The act makes revisions to the higher education funding provisions creating a new higher education funding allocation model (new funding model). The new funding model begins in the 2021-22 state fiscal year and includes new provisions for calculating fee-for-service contracts for institutions and makes related changes to the calculation of state funding to support specialty education programs, area technical colleges, and local district colleges. Under the new funding model, fee-for-service contracts for institutions are based on 3 components: Ongoing additional funding, performance funding, and temporary additional funding. The Colorado commission on higher education (commission), in conjunction with the department of higher education (department) and in collaboration with the institutions, shall calculate and make funding recommendations to the joint budget committee for these components as part of the annual budget request process. Ongoing additional funding is base building and may be awarded to an institution to make progress toward the commission's master plan goals, which may include addressing base funding disparities or funding priorities not addressed through performance funding metrics. An institution may also receive ongoing additional funding through a formula set forth in the act to recognize an institution's additional costs associated with educating and providing services to first-generation undergraduate students. Performance funding is calculated based on an institution's change over time in performance on each performance funding metric compared to other institutions' change in performance and adjusted based on each institution's share of funding in the previous state fiscal year. The performance funding metrics include: Resident student full-time equivalent enrollment; Credential completion; Resident Pell-eligible student population share; Resident underrepresented minority student population share; Retention rate; One-hundred-percent-of-time graduation rate; One-hundred-fifty-percent-of-time graduation rate; and Resident first-generation undergraduate student population share. The joint budget committee determines the amount of funding allocated to each performance funding metric for a fiscal year after considering recommendations from the commission and department that are developed in collaboration with the institutions. Finally, temporary additional funding, which is not base building, may be awarded to an institution for a specified period of time to address commission master plan goals or other areas the commission identifies. Under current law and the new model, minimum funding for specialty education programs, local district colleges, and area technical colleges is based on their previous year's funding, increased or decreased by the average percentage change in state funding for all institutions (percentage change). However, the act modifies how the percentage change is calculated so that it does not include amounts awarded to institutions for ongoing additional funding or temporary additional funding in the applicable state fiscal year. The act requires the annual budget request that the commission and the department submit relating to the new funding model to include detailed information and funding recommendations. The act also requires the commission, in conjunction with the department and in collaboration with the institutions, to identify and make recommendations to the joint budget committee by July 1, 2022, concerning ways to better measure success for students who are not first-time, full-time students. This may include a recommendation for a statutory change to the calculation of one of the graduation rate performance funding metrics. The act repeals fiscal limits, reporting requirements, and budget provisions that do not apply to the new funding model. The act amends statutory references to reflect the creation of a new higher education funding model. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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Beginning when the higher federal match afforded through the federal "Families First Coronavirus Response Act" expires, the act reduces the adult dental benefit so that it does not exceed $1,000 per year for a participant. From the savings from the reduction of the adult dental benefit in the medical assistance program, the act transfers $1,139,402 from the unclaimed property trust fund to the general fund in the 2020-21 fiscal year and $2,278,804 in the 2021-22 fiscal year. Furthermore, the act requires $331,462 to be appropriated from the healthcare affordability and sustainability fee cash fund to offset general fund expenditures for the state medical assistance program. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
For fiscal years 2019-20 and 2020-21, the act specifies that: If a provider or a school district submits a certification of public expenditure pursuant to federal law, the provider or school district shall receive federal matching funds in the amount of 50% of the amount certified, and any federal financial participation in excess of 50% of the amount certified must be transferred to the general fund for the medical assistance program; The amount of increased federal financial participation in excess of 50% generated from appropriations out of the healthcare affordability and sustainability fee cash fund must be used to offset other general fund appropriations for the medical assistance program; The amount of increased federal financial participation in excess of 50% for reimbursements and payments must be transferred from the medicaid nursing facility cash fund to the general fund for the medical assistance program expenditures; and The appropriation to the university of Colorado for fee-for-service contracts for health services is reduced by the amount of federal financial participation that exceeds 50%. The act makes adjustments to the appropriations to transfer the amounts in excess of 50% to the general fund and appropriates those amounts for the medical services program. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
