Under current law, a person seeking a teaching endorsement in special education or early childhood special education (endorsement) must complete an approved program and a student teaching practicum through an institution of higher education and pass one or more appropriate content-based exams. The act requires the department of education to issue an endorsement. Under current law, to receive the endorsement, the educator must hold a valid teaching license other than an initial license and complete coursework and assessments, as specified by rule of the state board of education (board), in a program in special education offered by an accepted institution of higher education. The act adds applicants who complete an alternative teacher preparation program (program) for special education offered by a designated agency as eligible for the endorsement. The act authorizes a person with a professional teacher license to continue in the person's current position while participating in an alternative teacher preparation program for the purpose of receiving an endorsement. APPROVED by Governor April 19, 2024 EFFECTIVE April 19, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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Under current law, aggravated cruelty to animals is a class 4 felony. The act specifies that a person commits the offense of aggravated cruelty to animals if the person knowingly kills or causes serious bodily injury resulting in death to a law enforcement animal whether the of a law enforcement animal is on duty or not. The act creates an affirmative defense stating that a person is justified in using physical force upon a law enforcement animal to defend their own person or a third person when the person reasonably believes that a law enforcement animal is an application of unreasonable or excessive force. The act requires an on-duty peace officer to intervene to prevent or stop another peace officer who is the handler of a law enforcement animal from allowing the law enforcement animal from using the degree of excessive physical force permitted by law while carrying out the peace officer's duties. A peace officer who witnesses the use of excessive force by a law enforcement animal, as permitted by the animal's handler, must report the excessive force to the officer's or handler's supervisor. The act specifies situations in which a licensed veterinarian or a person who owns or is charged with the care of a law enforcement animal has immunity from liability when it is necessary to euthanize or provide immediate veterinary care to a law enforcement animal. APPROVED by Governor April 17, 2024 EFFECTIVE April 17, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act adds firefighters to the class of people whose personal information is protected from publication on the internet by public entities upon a the request of a person in the class. APPROVED by Governor April 11, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Pursuant to the "Workers' Compensation Act of Colorado", death benefits will be paid to a dependent surviving spouse of a deceased employee for life, regardless of remarriage, rather than until remarriage, if the surviving spouse receives death benefits pursuant to law and the deceased employee was a state employee who worked in a job with a high-risk classification. A job with a "high-risk classification" means certain employees of the Colorado state patrol; certain employees of the Colorado bureau of investigation; certain employees of the department of corrections; firefighters, investigators, and fire marshals employed by the division of fire prevention and control in the department of public safety; wildlife officers and parks and recreation officers employed by the division of wildlife in the department of natural resources; employees of the department of transportation responsible for highway safety and maintenance; and employees of a state institution of higher education who are vested with the powers of a peace officer. APPROVED by Governor April 4, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Under existing law, the peace officer standards and training board may grant a person a provisional certification as a peace officer if the person satisfies the requirements for a provisional certificate. One of the requirements is that the person must have been a peace officer in another state or federal jurisdiction, excluding the armed forces, within the preceding 3 years. The act removes the exception for the armed forces, so that being a peace officer in the armed forces satisfies that requirement for a provisional certificate. APPROVED by Governor March 22, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act defines "emergency communications specialist" as a first responder whose duties involve emergency and nonemergency dispatch services. The act also clarifies that the currently authorized use of the emergency telephone charge, the 911 surcharge, and the prepaid wireless 911 charge, for training for public safety answering point (PSAP) personnel includes training for emergency communications specialists, technical support PSAP personnel, and other personnel essential for the provision of emergency telephone services, emergency notification services, and emergency medical dispatch. APPROVED by Governor March 15, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The bill requires an animal shelter or a pet animal rescue to notify each animal shelter and pet animal rescue in the state before euthanizing a pet animal so that another animal shelter or pet animal rescue may take possession of the animal if it wants the pet animal. This requirement does not apply to: A pet animal that is irremediably suffering; A dog adjudicated to be dangerous; A dog ordered to be euthanized by a court; or A dog with a history of repeated unprovoked biting prior to the current impound, as documented by an agency charged with enforcing state or local animal laws.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)