Sen. Cathy Kipp

Maddy summaryHB 1305 allows remote psychiatric inpatient facilities in Colorado to operate under a main hospital's general license instead of needing separate psychiatric hospital licensing, provided they meet specific criteria. These facilities must be located within 35 miles of a main hospital in a rural area, offer 17+ inpatient beds, meet all psychiatric hospital standards, and maintain federal provider-based status. The main hospital remains responsible for all licensing enforcement actions related to the remote location, and the facility must pay a separate licensing fee. This change aims to streamline operations while maintaining regulatory oversight through the main hospital's license.

Existing law specifies that an individual must be a certified death investigator or forensic pathologist to be eligible to hold the office of county coroner in a county with a population greater than 150,000. The act changes this requirement to apply in a county with a population greater than 300,000. The act also requires a county coroner to disclose, on the coroner's website, their financial interest in businesses regulated by their office, including a mortuary, funeral home, crematory, embalming service, or other death-care business. A coroner who has disclosed a financial interest shall not participate in an official action that would directly and specifically affect the business in which the coroner has a financial interest. The act does not prohibit a coroner or candidate for coroner from operating a death-care business.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Beginning with the first regular session of the seventy-sixth general assembly, the act prohibits a member of the general assembly from holding any other elected offices while serving as a member of the general assembly, with the following exceptions:The member of the general assembly holds a special district elected office;The member of the general assembly has less than one year remaining in their term in another elected office at the time they take the oath of office of the general assembly;The member of the general assembly has less than one year remaining in their term in the general assembly at the time they take the oath of office of another elected office; orThe member of the general assembly is a senator who is in the middle of their term at the beginning of the first regular session of the seventy-sixth general assembly.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

In 2023, the general assembly established water and energy efficiency standards for irrigation controllers and spray sprinkler bodies that are sold or leased in the state on and after January 1, 2026. The act repeals these standards.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act creates new requirements and civil remedies beginning June 1, 2027, related to individuals under 18 years old (minors) who are featured in compensated content on online hosting platforms (online content).     A minor is considered to be engaged in content creation work if, over a 12-month period, the following 3 criteria are met:At least 30% of a content creator's online content produced within a 30-day period includes the minor's likeness, name, or photograph;The number of views of the online content meets the online hosting platform's compensation threshold or the content creator receives $0.10 or more per view, including compensation from sponsorships; andThe content creator receives at least $40,000 in actual compensation from the online content.     Content creators whose online content features a minor engaged in content creation work must maintain specific records, including:Proof of the minor's age;The total compensation generated; andThe total number of minutes the minor was featured in posts featuring online content.     A content creator shall compensate a minor engaged in content creation work by setting aside a portion of the gross earnings into a trust account for the minor until the minor reaches the age of majority or is declared emancipated. A court may distribute money from the trust account to the minor before the minor reaches the age of majority or is declared emancipated upon petition from the trustee and a finding that the money will only be used for specific expenses that solely benefit the minor.     An adult or an emancipated minor who was featured as a uniquely identifiable minor in a content creator's post featuring online content on or after June 1, 2027, may request that the content creator delete the post or remove the uniquely identifiable information. The content creator must comply with the request within 72 hours. If the content creator fails to comply after 30 days, the individual may sue for various types of relief, and the online hosting platform must review and take reasonable steps to remove the content unless certain exceptions apply.     The act prohibits a person from financially benefiting from knowingly producing or distributing online content of a minor with the intent to sexually gratify or elicit a sexual response in the viewer. Exceptions apply for law enforcement, reporting unlawful activity, legal proceedings, and certain actions engaged in by online hosting platforms. Online hosting platforms are required to develop and implement a risk-based strategy to help mitigate risks related to the monetization of the intentional sexualization of known minors.     A civil action may be filed on behalf of a minor for damages, including actual damages, punitive damages, and attorney fees, if a content creator fails to comply with specified provisions of the act.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Under current law, a local education provider is required to ensure that a preschool or kindergarten student receives an individualized readiness plan (plan). The act makes it optional for local education providers to provide plans to students who demonstrate proficiency on specified assessment domains and the kindergarten reading assessment, unless the student's parent requests a plan.     Under current law, a local education provider is required to annually provide information concerning assessments to students' parents. The act requires this written notice to include:The results of the student's specified assessment domains and kindergarten reading assessment;If applicable, information explaining that because of the student's assessment results, the local education provider is not required, and does not intend, to provide a plan for the student; andLanguage indicating that the student's parent may request a plan.     Under current law, the department of education is required to submit an annual report to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate concerning specified educational accountability requirements. One of the reporting requirements concerns the level of school readiness demonstrated by students enrolled in kindergarten. The act requires the department to report this information on a statewide basis and to disaggregate the information based on specific characteristics.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

If the state voluntarily elects to participate in a federal program that provides a tax credit for a qualified contribution to a scholarship granting organization, the bill requires the state to include all eligible scholarship granting organizations on its list identifying scholarship granting organizations to the federal government.If a school enrolls a student whose education-related expenses are paid, in whole or in part, by a scholarship granting organization, the bill requires the school to comply with nondiscrimination requirements and laws concerning students with disabilities.If the school that is subject to these requirements violates a requirement, the school is subject to an injunction and may have its eligibility to receive money for a student whose education-related expenses are paid by a scholarship granting organization suspended.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes that Colorado lawmakers consider adding guaranteed lifetime income options to the state public employees' retirement defined contribution plan and voluntary savings plans. The measure aims to ensure public employees have access to a reliable income stream in retirement, similar to what is already available in the state's traditional defined benefit plan. By allowing workers to choose options that provide lifetime payouts, the bill seeks to improve retirement security and financial confidence for over 226,000 active public employees. The resolution encourages the General Assembly to study how these new options could help workers retire with dignity while maintaining the portability of their savings.

The act requires the state board of veterinary medicine (board) to review and update the existing process by which an individual who has a license to practice veterinary medicine in another state may be licensed by endorsement to practice veterinary medicine in Colorado. The board shall adopt rules with the intent to expedite the licensure by endorsement process, including eliminating duplicative requirements and streamlining the pathway to licensure.     The act clarifies that a veterinarian who administers, dispenses, distributes, or prescribes medicine to a patient in an emergency situation is not acting as a pharmacist or conducting the practice of pharmacy, and, as such, is not subject to discipline by the state board of pharmacy.     The act relocates certain provisions specific to the practice of veterinary medicine from regulation by the state board of pharmacy to regulation under Colorado's veterinary practice act.     Under current law, the board must approve a credentialing organization for the purpose of credentialing veterinary technicians, which credentialing organization must require the completion of an American Veterinary Medical Association accredited program for veterinary technicians. The act updates the requirement to require the completion of an accredited program for veterinary technicians offered by other associations.     The act also establishes a veterinary prescription drug donation program. An owner of an animal may donate unused veterinary drugs that have been prescribed to the owner to a licensed veterinarian or an animal shelter. A licensed veterinarian may use any drugs accepted through donation if the veterinarian and drugs meet certain conditions.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act clarifies that municipal court defendants have a right to counsel and that municipal defense counsel have the same notice requirements, case information, and opportunity to meet with their clients as do state-level defense counsel. Current law prohibits paying indigent municipal defense counsel on a fixed or flat-fee payment structure if the municipality prosecutes domestic violence cases. The act applies the prohibition to all municipalities and allows a flat fee arrangement if the flat fee is the same or higher than a resulting fee based on hourly compensation.     Current law requires municipal court proceedings to be open to public observation. The act requires virtual observation for all in-custody proceedings and prompt resolution of municipal cases.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)