If property taxes are levied erroneously or illegally on oil and gas leaseholds and lands and a taxpayer has not protested the valuation within the time permitted by law, then the taxpayer has 2 years from the start of the property tax year to file a petition for an abatement or refund. The board of county commissioners is required to abate the taxes, and the taxpayer is entitled to a refund for the incorrect amount and refund interest equal to 1% per month from the date a complete abatement petition is filed. The bill eliminates the refund interest related to a property tax abatement if the property tax was erroneously levied and collected as a result of an error made in an oil and gas owner or operator statement and if the taxpayer receives the abatement or refund on or before the date six months after the date that the complete abatement petition is filed. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
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The bill enacts the 'Colorado Prescription Drug Price Transparency Act of 2018', which requires: Health insurers, starting in 2021, to submit to the commissioner of insurance (commissioner), as part of the health care cost reporting requirement, information regarding prescription drugs covered under their health insurance plans that were dispensed in the preceding calendar year; Prescription drug manufacturers to notify state purchasers, health insurers, and pharmacy benefit management firms when the manufacturer, on or after July 1, 2020, increases the price of certain prescription drugs by more than 10% or introduces a new specialty drug in the commercial market; and Prescription drug manufacturers, within 15 days after the end of each calendar quarter that starts on or after July 1, 2020, to provide specified information to the commissioner regarding the drugs about which manufacturers are required to notify purchasers of a drug price increase or new specialty drug on the market. The commissioner is required to post the information received from prescription drug manufacturers on the division of insurance website. Additionally, the commissioner, or a disinterested third-party contractor, is to analyze the data submitted by health insurers and prescription drug manufacturers and other relevant information to determine the effect of prescription drug costs on health insurance premiums. The commissioner is to publish a report each year, submit the report to specified legislative committees, and present the report during annual 'State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act' hearings. The commissioner is authorized to adopt rules as necessary to implement the requirements of the act. A prescription drug manufacturer that fails to notify purchasers or fails to report required data to the commissioner is subject to discipline by the state board of pharmacy, including a penalty of $1,000 per day for each day the manufacturer fails to comply with the notice or reporting requirements. The commissioner is to report manufacturer violations to the state board of pharmacy. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) Read More
Joint Budget Committee. The bill creates in the department of higher education (department) the collaborative educator preparation grant program (grant program) to support joint initiatives among educator preparation programs, alternative teacher programs, school districts, boards of cooperative services, and public schools for preparing and placing educators. The department, working with the rural education coordinator, is directed to convene meetings of educator preparation programs, alternative teacher programs, school districts, boards of cooperative services, and public schools to assist them in jointly preparing grant initiatives. The department must review the grant initiatives that are submitted and, taking into account specified criteria, select initiatives to receive one-time grants. Each grant recipient must report specified information to the department concerning the use of the grant money. The department must submit a report to the joint budget committee and the education committees of the general assembly concerning implementation of the grant program and whether it was successful in addressing the teacher shortage in the state. The grant program repeals July 1, 2021.(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), in consultation with the Colorado healthcare affordability and sustainability enterprise board, to develop and prepare an annual report detailing uncompensated hospital costs and the different categories of expenditures made by general hospitals in the state (hospital expenditure report). In compiling the hospital expenditure report, the department shall use publicly available data sources whenever possible. Each general hospital in the state is required to make available to the department certain information, including: Hospital cost reports submitted to the federal centers for medicare and medicaid services; Annual audited financial statements; except that, if a hospital is part of a consolidated or combined group, the hospital may submit a consolidated or combined financial statement if the group's statement separately identifies the information for each of the group's licensed hospitals; Utilization and staffing information and standard units of measure; and Information accessed through a secure, online data collection and reporting system that provides a central location for the collection and analysis of hospital utilization and financial data. The hospital expenditure report must include, but not be limited to: A description of the methods of analysis and definitions of report components by payer group; Uncompensated care costs by payer group; and The percentage that different categories of expenses contribute to overall expenses of hospitals. The department is required to submit the hospital expenditure report to the governor, specified committees of the general assembly, and the medical services board in the department. The department is also directed to post the hospital expenditure report on the department's website. