Sen. Dominick Moreno

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The bill creates the school security disbursement program (disbursement program) in the department of public safety (department). A school district, charter school, institute charter school, or board of cooperative services (local education provider) may apply for a disbursement by submitting an application to the department. A disbursement recipient may use the money for one or more of the purposes specified in the bill, which include building improvements to enhance security and training for school personnel. The department must review the applications received and disburse money to applicants that meet the application requirements. The department must give priority to applicants that commit to providing matching funds for the amount received. The disbursements are paid from money that is set aside in the school security disbursement program account that the bill creates within the school safety resources center fund. Each disbursement recipient must report to the department concerning its use of the money, and the department must annually provide a summary of the reports to committees of the general assembly. The disbursement program is repealed, effective July 1, 2021. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

For income tax years commencing on and after January 1, 2019, the bill generally replaces the method for sourcing of sales for purposes of apportioning the income of a taxpayer that has income from the sale of services or from the sale, lease, license, or rental of intangible property in both Colorado and other states from the cost-of-performance test in the case of services and the commercial domicile test in the case of intangible property to a market-based sourcing system. Under this new system, receipts for the sale of services or from the sale, lease, license, or rental of intangible property are apportioned to Colorado based not on where the service is performed, but where the service is delivered. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

The bill updates the current newborn screening program to require more timely newborn hearing screenings. The department of public health and environment (department) is authorized to assess a fee for newborn screening and necessary follow-up services. The bill creates the newborn hearing screening cash fund for the purpose of covering the costs of the program. The bill requires the state board of health to promulgate rules: Concerning the requirements of the newborn screening program for genetic and metabolic disorders; Requiring entities with information pertinent to newborn screening to report to the department; and To establish and maintain appropriate follow-up services for newborns at risk of hearing loss and newborns who fail to receive screening. The bill requires the department to develop and publish materials on its website for education and training on cytomegalovirus. The bill appropriates money to the department from: The information technology cash fund for use by the center for health and environmental data for an information and technology system for hearing loss screening; The newborn screening and genetic counseling cash fund for use by the laboratory services division; and The newborn hearing screening cash fund for use by the center for health and environmental data.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

The bill amends the definition of 'marijuana' to exclude prescription drug products approved by the federal food and drug administration and dispensed by a pharmacy or prescription drug outlet registered by the state of Colorado. The bill also specifies that the change does not restrict or otherwise affect regulation of or access to: Marijuana that is authorized the Colorado constitution and statutes; or Industrial hemp and derivatives therefrom, as authorized by the Colorado constitution and statutes.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

The bill aligns state law with federal 'Every Student Succeeds Act' (ESSA) provisions relating to students in foster care, referred to in state statutes as 'students in out-of-home placement'. ESSA permits students in out-of-home placement at any time during the school year to remain in their school of origin, as defined in the bill, rather than move to a different school upon placement outside of the home or changes in placement, unless the county department of human or social services (county department) determines that it is not in the child's best interest to remain in his or her school of origin. Specifically, the bill: Defines 'education provider' to include public schools, school districts, and boards of cooperative services; Clarifies the role of an education provider's child welfare education liaison with respect to the best interest determination, the transfer of records, transition planning, and immediate enrollment of the child or youth; Subject to available appropriations, establishes a permanent foster care education coordinator at the department of education with duties beginning in the 2019-20 fiscal year; Requires education providers to immediately enroll students in out-of-home placement in school even without academic and immunization records and includes provisions for requesting and receiving records from a sending school; Requires education providers and county departments to enter into agreements relating to how transportation and other necessary services for students in out-of-home placement will be provided, arranged, and funded; and Removes barriers to obtaining a high school diploma by allowing education providers to waive course requirements or provide competency-based measures to satisfy graduation requirements. Commencing with the 2019-20 fiscal year, the bill creates the educational stability grant program (grant program) in the department of education to provide, subject to available appropriations, grants to education providers to provide educational services and supports to highly mobile students. The state board of education shall adopt rules for the grant program and award the grants. The department of education shall report on the implementation and outcomes of the grant program. The bill requires county departments to develop a process for determining the best interests of a child or youth in remaining in the school of origin. Counties are required to provide services, including transportation, for students remaining in the school of origin and services for those students transferring to another school, and to enter into agreements with education providers regarding the provision of these services and funding for the services. The bill updates the definition of 'homeless child' to include children and youth and amends education statutes relating to school attendance and services for homeless children and youth. The bill makes an appropriation. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

The bill requires the department of health care policy and financing (department) to create and implement a method for meeting urgent transportation needs within the existing nonemergency medical transportation benefit under the medical assistance program. The method created by the department must provide medical service provider and facility access to approved providers who can meet urgent transportation needs, and include an efficient method for obtaining and paying for the transportation services. The department shall annually report to certain committees of the general assembly on the implementation and effectiveness of the process. The bill includes an appropriation to implement the bill. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

Joint Budget Committee. The bill establishes a task force for transition planning to make recommendations on improvements for the transition of individuals with disabilities who are receiving services and supports in an educational setting to receiving services and supports through home- and community-based services. It specifies membership on the task force and duties including making a report to specified committees of the general assembly.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

