The act directs the department of health care policy and financing (department) to develop a spending plan (spending plan) for using enhanced, one-time federal matching money received pursuant to the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" (federal act) to enhance, expand, and strengthen medicaid-eligible home- and community-based services for older adults and people with disabilities.The department shall develop a proposed spending plan considering feedback from providers, medical assistance recipients, and advocates consistent with federal guidance on allowable uses of the federal act funding. Money from the federal act may be used for home- and community-based services, as defined in the federal act, including home health-care services, personal care services, PACE services, waiver services, case management services, and rehabilitative services. The act specifies possible components of the spending plan. The department shall submit the proposed spending plan to the joint budget committee of the general assembly for approval. The joint budget committee may reject or approve the spending plan and may make recommendations for modifications to the spending plan. If the spending plan is rejected, the department shall submit a new spending plan as soon as possible. The department shall not implement the spending plan unless the spending plan is approved by the joint budget committee.The act authorizes the department to make expenditures identified in the spending plan approved by the joint budget committee; except that the spending authority expires if a supplemental appropriation bill is enacted. During the next legislative session, the joint budget committee shall introduce a supplemental appropriation bill for the amount of the expenditures authorized. For fiscal years commencing on and after July 1, 2021, the general assembly may also appropriate money for purposes authorized under the federal act. The act repeals the statutory provisions effective July 1, 2025. Commencing November 1, 2021, and quarterly thereafter, the act requires the department to submit expenditure reports with additional information specified in the act concerning the use of the money received pursuant to the federal act.The act transfers $260,730,099 from the general fund to the home- and community-based services improvement fund, created in the act, and $19,830,918 from the ARPA home- and community-based services account, created in the act, in the healthcare affordability and sustainability fee cash fund to implement the spending plan.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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The act creates the legislative interim committee on school finance (interim committee). The interim committee will meet during the 2021 and 2022 legislative interims and during the 2022 and 2023 legislative sessions to approve legislation. The committee consists of 4 senators and 4 representatives with equal representation from each party. The act specifies the issues the interim committee must consider. The interim committee may introduce up to a total of 5 bills, joint resolutions, and concurrent resolutions in each of the 2022 and 2023 legislative sessions. The interim committee will contract with a qualified third-party vendor to study approaches to better measure student economic disadvantage in Colorado in addition to or in lieu of using eligibility for the federal school lunch program as a proxy for at-risk students.The act appropriates $100,153 from the general fund to the legislative department to implement the act.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Beginning with the 2021-22 state fiscal year, the act directs the Colorado opportunity scholarship initiative (COSI) advisory board to allocate to public institutions of higher education (institution) an amount appropriated to the COSI fund from money received pursuant to the federal "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" (ARPA). To receive a distribution of its allocation, an institution must submit a student assistance plan (plan) explaining how the institution will use the money to provide financial assistance and support services to students who have some postsecondary credits but stopped attending before obtaining a credential, and first-time students who were admitted to an institution for the 2019-20 or 2020-21 academic year but did not enroll for the 2020-21 academic year. The provision of financial assistance and support services is designed to decrease student debt and increase student enrollment, retention, and completion of credentials. The COSI advisory board must review each plan based on specified criteria and may require changes to a plan before approving a distribution. At the end of the fiscal year, each institution must submit a report of how it used the money and the results achieved. The COSI director must include the information in the report that the board annually prepares for the joint budget committee and the education committees of the general assembly. The program to distribute the federal money in this manner is repealed July 1, 2026.The act creates the student aid applications completion grant program (grant program) in COSI. A school district, a charter school, or a board of cooperative services that operates a high school (local education provider) that chooses to apply for a grant must require the students enrolled by the local education provider to complete the free application for federal student aid and the Colorado application for state financial aid (student aid applications) before high school graduation, unless waived under conditions specified by the local education provider. The act specifies the contents of the application and requires the COSI board to review the applications and approve the grant awards to be paid from an amount appropriated to the COSI fund in the act. Each grant recipient must submit an annual report concerning use of the grant money, and the COSI board must include a summary report in the annual report that the COSI board submits to the education committees of the general assembly. The grant program is repealed July 1, 2026.The act creates the Colorado re-engaged (CORE) initiative within the department of higher education (department) to award an associate degree to an eligible student who enrolls in a baccalaureate degree program at a 4-year institution and earns at least 70 credit hours, but stops attending before attaining the degree. The act specifies the role of the department in implementing the CORE initiative and the role of an institution that chooses to participate in the CORE initiative. Each institution that chooses to participate in the CORE initiative must annually