Western state Colorado university - name change. The act simplifies the name of Western state Colorado university to Western Colorado university.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Under existing law, a county department of human or social services and a local law enforcement agency are authorized to conduct certain fingerprint-based criminal history record checks related to emergency child welfare placements and receive records related to those record checks. The bill includes a department or division of human or social services of an Indian tribe in the definition of county department and includes a law enforcement agency of an Indian tribe in the definition of local law enforcement agency for the purpose of conducting, and receiving records related to, fingerprint-based criminal history record checks related to emergency child welfare placements. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) Read More
Colorado food systems advisory council - relocation to Colorado state university - repeal of interagency farm-to-school coordination task force - duties - appropriation. The act relocates the Colorado food systems advisory council (council) from the department of agriculture to Colorado state university and repeals the interagency farm-to-school coordination task force. The act ends the terms of current members of the council and provides for the appointment of new members. As updated in the act, the council's duties are to: Grow local, regional, and statewide food economies within which producers have access to new markets and low-income populations have access to fresh, affordable, and healthy foods. The council will collaborate and coordinate with producers, relevant state and federal educational institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and consumers to connect state and federal agencies and to provide Colorado producers, including fruit and vegetable producers, with viable market opportunities. Support the implementation of the recommendations in the Colorado blueprint of food and agriculture project, ensure that the blueprint, or its successor project, is updated as needed, and ensure alignment with other state or local food plans if relevant; Conduct research regarding national best practices regarding food and nutrition assistance, direct and intermediated market development, institutional procurement, and farm-to-school programs as well as other priorities determined by the council; Collaborate with, serve as a resource to, and receive input from local and regional food policy councils in the state; and Explore methods of collecting and assessing statewide data relating to council activities and report the relevant information and data regarding council activities as required by current law. $100,317 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of higher education to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Sexual misconduct - policies - training - reports - biennial summits - advisory committee. The act requires each institution of higher education (institution) to adopt, periodically review, and update a policy on sexual misconduct (policy). The act establishes minimum requirements for the policies, including reporting options, procedures for investigations and adjudications, and protections for involved persons. Institutions shall promote the policy by posting information on their websites and annually distributing the policy and information. Institutions are required to provide training on awareness and prevention of sexual misconduct, the policy, and resources available to discuss such misconduct. The act requires institutions to report to the department of higher education (department) on their policies and training, and the department shall post the reports on its website and report to the general assembly during its SMART Act hearing. The department shall host biennial summits on sexual misconduct on institution campuses to facilitate communication, share information, and hear from experts. The act identifies the membership of the planning committee for the summits. The planning committees shall report to specified committees of the general assembly on the summits. The act creates a sexual misconduct advisory committee to make recommendations to the general assembly and institutions on sexual misconduct policies at institutions following the promulgation of new federal rules by the federal department of education and annually thereafter. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Forest restoration and wildfire risk mitigation grant program cash fund - appropriations. The act permits the forest restoration and wildfire risk mitigation grant program cash fund (fund) to accept as a component of the fund money appropriated or transferred to the fund by the general assembly. The act also expresses the intent of the general assembly that any additional amount of money appropriated for the 2019-20 state fiscal year to the fund be expended on grants that will support the maximum number of effective forest management fuels reduction projects to reduce the impacts to life, property, and critical infrastructure caused by wildfire. The act exempts appropriations made to the fund from existing statutory requirements relating to appropriations for financial assistance to students attending postsecondary education institutions. For the 2019-20 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $1 million from the general fund to be deposited into the fund for the use of the forest restoration and wildfire risk mitigation grant program. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
School leadership pilot program - appropriation. The act creates the school leadership pilot program (program) to provide professional development for public elementary, middle, and high school principals. During the 2019-20 budget year, the department of education (department) is directed to design and implement the program or contract with a nonprofit entity or institution of higher education (contracted entity) to design and implement the program. The program must include identification of high-quality school principals who will interact with the school principals selected to receive professional development through the program. The program must also include professional development in distributive and collaborative leadership skills with the goal of improving educator retention, school climate and culture, and student outcomes. School principals may apply to receive professional development through the program during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 budget years. The department or the contracted entity must review the applications and select the participants. Subject to available appropriations, the department must provide grants to the employers of the school principals who participate in the program either as high-quality school principals or to receive professional development. By March 15, 2020, the department must report to the education committees of the general assembly concerning the design of the program. By January 15, 2022, the department must report to the education committees concerning implementation of the program, including recommendations for whether the program should be continued. The program is repealed, effective July 1, 2022. For the 2019-20 fiscal year, the act appropriates $272,929 from the general fund to the department to implement the program. