Sen. Jeff Bridges

Section 1 of the bill continues the general fund transfer to the clean and renewable energy fund for one year. Section 2 adds one year of funding for the innovative energy fund from the general fund.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

The bill creates the innovative teacher preparation program (program) in the department of education (department). In implementing the program, the department will create a system to collect data concerning teacher preparation programs and create multiple pilot programs to support and investigate innovative approaches to teacher preparation and teacher induction, identify effective strategies, and share best practices among local education providers, alternative teacher programs, and institutions of higher education. The commissioner of education will convene a volunteer advisory committee that includes representatives from institutions of higher education, alternative teacher programs, and local education providers to assist the department in implementing the program. The department will share the data it collects and best practices it identifies through the program with local education providers, alternative teacher programs, and institutions of higher education. Beginning in January 2018, the department will prepare an annual report concerning implementation of the program, including reporting on the effectiveness of the pilot programs. The department must submit the report to the state board of education, the Colorado commission on higher education, the executive director of the department of higher education, the governor's office, and the education committees of the general assembly. The program will be funded by gifts, grants, and donations as well as any money the general assembly may appropriate to the program, which may include an appropriation from the state education fund. A local education provider, alternative teacher program, or institution of higher education may also make in-kind contributions for the operation of the pilot programs. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The state constitution defines an 'electioneering communication' to mean certain communication that unambiguously refers to a candidate that is disseminated to the public within 30 days before a primary election or within 60 days before a general election. The bill requires any person who expends $1,000 or more per calendar year on electioneering communications or regular biennial school electioneering communications to state in the communication the name of the person making the communication in accordance with existing statutory requirements for communication constituting an independent expenditure. For purposes of the bill, an 'electioneering communication' includes a communication that satisfies all other requirements of the constitutional definition but that also is broadcast, printed, mailed, delivered, or distributed between the primary election and the general election. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

An electioneering communication is certain communication that unambiguously refers to a candidate that is disseminated to the public within 30 days before a primary election or within 60 days before a general election. For purposes of campaign finance disclosure, sections 1 and 2 of the bill expand the definition of this term in the 'Fair Campaign Practices Act' to include any communication that satisfies all other requirements of the definition of the term specified in the state constitution but that is broadcast, printed, mailed, delivered, or distributed between the primary election and the general election.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

The bill prohibits public institutions of higher education (public institution) from limiting or restricting student expression in a student forum. 'Expression' is defined to mean any lawful verbal or written means by which individuals communicate ideas to one another, including all forms of peaceful assembly, protests, speaking verbally, holding signs, circulating petitions, and disstributing written materials. 'Expression' also includes voter registration activities but does not include speech that is primarily for a commercial purpose. A public institution shall not subject a student to disciplinary action as a result of his or her expression. A public institution shall not designate any area on campus as a free speech zone or otherwise create policies that imply that its students' expressive activities are restricted to a particular area of campus. Additionally, a public institution shall not impose restrictions on the time, place, and manner of student speech unless such restrictions are reasonable, justified without reference to the speech's content, are narrowly tailored to serve a significant government interest, and leave open ample alternative channels for communication of the information or message. The bill states that it does not grant other members of the college or university community the right to disrupt previously scheduled or reserved activities in a portion or section of the student forum at that scheduled time. Additionally, the bill clarifies that it is not to be interpreted as preventing the public institution from prohibiting, limiting, or restricting expression that is not protected under the 1st Amendment. A student who has been denied access to a student forum for expressive purposes may bring a court action to recover reasonable court costs and attorney fees. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

In 2018, the division of motor vehicles (division) will be replacing its current computer system, known as the Colorado state titling and registration system (CSTARS), with a new computer system, known as Colorado driver's license, record, identification, and vehicle enterprise solution ( Colorado DRIVES). Several sections of the bill amend the statutes to replace CSTARS with Colorado DRIVES, including renaming the account associated with these programs. Currently, the statutes create a CSTARS advisory committee. Section 4 of the bill replaces the current advisory committee with a Colorado DRIVES county governance committee, which consists of the following 9 members: Two authorized agents (county clerks) from a category I or category II county; Two authorized agents from a category III or category IV county; Two authorized agents from a category V or category VI county; Two employees of the department of revenue; and One employee of the governor's office of information technology. The committee's duties are to: Approve the annual operation budget proposal; Fix the time when and place where meetings are held; and Establish subcommittees and working groups to report to the committee. Currently, county clerks and recorders are designated the 'authorized agents' of the department of revenue for vehicle titling and registration. The motor vehicle statutes use the phrase 'county clerk and recorder', and the equivalent in Denver and Broomfield, interchangeably with the phrase 'authorized agent'. Several sections of the bill define the term 'authorized agent' and replace the occurrences of 'county clerk and recorder' with 'authorized agent' to make the usage consistent. Section 2 of the bill authorizes the division to share driver's license and identification card images with the driver licensing agency of any other state. Section 3 clarifies that the authorized agent is responsible for title and registration documents until verified by the division, and the division is responsible for the documents digitally stored by the division. Current law excepts some classes of identification cards from expiring in the same manner as most cards, which is after 5 years. Sections 5 and 6 authorize county clerks to transfer money collected from motor vehicle transactions to the division via electronic funds transfer. Finally, several sections of the bill repeal obsolete provisions. Provisions of the bill that deposit money in the CSTARS account take effect on September 1, 2018. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

The bill creates a new provision that allows a child care worker who is employed in a licensed facility that is wholly owned, operated, and controlled by a common ownership group or school district to use a single completed fingerprint-based criminal history record check and a check of the records and reports of child abuse or neglect maintained by the department of human services to satisfy the requirements of the necessary background checks if the employee also works for or transfers to another licensed facility that is owned, operated, or controlled by the same common ownership group or school district, provided all other requirements for employment are met. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

The bill requires all higher education institutions that receive money from the college opportunity fund (institutions) to adopt policies on sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and hate crimes involving a student, faculty, or staff member consistent with the provisions of the bill. The bill requires the policy to be published in handbooks and on the institution's website. Institutions are required to review and, if necessary, update the policies every 2 years. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)