In a contract between a supplemental health-care staffing agency (staffing agency) and a health-care worker or health-care facility for the placement of a licensed or certified nursing professional, the act prohibits the staffing agency from requiring payment for liquidated damages, employment fees, or other compensation (contract compensation) to the staffing agency if the health care facility hires the health-care worker as a permanent employee prior to or after the termination of the contract with the staffing agency; except that the prohibition does not apply to contract compensation attributable to and chargeable for a 30-calendar-day period commencing when the health-care worker is first placed at the health-care facility. If a staffing agency unlawfully collects or attempts to collect contract compensation from a health-care worker or health-care facility, the health-care worker or health-care facility may bring a legal action for damages, a civil penalty not to exceed $5,000 per violation, and injunctive relief. The prevailing party is entitled to reasonable attorney fees. APPROVED by Governor May 1, 2023 EFFECTIVE May 1, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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Section 2 of the act increases the flexibility of the ozone season transit grant program by: Allowing an eligible transit agency that operates in an area in which ozone-causing traffic levels are typically highest during a different period than June 1 to August 31 of a calendar year to identify a different period of the calendar year for its "ozone season" in an application for a grant to offer fare-free service during the identified period; Specifying that if the Colorado energy office (CEO) awards a grant for a year to a transit association or to the regional transportation district in an amount that is less than the applicable maximum amount allowed by law, then the maximum amount of such a grant that the CEO may award for the next year is increased by an amount equal to the amount that could have been but was not awarded for the prior year; Specifying that a grant recipient may use grant money for reasonable marketing expenses incurred to raise awareness of free service and increase ridership and to conduct rider surveys to better measure the impact of the program on ridership and vehicle miles traveled in private motor vehicles; Clarifying that an eligible transit agency may use grant money to expand free services or free routes or increase the frequency of service on routes for which free service is already offered; and Allowing the regional transportation district to use grant money to cover the full costs, rather than up to 80% of the costs, of providing at least 30 days of free transit on all services that it offers. On or before November 30, 2023, section 3 requires the department of transportation to complete a study and study report of the boundaries of the transportation planning regions of the state (TPRs), the membership of the transportation advisory committee and the special interim transit and rail advisory committee, and the consistency and transparency of the transportation planning process across the transportation planning regions. The study must include consideration of specified matters and shall not include any recommendation that, if adopted, would reduce the number of rural TPRs. Before June 1, 2024, the transportation commission, taking into consideration the findings of the study, is required to initiate updates to its rules concerning the statewide transportation planning process and TPRs. On and after September 1, 2023, section 5 requires the governing body of the transportation planning organization for each TPR to include at least one voting representative to represent all transit agencies in the TPR. The representative must be appointed by the transit agency or, if multiple transit agencies provide service in the transportation planning region, by agreement of the transit agencies. Section 4 defines the term "transportation planning organization" as used in section 5. Section 6 increases the maximum rate of sales or use tax, or both, that a regional transportation authority (RTA) may impose, with voter approval, from one percent to 2%. Section 6 also makes permanent the existing power of a RTA to impose, with voter approval, a uniform mill levy of up to 5 mills, which power would otherwise expire at the end of the 2028 property tax year. APPROVED by Governor April 28, 2023 EFFECTIVE April 28, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act implements the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies' sunset review and report on the veterans one-stop center in Grand Junction (center) by: Continuing the center for 7 years, until September 1, 2030; Codifying that the name of the center is the "western region one source"; and Setting a December 31, 2023, deadline for the division of veterans affairs, in consultation with the center's advisory board, to develop procedures for evaluating the effectiveness of the center. APPROVED by Governor April 28, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Usually, an owner of agricultural equipment must seek diagnostic, maintenance, or repair services of the equipment from the agricultural equipment manufacturer (manufacturer). Starting January 1, 2024, the act requires a manufacturer to provide parts, embedded software, firmware, tools, or documentation, such as diagnostic, maintenance, or repair manuals, diagrams, or similar information (resources), to independent repair providers and owners of the manufacturer's agricultural equipment to allow an independent repair provider or owner to conduct diagnostic, maintenance, or repair services on the owner's agricultural equipment. A manufacturer's failure to comply with the requirement to provide resources is a deceptive trade practice. The act folds agricultural equipment into the existing consumer right-to-repair statutes and adds data to the list of resources that a manufacturer must provide to