The act creates new and modifies existing state income tax credits to maximize federal government funding for taxpayers engaged in semiconductor and advanced manufacturing in Colorado. Specifically, the act creates a refund mechanism, available from fiscal year 2023-24 through fiscal year 2028-29, that allows a taxpayer engaged in semiconductor or advanced manufacturing to apply for conditional approval of one or more types of income tax credits based on a specified project in the state and includes the maximum amount of credit for which the taxpayer may claim a refund of 80% (refund mechanism). The income tax credit types that may be the basis for such a refund are: The 3 enterprise zone credits for qualified investments, business facility employees, and expenditures for research and experimental activities; The Colorado job growth incentive income tax credit; and 3 semiconductor manufacturing zone (CHIPS zone) credits for qualified investments, business facility employees, and expenditures for research and experimental activities, the zones for which are created in the act. Semiconductor and advanced manufacturers must apply to the Colorado economic development commission (commission) for a refund certificate approving their project and setting the maximum amount of income tax credits that the manufacturer may claim as the basis for a refund in connection with the project. In reviewing applications, the commission must prioritize taxpayers engaged in semiconductor or advanced manufacturing that have received or applied to receive matching funds under the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021", the "Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors and Science Act of 2022" (CHIPS Act), or other similar federal legislation. The CHIPS zone tax credit program created by the act is similar to the enterprise zone tax credit program in that a local government may propose an area for designation as a CHIPS zone, which designation may promote the local economy through incentivizing businesses to locate in the area. A taxpayer located in a CHIPS zone may be eligible to claim an income tax credit under existing enterprise zone statutes for the taxpayer's qualified investments, business facility employees, or research and experimental activities. However, the tax benefits of CHIPS zones are only available to taxpayers engaged in semiconductor manufacturing, as that term is defined under the CHIPS Act. All CHIPS zone tax credits must be precertified by the CHIPS zone administrator. All such credits may be used to offset a taxpayer's income tax liability or carried forward for a period not to exceed 12 years. Or, if the credits are included in a refund certificate approved by the commission pursuant to the refund mechanism, they may be used to claim a refund of 80% of the total amount of the credits. CHIPS zones may be modified or terminated at the discretion of the commission beginning in income tax year 2023 and through income tax year 2040; however, all CHIPS zones will terminate as a matter of law on December 31, 2040. The act creates, within the office of economic development (office), a temporary task force comprised of state legislators, representatives of the office, and citizens with industry experience to study the effectiveness of financial incentives and other resources intended to attract and promote the development of advanced manufacturing and other science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) companies in Colorado during the 2023 legislative interim. The task force is required to report its findings to the general assembly and the governor by a specified date. The act amends the law regarding confidential taxpayer information to allow the department of revenue to disclose pertinent information to the office as necessary to administer the CHIPS zone tax credit program. For th 2023-24 state fiscal year, $300,1098 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of revenue and $117,583 is appropriated from the general fund to the office of the governor for implementation of the act. APPROVED by Governor May 20, 2023 EFFECTIVE May 20, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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The act requires the parks and wildlife commission (commission) to promulgate rules authorizing a local government to request that the division of parks and wildlife (division) charge an additional per vehicle fee, not to exceed $2, for each daily vehicle pass issued for a state park or wildlife area in the local government's geographic boundary. Upon the request, the commission must establish the fee, which will be collected on and after January 1, 2025, and transferred, minus an administrative deduction, to the local access route cash fund created by the act and then distributed to local governments to maintain and operate local access routes. The fee will be adjusted every 5 years for inflation or deflation. The division of parks and wildlife is required to collaborate with local governments to identify and study issues surrounding local access route transportation infrastructure and funding deficits and sources of funding for the routes. The division is given factors to consider and must seek input from the department of transportation and the department of local affairs before completing the study. Based on the study, the division must make legislative recommendations to the general assembly by November 1, 2024, regarding sources of funding or partnerships to assist in the maintenance of local access routes and state park services. To implement this act, $411,000 is appropriated to the department of natural resources for use by the division of parks and wildlife from the parks and outdoor recreation cash fund. APPROVED by Governor May 19, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act implements the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies to continue to the offender reentry and education programs (programs) until September 1, 2028, subject to sunset review by the department of regulatory agencies. The act also requires the department of corrections to track the long-term recidivism rates of persons who were formerly incarcerated who participated in the programs. Finally, the act requires the department of corrections to report recidivism rates and data on all individuals who participate in reentry services and programs to the judiciary committees of the house and senate. APPROVED by Governor May 17, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
