The bill defines a traditional large and premium cigar, which is a type of tobacco product, for purposes of the excise tax on tobacco products. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Committee on Legal Services. Current law directs the office of legislative legal services to study the organizational recodification of title 12 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, which relates to professions and occupations. One recommendation of the study is to relocate laws located in title 12 that are administered by the department of revenue to a new title 44, which will consist solely of laws administered by the department of revenue that regulate a variety of activities. To implement this recommendation, section 1 of the bill creates title 44 and section 2 relocates laws related to the regulation of limited gaming from title 12 to the new title. Section 3 relocates laws related to the tribal-state gaming compact from title 12 to the new title. Section 4 repeals the relocated laws from their current location. Sections 5 through 45 make conforming amendments necessitated by the relocation of the laws.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Senate Bill 17-267 exempted retail marijuana sales from the 2.9% general state sales tax and, as previously authorized by voter approval, increased the rate of the state retail marijuana sales tax, a special sales tax that is levied only on retail marijuana sales, from 10% to 15%, effective July 1, 2017. Under current state law, certain limited purpose governmental entities that either currently levy sales tax, are authorized by statute to levy sales tax but do not currently do so, or will be authorized to levy sales tax if they are established in the future as authorized by current law (affected entities) may levy sales tax only on transactions on which the state levies the general state sales tax. By exempting retail marijuana sales from the general state sales tax, effective July 1, 2017, Senate Bill 17-267 thus also inadvertently exempted such sales from both sales taxes currently levied by affected entities and sales taxes that either existing affected entities that do not currently levy sales tax or not yet established affected entities might levy in the future. Affected entities that currently levy sales tax include the regional transportation district, the scientific and cultural facilities district, 5 metropolitan districts, 5 regional transportation authorities, one health services district, and one multijurisdictional housing authority. The bill clarifies that notwithstanding the exemption of retail marijuana sales from the general state sales tax, all affected entities that levy sales tax shall tax retail marijuana sales. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill creates the Colorado domestic violence fatality review board (board) in the department of law (department). The review board includes the attorney general or his or her designee, who acts as chair, and at least 17 other members, to be appointed by the attorney general. The review board shall: Coordinate with local and regional domestic violence review teams (review teams) to collect data; Review and analyze the data; and Prepare recommendations for the general assembly. The board shall submit a written report of its recommendations to the health and human services and judiciary committees of the senate and the public health care and human services and judiciary committees of the house of representatives on or before December 1, 2018, and on or before December 1 each year thereafter through December 1, 2021. The report may include, but is not limited to the following: Recommendations for improving communication between public and private organizations and agencies; The number of domestic violence fatalities and near-death incidents that occurred in each county during the preceding year and the factors associated with each fatality; Recommendations for reducing the incidence of domestic violence in the state, and for improving responses to domestic violence incidents by the legal system and by communities; and Recommendations directed at primary prevention of domestic violence. A city, county, or district court may establish a review team to review fatal and near-fatal incidents of domestic violence, related domestic violence matters, and suicides related to domestic abuse. Each review team shall collect data and report it to their communities and to the review board. A local or regional child fatality prevention review team may operate as a domestic violence review team. The bill creates the Colorado domestic violence review board cash fund (fund) and authorizes the department and the review board to seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, and donations to the fund from private or public sources. The board is repealed, effective September 1, 2022. Before the repeal, the review board shall be reviewed by the department of regulatory agencies. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Section 16 of the bill repeals the existing hospital provider fee program, effective July 1, 2017, and section 17 creates a new Colorado healthcare affordability and sustainability enterprise (CHASE) within the department of health care policy and financing (HCPF), effective July 1, 2017, to charge and collect a healthcare affordability and sustainability fee that functions similarly to the repealed hospital provider fee. Because CHASE is an enterprise for purposes of the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR), its revenue does not count against the state fiscal year spending limit (Referendum C cap). Section 17 of the bill also requires CHASE to seek any federal waiver necessary to fund and, in cooperation with HCPF and hospitals, support the implementation, no earlier than October 1, 2019, of a health care delivery system reform incentive payments program. Sections 2, 3, 6, 7, 11, 13, 15 through 20, 22, and 32 make conforming amendments, with section 32 extensively modifying FY 2017-18 appropriations to reflect the repeal of the hospital provider fee program and the creation of CHASE. Section 34 specifies that the effective date of sections 2, 3, 6, 7, 11, 13, 15 through 20, 22, and 32 of the bill is July 1, 