Sen. Cathy Kipp

The act authorizes the department of higher education to collect the data necessary to calculate return on investment metrics for certain higher education institutions not currently covered in the department's annual return on investment report. The department may include the information collected in its annual return on investment report. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act amends provisions relating to the Colorado opportunity scholarship initiative (COSI), including: Removing the definition of "tuition assistance" and replacing it with a definition for "financial assistance", which is tied to cost of attendance, and making amendments throughout to reflect the changed terms; Removing the statutory restriction that not more than 10% of money in the COSI fund in any fiscal year may be awarded to state agencies and nonprofit organizations for student success and support services and for other services, and the requirement that a certain percentage of the money awarded for student success and support services and for other services be awarded to nongovernmental entities; Changing the current provision that, to the extent practicable, scholarships must be equally distributed between students who are eligible for federal PELL grants and students within a certain range of income. Instead, the act requires scholarships to be equitably distributed between students with an expected family contribution, as defined in the act, of less than 100% of the annual federal PELL grant award and students with an expected family contribution between 100% and 250% of the annual federal PELL grant award. Removing references to obsolete reports and requirements. The act amends provisions relating to the payment of administrative expenses by authorizing the department of higher education to spend from the COSI fund an amount equal to not more than 7.5% of total expenditures from the fund for the prior fiscal year unless the general assembly modifies the percentage in the annual budget act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Appliances and plumbing fixtures - water and energy efficiency standards for new products sold in Colorado - phase-in of requirements - list of products covered - rule-making authority - enforcement. The act updates and adopts standards for water efficiency and energy efficiency that apply to a list of consumer and commercial appliances and other products. The standards are based on state standards, federal Energy Star and WaterSense specifications, and industry standards in most cases or, where a standard is not incorporated by reference, the standard is specified by statute. The standards apply to new products sold in Colorado and are phased in over a period of 3 years, with general service lamps covered beginning in 2020, air compressors and portable air conditioners covered beginning in 2022, and all other listed products covered beginning in 2021. The act also keeps in place the water efficiency standards on certain products that were added to the Colorado statutes in 2014. The sale of a noncomplying product after the effective date of the applicable standard is punishable through a civil enforcement action by the attorney general, with penalties of up to $2,000 per violation or, in the case of the sale of a noncomplying product to an elderly person, $10,000 per violation. The executive director of the department of public health and environment is directed to collect and publish the standards that are incorporated by reference. The executive director is also authorized, but not required, to adopt rules incorporating more recent versions of standards or test methods in order to maintain or improve consistency with other state or federal agency standards, subject to a one-year grace period between adoption and enforcement of any new or amended standards. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Sunset Process - Senate Health and Human Services Committee. The bill implements the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies' sunset review and report on the regulatory functions of the Colorado podiatry board (board) as follows: Continues the regulation of podiatrists for 7 years, until September 1, 2026 ( sections 1 and 2 of the bill); Requires a podiatrist to notify the board of a physical illness, physical condition, or behavioral or mental health disorder that affects the podiatrist's ability to practice and allows the podiatrist and the board to enter into a confidential agreement to limit the podiatrist's practice based on the illness, condition, or disorder ( sections 4 and 6 ); Specifies that the passage of an examination approved by the board is required for initial licensure as a podiatrist ( section 3 ); and Eliminates the requirement that the board send letters of admonition by certified mail ( section 5 ). The bill also: Allows the board to permit a podiatrist to perform bone marrow aspirations from the tibia distal to the tibial tubercle if the podiatrist meets the specified criteria ( section 7 ); and Makes conforming amendments necessary to harmonize the bill with the title 12 recodification bill, House Bill 19-1172 ( sections 8 through 14 ).(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) Read More

Statewide health care review committee - creation - membership - duties - appropriation. The act recreates the former health care task force, renamed as the statewide health care review committee, to study health care issues that affect Colorado residents. The committee consists of no more than 10 of the members from the house of representatives committees on health and insurance and public health care and human services and the senate committee on health and human services. The committee may hold 2 meetings during the interim between legislative sessions, each of which may be a field trip. $16,062 is appropriated from the general fund to the legislative department to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Building regulations - energy efficient building code standards required - reporting. The act requires local jurisdictions to adopt one of the 3 most recent versions of the international energy conservation code at a minimum, upon updating any other building code, and encourages local jurisdictions to update the Colorado energy office on any changes to the jurisdictions' building and energy codes.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Advisory council for parent involvement in education - continuation - appropriation. The act continues the state advisory council for parent involvement in education ("council") for five years. The act changes the number of persons appointed to the council from 5 parents to one parent from each congressional district. The council is scheduled for a sunset review prior to repeal in September 2024. The act appropriates $2,000 to the department of education from the general fund for accountability and improvement planning. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

High schools - accelerated college opportunity exam fee grant program. The act renames the advanced placement exam fee grant program as the accelerated college opportunity exam fee grant program (grant program) and expands the grant program to make funds available to high schools to reduce or eliminate the international baccalaureate exam fee for low-income students. The department of education is not required to award all grants from the program in the same amount, but a grant awarded for a lesser amount must cover the entire cost of the exam fee for which the lesser grant is awarded.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Open meetings law - executive session - developing strategy for negotiations relating to collective bargaining or employment contracts. Under the Colorado open meetings law, a board of education of a school district (board) may hold an executive session for the purpose of determining positions relative to matters that may be subject to negotiations, developing strategy for negotiations, and instructing negotiators. The act clarifies that these matters authorizing the board to meet in executive session include development by the board of its strategy for negotiations relating to collective bargaining or employment contracts. The act also makes a conforming amendment to the "Colorado School Collective Bargaining Agreement Sunshine Act". (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Education - performance indicators - graduation rate - counting students enrolled in special education services. Under the act, a student who is enrolled in special education services must be counted in the enrolling public high school's, school district's or institute's, and state's graduation rate in the year in which the student completes high school graduation requirements. The act does not limit the right to a free appropriate public education for a student as provided by the federal "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act", the "Exceptional Children's Educational Act", or any other federal or state law or rule. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More