As an alternative route to teacher licensure, the act creates a teacher degree apprenticeship program (apprenticeship program). The apprenticeship program builds on elements of current alternative teacher licensure programs, including a bachelor's degree requirement, training programs approved by the state department of education (CDE), and structured on-the-job training. The apprenticeship program is run collaboratively with the United States department of labor office of apprenticeship (DOL office) and the state apprenticeship office (state office) and utilizes apprentice mentor teachers and teacher apprenticeship program sponsors (sponsor). The act allows CDE to issue a teacher apprenticeship authorization (authorization) to a person (apprentice) who is employed by a school district, board of cooperative services, charter school, or institute charter school (school) who is actively registered in an apprenticeship program, and who is actively enrolled in an affiliated bachelor's degree program from an accredited institution. The authorization is valid for 4 years while the apprentice completes the bachelor's degree requirement of the program. CDE may renew the authorization for up to 2 successive terms, in increments of 2 years, as necessary for the apprentice to fulfill the apprenticeship requirements. An authorization is invalid if the apprentice withdraws from any part of the apprenticeship program or fails to make satisfactory progress. Upon application from an entity with expertise in apprenticeship or teacher preparation, CDE shall authorize the entity to serve as a sponsor. Applications to serve as a sponsor must include a proposed work process schedule and related instruction plan required by the DOL office and state office. CDE shall review each application and approve or disapprove the sponsor. If approved, the sponsor may apply to CDE for approval of an apprenticeship program. An apprenticeship program must meet the following criteria: Be registered with the DOL office or state office; Incorporate a bachelor's degree program from an accredited institution in a related field of study relative to the licensure type; and Incorporate on-the-job training in meaningful and time-saving ways. Every 5 years after apprenticeship program approval, CDE shall consult with the DOL office or state office concerning the federally required audit of the apprenticeship program to ensure the apprenticeship program continues to meet requirements. The state board of education is authorized to promulgate rules for the implementation of the apprenticeship program. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, $116,134 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of education. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, $26,435 is appropriated to the department of law from reappropriated funds received from the department of education. The department of law may use this appropriation to provide legal services for the department of education. APPROVED by Governor May 15, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires the commissioner of insurance (commissioner) to prepare an annual report on the cost of reconstructing homes in Colorado. Current law prohibits an insurer from canceling or refusing to renew a policy of homeowner's insurance unless the insurer mails notice to the insured at least 30 days in advance of the effective date of the cancellation of or refusal to renew the policy. The act increases the notice requirement to 60 days in advance of the action. The act specifies the factors an insurer must consider when determining the reconstruction costs of a dwelling and requires insurers to disclose certain information regarding the replacement costs before issuing or renewing a homeowner's insurance policy. Current law requires an insurer to offer an applicant extended replacement cost and law and ordinance coverage before issuing or renewing certain replacement cost homeowner's insurance policies. The act requires the coverage to be: Equal to 20% of the limit of insurance for the dwelling for law and ordinance coverage (changed from 10%); and At least 50% of the limit of the insurance for the dwelling for extended replacement cost coverage (changed from 20%). To implement the act: $109, 955 is appropriated to the department of regulatory agencies for use by the division of insurance; and $38,066 is appropriated to the department of law. APPROVED by Governor May 12, 2023 PORTIONS EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 PORTIONS EFFECTIVE January 1, 2025 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die; except that, section 10-4-110.8 (8), Colorado Revised Statutes, as amended in section 3 of the act, takes effect January 1, 2025. