The employer and member contribution rates for the public employees' retirement association (PERA) are specified in statute. For the 2020-21 and 2021-22 state fiscal years only, the act decreases the employer contribution rate for employers in the judicial division of PERA by 5% and increases the member contribution rate for employees in the judicial division of PERA by 5%. The contribution rates will be changed as follows: For the 2020-21 state fiscal year, the employer contribution rate is decreased from 13.91% to 8.91% of salary and the member contribution rate is increased from 9.5% to 14.5% of salary. For the 2021-22 state fiscal year, the employer contribution rate is decreased from 13.91% to 8.91% of salary and the member contribution rate is increased from 10% to 15% of salary. The act specifies that the change in contributions does not apply to the employer or member contributions for judges employed by the Denver county court. The act does not impact the employer or member contribution rates for any of the other divisions of PERA. The appropriations made to the judicial department in the annual general appropriation act for the 2020-21 state fiscal year are reduced in accordance with the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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Under current law, commencing with the 2020-21 state fiscal year and for 3 total state fiscal years, assuming certain conditions are satisfied, the state is required to transfer $30 million from the unclaimed property trust fund to the housing development grant fund to support the provision of affordable housing statewide. The act delays the starting date for the first transfer by 2 state fiscal years. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act precludes the department of labor and employment from accepting applications for, awarding, or issuing grants under the "Skilled Worker Outreach, Recruitment, and Key Training Act", also known as the "WORK Act", on or after the effective date of the act. The grant review committee is directed to submit a final report on the WORK Act grant program to the governor and specified legislative committees by August 31, 2021. The state treasurer is directed to transfer any balance in the WORK fund as of September 1, 2020, and September 1, 2021, to the general fund. The program is repealed on September 30, 2021. The act adjusts the 2020 long bill by eliminating the $3.3 million general fund appropriation for the WORK Act grant program. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act repeals the pilot programs in the division of youth services that were created to aid in the establishment of a division-wide therapeutic and rehabilitative culture, including the use of trauma-responsive principles and practices. The act makes the following appropriations: The general fund appropriations made in the annual general appropriation act for the 2020-21 state fiscal year to the department of human services for use by the division of youth services are adjusted as follows: The appropriation for personal services related to institutional programs is decreased by $406,545, and the related FTE is decreased by 4.0 FTE; and The appropriation for operating expenses related to institutional programs is decreased by $204,309.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Colorado taxpayers can claim a net operating loss deduction on their Colorado tax return. Unless statute otherwise provides, the state deduction is currently allowed in the same manner that a similar deduction is allowed under the internal revenue code to determine federal taxable income. Under current law, corporate taxpayers in Colorado are allowed to carry forward their net operating loss deduction for the same number of years as allowed for a federal net operating loss. For many years, taxpayers were limited to a 20-year carryforward period for both state and federal taxes. The federal "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" (TCJA), enacted in 2017, allowed federal taxpayers unlimited years to carry forward net operating losses. Because Colorado's statute specifies that net operating losses may be carried forward "for the same number of years as allowed for a federal net operating loss", the TCJA's change resulted in the same change to Colorado's law. The act partially decouples the corporate net operating loss deduction from the federal net operating loss deduction by returning the state's carryforward period to 20 years for net operating losses generated in income tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2021. The act also repeals a state provision that was effective only for financial institutions, so that, for purposes of the period of years a loss can be carried forward, financial institutions will now be treated the same as any other taxpayer. (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.)
