Sen. Cathy Kipp

The act redirects a portion of certain vehicle registration fees to increase the amount of revenue that is directed to the Colorado DRIVES vehicle services account (DRIVES account) created in the highway users tax fund (HUTF). Beginning on July 1, 2026, the act redirects fees for special vehicle registrations for personalized license plates from the HUTF to the DRIVES account; except that, consistent with current law, $2 of each fee is remitted to the county general fund. Beginning on July 1, 2027, the act redirects $2 of each late vehicle registration fee from the HUTF to the DRIVES account and, consistent with current law, credits the remainder of the fees to the HUTF.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

On or before December 31, 2027, the act requires the department of higher education (department) to establish thriving institution designations and, on or before January 1, 2027, to establish an advisory committee to provide input to the department on the outcome and recognition standards and continuous improvements set by the department to identify institutions of higher education (institutions) that meet the requirements for one or more thriving institution designations.     The act requires the department, with input from the advisory committee, to:Identify institutions that meet the outcome and recognition standards to be designated as a thriving institution;Notify each institution that meets the outcome standards to be designated as a thriving institution and request the institution to respond within 10 calendar days with the institution's decision of whether to be recognized as a thriving institution;Post on the department's website the names of the institutions that earn a thriving institution designation and agree to be listed as a thriving institution; andNotify the general assembly of the names of the institutions that are recognized as thriving institutions.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires the executive director of the Colorado department of early childhood (CDEC) to adopt rules concerning the requirements for licensed child care facilities to maintain up-to-date employee records in the professional development information system currently administered by CDEC.     The act requires CDEC, on or before July 1, 2026, to begin phasing out its reliance on third parties to investigate and inspect facilities applying for certain types of child care licenses where feasible and to prioritize the use of CDEC personnel to conduct the investigations and inspections instead. The act exempts certain health and sanitation inspections from the phase-out. CDEC must establish standardized training, protocols, and supervision for CDEC personnel and authorized or contracted third parties.     A local governing authority that imposes requirements related to the inspection, permitting, licensing, or approval of a child care center or family child care home beyond the state-level licensing standards (local approval process) shall limit associated fees and prioritize concluding a local approval process that has been delayed or disputed.     The act creates the child care licensure task force (task force) to study and report on recommendations for a streamlined child care licensure system in the state. On or before January 1, 2027, the task force must report on its recommendations to the health and human services and education committees of the house of representatives and the senate, the governor, and CDEC. The performance of the task force's work is dependent upon the receipt of sufficient gifts, grants, and donations.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Under current law, the public utilities commission (commission) may assess a civil penalty in an amount up to $550 against a transportation network company (TNC) if the TNC had written notice of a TNC driver's violation of certain prohibitions against discriminating against riders and the TNC failed to reasonably address the violation. Additionally, a driver is required to report to the TNC any refusal by the driver to provide services to a rider, and the TNC is required to annually report all such refusals to the commission.     The act removes the condition that a TNC first have written notice of a driver's violation of the discriminatory prohibitions before a civil penalty may be assessed against the TNC, increases the maximum civil penalty to $1,300, and requires the commission to consider certain mitigating and aggravating factors in determining whether to assess a civil penalty and the amount of a penalty assessed. The act also requires:A TNC to mandate and provide education to drivers concerning the transportation of riders with service animals;A TNC to provide monthly, rather than annual, reporting to the commission regarding drivers' refusal to provide services;A TNC to provide a mechanism to allow a consumer to report a driver's refusal to provide transport to the consumer directly on the TNC's digital platform, which information must be included in the TNC's monthly report; andThe commission to aggregate and anonymize the TNCs' monthly reports and make the anonymized reports available to the public.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

