The act establishes the Colorado fostering success voucher program (program) in the department of human services (DHS). The purpose of the program is to provide housing vouchers and case management services to eligible youth. Case management service agencies are eligible to participate in the program if they are currently participating in a certain type of foster youth program. Eligibility criteria for youth include: Being at least 18 years of age but less than 26 years of age; Having had prior experience in one of several ways with the foster care or kinship care system; Experiencing homelessness or being at imminent risk of homelessness and agreeing to receive case management services; Being a Colorado resident; and Having an income level below that determined by the state department of local affairs (DOLA). DHS and DOLA shall develop a joint administration and implementation plan for the program. Availability, standards, and services for the program are listed in the act. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, $2,674,677 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of human services for use by the division of child welfare. The division may use this appropriation for preventing youth homelessness and implementation of this act. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, the general assembly anticipates that the department of human services will receive $22,096 in federal funds for use by the division of child welfare to implement this act. APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2023 EFFECTIVE June 5, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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Current law requires adult education providers (providers) that participate in the department of education's (department) adult education and literacy grant program (program) to offer eligible adults basic education in literacy and numeracy that leads to additional skills acquisition, postsecondary credential attainment, and employment. The act adds "digital literacy" to the basic education offered to eligible adults and adds that an eligible adult may earn a high school diploma or equivalency certificate. The act describes services that providers may offer to eligible adults, which include in-person or online instruction, the development of learning plans, coaching, and mentorship. The act amends the reporting requirements for providers of the program, including that administrative costs not exceed 10% of the awarded funds. The act permits the office within the department that is responsible for adult education to use data matching with relevant state agencies to determine post-program participation outcomes. The act allows community colleges, area technical colleges, and local district colleges (colleges) to develop and implement minimum graduation requirements for a high school diploma based on the high school graduation requirements of a school district within the geographic area of the colleges. Colleges are required to award a high school diploma to a student who successfully completes the high school graduation requirements implemented by the colleges. The act appropriates $2 million from the general fund to the department for the program. APPROVED by Governor June 2, 2023 EFFECTIVE June 2, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law criminalizes auto theft as "aggravated motor vehicle theft in the first degree" and "aggravated motor vehicle theft in the second degree." The penalties for both aggravated motor vehicle thefts are based on the value of the vehicle or vehicles stolen. The act changes the term "aggravated motor vehicle theft" to "motor vehicle theft," changes the elements for motor vehicle theft in the first degree and second degree, and creates the offense of motor vehicle theft in the third degree. The penalties for motor vehicle theft are no longer based on the value of the vehicle or vehicles stolen. The act makes motor vehicle theft in the first degree a class 3 felony, motor vehicle theft in the second degree a class 4 felony, and motor vehicle theft in the third degree a class 5 felony. The act creates the offense "unauthorized use of a motor vehicle" and makes it a class 1 misdemeanor, or a class 5 felony for a second or subsequent offense. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, $24,409 is appropriated from the Colorado DRIVES vehicle services account in the highway users tax fund to the division of motor vehicles in the department of revenue for DRIVES maintenance and support. APPROVED by Governor June 2, 2023 EFFECTIVE July 1, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act changes the minimum amount of items of special mobile machinery required to be located in the state from 1000 items to 250 items in order for the owner of the special mobile machinery to be eligible for a registration exempt certificate issued by the department of revenue (department). An owner of special mobile machinery that is issued a registration exempt certificate shall pay all fees and surcharges that would otherwise be paid at the time of registration and any other fees and surcharges due for each item of special mobile machinery upon application, renewal, or within 20 days of the expiration of a registration exempt certificate. To ensure proper administration of registration exempt certificates and payment of the required fees and surcharges, an owner of special mobile machinery is also required to report information about all its special mobile machinery located in the state to the department when applying for or renewing a registration exempt certificate or within 20 days of the expiration of a registration exempt certificate. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, $113,476 is appropriated from the Colorado DRIVES vehicle services account in the highway users tax fund to the department for use by the division of motor vehicles to implement the act. APPROVED by Governor June 2, 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.)