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Joint Budget Committee. The bill directs the department of health care policy and financing (department) to initiate a stakeholder process for purposes of preparing and submitting a redesigned children's habilitation residential program (program) waiver for federal approval that allows for home- and community-based services for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities who have complex behavioral support needs. The department may also request federal authorization to change the agency designated to administer and operate the program from the department of human services to the department. The bill includes language creating the redesigned program, relocates the program in statute, and makes conforming changes in statute to reflect the new location of the program. The new program will become effective once federal approval has been granted for the redesigned children's habilitation residential program waiver. The bill makes and reduces appropriations to the department and the department of human services 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 requires the state treasurer to transfer specified amounts from the general fund and the marijuana tax cash fund to a newly created office of state planning and budgeting youth pay for success initiatives account within the pay for success contracts fund for state fiscal years 2018-19 through 2021-22. Subject to annual appropriation, the office of state planning and budgeting may expend the money transferred to the account for its use only to fund 3 specified pay for success contracts for pilot programs designed to reduce juvenile involvement in the justice system, reduce out-of-home placements of juveniles, and improve on-time high school graduation rates, but the department of human services may expend any money appropriated to it from the account for expenses related to the administration of any pay for success contract. For the 2018-19 state fiscal year, $718,412 is appropriated from the account to the office of the governor for use by the office of state planning and budgeting, with $52,511 of that amount being reappropriated to the department of human services for use by the division of youth services for personal services and operating expenses related to the administration of any pay for success contract.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Joint Budget Committee. Current law specifies that money in the healthcare affordability and sustainability fee cash fund is continuously appropriated to the Colorado healthcare affordability and sustainability enterprise for specified healthcare related purposes. Beginning with state fiscal year 2018-19, the bill makes the expenditure of money from the fund by the enterprise subject to annual appropriation by the general assembly.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The federal energy regulatory commission requires each public utility transmission provider to participate in a regional transmission planning process to produce a regional transmission plan. If construction of an electric transmission line (line) in Colorado has been approved in a regional transmission plan or by another applicable federal regional transmission planning requirement, the bill affords an incumbent electric utility owning the existing transmission facilities to which the line will connect up to 180 days after the line has been approved to give written notice to the public utilities commission (commission) that the incumbent electric utility intends to construct, own, and maintain the line. If the incumbent electric utility does not provide notice to the commission, the incumbent electric utility surrenders its right of first refusal to construct, own, and maintain the line. If the incumbent electric utility provides the notice, the incumbent electric utility, if it is subject to the commission's regulation, shall, within 24 months after filing the notice, file an application with the commission for a certificate of public convenience and necessity to construct the line.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More
The bill establishes that family protection safeguards for a parent or prospective parent with a disability are critical to family preservation and the best interests of the children of Colorado. These safeguards include: That a parent's disability must not serve as a basis for denial or restriction of parenting time or parental responsibilities in a domestic law proceeding pursuant to title 14, without a clear nexus to the parent's ability to meet the needs of the child; in a minor guardianship proceeding pursuant to title 15, without a clear nexus to the parent's ability to meet the needs of the child; or a dependency and neglect proceeding pursuant to title 19, except when it impact the health or welfare of the child; That a parent's disability must not serve as a basis for denial of participation in a public or private adoption, or for denial of foster care or guardianship, when it is otherwise determined to be in the best interest of the child; and That the benefits of providing supportive parenting services must be considered by a court when determining parental responsibilities, parenting time, adoption placements, foster care, and guardianship, and the court may require that such supportive parenting services be provided or implemented, given the resources of the family.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill requires podiatrists, physicians, physician assistants, advanced practice nurses, and optometrists, starting July 1, 2021, and dentists and practitioners serving rural communities or in a solo practice, starting July 1, 2022, to prescribe schedule II, III, or IV controlled substances only via a prescription that is electronically transmitted to a pharmacy unless a specified exception applies. Prescribers are required to indicate on license renewal questionnaires whether they have complied with the electronic prescribing requirement. Pharmacists need not verify the applicability of an exception to electronic prescribing when they receive an order for a controlled substance in writing, orally, or via facsimile transmission and may fill the order if otherwise valid under the law. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More