In current law, a "qualified individual" is authorized to determine the cause of death of an individual and complete the medical certification for a certificate of death. The act defines the term "qualified individual" to include a physician, a physician assistant, an advanced practice registered nurse, or the chief medical officer of the institution in which the death occurred. The act requires that qualified individuals register to use the electronic death registration system used by the department of public health and environment (department) and the state registrar prior to signing a death certificate. Physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses are required to review training materials regarding signing a death certificate provided by the department before the first time they sign a death certificate. For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, $25,000 is appropriated to the department from the vital statistics records cash fund for use by the center for health and environmental data to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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The act requires the state auditor to conduct or cause to be conducted performance audits (audits) of the air pollution control division in the department of public health and environment and the division of unemployment insurance in the department of labor and employment (divisions). The audits will determine whether each of the divisions effectively and efficiently performs and fulfills its statutory obligations. In addition, as part of the audits, the state auditor is required to: Determine whether a division complies with statute and its statutory purpose; Assess the impact of a division's processes on providing access to program benefits and, for the labor and employment division audit only, identify any division processes that may be unnecessary, unreasonable, or cause delays; Determine whether a division's staffing and funding levels are sufficient for it to efficiently and effectively perform its statutory duties and responsibilities, which, in for the air pollution control division audit only, must include assessment of how funding or staffing changes made at the state level might impact local governments; and Determine whether a division requested and was appropriated additional resources and whether the approval or denial of such a request impacted program implementation and timing of implementation. The initial audit of the air pollution control division must begin and be completed in calendar year 2026, with an additional audit occurring in calendar year 2031. The initial audit of the division of unemployment insurance must begin and be completed in calendar year 2027, with an additional audit occurring in calendar year 2032. Upon completion of an audit, the state auditor is required to submit a written audit report to the legislative audit committee. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act repeals obsolete references to the teacher residency expansion program (program), which was repealed in 2023. Current law continues to reference the definition for "paraprofessional" as it appeared in the program. The act recreates the definition of "paraprofessional" for the current statutory uses of the term. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act modifies the schedule and amounts of annual transfers from the general fund to the state highway fund as follows: The $100 million transfer to the state highway fund scheduled for July 1, 2025, is reduced to $32.2 million; The $100 million transfer to the state highway fund scheduled for July 1, 2026, is reduced to $50.5 million; The $82.5 million transfers to the state highway fund scheduled for each July 1 from July 1, 2029, through July 1, 2031, are increased to $100 million; A new $64.8 million transfer to the state highway fund is scheduled for July 1, 2032; and The $7 million transfers to the state highway fund for the purpose of providing additional funding for the revitalizing main streets program scheduled for each July 1 from July 1, 2025, through July 1, 2031, are eliminated.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act prohibits residential rental agreements, in relation to a tenant's death, from requiring acceleration of rent beyond the end of the month or more than 10 business days after the dwelling unit is vacated after notice to the landlord of the tenant's death, whichever is later. Further, the act prohibits the enforcement of terms in rental agreements that authorize liquidated damages or other penalties if the rental agreement is terminated before the end of its term due to the death of a tenant. The act authorizes a landlord to take possession of the dwelling unit without filing an eviction action or otherwise obtaining a court order if the personal representative of the tenant's estate notifies the landlord of the surrender of the premises or,30 days after the death of the tenant, rent remains unpaid or substantially all of the tenant's property has been removed. In addition, a landlord may retain a security or damages deposit sufficient to cover costs of damages caused by the death of the tenant. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act imposes requirements related to money appropriated to the department of higher education to be used by the Auraria higher education center (AHEC) in the 2025-26 state fiscal year. Money appropriated for operational costs must be used as agreed upon by the constituent institutions in baseline service level agreements. Any service or performance level agreement that the AHEC enters into using money appropriated for the 2025-26 state fiscal year must: Be executed by all contracting parties no later than September 1, 2025; Clearly describe the services, service and staffing levels, and performance expectations that are contracted for; and Provide that, if costs for services exceed the prices provided for in the contract, those excessive costs will not be assumed or incurred until an additional contract is executed or the original contract is amended. In the 2025-26 state fiscal year, the AHEC shall manage all resources related to baseline service level agreements and goals and shall present quarterly updates to the constituent institutions regarding baseline service level agreements and goals. For other services for the 2025-26 state fiscal year that are not already contracted for in the baseline service level agreements, the AHEC shall establish fee structures, and the constituent institutions may enter into agreements with the AHEC for the provision of those services. The act requires the constituent organizations and the AHEC to contract with an independent third-party entity that shall conduct the Auraria comprehensive study (study). The constituent institutions and the AHEC shall agree upon which independent third-party entity will conduct the study before executing a contract to select the independent third-party entity. If the constituent institutions and the AHEC do not agree upon an independent third-party entity by August 1, 2025, the Colorado commission on higher education shall, no later than December 31, 2025, select the independent third-party entity from options proposed by the constituent institutions. The study must examine the operations of the Auraria campus and the services provided to students by the constituent institutions and by the Auraria board of directors through the AHEC. The study must also examine the money that the general assembly appropriates to the department of higher education that is used in connection with the AHEC; the accounting of such money, and any appropriations or transfers of such money, in accordance with section 20 of article X of the state constitution; and recommendations for future appropriations that will be used in connection with the AHEC. The independent third-party entity shall present a report on the findings of the study; except that, if the independent third-party entity cannot complete the report by December 31, 2025, the independent third-party entity shall notify the constituent institutions and the AHEC and shall present the report no later than January 30, 2026. The study must include: A review of all plans and studies conducted in the past 15 years regarding the mission, vision, and development of the Auraria campus; An evaluation of the statutory design and mission of the Auraria campus; An evaluation of the current governance model of the Auraria campus; An evaluation of the operations and management structures under the current governance model of the Auraria campus; A comparison of the current governance model to alternative governance models which may yield greater efficiencies in service delivery; and An evaluation of the financial supports and structures of Auraria campus governance and operations. The constituent institutions may seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations from private or public sources for the purpose of funding the study, and shall enter into a cost-sharing agreement to pay for the study using gifts, grants, and donations. The act reduces the general fund appropriation made in the annual general appropriation act for the 2025-26 state fiscal year to the department of higher education for the college opportunity fund program for fee-for-service contracts with state institutions by $31,435,042. The act appropriates $31,435,042 from the general fund to the department of higher education for use by the AHEC. