During the 2024 general election, Colorado voters approved Amendment 79, which: Repealed the state constitutional amendment prohibiting the use of public funds to pay for abortions; and Added a state constitutional amendment recognizing the right to an abortion and prohibiting Colorado state and local governments from denying, impeding, or discriminating against the exercise of that right, including prohibiting health insurance companies from excluding coverage for abortion. The act makes conforming changes to state law relating to abortion care as a result of Amendment 79. Current law requires the executive director of the department of health care policy and financing to authorize medicaid reimbursement for family-planning-related services. The act expands the definition of "family-planning-related services" to include abortion care. The act requires the medical services board to include abortion care in the schedule of health-care services available for pregnant persons enrolled in the children's basic health plan. $2,928,800 is appropriated to the department of health care policy and financing from the general fund for other medical services, including abortion care. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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The bill amends the definition of a "manufacturer" of new motor vehicles to include an affiliate of a manufacturer and defines the term "affiliate". As used in the bill, an affiliate manufactures, distributes, sells, or offers for sale or lease new motor vehicles to retail consumers. The bill clarifies that the provision in current law prohibiting a manufacturer from owning, operating, or controlling a motor vehicle dealer or used motor vehicle dealer in the state also includes competing against a motor vehicle dealer, motor vehicle dealer-operated service center, or used motor vehicle dealer in the retail sale, lease, retail service, or warranty service of motor vehicles . Further, the bill extends the prohibition to include motor vehicle dealer-operated service centers in the state. Current law does not prohibit ownership, operation, or control of one or more motor vehicle dealers by a manufacturer if the manufacturer manufactures only electric vehicles and has no franchised dealers of the same line-make in the state. Under the bill, the ownership, operation, or control of one or more motor vehicle dealers by a manufacturer is not prohibited if the manufacturer manufactures any vehicle and has never had franchised dealers of any line-make in the state. Further, the bill does not prohibit: The service or repair of motor vehicles owned by a manufacturer before delivery to a motor vehicle dealer; A manufacturer from offering or providing updates or repair to software that is transmitted remotely at no cost to the retail consumer; or Service of fleet vehicles in certain circumstances. The bill also prohibits a powersports vehicle manufacturer from owning, operating, controlling, or competing against a powersports vehicle dealer, a powersports vehicle dealer-operated service center, or used powersports vehicle dealer in the retail sale, lease, retail service, or warranty service of powersports vehicles in the state. The prohibition does not include the service or repair of powersports vehicles owned by a manufacturer before delivery to a powersports vehicle dealer or from offering or providing updates or repairs to software that is transmitted remotely at no cost to the retail consumer. (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.)
Maddy summarySenate Joint Resolution 25-017 designates the North Academy Bridge spanning Interstate 25 in Colorado Springs as the "Naval Aviation Pilot and Aviation Machinist Mate Petty Officer First Class Daniel T. Griffin Bridge." This resolution honors Daniel T. Griffin, recognized as the first Coloradan killed during the attack on Pearl Harbor. It also allows the Colorado Department of Transportation to explore a cooperative agreement with the Colorado Springs City Council for the maintenance of the bridge's signs.
Maddy summaryHJR 25-1029 is a joint resolution from the Colorado General Assembly that condemns the federal government's alleged removal, suppression, and erasure of United States' military history. It specifically cites examples such as the removal of lessons on the Tuskegee Airmen and informational websites about the Japanese American 442nd Infantry Regiment. The resolution demands that American military history not be removed or suppressed for current and future generations.
The act requires a facility that uses animals for health-related research (health-related research facility) to offer a dog or cat to an animal shelter or a pet animal rescue for the purpose of adoption before euthanizing the animal. If the health-related research facility has an internal adoption program, the facility may first offer the dog or cat for adoption through the internal adoption program before offering the dog or cat to an animal shelter or a pet animal rescue. A health-related research facility that acts in good faith to transfer or adopt out a dog or cat to an animal shelter or a pet animal rescue is immune from civil liability for acts or circumstances related to or resulting from the transfer or internal adoption of the dog or cat. A health-related research facility must submit an annual report to the department of agriculture that includes the following information for the previous year: The total number of dogs and cats that the health-related research facility transferred to an animal shelter or a pet animal rescue for the purpose of adoption; The total number of dogs and cats that the health-related research facility adopted out through an internal adoption program; and The name and address of each animal shelter or pet animal rescue to which the health-related research facility transferred a dog or cat for the purpose of adoption.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act makes the following changes to current law regarding individuals to whom the department of labor and employment (department) provides vocational rehabilitation services (services): Eliminates the requirement that an individual with a disability requires financial assistance to participate; Allows the department to consider financial need before providing services during a period of cost containment to prevent or manage a wait list for services due to insufficient financial resources; Eliminates the requirement that an individual with a disability, or the individual's legally and financially responsible relative, must contribute toward the cost of their services to the extent that they are financially able; and To align Colorado law with federal law, eliminates the requirement that the department provide services only to individuals who are present in the state at the time of filing an application for the services and can satisfactorily achieve rehabilitation.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires each institution of higher education (institution) in Colorado to create and adopt a policy and a process to support the ability of an admitted or enrolled student with a disability (student) to voluntarily self-disclose the student's disability and to engage in an interactive process with the institution to receive an academic adjustment. The adopted policy must, at a minimum, include information that: Describes the institution's process to determine whether a student is eligible for an academic adjustment; Outlines documentation that the institution may request to determine whether a student is eligible for an academic adjustment; Provides information on the available disability resources and academic adjustments provided to students with disabilities; and Describes an appeals process for academic adjustment decisions that focuses on documentary review. Each institution shall publish the policy on the institution's website in an accessible format. The act describes the type of documentation that an institution may request to determine whether a student is eligible for an academic adjustment. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates an additional framework for insurance rebate law to allow usage of insurance rebates and related practices in a manner that meets specified criteria to maintain consumer protections. In provisions regarding unfair and deceptive trade practices in insurance, the act identifies, as an additional practice that shall not be construed as falling within the definition of discrimination or rebates, the practice of offering or providing a value-added product or service not specified in the insurance policy, at no cost or at a reduced cost, if the product or service: Relates to the insurance coverage; and Is primarily aimed to: Provide loss mitigation or loss control; Reduce claim costs or claim settlement costs; Provide education about liability risk or risk of loss to individuals or property; Monitor or assess risk, identify sources of risk, or develop strategies for eliminating or reducing risk; Enhance health; Promote financial wellness through items such as educational or financial planning services; Provide post-loss services; Encourage behavioral changes to improve the health or reduce the risk of death or disability of a customer; or Assist in the administration of employee or retiree benefit insurance coverage. The act implements additional provisions governing the usage of insurance rebates, including requirements to offer such rebates at a reasonable cost and in a manner that is not unfairly discriminatory and that provides certain other customer protections. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires an insurer that issues or renews an automobile insurance policy to include in the applicable coverage the replacement cost of a child restraint system that is in a motor vehicle at the time of a motor vehicle accident and to which the coverage is applicable. The act requires the insurer to ask a claimant if a child restraint system was in the motor vehicle at the time of the accident and, if so, requires the applicable coverage to cover the cost of its replacement. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act expands the conduct that can constitute the crime of obstructing governmental operations to include the repeated calling of or contact with 911 dispatch centers or specified public safety entities without justifiable cause. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)