The act establishes the Colorado rural health-care workforce initiative (initiative) to expand the number of health-care professionals practicing in Colorado's rural or frontier counties. As part of the initiative, an institution of higher education (institution) is authorized to establish and operate a health-care professionals rural track within any health-care professional education program offered by the institution. A rural track must set aside seats in its health-care professional education program for students who express an interest in studying and working in a rural or frontier county, offer didactic curriculum related to practicing the health-care discipline in rural or frontier counties, place students in rural or frontier counties for hands-on instruction and training, and award scholarships to students in the rural track. In order to receive a scholarship, a student must commit to working as a health-care professional in a rural or frontier county for 2 years after completing education and training. The rural office at the university of Colorado's school of medicine (rural program office) provides technical assistance to the institutions operating a rural track regarding recruiting and admitting students committed to working in rural areas and identifying rural or frontier counties in which students may be placed for clinical training. The rural program office also facilitates, arranges, or advises an institution about arranging housing for students placed in a rural or frontier county. The rural program office must provide, without charge, to institutions operating a rural track, didactic curriculum related to practicing in rural or frontier counties. The act requires the rural program office to annually evaluate the effectiveness of the initiative and report to the general assembly's education committees about the initiative. The act requires the department of higher education (department) to enter into limited purpose fee-for-service contracts to provide funding for the rural program office to carry out its duties related to the initiative. The department is also required to enter into limited purpose fee-for-service contracts with institution governing boards to operate a rural track in programs specified in the act. The department is required to allocate money to Colorado mountain college to establish a rural track in its nursing program. The act appropriates $1,200,000 to the department from the general fund for fee-for-service contracts and allocations for the initiative. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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The act establishes the rural provider access and affordability stimulus grant program (grant program) in the Colorado department of health care policy and financing (state department). As part of the grant program, the state department may award grants for projects that modernize the affordability solutions and the information technology of health-care providers in rural communities (rural providers) and projects that expand access to health care in rural communities. The types of rural providers eligible for grants under the grant program are rural hospitals that have a lower net patient revenue or fund balance than other rural hospitals in the state, as determined by the medical services board (state board) by rule. On or before December 31, 2022: The state department must adopt guidelines for the grant program (guidelines); and The state board must adopt rules as necessary for the administration of the grant program (rules). The act creates the rural provider access and affordability advisory committee (advisory committee) in the state department. The advisory committee is required to advise the state department on the administration of the grant program, the adoption of the guidelines, and the selection of grant recipients. The advisory committee is also required to advise on the rules. The act also creates the rural provider access and affordability fund (fund) in the state treasury. The act requires the state treasurer to transfer $10,000,000 from the economic recovery and relief cash fund to the fund for awarding grants under the grant program and the administration of the grant program. The state department is directed to include a report on the progress of the grant program during its presentation to joint legislative committees pursuant to the "State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act". The grant program is repealed on July 1, 2025. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act transfers the duties, powers, and functions of the department of local affairs (DOLA) related to backcountry search and rescue, the backcountry search and rescue card (card) and the backcountry search and rescue fund (fund) to the division of parks and wildlife (division), effective January 1, 2023. On and after January 1, 2023: All positions of employment and appropriations for personal services in DOLA related to backcountry search and rescue and the administration of the card and fund are transferred to the division; The division is required to administer the card program and to process requests for reimbursement for search and rescue efforts from the fund and assumes all rights and obligations previously vested in DOLA; The parks and wildlife commission is required to promulgate rules establishing the price and vendor fee for the card and the amount of the surcharges imposed on certain hunting and fishing licenses and on boats, snowmobile, and off-highway vehicle registrations that are credited to the fund; and The fund is continuously appropriated to the division to reimburse local governments for backcountry search and rescue efforts and to support search and rescue efforts throughout the state. The act amends current laws providing immunity from civil liability in certain circumstances to volunteer firefighters and incident management teams responding to emergencies and to volunteers providing services to nonprofit organizations to include persons, including associated legal entities, engaged in backcountry search and rescue efforts. A dependent of a person who died or was permanently disabled while engaged in backcountry search and rescue efforts is eligible for educational benefits that are currently extended to the dependents of individuals who die or are permanently disabled while on active duty as a Colorado National Guardsman or while working as a police officer, sheriff, or other law enforcement officer or firefighter. One million dollars is transferred from the general fund to the wildlife cash fund for use by the division to support backcountry search and rescue efforts. If there is any unobligated and unexpended money remaining from that transfer on January 2, 2023, the remainder is transferred to the backcountry search and rescue fund. The one million dollars transferred to the wildlife cash fund is appropriated to the department of natural resources for use by the division for backcountry search and rescue efforts. