Sen. Mark Baisley

The bill prohibits a labor union that is composed of school employees from directly using union member dues to promote the election or reelection of a public officer or to promote a local or state ballot measure to which the union member has expressed opposition. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

For ground ambulance services, the bill: Allows a political subdivision, or an ambulance service providing ambulance services on behalf of the political subdivision, to submit to the division of insurance the established rates for the ambulance services; Establishes reimbursement rates for ambulance services that are out-of-network; and Prohibits an out-of-network ambulance service from billing a covered person any outstanding balance for a covered service not paid for by a carrier, except for any coinsurance, deductible, or copayment amount required to be paid by the covered person.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

In current law, the "Colorado Recreational Use Statute" (CRUS) protects landowners (owners) from liability resulting from the use of their lands by other individuals for recreational purposes. However, the CRUS does not limit an owner's liability for injuries or death resulting from the owner's willful or malicious failure to guard or warn against a known dangerous condition, use, structure, or activity likely to cause harm (willful or malicious failure). The act states that under such circumstances, an owner does not commit a willful or malicious failure if: Prior to the injury or death, the owner posts a warning sign at the primary access point where the individual entered the land, which sign satisfies certain criteria; The owner maintains photographic or other evidence of each such sign; and The dangerous condition, use, structure, or activity that caused the injury or death is described by the sign. The act requires an individual who accesses land for recreational purposes to stay on the designated recreational trail, route, area, or roadway unless the owner expressly allows otherwise, or be deemed a trespasser. Currently, the CRUS states that "owner" includes the possessor of any interest in land. The act clarifies that "owner" includes a possessor or holder of a conservation easement. The act states that the CRUS may not be construed to limit an owner's ability to restrict or prohibit the use of the owner's land for any recreational purposes. The act also updates certain archaic language within the CRUS. APPROVED by Governor March 15, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The bill incorporates children's resident camp visiting groups (visiting camp group) and children's resident camp rental facilities (camp rental facility) into the existing child care regulatory framework. The bill clarifies the allocation of responsibility for compliance with certain standards between visiting camp groups and camp rental facilities. The bill assigns responsibility to visiting camp groups for obtaining a license and complying with licensure standards if the visiting camp groups lease or use a camp rental facility. If a visiting camp group leases or uses a camp rental facility, the camp rental facility retains responsibility for compliance with campsite, fire safety, sanitation, and other physical facility standards. The bill creates an exception for visiting camp groups that conduct their activities at licensed children's resident camps. The bill permits the department of early childhood (department) to streamline paperwork for visiting camp groups and enter into reciprocity agreements with other states. The bill adds visiting camp groups and camp rental facilities to the department's existing license application and fee structure. The bill extends existing fingerprinting exemptions for out-of-state employees of children's resident camps to out-of-state employees working for visiting camp groups and at camp rental facilities, and it exempts camp rental facilities from certain drinking water testing requirements. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill prohibits, on or after January 1, 2025, a nonresident foreign citizen, foreign entity, or foreign government of the People's Republic of China, the Russian Federation, or any country determined by the United States secretary of state to be a state sponsor of terrorism (covered foreign person) from acquiring a controlling ownership share in agricultural land, mineral rights, or water rights (property interest) in the state (prohibition). A covered foreign person who acquires a controlling ownership share in a property interest in the state prior to January 1, 2025, may continue to own the property interest but may not acquire a controlling ownership share in any additional property interests in the state. No later than March 1, 2025, or 60 days after acquiring any ownership in a property interest in the state, whichever is later, a covered foreign person must register with the Colorado secretary of state (registration requirement), who is authorized to promulgate rules to implement the registration requirement. If the attorney general has reason to believe that a covered foreign person has violated the prohibition or has not complied with the registration requirement, the attorney general must commence a civil action against the covered foreign person in a district court. If a district court finds that the covered foreign person has violated the prohibition, the district court must issue a judgment reverting the property interest to the state. If the district court finds that the covered person has not complied with the registration requirement, the district court must impose a penalty of no more than $2,000 for each violation. The prohibition does not apply to a refugee who is a covered foreign person and acquires a controlling ownership share in real property used for the purposes of agriculture with prior approval of the acquisition by the Colorado secretary of state. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill ensures that the calculation of the actual value of certain real property used for the purpose of establishing a base valuation for valuation for assessment for the 2025 property reassessment cycle but not for the purpose of determining property tax liability for the 2021 and 2023 property tax reassessment cycles does not increase by more than 6% from 2020 levels in the 2021 reassessment cycle and more than 6% from 2021 levels in the 2023 reassessment cycle. The actual value for the 2025 reassessment cycle may not increase by more than 6% over the 2023 levels. After the 2025 reassessment cycle, property values may increase no more than 6% from the preceding assessment cycle during every reassessment cycle thereafter, for certain real property that does not have an unusual condition that results in an increase in actual value.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill creates a task force to study reforming the regulation and enforcement of motor vehicle registration and insurance law, specifically: The appropriateness of changing Colorado's motor vehicle insurance requirements to a no-fault system; The appropriateness and feasability of changing motor vehicle insurance enforcement from primarily using a peace officer and court system to primarily using an administrative system or a mixed system of both; Methods and systems that would make better use of the motorist insurance database to enforce motor vehicle insurance requirements; and The appropriateness and feasability of enforcing motor vehicle registration requirements primarily through an administrative system. The task force consists of the following members: The executive director of the department of revenue will appoint one member to represent the department of revenue; The chief of the Colorado state patrol will appoint one member to represent the Colorado state patrol; The president of the senate will appoint one member who represents district attorneys; The minority leader of the senate will appoint one member who represents the people of the state of Colorado; and The speaker of the house of representatives will appoint one member who represents the motor vehicle insurance industry. By January 3, 2025, the task force must issue a report with any legislative recommendations to the house of representatives judiciary committee, the house of representatives transportation, housing, and local government committee, the senate judiciary committee, and the senate transportation and energy committee, or their successor committees. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

In 2006, the general assembly passed Senate Bill 06-090 that: Prohibited a local government from passing any ordinance or policy that would prohibit a police officer, local official, or local government employee from cooperating with federal officials with regard to the immigration status of a person within the state; Required a peace officer who has probable cause to believe that a person is not legally present in the United States to report the person to the federal immigration and customs enforcement office; Required each local government to provide notice to peace officers of the duty to report and to provide written confirmation of the notice and reporting statistics to the general assembly; and Prohibited a local government that violates this provision from receiving any grants administered by the department of local affairs. Senate Bill 06-090 was repealed in 2013. This bill recreates and reenacts the 2006 bill. Current law prohibits: A person from being arrested while the person is present at a courthouse, or while going to, attending, or coming from a court proceeding, and provides remedies for a violation; A probation officer or probation department employee from providing personal information about an individual to federal immigration authorities; and State and local governmental entities from contracting with a private entity for immigration detention services or entering into agreements for immigration detention services. The bill repeals each of these laws. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)