Sen. Cathy Kipp

Maddy summaryThis bill designates a specific section of State Highway 92 in Delta County as the "Educators and Teachers Memorial Highway" to honor the contributions of local educators and teachers. The designated stretch runs from mile marker 3 to mile marker 7, passing through the unincorporated community of Read, Colorado, which historically housed the headquarters for Delta County Joint School District 50J. The resolution authorizes the Colorado Department of Transportation to accept donations and grants for installing commemorative signs along this highway segment. This measure serves as a symbolic recognition of the role schools and teachers play in the community without changing any laws or regulations.

Maddy summaryThis bill encourages Colorado public employees to improve their retirement readiness by seeking financial education and recommends adding lifetime income options to certain retirement plans. It specifically targets the Public Employees' Retirement Association (PERA), which serves over 226,000 public employees across more than 400 government agencies. The resolution suggests that the General Assembly consider expanding lifetime income choices in the PERA defined contribution plan and voluntary savings plans to provide guaranteed retirement income similar to the existing defined benefit plan. The bill also recognizes the economic importance of retirement security for Colorado residents and directs copies to relevant state committees for review.

The department of regulatory agencies (DORA) conducted a sunset review of the cold case task force (task force) in the department of public safety (department) and recommended:Authorizing the executive director of the department to appoint additional task force members;Extending the task force until September 1, 2039; andChanging the type of sunset review that is performed by DORA.     The act implements DORA's recommendations.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act changes state law to reflect changes to federal law that expand the authority of states, counties, and tribal governments to enter into good neighbor agreements with the federal government to carry out recreation and improvement services on land by:Specifying that the Colorado state forest service may enter into good neighbor authority agreements with the United States department of the interior, the United States department of agriculture, or any agency of the United States department of the interior or United States department of agriculture; andClarifying that the Colorado state forest service is required to conduct, or contract with one or more entities to conduct, demonstration projects that utilize Colorado's good neighbor authority to implement forest management projects that improve forest health, resilience, wildlife habitat, or outdoor recreation opportunities.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act eliminates the homeless prevention activities program advisory committee and gives the division of housing within the department of local affairs the power to administer the homeless prevention activities program, to establish and enforce standards for all homeless prevention activities covered by the program, and to establish standards that assure program funds are properly allocated.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires the declarant of a new planned community or condominium, prior to transfer of control from the declarant to the association of a planned community or condominium, to obtain and pay for a reserve study for the planned community or condominium. The study must estimate the projected costs of maintaining, repairing, or replacing the common elements or property of the planned community or condominium over a 30-year period. The reserve study must be conducted by an independent reserve study professional or other qualified professional with knowledge of industry standards and that has no business relationship with or financial interest in the declarant and is not a affiliate of the declarant.     When an association, other than a self-managed association, changes association management companies, the former association management company shall, within 45 days, deliver to the new association management company or the association, at no charge to the association, all association property, records, money, accounts, information, and other items or information specified in the act (property and records).     Unless otherwise agreed in writing, the former association management company shall pay the association $250 for each business day that it fails to timely return the association's property and records and is liable for all interest and late fees on late payments made by the association due to the former association management company's failure to turn over the property and records, as well as any other damages incurred by the association. In a civil action to recover the property and records or the payments owed to the association for the former association management company's failure to turn over the property and records, if the court finds that the former association management company's violation was willful, the former association management company shall be liable for treble the association's actual damages, plus reasonable attorney fees and court costs.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act establishes civil immunity for a board member, staff member, or volunteer of a child advocacy center that arises from the performance of the board member's, staff member's, or volunteer's duties if the board member's, staff member's, or volunteer's acts are in good faith.     The act allows certain entities to share information under certain circumstances that is relevant to the protection of a child that is the subject of a child maltreatment case.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act creates the pathways to public service program (program) in the department of personnel (department) using existing resources. The purpose of the program is for the department to work with academic and workforce entities to identify existing curriculum and course work that would qualify students for positions within state government. Participation by academic and workforce entities is voluntary.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act imposes requirements regarding a contract or agreement between an insurance carrier (carrier) and a third party concerning access to dental care services, including:Prohibiting a carrier from entering into a third-party network lease agreement to provide access to dental care services or contractually agreed-upon discounts provided by a dental provider who is contracted as a participating provider (provider) with the carrier, unless the provider gives affirmative consent to allow the third party to access the provider's dental care services and contractually agreed-upon discounts;Prohibiting a carrier from canceling or entering into a contract with a provider on the grounds that the provider refuses to allow access by a third party to the dental care services and contractually agreed-upon discounts provided by the provider; andIf a provider allows a third party to access the provider's dental care services and contractually agreed-upon discounts through a contract between a carrier and a third party, requiring the carrier to comply with specified obligations.     The act creates exemptions from the prohibitions on specified contract provisions in contracts between carriers and dental providers, including if:A provider network contract for dental services is provided to beneficiaries of programs for medical assistance sponsored by the state of Colorado; orAccess to a provider network contract is granted to a dental carrier or an entity operating in accordance with the same brand licensee program as the contracting entity, and a list of the carriers or entities with the same brand licensee program as the contracting entity is made available to a provider on the contracting entity's website.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The bill authorizes legislative leave and job protection for qualified members of the general assembly (qualified members) who are engaged in employment outside of their duties related to the general assembly. More specifically, the bill states that , beginning January 1, 2027 :A qualified member can take a leave of absence from their outside employment during regular and special legislative sessions;A qualified member's outside employer has discretion to grant legislative leave as paid, unpaid, or partially paid;A qualified member's outside employer cannot terminate the qualified member's outside employment on the basis that the qualified member requests or takes legislative leave; andWhen a qualified member returns to their outside employment following legislative leave, the qualified member is entitled to be restored to the same or an equivalent employment position.     The bill excepts that qualified members actively serving a 4-year term at the time the bill takes effect are only eligible to take legislative leave beginning January 1, 2029.(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.)