Rep. Janice Rich

The act creates a new civil cause of action and crime if a health care provider, in the course of performing or assisting with an assisted reproduction procedure, knowingly uses gametes from a donor without the express consent of the patient to use the donor's gametes. The act authorizes specified compensatory damages or liquidated damages of $50,000 in the civil action and specifies that the crime is a class 6 felony. Conviction of an offense under the new crime is unprofessional conduct as defined in the licensing statutes for health care providers. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act: Extends the rural jump-start program for an additional 5 years; Adds a legislative declaration stating that the purpose of the 5-year extension is to create or retain jobs in order to help address the still significant contraction of local economies in certain areas of the state; Changes the existing competition clause to specify that a new business applying for rural jump-start program benefits cannot compete with an existing business in the rural jump-start zone in which the business will be located or in any distressed county that is contiguous to the rural jump-start zone; Adds economic development organizations as authorized entities to apply to: Form a rural jump-start zone; or To allow a new business to participate in the rural jump-start program; and Amends the reporting requirements to ensure that any future evaluation of the rural jump-start program can rely on clear, relevant, and ascertainable metrics and data provided by the economic development commission.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act amends provisions relating to the human services referral service authorized by the Colorado 2-1-1 collaborative. The act requires the department of human services to award a grant for $500,000 to the Colorado 2-1-1 collaborative for necessary human services referral services in the state through December 30, 2020, relating to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The services may include, among others, providing information on COVID-19 test site locations and referrals regarding equity, access, or discrimination concerning employment and health access, as well as other necessary referrals and intake services due to the presence of COVID-19 in the state. The act includes a legislative declaration describing the source of federal funding for the act and the restrictions on the use of the grant money. For the 2019-20 fiscal year, the act appropriates $500,000 from the care subfund in the general fund to the department of human services to award a grant to the Colorado 2-1-1 collaborative, which appropriation may be used through December 30, 2020. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act grants the state historical society the authority to sell a vacant lot located in Georgetown, Colorado. The act specifies that the proceeds of the sale must be credited to the state museum cash fund to be used for capital outlay, capital construction, or controlled maintenance at museums statewide. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The bill amends the "Colorado READ Act" to require each local education provider to post on its website: The core and supplemental reading curriculum, or a detailed description of the reading curriculum, by grade, used in each of its schools; The core and supplemental reading instructional programs and intervention reading instruction, services, and other supports provided in each of its schools; The number of students enrolled in kindergarten and first through third grades who have READ plans, as well as the number of students who have achieved reading competency; and The local education provider's budget and narrative explanation for the use of the "Colorado READ Act" intervention money.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Capital Development Committee. Current statute requires the Colorado commission on higher education (commission) to request annually from the governing board of each state institution of higher education (institution) a 2-year projection (projection) of capital construction projects to be undertaken by an institution that is estimated to require total project expenditures exceeding $2 million if the capital construction project is for new acquisitions of real property or new construction and funded solely from cash funds held by the institution or the project is funded through the higher education revenue bond intercept program, or exceeding $10 million if the project is not for new acquisitions of real property or new construction and is funded solely from cash funds held by the institution. The bill adjusts the law to current practice and instead requires the projection to be reviewed at the commission's next available meeting and repeals the requirement that an institution amend the projection prior to commencing a project if the project is not in the institution's most recent projection. The bill repeals the requirement that the commission annually prepare a unified, 2-year report for capital construction or capital renewal projects acquired or constructed and operated and maintained solely from cash funds held by the institution that are not for new acquisitions of real property or new construction and are estimated to require total project expenditures exceeding $10 million. The bill repeals the requirement that the commission annually prepare a unified, 2-year report for capital construction projects for new acquisitions of real property or for new construction, estimated to require total project expenditures exceeding $2 million. Current law requires the capital development committee (CDC) to review the projections at a hearing but does not specify what to do when the legislature is not in session. The bill clarifies deadlines for when such hearings must be held. The bill also requires each state institution of higher education, for informational purposes only, to annually present its current projections at the capital development committee's December hearings. Current law requires the CDC to have a hearing regarding projections whenever a projection is amended. The bill repeals this requirement. Current law specifies that the CDC is required to review and approve guidelines prepared by the office of the state architect regarding the classification of facilities as academic facilities or auxiliary facilities. The bill repeals this requirement. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill specifies that housing authorities are exempt from tap fees and development impact fees imposed by a water conservancy district. