Under existing law, a school district, charter school, or board of cooperative services notifies parents of students enrolled in a school if an employee working in the school or who had contact with students is charged with certain felony offenses relating to violence, drugs, or unlawful sexual behavior. The bill adds the following offenses to the parent notification requirements: Any violation that involves the sale, dispensing, distribution, or transfer to a student of certain controlled substances, marijuana, or marijuana concentrates; and Unlawfully providing any alcohol beverage to a student or contributing to the delinquency of a minor relating to providing any alcohol beverage to a student. The parent notification provision does not apply to school personnel who are in compliance with state law regarding the possession and administration of medical marijuana. The bill requires that schools or school districts that provide parent notification report annually to the department of education the number of times parent notification has taken place, the charges filed against the employee for which notification was required, and the disposition of the charges. (Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.) (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
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The bill creates the home visiting expansion grant program (grant program) in the department of human services (department). The purpose of the grant program is to expand the number of children and families served by nationally recognized, evidence-based home visiting models (models) throughout the state and thus improve school readiness of Colorado children. The grant program has 2 cycles of 3 years each and shall award up to a total of $2 million in grants for each cycle, payable in equal annual amounts. The state board of human services is authorized to promulgate rules that specify the criteria for the grant program, including eligibility of applicants and models, timeline, and review and selection criteria. The department is required to prepare an evaluation report at the conclusion of each grant cycle and present that report as part of its next "SMART Act" report to its committee of reference. The grant program is repealed, effective September 1, 2028. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Medical practice - physician assistants - supervision requirements - liability - representation on Colorado medical board - appropriation. The act establishes supervisory requirements for physician assistants who: Have practiced for less than 3 years; Have practiced for 3 years or more; or Have practiced for at least 12 months and are making a substantive change in their scope of practice or practice area. The act states that a licensed physician may be responsible for the direction and supervision of up to 8 physician assistants at any one time. A licensed physician shall not be made responsible for the direction and supervision of more than 4 physician assistants unless the licensed physician agrees to assume the responsibility. The act adds one more physician assistant as a member of the Colorado medical board (board), for a total of 2 physician assistant members, and adds a fourth member to the licensing panel established by the board president, which fourth member must be a physician assistant board member. The act states that a physician assistant who has practiced for at least 3 years may be liable for damages resulting from negligence in providing care to a patient, unless the damages occur as a result of the physician assistant following a direct order from a supervising physician, and shall maintain professional liability insurance in an amount not less than $1 million per claim and $3 million for all claims. For the 2019-20 fiscal year, the act appropriates $4,650 to the department of regulatory agencies for use by the division of professions and occupations. Specified provisions of the act are contingent upon House Bill 19-1172 becoming law. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Colorado fire commission - creation - powers and duties - repeal - appropriation. The Colorado fire commission (commission) is created in the division of fire prevention and control in the department of public safety. The commission's purpose is to enhance public safety in Colorado through an integrated statewide process focused on the fire service's capacity to conduct fire management and use, preparedness, prevention, and response activities to safeguard lives, property, and natural resources, and increase the resiliency of local and regional communities. The commission is charged with developing an accurate understanding of Colorado's fire problems, reviewing the current emergency fire fund program, evaluating the funding mechanisms for effective response to large fires, assessing the capacity of the state to provide emergency fire support and technical expertise to local communities, developing performance measures of overall response effectiveness, strengthening statewide and regional coordination, developing best practice recommendations related to high-risk occupancies, developing and publishing an assessment of fire treatment costs and cost distribution, developing methodical approaches to Colorado's fire service concerns, and forecasting upcoming funding and resource challenges. The commission may establish task forces to study and make recommendations on specific subjects within the commission's areas of study. The commission is repealed, effective September 1, 2024, and is subject to a sunset review prior to its repeal. The act appropriates $174,183 to the department of public safety for use by the division of fire prevention and control for the implementation of the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Wildland fires - aerial firefighting - patrolling airspace - appropriation. The center of excellence for advanced technology aerial firefighting is required, subject to available appropriations, to study and, if feasible, implement a system to patrol the airspace above wildland fires. For the 2019-20 state fiscal year, $350,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of public safety for use by the division of fire prevention and control. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More