For the state fiscal year beginning July 1, 2020, provides for the payment of expenses of the executive, legislative, and judicial departments of the state of Colorado, and of its agencies and institutions, for and during the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2020. The grand total for the operating budget is set at $32,749,518,270 of which $11,743,636,837 is from the general funds portion of the appropriation; $198,516,570 is from the general fund exempt portion; $9,426,117,669 is from the cash funds portion; $1,589,469,135 is from the reappropriated funds portion; and $9,791,778,059 is from the federal funds portion. The grand total for the state fiscal year beginning July 1, 2020, for capital construction projects is $113,860,792 of which $2,988,768 is from the capital construction fund portion of the appropriation; $75,374,568 is from the cash funds portion; and $35,497,456 is from the federal funds portion. The 2018 general appropriation act is amended to balance and make adjustments to the total amount appropriated to the departments of education, health care policy and financing, higher education, and state. The 2019 general appropriation act is amended to balance and make adjustments to the total amount appropriated to the departments of corrections, education, health care policy and financing, higher education, human services, state, and treasury, and the judicial department. Appropriations made in Senate Bill 19-059, concerning creation of an automatic enrollment in advanced courses grant program in the department of education and House Bill 19-1002, concerning professional development in leadership for public school principals, are amended to reduce the amount appropriated to the department of education. Appropriations made in Senate Bill 19-190, concerning measures to increase the number of individuals who are well-prepared to teach in public schools, Senate Bill 19-231, concerning the creation of the Colorado second chance scholarship in the pursuit of higher education for youth previously committed to the division of youth services, and Senate Bill 19-003, concerning the educator loan forgiveness program to address educator shortages, are amended to the reduce the amount appropriated to the department of higher education. Appropriations made in Senate Bill 19-211, concerning changes to the mental health criminal justice diversion programs, is amended to reduce the amount appropriated to the judicial department. Appropriations made in House Bill 19-1090, concerning measures to allow greater investment flexibility in marijuana businesses, is amended to clarify that a specified amount shall remain available for expenditure through the 2020-21 fiscal year. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The bill allows a person who is preregistered to vote in school district elections beginning at 16 years of age. A school district election is defined as an election to recall a school district officer or an election called under title 22, Colorado Revised Statutes, including elections for: The state board of education; School district officers; Referred measures to impose or increase mill levies or to raise and expend property taxes; Referred measures relating to the organization of or plan of representation for school districts; and Referred measures related to the financial obligations and indebtedness of school districts. When a person preregisters, they must receive information concerning their eligibility to vote in school district elections and how to update their preregistration information and obtain and cast a ballot. The bill repeals the requirement that the voter information of preregistrants be kept confidential. A preregistrant is automatically registered to vote in all elections upon turning age 18. Individuals committed to juvenile detention facilities must be given information about their right to preregister and vote in school district elections. A preregistrant can circulate and sign petitions to nominate or recall a school district officer or to initiate an election under title 22, Colorado Revised Statutes. A preregistrant cannot run for office or be appointed to fill a vacancy. If a juvenile is charged with an election offense and no other crime is charged, the juvenile court is prohibited from transferring the charge to a district court. For any election in which preregistrants are eligible to vote and in which the county clerk and recorder has responsibilities for the election, the state is required to reimburse the county for the direct costs associated with ballots sent to preregistrants. The school district's share of the costs of the election in a cost-sharing agreement must be reduced by the amount of the state's reimbursement. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill codifies a number of preventive health care services currently required to be covered by health insurance carriers pursuant to the federal "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" and adds them to the current list of services required to be covered by Colorado health insurance carriers, which services are not subject to policy deductibles, copayments, or coinsurance. The bill expands certain preventive health care services to include osteoporosis screening, urinary incontinence screening, and screening and treatment of a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Current law requires a health care provider or facility to perform a diagnostic exam for an STI and subsequently prescribe treatment for an STI at the request of a minor patient. The bill allows a health care provider to administer, dispense, or prescribe preventive measures or medications where applicable. The consent of a parent is not a prerequisite for a minor to receive preventive care, but a health care provider shall counsel the minor on the importance of bringing the minor's parent or legal guardian into the minor's confidence regarding the services. Current law requires the executive director of the department of health care policy and financing to authorize reimbursement for medical or diagnostic services provided by a certified family planning clinic. The bill defines family planning services and authorizes reimbursement for family planning services. The bill allows staffing by medical professionals to be accomplished through telemedicine. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)