Sen. Leroy M. Garcia, Jr.

The act creates a statutory basis to allow a private employer to give preference to a veteran of the armed forces or the National Guard and the spouse of a service member killed in the line of duty when hiring a new employee, as long as the veteran or the spouse is as qualified as other applicants for employment. The act allows a private employer's veterans' preference employment policy to also include the preferential hiring of a veteran who has been discharged from active duty within the last 5 years, a spouse of a veteran killed in the line of duty within 5 years after the death, and a veteran with a disability within 10 after the date of discharge. The act creates a rebuttable presumption that a private employer that adopts a program that gives preferences to veterans or their spouses is not committing a discriminatory or unfair labor practice.The act requires the office of economic development to begin the development of production materials to educate and encourage employers to hire veterans.$25,000 is appropriated to the office of economic development for allocation to the office of film, television, and media for the development of production materials.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

On and after May 31, 2021, the act changes the name of Lincoln park and Liberty park in the capitol complex to "Lincoln veterans' memorial park".The act makes an appropriation.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires the state department of human services (department) to establish a veteran suicide prevention pilot program (pilot program) to reduce the suicide rate and suicidal ideation among veterans by providing no-cost, stigma-free, confidential, and effective behavioral health treatment for up to 700 veterans and their families in El Paso County. Subject to available money, the department may expand the pilot program to serve more than 700 veterans or to other areas of the state. The department may enter into an agreement with a nonprofit or educational organization to administer the pilot program. The department is required to include information about the pilot program in its annual report to the general assembly. The pilot program is repealed June 30, 2025.The act appropriates $1,660,000 from the general fund to the department of human service for the pilot program.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act establishes an outdoor equity board (board) in the division of parks and wildlife. The board is responsible for the governance of the outdoor equity grant program (grant program), which is created in the act. The purpose of the outdoor equity grant program is to increase access and opportunity for underserved youth and their families to experience Colorado's open spaces, state parks, public lands, and other outdoor areas.The act specifies that the board may award grants to applicants that will directly utilize the grant to engage eligible youth and their families by reducing barriers to the Colorado outdoors, creating pathways for formal or informal conservation of the Colorado outdoors, or offering environmental and Colorado outdoor-based educational opportunities.The act funds the grant program through a redistribution of lottery money that is earmarked for the general fund.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act amends Senate Bill 21-196, the bill that provides appropriations for the legislative branch for the 2021-22 state fiscal year, to increase the funding for and FTE allocated to the general assembly to allow the general assembly to provide health benefits for legislative aides.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires the division of homeland security and emergency management in the department of public safety (division), on or before January 1, 2022, to implement a pilot grant program (program) to help finance the use of nurse intake of 911 calls, which involves nurses assisting with 911 dispatch for the purpose of diverting nonurgent 911 calls to medical care that does not require ambulance service or treatment in an emergency room, or the use of a substantially comparable 911 triage system. The division, after reviewing applications, shall designate 4 public safety answering points to participate in the program, one of which is located in a county with 60,000 or more residents and 3 of which are located in a county or counties with fewer than 60,000 residents. To participate in the program, the designated public safety answering points must enter into a contract with an entity that can provide nurses who are trained and equipped to provide nurse intake of 911 calls or operate its own program for nurse intake of 911 calls or a substantially comparable 911 triage system.On or before September 1, 2023, the division shall report to the judiciary committees in the senate and the house of representatives or their successor committees on the program, including reporting on patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes and on annual cost savings tied to the program.For the 2021-22 state fiscal year, $865,583 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of public safety for use by the division, based on the assumption that an additional 0.5 FTE will be required. The division may use the appropriation for program administration related to the office of preparedness. The money is further appropriated to the department for the 2022-23 state fiscal year for the same purpose if not fully expended before July 1, 2022.The program is repealed, effective July 1, 2024.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Under current law, a court must inquire at the defendant's first appearance whether the defendant is a veteran. If the jurisdiction does not have a veterans treatment court, the act requires the court to inform a veteran defendant of the possibility of petitioning to transfer the case to a jurisdiction with a veterans treatment court.The act allows a veteran defendant or defendant who is currently serving in the U.S. armed forces and who is suffering from a diagnosable mental health condition that is related to the veteran's military service to petition the court to transfer the supervision of any post disposition of the case to a jurisdiction with a veterans treatment court if the jurisdiction of trial does not have a veterans treatment court and the district attorney and any victim in a victim's rights case consent to the petition. The petition must include the jurisdiction that the defendant is seeking to have the case transferred to and a description of the services or supports the defendant is seeking to access from the veterans treatment court in that jurisdiction. After receiving a petition, the court must consult with the judge administering the veterans treatment court and the district attorney of the hosting jurisdiction. The court may grant the petition to transfer the supervision of probation in the case if the veterans treatment court and the district attorney in the hosting jurisdiction consent to the transfer and that jurisdiction has the current ability to provide the resources and support necessary to responsibly accept the transfer. If the host jurisdiction files a motion for revocation of the veterans treatment court program probation, the host jurisdiction shall conduct the revocation hearing. If probation is revoked, the host jurisdiction shall refer the matter to the original jurisdiction for resentencing.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act allows Colorado residents who display a purple heart special license plate free entrance to any state park or recreation area, not including campgrounds, on any day of the year that such park or area is open.The act also allows a Colorado resident to acquire a free transferable annual state parks pass by presenting the same documents required for a purple heart special license plate at a regional office or the central office of the division of parks and wildlife, or at any other locations the division determines. Thus, Colorado residents who have received a purple heart will be able to obtain free access to state parks without acquiring a purple heart special license plate.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires the department of military and veterans affairs (department) to pay, subject to available money, a stipend of up to $75 to a veterans service organization for each time the organization performs a basic military funeral honors ceremony or other funeral-related services for an honorably discharged veteran. The act requires the department to create a process for veteran service organizations to apply for and receive a stipend.The act appropriates $30,930 from the general fund and provides for an additional 0.3 FTE to the department for the western slope veterans cemetery.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)