Rep. Millie Hamner

Joint Budget Committee. For the 2017-18 fiscal year, the bill transfers: $68,840,446 from the general fund to the capital construction fund; $19,855,515 from the general fund to the information technology capital account of the capital construction fund; $500,000 from the general fund exempt account of the general fund to the capital construction fund; $20 million from the general fund to the controlled maintenance trust fund; and $1 million from the preservation grant program account of the state historical fund to the capital construction fund to restore the windows and granite exterior of the state capitol building.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Joint Budget Committee. The bill requires the state treasurer to transfer $26.3 million from the state employee reserve fund to the general fund on July 1, 2017.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Joint Budget Committee. For the current state fiscal year and for the next 3 state fiscal years, the state treasurer is required to transfer money from the general fund to the capital construction fund and the highway users tax fund (Senate Bill 228 transfers). For the current fiscal year, the Senate Bill 228 transfers are fixed amounts and for the remaining years, they are a percentage of the total general fund revenues, that may be reduced or eliminated if the state has to refund excess state revenues in accordance with the taxpayer's bill of rights. The bill reduces the transfer to the highway users tax fund to be made for the current fiscal year on June 30, 2017, from $158 million to $79 million. The future conditional transfers to the highway users tax fund are replaced with the following fixed transfers: $79 million on June 30, 2018; $160 million on June 30, 2019; and $160 million on June 30, 2020. The future conditional transfers to the capital construction fund are replaced with the following fixed transfers: No transfer for the fiscal year 2017-18; $60 million on June 30, 2019; and $60 million on June 30, 2020. The bill also repeals provisions that relate to the conditional transfers. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Joint Budget Committee. For the fiscal year 2016-17, the bill reduces the statutorily required general fund reserve from 6.5% to 6% of the amount appropriated for expenditure from the general fund.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Joint Budget Committee. On June 30, 2018, the state treasurer is required to transfer the following amounts to the general fund: $11.425 million from the severance tax perpetual base fund; $11.425 million from the severance tax operational fund; and $22.85 million from the local government severance tax fund.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

The bill creates a strategic planning legislative steering committee (steering committee) to lead the statewide effort to establish a vision for education in the state (vision) and create a strategic statewide education plan (strategic plan) to achieve the vision. The bill creates an executive advisory board consisting of representatives from the departments of education and higher education, a co-chair of the early childhood leadership commission, and a representative from the governor's office. The chair and vice-chair of the steering committee will appoint a statewide advisory board consisting of representatives of the pertinent education stakeholder groups from around the state. The steering committee must contract with a nonprofit, nonadvocacy organization to act as facilitator for the steering committee and the advisory boards. The bill describes the duties of the steering committee to be completed, with assistance from the advisory boards and the facilitator, in 4 phases. The duties include: Reviewing and synthesizing input already collected by the departments of education and higher education concerning the state education system; Reviewing research to identify the critical elements of the existing state education system and benchmarking the elements as implemented in Colorado against the elements as implemented in high-performing states and countries; Creating a structure and process for soliciting and synthesizing input from around the state to create the vision and the strategic plan; and After creating the vision and the strategic plan, overseeing the ongoing implementation of the strategic plan, including measuring the state's progress toward achieving the vision, periodically reviewing the vision and strategic plan, and, if necessary, revising the vision and strategic plan. The steering committee must establish the timeline for creating the vision and the strategic plan and for beginning to implement the strategic plan. Beginning November 15, 2017, the steering committee must submit an annual report to the state board of education, the Colorado commission on higher education, the governor, and the education committees of the general assembly summarizing the work it completes each year and recommending legislative and regulatory changes, if necessary. The steering committee and the advisory boards are not subject to sunset review. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

The bill creates a financial relief program, available from July 1, 2017, through December 31, 2018, or until the total amount of money appropriated for the program is distributed, to provide financial assistance to individuals and their families residing in the program area who spend more than 15% of their household income on individual health insurance premiums. The Colorado health benefit exchange (exchange) is to oversee the program, and counties in the program area may elect to administer the program in their counties. For any county that opts not to administer the program, the exchange is to administer the program in that county. Financial relief is available to individuals and families residing in the program area who are determined eligible based on the following: The individual or family enrolled in and paid premiums for a bronze, silver, or gold level individual health benefit plan purchased through the exchange; The individual or family has a household income of more than 400%, but not more than 500%, of the federal poverty line; The individual or family does not have access to a government-sponsored program, such as medicaid or medicare, or an affordable employer-sponsored plan; and The individual or family pays more than 15% of the household income on premiums for the plan. The exchange is to certify that an individual or family resides in the program area and has enrolled in one of the specified health benefit plans, the premium amount of the plan, the household income of the individual or family, and that the individual or family does not have access to a government-sponsored program or employer-sponsored plan. The amount of financial relief is calculated based on the cost of the premium for the lowest-cost bronze health benefit plan available to the individual or family through the exchange, minus an amount equal to 15% of the individual's or family's household income. The general assembly is to appropriate not more than $5.7 million from the general fund to the department of health care policy and financing, for allocation to the exchange to provide financial assistance to individuals who qualify under the program. A carrier offering individual health benefit plans on the exchange must permit an individual to purchase an individual health benefit plan on the exchange during a special enrollment period that begins June 1, 2017, and ends August 1, 2017, for plans effective through December 31, 2017. For the 2018 plan year, individuals are subject to the standard open enrollment period specified in law. The program repeals on September 1, 2019, unless congress enacts and the president signs legislation repealing the advance premium tax credit authorized under federal law, in which case the program repeals upon the date of the repeal of said tax credit. The bill appropriates $5.7 million to the department of health care policy and financing for allocation to the exchange to provide financial relief to qualified individuals. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

The bill authorizes a school district, BOCES, or institute charter high school to grant a diploma endorsement in biliteracy to a student who demonstrates proficiency in English and at least one foreign language. The bill establishes the requirements a graduating high school student must meet to obtain the biliteracy endorsement. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

The bill changes the salary categorization for locally elected officials in Lake county. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)