Nationally certified school professionals - annual stipends. The act adds nationally certified school psychologists as school professionals eligible for annual stipends awarded by the department of education (department) if the school psychologist meets the requirements set forth in the act. The act clarifies that school counselors, who hold a certification from the national board for certified counselors or from the national board for professional teaching standards, are school professionals who have been eligible for annual stipends awarded by the department since the initial award was distributed during the 2009-10 school year. The act corrects the name of the national board for professional teaching standards by removing the word "principal" from the title. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Sponsored bills
Commercial driver's licenses - interstate commerce - 18 to 21 years of age. The act authorizes the department of revenue to adopt rules authorizing a person who is at least 18 years of age but under 21 years of age to be licensed to drive a commercial vehicle in interstate commerce if the person holds a commercial driver's license and operation of a commercial vehicle in interstate commerce by a person in that age range is permitted under federal law.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
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Sunset Process - House Agriculture, Livestock, and Natural Resources Committee. The bill implements the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies in its sunset review and report on the Colorado food systems advisory council by extending the council indefinitely.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill creates the crisis and suicide prevention training grant program (grant program) in the department of public health and environment (department). The purpose of the grant program is to provide financial assistance to schools in providing crisis and suicide prevention training to schools, with priority given to those schools that have previously not received such training. The grant program may authorize up to $400,000 in grants per year in varying amounts. The office of suicide prevention and the school safety resource center shall work collaboratively with the department to develop guidelines and criteria for the grant program. Grant recipients are required to report on their activities using grant money. The crisis and suicide prevention training grant program fund is created and authorized to accept appropriations from the general assembly, as well as gifts, grants, and donations. The bill makes conforming amendments that authorize the existing office of suicide prevention in statute. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Section 1 of the bill includes the unprocessed seeds of industrial hemp in the definition of 'commodity' within the 'Commodity Handler Act', thus subjecting a person who acts as a commodity handler with respect to the unprocessed seeds of industrial hemp to the licensing requirements set forth in the 'Commodity Handler Act'. Section 2 includes industrial hemp in the definition of 'farm products' within the 'Farm Products Act', thus subjecting a person who acts as a farm products dealer, small-volume dealer, or agent to the licensing requirements set forth in the 'Farm Products Act'. Section 3 reiterates these licensing requirements within the act governing industrial hemp cultivation in Colorado. Section 4 authorizes the commissioner to set a fee schedule for industrial hemp cultivation registration.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
If there are fewer than 3 bidders on a design bid build highway project, a provision of current law generally prohibits the department of transportation (CDOT) from awarding a contract in an amount that is more than 10% over CDOT's estimate on the project, but allows the executive director of CDOT (executive director) to award a contract that is more than 10% but less than 25% over the estimate if the estimate is less than $1,000,000. The bill authorizes a designee of the executive director to award such a contract. Another provision of current law, which is scheduled to repeal on July 1, 2018, authorizes the executive director to award a contract for a design bid build highway project to the low responsible bidder regardless of CDOT's estimate on the project if the executive director determines that it is in the best financial, economic, or other interest of the state to do so and requires CDOT, in its annual report to its legislative oversight committees, to explain the reasons for making the award and estimate the amount of cost savings achieved by making any such award. The bill prevents the authorization and reporting requirements from being repealed. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill permits a student in an educator preparation program who is seeking field experiences in a school (student) to submit his or her fingerprints to the Colorado bureau of investigation (bureau) for the purpose of performing a fingerprint-based criminal history record check for the student. Upon completion of the fingerprint-based criminal history record check, the bureau must forward the results to the department of education (department). If the fingerprint-based criminal history record check of a student performed pursuant to this section reveals a record of arrest without a disposition, the department is required to perform a name-based criminal history record check of that student. The department must provide the results of the background checks to the educator preparation program in which the student is enrolled and make the results available to schools and school districts. When the department receives an update from the bureau, the department must provide that update to each education preparation program, school district, and charter school in which the student has been placed for field experiences. The department may charge a fee to cover the actual costs of administering a student's criminal history record check. School districts or charter schools that require a criminal history record check for students are required to accept the results of a criminal history record check performed by the bureau or department. If the student has continuously resided in Colorado, the fingerprints may be used by the student to satisfy the existing fingerprint submission requirements for teacher licensure. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Current law allows the department of higher education to provide up to 20 financial stipends annually, not to exceed $6,000 each, to teachers in rural schools or school districts (rural schools) who are seeking certification as a national board certified teacher, seeking certification as a concurrent enrollment teacher, or furthering their professional development plan through continuing education, and who commit to employment in a rural school for a minimum of 3 years. The bill increases the number of available stipends to 60 and expands it to include teachers completing an approved alternative licensure program leading to initial licensure and full-time employment in a rural school or school district that serves rural schools and individuals completing the required course work leading to certification and employment in a rural school or a rural school district that serves rural schools. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Under current law, 48% of the purchase price of a manufactured home constructed in compliance with the federal 'National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974' (federal act) is exempt from state sales and use tax. The subsequent sale of the manufactured home is entirely exempt from state sales and use tax. These existing exemptions apply to any local government that imposes a sales and use tax based on the state tax. The bill entirely exempts manufactured homes constructed in compliance with the federal act from the state sales and use tax. The exemption automatically applies to a special district or other limited purpose authority that has the same tax base as the state, but does not apply to a statutory municipality or county unless it creates a local exemption based on the state exemption. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More