The bill creates a process to automatically expunge petty offenses a year after completion of the sentence, nonviolent misdemeanors 3 years after the completion of the sentence, and nonviolent felonies 5 years after the completion of the sentence. The bill creates a list of convictions for which automatic expungement is not permitted. The bill requires the state court administrator (administrator) to compile a list of convictions that are eligible for expungement. After the administrator compiles the list, the administrator sends the list to the Colorado bureau of investigation (bureau) for review, and the bureau removes from the list any convictions in which the identity of the defendant is unverifiable or in which the defendant had another conviction during the waiting period. The bureau sends its amended list to each district attorney in the state, and the district attorney removes any convictions in which the defendant has a pending criminal charge. Each district attorney sends its amended list to the administrator. The administrator compiles all of the lists into one final list and sorts the convictions by judicial district. If the chief judge of a judicial district authorizes the administrator to issue expungement orders, the administrator shall issue expungement orders based on the final list. If the chief judge of a judicial district does not authorize the administrator to issue expungement orders, the administrator shall send the final list to the chief judge of the judicial district, and the courts of that judicial district shall enter expungement orders based on the final list received. The administrator shall develop a website that allows a defendant to confidentially determine whether the defendant's conviction has been expunged and provides information about how to receive a copy of the expungement order. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Sponsored bills
An assistance unit that receives a basic cash assistance (BCA) payment from the Colorado works program at any time within one month after the effective date of the act shall receive a one-time $500 supplemental payment in addition to the amount of BCA an assistance unit currently receives. The one-time supplemental payment is not income for the purpose of any publicly funded program. The act prohibits the general assembly from appropriating more than $10 million for the one-time supplemental payments. If the one-time supplemental payment to each assistance unit exceeds $10 million, the one-time supplemental payment must be distributed evenly to each assistance unit. Beginning July 1, 2021, and each fiscal year thereafter, the joint budget committee must review the sustainability of the Colorado long-term works reserve. The act appropriates $8,424,500 to the department of human services from the federal temporary assistance for needy families block grant. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
In the "Colorado Marijuana Code", the act changes the term "accelerator licensee" to "social equity licensee" and alters the qualifications. A social equity licensee may participate in the accelerator program on the premises of a retail marijuana licensee whereby the social equity licensee receives assistance from an experienced retail marijuana licensee. The act expands the accelerator program to include a retail marijuana store licensee. A retail marijuana licensee participating in the accelerator program and a social equity licensee may be entitled to incentives from the department of revenue or the office of economic development and international trade. Under current law, before the governor is allowed to pardon any person, the application must include a certificate from the superintendent of a prison where the person was held and be submitted to the judge who sentenced the person, the district attorney for the judicial district, and the attorney who prosecuted the person for their comments. The act authorizes the governor to pardon a class of persons convicted of possession of up to 2 ounces of marijuana without the certificate or submitting the application to anyone else. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Starting in the 2021-22 fiscal year, the community college system must work with school districts, boards of cooperative services, the Colorado school for the deaf and the blind, and charter schools to provide information to the parents of students enrolled in grades 6 through 8 concerning concurrent enrollment opportunities available in grades 9 through 12. The community college system may start creating and disseminating the information in the 2020-21 fiscal year if it determines it can do so within existing resources. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The bill establishes the position of family-school partnership coordinator (coordinator) in the department of education. The coordinator supports local education providers with researching, designing, and implementing research-based family-school partnerships and supports educator preparation programs that provide training to educators related to implementing family-school partnerships. The coordinator is required to prepare a report every year that describes innovations that advance family engagement practices and provides information about research and resources available to local education providers and educator preparation programs that may assist in implementing family-school partnerships.