The bill allows a person who has a right, privilege, or immunity secured by the Colorado constitution that is infringed upon to bring a civil action for the violation. The attorney general can also bring an action under the same circumstances. A plaintiff who prevails in the lawsuit is entitled to reasonable attorney fees, and a defendant in an individual suit is entitled to reasonable attorney fees for defending any frivolous claims. Qualified immunity and a defendant's good faith but erroneous belief in the lawfulness of his or her conduct are not defenses to the civil action. The civil action has a two-year statute of limitations. The bill requires a public entity to indemnify its public employees in a claim unless the employee is convicted of a crime related to the claim.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Sponsored bills
The act enacts the softbound volumes of the Colorado Revised Statutes 2019 as the positive and statutory law of the state of Colorado and establishes the effective date of said publication. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The bill prohibits a court from issuing a warrant for failing to appear at a scheduled court appearance for 72 hours after the missed appearance. If the defendant presents himself or herself to the court during the 72-hour period, the court shall not issue a warrant. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill creates the home visiting expansion grant program (grant program) in the department of human services (department). The purpose of the grant program is to expand the number of children and families served by nationally recognized, evidence-based home visiting models (models) throughout the state and thus improve school readiness of Colorado children. The grant program has 2 cycles of 3 years each and shall award up to a total of $2 million in grants for each cycle, payable in equal annual amounts. The state board of human services is authorized to promulgate rules that specify the criteria for the grant program, including eligibility of applicants and models, timeline, and review and selection criteria. The department is required to prepare an evaluation report at the conclusion of each grant cycle and present that report as part of its next "SMART Act" report to its committee of reference. The grant program is repealed, effective September 1, 2028. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Training and testing restrictions with certain firefighting foams - restriction on sale of certain firefighting foams - notification of chemicals in protective equipment -survey. The act prohibits the use of class B firefighting foam that contains intentionally added perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS foam) for training purposes or for testing firefighting foam fire systems and creates a civil penalty for doing so. The act also creates the "Firefighting Foams Control Act" (act) which: Prohibits the sale of PFAS foam in certain circumstances; Requires manufacturers of PFAS foam to notify sellers of the provisions of the act; Requires manufacturers to disclose whether the personal protective equipment they produce contains perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances; Allows for the department of public health and environment to request a certificate of compliance from a manufacturer of class B firefighting foam or firefighting personal protective equipment to ensure that those manufacturers are complying with the limitations on the manufacture of PFAS foam as set forth in the act; Creates a civil penalty for violating the provisions of the act; and Requires the department of public health and environment to conduct a survey to determine the amount of PFAS foam currently held, used, and disposed of by fire departments.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Enhance school safety incident response grant program - deadlines - appropriation. The enhance school safety incident response grant program (program) was created in 2018. The act changes dates in the program regarding the application and grant distribution deadlines. The act appropriates $1,150,000 to the department of public safety from the school safety resource center cash fund for the grant program. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Revisor's Bill. To improve the clarity and certainty of the statutes, the bill amends, repeals, and reconstructs various statutory provisions of law that are obsolete, imperfect, or inoperative. The specific reasons for each amendment or repeal are set forth in the appendix to the bill. The amendments made by the bill are not intended to change the meaning or intent of the statutes, as amended.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
County jails - data collection - appropriation. The act expands the information that a keeper of a jail (keeper) is required to maintain about the jail and the inmates confined in the jail. The keeper is required to submit a quarterly report of this information to the division of criminal justice within the department of public safety (division), and the division is required to publish that information in a searchable and sortable format. For the 2019-20 state fiscal year, $26,107 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of public safety for use by the division of criminal justice. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Colorado medical practice act - continuation under sunset law - pro bono license - letter of admonition - repeal. The act implements recommendations in the 2018 sunset review and report by the department of regulatory agencies by: Continuing the "Colorado Medical Practice Act" (Act) and the Colorado medical board (board) until September 1, 2026; Eliminating the restriction on the number of days that a physician may practice in a calendar year with a pro bono license; Repealing the requirement that the board send a letter of admonition to a licensee by certified mail; and Making technical amendments to the Act. Specified provisions of the act are contingent upon House Bill 19-1172 becoming law. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Income tax - combined reporting. Two or more corporations controlled by the same interests are required to file a combined report in certain instances for apportioning income for Colorado income tax purposes. The Colorado court of appeals recently interpreted existing law to exclude all holding companies purportedly without property or payroll from combined reports. The act clarifies that only corporations with property and payroll located outside the United States are excluded from a combined report. The act further clarifies when the treatment of the activities of a partnership is treated as the activity of a member of an affiliated group of corporations. The act requires the department of revenue to convene a stakeholder working group to discuss and report on issues related to combined tax reporting.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More