Sen. Dennis Hisey

After receipt of the amounts to be levied against taxable property in the county, the board of county commissioners or other taxing authority (BOCC) is required to hold a formal hearing and to certify such levies to the county assessor. The act gives the BOCC the option to authorize the levies by written approval rather than by formal hearing and to delegate the certification process to staff or other authorized parties.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires the department of personnel (department) to create and maintain an inventory of unused state-owned real property and to determine whether the unused state-owned real property identified is suitable for construction of affordable housing, child care, public schools, residential mental and behavioral health care, or for placement of renewable energy facilities, or if such property is suitable for other purposes. The act defines unused state-owned real property as real property owned by or under the control of a state agency, not including the division of parks and wildlife in the department of natural resources and not including the state board of land commissioners or any state institution of higher education.The department is authorized to seek proposals from qualified developers to construct affordable housing, child care, public schools, residential mental and behavioral health care, or to place renewable energy facilities on unused state-owned real property that the department has deemed suitable. Budget requests for those purposes must be made through the current budgetary process; except that budget requests may not be made through a request for a supplemental appropriation.The department is authorized to enter into contracts with qualified developers for proposals to construct affordable housing, child care, public schools, residential mental and behavioral health care, or to place renewable energy facilities, on unused state-owned real property that the department has deemed suitable, subject to available appropriations. Prior to entering into contracts, the department must first submit a report to capital development committee (CDC) that outlines the anticipated use of the property. The department may not enter into contracts without the approval of the CDC.The act creates the unused state-owned real property cash fund to which the state treasurer is required to credit all proceeds from the sale, rent, or lease of unused state-owned real property.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires the department of human services (state department) to establish procedures to approve recovery support services organizations for reimbursement of peer support professional services. The act also gives the executive director of the state department rule-making authority to establish other criteria and standards as necessary.The act permits a recovery support services organization to charge and submit for reimbursement from the medical assistance program certain eligible peer support services provided by peer support professionals.The act authorizes the department of health care policy and financing to reimburse recovery support services organizations for permissible claims for peer support services submitted under the medical services program.The act requires contracts entered into between the state department's office of behavioral health and designated managed service organizations to include terms and conditions related to the support of peer-run recovery support services organizations.For the 2021-22 state fiscal year, $28,654 is appropriated to the state department from the general fund for use by the office of behavioral health to implement this act.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The justice reinvestment crime prevention initiative (initiative), administered by the Colorado department of local affairs in the division of local government (department), incorporates programs that expand small business lending and provide grants aimed at reducing crime and promoting community development in certain target communities. Effective September 1, 2021, the act:Expands the initiative to include Grand Junction and Trinidad; and Adds a statewide business and entrepreneurship training and grant program for justice-system-involved persons to the initiative. The act also modifies the sunset review and repeal date for the initiative from September 1, 2023, to September 1, 2027, and makes an appropriation.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act creates the Colorado meeting and events incentive program (program) in the Colorado tourism office (office) to provide rebates and direct support to eligible events in Colorado to assist in the state's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.An eligible event means an event, including a meeting, conference, or festival, that:Takes place in Colorado between July 1, 2021, and December 31, 2022; Can demonstrate a significant economic benefit for the host community as determined by the office; Generates at least 25 paid overnight stays in a motel, hotel, vacation rental, or other lodging establishment; and Meets any additional criteria established by the office. The program may offer rebates of up to 10% of the hard costs of an eligible event. A hard cost means an actual incurred cost associated with hosting the event, as determined by the office in consultation with industry stakeholders. The program may also offer rebates of up to 25% for COVID-19-related costs, which are hard costs that are directly related to complying with public health orders or other mandates issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as determined by the office in consultation with industry stakeholders. The primary organizer or booking agent, as determined pursuant to guidelines developed by the office, may apply for and receive the rebate for an eligible event.The program may provide direct support to attract eligible events that have the potential to generate significant economic impact and affect multiple counties. The costs of all such direct support cannot exceed 5% of the total appropriation for the program.The office is required to create guidelines for the program. In doing so, the office must consider mechanisms to:Make rebates and direct support available equitably and proportionally across the state; Prioritize events with significant economic impacts; and Retain existing events with a demonstrated risk of cancellation, delay, or relocation in addition to attracting new events to the state. The act appropriates $10 million to the office for the program. The program is repealed, effective January 1, 2024.