The bill lowers the age of consent from 15 years of age and older to 12 years of age and older for a minor to seek and obtain outpatient psychotherapy services from a licensed mental health professional. The bill allows a minor 10 years of age or older to receive such outpatient psychotherapy services without the consent of his or her parent or guardian. The licensed mental health professional is immune from civil or criminal liability for providing outpatient psychotherapy services unless he or she acts negligently or outside the scope of his or her practice. The bill adds a provision stating that if a minor who is receiving psychotherapy services without parental notification or consent communicates to the mental health professional a clear and imminent intent or threat to inflict serious bodily harm on himself or herself or others, the mental health professional has a statutory duty to warn and shall immediately notify the minor's parent, parents, legal guardian, or any other person having custody or decision-making responsibility of the minor of such communication. The bill clarifies that the age of consent for a minor seeking inpatient psychotherapy or other inpatient mental health services without the consent of a parent or legal guardian remains 15 years of age or older. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Sponsored bills
Current law regulating campaign finance does not set limits on contributions to candidates for a county office. Section 1 of the bill sets the maximum amount of aggregate contributions that certain persons may make to a candidate committee of a candidate for a county office, and that a candidate committee for such candidate may accept from such persons, as follows: In the case of any person other than a small donor committee or a political party, $1,250 for both the primary and general elections; In the case of a small donor committee, $12,500 for both the primary and general elections; and In the case of a political party, $22,125 for the applicable election cycle. The bill defines 'county office' to mean a county commissioner, county clerk and recorder, sheriff, coroner, treasurer, assessor, or surveyor. Section 1 also specifies that the contribution limits in the bill are required to be adjusted for inflation in the same manner as other contribution limits specified in the state constitution. The bill also makes statutory requirements governing the disclosure of campaign finance information and the filing of disclosure reports applicable to a contribution made to, or received by, a candidate committee of a candidate for a county office. Section 2 makes a conforming amendment. For the 2017-18 state fiscal year, section 3 appropriates $10,000 to the department of state from the department of state cash fund. The department may use this appropriation for personal services related to information technology services.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill directs the transportation legislation review committee (TLRC) to conduct a hearing during the 2017 interim on the potential economic benefits and costs of energy storage systems (e.g., batteries, heat sinks, pumped storage hydroelectric systems) that an electric utility may incorporate into its electric resource acquisition plans. The hearing must take place on or before December 1, 2017. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill allows a state-supported institution of higher education to charge in-state tuition to an athlete residing anywhere in Colorado and training in an elite level program in Colorado approved by the United States Olympic committee and the governing body of an Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American, or Parapan American sport. The bill removes the requirement in current law that athletes must be residing in Colorado Springs. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Currently, the state engineer must promulgate rules for the permitting and use of waters artificially recharged into 4 named aquifers. The bill adds the requirement that the state engineer also promulgate rules for the permitting and use of waters artificially recharged into nontributary groundwater aquifers. The rules must be promulgated on or before July 1, 2018. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill prohibits a licensed physician specializing in psychiatry or a licensed or registered mental health care provider from engaging in conversion therapy with a patient under 18 years of age. A licensee who engages in these efforts is subject to disciplinary action by the appropriate licensing board. 'Conversion therapy' means efforts that seek to change an individual's sexual orientation, including efforts to change behaviors or gender expressions or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attraction or feelings toward individuals of the same sex. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
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.)
The bill requires the department of personnel to develop and annually distribute informational materials to state employees concerning federal student loan repayment programs and loan forgiveness programs for which state employees may be eligible. The department of personnel may use existing federal informational materials, if available. The informational materials may be distributed by e-mail or through a regular mailing or communication to state employees. The department of personnel shall update the materials at least annually and distribute any updated materials. In addition, the department of personnel must distribute the informational materials to: The department of education, for distribution to school district, charter school, institute charter school, and boards of cooperative services employees; The department of higher education, for distribution to employees at state institutions of higher education; The secretary of state, for distribution to nonprofit public service organizations, as defined in the bill, with encouragement for these organizations to distribute the informational materials to their employees; and The division of local government in the department of local affairs, for distribution to cities, counties, cities and counties, special districts, and other local government entities, with encouragement for those entities to distribute the informational materials to their employees.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill declares that consumers of electricity have a right to install and use electricity storage systems on their property, and this will enhance the reliability and efficiency of the electric grid, save money, and reduce the need for additional electric generation facilities. The bill directs the Colorado public utilities commission to adopt rules under which: Residential and small commercial consumers can install electricity storage systems with a discharge rate of up to 25 kilowatts (kW) alternating current (AC) for later use or to provide backup in case of an outage; The utility and interconnection approval process for photovoltaic plus storage systems must be simple and streamlined, subject to electrical code and safety requirements but not more complex than existing approval requirements for photovoltaic installations; A utility whose customer installs electricity storage must use only a single revenue meter unless the storage system exceeds a discharge rate of 25 kW AC; and Any applicable standby charges, minimum charges, additional meter charges, or other fees or charges are identical as between customers with electricity storage systems and those without.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
In 1981, the general assembly enacted legislation that prohibits counties and municipalities (local governments) from enacting any ordinance or resolution that would control rent on private residential property. The bill clarifies that an ordinance or resolution that would control rent on either private residential property or a private residential housing unit does not include an ordinance or resolution enacted by a county or a municipality that establishes, as a condition of obtaining approval for the development of a project, inclusionary housing or inclusionary zoning requirements. As used in the bill, 'inclusionary housing' or 'inclusionary zoning' means a program enacted legislatively and with opportunity for public input that requires, as a condition of obtaining approval for the development of a project, the provision of residential units affordable to and occupied by owners or tenants whose household incomes do not exceed a limit that is established in the ordinance or resolution. The bill specifies different components that may be included in an inclusionary housing program. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)