submit to the department a report concerning implementation of the CORE initiative. The department must review and compile the reports and submit a summary report to the education committees of the general assembly.The act repeals the requirement that a community college or a local district college must receive approval from the Colorado commission on higher education (commission) to offer a bachelor of applied science degree program. A community college or a local district college that seeks to offer a bachelor of applied science degree program must apply to its governing board, and the governing board may approve the program based on specified criteria. If a governing board approves a bachelor of applied science degree program, the governing board must notify the commission. The act repeals the criteria the commission must apply in approving a bachelor's degree program for a local district college.The act directs the commission to convene a task force to:Review the role and mission and service area of each state institution of higher education, local district college, and area technical college; Review the interaction between the institutions, the local district colleges, the area technical colleges, and the state work force development council in supporting and improving workforce development; and Review and make recommendations concerning uses of ARPA money for assistance for populations disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency that address or mitigate the impacts of the public health emergency on educational disparities. The act describes the membership of the task force and the issues the task force must address. By December 15, 2021, the task force must submit a report of findings and recommendations to the commission and to the education committees of the general assembly. The department must post the report on the department's website.The act creates within the department a working group appointed by the governor to recommend strategies for increasing the student completion rate for the student aid applications. The working group must submit its recommendations to the commission, the state board of education, the joint budget committee, and the education committees of the general assembly by January 15, 2022.The act allows the governing board of an institution to classify a qualified person as an in-state student, for tuition purposes only, if the qualified person moves to the state to accept employment, the employer is paying the qualified person's tuition, and the qualified person demonstrates the intent to establish permanent domicile in the state. The qualified person is not eligible to receive the state stipend for the first year of enrollment.For the 2021-22 fiscal year the following amounts are appropriated from money the state received from the federal coronavirus state fiscal recovery fund:$49,000,000 to COSI for distribution to institutions to implement their student assistance plans; $1,500,000 to COSI for the student aid applications completion grant program; and $1,000,000 to the department to implement the CORE initiative and the associate degree completion program.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates 3 different programs in the department of local affairs (DOLA) for the purpose of offering grant money and other forms of state assistance to local governments to promote innovative solutions to the development of affordable housing across the state.Local government affordable housing development incentives grant program (housing development incentives grant program). This program will provide grants to local governments that adopt not less than 3 policy and regulatory tools from among a menu of options that create incentives to promote the development of affordable housing. A local government that adopts such tools is eligible for a grant from the housing development incentives grant program as an incentive to develop one or more affordable housing developments in their community that are liveable, vibrant, and driven by community benefits. The division of local government (DLG) within DOLA administers the housing development incentives grant program.The act enumerates items included in the menu of policy and regulatory tools.Local government planning grant program. This program will provide grants to local governments that lack one or more of the policy and regulatory tools that provide incentives to promote the development of affordable housing that forms the basis for a grant under the housing development incentives grant program and that could benefit from additional funding to be able to create and make use of these policy and regulatory tools. Money under the planning grant program will be available to a local government to enable the government to retain a consultant or a related professional service to assess the housing needs of its community or to make changes to its policies, programs, development review processes, land use codes, and related rules to become an eligible recipient of a grant under the housing development incentives grant program. The planning grant program will be administered by the DLG. As part of its administration of the planning grant program, the DLG will provide assistance to local governments on best land use practices and tools and is required to update and publish model county and municipal land use codes for the benefit of local governments across the state.The affordable housing guided toolkit and local officials guide program (housing toolkit program). This program creates the housing toolkit program within the division of housing (DOH) within DOLA. The purpose of the housing toolkit program is to award funding to qualified counties, and municipalities, and federally recognized tribes within the state selected in a competitive process who commit to the adoption of best land use practices with demonstrated success in the development of affordable housing. Under the housing toolkit program, technical assistance will be provided by consultants and related professionals to local governments who demonstrate an understanding of the housing needs of their communities, take steps to engage their entire communities in this process, make changes to their land use codes and related processes that provide incentives and reduce barriers to the development of affordable housing, obtain and support viable sites in their communities for the development of affordable housing, and attract developers committed to making such investments in their communities. The DOH is to administer the housing toolkit program.In evaluating applications for grants from the housing development incentives grant program, the act requires the DLG to prioritize proposals submitted by local governments