Rep. Julie McCluskie

For the 2019-20 state fiscal year, the act transfers: $1,397,624 from the general fund to the capital construction fund; and $21,134,709 from the information technology capital account of the capital construction fund to the general fund. For the 2020-21 state fiscal year, the act transfers: $500,000 from the general fund exempt account of the general fund to the capital construction fund; $2,043,768 from the general fund to the capital construction fund; and $445,000 from the general fund to the information technology capital account of the capital construction fund.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Existing law requires the department of local affairs (department) to award grants to counties pursuant to the community substance use and mental health services grant program (grant program) and requires the general assembly, beginning in fiscal year 2020-21, to appropriate money for the grant program from the estimated savings from House Bill 19-1263, concerning changing the penalty for certain violations pursuant to the "Uniform Controlled Substances Act of 2013". The act makes the department's requirement to issue grants subject to available appropriations, removes the requirement to appropriate money for the grant program, and states the general assembly's intent to fund the grant program with money generated from the estimated savings from House Bill 19-1263. An appropriation to the department for program costs related to field services is decreased by $66,208, and an appropriation to the department for community substance use and mental health services grants is decreased by $1,800,000. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act: Exempts the legislative department cash fund and the redistricting account in the legislative department cash fund from the definition of "cash fund" for purposes of the requirements under the automatic cash fund funding mechanism for payment of future costs attributable to certain of the state's capital assets; Suspends the automatic cash fund funding mechanism for payment of future costs attributable to certain of the state's capital assets for the 2020-21 state fiscal year; Clarifies that any amount of money that may currently be identified in a capital reserve of the legislative department cash fund or in a capital reserve of the redistricting account is also excluded and may be used for the purposes set forth in the statute that created the cash fund; and Makes an appropriation.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The employer and member contribution rates for the public employees' retirement association (PERA) are specified in statute. For the 2020-21 and 2021-22 state fiscal years only, the act decreases the employer contribution rate for employers in the judicial division of PERA by 5% and increases the member contribution rate for employees in the judicial division of PERA by 5%. The contribution rates will be changed as follows: For the 2020-21 state fiscal year, the employer contribution rate is decreased from 13.91% to 8.91% of salary and the member contribution rate is increased from 9.5% to 14.5% of salary. For the 2021-22 state fiscal year, the employer contribution rate is decreased from 13.91% to 8.91% of salary and the member contribution rate is increased from 10% to 15% of salary. The act specifies that the change in contributions does not apply to the employer or member contributions for judges employed by the Denver county court. The act does not impact the employer or member contribution rates for any of the other divisions of PERA. The appropriations made to the judicial department in the annual general appropriation act for the 2020-21 state fiscal year are reduced in accordance with the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Under current law, commencing with the 2020-21 state fiscal year and for 3 total state fiscal years, assuming certain conditions are satisfied, the state is required to transfer $30 million from the unclaimed property trust fund to the housing development grant fund to support the provision of affordable housing statewide. The act delays the starting date for the first transfer by 2 state fiscal years. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The state work force development council (state council), in collaboration with the department of higher education, the department of labor and employment, and the department of human services (state agencies), is required to implement and maintain a free online platform (platform) to provide Coloradans with personalized information to assist them in making career and education planning decisions; except that this requirement is subject to available appropriations or money from other sources. The state council and the state agencies may conduct outreach and training for the individuals who provide career counseling and for the public to promote awareness of the platform. For the purposes of implementing and maintaining the platform, the state council may receive money from other state agencies, the general assembly may appropriate money to the state council, and the state council may solicit, accept, and expend gifts, grants, and donations. The state council may transfer any money appropriated by the general assembly for the purposes of the platform to the department of higher education to implement and maintain the platform, to disseminate information regarding the platform, and to provide training about the platform. The governor's office of information technology (office) is required to ensure that the platform complies with state and federal information technology security and privacy requirements and standards. To ensure such compliance, the office is required to ensure that the contract for the platform includes a requirement that the vendor conduct an external security assessment that complies with the office's requirements and standards and that the assessment and remediation