The act formalizes and establishes details concerning the process for an incarcerated individual (applicant) to apply for a commutation of sentence. The process includes the creation of a new position of an executive clemency representative. The executive clemency representative is responsible for coordinating all aspects of the applicant's application, including gathering information from the district attorney who prosecuted the applicant's case. The district attorney is responsible for notifying the victim and victim's family of the application. A list of factors is set forth that executive clemency board may consider when evaluating the applicant's application. The governor retains the ultimate decision-making authority whether to commute a sentence. The act appropriates $28,221 to the office of the governor from the general fund to implement the act. VETOED by Governor May 16, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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The act continues the defense counsel on first appearance grant program until September 1, 2028, subject to sunset review by the department of regulatory agencies. For the 2023-24 fiscal year, the act appropriates $1,666,652 from the general fund to the department of local affairs for use by the division of local government. APPROVED by Governor May 12, 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.)
The bill specifies that a city may authorize the operation of an overdose prevention center within the city's jurisdiction for the purpose of saving the lives of persons at risk of preventable overdoses. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The act makes it a deceptive trade practice for a person to make or disseminate to the public any advertisement that indicates that the person provides abortions, emergency contraceptives, or referrals for abortions or emergency contraceptives when the person knows or reasonably should have known that the person does not provide those specific services. A health-care provider engages in unprofessional conduct or is subject to discipline in this state if the health-care provider provides, prescribes, administers, or attempts medication abortion reversal in this state, unless the Colorado medical board, the state board of pharmacy, and the state board of nursing, in consultation with each other, each have in effect rules finding that it is a generally accepted standard of practice to engage in medication abortion reversal. The specified boards shall promulgate applicable rules no later than October 1, 2023, in consultation with each other, concerning whether engaging in medication abortion reversal is a generally accepted standard of practice. APPROVED by Governor April 14, 2023 EFFECTIVE April 14, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The bill defines the term "assault weapon" and prohibits a person from manufacturing, importing, purchasing, selling, offering to sell, or transferring ownership of an assault weapon. The bill further prohibits a person from possessing a rapid-fire trigger activator. A violation is a class 2 misdemeanor. The prohibition does not apply to: A member of the United States armed forces, a peace officer, or other government officer or agent, to the extent that such person is otherwise authorized to acquire or possess an assault weapon and does so while acting within the scope of the person's duties; The manufacture, sale, or transfer of an assault weapon by a licensed firearms manufacturer to any branch of the United States armed forces or to an entity that employs peace officers for use by that agency or its employees; The sale or transfer of an assault weapon to a licensed firearms dealer or gunsmith for the purposes of maintenance, repair, or modification, and the subsequent return of the assault weapon to the lawful owner; Any federal, state, or local historical society, museum, or institutional collection that is open to the public, provided that the assault weapon is securely housed and unloaded; A forensic laboratory, or any authorized agent or employee of the laboratory, for use exclusively in the course and scope of authorized activities; An entity that operates an armored vehicle business and an authorized employee of such entity while in the course and scope of employment; A licensed gun dealer who has remaining inventory of assault weapons as of July 1, 2023, and sells or transfers the remaining inventory only to a non-Colorado resident and the sale or transfer takes place out-of-state; or A peace officer. The bill provides civil penalties for individuals and for gun show vendors and licensed firearms dealers who violate the law. The bill creates the crime of possessing, manufacturing, importing, purchasing, selling, offering to sell, or transferring ownership of a rapid-fire trigger activator. A violation is a class 2 misdemeanor. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)