Sen. Rachel Zenzinger

The complementary or alternative medicine pilot program (pilot program) currently applies to any person with a spinal cord injury. The bill expands the pilot program to include persons with a primary condition of multiple sclerosis, a brain injury, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, or cerebral palsy and a secondary condition of paralysis. Additionally, an eligible person must reside in either Adams county, Arapahoe county, Boulder county, the city and county of Broomfield, the city and county of Denver, Douglas county, El Paso county, Jefferson county, Larimer county, Pueblo county, or Weld county.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill specifies that housing authorities are exempt from tap fees and development impact fees imposed by a water conservancy district. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill creates the "Traveling Exotic Animal Safety Protection Act" (Act), which prohibits the use of exotic animals in a traveling animal act. A person who violates the Act commits a misdemeanor and is subject to a fine of between $250 and $1,000 per violation. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Veterans who have disabilities may obtain a special license plate without paying taxes or fees. For additional vehicles, the veteran pays the normal fees plus 2 one-time fees of $25, one of which goes to the highway users tax fund and the other goes to the licensing services cash fund. The bill creates a license plate that honors United States women veterans who have disabilities. The requirements and benefits are substantially the same as they are for a disabled veteran license plate. To implement the bill, $9,675 is appropriated from the Colorado DRIVES vehicles services account in the highway users tax fund for the division of motor vehicles. (Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.) (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Under current law, a motor vehicle fails an emissions inspection solely because a check engine light is illuminated on the motor vehicle's dashboard, regardless of what the vehicle's actual emissions are. The bill directs the air quality control commission to submit to the federal environmental protection agency by May 5, 2021, a proposed revision to the state implementation plan that would enable a vehicle that fails the on-board diagnostics test solely because a check engine light is illuminated on the vehicle's dashboard to undergo a tailpipe emissions test replace the existing on-board diagnostics test with an IM240 tailpipe emissions test as specified in guidance issued by the environmental protection agency, except in cases where the vehicle cannot be tested using the tailpipe emissions test, including where using the tailpipe emissions test would be unsafe. (Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.) (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Under current law, interior design work is exempted from the types of work regulated under the laws governing the practice of architecture. The act modifies the interior design exemption: To remove an inconsistency in the language of that exemption whereby one portion of the exemption requires that interior designers not be engaged in work that affects the life safety of building occupants and another portion of the exemption requires that interior designers engage in their work "with due concern for the life safety of the occupants of the building"; and To amend the language of the first portion of the exemption by limiting the restriction to alterations that are outside the content of interior design documents and specifications filed for the purpose of obtaining building permit approval and retains the language of the second portion of the exemption. Additionally, the act authorizes a city, city and county, or regional building authority to reject a building permit application filed by an interior designer only for a reason provided by law. The act also modifies the eligibility criteria for interior designers by removing references to educational requirements. The national certification requirement that is maintained in the statute itself includes educational requirements. Finally, the act modifies the description of "nonstructural or nonseismic" work that is within an interior designer's scope of practice. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

For renewal of an educator license, the act requires teachers, special services providers, principals, and administrators to complete 10 clock hours of the professional development required during the term of the license relating to increasing awareness of laws and practices relating to the education of students with disabilities in the classroom, including educating students with behavioral concerns or behavioral disabilities. The laws and practices include but are not limited to child find and inclusive learning environments. A licensee who has less than 3 years left in the license renewal period on June 30, 2020, has until the end of the next license renewal period to complete the professional development content requirement and may use classes and activities completed during a 5-year look-back period to comply with the content requirement. Nothing in the act prevents the licensee from applying a single professional development course to one or more content or hour requirements established in law. The act also requires each educator preparation program, alternative teacher program, and alternative principal preparation program to include course work that provides educator candidates or alternative teachers or principals with an overview of federal laws relating to the education of students with disabilities, individualized education programs, and child find and that teaches educators effective special education classroom practices, including but not limited to inclusive learning environments. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

In 2019, Senate Bill 19-242, concerning the creation of an emergency medical service provider license, was enacted to authorize a certified emergency medical service (EMS) provider to seek licensure if the provider demonstrates to the department of public health and environment that the provider has sufficient educational credentials for licensure. Numerous conforming amendments added references to licensed EMS providers where certified EMS providers were referenced in statute. Also in 2019, Senate Bill 19-065, concerning the creation of a peer health assistance program for emergency medical service providers, was enacted to establish a peer health assistance program for EMS providers. The act amends the statute created in Senate Bill 19-065 by adding references to licensed EMS providers and licensees to align Senate Bill 19-065 with Senate Bill 19-242. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act creates an online transparency task force. Interested legislators and the following individuals, or their designees, may participate in the task force: The head of each principal department; The state's chief information officer; and The executive director of the statewide internet portal authority, who is chair of the task force. The purpose of the task force is to recommend: Ways to enhance citizens' online access to rules and the rule-making process and to increase the transparency of the rule-making process; Options for the design and implementation of an integrated state rule-making web portal; Common rule-making agency reporting formats, workflows, timelines, and protocols; and An entity to manage the integrated state rule-making web portal. The task force shall submit a written report that summarizes its recommendations by January 1, 2021, to the general assembly's committees of reference with jurisdiction over business and state affairs and cease operations upon submission of the report. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)