessitated by the conversion of Pinnacol Assurance from a political subdivision of the state to a stock insurance company owned by a mutual insurance holding company and the disaffiliation of Pinnacol Assurance from PERA.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
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The bill prohibits a health benefit plan that provides coverage for cancer treatment from applying a higher standard of clinical evidence for coverage of proton beam therapy than the health benefit plan applies for other radiation therapy treatment. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
During the 2020 general election, the voters approved Proposition 114, which authorized the reintroduction of gray wolves on designated lands in Colorado west of the continental divide beginning no later than December 31, 2023. The bill excludes from the definition of "designated lands" the following: Lands within a county in which the majority of the votes cast in the 2020 general election did not approve Proposition 114 unless, prior to a proposed reintroduction of gray wolves in that county, an election is held in the county and a majority of the votes cast from that county in the election approve of the reintroduction of the gray wolf in designated lands in the county; and Lands within a county in which is located prey of the gray wolf that, as determined by the parks and wildlife commission, either: Is a candidate for listing or has been placed in the threatened or endangered species list pursuant to the federal "Endangered Species Act of 1973" or is listed as endangered or threatened pursuant to state law; or The state has spent money to reintroduce or restore.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The act enacts the "Colorado Uniform Electronic Wills Act", which declares that an electronic will is a will for all purposes of Colorado law. The act specifies the requirements for:Executing and revoking an electronic will; Simultaneously executing, attesting, and making an electronic will; and Certifying a paper copy of an electronic will.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The bill creates the connecting Colorado students grant program (program) to provide grants to local education providers to use in providing broadband service and other technology for increased internet access for students, educators, and other staff. The program is created in the department of education (department). The department reviews applications, and the commissioner of education (commissioner) awards the grants. The department must consult with the office of information technology, the office of economic development, and broadband and education technology experts in reviewing the applications. The bill specifies the required contents of grant applications, the criteria that the department and the commissioner must consider in reviewing and awarding grants, and criteria for prioritizing applicants. The bill creates the connecting Colorado students grant program fund out of which grants are paid. By February 1, 2021, the department must distribute the money appropriated to the department for the 2020-21 budget year for grants. Beginning in July 15, 2021, the department must submit to the state board of education, governor, and education committees of the general assembly a report concerning implementation of the program. By January 10, 2021, the department, in collaboration with the office of information technology and broadband service providers, must develop and make publicly available a list of free or low-cost broadband services and other internet access resources. The program is repealed, effective February 1, 2022. (Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.) (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill allows a taxpayer to deduct the total amount of tips received by a taxpayer during the 2021 income tax year from the taxpayer's federal taxable income for purposes of calculating the taxpayer's 2021 Colorado taxable income. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The act states that, generally, evidence relating to the discovery of, knowledge about, or potential disclosure of the victim's actual or perceived gender, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation, including under circumstances in which the victim made an unwanted, nonforcible romantic or sexual advance toward the defendant or if the defendant and victim are or have been involved in an intimate relationship, is irrelevant in a criminal case and does not constitute sudden heat of passion in a criminal case. The act creates a protective hearing if a party claims that such evidence is relevant and wants to use it in a criminal case. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act only takes effect if the voters statewide approve the repeal of constitutional provisions related to property tax assessment rates set forth in Senate Concurrent Resolution 20-001. Beginning with the property tax year that commences on January 1, 2020, the act creates a moratorium on changing property tax assessment rates. The act also makes conforming amendments to reflect the repealed constitutional provisions. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act clarifies that an offender sentenced pursuant to the "Colorado Sex Offender Lifetime Supervision Act of 1998" may be released to a community corrections program only if the offender meets certain requirements for an offender being released on parole including that: The offender has successfully progressed in sex offender treatment as determined by the department of corrections and would not pose a threat to the community if released to community corrections; There is a strong and reasonable probability that the offender would not thereafter commit a new criminal offense; and After considering criteria established by the sex offender management board and other relevant factors, the executive director of the department of corrections finds that release to community corrections is appropriate.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act prohibits a health insurance carrier from: Imposing specific requirements or limitations on the HIPAA-compliant technologies used to deliver telehealth services; Requiring a covered person to have a previously established patient-provider relationship with a specific provider in order to receive medically necessary telehealth services from the provider; or Imposing additional certification, location, or training requirements as a condition of reimbursement for telehealth services. The act specifies that, to the extent the state board of health adopts rules addressing supervision requirements for home care agencies, the rules must allow for supervision in person or by telemedicine or telehealth. For purposes of the medicaid program, the act: Requires the department of health care policy and financing (state department) to allow home care agencies to supervise services through telemedicine or telehealth; Clarifies the methods of communication that may be used for telemedicine; Requires the state department to reimburse rural health clinics, the federal Indian health service, and federally qualified health centers for telemedicine services provided to medicaid recipients and to do so at the same rate as the department reimburses those services when provided in person; Requires the state department to post telemedicine utilization data to the state department's website no later than 30 days after the effective date of the act and update the data every other month through state fiscal year 2020-21; and Specifies that health care and mental health care services include speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, hospice care, home health care, and pediatric behavioral health care. The act appropriates $5,068,381 to the state department from the care subfund for telemedicine expansion services and prohibits the state department from using the appropriation for the state-share of medicaid services. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)