Sen. Michael Merrifield

Current law prohibits driving a motor vehicle in a careless manner. The bill makes it a class 1 misdemeanor when this behavior injures or kills a vulnerable road user; requires a violator to attend a driver improvement school and perform community service; and subjects a violator to a restitution order and license suspension. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More

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 $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 $5,000. 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.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More

Under current law, the accreditation for school districts and the state charter school institute (institute) and the level of performance for public schools is based on the attainment of specified performance indicators. The bill creates an additional performance indicator that measures the degree to which a public school, a school district, or the institute provides access to courses or educational programs in dance, drama and theater, music, and visual arts. The state board of education must adopt rules by which a public school, a school district, or the institute will receive additional credit toward the accreditation or performance ratings based on the arts performance indicator.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More

Under current law, the department of education (department) must provide technical assistance and support to school districts, the state charter school institute (institute), and public schools that are operating under an improvement plan, priority improvement plan, or turnaround plan. The bill specifies that the technical assistance may include consultation concerning strategies that address the quality and availability of early childhood education opportunities. Each school district and public school must conduct a needs assessment when preparing its performance plan. The bill specifically requires an early childhood learning needs assessment, in addition to the general needs assessment, for school districts that include a public school that is operating under a priority improvement or turnaround plan and enrolls students in kindergarten through grade three and for public schools that serve children in kindergarten through third grade. Current law specifies several actions that a public school may take if it is low performing and after it has been low performing for 5 years. The bill expands the list of actions for a public school that services children in kindergarten through third grade to include investing in research-based strategies to address any deficiencies identified in the early childhood learning needs assessment if those deficiencies are a direct cause of the public school's low performance and the public school has not previously implemented the strategies with success. A public school may implement these strategies only in combination with at least one of the other research-based strategies identified in law. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

The concurrent resolution amends the Colorado constitution to reduce the age qualification for a member of the general assembly from 25 to 21. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this concurrent resolution as introduced in the second house.)

Under current law, the accreditation for school districts and the state charter school institute (institute) and the level of performance for public schools is based on the attainment of specified performance indicators. The bill creates an additional performance indicator that measures the degree to which a public school, a school district, or the institute provides access to courses or educational programs in dance, drama and theater, music, and visual arts. The state board of education must adopt rules by which a public school, a school district, or the institute will receive additional credit toward the accreditation or performance ratings based on the arts performance indicator. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Sunset Process - Senate Education Committee. The Colorado health service corps advisory council reviews applications and makes recommendations for participation in the Colorado health service corps program (program). The program awards educational loan repayment for medical professionals who agree to provide primary health services in federally designated health professional shortage areas in Colorado. The bill continues the Colorado health service corps advisory council indefinitely. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

The 'Colorado Regional Tourism Act' includes a process by which one or more local governments may undertake a regional tourism project (project), create a regional tourism zone in which the project will be built, and create a regional tourism authority to use tax increment financing based on state sales tax revenue to finance eligible improvements related to the project. Currently, once a project has been approved, there is not a process to allow a local government to request and the Colorado economic development commission (commission) to approve a modification to the components of the project. The bill allows a local government that is a participant in an approved project to apply to the commission to modify the project if the local government determines that a planned project component is no longer viable or that the new component will increase the number of out-of-state tourists visiting the project or net new revenue generated by the project. A local government must submit an application to modify an approved project to the Colorado office of economic development (office) for initial review prior to the commencement of substantial work on the project component that will be replaced. The local government is required to include certain information in the proposal but is not required to provide any information that was in the original application and that remains unchanged. The application must include an economic analysis that details whether the modified project meets the requirements specified in law and in guidelines established by the office. The office is required to review and forward an application for a modification of a project to the commission with a recommendation that the commission approve the application, deny it, or approve it with conditions. The commission is required approve the application unless the modified project no longer meets the criteria for a project established in law. The commission may amend its original award, including the percentage of sales tax increment that is awarded and the total cumulative dollar amount to be awarded if specifically impacted by the new component, but may not increase the total cumulative dollar amount of the award beyond that which was previously awarded. If the application for a modification is approved, the commission is required to modify the resolution it adopted when it approved the original application as necessary to conform the resolution to the modified project. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)