Within the statutory title on taxation, some sections require a taxpayer to pay taxes via electronic funds transfer (EFT) while other sections allow a taxpayer to pay taxes via EFT. The same is true for electronic filing of returns. The inconsistent approach of requiring it in some cases and allowing it in others has created difficulty in administering the laws, particularly when the department of revenue tried by rule to provide a consistent exception in the form of an undue hardship waiver for EFT. The bill changes the EFT and electronic filing requirements for consistency, specifying in all cases that the department may require EFT and electronic filing and that the department may promulgate rules to implement EFT and electronic filing. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
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The bill amends language describing the criminal offense of insurance fraud. The bill states that, for criminal offenses relating to insurance fraud, the period within which a prosecution must be commenced begins to run upon discovery of the criminal or delinquent act. Current law provided immunity to persons, insurers, and authorized agencies that act in good faith to cooperate, furnish evidence, or provide information concerning an actual or suspected fraudulent insurance act. The bill extends this immunity to secondary agencies that do the same. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Under current law, a judge may issue an ex parte order authorizing the interception of certain communications if there is probable cause to believe that evidence of a crime that is on the statutory list will be obtained. The bill adds to the list of crimes human trafficking for involuntary servitude and for sexual servitude. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill extends from 4 years to 8 years the period following the declaration by the governor of a disaster emergency in a county within which the board of county commissioners of the county may transfer county general fund money to the county road and bridge fund for the purposes of disaster response and recovery. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Committee on Legal Services. Under current law, if an executive branch agency rule, including a form incorporated into a rule, contains a citation to statute and the general assembly later relocates the statute in a way that renders the rule's citation to the statute inaccurate, to update the statutory citation the agency must conduct a rule-making hearing, including issuing a notice and receiving comments. The bill allows agencies to correct statutory citations in the code of Colorado regulations without notice, comment, or a hearing by submitting to the secretary of state a specific, written determination by the attorney general. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Committee on Legal Services. This bill enacts the softbound volumes of Colorado Revised Statutes 2016 and the 2016 Special Supplement as the positive and statutory law of the state of Colorado and establishes the effective date of said publications. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill directs specified electric utilities to prepare, and the Colorado public utilities commission to review, proposals to integrate distributed energy resources into their plans to acquire new infrastructure. 'Distributed energy resources' is defined to include renewable distributed generation facilities, such as rooftop solar, energy storage facilities, electric vehicles, and other features of an improved and diversified electrical grid architecture. The commission may approve the plans as submitted or modify them in ways that improve system reliability, reduce costs, or increase the benefits to ratepayers. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)