The bill changes the criteria that the department of education (department) must consider in assigning an accreditation category to a school district or the state charter school institute (institute) or in recommending the type of performance plan that a public school must implement. The bill clarifies that a school district or the institute, on its own behalf or on behalf of one of its public schools, may request reconsideration of the initial accreditation category or performance plan assignment. The bill specifies criteria the department may apply as part of the reconsideration. The bill directs the department to make training in governance and turnaround best practices available to the directors of the board of education of a school district that is accredited with improvement plan or lower or that includes a public school that is required to implement a priority improvement or turnaround plan and to make materials and training available to parents, school personnel, and school district and school accountability committees. The bill allows, rather than requires, the commissioner of education (commissioner) to assign the state review panel to evaluate a school district's, the institute's, or a public school's turnaround plan. And the commissioner may require the state review panel to conduct one or more on-site visits as part of the evaluation. In the third year in which a school district or the institute is accredited with priority improvement plan or lower, or earlier at the school district's or institute's request, the school district or institute must hold a parent and community meeting. Department personnel must attend the meeting. The bill specifies the information that must be provided at the meeting and the requirements for providing notice of the meeting. A school district or the institute, as appropriate, must also hold a parent and community meeting for a public school that is in the third year of implementing a priority improvement or turnaround plan, or earlier, and must combine the parent and community meeting with the public meeting required under existing law. Department personnel must attend the meeting. The department may require a school district or an institute charter school to provide proof of compliance with other public meeting requirements that apply to adoption of a priority improvement or turnaround plan. Under current law, if a school district or the institute is accredited with priority improvement plan or lower for 5 consecutive years, the department may recommend that the state board of education (state board) remove the school district's or institute's accreditation. The bill changes the time period, beginning with the 2018-19 school year, by providing that, if a school district or the institute performs at a level that results in being accredited with priority improvement plan or lower for 2 consecutive years followed by 3 additional years, consecutive or nonconsecutive, for a total of 5 years, the state board must require the school district or institute to take action as provided in statute. But if the school district or institute performs at a level that results in being accredited at a level higher than priority improvement plan for 2 consecutive years after the first 2 of the 5 years, then the 5 years stop accumulating. This change to calculating the 5 years also applies to a public school that performs at a level that results in being required to adopt a priority improvement or turnaround plan. While the 5 years are accumulating, the school district, institute, or public school is on performance watch. For the fourth year in which a public school, a school district, or the institute is on performance watch, the priority improvement or turnaround plan adopted by the public school, school district, or institute must include a description of how it would implement the actions that the state board may direct at the completion of 5 years on performance watch. The bill also changes the consequences for completing 5 years on performance watch. Under the bill, the commissioner must assign the state review panel to evaluate the school district's or the institute's performance and recommend one or more of several specified actions, which may include removal of accreditation. After considering the recommendations, the state board must determine the appropriate actions and direct the school district or institute accordingly. The school district or institute then goes on a 2-year cycle of evaluation by the state review panel, which may result in additional directions from the state board to the school district or institute. The school district or institute remains subject to the 2-year cycle until it performs at a level that results in being accredited with improvement plan or higher for 2 consecutive years. A comparable requirement for a 2-year cycle of review by the state review panel applies to a public school that completes 5 years on performance watch. The bill clarifies that the state board, at the request of a school district or the institute, may direct the school district or institute to take one of the specific actions, for itself or for a public school, before the school district, institute, or public school completes the 5 years on performance watch. The bill makes several changes to implementation of the performance indicators for measuring the performance of public schools, school districts, the institute, and the state, including: Repealing the specific details for calculating performance of the achievement and longitudinal growth indicators and directing the state board to specify calculations in rule; Specifying a performance indicator that measures growth to standards; Changing the terminology for describing a student's performance on the statewide assessments; and Removing the performance indicator concerning closing the achievement gaps and requiring the department to disaggregate performance by student groups in each of the remaining performance indicators and separately account for the performance of each student group on each performance indicator. The bill requires the school district accountability committees to meet quarterly to discuss whether school district leadership, personnel, and infrastructure are advancing or impeding school district performance. The bill requires the annual performance reports for public schools, school districts, the institute, and the state to specify the percentage of students enrolled by each public school, school district, or the institute who score at each of the performance levels on the statewide assessments. The bill identifies additional innovations that a public school may adopt if the state board directs that a school district convert the public school into a school of innovation. The bill changes the existing school turnaround leaders development program to the school transformation grant program. Under the school transformation grant program, in addition to awarding grants for the development of school turnaround leaders, the state board must award grants to applying school districts, the institute, and charter schools for educator professional development and to implement instructional transformation in the public schools. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

The bill extends indefinitely the 'Child Mental Health Treatment Act' and renames it the 'Children and Youth Mental Health Treatment Act' (act). Significant changes to the act include: Continuing the ability of a parent or guardian of a non-medicaid eligible child or youth to receive mental health services for the child or youth without unwarranted child welfare involvement; When evaluating a child or youth for eligibility for mental health treatment services (services), the evaluating mental health agency shall use a standardized risk stratification tool; Establishing a new definition of 'mental health agency' to capture a larger set of behavioral health services providers; Reporting requirements for the department of health care policy and financing and mental health agencies that provide services for children and youth are updated and clarified; Requiring the department of human services to maintain and update a list of providers on its website, as well as post information from various reports required by the act, excluding any personal health information; and Revising the membership of the advisory board that assists and advises the executive director of the department of human services with the development of service standards and rules for the provision of services. The bill makes conforming amendments. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More