Sen. Bob Rankin

The act repeals the requirement that amounts appropriated to the division of criminal justice in the department of public safety for the law enforcement assistance grant program that are unexpended and unencumbered remain available for expenditure by the division in the next fiscal year without further appropriation. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The bill creates the early college policy development advisory group (advisory group) to design and recommend policies and changes to law to support the statewide development of and funding for early college programs and p-tech schools. The bill specifies the membership of the advisory group, which is appointed by the governor and must include members of the education leadership council, and the specific duties of the advisory group. In completing its duties, the advisory group must coordinate with the education leadership council. The advisory group must prepare an interim report and a final report of its findings and recommendations, and submit the reports by December 1, 2020, and December 1, 2021, respectively, to the governor, the education leadership council, the state board of education (state board), the Colorado commission on higher education (CCHE), and the education committees of the general assembly. The bill creates a legislative advisory council to provide advice and comment to the advisory group. The bill expands the existing concurrent enrollment expansion and innovation grant program to include grants for specified purposes related to providing opportunities for students to simultaneously enroll in postsecondary courses or engage in work-based learning opportunities while enrolled in high school. The bill extends for 2 additional budget years funding for students who enroll in an early college program that was approved before June 6, 2018, and who enroll in postsecondary courses in the fifth or sixth year of high school. The bill authorizes the distribution of state financial assistance to students who enroll in postsecondary courses while still enrolled in high school. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill amends the "Colorado READ Act" to require each local education provider to post on its website: The core and supplemental reading curriculum, or a detailed description of the reading curriculum, by grade, used in each of its schools; The core and supplemental reading instructional programs and intervention reading instruction, services, and other supports provided in each of its schools; The number of students enrolled in kindergarten and first through third grades who have READ plans, as well as the number of students who have achieved reading competency; and The local education provider's budget and narrative explanation for the use of the "Colorado READ Act" intervention money.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill requires the department of health care policy and financing to reimburse federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) for telemedicine services and clinical pharmacy services provided to medicaid recipients.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill defines "backcountry search and rescue" as the utilization, training, and support of responders, with their specialized equipment, to locate, provide assistance to, and remove to safety individuals who are lost, injured, stranded, or entrapped, generally in remote areas of the state. The department of natural resources (department) must conduct a study and develop recommendations on the issues related to backcountry search and rescue, including coordination among the local, state, and nonprofit organizations involved in backcountry search and rescue, the adequacy of resources and benefits available to volunteers who provide backcountry search and rescue services, the funding needs for equipment and reimbursement, and the needs for volunteer training and public education. The department must also, subject to available appropriations, conduct outreach and training related to the physical and psychological support needs of backcountry search and rescue volunteers, which may include working with consultants, providing programs, or creating a grant program for local governments or nonprofit organizations providing backcountry search and rescue. The bill makes conforming amendments related to the definition of "backcountry search and rescue". (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

The act grants a board of county commissioners the authority to license and regulate an owner or owner's agent who rents or advertises the owner's lodging unit for a short-term stay, and to fix the fees, terms, and manner for issuing and revoking licenses issued therefor. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act modifies various provisions relating to the enforcement of parks and wildlife statutes as follows: Clarifies that any person, not just a hunter, may be prosecuted for violations of parks and wildlife statutes; Amends the definition of "take" to clarify that the term includes the killing of wildlife with certain exceptions; States that licenses issued by the division of parks and wildlife (division) are not subject to the "Secure and Verifiable Identity Document Act"; Specifies the default penalties that apply to a person who is convicted of a violation of a parks and wildlife statute or rule promulgated under those statutes that does not list a specific penalty; Extends the period of time within which an alleged offender may pay fines and surcharges identified in a penalty assessment notice issued to the alleged offender from 15 days to 20 days and authorizes personal service or service by certified mail of a summons and complaint or a penalty assessment notice; Authorizes the parks and wildlife commission or a hearing officer to suspend a person's license issued by the division for a failure to comply with an official notice of an alleged violation of the parks and wildlife statutes. The suspension is lifted once the person furnishes or causes to be furnished to the division satisfactory evidence of compliance with the official notice of an alleged violation. Makes the imposition of additional penalties regarding the unlawful taking of trophy animals permissive instead of mandatory; For the purposes of hunting in a careless manner, amends the definition of "careless" and authorizes a lesser fine for a person who hunts in a careless manner while hunting with a big game license for a type of animal different than the type of animal killed and who immediately field dresses the killed animal and reports the killing to the division; Amends the definition of "vessel" to include all types of stand-up paddleboards and excludes from the definition of "river outfitter" a person whose only service is providing instruction in stand-up paddleboarding; Authorizes a person to possess a loaded pistol or revolver while snowmobiling and clarifies that the division may authorize certain conduct while operating a snowmobile that is otherwise unlawful; and Prohibits a river outfitter, guide, trip leader, or guide instructor from allowing another person to operate a vessel without due regard for river conditions or other attending circumstances or in a manner that endangers any person, property, or wildlife. A person who violates the prohibition commits a class 3 misdemeanor.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The general assembly recognizes that the actual funded pupil count and the actual at-risk pupil count for the 2019-20 budget year are higher than anticipated when the appropriation amount was established during the 2019 legislative session, resulting in an increase in total program for the 2019-20 budget year. In addition, specific ownership tax revenue was less than anticipated, but local property tax revenue was more than anticipated, resulting in a net increase in the local share of total program funding. The increase in the local share of total program funding offsets a portion of the increase in total program. The act declares the general assembly's intent to maintain the budget stabilization factor at the dollar amount of the original appropriation. In addition, the total program amount set forth in statute was increased to reflect new provisions concerning funding for full-day kindergarten. The act increases appropriations for the state share of total program. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires the state treasurer to transfer $7,466,648 from the general fund to the information technology capital account within the capital construction fund on April 1, 2020. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)