The act requires the department of health care policy and financing (department) to seek federal authorization through an amendment to the state medical assistance plan to implement the community first choice option. The act requires the state plan amendment to include personal care services, homemaker services, health maintenance activities, personal emergency response systems and other emergency back-up services, and voluntary training on how to select, manage, and dismiss an attendant. The act authorizes the department to provide permissible services and supports that are linked to an assessed need or goal in an individual's person-centered service plan, including transition costs and expenditures relating to increasing an individual's independence or reducing reliance on human assistance. To be eligible for the community first choice option, an individual must: Be eligible for the state medical assistance program; Be in an eligibility group under the state medical assistance program that includes nursing facility services, or if in an eligibility group that does not include nursing facility services, have an income that is at or below 150% of the federal poverty level; or Receive an annual determination that in the absence of home- and community-based attendant services and supports, the individual would require the level of care furnished in certain care settings. The act makes conforming amendments to remove the services provided through the community first choice option from other long-term care waiver programs. APPROVED by Governor May 25, 2023 PORTIONS EFFECTIVE May 25, 2023 PORTIONS EFFECTIVE July 1, 2025 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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Existing law allows money expended from the "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act" (IIJA) cash fund (cash fund) to be used as matching nonfederal money for infrastructure projects pursuant to requirements of the IIJA as well as for grant writing support, project planning support, and administrative needs. The act clarifies that, with respect to the project planning support for which money from the fund is already authorized to be expended, the Governor's office (office) may specifically expend money from the fund for project planning support for federal funding opportunities in connection with the IIJA and related federal funding opportunities including funding opportunities from the "Inflation Reduction Act". The act requires the state treasurer to transfer $84 million from the general fund to the cash fund on July 1, 2023. Additionally, the act changes the annual reporting requirement of the office to a quarterly reporting requirement beginning on July 1, 2023. The act also requires the state treasurer to transfer $5 million from the general fund to the state highway fund on July 1, 2023, for use by the department of transportation to develop comprehensive operational capacity to maximize utilization and implementation of federal infrastructure funding. The board of trustees of the Colorado school of mines (board of trustees) has been authorized to lease real or personal property, or both, to state or federal governmental agencies, among other entities, for terms not to exceed 80 years. The act expands this authorization to allow the board of trustees to lease such property for terms not to exceed 99 years. The act appropriates $84,000,000 for state fiscal year 2023-24 from the "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act" cash fund to the office and principal departments of the executive branch of state government. Any portion of the appropriation that is not spent during state fiscal year 2023-24 is further appropriated through state fiscal year 2026-27. APPROVED by Governor May 22, 2023 EFFECTIVE May 22, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
For the career development success program (program), the act removes the requirement for successful completion of a qualified industry pre-apprenticeship program and the requirement for successful completion of a qualified industry apprenticeship. The act adds boards of cooperative services to the program. Current law requires the general assembly to annually appropriate $1 million to the department of education for the program. Beginning in the 2023-24 budget year, and each budget year thereafter, the act increase the appropriation to $9.5 million. The act requires a school district or charter school participating in the program to receive 120% of the per-pupil amount for each pupil who is eligible for free or reduced-price lunch and who successfully earned an industry certificate by completing a qualified industry-credential program, a qualified workplace training program, or a qualified advanced placement course. The act authorizes a participating school district or participating charter school to contract with a third party to provide specified services under the program. The act extends the repeal date from September 1, 2024, to September 1, 2034. APPROVED by Governor May 16, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act establishes the universal high school scholarship program (program) in the office of economic development (office) to provide scholarships for the 2024-25 academic year to students who pursue an in-demand or high-priority postsecondary pathway, including degrees, certificates, and registered apprenticeships, with a provider on the eligible training provider lists disseminated by the department of labor and employment, a provider in the Colorado state apprenticeship resource directory, a public or private institution of higher education operating in Colorado, or an organization approved by the office (service providers). The office, or a vendor contracted by the office, administers the program. The office shall develop policies and procedures necessary to administer the program. A student is eligible for the program if the student graduated from a Colorado high school or was awarded a high school equivalency credential during the 2023-24 academic year; completes the free application