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Not later than December 31, 2020, the bill requires each state agency, state institution of higher education, and political subdivision of the state to submit to the office of the state architect (office) a list of all usable real property owned by or under the control of the agency, institution, or political subdivision of the state. This list must include, if applicable: The address where the real property is located; The size of the real property; How the real property is zoned; Contact information for the state agency, institution, or political subdivision of the state that owns or controls the real property; The plan, if one is available, for the use, development, or sale of the real property; and A description that includes the condition of the real property and a measurement of total area of the real property that is vacant, unused, or underdeveloped. Not later than December 31 of each subsequent year, each state agency, state institution, and political subdivision of the state must submit to the office any updates to the information the agency, institution, or political subdivision of the state originally submitted to the office about the usable real property the agency, institution, or political subdivision of the state owns or controls. Beginning July 1, 2021, whenever any state agency, state institution of higher education, or political subdivision of the state plans to offer any usable real property for sale, or otherwise plans to solicit any offer to purchase real property, the agency, institution, or political subdivision of the state shall notify the office. Not later than July 1, 2021, the office must establish and maintain a current database that includes the information listed above. This database must be available free of charge to the public on the office's website. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill directs the department of higher education and the department of education to convene a workgroup on diversity in the educator workforce (workgroup). The department of higher education and the department of education shall select the members of the workgroup, which shall include but are not limited to those agencies, persons, and organizations specified in the bill. The department may seek recommendations or nominations from interested stakeholders. The workgroup shall investigate barriers to the preparation, retention, and recruitment of a diverse educator workforce and shall consider strategies to increase diversity in the educator workforce. The bill includes specific issues for the workgroup to consider. The workgroup shall submit a written report of its findings and recommendations to the education committees of the general assembly no later than September 30, 2021. The workgroup may submit interim findings and recommendations during the 2021 legislative session. Under current law, the department of higher education reports annually concerning educator preparation programs, including enrollment, graduation rates, outcomes of graduates, and performance on assessments administered for licensure. The bill requires the department to include the required information disaggregated by the candidates' or graduates' gender, race, and ethnicity. Further, the information contained in the annual report must be posted on the department of higher education's and the department of education's websites. (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.)
A request for proposals (RFP) is one of many types of competitive solicitation methods that a state agency is authorized to use pursuant to the state "Procurement Code" (Code). Legislation enacted by the general assembly often directs a state agency to issue an RFP for a project rather than generally requiring the state agency to use a method of competitive solicitation authorized by the Code. The bill specifies that when a law requires a state agency to issue an RFP pursuant to the Code, the law will be construed to require a competitive solicitation pursuant to the Code, as deemed most appropriate and efficient for the project by the state agency, rather than only an RFP. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill creates the financial empowerment office (office) and the director of the office (director) in the department of law to grow the financial resilience and well-being of Coloradans through specified community-derived goals and strategies. The director is appointed by the Colorado attorney general and may hire staff as necessary to perform the duties and functions of the office. The office also consists of a manager who is appointed by the director. The office is authorized to partner with governmental bodies, community organizations, financial institutions, local service providers, and philanthropic organizations to achieve the purposes of the office. The office is also authorized to develop: Methods to increase access to safe and affordable financial products; Tools and resources that advance, increase, and improve Colorado residents' financial management; and Community-informed policies and systems that dismantle systemic barriers to building ownership and wealth for all, especially low-income communities and communities of color. The financial empowerment office is required to: Support the organization of community coalitions to define and lead financial resilience strategies; Align, support, and build ties to build financial education and well-being in communities across the state; Establish a statewide coalition to assist the director in increasing access to safe and affordable banking products that help improve the financial stability of Colorado residents; Work with stakeholders to increase access to low-cost, credit-building loans and financial products; Work with state authorities and other stakeholders to expand access to safe and affordable banking products with low fees and easy account access; Develop technical assistance to launch or expand local financial coaching and counseling efforts; Raise money to support coaching, safe and affordable banking, and potential loan funds; Collaborate with the office of the state treasurer on the creation and management of a loan fund to support small credit-building loans; and Track community feedback on consumer financial abuses and coordinate with the enforcement teams at various state agencies, connect consumers with existing resources, and educate the public on their related consumer rights. The office is also required to submit an annual report to the general assembly regarding the activities of the office and the state of affordable banking access in Colorado. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)