The act directs the state board of human services (state board) in the department of human services (DHS) to establish licensing standards that will allow an early care and education program to be licensed for a period of time determined by the state board if one or more early childhood educators have pursued DHS-approved early childhood credentials but have not yet completed the credential and other state-board-determined quality, safety, and supervision conditions are met. The state board shall also promulgate rules allowing an early childhood educator to earn points toward an early childhood credential based on the candidate's prior experience and demonstrated competency. DHS and the department of education (CDE) shall streamline and align the early childhood professional credential, child care program licensing, and educator licensing to make requirements clear and consistent and to reduce the administrative and paperwork burden relating to credentialing and licensing of early childhood educators. DHS shall analyze and prepare a written report every year, starting in 2022, concerning Colorado's current supply of qualified early childhood educators. DHS, CDE, and the department of higher education shall direct resources to support concurrent enrollment opportunities and career pathways for high school students and other nontraditional students interested in earning college credit toward becoming an early childhood educator. The act authorizes DHS to provide technical assistance and financial incentives to programs that are rated at a level one or 2 in the Colorado shines system to support the programs in advancing to a level 3 or higher quality level, and to programs at a level 3, 4, or 5 to support the programs in maintaining a high-quality level or advancing to a higher quality level. The early childhood council (council) may support DHS by providing local community outreach and engagement strategies. A council seeking school-readiness quality improvement funding must describe how the council will target and recruit programs that are rated at a level one or higher and target and recruit programs to increase access and availability of quality care. The act directs DHS to design, implement, and operate a statewide voluntary program of early childhood mental health consultation (program) by July 1, 2022. 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 to 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. Further, the model must include standards and guidelines for mental health consultants developed from evidence-based programs and a professional development plan for mental health consultants. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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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.)
The starting point for determining state income tax liability is federal taxable income. This number is adjusted for additions and subtractions that are used to determine Colorado taxable income, which amount is multiplied by the state's income tax rate. Section 3 of the bill requires an individual to add to his or her federal taxable income an amount equal to the federal income tax deduction that he or she took for his or her combined qualified business income amount. The federal deduction may be claimed for income tax years commencing prior to January 1, 2026. The earned income tax credit is equal to a percentage of the federal earned income tax credit. Section 4 increases the percentage from 10% to 20% beginning in 2021. The state child tax credit, which is also a percentage of the federal child tax credit based on the taxpayer's income, is only allowed after the United States Congress enacts a version of the "Marketplace Fairness Act". Section 5 repeals this condition and instead allows the credit to be claimed beginning in 2021.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Current law regulating campaign finance does not set limits on contributions to candidates for school district director. Section 2 of the bill: Sets aggregate limits on contributions to candidates for school district director from persons other than small donor committees for any regular biennial or special school election in the amount of $2,500; and Sets aggregate limits on contributions to candidates for school district director from small donor committees for any regular biennial or special school election in the amount of $25,000. The bill requires that these aggregate contribution limits be periodically adjusted for inflation consistent with other contribution limits. Section 3 subjects the new contribution limits to existing statutory provisions governing the disclosure of campaign contributions. Section 4 contains requirements governing when a candidate for school district director is required to disclose information concerning campaign contributions and clarifies that such candidates are required to file their disclosure with the secretary of state. For the 2020-21 state fiscal year, the bill appropriates $,7000 from the department of state cash fund to the department of state for use by the information technology division. (Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.) (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill prohibits stores and retail food establishments, on and after July 1, 2021, from providing single-use plastic carryout bags, single-use plastic stirrers, single-use plastic straws, and expanded polystyrene food service products (collectively "single-use products") to customers at the point of sale. The executive director of the department of public health and environment is authorized to enforce the prohibition. The prohibition does not apply to inventory purchased before July 1, 2021, and used on or before December 31, 2021. A store or retail food establishment, on or after July 1, 2021, may furnish recyclable paper carryout bags to a customer at a charge of at least 10 cents per customer, which amount the store or establishment may retain in full, unless a local government's ordinance or resolution prohibits the store or establishment from retaining the full charge. A local government, on or after July 1, 2021, is preempted from enacting an ordinance, resolution, rule, or charter provision that is less stringent than the statewide prohibition. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