based on factors specified in the act.On or before September 1, 2021, the act requires the executive director of DOLA or the executive director's designee to adopt policies, procedures, and guidelines for the 3 different state assistance programs that include, without limitation:Procedures and timelines by which an eligible recipient may apply for a grant; Criteria for determining the amount of grant awards; Performance criteria for grant recipients' projects; and Reporting requirements for grant recipients. On the effective date of the act, or as soon as practicable thereafter, the state treasurer is required to transfer $30,000,000 from the affordable housing and home ownership cash fund to the Colorado heritage communities fund and $9,300,000 from the general fund to the Colorado heritage communities fund. DLG must use this money transferred for the creation, implementation, and administration of the housing development incentives grant programs.On the effective date of the act, or as soon as practicable thereafter, the state treasurer is required to transfer $5,000,000 from the affordable housing and home ownership cash fund to the Colorado heritage communities fund and $2,100,000 from the general fund to the Colorado heritage communities fund. DLG must use this money transferred for the creation, implementation, and administration of the planning grant program.On the effective date of the act, or as soon as practicable thereafter, the state treasurer is required to transfer $1,600,000 from the general fund to the housing development grant fund for the creation, implementation, and administration by the DOH of the housing toolkit program.All costs incurred in administering any of the 3 programs created under the act must be paid out of the money transferred under the act. All money transferred under the act for the 3 state programs must be expended over the subsequent 3 state fiscal years.On or before November 1 of each year, the executive director of DOLA or the director's designee is required to publish a report summarizing the use of all assistance that was awarded from the 3 different programs created under the act in the preceding fiscal year. The act specifies additional required contents of the reports. The reports must be shared with the general assembly and posted on DOLA's website.The act updates and repeals obsolete statutory provisions concerning the office of smart growth (OSG) within DOLA and the Colorado heritage communities fund.The act authorizes the OSG, as money becomes available, to provide grants or other forms of assistance to counties and municipalities to address critical planning issues and specifies examples of the forms of assistance that may be provided by the office. The OSG is required to create guidelines to specify the activities on the part of local governments that will qualify for grant funding or other forms of assistance provided under the act. The OSG is permitted to use available money to administer the Colorado heritage grant program.The act appropriates $39,300,000 to DOLA from the Colorado heritage communities fund for the affordable housing development incentives grant program.The act appropriates $7,100,000 to DOLA from the Colorado heritage communities fund for the local government planning grant program.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act defines "backcountry search and rescue" as the utilization, training, and support of responders, with their specialized equipment, to locate, provide assistance to, and remove to safety individuals who are lost, injured, stranded, or entrapped, generally in remote areas of the state. The division of parks and wildlife (division) within the department of natural resources must conduct a study and develop recommendations on the issues related to backcountry search and rescue, including how to develop a sustainable structure for coordination among the local, state, federal, and nonprofit organizations involved in backcountry search and rescue, the adequacy of resources and benefits available to volunteers who provide backcountry search and rescue services, the funding needs for equipment and reimbursement, and the needs for volunteer training and public education. The division must also conduct outreach and training related to the physical and psychological support needs of backcountry search and rescue volunteers, which may include working with consultants, providing programs, or creating a grant program for local governments or nonprofit organizations providing backcountry search and rescue. The act makes conforming amendments related to the definition of "backcountry search and rescue".(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act expands the peace officers mental health support grant program (grant program) to include law enforcement agencies, behavioral health entities, county or district public health agencies, community-based social service and behavioral health providers, peace officer organizations, and public safety agencies as eligible entities. The act renames the grant program the peace officers behavioral health support and community partnerships grant program to reflect these changes.The act also expands the purposes for which grant money can be used to include co-responder community responses and community-based alternative responses. Public safety agencies, law enforcement agencies, and peace officer organizations that apply for a grant are encouraged to do so in collaboration with mental health centers and other community-based social service or behavioral health providers in their region. The act specifies which funding opportunities each entity may apply for.The act appropriates $1,000,000 to the department of local affairs for the grant program.