The act authorizes the department of agriculture (department) to create the Colorado wild horse management project (wild horse project) as a nonprofit, state-owned corporate entity that manages and operates programs benefitting wild horses and supports wild horse management. The director of the wild horse project will be selected by a committee of the governor, the commissioner of agriculture, the executive director of the department of natural resources, the majority leader of the house of representatives, and the minority leader of the senate. The wild horse project has the same powers as a nonprofit corporate entity. Until December 31, 2027, the department must annually report on the project to the governor, the joint budget committee, and the appropriate joint legislative committee at the department's "SMART Act" hearings. The wild horse project may seek federal payment, gifts, grants, and donations for wild horse management support activities. On the effective date of the act, the state treasurer is required to transfer $1.5 million from the general fund to the wild horse project fund, which is created for use by the wild horse project and, until the project is created, the department. The money is continually appropriated for the purposes of the act. The wild horse project must establish a working group to identify and pursue long-term solutions for wild horses that are removed from federal horse management areas or held in federal facilities and make recommendations to the governor and the general assembly. The working group will have representation from the executive branch, the legislative branch, nonprofit organizations, businesses, the western slope, and the ranching community. The Colorado state director of the federal bureau of land management (bureau), the Southern Ute Tribe, and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe may appoint representatives to the working group. The wild horse project must oversee the wild horse stewardship program, created to help manage range health and infrastructure, and the wild horse fertility control program, created to manage the wild horse herd population by collaborating, coordinating, and training people and entities to manage wild horse populations. The department must support the wild horse project through grants and contracts to assist with managing wild horse populations using fertility control methods, subject to approval by the bureau, until the wild horse project is created and commences its own program to manage wild horse populations. The department must also coordinate with certain interested parties. To implement the act, $1,654 is appropriated from the general fund to the legislative department for use by the general assembly, and $21,148 is appropriated from the legal services cash fund to the department of law. APPROVED by Governor May 20, 2023 EFFECTIVE May 20, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Sponsored bills
The act creates the closed landfill remediation grant program (grant program) to help eligible local governments pay the costs of environmental remediation efforts and landfill management. On and after July 1, 2024, the department of public health and environment (department) is required to administer the grant program in accordance with rules promulgated by the solid and hazardous waste commission (commission) in the department. The department, in consultation with a 5-person advisory committee created in the act, may award grants from money in the closed landfill remediation grant program fund (fund), which fund is also created in the act. On or before February 1, 2026, and on or before each February 1 every 3 years thereafter, the commission must evaluate the current and future financial needs of the grant program and make written recommendations to the general assembly regarding funding. Additionally, the department must prepare and post on its public website an annual report that summarizes the use of all grant money awarded under the grant program in the preceding fiscal year. The grant program is repealed, effective September 1, 2033, subject to a sunset review by the department of regulatory agencies. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $15,000,000 from the general fund to the fund for use by the department. Of this amount, $170,702 is reappropriated to the department for the solid waste control program. Of this reappropriated amount, $87,976 is appropriated to the department of law to pay for legal services provided to the department. APPROVED by Governor May 19, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates the family and community intervener program (program) to support children who are deafblind and their families. The program provides deafblind children the services of an intervener who is specifically trained in deafblindness, building language and communication skills, and intervention strategies with children who are deafblind and their community, families, and environment. The Colorado commission for the deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind shall contract with an intervener program manager (manager) who has oversight over the program, the intervener activities, and the outcomes for children who are deafblind. The manager and intervener shall collaborate with other state agencies as appropriate that provide direct or indirect services to children who are deafblind and their families to identify potential additional services or opportunities for children who are deafblind. The program is funded through the Colorado telephone users with disabilities fund. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, $130,092 is appropriated to the Colorado commission for the deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind cash fund from the Colorado telephone users with disabilities fund. This amount is reappropriated to the department of human services for use by the office of adults, aging, and disability services for the implementation of this act. APPROVED by Governor May 15, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act directs the director of the division of fire prevention and control (division) within the department of public safety to report on the investigation of wildland fires in the state and creates the fire investigation fund to fund fire investigations. The money in the fund is subject to annual appropriation by the general assembly, and the division must prioritize money in the fund for wildland fire investigations. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, $2,764,021 is appropriated to the fire investigation fund from the general fund and the money is reappropriated to the department of public safety for vehicle lease payments, personal services, operating expenses, and local fire investigation reimbursements. APPROVED by Governor May 12, 2023 EFFECTIVE May 12, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Wildfire Matters Review Committee. The bill requires the center of excellence for advanced technology aerial firefighting (center of excellence) in the division of fire prevention and control in the department of public safety to establish one or more remote camera technology pilot programs. The program may include the use of artificial intelligence technologies. The center of excellence must acquire or contract for a system of remote pan-tilt-zoom cameras and associated tools to provide a live feed of information that can detect, locate, and confirm ignition in the wildland-urban interface. The center of excellence may acquire or contract for artificial intelligence technologies to assist in the detection, containment, and monitoring of wildfires. The center of excellence must report to the wildfire matters review committee on the system's effectiveness and potential for more widespread use in the state. The bill appropriates $2 million $720,368 from the general fund to implement the program. (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.)
The act allows a health-care provider to prescribe, dispense, or administer a schedule II, III, IV, or V controlled substance (drug) to a patient in the course of treatment for a diagnosed condition that causes chronic pain. The act also clarifies that the prescribing health-care provider is not subject to disciplinary action by the appropriate regulator for prescribing a dosage of a drug that is equal to or more than a morphine milligram equivalent dosage recommendation or threshold specified in state or federal opioid prescribing guidelines or policies. The act prevents a health-care provider from being required to taper a patient's medication dosage solely to meet a predetermined dosage recommendation or threshold if the patient is stable, compliant with treatment, and not experiencing serious harm. The act also prohibits a pharmacy, health insurance carrier, or pharmacy benefit manager from having a policy in place that requires a pharmacist to refuse to fill a prescription for an opiate issued by a health-care provider solely because the prescription is for an opiate or because the prescription order exceeds a predetermined morphine milligram equivalent dosage recommendation or threshold. The act also prohibits a health-care practice or clinic from having a policy in place that requires a health-care provider to refuse to prescribe, administer, or dispense a prescription for an opiate solely because the prescription order exceeds a predetermined morphine milligram equivalent dosage recommendation or threshold. APPROVED by Governor May 4, 2023 EFFECTIVE May 4, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act authorizes a prescription drug outlet (outlet) to operate an automated pharmacy dispensing system (system) for the purpose of dispensing prescription medications, other than controlled substances, to patients. The act requires an outlet dispensing prescription drugs through a system to: Register the system with the state board of pharmacy (board); Require a pharmacist to perform all clinical services as part of the dispensing process; Ensure that the system clearly displays the system's registration number and contact information; Locate each system at the same location as the outlet unless other criteria is met; Ensure confidentiality of health information; and Ensure that the system is accessible to persons with disabilities. An outlet may operate a system in the same or different location than the outlet if it is: Under the supervision and control of the outlet; Installed in a place and manner where it cannot be removed or accessed without authorization; and Located in a secure location. The act also requires each outlet operating a system: To develop, implement, and maintain written policies and procedures to ensure the proper, safe, and secure functioning of the system; Inside the premises of a retail business to only operate during the hours that the outlet is closed; and To make all transaction information readily available for review and inspection by the board. APPROVED by Governor May 1, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act implements the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies (department), as contained in the department's 2022 sunset review of the human trafficking prevention training (training). The act continues the training for 7 years, until September 1, 2030. APPROVED by Governor April 28, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)