Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer

The act requires that the board of a special district, within 30 days of receiving a written request from any county, city and county, or municipality within the boundaries of which the special district operates or partly operates, provide the rate schedule for the special district's tap fees, system development fees, or other fees and charges that contemplate future water or sanitation system usage, and, upon request of the local government, provide any professional analyses and a detailed written justification of the costs and methodologies used to calculate those fees. APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act clarifies what constitutes an abbreviated school day and describes the effects of placing children with disabilities on abbreviated school day schedules (abbreviated schedule). The act requires the department of education (department) to create and implement a policy that explains the: Definition of an abbreviated school day, including how the definition applies to attendance and school discipline; Circumstances in which abbreviated schedules are permissible and impermissible; Roles of the teams who determine whether to assign children with disabilities to abbreviated schedules; Extent to which children with disabilities may participate in field trips, school functions, and extracurricular activities; Documentation and maintenance of records relating to children with disabilities' abbreviated schedules; Review of abbreviated schedules on a regular basis by the teams who determine whether to assign children with disabilities to abbreviated schedules; Information that parents, legal guardians, or custodians of children with disabilities (parents) must receive regarding whether parents may consent to, revoke consent to, or oppose abbreviated schedules; and Procedural safeguard information distributed to parents prior to meetings in which abbreviated schedules are discussed. Each administrative unit shall adopt the department's policy and create a plan to support children with disabilities who are assigned an abbreviated schedule. The plan must include the outcomes for placing children with disabilities on an abbreviated schedule and a description of the stages for gradual reintroduction to return children with disabilities to full-time school day schedules. The department shall provide annual training and ongoing technical assistance to administrative units. On or before July 1, 2026, and each July 1 thereafter, a school district, a district charter school, an institute charter school, or a board of cooperative services shall submit a report to the department summarizing: The number of children with disabilities who were placed on abbreviated schedules during the preceding school year; The number of days and the percentage of the school year that each child with disabilities was placed on an abbreviated schedule; The student demographic information for each child with disabilities placed on an abbreviated school day schedule, including race, gender, English language learner status, and whether the child has a disability pursuant to federal law, to the extent possible while maintaining student privacy; and The student demographic data collected, disaggregated by race, gender, English language learner status, and disability status pursuant to federal law, to the extent possible while maintaining student privacy. The act requires the department to post the reports to the department's website on an annual basis. Beginning in January 2027, and in January every year thereafter, the department shall include as part of its presentation during its "SMART Act" hearing information concerning abbreviated schedules. By the beginning of the 2025-26 school year, the department shall standardize the reporting method that schools of a school district, district charter schools, school districts, institute charter schools, and the state charter school institute use to collect and report data concerning: Instructional hours; School calendars; and The number of hours students spend on instructional time during the school year. Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, and each school year thereafter, the department shall collect from schools of a school district, district charter schools, school districts, institute charter schools, and the state charter school institute, at a minimum, the following data: Days of instruction for elementary and secondary schools; Instructional hours for elementary and secondary schools; Estimated non-instructional hours, school closures, snow days, and time spent on lunch and passing between classes; and The number of days and percentage of the school year students were placed on abbreviated schedules. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, $250,108 is appropriated to the department from the general fund to implement this act. APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 5, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

On or before July 1, 2026, the act requires the department of education to: Create, deliver, and make publicly available a training program, in plain and easy-to-understand language, regarding individualized education program laws and procedures, including parent and student rights; and Deliver the training program in person and make the training program and related information publicly available online. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $75,288 from the general fund to the department to implement the act. APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The state received money from the federal coronavirus state fiscal recovery fund pursuant to the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" (ARPA money). ARPA money was deposited into the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" cash fund and then transferred to various cash funds (recipient funds) and appropriated for various programs. The act requires the state treasurer to transfer specified amounts of ARPA money from specified recipient funds at the close of the 2023-24 state fiscal year to the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" cash fund. The act requires the state treasurer to transfer money from the general fund to a new ARPA refinance state money cash fund. Money in the new ARPA refinance state money cash fund is transferred to the specified recipient funds. The act requires the general assembly to appropriate ARPA money from the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" cash fund to state departments for personal