independent repair providers or owners. An independent repair provider or owner is not authorized to make any modifications to agricultural equipment that deactivates a safety notification system or brings the equipment out of compliance with safety or emissions laws or to engage in any conduct that would evade emissions, copyright, trademark, or patent laws. If an agricultural equipment manufacturer enters into a nationwide memorandum of understanding regarding right-to-repair agricultural equipment, the manufacturer is still obligated to meet the requirements of this act. If Congress enacts federal legislation regarding the right to repair agricultural equipment, this act will be repealed. APPROVED by Governor April 25, 2023 EFFECTIVE January 1, 2024 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Colorado law limits the amount of uncommitted money that may remain in a cash fund at the end of a state fiscal year to 16.5% of the amount spent during the fiscal year. The act exempts the agricultural products inspection cash fund from the 16.5% uncommitted balance limit and instead imposes a limit of 50% of the amount spent from the fund during the fiscal year. APPROVED by Governor April 20, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The bill requires a county sheriff in a county with a population of 25,000 or more to possess a bachelor's degree or higher in criminal justice or a related field. The bill requires candidates for the offices of county sheriff and district attorney to petition onto the ballot and prevents those candidates from being nominated as a candidate for a primary process election. Relatedly, the bill also prevents a ballot from listing the political affiliation of candidates for the offices of county sheriff and district attorney and excludes county sheriffs and district attorneys from party committees. Lastly, the The bill prohibits county sheriff's office employees from: participating in specified political activities. Soliciting money on behalf of a political campaign; Using their official position to make a public endorsement of a candidate for elected office, to reflect their personal political feelings as those of the county sheriff's department, or to exert pressure on anyone to influence that person's political views; Display political advertising or paraphernalia on the employee's body or automobile while on duty or in uniform; and Display political advertising on county land, buildings, or equipment. The bill includes a penalty for violating these provisions of up to one thousand dollars and potentially dismissal from the service of the county sheriff's office. (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.)
The act allows a metropolitan district, which has existing authority to levy a sales tax to fund safety protection, street improvement, transportation, and fire protection services, to also levy a sales tax to provide parks or recreational facilities or programs within the district in which the tax is levied. APPROVED by Governor April 17, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act eliminates the requirement for a person who is lawfully residing in the state, a legal immigrant who is a resident of the state, or a documented individual to refrain from executing an affidavit of support for the purpose of sponsoring a documented individual while the person is receiving public services or medical assistance. County departments responsible for administering benefits programs under the department of health care policy and financing and the department of human services shall identify and review all current county guidance materials that reference a prohibition on sponsorship as a condition of eligibility for benefits and shall remove all such references from verbal and digital communications and from all physical materials currently provided to applicants or beneficiaries. APPROVED by Governor April 11, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The law allows a municipality to levy a lien against real property for costs associated with removing weeds, brush, and other rubbish from the property. Such a lien has priority over other liens, except liens for general taxes and prior special assessments imposed by a municipality. A municipal clerk may certify such a lien to a county treasurer for collection. The act requires a county treasurer to accept such a municipal lien for collection if a municipality records a notice of lien within 4 months of abating the nuisance and certifies the amount of the unpaid assessment for which the lien was levied to the county treasurer within one year of recording the notice of lien. APPROVED by Governor April 3, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act states that, with certain exceptions, a broker engagement contract for the sale of a residential premises must not: Purport to be a covenant running with the land or to be binding on future owners of interests in the real property; Allow for assignment of the right to provide service without notice and agreement of the owner of the residential premises; or Purport to create a recordable lien, encumbrance, or other real property security interest. Any such lien, encumbrance, or other real property security interest is void and unenforceable. The act defines a "broker engagement contract" as a written contract in which a seller, buyer, landlord, or tenant of a residential premises becomes the client of a broker or agrees to retain the services of a broker in the future and promises to pay the broker a valuable consideration or agrees that the broker may receive a valuable consideration from another person in exchange for the broker producing a seller, buyer, tenant, or landlord ready, able, and willing to sell, buy, or rent the residential premises or for performing other services. A person that offers to a consumer a broker engagement contract that includes a prohibited provision commits an unfair or deceptive trade practice. APPROVED by Governor April 3, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)