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates a regulatory and service system to provide secure transportation services, with different requirements from traditional ambulance services, for individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis. The department of human services shall allow for the development of secure transportation alternatives.The board of county commissioners of the county in which the secure transportation service is based (commissioners) shall issue a license to an entity (licensee), valid for 3 years, that provides secure transportation services if the minimum requirements set by rule by the state board of health are met or exceeded. The commissioners shall also issue operating permits, valid for 12 months following issuance, to each vehicle operated by the licensee. A fee may be charged for each license to reflect the direct and indirect costs to the applicable county in implementing secure transportation services licensure. The state board of health is given authority to promulgate rules concerning secure transportation licensure.The department of health care policy and financing (department) is directed to create and implement a secure transportation benefit on or before January 1, 2023. The department is required to include information on secure transportation services and benefits in its annual "State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act" report.The act exempts secure transportation services from regulation under the public utilities commission.For the 2021-22 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $46,800 to the department of health care policy and financing for use by the executive director's office, of which $39,993 is from the general fund and is $6,807 from the healthcare affordability and sustainability fee cash fund and provides 0.9 FTE.For the 2021-22 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $46,490 from the general fund to the department of public health and environment for use by the health facilities and emergency medical services division and provides 0.6 FTE.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
For each of the 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24 state fiscal years, the act requires the general assembly to appropriate $21,090,149 to the department of public health and environment as follows:$10,000,000 for distributions to local public health agencies; and $11,090,149 for disease control and public health response. The appropriation for the 2021-22 fiscal year is from the economic recovery and relief cash fund, which is comprised of money received by the state pursuant to the federal "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021". The appropriations for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 fiscal years will be from the general fund.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates the cash fund solvency fund from which the state controller may transfer money to another cash fund for which it is anticipated that there will be a cash deficit. Thereafter, the state controller is required to transfer the same amount of money from the cash fund back to the cash fund solvency fund in one or more installments, which may be over multiple fiscal years. The state controller is required to annually report to the joint budget committee and the office of state planning and budgeting about any transfers made.The act also requires the state treasurer to transfer to the marijuana cash fund $1,805,317 from the marijuana tax cash fund and $1,200,000 from the general fund.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act implements recommendations of the 2020 Colorado Fire Commission Annual Report.The act updates 3 mutual aid statutes affecting the responsibilities of requesting and assisting fire control. Under current statutory provisions, all resources from an agency assisting in fire prevention are under the control of the requesting agency and liability is placed with the requesting agency. Under the changes made by the act, the assisting agency, working under the direction of the incident commander, retains operational control of its resources and, therefore, retains liability for the actions of its crews. The act incorporates the term "emergency responder" to categorize the different agencies assisting in fire prevention.The regional and statewide mutual aid system (RSMAS) is a regional and statewide system that provides for the coordinated initial response of emergency responders to emergency incidents. The act establishes the RSMAS to be administered by the division of fire prevention and control (division) in the department of public safety.The director of the division is required to establish, implement, and maintain the RSMAS. Among the duties of the director in administering the RSMAS is implementing the Colorado coordinated regional mutual aid system (CCRMAS). The CCRMAS establishes geographic areas within the state to be known as division of fire prevention and control (DFPC) districts. Each DFPC district has a regional mutual aid coordinator, whose duties include ensuring that a competent mutual aid plan exists in each DFPC district and who serves as the point of contact within the DFPC district and coordinates mutual aid requests for fire and EMS resources. The act specifies the duties of each regional mutual aid coordinator and of the director of the division with respect to administration of the RSMAS and CCRMAS overall.Unless an emergency responder has opted out of the RSMAS and CCRMAS, all emergency responders are part of the RSMAS and CCRMAS. An emergency responder is relieved from any duty to make its equipment and personnel available to the RSMAS and CCRMAS under circumstances specified in the act. An emergency responder that opts out of the RSMAS and CCRMAS is only eligible for reimbursement to the extent authorized in the rules promulgated by the director of the division.The RSMAS and CCRMAS do not affect any other mutual aid agreement that may be entered into by one or more emergency responders.The act mandates consultation between the director of the office of emergency management (OEM) and the director of the division of fire prevention and control with respect to the CCRMAS. The act requires the director of the OEM to ensure that resources in the CCRMAS are included in the all-hazards resource mobilization system. The director of the OEM is also required to coordinate with the state coordination center to ensure sufficient and effective implementation and integration of the state resources mobilization plan and state and local emergency operations plans.At the end of any state fiscal year commencing with the 2022 state fiscal year, the act requires the state treasurer to transfer any money in the aviation resources line of the annual general appropriation act for that same state fiscal year that would otherwise revert to the general fund into the wildfire preparedness fund (WPF). Money transferred by the state treasurer into the WPF must be used for the purpose of traditional mitigation efforts. As long as money transferred into the WPF is being expended for one of the purposes specified in the act, the division may allocate the money to any such purpose as will maximize the impact of such funding as the division may determine in its sole discretion.Not less than once every 3 years commencing January 15, 2025, the division is required to report to the joint budget committee concerning its expenditures from the transfers made into the WPF under the act.The act appropriates $1,108,800 from the general fund to the department of public safety for the 2021-22 state fiscal year for its implementation.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)