plan be shared with the office. In addition, the state auditor may, in his or her discretion, conduct an audit or assessment of the online platform and of the administration and maintenance of the platform. The authority to implement and maintain the platform is repealed, effective June 30, 2025. Before the repeal, the joint technology committee is required to assess the impact, effectiveness, and compliance with state and federal information technology requirements and standards of the platform and to make a recommendation to the general assembly regarding whether to continue the platform. The act specifies that the department of higher education shall provide certain notice that it is already required by law to provide to certain students and parents of students in Colorado, through the platform. In addition, the act repeals requirements that each board of education and the state charter school institute ensure that students in the sixth grade are registered with a previously used online platform, known as College in Colorado. The act repeals the talent pipeline cash fund and authorizes the general assembly to appropriate money from the general fund to the state council for the purposes of the state council. The act also specifies that state council requirements related to career pathways are subject to available appropriation or money from other sources. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act precludes the department of labor and employment from accepting applications for, awarding, or issuing grants under the "Skilled Worker Outreach, Recruitment, and Key Training Act", also known as the "WORK Act", on or after the effective date of the act. The grant review committee is directed to submit a final report on the WORK Act grant program to the governor and specified legislative committees by August 31, 2021. The state treasurer is directed to transfer any balance in the WORK fund as of September 1, 2020, and September 1, 2021, to the general fund. The program is repealed on September 30, 2021. The act adjusts the 2020 long bill by eliminating the $3.3 million general fund appropriation for the WORK Act grant program. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act suspends for 3 years transfers to the child welfare prevention and intervention services cash fund of unspent general fund appropriations to the child welfare services line item. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The bill creates the early college policy development advisory group (advisory group) to design and recommend policies and changes to law to support the statewide development of and funding for early college programs and p-tech schools. The bill specifies the membership of the advisory group, which is appointed by the governor and must include members of the education leadership council, and the specific duties of the advisory group. In completing its duties, the advisory group must coordinate with the education leadership council. The advisory group must prepare an interim report and a final report of its findings and recommendations, and submit the reports by December 1, 2020, and December 1, 2021, respectively, to the governor, the education leadership council, the state board of education (state board), the Colorado commission on higher education (CCHE), and the education committees of the general assembly. The bill creates a legislative advisory council to provide advice and comment to the advisory group. The bill expands the existing concurrent enrollment expansion and innovation grant program to include grants for specified purposes related to providing opportunities for students to simultaneously enroll in postsecondary courses or engage in work-based learning opportunities while enrolled in high school. The bill extends for 2 additional budget years funding for students who enroll in an early college program that was approved before June 6, 2018, and who enroll in postsecondary courses in the fifth or sixth year of high school. The bill authorizes the distribution of state financial assistance to students who enroll in postsecondary courses while still enrolled in high school. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Early Childhood and School Readiness Legislative Commission. The bill directs the department of human services (department) to design, implement, and operate a statewide program of early childhood mental health consultation (program). The purpose of the program is to support mental health care across the state in a variety of early childhood settings and practices. Specifically, the program must be designed to: Increase the number of qualified and appropriately trained early childhood mental health consultants (mental health consultants) for on-site consultations; and Utilize the mental health consultants, through on-site visits, to support a variety of early childhood settings and practices from the prenatal period through 8 years of age. The program must also include a: Model of consultation for mental health consultants (model) that includes job qualifications and expectations, expected outcomes, and guidance on ratios of mental health consultants and the settings they support. The model must include standards and guidelines for mental health consultants developed from evidence-based programs. Professional development plan for mental health consultants; Certification process for mental health consultants; and A published list of certified mental health consultants. The bill requires the department to actively collect data related to the program and make regular reports on the program to the joint budget committee of the general assembly and as part of its annual "State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act" hearing. The department, in collaboration with the department of health care policy and financing, is directed to explore additional funding options for the program. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)