Under Colorado law, an art gallery may obtain a permit to serve complementary alcohol beverages, but a permit holder is prohibited from: Selling alcohol beverages by the drink; Serving alcohol beverages for more than 4 hours in a 24-hour period; Serving alcohol beverages more than 15 days per year; Charging an entrance fee or a cover charge in connection with offering complimentary alcohol beverages; Violating the "Colorado Liquor Code"; or Allowing more than 250 people to be on the premises at one time when alcohol beverages are being served. The act broadens this permit to allow most retail establishments to obtain the permit if the establishment conducts business at a physical building in Colorado, sells goods or services to the public at the location, and derives less than 50% of the establishment's gross sales of goods and services from the sale of food. The prohibitions for art gallery permit holders are not changed and apply to a retail establishment that obtains a permit; except that: The prohibition on selling alcohol is broadened to cover the sale of alcohol beverages in any form; The number of days that an establishment may serve alcohol beverages in a year is increased from 15 to 24 days; Maximum serving sizes are set for beer, wine, and spirits; A person is prohibited from holding the permit and another liquor license; Serving or distributing alcohol beverages is prohibited between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m.; and Serving underage guests is prohibited and underage servers are prohibited. To implement the act, $98, 744 is appropriated from the liquor enforcement division and state licensing authority cash fund to the department of revenue for use by the liquor and tobacco enforcement division. APPROVED by Governor June 2, 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 in its 2022 sunset report by: Extending the regulation of nursing home administrators 5 years, to September 2028; Authorizing the board of examiners of nursing home administrators to discipline a licensee for failing to respond to a complaint; and Removing the requirement that a letter of admonition to a licensee be sent through certified mail. Beginning January 1, 2024, the act also requires nursing home administrators to submit to a check in the department of human services adult protective services data system to determine if the person is substantiated in a case of mistreatment of an at-risk adult. APPROVED by Governor June 2, 2023 PORTIONS EFFECTIVE June 2, 2023 PORTIONS EFFECTIVE January 1, 2024 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires the department of health care policy and financing (state department) to study the feasibility of extending continuous medical coverage for additional children and adults. The state department is required to submit a report detailing its findings and recommendations from the feasibility study to the joint budget committee of the senate and house of representatives, the governor, and to the house of representatives public and behavioral health and human services committee and the senate health and human services committee, or any successor committees, by January 1, 2026, and also make the report publicly available. No later than April 1, 2024, the state department must seek federal authorization to extend continuous eligibility coverage for children under 3 years of age, including children who would be eligible for medical assistance coverage but are not because of their immigration status, and to extend eligibility coverage for 12 months for adults who have been released from a Colorado department of corrections facility, regardless of any change in income during that time. Upon approval of the federal authorization, the state department shall implement continuous eligibility coverage by January 1, 2026. The act appropriates $337,765 from the general fund to the state department for use by the executive director's office (office). From this appropriation the office may use $192,915 for personal services, $20,050 for operating expenses, and $124,800 for general professional services and special projects. The act anticipates that the state department will receive $337,765 in federal funds to implement this act. APPROVED by Governor June 1, 2023 EFFECTIVE June 1, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act eliminates the requirement that a local government that offers police or fire protection services (employer) must contribute to the law enforcement officers' and firefighters' continuation of benefits fund (fund) to be eligible to have the continuation of medical and dental benefits for dependents of an employee who died in a work-related death paid for from the fund for one year. Instead, the act makes any employer eligible to have the continuation of benefits paid for from the fund for one year when an employee dies in a work-related death. To provide for the costs of ongoing claims, the state treasurer is directed to transfer $150,000 from the general fund to the fund on July 1, 2023, and on July 1 each year thereafter through July 1, 2025. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $150,000 from the fund to the department of the treasury to be used for the implementation of the act. APPROVED by Governor June 1, 2023 EFFECTIVE June 1, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires the department of health care policy and financing (department) to: At least quarterly, publish on its website an audit activity report detailing current and recently completed recovery audits and summaries of the findings of recovery audits; When the department enters into a new contract for recovery audits, post on its website a copy of the contract, scope of work, and information regarding supervision of contractor deliverables for such audits; At least quarterly, conduct trainings for providers and hold stakeholder meetings; and Create a provider advisory group to advise the department on issues that providers have concerning the recovery audits. The act requires the office of the state auditor to: During the 2023-24 state fiscal year, contract for an independent review of the department's recovery audit contractor program for compliance with requirements of the federal recovery audit contractor's program, coding practice standards, and state law; and Contract with an entity to assess federal flexibilities to improve the recovery audit contractors program and assist the department in pursuing those flexibilities. The act appropriates from the general fund $39,287 to the department and $850,000 to the legislative department for use by the office of the state auditor. APPROVED by Governor June 1, 2023 EFFECTIVE June 1, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act adjusts the supplemental medicaid payment rates a qualifying nursing facility receives from the department of health care policy and financing (state department). Beginning July 1, 2024, the payment must not be less than 12% of total provider fee payments and must be adjusted for fiscal years 2024-25 and 2025-26. No later than July 1, 2026, the payment must not be less than 15% of total provider fee payments and must be annually adjusted thereafter. Current law limits the annual increase of the general fund share of the aggregate statewide average of the per diem rate to not more than 3%. The act removes this limitation and requires that the general fund share be calculated based on specific percentage increases. The act requires the state department to initiate a process no later than July 1, 2023, to remove the medicare costs from the provider rate setting by July 1, 2026. The act repeals the requirement that only such costs as are reasonable, necessary, and patient-related be reported for reimbursement purposes. The act authorizes the state department to require a nursing facility, as a condition of receiving medicaid funds, to submit any documentation necessary to ensure the state's interest in transparency, stability, and sound fiscal stewardship. As part of developing and implementing a transition plan to regulate nursing facility reimbursement, the act requires the state department to: No later than July 1, 2026, define "nursing home reimbursement" and provide payments to nursing facilities; Engage with stakeholders regularly to seek input on any proposed methodology changes; and From November 1, 2023, to November 1, 2026, submit an annual report to the joint budget committee of the general assembly regarding the implementation process. Each nursing facility that receives medicaid funds is required to submit a plan to the state department that demonstrates how the nursing facility will: Improve the health and safety of the nursing facility's residents, including infection control and staffing; Increase access to care; Improve financial sustainability, including opportunities for diversification of business lines and stabilization of revenue streams; and Promote innovation to meet the emerging needs of individuals with disabilities and aging and older adults. The act requires the state department to issue additional supplemental payments to nursing facility providers with disproportionately high medicaid utilization, to facilities that are geographically critical to ensuring access to care, and to facilities that admit compassionate release individuals from the department of corrections. The act requires each nursing facility that receives medicaid funds to develop and submit a plan to the state department that meets the state department's standards and demonstrates how the nursing facility will improve the health and safety of the nursing facility's residents, increase access to care, improve financial sustainability, and promote innovation to meet the emerging needs of individuals with disabilities and aging and older adults. Effective July 1, 2028, the act repeals the requirement that the state department exempt certain nursing facility providers from the provider fee. Effective July 1, 2026, the act repeals: The process for providing a wage enhancement supplemental payment to eligible nursing home providers that pay their employees a wage of at least $15 per hour; and Requirements for issuing additional supplemental payments to nursing facility providers that meet certain requirements. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $30,509,457 from the general fund to the state department for medical and long-term care services for medicaid eligible individuals. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, the general assembly anticipates that the state department will receive $31,754,740 in federal funds for medical and long-term care services for medicaid eligible individuals to implement the act. APPROVED by Governor May 30, 2023 EFFECTIVE May 30, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)