Sen. Jessie Danielson

The bill requires the department of labor and employment to create the Colorado state apprenticeship resource directory. The department shall collect detailed information on apprenticeship programs in this state, including the application process, requirements for enrollment, costs, and program outcomes. The department shall promote the availability of the directory. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

The bill updates the 'Colorado Nursery Act', last amended in 2009, to protect nursery stock by: Updating definitions, including amending the definition of 'nursery stock' and adding a definition of 'noxious weed' ( section 2 of the bill); Removing an exemption from inspections for nurseries that only sell nursery stock grown in Colorado and not exported outside of Colorado ( section 3 ); Authorizing the commissioner of agriculture to promulgate rules to add additional information to the nursery stock labeling requirements ( section 4 ); Prohibiting a person from selling, offering for sale, or distributing noxious weeds or nursery stock that is infested with noxious weeds ( section 5 ); and Raising the $100 cap on the nursery stock business registration fee to a $300 cap ( section 6 ).(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

The bill creates the Seabees license plate. In addition to the standard motor vehicle fees, the plate requires 2 one-time fees of $25. One fee is credited to the highway users tax fund and the other to a fund that provides licensing services. $1,918 is appropriated to the division of motor vehicles from the license plate cash fund to implement the bill. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

The bill prohibits a carrier that offers or issues a health benefit plan that covers pharmaceutical services, including prescription drug coverage, or a pharmacy benefit management firm managing those benefits for a carrier, from: Limiting or restricting a covered person's ability to select a pharmacy or pharmacist of the covered person's choice if certain conditions are met; Imposing a copayment, fee, or other cost-sharing requirement for selecting a pharmacy of the covered person's choosing; Imposing other conditions on a covered person, pharmacist, or pharmacy that limit or restrict a covered person's ability to use a pharmacy of the covered person's choosing; or Denying a pharmacy or pharmacist the right to participate in any of its pharmacy network contracts in this state or as a contracting provider in this state if the pharmacy or pharmacist has a valid license in Colorado and the pharmacy or pharmacist agrees to specified conditions.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

The bill creates the state women veterans office in the governor's office to ensure that Colorado women veterans have equitable access to federal and state veterans services and benefits. The bill also establishes the state women veterans steering committee. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More

Current law states that it is a discriminatory and unfair labor practice for an employer to discharge, discipline, discriminate against, coerce, intimidate, threaten, or interfere with any employee or other person because the employee inquired about, disclosed, compared, or otherwise discussed the employee's wages, unless otherwise permitted by federal law. Federal law exempts certain limited classes of employers from labor laws. The bill strikes the reference to that exemption and extends the current law to those classes of employers, thereby providing wage transparency protections to all employees.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill requires that if certain licensed securities professionals (qualified individuals), while acting within the scope of their employment, reasonably suspect that an elderly or at-risk person is the subject of financial exploitation, the broker-dealer or investment adviser shall report the suspected financial exploitation to the commissioner of securities (commissioner). The commissioner is required to forward the report to local law enforcement and to the county department of human or social services. The commissioner has access to records to conduct an investigation, but the records are not subject to an open records request. The bill also authorizes the qualified individual to notify any third party designated by or associated with the elderly or at-risk person of any suspected financial exploitation. It also authorizes the broker-dealer or investment adviser to delay disbursement of a transaction that might result in financial exploitation. The bill provides immunity to qualified individuals, broker-dealers, and investment advisers making reports, disclosures, or delaying disbursements under the bill. For qualified individuals who are also required to report mistreatment of an elderly or at-risk person pursuant to the 'Colorado Criminal Code' (code), the bill clarifies that, if the individual makes a report pursuant to the code, the individual does not have to submit a report with the commissioner, and that filing a report with the commissioner does not satisfy the individual's obligation pursuant to the code. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Interim Study Committee on Communication Between the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) and Medicaid Clients. The bill requires the department of health care policy and financing (department) to engage in an ongoing process to improve medicaid client communications, including client letters and notices, that concern eligibility for or the denial, reduction, suspension, or termination of a benefit. Among other requirements included in the bill, the department shall ensure that client communications are accurate, readable, and understandable, clearly conveying the purpose of the letter or notice and the specific action or actions that the client must take in response to the letter or notice. The bill requires the department to include in certain notices a specific and plain language explanation of the basis for the denial, reduction, suspension, or termination of a benefit; and a description of necessary information or documents that the client has not provided. If sufficient state and federal appropriations are available, on and after July 1, 2018, the department shall make available electronically a client's information concerning household composition, assets, and income sources and amounts, if relevant to the determination for which the client correspondence was issued. The department may test new or significantly revised client communications against the requirements included in the bill with a representative sample of medicaid clients, advocacy organizations, and counties prior to implementing the client communications. The department shall also develop a process to consider feedback from stakeholders and counties prior to implementing significant changes to correspondence. The department shall also ensure that letters and notices affecting clients with disabilities, seniors, and other vulnerable populations are appropriately prioritized for improvement consistent with the requirements in the bill. The department shall receive feedback from the workgroup established to provide customer and community partner feedback regarding client communications as part of the department's involvement in state-level decision-making relating to computer system changes and training. The department shall provide information concerning medicaid client communications improvements as part of its annual presentation to its legislative committee of reference. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

The bill requires the governing board of each institution of higher education to adopt, make public, and implement a prior learning assessment policy for awarding academic credit for college-level learning acquired while in the military. The policy adopted by the governing board must require each campus to use the American Council on Education's recommendations on the joint services transcript and, at its discretion, assign appropriate credit. Further, the institutions shall provide specific guidance to active duty and veteran military members in selecting a program of study and optimizing prior learning assessment credit. Finally, the institutions shall accept in transfer from other state institutions prior learning assessment credit awarded for courses with guaranteed-transfer designation. During the 2018 legislative session, the department of higher education shall report to certain committees of the general assembly concerning the policies adopted by the institutions. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)