Sen. Chris Hansen

The act specifies information and issues that public schools must teach in providing courses on civil government. The act directs the state board of education to review the state civics standards and update them as necessary to include the identified information and issues. The act encourages each school district and public school to partner with local service organizations to solicit donations to improve the quality of the civics education program. Donations may be used to pay the cost to develop a high-quality curriculum, invite speakers to interact with students, and provide students with opportunities for civics learning and engagement outside of the classroom.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act makes several changes to the existing statute concerning open educational resources, including:Expanding the open educational resources grant program (grant program) to provide grants to develop, implement, and replicate entire zero-textbook-cost degree programs; Moving preparation of the annual grant program report from the open educational resources council (council) to the department of higher education (department); and Extending the repeal date for the council and the grant program for 5 years. The statutes existing before passage of the act require public institutions of higher education, beginning in the fall of 2021, to inform students before registration of which courses use open educational resources. The act directs the commission on higher education to adopt guidelines to require public institutions of higher education, beginning no later than the fall of 2025, to also inform students at the point of registration concerning those courses that use open educational resources.The act directs the department to review the open educational resources policies adopted across the state and identify and determine the efficacy of policies that expand the use and promote the sustainability of open educational resources. The department must include this information in the annual grant program report.For the 2021-22 fiscal year, the act appropriates $1,108,200 to the department to use for open educational resource initiatives and preparation of the annual grant program report.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Current law requires the department of human services to contract annually for a market rate study of provider rates for the Colorado child care assistance program. The act adjusts the contractual and reporting requirement to every 3 years.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act allows a department of revenue administrative hearing to be held at a location designated by the executive director in either Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, or Jefferson county, or, at the election of the taxpayer, by video conference. The act also specifies that if the taxpayer resides or has their principle place of business in Colorado and the disputed deficiency is either $200 or less, or involves sales and use taxes regardless of the amount, then the hearing may be held, at the election of the taxpayer, in the district office of the department nearest to the place where the taxpayer resides or has their principal place of business in Colorado.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act creates the PERA payment cash fund (fund) and appropriates $380 million from the general fund to the fund for the 2020-21 state fiscal year. The state treasurer is required to use the money in the fund for any portion of the $225 million direct distribution payment to PERA that would have otherwise been paid from the general fund on July 1, 2022, subsequent direct distributions that would have otherwise been paid from the general fund, and any of the state's employer contributions or disbursements.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act removes the $1 million limit for the grant share of individual projects under the forest restoration and wildfire risk mitigation grant program (program). The act also adds a requirement that when the technical advisory panel (panel) considers hazardous fuel reduction projects for the program, the panel shows preference to applicants that are adopting local measures that reduce wildfire risks to people, property, and infrastructure that complement funds provided through the program.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act authorizes a state payment to qualified hospice providers, as defined in the act, that provide hospice services in a licensed hospice facility to persons enrolled in the medical assistance program who are eligible for care in a nursing facility but who are unable to secure a bed in a nursing facility due to the presence of COVID-19 in the state or for other reasons described in the act. The eligible patient, as defined in the act, must have a hospice diagnosis.To receive a payment, the qualified hospice provider must provide residential services to an eligible patient during the fourth quarter of the 2020-21 fiscal year or during the 2021-22 fiscal year. The state payment to a qualified hospice provider is limited to not more than 28 days for each eligible patient. The state payment is an amount equal to one-half of the statewide average per diem rate for nursing facilities.The department of health care policy and financing shall administer the state payment and shall seek input from qualified hospice providers concerning the administration of the payment and the allocation of available appropriations.For the 2020-21state fiscal year, the act appropriates $684,000 of general fund to the department of health care policy and financing to implement the act. Unexpended money is further appropriated for the 2021-22 state fiscal year for the same purpose.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

To avoid a fund deficit in the severance tax operational fund, the act reverses 5 transfers made from the fund to other cash funds after the fiscal year 2019-20. Specifically, the state treasurer is required to transfer the following amounts to the fund:$1,998,205 from the species conservation trust fund; $1,600,964 from the parks and wildlife aquatic nuisance species fund; $219,803 from the water efficiency grant program cash fund; $297,759 from the interbasin compact committee operation fund; and $3,996,410 from the water supply reserve fund.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Joint Budget Committee. The bill expands the definition of "electronic monitoring services" to include other remote supports as the definition relates to the home- and community-based services waiver program for the elderly, blind, and disabled.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

The practice act for professional architects directs the department of regulatory agencies to adopt rules establishing requirements for continuing education and also requiring an architect to demonstrate retention of the material presented in the continuing education program or course.The act removes the material retention requirement, allowing an architect to renew a license upon demonstrating compliance with the continuing education requirement alone.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)