When the prison bed vacancy rate in correctional facilities and state-funded private contract prisons falls below 3% for 30 consecutive days, current law requires the department of corrections (department) to notify certain individuals and entities (notification) and implement prison population management measures. The act increases the threshold prison bed vacancy rate to 4% before the prison population management measures to go into effect. The act includes additional individuals and entities that are required to receive the notification and requires the notification to occur within 48 hours of the vacancy rate falling below 4% for 30 consecutive days. The act requires the individuals and entities that receive the notification to acknowledge receipt of the notification and confirm compliance with the prison population management measures. The act requires additional prison population management measures, including requiring the department to request expanding community corrections capacity and make referrals to the parole board, and requiring notified individuals and entities to consider alternatives to prison sentences for certain offenders.     The act appropriates $303,812 to the department to implement the act. The act decreases the appropriation for the 2026-27 state fiscal year to the department for inmate daily rate payments to local jails by $478,778.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Under current law, a member of the public employees' retirement association (PERA) earns service credit for each year worked during which the member makes contributions to PERA. A member may purchase additional years of service credit for any previous period of public or private employment during which the member was not making contributions to PERA, subject to certain conditions. The act allows a member of PERA to also purchase service credit for previous periods of unemployment during which the member was 21 years old or older, subject to certain conditions.     The act requires PERA's voluntary investment program to include options for an employee to make tax-deferred voluntary contributions and Roth voluntary contributions. The act requires PERA employers to affiliate with PERA's deferred compensation plan and requires PERA employers to offer the deferred compensation plan to employees. The deferred compensation plan must include options for an employee to make pre-tax voluntary contributions and Roth voluntary contributions.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act extends the repeal date of the open educational resources grant program and the Colorado open educational resources council (council) to November 1, 2031. The act increases representation from public institutions of higher education on the council from 12 to 15 members.     The act extends the requirement for the department of higher education (department) to prepare and submit an annual report regarding open educational resources to December 31, 2031.     The act appropriates $275,000 to the department for use by the Colorado commission on higher education and higher education special purpose programs.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

If the executive director of the department of health care policy and financing (state department) receives gifts, grants, and donations for the purpose of providing support for the development and funding of an enhanced reimbursement model for nursing facilities that serve residents with behavioral health needs, the state department is required to use the gifts, grants, and donations for that purpose. Receiving gifts, grants, and donations for this purpose does not commit the state to an expenditure of general fund money, and the general assembly shall not reduce any appropriation made to the state department for the same purpose. If requested by the joint budget committee, the state department is required to report the state department's use of the gift, grants, and donations received.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act creates the commission on medicaid (commission) to develop recommendations regarding implementation of new federal medicaid policy changes that go into effect in 2026, 2027, and 2028 and to support Coloradans impacted by those policy changes.     The commission is required to:Convene at least 6 times but no more than 12 times between May 14, 2026 and December 11, 2026;Invite relevant state agency representatives and medicaid stakeholders to present and provide feedback on commission recommendations; andContract with a technical advisor to assist the commission in writing and submitting a report to the general assembly and the governor documenting the commission's process and any recommendations by December 11, 2026.     The act appropriates $500,000 to the legislative department from the general fund to implement the act.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Under current law, the Colorado limited gaming control commission (commission), at its discretion, may delegate only certain licensing duties described under the 'Limited Gaming Act of 1991' (gaming act) to the division of gaming (division). The act allows the commission to delegate to the division licensing duties that appear elsewhere in the gaming act.     The act authorizes investigators of the division and their supervisors to inspect, examine, investigate, hold, or impound any premises in the state where an investigator or supervisor suspects that unlicensed gaming or unlicensed sports betting is conducted.     Under current law, the division is required to operate a program that allows individuals to voluntarily exclude themselves from gaming activities in the state. The act expands the program to allow individuals to voluntarily exclude themselves from sports betting in the state.     The act clarifies the definition of 'race meet' for purposes of the regulation of racing events. The act also adds other definitions of terms used in laws concerning gaming.     The act states that a designee of the director is a peace officer while engaged in the performance of their duties whose primary authority includes the enforcement of all laws of the state.     Current law prohibits a licensee from offering certain games without acquiring prior approval from the commission. The act changes this requirement so that a licensee must acquire prior approval from the division.     The act clarifies the process by which the commission and the Colorado bureau of investigation conduct fingerprint-based criminal background checks of applicants for gaming licenses.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)