2017, and that those sections do not take effect if the centers for medicare and medicaid services determine that they do not comply with federal law. Section 11 of the bill permanently reduces the Referendum C cap by reducing the FY 2017-18 cap by $200 million and specifying that the base amount for calculating the cap for all future state fiscal years is the reduced FY 2017-18 cap. As is the case under current law, the reduced cap is annually adjusted for inflation, the percentage change in state population, the qualification or disqualification of enterprises, and debt service changes. Section 24 of the bill specifies that for any state fiscal year commencing on or after July 1, 2017, for which revenue in excess of the reduced Referendum C cap is required to be refunded in accordance with TABOR, reimbursement for the property tax exemptions for qualifying seniors and disabled veterans that is paid by the state to local governments for the property tax year that commenced during the state fiscal year is a refund of such excess state revenue. The exemptions continue to be allowed at current levels and the state continues to reimburse local governments for local property tax revenue lost as a result of the exemptions regardless of whether or not there are excess state revenues. Section 27 prioritizes the new TABOR refund mechanism ahead of the existing temporary state income tax rate reduction refund mechanism as the first mechanism used to refund excess state revenue. Section 12 of the bill requires the state, on or after July 1, 2018, to execute lease-purchase agreements, including associated certificates of participation (COPs), for up to $2 billion of eligible facilities identified collaboratively by the state architect, the office of state planning and budgeting (OSPB), and state institutions of higher education for the purpose of generating funding for capital construction projects and transportation projects. The lease-purchase agreements must be issued in increments of up to $500 million in FYs 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21, and 2021-22. The first $120 million of lease-purchase agreement proceeds from the FY 2018-19 issuance must be used to fund capital construction projects with most of that amount being dedicated for funding of level I, II, and III controlled maintenance projects. The first $120 million of lease-purchase agreement proceeds from the FY 2019-20 issuance must be used for capital construction projects as prioritized by the capital development committee. Remaining proceeds are credited to the state highway fund and are required by section 31 to be expended to fund state strategic transportation project investment program projects that are designated for tier 1 funding as 10-year development program projects on the department's development program project list, with at least 25% of such proceeds being expended to fund projects that are located in rural counties. At least 10% of such proceeds must be expended for transit purposes or for transit-related capital improvements. The maximum term of the lease-purchase agreements is 20 years, and the maximum total annual repayment amount for lease-purchase agreements is $150 million. Lease-purchase agreements must be paid, subject to annual appropriation by the general assembly or annual allocation by the transportation commission, first from up to $9 million from the general fund or any other legally available source of money, next from up to $50 million of legally available money under the control of the transportation commission solely for the purpose of allowing the construction, supervision, and maintenance of state highways to be funded with the proceeds of lease-purchase agreements, and last from up to $85 million from the general fund or any other legally available source of money. Sections 5 and 8 of the bill specify that an academic facility is not eligible for controlled maintenance funding if it is acquired or constructed, or, if it is an auxiliary facility repurposed for use as an academic facility, solely from a state institution of higher education's cash and operated and maintained from such cash funds and if the acceptance of construction or repurposing occurs on or after July 1, 2018. Section 29 of the bill, in accordance with previously granted voter approval, increases the rate of the retail marijuana sales tax, which is currently 10% and is scheduled under current law to decrease to 8%, to 15%, effective July 1, 2017. Section 30 holds local governments that currently receive an allocation of 15% of state retail marijuana sales tax revenue based on the current tax rate of 10% (i.e. the amount attributable to a 1.5% tax rate) harmless by specifying that on and after July 1, 2017, they receive an allocation of 10% of state retail marijuana sales tax revenue based on the new rate of 15% (i.e., the same amount attributable to a 1.5% tax rate). Of the 90% of the state retail marijuana sales tax revenue that the state retains for state FY 2017-18: 28.15% less $30 million stays in the general fund; 71.85% is credited to the marijuana tax cash fund; and $30 million is credited to the state public school fund and distributed to rural school districts as specified in section 4. Of the 90% of the state retail marijuana sales tax revenue that the state retains for state fiscal year 2018-19 and for each succeeding state fiscal year: 15.56% stays in the general fund; 71.85% is credited to the marijuana tax cash fund; and 12.59% is credited to the state public school fund and distributed to all school districts as specified in section 4. Section 4 of the bill requires the $30 million of state retail marijuana sales tax revenue that is transferred to the state public school fund for FY 2017-18 to be appropriated to the department of education and allocated 55% to large rural school districts and 45% to small rural school districts and then distributed to the large and small rural school districts on a per pupil basis. Section 4 requires all of the state retail marijuana sales tax revenue that is transferred to the state public school fund for FY 2018-19 and for each subsequent fiscal year to be distributed to all school districts and institute charter schools as part of the state share