School Safety Committee. The bill requires the department of education (department) to offer a train the trainer program (program) designed to improve school culture, promote youth behavioral and mental health, and prepare attendees to teach a youth behavioral and mental health training course. The department must make the program available to employees of a school district, charter school, or board of cooperative services (local education provider). A local education provider and its employees are not required to participate in the program. The department may enter into an agreement with an organization to provide the program. The department is required to annually evaluate the effectiveness of the program. The general assembly is required to annually appropriate up to $1 million for the program. The program is repealed June 30, 2024. The program must include evidence-based instruction on, and prepare an attendee to teach a youth behavioral and mental health training course that includes, any of the following subjects: Using trauma-informed approaches to improve overall school climate and culture; Identifying behavioral and mental health challenges and substance use disorders; Restorative practices for addressing youth behavioral and mental health challenges; Improving youth social and emotional health; Bullying prevention and intervention strategies; Encouraging positive bystander behavior; Best practices for providing assistance in noncrisis situations; De-escalation of crisis situations; or Identifying and accessing available behavioral and mental health resources and substance use disorder support services and treatment.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill requires a staffing agency that places temporary and part-time employees with work-site employers to provide the employees specific information concerning the terms and conditions of employment. The information must be provided in writing before the end of the first pay period. The bill requires the staffing agency to post a notice in its workplace that includes the name and telephone number of the division of labor standards and statistics (division) in the department of labor and employment and a description of employees' rights to the receipt of the required terms and conditions of employment. A staffing agency and a work-site employer are prohibited from charging an employee: A fee for certain work-related expenses or deducting expenses from the employee's wages without authorization from the employee; The cost of required specific transportation services; or More than the actual cost of optional transportation. The bill prohibits a staffing agency from knowingly issuing, distributing, circulating, or providing false, fraudulent, or misleading information to an employee or applicant for employment and from refusing to refund fees or costs owed to the employee. The bill requires each staffing agency to annually register and pay a fee to the division. Each staffing agency is required to submit information to the division in a form and manner required by the division. The division is required to maintain a list of the registration status of each staffing agency on its website. Employers who use staffing agencies are required to verify whether the staffing agency is registered with the division. The division may assess a fine for a violation and may revoke or suspend the registration of a staffing agency for any violation. The division is authorized to promulgate rules, including rules that state the information that a staffing agency is required to submit to the division and that establish circumstances where a staffing agency's registration may be revoked or suspended. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Health care cost analysis task force - creation - analysis of health care financing systems - report - gifts, grants, and donations - repeal - appropriation. The act creates the health care cost analysis task force (task force). The president of the senate, the minority leader of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the minority leader of the house of representatives shall each appoint one legislative member to the task force. The governor shall appoint 4 members to the task force. The executive directors of the departments of human services, public health and environment, and health care policy and financing, or their designees, also serve on the task force. The task force is required to issue a competitive solicitation in order to select an analyst to provide a detailed analysis of fiscal costs and other impacts to 3 health care financing systems. The health care financing systems to be analyzed are: The current health care financing system, in which residents receive health care coverage from private and public insurance carriers or are uninsured; A multi-payer universal health care system, in which all residents of Colorado are covered under a plan with a mandated set of benefits that is publicly funded and paid for by employer and employee contributions; and A publicly financed and privately delivered universal health care system that directly compensates providers. The analyst may use the same specified criteria when conducting the analysis of each health care financing system. The task force is required to report the findings of the analyst to the general assembly. The task force may seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, and donations for the analysis. The general assembly may appropriate money to the health care cost analysis cash fund for the purposes of the task force, the analysis, and reporting requirements. The act appropriates $92,649 to the department of health care policy and financing from the general fund to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More