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Under existing law, for tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2017, but prior to January 1, 2023, the credit for health-care preceptors working in health professional shortage areas offers an income tax credit in the amount of $1,000 to health-care professionals in rural and frontier areas who provide a preceptorship, an uncompensated mentoring experience for eligible health professional students that includes a specified minimum amount of personalized instruction, training, and supervision, during the applicable income tax year. The act modifies the tax credit by: Extending the period for which the tax credit may be claimed to tax years commencing prior to January 1, 2033; Allowing up to 300, rather than 200, preceptors to claim the credit in any tax year; Expanding who may offer a preceptorship to include, in addition to a medical doctor, doctor of osteopathic medicine, advanced practice nurse, physician assistant, doctor of dental surgery, or doctor of dental medicine as provided by existing law, a registered nurse, registered dental hygienist, pharmacist, licensed clinical or counseling psychologist, licensed clinical social worker, licensed professional counselor, licensed marriage and family therapist, psychiatric nurse specialist, licensed addiction counselor, or certified addiction counselor working in an outpatient clinical setting who has been licensed in his or her primary health-care field in the state by the applicable licensing authority; Expanding who may participate in a preceptorship to include individuals matriculating at any accredited Colorado institution of higher education seeking a degree or certification in a primary health-care field; Allowing nonconsecutive days to be counted when determining the eligibility of a preceptorship for the credit; Modifying the definitions of "rural areas", "preceptorship", and "primary health-care" for purposes of the tax credit; Modifying the certification requirements for taxpayers who claim the tax credit; and Providing a tax preference performance statement for the tax credit.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
By the beginning of the 2024-25 school year and continuing thereafter, the act requires each school district, board of cooperative services, and charter school (local education provider) to ensure that each reading interventionist employed to teach children in any of grades 4 through 12, the principal in each school that serves kindergarten or any of grades one through 3, and each school district administrator with responsibility for programs in kindergarten or any of grades one through 3 successfully completes evidence-based training in the science of reading. The local education provider may request a one-year extension from the state board of education to ensure that the teachers, reading interventionists, principals, and administrators whom it employs meet the training requirements. Each local education provider must submit to the department of education (department) evidence that it is in compliance with the reading interventionist, principal, and administrator training requirements to receive per-pupil intervention money in a budget year. The act encourages the director of each public library to work with the department to provide evidence-based training in the science of reading for each librarian and to identify and provide materials and activities for parents and children to improve literacy. Each library director may prepare a plan and submit it to the state librarian describing how the director and librarians will work with children and families to support literacy. At the request of a local education provider or a library director, the department shall provide free training in the science of reading to reading interventionists, principals, and administrators employed by the local education provider and librarians employed at the public library. The act directs the state librarian to work with public libraries throughout the state to facilitate access to evidence-based training in the science of reading for librarians and assist in identifying materials and activities for parents and children to improve literacy. For the 2022-23 budget year, the act appropriates $251,139 from the early literacy fund to the department to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Beginning in the 2022-23 budget year, the act directs the department of education (department) to annually distribute to each eligible school district and each eligible institute charter school an amount of state money as a matching amount to the property tax revenue the eligible district receives from mills levied for additional revenue (override mills). To determine the amount, if any, of state matching money, the department shall annually calculate for each district: The district's maximum number of override mills; and The number of override mills the district may be expected to levy toward the district's maximum number of override mills (override mill capacity), based on the district's median household income. If a district's override mill capacity is less than the maximum number of override mills, the district is eligible to receive matching state money. The department must calculate each eligible district's mill levy match amount as provided in the act. An institute charter school that is located within an eligible district is eligible to receive a distribution of state money equal to the eligible district's per pupil mill levy match amount multiplied by the institute charter school's pupil enrollment. The department must calculate and distribute in June of each budget year the mill levy match amounts from the mill levy override match fund (fund) created in the act. The act transfers $10 million from the general fund to the fund for the 2022-23 budget year. For the 2022-23 budget year, the act appropriates $10,041,238 to the department to implement the act, $10 million of which is from the fund and $41,238 of which is from the general fund. