The act requires the department of higher education to conduct a study concerning awarding academic credit for prior learning within all state institutions of higher education (institutions). An existing council charged with examining general education courses shall implement a plan for determining and awarding academic credit for postsecondary education based on work-related experience. The plan must not be created, adopted, or implemented unless sufficient money is available from gifts, grants, or donations to cover the costs of creating, adopting, and implementing a plan. Beginning in the 2022-23 academic year, unless a plan is implemented prior to then, institutions shall accept and transfer academic credit awarded for work-related experience as courses with guaranteed-transfer designation or part of a statewide degree transfer agreement. Beginning March 1, 2024, and each year thereafter, the council shall report to the education committees of the senate and house of representatives, or any successor committees, regarding the implementation of the credit for work-related experience plan. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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Before passage of the act, the adult education and literacy grant program (grant program) was focused on workforce development partnerships to provide adult education that leads to increased levels of employment. The act recognizes that, in addition to increasing employment, adult education is necessary to ensure an adult population that is better prepared to support the educational attainment of the next generation and actively participate as citizens in a democratic society. The act expands the grant program to provide grants to adult education providers that enter into an education attainment partnership with elementary and secondary education providers or higher education providers to assist adults in attaining basic literacy and numeracy skills that lead to additional skill acquisition and may lead to postsecondary credentials and employment and that assist adults in providing academic support to their own children or to children for whom they provide care. The act allows the state board of education, in awarding grants, to give preference to adult education programs that serve populations that are underserved by federal funding. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The governing board of an institution of higher education may, but is not required to, require a national assessment test score as an eligibility criterion for admission for first-time freshman students who graduate from high school in 2021. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act prohibits a student's assessment score from being indicated on the student's high school transcript. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act clarifies that an offender sentenced pursuant to the "Colorado Sex Offender Lifetime Supervision Act of 1998" may be released to a community corrections program only if the offender meets certain requirements for an offender being released on parole including that: The offender has successfully progressed in sex offender treatment as determined by the department of corrections and would not pose a threat to the community if released to community corrections; There is a strong and reasonable probability that the offender would not thereafter commit a new criminal offense; and After considering criteria established by the sex offender management board and other relevant factors, the executive director of the department of corrections finds that release to community corrections is appropriate.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
For the period commencing on the first day of the legislative session beginning in January of 2021, and ending on the day before the first day of the legislative session beginning in January of 2022, the act freezes the annual base compensation of members of the general assembly at $40,242, which is the same amount as the annual base compensation for members of the general assembly whose terms commenced on the first day of the legislative session beginning in January of 2019. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act grants active members of the National Guard a free eagle annual pass for entrance into state parks. The parks and wildlife commission may elect not to issue this pass if it does not receive funding from the general assembly to implement this pass. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Under current law, the alternative pilot programs to divert individuals with mental health conditions may operate in up to 4 judicial districts. The act allows the programs to be expanded into 5 or more judicial districts to increase the number of participants. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Under current law, enacted by Senate Bill 17-267, the state executed the second of 4 tranches of lease-purchase agreements of up to $500 million in principal value each before the end of state fiscal year 2019-20 for the sole purpose of funding transportation projects. Due to a favorable interest rate environment, the state actually received more than $600 million of proceeds from the execution of this second tranche of lease-purchase agreements. The act requires the first $49 million of proceeds received in excess of $500 million to be credited to the capital construction fund and appropriated for controlled maintenance projects, including controlled maintenance projects that are capital renewal projects, instead of transportation projects. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act temporarily modifies the manner in which limited gaming tax revenues are allocated between the limited gaming fund and the extended limited gaming fund ( i.e. , the portion of limited gaming tax revenues derived from increased hours of operation, enlarged wagering limit, and the addition of craps and roulette, as authorized by Colorado voters with the passage of Amendment 50 in 2008) in order to more equitably address recovery in the years immediately following the global pandemic and economic recession of 2020. The modification ends in the fiscal year following the fiscal year in which total limited gaming tax revenues again equal or exceed the total limited gaming tax revenues collected in state fiscal year 2018-19.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)