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act defines a solar sales company as an entity that: Transacts with a consumer to sell, or negotiate or execute a contract for the sale of, a residential solar electric system or residential battery energy storage system (system); or Transacts with a consumer to lease or enter into a power purchase agreement for a system. The act requires a solar sales company to provide to a consumer certain disclosures when entering into an agreement with the consumer for the purchase or lease of a system or a power purchase agreement for a system (agreement). The act also specifies the terms that an agreement must contain, including payment terms and contact information for the solar sales company. A solar sales company is required to retain a copy of a signed agreement for at least 4 years after the date the agreement is entered into. The personal information of a consumer must be maintained consistent with applicable data privacy laws. In the event of a sale of a system, the consumer has at least 3 business days after the date of the transaction to cancel the agreement without financial penalty, besides any nonrefundable deposits. The act requires a solar sales company to conduct a welcome call with the consumer, which welcome call must include certain disclosures. The consumer's 3-day cancellation period does not begin to run until the welcome call is conducted. The act describes the terms that any financing documents must contain if the purchase of a system is financed. The act sets forth requirements for a salesperson of a solar sales company and prohibits a solar sales company from using written or digital sales materials with names, logos, pictures, or other indicia of association with a public utility, cooperative electric association, or municipal utility, unless the solar sales company has received express, written consent from the relevant utility to do so or is complying with federal fair use laws. A solar sales company is also prohibited from representing that the solar sales company is affiliated with, sponsored by, or approved by a state incentive program without the express, written consent of the state agency in charge of the state incentive program. The act requires a solar sales company to provide certain warranties for the installation and workmanship of a residential solar electric system. Lastly, the act requires an investor-owned utility serving more than 500,000 customers that offers financial incentives for a system to provide certain information about the offered incentives to customers. A violation of the requirements of the act is enforceable as a deceptive trade practice under the "Colorado Consumer Protection Act". The act's requirements apply to agreements between a solar sales company and a consumer that are entered into on or after July 1, 2026. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The department of public health and environment (department) is required to conduct a study of capital needs for rural and frontier hospitals throughout the state (study). The rural and frontier hospital capital needs study task force (task force) is created and is required to oversee the study. The study must measure the number of studied facilities that are not compliant with current and relevant design and building code standards for health-care facilities, identify the age of core facilities and any additions to those facilities, and estimate the costs for renovating or replacing facilities identified as having capital needs. No later than 18 months after the first meeting of the task force, the department is required to complete the study and compile the results of the study into a report. The department is required to present the report to the respective health and human services committees of the senate and house of representatives. The task force is made up of the following 7 members who must be appointed no later than 2 months after sufficient funding has been secured for the implementation of the act: 3 members who work in rural or frontier hospitals; One member who is an architect professional; One member who is a construction contractor professional; One member who represents hospitals; and One member of the general public who lives in a rural area or frontier area. In addition to overseeing the study, the task force is responsible for developing and approving the parameters of the study and overseeing the department's report. The task force may also facilitate contracting with a private sector consulting company to assist with data compilation, research, and outreach to rural and frontier hospitals. The task force is required to hold its first meeting within 2 months of all appointments being made to the task force and meet at least quarterly after the first meeting until the study and the report are complete. The requirements imposed on the department, the task force, and any third party in connection with the study are contingent upon money being available through gifts, grants, or donations for the purpose of conducting the study. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act temporarily reduces by $3.70 the road safety surcharge for each vehicle class for any registration period that begins on or after September 1, 2025, but before September 1, 2027. Revenue from the road safety surcharge, along with other fee and surcharge revenue, is credited to the highway users tax fund and allocated to the state highway fund, counties, and municipalities. The act adjusts the allocation of revenue from the road safety surcharge, a daily vehicle rental fee, a supplemental oversize and overweight vehicle surcharge, a supplemental unregistered vehicle fine, and late registration fees, for any registration period that begins on or after July 1, 2025, but before July 1, 2027, by reducing the state share and increasing the county and municipal shares as follows: 56% to the state highway fund (reduced from 60%); 24% to counties (increased from 22%); and 20% to municipalities (increased from 18%).(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Existing law permits an individual to request a self-pay estimate of the total cost of an anticipated health-care service (self-pay estimate) from the designated billing or patient services personnel representing the health-care provider or health-care facility providing the service. Unless the patient suffers a medical emergency or other unforeseen circumstance that affects the services provided, statute states that the final cost of the health-care service must be no more than 15% higher than the self-pay estimate or $400, whichever is less. The act corrects the mistake in the statutory language by clarifying that the $400 qualifier relates to the permissible dollar amount above the cost estimated in the self-pay estimate rather than the qualifier itself reflecting the maximum allowable cost of the health-care service, regardless of the service provided. Further, when referencing the exception in statute that, due to an emergency or unforeseen circumstance, the total cost of services may exceed the self-pay estimate by more than 15% or $400, the act removes the erroneous qualifier, "whichever is less", as that language is inapplicable when the exception applies. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)