services in fiscal year 2023-24. For fiscal year 2024-25, the general assembly shall appropriate the balance of the cash fund for personal services or for other purposes permitted under the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021", and that money must be expended on or before January 31, 2025. On December 1, 2024, any unspent and unobligated ARPA money in a recipient fund, other than money designated for personal services or operating costs that will be spent by January 31, 2025, reverts to the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" cash fund. The reverted money is continuously appropriated to any department designated by the governor for any purpose that was funded with general fund money in the general appropriations act for fiscal year 2024-25. After December 31, 2024, any ARPA money in a recipient fund that was obligated as of December 31, 2024, but not expended on an eligible activity at the conclusion of the appropriation reverts to the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" cash fund and is continuously appropriated to any department designated by the governor for any purpose for which a general fund appropriation was made in the general appropriation act for the state fiscal year in which the reversion occurred. The amount of general fund money appropriated in a line item in a general appropriations act is reduced by the amount of ARPA money appropriated pursuant to the act's provisions that is spent for the line item. The act repeals the requirement for a subrecipient to obligate ARPA money by November 30, 2024. The act authorizes the state controller to take certain measures to implement the act and ensure that ARPA money is expended within the time allowed by federal law. The governor and the state controller shall jointly submit a report to the joint budget committee, the speaker of the house of representatives, the minority leader of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, and the minority leader of the senate about the transfers in the act and about spending ARPA money. The act makes changes to various programs related to refinancing ARPA money, including clarifying spending and obligation deadlines for program money that is not ARPA money and exempting the use of state money from requirements for capital construction projects that use federal money. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, the act makes the following appropriations from the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" cash fund for personal services: $495 million to the department of corrections, $214 million to the department of human services, and $309 million to the judicial department. The total general fund appropriation made in the annual general appropriation act for the 2023-24 state fiscal year to each department is reduced by the same amount. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the act makes the following appropriations from the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" cash fund for personal services: $324 million to the department of corrections, $63,182,048 to the department of human services, and $200 million to the judicial department. The total general fund appropriation made in the annual general appropriation act for the 2024-25 state fiscal year to each department is reduced by the same amount. The act changes the source of funds for existing appropriations involving refinanced ARPA money. APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 5, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act designates women veterans appreciation day as an observed, but not a legal, state holiday on June 12 of each year, and provides that appropriate observance may be held in tribute to the service and sacrifice of women veterans. APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act extends for an additional 5 years the availability of the state income tax credit allowed to a taxpayer for an approved environmental remediation of contaminated property, through income tax years commencing prior to January 1, 2030. APPROVED by Governor June 4, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act creates a process for the establishment of a county revitalization authority (authority). An authority is a corporate body that uses tax increment and private financing to conduct a county revitalization project (project) in a revitalization area in accordance with a county revitalization plan. A county revitalization plan (plan) is a plan for the project. A plan must be: Reviewed by the county planning commission, accompanied by a county revitalization impact report, the subject of a public hearing, and approved by the board of county commissioners (the governing body). Any modifications to the plan must also be approved by the governing body. A plan may provide for tax increment financing. An authority may not undertake a project unless, based on evidence presented at a public hearing, the governing body by resolution has both determined that the area where the authority will undertake the project is a revitalization area and designated the area as appropriate for the project. A revitalization area is an area that, upon the implementation of a plan, could substantially promote the sound growth of the county, improve economic and social conditions, and further the health, safety, and well-being of the public. The creation of an authority may be initiated by the registered electors of a county filing a petition with the governing body or by the governing body adopting a resolution. In either case, there is a public hearing and, after that hearing, the governing body determines whether to create the authority. If a governing body decides to create an authority, the governing body appoints the authority commissioners, except for commissioners who are appointed by and as representatives of special districts that have joined the authority. Any taxing entity, other than the county itself or a school district, that levies taxes in an area that would fall under the plan proposed by an authority may file a petition with the authority requesting to join the authority. The authority shall hold a hearing to determine whether to allow the taxing entity to join the authority. An authority may: Undertake projects; Agree with the county or other relevant public body to plan, replan, zone, or rezone any part of the county or other public body in connection with a project; Make bylaws, orders, rules, and regulations; Make and execute contracts; Acquire property by purchase, lease, option, gift, grant, devise, condemnation, or