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The act modifies the authority and duties of the county treasurer (treasurer) of each county. Treasurer's fees: The treasurer is required to charge and receive fees on all money received for town and city taxes. Current law also specifies that the fee for the collection of specific ownership taxes shall not be charged by the treasurer, as the fee is charged when the specific ownership tax is collected by the authorized agent. Section 1 of the act clarifies that the requirement to charge fees does not apply to the collection of specific ownership taxes. In addition, section 1 makes the fees that the treasurer is required to charge for research consistent with the fees charged pursuant to the "Colorado Open Records Act", and sections 1 and 14 make the fee charged for issuing an authentication of paid ad valorem taxes and a transportable manufactured home permit discretionary. Deputy treasurer: Current law authorizes a treasurer to appoint a deputy treasurer as necessary. Section 2 authorizes a treasurer to appoint a chief deputy and specifies that the chief deputy treasurer performs the duties of the treasurer if the treasurer is unable to perform such duties or if there is a vacancy in the treasurer's office. Receipts: Each treasurer is required to issue a receipt upon payment of any money to him or her. Sections 3 and 11 specify that if a person who has paid taxes wants a receipt for payment of taxes, the person shall request a receipt and the treasurer is required to issue such receipt upon request. Keeping a cash book: Current law requires each treasurer to keep a cash book with a record of every financial transaction in which the treasurer is involved. Section 4 repeals this requirement, as it is redundant to another statutory provision that requires each treasurer to keep a just and true account of the receipt and expenditure of all money that comes in or goes out of the treasurer's office. Definition of treasurer: For county purposes, "treasurer" is defined as the elected treasurer of a county or his or her appointed successor. However, the Weld county treasurer is appointed pursuant to the county's charter rather than elected. Section 5 modifies the definition of treasurer to include the treasurer or equivalent officer, as provided in the county's charter, for any home rule county. Conveyance of property: Current law specifies when the grantee or grantor of a conveyance of property will pay the taxes levied on the property if the conveyance does not include an express agreement regarding which party will pay the taxes due. Section 6 clarifies that this provision applies only when the property conveyed is not personal property, which is addressed in another provision of law. In addition, section 9 repeals obsolete language that required the treasurer to waive personal property tax obligations resulting from any conveyance, relocation, or change in tax status of the property that were not in the process of collection as of a certain date. Notice of property tax exemption: By specified dates each year, each county assessor and treasurer is required to mail certain mailings or notices to each residential real property address in the county. Section 7 specifies that if the county assessor or treasurer has reasonable certainty that such a notice will not be delivered to a residential real property address by the United States postal service, the county assessor and treasurer are not required to send the notice to that address. Declarations: Current law allows the treasurer to assess and tax any taxable property located in the treasurer's county if the property was omitted from the county assessor's tax list and warrant. Current law also requires public utilities in the state and the operators or owners of oil and gas leaseholds in the state to file with the property tax administrator or the county assessor, respectively, certain statements regarding their property. The statements are confidential and are currently not available to the treasurers. The treasurer, however, may need access to these statements if property owned by the public utility or the oil and gas leaseholds are omitted from the tax list and warrant. Sections 8 and 10 specify that such statements filed with the property tax administrator and the county assessor are available to the treasurer. Notice of school district mill levy: Current law requires each person whose name appears on the tax list and warrant to be informed in writing of specified information regarding the school district general fund mill levy. Section 12 modifies this provision to require the school district mill levy information be included on every tax notice. Estimated payment of tax: Current statute does not authorize a treasurer to accept an early payment of tax. Section 13 allows a treasurer to accept an estimated prepayment of property taxes due for the current tax year prior to the treasurer's receipt of the tax warrant. Section 13 also gives the treasurer broad authority to establish the conditions and terms under which estimated prepayments will be accepted. Tax liens on mobile homes: Current law specifies that a mobile home that is sold may be redeemed by the owner if certain criteria are satisfied. Section 15 modifies this provision to also allow the mobile home to be redeemed if it is stricken off to the county. When a mobile home has been purchased by the county at a tax sale and the assessor has determined that the actual value of the mobile home is less than $1,000, current law requires the treasurer to declare the mobile home condemned and to dispose of the mobile home at the end of the redemption period. Section 15 authorizes, rather than requires, the treasurer to condemn and dispose of the mobile home at the end of the redemption period. Personal property tax moving from county: Pursuant to current law, if the treasurer has reason to believe that personal property will be removed from the state, the treasurer may proceed with collections. Current law also states that if the county assessor reports that the property is moving out of the county, the treasurer is required to proceed with the collections process. Section 16 makes the 2 provisions consistent by referencing property moving out of the county in both instances and by allowing the treasurer to determine whether to proceed with collections in both instances. Abatement of taxes: Current law specifies that for abatements or refunds of taxes made pursuant to a petition for abatement or refund, interest accrues from the date a complete abatement petition is filed. Section 17 requires that beginning January 1, 2020, interest accrues from the date an abatement petition is filed or the date payment of taxes was received by the treasurer, whichever is later. Certification of taxes due: Upon request, a treasurer is required to certify the amount of taxes due as shown in the records of the treasurer's office or the records of the department of revenue. Current law specifies that a certificate signed by the treasurer showing payment of all taxes due is conclusive evidence that the taxes have been paid, without distinguishing between taxes owed to the treasurer and taxes owed to the department of revenue. Section 18 specifies that a certificate signed by the treasurer is conclusive evidence that only the taxes owed to the county have been paid. County held liens: Current law requires the treasurer, at least annually, to prepare and present to the board of county commissioners a list of all tax liens on all real property struck off to the county and all certificates of sale relating to the property if the certificates have been held by the county for 30 years or more without obtaining a deed or being otherwise disposed of. Section 19 changes this requirement to apply to certificates held by the county for 3 years to allow the board of county commissioners to take certain actions regarding the property at an earlier date. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act permits an organization recognized and authorized by the United States veterans administration and the national personnel records center to determine whether any unclaimed cremated remains are of United States military veterans or qualified family members who are eligible for interment in a national cemetery or state veterans' cemetery. If such unclaimed cremated remains are identified, the facility in possession of the remains is required to transfer the remains to a national cemetery or state veterans' cemetery. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)