Sen. Rachel Zenzinger

Current law requires the department of health care policy and financing to submit a written report to the joint budget committee concerning the review process for medicaid provider rates on or before November 1, 2025, and each November thereafter. The act changes the date of the first written report to November 1, 2023. APPROVED by Governor April 17, 2023 EFFECTIVE April 17, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires the state treasurer to transfer $1,800,000 from the hazardous substance site response fund to the hazardous substance response fund. APPROVED by Governor April 17, 2023 EFFECTIVE April 17, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires a county that seeks to use county department employees (employees) to deliver employment services that are funded through the federal "Wagner-Peyser Act" to create a merit system for the selection, retention, and promotion of these employees. The act requires each county's merit system to conform to specific standards. If a county already has a system in place, the county is required to update the system to comply with the standards. APPROVED by Governor April 17, 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.)

If the Colorado commission on higher education (commission) enters into a professional student exchange program through the western interstate commission on higher education (WICHE), then, subject to available appropriations, the commission shall establish policies to maximize the benefit of the exchange program to Colorado residents. The policies may include, but need not be limited to: Policies for Colorado residents seeking postsecondary optometry degrees at institutions in other states. Beginning in the 2024-25 academic year, the commission shall ensure that any student who enters the postsecondary optometry program, as a part of the student's post-educational service commitment, shall agree to provide services to Coloradans enrolled in programs established pursuant to the "Colorado Medical Assistance Act". Policies that promote the provision of services in underserved areas. Such policies may include reducing the service requirement for an individual to meet the individual's post-educational service requirement by serving in areas that have insufficient access to optometry services. The act aligns Colorado law with the current operation of WICHE professional student exchange programs. APPROVED by Governor April 17, 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.)

Starting April 1, 2024, the act allows the division of labor standards and statistics (division) in the department of labor and employment (department) to use money in the wage theft enforcement fund (fund) to pay employees who are owed money from their employers due to obligations and liabilities related to the payment of wages or other compensation. The division may pay an employee if an employer fails to fulfill an order by the division to pay the employee that results from a wage claim or an investigation: Within 6 months after the division issues a citation and notice of assessment to the employer; or If the employer requests a hearing, within 6 months after the hearing officer issues a decision. The act specifies that after the division pays the employee: The employee cannot recover that payment amount from the employer; The division replaces the employee as creditor and shall continue to pursue the payment from the employer; and Any money recovered from the employer by the division will be credited to the fund. The act requires the division to promulgate rules specifying procedures and criteria for employees to request payments and for the division to make determinations on employee requests. The act continuously appropriates money in the fund to the division for the purpose of making payments to employees for unpaid liabilities, but for purposes of the division's direct and indirect costs implementing wage laws, the money in the fund is subject to annual appropriation by the general assembly. The act excludes the fund from the limit on cash fund reserves. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $12,657 from the fund to the department for use by the department's office of the executive director for personal services. APPROVED by Governor April 17, 2023 EFFECTIVE April 17, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act expands student eligibility for the educator preparation stipend programs by increasing students' expected family contribution from no more than 200% to no more than 250% of the maximum federal Pell-eligible expected family contribution. For the 2022-23 and 2023-24 state fiscal years, expected family contribution is temporarily expanded to no more than 300% of the maximum federal Pell-eligible expected family contribution. The act allows a student who is eligible for the student educator stipend program to be placed as a student educator in a school- or community-based setting in Colorado or within 100 miles of the Colorado state border. The act modifies the Colorado commission on higher education considerations of student eligibility for the educator preparation stipend programs specific to funds appropriated for the programs from the economic recovery and relief cash fund. The act broadens the temporary educator loan forgiveness program (forgiveness program) requirements to allow applicants to be principals or special service providers in addition to teachers. The act extends the forgiveness program through July 2023, removes requirements that a school's at-risk student population must exceed 60% in order for an educator to be eligible for the forgiveness program, and expands qualified positions to include positions in any public school, board of cooperative services, or facility school in Colorado. The act also changes how the program prioritizes applicants for the program. The act directs a portion of the appropriation for the 2022-23 state fiscal year to the department of education for a portfolio management system to facilitate the multiple measures approach to the assessment professional competencies. APPROVED by Governor April 10, 2023 EFFECTIVE April 10, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

For a proposed metropolitan district that submits a service plan to one or more boards of county commissioners or one or more governing bodies of a municipality on or after January 1, 2024, the service plan is required to include: The maximum mill levy that may be imposed for the payment of general obligation indebtedness, as determined by the board of county commissioners of each county that is approving the service plan or the governing body of each municipality that is approving the service plan, as applicable; and The maximum debt that may be issued by the metropolitan district, as determined by the board of county commissioners of each county that is approving the service plan or the governing body of each municipality that is approving the service plan, as applicable. In addition to any other meetings held by the board of directors of a metropolitan district (board), beginning in the 2023 calendar year, the board is required to hold an annual meeting if the metropolitan district was organized after January 1, 2000, has residential units within its boundaries, and is not in inactive status. The board is prohibited from taking any official action at the annual meeting and shall ensure that the annual meeting includes a presentation from the metropolitan district regarding the status of public infrastructure projects within the metropolitan district and outstanding bonds, if any, a review of unaudited financial statements showing the year-to-date revenue and expenditures of the metropolitan district in relation to its adopted budget for that calendar year, and an opportunity for members of the public to ask questions about the metropolitan district. In addition, the board is required to provide a public comment period during the separate meeting at which the board adopts the annual budget for the metropolitan district. Prior to issuing debt to a director of a metropolitan district or to an entity with respect to which a director of a metropolitan district must make a disclosure pursuant to current law, the board is required to receive a statement of a registered municipal advisor certifying that specified limits on the maximum interest rate of the debt have been met. On and after January 1, 2024, the seller of residential real property that is located within a metropolitan district is required to provide the purchaser of the property with the official website established by the metropolitan district. The seller is required to provide the information on the Colorado real estate commission approved seller's property disclosure. APPROVED by Governor April 3, 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.)

Currently, the division of veterans affairs (division) is authorized to accept gifts, grants, contributions, and donations to the western slope military veterans' cemetery fund but is not authorized to expend such gifts, grants, contributions, or donations. The act gives the division such authority to expend. Current law also allows certain programs housed within the department of public safety (department) to accept and expend gifts, grants, and donations for each program's specific purpose. However, the department does not have authority to accept or expend gifts, grants, or donations generally. The act authorizes the department to accept and expend gifts, grants, and donations for the purposes of the department and creates the department of public safety gifts, grants, and donations fund. The act does not affect existing programs within the department that are authorized to accept and expend gifts, grants, and donations for their specific purposes. APPROVED by Governor March 10, 2023 EFFECTIVE March 10, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The 2022 general appropriations act is amended to balance and make adjustments to the total amount appropriated to the department of human services. The general fund, cash funds, reapproriated funds, and federal funds portions of the appropriation are increased. House Bill 22-1278 is amended to adjust the amount appropriated to the department of human services for use by the executive director's office. APPROVED by Governor March 6, 2023 EFFECTIVE March 6, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)