for federal student aid or the Colorado application for state financial aid; and did not receive a grant from the Colorado opportunity scholarship initiative. Scholarships are awarded in the following priority: First, to all eligible students who intend to enroll at a service provider to pursue an in-demand or high-priority postsecondary pathway, then to other eligible students who intend to enroll at a service provider. The office or vendor determines the amount of each scholarship award, up to a maximum $1,500. Scholarship money is distributed to the service provider for use by the student for tuition, fees, and books. The act requires the office to contract with vendors to provide postsecondary and career advising at schools identified by the office. The office shall make efforts to identify a diversity of schools in rural and urban areas of the state to receive postsecondary advising support. The act requires the state treasurer to transfer $25 million from the general fund to the universal high school scholarship cash fund (cash fund). The act appropriates $25 million from the cash fund to the office of the governor for the program. APPROVED by Governor May 16, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Section 1 of the bill creates a new refundable income tax credit for income tax years commencing on and after January 1, 2024, but before January 1, 2033, for the purchase or lease of electric-powered aviation ground support equipment that is purchased or leased to replace similar models of gas-powered or diesel-powered aviation ground support equipment in the amount of 18% of the actual cost to purchase the equipment that may be claimed by a qualifying taxpayer; except that the total amount of credits available to be claimed is $250,000 in each tax year and is available on a first come, first served basis. A qualifying taxpayer is an aviation business, an airport, or a fixed base operator. Only one tax credit may be claimed per individual piece of equipment. Section 2 creates a new refundable income tax credit for income tax years commencing on and after January 1, 2024, but before January 1, 2033, for an investment made by a qualified investor in a qualified business that researches, develops, or produces alternative aviation fuels or alternative aircraft powerplants in the amount of 30% of the investment; except that the total amount of credits available to be claimed is capped for each tax year for which the credit is allowed and is available on a first come, first served basis. The investment must be used by the qualified business in furtherance of research, development, or production of alternative aviation fuels or alternative aircraft powerplants. The executive director of the department of revenue is authorized to promulgate rules to implement the tax credit, including precertification of a business as a qualified business eligible to receive a qualified investment.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill requires that in presidential primary elections, beginning with the 2028 presidential primary election, electors rank their 5 top choices for candidate. Each ballot counts as one vote for the highest ranked active candidate on that ballot. Votes are tabulated in rounds until 2 or fewer active candidates remain. Votes cast for a candidate who withdraws their candidacy for president of the United States and votes cast for a candidate with the fewest votes in a round of tabulation are transferred to the elector's next highest ranked active candidate on the ballot. Ties are determined by lot. Round-by-round tabulation results must be publicly reported as unofficial preliminary results beginning at the time the polls close on election day until all votes have been counted. The secretary of state must certify the results of each round of tabulation to the state chairperson and national committee of each political party that participated in the presidential primary election. The secretary of state is authorized to promulgate rules for the implementation of the ranked choice voting method for presidential primary elections. The bill also requires that for the 2024 presidential primary election, voters covered by the "Uniform Military and Overseas Voters Act" be allowed to cast votes on ballots that allow the voter to rank up to 5 candidates, including a write-in candidate, and provides for the manner in which such ballots are to be counted. Current law provides that ballots already printed that have votes cast for withdrawn, deceased, or disqualified candidates are invalid and are not to be counted. The bill makes an exception that ranked ballots with votes cast for withdrawn, deceased, or disqualified candidates for a presidential primary election are to be counted. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The act establishes the office of the statewide behavioral health court liaison (office) as an independent agency within the judicial department to administer the statewide behavioral health court liaison program, which is known as the bridges program (program). The head of the office is the director. The office provides program services. The act establishes the bridges program commission (commission) to support the office. The commission appoints the director of the office, provides guidance to the office, provides fiscal oversight of the office's general operating budget, participates in program services funding decisions, and assists with the office's duties concerning program training and public outreach. The act clarifies the scope, requirements, and duties of the program, including requiring the program to inform county attorneys of available behavioral health services and connect participants to, and support engagement with, relevant services. The act clarifies the duties of the program's court liaisons, including: Addressing system gaps and barriers and promoting positive outcomes for program participants; Keeping judges, district attorneys, county attorneys, and defense attorneys informed about available community-based behavioral health services; and Providing consultation and training to criminal and juvenile justice personnel regarding behavioral health and community treatment options and program best practices. The office is required to annually report to the joint budget committee about the office's work and administration of the program. The act appropriates $5,181,020 from the general fund to the judicial department for use by the office and $100,453 from the general fund to the judicial department for legal services, which is reappropriated to the department of law to provide legal services to the judicial department. The act reduces the appropriation in the 2023 long bill to the judicial department for the program by $2,802,491. APPROVED by Governor April 27, 2023 EFFECTIVE April 27, 2023 NOTE: Certain sections of the act are contingent on whether or not Senate Bill 23-228 becomes law. Senate Bill 23-228 was signed by the governor April 20, 2023. