Sen. Robert Rodriguez

The bill amends the "Colorado Consumer Protection Act" (act) to clarify that a plaintiff in an individual action may be awarded damages equal to the sum of $500 per violation. The bill also amends the act to clarify that, under the act, a class action may be brought and damages may awarded to the class. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) Read More

Current law requires an individual who wishes to have a document notarized to appear personally before the notary public. The bill authorizes notaries public to perform a notarial act on behalf of an individual who is not in the notary's physical presence, but only with respect to an electronic document. To perform a "remote notarization", a notary must use an electronic system that conforms to standards established by rules of the secretary of state, including using real-time audio-video communication. The bill establishes the standards that a notary must comply with to have satisfactory evidence of the identity of the individual seeking the remote notarization. A notary and the operator of a remote notarization system are prohibited from using personal information collected during a remote notarization for any purpose other than completing the notarial act or as necessary to effect, administer, enforce, service, or process the notarized document for its intended purpose. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) Read More

The bill repeals existing statutory language prohibiting counties or municipalities (local governments) from enacting any ordinance or resolution that would control rent on either private residential property or a private residential housing unit (collectively, private residential property). The bill authorizes local governments to enact and enforce any ordinance, resolution, agreement, deed restriction, or other measure that would stabilize rent on private residential property.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Directed trusts - Colorado Uniform Directed Trust Act. Under current law, the administration of trusts, including directed trusts, is generally governed by certain provisions in the probate code. The act repeals provisions governing directed trustees and creates a new "Colorado Uniform Directed Trust Act", which includes provisions concerning: Judicial proceedings; Trust directors' powers; Duties and liabilities of trust directors and directed trustees; and Powers that are excluded from the act.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Hospitals - regulation of surgical smoke - prevention of human exposure. The act requires each hospital with surgical services and each ambulatory surgical center to adopt and implement on or before May 1, 2021, a policy that prevents human exposure to surgical smoke via the use of a surgical smoke evacuation system during any planned surgical procedure that is likely to generate surgical smoke. Surgical smoke is a gaseous by-product produced by energy-generating surgical devices.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

The bill requires a school district, charter school, or board of cooperative services that operates a secondary school to annually report to the department of education (department) the computer science courses offered in the school and additional information regarding those courses. The department shall also report information concerning the number and percentage of students taking computer science courses, with data disaggregated by student group, as well as information concerning the number and qualifications of computer science instructors. The department shall annually post the information online for public access. The bill prohibits the posting online of any personally identifying information relating to students. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More