Sen. Mark Baisley

The limited gaming control commission consists of 5 members, 4 of whom are from specified professions and industries and one of whom is a registered elector of the state who is not employed in one of the specified professions or industries. The act requires the governor to prioritize appointing members who are registered electors of Gilpin county or Teller county and allows the registered elector members of the commission from Gilpin and Teller County to be employed in one of the specified professions or industries.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The bill modifies existing disclaimer statement requirements that must accompany any communication that is broadcast, printed, mailed, or delivered; placed on a website, streaming media service, or online forum for a fee; or that is otherwise distributed, that constitutes an independent expenditure made in excess of $1,000. Under current law, the disclaimer statement must identify a natural person who is the registered agent of the person paying for the communication if the person paying is not a natural person. The bill eliminates the requirement that this information be included in the disclaimer statement and instead requires that the information be provided to the appropriate officer as part of an existing written notice to be submitted by the person expending money for the independent expenditure. In the case of a nonbroadcast communication, including an online communication, such as campaign yard signs, campaign poster signs, and campaign billboard signs, the bill requires the secretary of state, by rule, to establish size and placement requirements for the disclaimer statement. The rules must allow a disclaimer statement to be of a sufficient type size to be clearly readable by the recipient of the communication. In addition, the rules must also specify that the maximum font size of the disclaimer must not exceed the requirements applicable to such disclaimers in campaigns for federal elected office as promulgated by the federal election commission. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Under current law, if the Colorado educational and cultural facilities authority has issued qualified charter school bonds for a charter school that fails to immediately restore its qualified charter school debt service reserve fund (reserve fund) to the applicable reserve fund requirement, the general assembly may, but is not required to, appropriate money to restore any or all reserve fund requirements for an aggregate outstanding principal amount of bonds not to exceed $500 million. The act increases the cap for the aggregate outstanding principal amount of qualified charter school bonds for which the general assembly may restore reserve fund requirements to $750 million.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The responsibilities of the statewide internet portal authority (SIPA) include developing the officially recognized statewide internet portal, entering into a contract with a statewide internet portal integrator for the development, support, maintenance, and enhancement of the equipment and systems used for the statewide internet portal, and providing appropriate administration and oversight of the statewide internet portal integrator. Current law specifies that SIPA may not enter into a contract with a statewide portal integrator unless the statewide portal integrator was chosen by the authority pursuant to a request for proposals.The act retains the requirement for a competitive solicitation for the contract with the statewide portal integrator, but authorizes competitive solicitation methods other than a request for proposals, including the invitation to negotiate.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Section 1 of the bill defines a "protected series" as an arrangement, configuration, or other structure established by an entity formed outside of Colorado (a "foreign entity") as to which, under the organic statutes of the foreign entity: The assets of or associated with the protected series are not subject to claims against, or liabilities of, the foreign entity or any other protected series of the foreign entity; and The assets of or associated with the foreign entity or any other protected series of the foreign entity are not subject to claims against, or liabilities of, the protected series. Section 2 authorizes a foreign entity that has established a protected series (a "foreign series entity") that is doing or proposing to do business in this state to file with the secretary of state a statement of foreign entity authority that states the name and principal place of business of the protected series. Section 3 specifies the effect of filing the statement of foreign entity authority with regard to the foreign series entity's and protected series' rights and liabilities.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill establishes a private school tuition income tax credit commencing on or after January 1, 2021, that allows any taxpayer to claim a credit when the taxpayer enrolls a qualified child in a private school or the taxpayer provides a scholarship to a qualified child for enrollment in a private school. The private school issues the taxpayer a credit certificate and the amount of the credit is: For full-time attendance, an amount equal to either the tuition paid or the scholarship provided to a qualified child, as applicable, or 50% of the previous year's state average per pupil revenues, whichever is less; and For half-time attendance, an amount equal to either the tuition paid or the scholarship provided to a qualified child, as applicable, or 25% of the previous year's state average per pupil revenues, whichever is less. The bill also establishes a home-based education income tax credit commencing on or after January 1, 2021, that allows any taxpayer who uses home-based education for a qualified child to claim an income tax credit in an amount equal to: $1,000 for a taxpayer who uses home-based education for a qualified child who was enrolled on a full-time basis in a public school in the state prior to being taught at home; and $500 for a taxpayer who uses home-based education for a qualified child who was enrolled on a half-time basis in a public school in the state prior to being taught at home. Both credits may be carried forward for 3 years but may not be refunded. In addition, the credits may be transferred, subject to certain limitations. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill provides noncompetitive grants to school districts and boards of cooperative services that include rural school districts (local education providers) to retain a licensed physician to provide medical assessments and advice and to act as a liaison between the local education provider and state and local public health agencies with regard to implementing health protocols and requirements pertaining to COVID-19, with the goal of stabilizing the learning environment and advocating for the interests of the local education provider and its students and their families. The department of education (department) shall allocate grants in the order requests are received, so long as there are available appropriations; except that the department may prioritize the award of grants to local education providers located in counties that are experiencing high or rising levels of COVID-19 or that are managing significant or complex exposure and quarantine protocols for students or staff. The term of the physician contracts must not exceed 30 days following the expiration of the governor's executive orders and any school-related public health agency order or protocols related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The department may award grants of up to $50,000 per local education provider or group of providers, up to a cap of one million dollars. The bill gives the commissioner of education discretion, as specified in the bill, relating to the award of grants. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The act adds language to Colorado's children's code to clarify that refusing an immunization on the grounds of medical, religious, or personal belief considerations or opting to exclude immunization notification information from the immunization tracking system does not alone constitute child abuse or neglect. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires the department of higher education to conduct a study concerning awarding academic credit for prior learning within all state institutions of higher education (institutions). An existing council charged with examining general education courses shall implement a plan for determining and awarding academic credit for postsecondary education based on work-related experience. The plan must not be created, adopted, or implemented unless sufficient money is available from gifts, grants, or donations to cover the costs of creating, adopting, and implementing a plan. Beginning in the 2022-23 academic year, unless a plan is implemented prior to then, institutions shall accept and transfer academic credit awarded for work-related experience as courses with guaranteed-transfer designation or part of a statewide degree transfer agreement. Beginning March 1, 2024, and each year thereafter, the council shall report to the education committees of the senate and house of representatives, or any successor committees, regarding the implementation of the credit for work-related experience plan. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The governing board of an institution of higher education may, but is not required to, require a national assessment test score as an eligibility criterion for admission for first-time freshman students who graduate from high school in 2021. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)