Sen. Janet Buckner

The act modifies the following statutory requirements for state departments' and agencies' reports. In the division of insurance, the following reports and associated reporting requirements for insurance carriers are eliminated: The annual list of insurance carrier average reimbursement rates that is posted on the division's website; and The annual report on out-of-network use and payment arbitrations. In the department of human services: The annual report, under the supervision of district and county attorneys, on the nature and result of actions taken to recover the cost of the care and maintenance of a child committed to a state institution from the child's parents is to be delivered to the judiciary committees of the house of representatives and of the senate rather than to the governor; and The due date for the annual report on abandoned children surrendered to emergency personnel is changed from January 1 to March 1. In the department of public safety, the annual report on domestic violence-related assaults and deaths is eliminated. In the department of higher education: The annual report on concurrent enrollment, prepared in collaboration with the department of education, is eliminated; The annual report on tuition and fees is due annually rather than every year by January 15; The annual report on the statewide postsecondary education master plan goals and state-supported institutions' progress toward meeting those goals is due annually rather than every year by December 1; The annual reports on the success of high school graduates in postsecondary education are to be submitted annually rather than by specific dates; The annual report on supplemental academic instruction and developmental education courses is eliminated; The annual report on the resident and nonresident makeup of state-supported institutions of higher education is due every 3 years rather than annually; and The due date for the annual report on the implementation and development of open educational resources is changed from October 1 to December 1. In the department of law, the annual report on the insurance fraud unit in the attorney general's office is eliminated. In the department of local affairs, the following reports are to be posted annually on the department's website rather than included in the department's annual SMART Act report and presentation: The report on the effectiveness of the gray and black market marijuana enforcement grant program; The report on the effectiveness of the defense counsel on first appearance grant program; and The report on the activities of the peace officers behavioral health support and community partnerships grant program. In the office of economic development and international trade, the due date of the annual report on the implementation of the venture capital program is changed from February 1 to May 1. In the office of information technology, the annual requirement that counties report to the chief information officer on county budget, revenue, and expenditures is eliminated. In the department of health care policy and financing: The annual report on the accountable care collaborative is combined with the annual report submitted by the department to the joint budget committee and the health and human services committees of the house and senate; The reference to "The ASAM Criteria" that is incorporated into utilization management processes used to determine medical necessity for residential and inpatient substance use disorder treatment is updated to reflect the version of "The ASAM Criteria" used by the department; The quarterly report on residential and inpatient substance use disorder utilization management statistics is eliminated and replaced with a requirement to display the same statistics on the department's website; The due date of the annual report on managed care entity denials for residential and inpatient substance use disorder treatment is changed from December 1 to January 31; and The annual report on community transition services and supports is eliminated. In the department of early childhood: The due date of the report on the evaluation of the child abuse prevention trust fund is changed from November 1, 2026, to November 1, 2029; The due date of the report on the child care services and substance use disorder treatment pilot program is changed from June 30, 2023, to June 30, 2028, and an annual requirement, in effect for four years, to report on the pilot program in the intervening years to the health and human services committees of the house of representatives and of the senate is added; The annual report on early intervention services is eliminated; The due date of the report on the evaluation of the early childhood mental health consultation program is changed from January 2027 to January 2028; The statewide report on the quality improvement of early childhood education programs is eliminated; and The annual report on the infant and toddler quality and availability grant program is eliminated. In the department of natural resources and division of parks and wildlife: The annual report on activities concerning species conservation is eliminated; The annual report on acquisitions of real property or interests in water is modified to include information on acquisitions that are pending or that occurred within the previous 5 years; The annual report on the wildlife for future generations trust fund is eliminated; The report on the progress of the 5-year strategic plan is eliminated; The annual report on the administration of the division of parks and wildlife is eliminated; The annual report on specific noise abatement measures is eliminated; and The annual report on the parks for future generations trust fund is eliminated. In the department of revenue, the following one-time reports are repealed: The 2021 report on medical marijuana delivery; and The 2005 report on the lottery expenditure evaluation. APPROVED by Governor March 22, 2024 EFFECTIVE March 22, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The bill creates the "Colorado College Preparation and Enrichment Program" (program) in the department of higher education (department), to be administered by the office of educational equity (office). The purpose of the program is to create partnerships between local education providers (K-12 schools) and institutions of higher education (IHE). The goals of the program are to increase the number of students who graduate from high school, matriculate to an IHE, and ultimately graduate from an IHE. The department shall appropriate $500,000 annually to each IHE that participates in the program. An IHE may opt out of the program at any time. Each participating IHE shall partner with eligible K-12 schools, beginning in eighth grade, to provide a number of services to encourage students to apply to an IHE, apply for financial aid, and ultimately be accepted at an IHE. Participating IHEs shall create guaranteed admissions pathways so participating students are provided with the exact steps necessary for admission. Once enrolled in an IHE, participating students will be identified, organized, and monitored in cohorts at each IHE. A primary contact person will be appointed to communicate with and coordinate services for students from participating K-12 schools. As part of the allowable uses for program funding, each IHE may provide a number of services to students, including targeted academic and financial advising, community building, initiatives focused on retention and on-time completion, and recruitment and outreach and multi-language marketing. Eligibility criteria are set forth for both the IHEs and K-12 schools. The office shall submit an annual report to the department on the overview of the program and the program's return on investment. The department shall include this report in its annual "SMART Act" hearing. