Sen. Dominick Moreno

The bill enacts the 'Snow Removal Service Liability Limitation Act', which makes void provisions of snow removal agreements that require one party to indemnify the other party for damages, hold the other party harmless for damages, and provide for the defense of the other party in a liability lawsuit. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

Current law has separate collateral relief sections for when a court orders an alternative sentence, probation, or community corrections. The bill combines collateral relief provisions into one section and authorizes a court to enter an order for collateral relief at the time of conviction of a defendant or any time thereafter. The bill requires a fingerprint-based criminal history record check only if the hearing is held after sentencing. The bill adds the authority for a juvenile court to enter an order for collateral relief using the same process as criminal courts. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

If there are fewer than 3 bidders on a design bid build highway project, a provision of current law generally prohibits the department of transportation (CDOT) from awarding a contract in an amount that is more than 10% over CDOT's estimate on the project, but allows the executive director of CDOT (executive director) to award a contract that is more than 10% but less than 25% over the estimate if the estimate is less than $1,000,000. The bill authorizes a designee of the executive director to award such a contract. Another provision of current law, which is scheduled to repeal on July 1, 2018, authorizes the executive director to award a contract for a design bid build highway project to the low responsible bidder regardless of CDOT's estimate on the project if the executive director determines that it is in the best financial, economic, or other interest of the state to do so and requires CDOT, in its annual report to its legislative oversight committees, to explain the reasons for making the award and estimate the amount of cost savings achieved by making any such award. The bill prevents the authorization and reporting requirements from being repealed. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

Currently, if a person's motor vehicle has a remote starter system and adequate security measures, he or she may leave the motor vehicle unattended while the engine is running. The bill provides that a motor vehicle may be left unattended if either a remote starter system or adequate security measures are in place. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

Statutory Revision Committee. The bill removes statutory references to section 39-28.8-604, Colorado Revised Statutes, the former proposition AA refund account that was repealed on July 1, 2017.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

Advanced placement courses are offered to high school students and reflect the information found in a college-level course. Students taking such courses have the option to take an advanced placement exam following completion of the course. Some colleges, including all state institutions in Colorado pursuant to Colorado commission on higher education policy, offer credit based on a student's advanced placement exam score. Students who take an advanced placement exam must pay an exam fee. The bill creates the advanced placement exam fee grant program (grant program) in the department of education. The grant program provides funds to high schools to reduce or eliminate the advanced placement exam fee for low-income students. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

Joint Budget Committee. The bill requires the department of health care policy and financing (department) to seek federal approval for a 6.5% increase in the reimbursement rate for certain services specified in the bill that are delivered through the home- and community-based services intellectual and developmental disabilities, supported living services, and children's extensive supports waivers. Service agencies shall use 100% of the increased funding resulting from the increase in the reimbursement rate for compensation, as defined in the bill, for direct support professionals, as defined in the bill. The bill requires service agencies to document the use of the increased funding for compensation using a reporting tool developed by the department and the service agencies, and to submit a report to the department for the 2018-19 through the 2020-21 fiscal years. The department has access to the supporting documentation and may determine that a service agency is not using the increased funding as required. The state department has ongoing discretion to request information from service agencies demonstrating how the agencies are maintaining the increases in compensation for direct support professionals beyond the 3-year reporting period. If the department determines that a service agency does not use 100% of the increased funding resulting from the increase in the reimbursement rate for compensation for direct support professionals, the service agency may take action within a specific time frame to contest the determination or submit a corrective action plan to the department. The department shall recoup from the service agency the amount of funding resulting from the reimbursement rate increase that is not used for compensation for direct support professionals. Once sufficient data is available to assess the impact and outcomes of the reimbursement rate increase on persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the department shall include the impact and outcome data, including staff stability survey data, in its annual report to the general assembly concerning the waiting list for intellectual and developmental disability services. The bill requires the department to initiate 300 nonemergency enrollments from the waiting list for the home- and community-based services developmental disabilities waiver in the 2018-19 state fiscal year. The medical services board (board) in the department shall promulgate rules establishing additional criteria for reserve capacity enrollments based on the age and capacity of a person's parent or caregiver. As part of the rule-making process, the board shall solicit stakeholder feedback from persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. The department shall include in a monthly report the number of persons who were moved off the developmental disabilities waiting list for both nonemergency enrollments and reserve capacity enrollments. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

Statutory Revision Committee. There is a crime of failure to register as a sex offender. There are a number of different ways to commit the crime, including when a sex offender moves out of state and fails to file a cancellation form with the jurisdiction where he or she will no longer reside. The language in the crime referencing the requirement to file a cancellation form does not include a citation to the statutory requirement to file the cancellation form. The bill adds that cross reference.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

Joint Budget Committee. The bill addresses numerous reforms to the funding structure for the state's child welfare services. Section 1 of the bill clarifies the types of child welfare services that must be available and provided, as necessary and appropriate, by county departments of human or social services (county departments). Sections 2 and 7 of the bill eliminate the option for county departments to maintain unspent general fund money from the child welfare services block allocation if they participate in the collaborative management program or the integrated care management program. Section 3 of the bill adds a statutory definition of and citation to the federal 'Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018'. Section 4 of the bill creates a program in the child welfare system for residential out-of-home placements for children and youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Section 5 of the bill: Changes the number of and process for appointments to the child welfare allocations committee; and Requires the development of a child welfare system funding model. Section 6 of the bill: Increases the percentage that counties are reimbursed by the state for adoption and relative guardianship subsidies from 80% to 90%; Formalizes the input process of the child welfare allocations committee; Allows the department of human services (state department) to submit supplemental budget requests for increases in out-of-home placement provider rates and adoption and relative guardianship expenditures; Modifies language concerning negotiations between county departments and providers for out-of-home placement rates; Requires capacity evaluations in counties or regions; Requires the state department to perform an analysis and cost projections to determine the fiscal impact on the state for changes in federal reimbursement rates for child welfare expenditures that result from the federal 'Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018'; Modifies the close-out process for child welfare expenditures; and Creates a child welfare prevention and intervention services cash fund into which unspent general fund money allocated to county departments through block allocations are transferred for sustainability of state-approved prevention and intervention programs and services. Section 8 of the bill creates the delivery of child welfare services task force.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

The bill establishes a primary care payment reform collaborative in the primary care office in the department of public health and environment. To facilitate the collaborative's work, the administrator of the all-payer health claims database is to report data on primary care spending by private health insurers, insurers providing state employee health benefit plans, and the department of health care policy and financing under the state medicaid program and the children's basic health plan.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More