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Industrial hemp - regulation of industrial hemp products - increased wholesale food manufacturer fee - stakeholder process - local regulation. Section 1 of the act sets the annual registration fee that a wholesale food manufacturer that produces an industrial hemp product is required to pay to the department of public health and environment at $300, regardless of the manufacturer's gross annual sales. Section 1 also authorizes the department to convene a stakeholder work group to study the regulation of industrial hemp products. Sections 2 and 3 authorize local governments to charge a local licensing fee and adopt ordinances or resolutions regulating businesses engaged in the storage, extraction, processing, or manufacturing of industrial hemp or industrial hemp products if the ordinances or resolutions do not conflict with state law. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Educator loan forgiveness program - appropriation. The act makes changes to the teacher loan forgiveness program, renaming it the educator loan forgiveness program (program) and revising the eligibility criteria for the program. The program: Repays up to $5,000 of qualified educational loans for up to 5 years for teachers and other educators employed in qualified positions under the program; and Targets teachers and other educators employed in hard-to-fill positions due to geography or content area. The department of education (department) is required to annually identify the content shortage areas that qualify for the program. Subject to available appropriations, the Colorado commission on higher education (commission) shall approve up to 100 new participants in the program each year, and the act specifies the criteria the commission shall use to prioritize applicants, if necessary. The program includes the educator loan forgiveness fund, and the commission shall adopt policies that ensure that loan repayment is made only on qualified loans for educators in qualified positions. The commission shall prepare an annual report for the general assembly that includes information concerning the content shortage areas identified by the department and information concerning the program participants. The act extends the repeal date of the program to 2033. For the 2019-20 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $623,969 to the department of higher education for use by the Colorado commission on higher education. Of that amount, $123,969 is for administrative expenses, requiring 1.4 FTE, and $500,000 is for student loan repayments. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Full-day kindergarten - funding - appropriation. Before passage of the act, the school finance formula provided funding for half-day kindergarten educational programs plus a small additional amount of supplemental kindergarten funding. The act provides funding through the school finance formula for full-day kindergarten educational programs. A student enrolled in a full-day kindergarten educational program will be funded at the same amount as students enrolled full-time in other grades. A student enrolled in a half-day kindergarten educational program will be funded as a half-day student plus the existing amount of supplemental kindergarten funding. Before passage of the act, many school districts charged parents of students enrolled in full-day kindergarten a fee to fund the full-day kindergarten educational program. After passage of the act, a school district or a charter school that provides a full-day kindergarten educational program shall not charge fees for attending kindergarten other than those fees that are routinely charged to parents of students enrolled in other grades and are applicable to the kindergarten educational program. However, if the general assembly stops funding kindergarten students as full-time pupils, then a school district or charter school may resume charging a fee or tuition for the unfunded portion of the school day. Before passage of the act, a school district was authorized to use a half-day preschool position to enroll a child in full-day kindergarten. The act prohibits using a preschool position to enroll a child in full-day kindergarten. A school district that used preschool positions in this manner in the 2018-19 budget year will retain the positions in the 2019-20 budget year and budget years thereafter to the extent the school district fills the positions with preschool students. The act directs a school district that is not offering a full-day kindergarten educational program as of the 2019-20 school year to submit a plan to the department of education addressing how it could phase in a full-day kindergarten educational program, but a school district is not required to offer a full-day kindergarten educational program. If a charter school seeks to expand an existing half-day kindergarten educational program to full day, it must notify the charter authorizer and amend the charter contract, if necessary. If the authorizer objects to the program expansion, the charter school and the authorizer must negotiate a change to the charter contract. If the parties cannot agree, the charter school may appeal the issue to the state board of education for a determination. Any renegotiation of the charter school's contract must be limited to the issue of expanding the kindergarten educational program. For the 2019-20 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $182,911,699 to the department of education for the state share of total program funding associated with full-day kindergarten programs. The act also appropriates $25,094 to the department of human services for child care licensing and administration. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Employees - sharing gratuities - notice requirements. The act repeals a provision that requires employers with employees who share gratuities to post a specific sign in a conspicuous place and substitutes a requirement to notify each patron in writing, such as on the menu, table, or receipt.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