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The act creates the emergency rental assistance grant program (grant program) in the division of housing (division) within the department of local affairs (department) to provide grants to residential tenants who have an annual household income of 80% or less than the area median income and are at risk of eviction or displacement. The division administers the grant program and contracts with nonprofit organizations to award grants. Grants are paid from money in the housing development grant fund. To receive a grant, a tenant must apply through the division's statewide application portal. Grant money may be expended only by a nonprofit organization that contracts with the division. Permissible uses of grant money include only the following: Paying rent in arrears, rent presently owed, and rent up to 2 months in advance on behalf of a grant recipient; Paying utility bills, late fees, court costs, reasonable attorney fees, and any other costs associated with preventing a tenant's eviction; Paying costs associated with relocation, including deposits and other move-in expenses, on behalf of a grant recipient; Paying for efforts to generate awareness of the grant program among tenants who are at risk of eviction or displacement; Paying for project delivery costs associated with application review as determined by the division; Paying for housing stability services, as defined within the implementation guidelines of the federal department of the treasury; and Paying costs of administering the grant program. Contracted nonprofit organizations must report to the executive director of the department (executive director) regarding amounts and uses of grant money awarded. During the 2024 regular session of the general assembly, the executive director must report to the joint budget committee and the legislative committees with oversight of local government matters concerning the grant program. Within 3 days after November 28, 2023, the state treasurer must transfer $15.1 million from the general fund and $14.9 million from the revenue loss restoration cash fund to the housing development grant fund for the purposes of the grant program. The division must use the money by June 30, 2024. Any unencumbered portion of the money on June 30, 2024, reverts to the general fund or to the revenue loss restoration cash fund, as applicable. The grant program is repealed, effective June 30, 2025. APPROVED by Governor November 28, 2023 EFFECTIVE November 28, 2023(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Title 26.5 of the Colorado Revised Statutes relates primarily to early childhood programs and services. In 2022, the general assembly enacted House Bill 22-1295, which established the duties of the department of early childhood (department), relocated early childhood programs from the departments of human services and education to the department, and created the Colorado universal preschool program in the department. The act makes technical changes to title 26.5 and related statutes, including: Updates language regarding gifts, grants, and donations to achieve statutory uniformity; Allows the department to enter into a contract with an organization to provide early literacy programming and related supports and whole-child services; Adds the executive director of the department to the health equity commission; Adds the commissioner of the behavioral health administration to the Colorado child abuse prevention board; Clarifies reporting dates to ensure the department can complete and report data in a timely manner; Clarifies the department's responsibilities concerning child abuse or neglect record checks; Amends background and record check language to align with current federal and state practices and standards; Clarifies definitions; Updates references from "ICON" to "Colorado state courts data access system"; and Eliminates technical language no longer used in child care licensing. APPROVED by Governor June 7, 2023 EFFECTIVE June 7, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The crime prevention through safer streets grant program (safer streets program) exists within the department of public safety (DPS) and repeals on November 1, 2023. The act extends the safer streets program, extends reporting requirements, and extends the DPS's authority to use the appropriation received in the 2022-23 state fiscal year to pay for the safer streets program until the appropriation is fully expended. Two additional grant programs exist within DPS: A law enforcement workforce recruitment, retention, and tuition grant program (workforce program) to award grants to law enforcement agencies to address workforce shortages, improve training to P.O.S.T.-certified peace officers, and improve relationships between law enforcement and impacted communities; and A state's mission for assistance in recruitment and training policing grant program (SMART program) to award grants to law enforcement agencies to increase the number of P.O.S.T.-certified and non-certified officers who are representative of the communities they serve and to provide training for those additional law enforcement officers. The act extends the workforce program and the SMART program and their reporting requirements, specifies additional permissible uses for the workforce program and SMART program grant awards, permits DPS to set workforce program and SMART program deadlines, and permits DPS to provide technical support to workforce program and SMART program applicants. The behavioral health information and data-sharing program (information program) exists within the DPS and repeals on June 30, 2024. The act extends the information program and the DPS's authority to use the appropriation until December 30, 2024. APPROVED by Governor June 7, 2023 EFFECTIVE June 7, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Under current law, the borrower in a reverse mortgage transaction is relieved of the obligation to occupy the subject property as a principal residence (principal-residence requirement) if the borrower is temporarily absent for up to 60 days or, if the property is adequately secured, for up to one year. The act adds a third exception to the principal-residence requirement to cover situations in which a natural disaster or other serious incident beyond the borrower's control (force majeure) renders the property uninhabitable, in which case the reverse mortgage does not become due and payable if: The borrower is engaged in repairing the home with the intent of reoccupying the home as a principal residence or selling the home; The borrower stays in communication with the lender while the home is being repaired; The borrower complies with all other terms and conditions of the reverse mortgage; and Repairing or rebuilding of the home does not reduce the lender's security. The act requires that the lender disclose these conditions suspending the repayment requirement on a reverse mortgage due to a force majeure to the borrower in writing at the time of closing. APPROVED by Governor June 7, 2023 EFFECTIVE June 7, 2023(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)