Sen. Larry Crowder

The act permits an organization recognized and authorized by the United States veterans administration and the national personnel records center to determine whether any unclaimed cremated remains are of United States military veterans or qualified family members who are eligible for interment in a national cemetery or state veterans' cemetery. If such unclaimed cremated remains are identified, the facility in possession of the remains is required to transfer the remains to a national cemetery or state veterans' cemetery. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The bill directs each district school board to issue a request for proposal for a district-wide school safety assessment. Each district shall select and contract with a school safety expert for an evaluation of each public school in the district. The expert shall report its evaluation and recommendations to the board, and the board shall vote on each recommendation. The board shall present the approved recommendations to the state board of education, which shall vote on the recommendations and provide funding to the district to cover the costs of the approved recommendations. The state board of education shall report to the legislature's education committees on the recommendations it receives, approves, and funds.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill directs the state board of education (state board) to identify by rule a list of statutes and rules for which a rural school district board of education (local board) may invoke an automatic waiver. A local board may invoke an automatic waiver by adopting a resolution and transmitting the resolution to the state board and the commissioner of education. The local board may invoke the automatic waiver on behalf of the entire rural school district or for one or more identified schools of the district. An automatic waiver remains in effect until revoked by the local board through adoption of a resolution. A rural school district that invokes an automatic waiver must identify the automatic waiver on its website and, starting July 1, 2021, provide a standardized description of and rationale for each automatic waiver of statute and the contact information for a school district employee who can explain the automatic waiver. The department of education, working with a statewide association that represents school districts, must adopt standardized descriptions of and rationales for each of the statutes included on the list of automatic waivers for rural school districts adopted by the state board.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill expands the list of persons authorized to conduct evaluations to determine if a defendant charged with a crime is competent to stand trial. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Current law uses the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of a vehicle to determine taxable value, which is used to determine the amount of the specific ownership tax. For class A and B vehicles that weigh 16,000 pounds or less, current law uses 75% of the MSRP; for class C and D vehicles, current law uses 85% of MSRP. The bill changes this taxable value from MSRP to the actual purchase price. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Medicaid - home- and community-based services - extend in-home support services waiver program. The act implements the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies' sunset review by extending the repeal date of in-home support services for certain home- and community-based services (HCBS) waivers under the Colorado medical assistance program by 9 years, from 2019 to 2028. Prior to the repeal, the department of regulatory agencies shall conduct a sunset review of the program. The act amends the eligibility definition for in-home support services, removing the reference to specific HCBS waivers and including those waivers for which there is state and federal authority for in-home support services. The act also removes language relating to an obsolete reporting requirement. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Surplus military vehicles - certificates of title - on-road and off-road use - appropriation. The act defines surplus military vehicles as off-highway vehicles for the purposes of titling these vehicles and of using these vehicles on and off road. These changes in the definition are as follows: A surplus military vehicle may be titled as an off-highway vehicle; A surplus military vehicle is not registered as a motor vehicle; and A surplus military vehicle is treated as an off-highway vehicle for the purposes of on-road use and off-road use. These changes do not apply to military vehicles that are valued for historical purposes. To implement the act, $45,000 is appropriated to the department of revenue from the Colorado DRIVES vehicle service account. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Child support commission recommendations - changes to the Colorado child support guidelines - administrative lien and levy - child support enforcement services fee - appropriation. The act makes changes to child support provisions recommended by the Colorado child support commission, including: Allocating "mandatory school fees", as defined in the act; Adding required federal factors that a court or delegate child support enforcement unit must consider when determining potential income of a parent who is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed; Reducing from 30 months to 24 months the length of time after birth that a custodial parent has before income is imputed to that parent, and changing how income is imputed for a parent sentenced to incarceration for 180 days or more or for a noncustodial parent who is attending postsecondary education; Increasing the self-support reserve for purposes of calculating child support from $1,100 to $1,500; Creating a $10 minimum order for noncustodial parents with income under $650 and making adjustments to the child support guidelines for parents with a combined, adjusted gross income up to $3,450; Requiring the noncustodial parent to notify the custodial parent if a child is eligible for dependent benefits based on the noncustodial parent's retirement or disability and establishing time frames for the custodial parent to apply for dependent benefits; Clarifying that the Colorado child support commission is required under federal law to consider child support guidelines at least once every 4 years and shall report to the general assembly; Requiring a verified copy of a support judgment to be provided to all parties upon filing with the court; Authorizing the state child enforcement agency to issue a notice of administrative lien and levy to any financial institution holding an obligor parent's account for an obligor who is past due on child support owed to a child for whom the obligee is receiving support enforcement services from the state; and Increasing the fee charged for child support enforcement services from $25, after the first $500 is collected, to $35 after the first $550 is collected, and creating a cash fund for the department of human services (department) to allow the department to spend a portion of the state share of the fee on program operations. For the 2019-20 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $143,650 from the child support deficit reduction act fee cash fund to the department of human services, office of self sufficiency, for the automated child support enforcement system. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

Child welfare - permanency hearing - burden of proof - clarifications. The act repeals and reenacts the provisions related to child welfare permanency hearings to reorganize the statutes and use consistent terminology related to permanency hearings. The act clarifies the burden of proof at permanency hearings. The act includes recent federal law changes.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More