eminent domain; Dedicate property acquired by the authority for public works, improvements, facilities, utilities, and other purposes; Mortgage, pledge, hypothecate, or otherwise encumber or dispose of its property; Set aside, dedicate, and devote project real property to public uses in accordance with the plan or set aside, dedicate, and transfer real property to an appropriate public body for public uses in accordance with the plan; Sell, lease, or otherwise transfer real property or any interest therein acquired by the authority as part of a project; Insure any of its properties or operations; Invest any of its money in the same manner as a public body; Issue bonds; Borrow money and apply for and accept loans, grants, and contributions; Make appropriations and expenditures of its money; Establish and maintain general, separate, or special funds and bank accounts; and Make reasonable relocation payments to individuals, families, and business concerns situated in the county revitalization area that will be displaced by the authority. An authority does not have any power to levy or assess ad valorem taxes, personal property taxes, or any other forms of taxes, including special assessments against any property. APPROVED by Governor June 4, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

With regard to prior authorization requirements imposed by carriers, private utilization review organizations (organizations), and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) for certain health-care services and prescription drug benefits covered under a health benefit plan, the act requires carriers, organizations, and PBMs, as applicable, to adopt a program, in consultation with participating providers, to eliminate or substantially modify prior authorization requirements in a manner that removes administrative burdens on qualified providers and their patients with regard to certain health-care services, prescription drugs, or related benefits based on specified criteria. Additionally, a carrier or organization is prohibited from denying a claim for a health-care procedure a provider provides, in addition or related to an approved surgical procedure, under specified circumstances or from denying an initially approved surgical procedure on the basis that the provider provided an additional or a related health-care procedure. Starting January 1, 2027, if a provider submits a prior authorization request through an electronic interface or secure electronic transmission system used by the carrier, organization, or PBM, as applicable, the carrier, organization, or PBM to which the request was submitted is required to accept and respond to the request through its interface or electronic transmission system. A carrier or PBM is prohibited from imposing prior authorization requirements more than once every 3 years for a chronic maintenance drug approved by the federal food and drug administration that the carrier or PBM has previously approved for a person covered under the carrier's or PBM's health benefit plan, except under specified conditions. The act extends the duration of an approved prior authorization for a health-care service or prescription drug benefit from 180 days to a calendar year. Carriers are required to post, on their public-facing websites, specified information regarding: The number of prior authorization requests that are approved, denied, and appealed; The number of prior authorization exemptions from or alternatives to prior authorization requirements provided pursuant to a program developed and offered by the carrier, an organization, or a PBM; and The prior authorization requirements as applied to prescription drug formularies for each health benefit plan the carrier or PBM offers. The act appropriates $36,514 from the division of insurance cash fund to the department of regulatory agencies for use by the division of insurance to implement the act. APPROVED by Governor June 3, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires that certain services provided to children or their families comply with the provisions of Title VI of the federal "Civil Rights Act of 1964" if they are provided by a county department of human or social services (county department), city and county, or a private-entity contractor. Furthermore, the act requires that the county department, city and county, or private-entity contractor take reasonable steps to ensure meaningful language access to services in the person's primary language for a person with limited English proficiency, in a timely manner and without unreasonable delay. The act requires a court to provide language access, including translation and interpretation services, to a child, parent, guardian, custodian, or other party in a dependency and neglect case if the person requests language access or has limited English proficiency. The act requires that during a dispositional hearing concerning the best interests of a child, the court consider services and programs that provide the parent and child with language access and effective communication. The act appropriates $74,953 from the judicial stabilization cash fund to the judicial department to implement the act. APPROVED by Governor June 3, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act directs the department of health care policy and financing (state department) to conduct a feasibility study (study) to explore seeking federal authorization to provide nutrition, housing, and tenant supportive services that address medicaid members' health-related social needs (HRSN). The state department shall report the study's findings to the joint budget committee on or before November 10, 2024. The study and report must address integrating HRSN services with existing nutrition-related, housing-related, and tenant supportive services. The act requires the state department to seek federal authorization to provide HRSN services no later than July 1, 2025, if seeking federal authorization would be budget neutral to the general fund. The act appropriates $222,920 from the general fund to the state department for use by the executive director's office (office). From this appropriation, the office may use $67,070 for personal services, $3,975 for operating expenses, and $151,875 for general professional services and special projects. The act anticipates that the state department will receive $222,919 in federal funds for the act's implementation. APPROVED by Governor June 3, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 3, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)