For the 2019-20 state fiscal year, the act transfers: $1,397,624 from the general fund to the capital construction fund; and $21,134,709 from the information technology capital account of the capital construction fund to the general fund. For the 2020-21 state fiscal year, the act transfers: $500,000 from the general fund exempt account of the general fund to the capital construction fund; $2,043,768 from the general fund to the capital construction fund; and $445,000 from the general fund to the information technology capital account of the capital construction fund.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Existing law requires the department of local affairs (department) to award grants to counties pursuant to the community substance use and mental health services grant program (grant program) and requires the general assembly, beginning in fiscal year 2020-21, to appropriate money for the grant program from the estimated savings from House Bill 19-1263, concerning changing the penalty for certain violations pursuant to the "Uniform Controlled Substances Act of 2013". The act makes the department's requirement to issue grants subject to available appropriations, removes the requirement to appropriate money for the grant program, and states the general assembly's intent to fund the grant program with money generated from the estimated savings from House Bill 19-1263. An appropriation to the department for program costs related to field services is decreased by $66,208, and an appropriation to the department for community substance use and mental health services grants is decreased by $1,800,000. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The state work force development council (state council), in collaboration with the department of higher education, the department of labor and employment, and the department of human services (state agencies), is required to implement and maintain a free online platform (platform) to provide Coloradans with personalized information to assist them in making career and education planning decisions; except that this requirement is subject to available appropriations or money from other sources. The state council and the state agencies may conduct outreach and training for the individuals who provide career counseling and for the public to promote awareness of the platform. For the purposes of implementing and maintaining the platform, the state council may receive money from other state agencies, the general assembly may appropriate money to the state council, and the state council may solicit, accept, and expend gifts, grants, and donations. The state council may transfer any money appropriated by the general assembly for the purposes of the platform to the department of higher education to implement and maintain the platform, to disseminate information regarding the platform, and to provide training about the platform. The governor's office of information technology (office) is required to ensure that the platform complies with state and federal information technology security and privacy requirements and standards. To ensure such compliance, the office is required to ensure that the contract for the platform includes a requirement that the vendor conduct an external security assessment that complies with the office's requirements and standards and that the assessment and remediation plan be shared with the office. In addition, the state auditor may, in his or her discretion, conduct an audit or assessment of the online platform and of the administration and maintenance of the platform. The authority to implement and maintain the platform is repealed, effective June 30, 2025. Before the repeal, the joint technology committee is required to assess the impact, effectiveness, and compliance with state and federal information technology requirements and standards of the platform and to make a recommendation to the general assembly regarding whether to continue the platform. The act specifies that the department of higher education shall provide certain notice that it is already required by law to provide to certain students and parents of students in Colorado, through the platform. In addition, the act repeals requirements that each board of education and the state charter school institute ensure that students in the sixth grade are registered with a previously used online platform, known as College in Colorado. The act repeals the talent pipeline cash fund and authorizes the general assembly to appropriate money from the general fund to the state council for the purposes of the state council. The act also specifies that state council requirements related to career pathways are subject to available appropriation or money from other sources. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act repeals the Colorado advisory council for persons with disabilities and the disabled parking education program. The general fund appropriation made in the annual general appropriation act for the 2020-21 state fiscal year to the department of human services for use by the special purpose division for the Colorado advisory council for persons with disabilities is decreased by $238,497 and the related FTE is decreased by 1.0 FTE. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act suspends for 3 years transfers to the child welfare prevention and intervention services cash fund of unspent general fund appropriations to the child welfare services line item. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act repeals several statutory provisions that allow for unexpended money in programs operated by the department of human services (department) to remain in the program fund rather than reverting to the general fund. The act repeals other statutory provisions that require the general assembly to appropriate money to a department program. The affected programs and funds include the: Aid to the needy disabled program; Child support collection fund; Child care services and substance use disorder treatment pilot program; and High-risk families cash fund. The act makes the following appropriations: (1) Appropriations made in the annual general appropriation act for the 2020-21 state fiscal year to the department of human services for use by adult assistance programs are adjusted as follows: (a) The general fund appropriation for administration is decreased by $165,149, and the related FTE is decreased by 0.1 FTE; and (b) The general fund appropriation for the disability benefits application assistance program is decreased by $3,589,850. (2) The general fund appropriation made in the annual general appropriation act for the 2020-21 state fiscal year to the department of human services for use by the office of early childhood for the child care services and substance use disorder treatment pilot program is decreased by $500,000 and the related FTE is decreased by 0.6 FTE. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act repeals the requirement that amounts appropriated to the division of criminal justice in the department of public safety for the law enforcement assistance grant program that are unexpended and unencumbered remain available for expenditure by the division in the next fiscal year without further appropriation. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)