Sen. Chris Hansen

Capital Development Committee. The bill grants the state historical society the authority to sell a vacant cold storage facility located on the former Lowry Air Force base. The bill specifies that the proceeds of the sale are to be credited to the state museum cash fund to be used for capital outlay, capital construction, or controlled maintenance at museums statewide.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

When a water right owner wishes to change a water right–whether a temporary loan or change approved by the state engineer or a permanent change approved by a water judge–the determination of the amount of water that can be loaned or changed relies on a calculation of the historical consumptive use of the water right. The bill directs the state engineer to promulgate rules that take into account local conditions that an applicant can use to calculate historical consumptive use. The results of the calculation carry no presumptive weight before the state engineer, water referee, or water judge. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Section 1 of the bill continues the general fund transfer to the clean and renewable energy fund for one year. Section 2 adds one year of funding for the innovative energy fund from the general fund.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

The bill, known as the 'Colorado Energy Impact Assistance Act', authorizes any investor-owned electric utility (utility) to apply to the public utilities commission (PUC) for a financing order that will authorize the utility to issue low-cost Colorado energy impact assistance bonds (bonds) to lower the cost to electric utility customers (ratepayers) when the retirement of a power plant occurs. A portion of bond proceeds will provide transition assistance for Colorado workers and communities directly affected by the retirement of the facilities (transition assistance). To repay the bonds at the lowest cost to ratepayers, the PUC is authorized to review and approve a financing order and authorize a special energy impact assistance charge that is separate and apart from the utility's base rates on all ratepayer bills. The establishment and ongoing adjustment of the separate charge will allow bonds to achieve the highest possible credit rating, at least AA/Aa2, from the national independent credit rating agencies and will therefore allow bonds to be issued at the lowest possible interest rate and lowest subsequent cost to ratepayers. Before issuing a financing order, the PUC must hold a public hearing, receive testimony from affected groups, and make specified determinations concerning the necessity, prudence, justness, reasonableness, and quantifiable benefits to utility ratepayers of issuing the financing order. After the public hearing process, if a financing order is approved by the PUC, it must include specific information and instructions for the utility to which it applies relating to the amount of bonds to be issued and the imposition of the energy impact assistance charge and must require the utility to pay a specified percentage of the net present value of the savings to a newly created Colorado energy impact assistance authority (authority) for the payment of transition assistance by the authority and the authority's reasonable and necessary administrative and operating costs. As an alternative to the financing order and bond issuance process, upon the closure of an electric generating facility, a Colorado electric utility may transfer to the authority an amount of up to 15% of the net present value of operational savings created by the closure of the electric generating facility, and such a transfer shall be deemed by the PUC to be a prudent action by the utility. The bill specifies that the authority is governed by a 7-member board of directors appointed by the governor and specifies mandatory and suggested occupational experience for the directors. The authority is authorized to receive bond proceeds from a utility to which a financing order applies and use the bond proceeds to provide transition assistance and pay its reasonable and necessary administrative and operating costs. Transition assistance is defined to include payment of retraining costs, including costs of apprenticeship programs and skilled worker retraining programs, for and financial assistance to directly displaced Colorado facility workers, compensation to Colorado local governments for lost property tax revenue directly resulting from the retirement of a facility, and similar payments, job retraining, assistance, and compensation for directly displaced Colorado workers and local governments in areas that produce fuel used in the retired facility directly resulting from the elimination of the need for fuel at the facility. When determining how best to provide transition assistance to a local community, the authority must, in conjunction with each board of county commissioners, municipal governing body, and school district that includes all or a portion of the impacted community, establish and take into consideration the advice of a local advisory committee. The authority is subject to open meeting and open records requirements and is required to submit a report to specified committees of the general assembly that sets forth a complete and detailed financial and operating statement of the authority for any fiscal year for which the authority has provided transition assistance. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

The bill requires candidates for president and vice president of the United States to file with the secretary of state the candidates' federal income tax return forms for the last 5 completed tax years. Neither the name of any candidate who fails to comply with the filing requirement nor the name of that candidate's running mate shall be printed on the official ballot. The secretary of state is required to publish the returns on his or her official website within 7 days of the returns being filed. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

The bill authorizes a local government master plan to include goals specified in the state water plan and to include policies that condition development approvals on implementation of those goals. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

A regional transmission organization is an independent electric transmission operator that provides wholesale transmission services to more than one provider of retail or wholesale electric service within a defined geographic region by pooling together a number of transmission assets into a single electricity transmission market from which participating retail electric service providers may purchase wholesale transmission services. The bill directs the transportation legislation review committee to conduct a hearing during the 2017 interim on the effects that participation by retail electric service providers in a regional transmission organization would have on retail or wholesale electric service providers, their ratepayers, and Colorado's market for renewable energy. The hearing must take place on or before December 1, 2017. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

The bill directs the transportation legislation review committee (TLRC) to conduct a hearing during the 2017 interim on the potential economic benefits and costs of energy storage systems (e.g., batteries, heat sinks, pumped storage hydroelectric systems) that an electric utility may incorporate into its electric resource acquisition plans. The hearing must take place on or before December 1, 2017. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Current law's definition of a water supply that is 'adequate' for purposes of a local government's approval of a real estate development permit merely allows the inclusion of reasonable conservation measures and water demand management measures to account for hydrologic variability. The bill amends the definition to include reasonable conservation measures and water demand management measures to reduce water needs and account for hydrologic variability ( section 2 of the bill) and prohibits the local government from approving the permit application unless the applicant demonstrates that appropriate water conservation and demand management measures have been included in the water supply plan ( section 3 ). Current law also requires an applicant for a real estate development permit to demonstrate to the local government issuing the permit: The water conservation measures, if any, that may be implemented within the development; and The water demand management measures, if any, that may be implemented to account for hydrologic variability. Section 4 requires the applicant to demonstrate: The water conservation measures that may be implemented within the development to reduce indoor and outdoor demand; and The water demand management measures that may be implemented to account for hydrologic variability.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

The bill requires a contract between a health insurance carrier (carrier) and a health provider (provider) to include a provision that prohibits a carrier from taking an adverse action against the provider due to a provider's disagreement with a carrier's decision on the provision of health care services. Current law requires the contract to state that the carrier cannot terminate the contract for these same reasons. The bill also requires the contract to contain provisions that prohibit a carrier from: Taking adverse actions for communicating with public officials on health care issues; filing complaints or reporting to public officials about conduct by a carrier that might negatively affect patient care; provides information in a forum concerning the required contract provisions; reporting alleged carrier violations; or participating in an investigation of an alleged violation. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)