Sen. Nancy Todd

Under current law, in order to receive assistance under the aid to the needy disabled program, an applicant must be examined by a physician, physician assistant, advanced practice nurse, or registered nurse. The bill adds to the list of persons authorized to perform an examination a licensed psychologist, or any other licensed or certified health care personnel the department of human services deems appropriate. Any person who performs an examination is required to certify the diagnosis, prognosis, and other relevant medical or mental factors relating to the applicant's disability. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

The bill updates statutory references to Alzheimer's and other dementia diseases and reflects that dementia diseases have related disabilities impacting memory and other cognitive abilities. Missing persons with a dementia disease and related disability are added to the missing senior citizen and missing person with developmental disabilities alert program, and the program is renamed to reflect this change. The Alzheimer's disease treatment and research center within the university of Colorado school of medicine is renamed the dementia diseases and related disabilities treatment and research center. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

Under existing law, Colorado state university - global campus is prohibited from admitting first-time freshman baccalaureate students who reside in Colorado and who are under 23 years of age. The bill removes that prohibition. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

Under current law, the department of education may issue a professional license to a teacher or special services provider who holds a comparable license from another state and has 3 years of continuous teaching or special services experience. The bill exempts military spouses, as defined in the bill, from the requirement that the teaching or special services experience be continuous, and instead requires 3 years of experience within the previous 7 years. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) Read More

Under current law, a 2-year institution of higher education may provide a concurrent enrollment program or course to local education providers that are located within the institution's college service area approved by the Colorado commission on higher education (commission). The bill requires the commission to establish a policy that allows a 2-year institution of higher education to provide a concurrent enrollment program or course to a local education provider that is not within its college service area if the designated 2-year institution of higher education chooses not to provide a concurrent enrollment program or course requested by the local education provider. The bill specifies how concurrent enrollment programs or courses provided by a 2-year institution outside of its service area will be funded and clarifies that the bill does not affect provisions in article 35 of title 22, Colorado Revised Statutes, relating to the tuition rate paid for concurrent enrollment programs or courses. (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

Legislative Audit Committee. The bill strengthens the requirements necessary to earn performance-based incentives for film production activities in the state by: Requiring a production company that originates production activities in Colorado to have engaged in production activities in the state for other projects in the 12 months prior to applying for the performance-based incentive for a new project, and if the production company creates a business entity for the sole purpose of conducting production activities in the state, requiring the manager of the business to be a resident of the state for 12 consecutive months as of the date of applying for a performance-based incentive as well as defining a manager as someone with decision-making authority to give permission or 'go-ahead' to move forward with a project; Requiring a production company to provide documentation to prove that the production company meets the statutory definition of 'originates'; Requiring the production company's certified public accountant to provide in his or her written report documentation of the production company's expenditures, including the qualified local expenditures, and documentation that proves that the production company hired the necessary workforce to qualify for the performance-based incentive; Requiring the office of economic development (office) to conduct a review of the certified public accountant's written report to ensure the statutory requirements are met; Requiring the office to develop a list of certified public accountants that meet the statutory requirements and make the list available to all production companies as well as post it on the office of economic development's website; and Specifying that the office shall not issue a performance-based incentive to a production company until the production company and the office have entered into a contract in accordance with the procurement code. The bill also specifies that if a performance-based incentive is erroneously or improperly issued to a production company for any reason, the office is required to engage the services of the attorney general to recover from the production company any amount of the performance-based incentive that was erroneously or improperly issued. The bill also requires the Colorado economic development commission to annually schedule an orientation with the staff of the office in order to receive an official overview of the statutory requirements for a production company to earn a performance-based incentive for film production in Colorado. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

The bill encourages school districts, public schools, charter schools, and institute charter schools (schools) to develop and adopt a student suicide prevention policy (prevention policy) and to designate a staff person to serve as a student suicide prevention coordinator for the school. Each school may select the type of training and programs to use that best suit its individual needs, but schools are encouraged to include in prevention policies: A tiered training approach for school personnel; Life skills, social emotional learning, and resiliency training for students that is integrated throughout all areas of the curricula, to the extent possible; Training for students to effectively educate their peers about suicide risk factors, signs, and symptoms, as well as the importance of reaching out to a trusted adult when needed; Parent education about suicide; and The use of curricula and professional development materials, training, and other resources from the office of suicide prevention (OSP) in the department of public health and environment (department), the school safety resource center in the department of public safety, and the Colorado parent and teacher association. The student suicide prevention grant program for schools (grant program) is created in the department, to be administered by the department. The purpose of the grant program is to provide financial assistance to schools in the development and implementation of prevention policies. The grant program may authorize up to 25 grants per year, ranging between $5,000 and $10,000. The state board of health shall promulgate rules concerning the guidelines and criteria for the grant program. An advisory board is created in the OSP to work in collaboration with the department to make recommendations concerning guidelines and criteria, assist with reviewing grant applications, and make recommendations concerning grant awards. The student suicide prevention grant program for schools fund is created and authorized to accept appropriations from the general assembly, as well as gifts, grants, and donations. The department is required to post on its website available evidence-based best practices and other resources for persons involved in student suicide prevention. The bill makes conforming amendments that authorize the existing office of suicide prevention in statute. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More

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The bill repeals the current 'Nurse Licensure Compact' and adopts the 'Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact'. The 'Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact' makes the following changes to the 'Nurse Licensure Compact': Provides authority to each party state licensing board to obtain and submit criminal background checks for multistate nurse licensure candidates; Allows the Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators to adopt rules related to the compact; and Specifies the procedure for states to enter, withdraw from, or amend the compact.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More