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates the office of school safety (office) within the office of the executive director in the department of public safety. The office oversees the school safety resource center (center), which assists schools in preventing, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from emergencies and crisis situations by offering training and other supportive services. Among other duties, the center is responsible for providing information and resources related to school safety, school emergency response planning and training, and interoperable communications to the division of fire prevention and control in the department of public safety for distribution to school districts and schools. The act clarifies that this responsibility does not permit the provision of firearms to schools districts or schools. The director of the office is required to appoint the director of the center and appoint a grants manager to assist schools in obtaining funding related to school safety. The act also creates the crisis response unit within the office to assist schools in responding to a crisis or emergency and creates a youth violence prevention grant program within the office. Currently, the school access for emergency response grant program (SAFER) is administered by the division of homeland security and emergency management in the department of public safety. The act moves the administration of SAFER to the office. The act specifies that eligible entities may use money received from the school security disbursement program to implement school resource officer programs and co-responder programs. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, $25,798,091 is appropriated to the department of public safety for use by the office. This appropriation consists of $20,401,600 from the general fund, $5,000,000 from the school access for emergency response grant program cash fund, $250,000 from the marijuana tax cash fund, and $146,491 from the school safety resource center cash fund. To implement the act, the office may use this appropriation as follows: $5,524,916, which consists of $274,916 from the general fund, $5,000,000 from the school access for emergency response grant program cash fund, and $250,000 from the marijuana tax cash fund, for administrative services, which amount is based on an assumption that the office will require an additional 1.8 FTE; $1,825,744, which consists of $1,679,253 from the general fund and $146,491 from the school safety resource center cash fund for the center, which amount is based on an assumption that the office will require an additional 11.2 FTE; $1,144,023 from the general fund for the crisis response unit, which amount is based on an assumption that the office will require an additional 3.7 FTE; $303,408 from the general fund for threat assessment, which amount is based on an assumption that the office will require an additional 0.5 FTE; $16,000,000 from the general fund for the school security disbursement program; and $1,000,000 from the general fund for the youth violence prevention program. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, $313,951 is appropriated to the department of public safety for use by the office of the executive director of the department of public safety. This appropriation is from the general fund. To implement the act, the office of the executive director may use this appropriation as follows: $108,422 for personal services, which amount is based on an assumption that the office of the executive director will require an additional 0.9 FTE; $80,761 for health, life, and dental; $1,141 for short-term disability; $35,571 for amortization equalization disbursement; $35,571 for supplemental amortization equalization disbursement; $9,135 for operating expenses; $10,800 for vehicle lease payments; and $32,550 for leased space. APPROVED by Governor April 27, 2023 EFFECTIVE April 27, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act terminates the state's prepayment of insurance premiums for state employee coverage under the paid family and medical leave insurance program based on the state's advance payment of $57 million to the family and medical leave insurance fund from the revenue loss restoration cash fund in May 2022. The act terminates such prepayment at the end of fiscal year 2023-24 and requires the state treasurer to transfer $35 million back to the revenue loss restoration cash fund on or as soon as possible after the date on which the balance of the family and medical leave insurance fund reaches $100 million. The act further requires that, on or as soon as possible after the date the state controller publishes the comprehensive annual financial report of the state for fiscal year 2023-24, the state treasurer shall transfer any actual additional unexpended amount of the state's $57 million advance payment from the family and medical leave insurance fund to the revenue loss restoration cash fund. The act makes a conforming amendment to the statute in which the revenue loss restoration cash fund is created. APPROVED by Governor April 24, 2023 EFFECTIVE April 24, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)