of total program funding. On and after July 1, 2017, section 28 offsets a portion of the state retail marijuana sales tax rate increase by exempting retail sales of marijuana upon which the state retail marijuana sales tax is imposed from the 2.9% general state sales tax and section 23 makes a conforming amendment to ensure that local governments can continue to impose their local general sales taxes on retail sales of marijuana. Section 9 of the bill requires each principal department of state government, other than the departments of education and transportation, that submits an annual budget request to the OSPB, when submitting its budget request for FY 2018-19 to the OSPB, to request a total budget for the department that is at least 2% lower than its actual budget for the FY 2017-18. The OSPB must strongly consider the budget reduction proposals made by each principal department when preparing the annual executive budget proposals to the general assembly for the governor and must seek to ensure that the executive budget proposal for each department for FY 2018-19 is at least 2% lower than the department's actual budget for FY 2017-18. Section 10 of the bill eliminates FY 2018-19 and FY 2019-20 general fund transfers to the highway user tax fund required by current law. The eliminated transfers are in the amounts of $160 million on June 30, 2019, and $160 million on June 30, 2020. Section 14 of the bill specifies that on and after January 1, 2018, for pharmacy and for hospital outpatient services, including urgent care centers and facilities and emergency services provided under the 'Colorado Medical Assistance Act', HCPF rules that specify the amount of copayments for such services must require the recipient to pay: For pharmacy, at least double the average amount paid by recipients in state fiscal year 2015-16; or For hospital outpatient services, at least double the amount required to be paid as specified in the rules as of January 1, 2017; except that For both pharmacy and hospital outpatient services, the amount required to be paid by the recipient may not exceed any specified maximum dollar amount allowed by federal law or regulations as of January 1, 2017. Section 21 of the bill requires HCPF, within 120 days of the enactment of the federal 'Advancing Care for Exceptional Kids Act' (ACE Kids Act) and subject to available appropriations, to seek any federal approval necessary to fund, in cooperation with hospitals that meet the specified requirements, the implementation of an enhanced pediatric health home for children with complex medical conditions. HCPF must comply with ACE Kids Act requirements for its participation. Section 25 of the bill terminates an existing temporary income tax credit for business personal property taxes paid that is available only for income tax years commencing before January 1, 2020, one year early so that it is available only for income tax years commencing before January 1, 2019. Section 26 replaces the terminated temporary credit with a more generous permanent income tax credit for business personal property taxes paid on up to $18,000 of the total actual value of a taxpayer's business personal property. Section 1 of the bill makes a legislative declaration that all provisions of Senate Bill 17-267 relate to and serve and are necessarily and properly connected to the General Assembly's purpose of ensuring and perpetuating the sustainability of rural Colorado.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Committee on Legal Services. Current law directs the Office of Legislative Legal Services to study the organizational recodification of title 12 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, which relates to professions and occupations. To implement the initial recommendations of the study, section 1 of the bill relocates article 66 of title 12, which relates to wholesale sales representatives, to title 13. Section 2 repeals the article where this law was previously codified.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Committee on Legal Services. Current law directs the office of legislative legal services to study the organizational recodification of title 12 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, which relates to professions and occupations. To implement the initial recommendations of the study: Section 1 of the bill creates a new article 64 in title 23 of the Colorado Revised Statutes and relocates the repealed provisions of article 59 of title 12 of the Colorado Revised Statutes to that article 64; Sections 2 through 19 of the bill make conforming amendments; and Section 20 of the bill repeals article 59 of title 12 of the Colorado Revised Statutes.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill requires that, before the executive board of a unit owners' association (HOA) in a common interest community brings suit against a developer or builder on behalf of unit owners based on a defect in construction work not ordered by the HOA itself, the board must: Notify all unit owners and the developer or builder against whom the lawsuit is being considered; Call a meeting at which the executive board and the developer or builder will have an opportunity to present relevant facts and arguments and the developer or builder may, but is not required to, make an offer to remedy the defect; and Obtain the approval of a majority of the unit owners after giving them detailed disclosures about the lawsuit and its potential costs and benefits. The meeting of unit owners commences a 90-day voting period during which the HOA will accept votes for or against proceeding with the lawsuit. Statutes of limitation are tolled during this period. The HOA is required to keep copies of its mailing list and maintain records of the votes received. The voting period may end in less than 90 days if sufficient votes are received to approve the lawsuit before 90 days have elapsed. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill requires the state treasurer to deposit $1 million of the proceeds from the tax on insurance policy premiums in the local firefighter safety and disease prevention fund for each of the 3 fiscal years commencing on or after July 1, 2017. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