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The bill establishes the commission to study family courts (commission) to evaluate family courts in Colorado and make recommendations to the general assembly for changes to the administration of family courts to better serve the people of Colorado. The commission is comprised of 4 parents who have been involved in a family court case, 4 persons with lived experience as a child in a family court case, a victim advocate, a representative of a child support agency, a parental responsibility evaluator or child and family investigator, 2 family law attorneys, a district judge with experience presiding over a family court, a representative of the state court administrator's office, a senator, and a member of the house of representatives. The legislative council staff and office of legislative legal services provide staff support to the commission. The commission may hire a person to assist the commission with compiling data and information relevant to the commission's duties and to prepare the commission's report. The commission shall hold its first meeting no later than September 30, 2023, and shall meet at least once every 3 months. The commission may meet remotely and at locations throughout the state. No later than September 30, 2024, the commission shall submit a report on family courts in Colorado to the judicial department and to the judiciary committees of the house of representatives and the senate. The report must include the commission's findings on issues it studied and any recommendations from the commission for improving the administration of family courts, including proposed legislation and funding sources for implementing any recommendations. The commission is repealed December 31, 2024. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The majority of state employees who are paid through the state's payroll system (state employees) are paid monthly and some state employees are paid biweekly. In 2015, in anticipation of the implementation of a new payroll system for state employees, the general assembly enacted an act to require that all state employees be paid twice a month for pay periods that began on or after July 1, 2017. Because the payroll system that would have paid state employees twice a month was not implemented, the act: Repeals the requirement that state employees be paid twice a month and restores the monthly and biweekly pay periods; Repeals the one-time loan program that would have allowed any state employee to apply to the department of personnel for a loan to assist the employee in July 2017, when the transition to the twice a month payroll system would have created a 2-week lag in state employees' pay; and Repeals the state personnel director's authority to delay the date by which state employees would be paid twice a month, as the state personnel director no longer intends to implement a twice a month payroll system. In addition, state employee salaries that are paid on a monthly basis are paid on the last working day of the month; except that the salary for the month of June is paid on the first working day of July (pay-day shift). The act codifies current practice by specifying that the pay-day shift does not apply to institutions of higher education. APPROVED by Governor May 1, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act: Eliminates the requirement that a local government hold an election before providing or before operating a facility to provide cable television, telecommunications, or broadband internet services to subscribers; Eliminates the requirement that a local government hold an election to enter into a private partnership to allow a private provider to use local government facilities in connection with the private provider offering cable television service, telecommunications service, broadband internet service, or middle mile infrastructure; and Specifies that a local government may provide middle mile infrastructure, which is broadband infrastructure that does not connect directly to an end-user location. APPROVED by Governor May 1, 2023 EFFECTIVE May 1, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
With regard to a contract between a health insurance carrier (carrier) and a licensed health-care provider (provider) for the provision of health-care services to covered persons under a health coverage plan issued by the carrier (contract), the act: Requires the carrier to offer at least one method of payment to the provider for which there is not an associated fee; and Prohibits the carrier from restricting the form or method of payment the carrier uses to make payments to the provider so that the only acceptable payment method is a credit card payment. If a carrier initiates a payment to a provider using, or changes the payment method to, electronic funds transfer payments, including virtual credit card payments, the act requires the carrier to: Notify the provider of any fees associated with the particular payment method; Advise the provider of the available payment methods and include instructions on how to select an alternative available method; and With each payment, remit an explanation of benefits. The act prohibits a carrier from charging a fee for a change in the payment method to a specified electronic transaction and allows a provider's billing service to charge a fee under certain circumstances. The act grants enforcement authority to the commissioner of insurance. APPROVED by Governor April 10, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act extends the maximum length of an employment contract between a state system of higher education, or a campus of a state institution of higher education, and an individual who has a non-tenure-track classroom teaching or librarian appointment from 3 years to 5 years. APPROVED by Governor March 23, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)