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act directs the state treasurer to make an immediate, one-time transfer of $3 million from the general fund to the energy fund administered by the Colorado energy office (CEO). The CEO may use the money for making grants for the weatherization assistance program. The act requires the CEO to periodically report on its expenditures to the office of state planning and budgeting and the general assembly.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Colorado law requires a driver or operator of certain types of motor vehicles or equipment to, in certain circumstances, stop at a railroad crossing at a safe place, look for trains at the crossing, proceed safely through the crossing, not block the train's crossing, and obey signals. The act amends these safety provisions to apply to, in addition to trains, any equipment that operates on railroad tracks.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires the state department of human services (state department) to reimburse a county or district department of human or social services (county department) for costs paid by the county department to a public or private driving school for the provision of driving instruction to an individual in the custody of the county department who is 15 to 20 years of age.The act does not waive or limit a county department's governmental immunity or place any liability on a county department for:Contracting with a driving school to provide driving instruction to an individual who is in the custody of the county department; or An injury alleged to have occurred while an individual in the custody of the county department received driving instruction. The act requires the state board of human services to promulgate rules on or before December 1, 2021, to administer the new requirements.The act states that:A guardian ad litem, an official of a county department, or an official of the division of youth services in the state department who signs a minor's application for an instruction permit or a minor driver's license but does not sign an affidavit of liability does not impute liability on themselves, on the county, or on the state for any damages caused by the negligence or willful misconduct of the applicant; and An individual who is in the custody of the state department or a county department who does not possess all of the required documents to apply for an instruction permit or a minor driver's license may be eligible for exception processing pursuant to rules of the department of revenue. The act requires the executive director of the department of revenue to promulgate rules on or before November 1, 2021, establishing, to the extent permissible under federal law, forms of documentation that are acceptable for the purpose of allowing individuals who are in the custody of the state department or a county department to verify their legal residence in the United States, establish identity, and satisfy any other prerequisites for the acquisition of an instruction permit or a minor driver's license.For the 2021-22 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $54,180 to the department of human services for use by the division of child welfare to implement the act.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act enacts the "Audiology and Speech-language Pathology Interstate Compact", which allows audiologists and speech-language pathologists licensed in any compact state to provide:Audiology or speech-language pathology services in each member state under a privilege to practice; and Telehealth services in each member state under a privilege to practice. To obtain a privilege to practice, an audiologist or speech-language pathologist must obtain a fingerprint-based criminal history record check, which is then considered in determining the applicant's qualifications to practice under the compact. The act authorizes the director of the division of professions and occupations in the department of regulatory agencies to promulgate rules and to facilitate Colorado's participation in the compact, including notification to the compact commission of any adverse action taken by the director against a Colorado audiologist or speech-language pathologist.The act makes the following appropriations:$151,440 and 0.3 FTE to the department of regulatory agencies from the division of professions and occupations cash fund, which includes $15,425 for personal services, $19,000 for operating expenses, $17,014 to purchase legal services from the department of law, and $100,000 to purchase information technology services from the governor's office; $17,014 and 0.1 FTE to the department of law from reappropriated funds from the department of regulatory agencies; $100,000 and 0.1 FTE to the office of the governor for use by the office of information technology from reappropriated funds from the department of regulatory agencies; and $140,676 and 0.8 FTE to the department of public safety for use by the Colorado bureau of investigation from the Colorado bureau of investigation identification unit cash fund.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)