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The executive director of the department of personnel (executive director) is required to: Create requirements regarding the authority for state public entities to initiate requests for proposals or bids or to review any private partner-initiated proposals for public projects to be completed through public-private partnerships; Create requirements regarding the authority for state public entities to execute public-private partnership agreements for public projects; Further define any relevant terms defined in the act; and Develop cost thresholds for public projects that qualify as a public-private partnership or a public-private agreement. The public-private collaboration unit is established in the department of personnel (department). The unit is required to: In coordination with relevant state public entities, identify, prioritize, and advance potential public projects that may be best delivered through a public-private partnership; Facilitate collaboration between state public entities and private partners in connection with public projects; Provide technical assistance and expertise to state public entities in connection with any aspect of proposed or approved public-private partnerships; Create best practices that incorporate lessons learned from other public-private partnerships for every stage of the life cycle of a public-private partnership; Conduct public and stakeholder engagement to encourage transparency, accountability, and information sharing regarding public-private partnerships; Track proposed, ongoing, and completed public-private partnerships; Attract private investments for public projects; and In coordination with the department of early childhood, distribute funding to help increase the supply of child care facilities using public buildings or other appropriate public assets. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year and for each state fiscal year thereafter, money is appropriated from the general fund to the department for the standard operating expenses of the public-private collaboration unit, including personal services and related costs. A state public entity is authorized to initiate solicitations, review any private partner-initiated proposals, execute public-private partnership agreements, or execute public-private agreements to develop or operate a public project subject to the requirements of the act. Any public-private agreement entered into pursuant to the act must comply with applicable state laws and processes developed by the executive director. Nothing in the act prohibits, limits, or otherwise modifies the specific statutory authority of state public entities to enter into a public-private partnership, a public-private agreement, or other agreement or to use a statutory mechanism as authorized by any other provision of law. Public-private partnerships authorized by the act are exempt from the state "Procurement Code". The Colorado economic development commission is required to establish a public-private partnership subcommittee (subcommittee) to review proposed contracts, sales, and leases of state property. The subcommittee consists of at least 3 members of the commission as selected by the commission. A state public entity that intends to enter into a contract, sale, or lease of state property is required to submit the proposed contract, sale, or lease of state property to the subcommittee for review before entering into the contract, sale, or lease of state property. The state public entity, in coordination with the Colorado economic development commission staff, is required to submit a report to the subcommittee regarding the anticipated use of the state property. The subcommittee is required to review the report and make any recommendations it deems necessary to the state public entity. The executive director is required to annually report on the implementation and use of public-private partnerships pursuant to the act at its presentation to its committee of reference at a hearing held pursuant to the "State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act". The executive director is also required to submit the report to the joint budget committee. The existing definition of "unused state-owned real property" is modified to require that the unused state-owned real property be identified in the inventory list of unused state-owned real property maintained by the department and that the property is not being used at its optimal or best use. Money in the existing unused state-owned real property fund is continuously, rather than annually, appropriated to the department for existing purposes and for public-private agreements and any associated costs of the agreements. The state, by and through the division of employment and training the department of labor and employment, is authorized to dispose of a parcel of real property in Summit County. The proceeds must be credited to the employment support fund. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act: Amends the existing authority of the division of unemployment insurance (division) to issue bonds by clarifying that the division may issue the bonds through the state treasurer and granting the division the authority to levy bond assessments; Makes a temporary increase in partial unemployment benefits provided in current law permanent; Repeals the requirement that an individual wait at least one week before becoming eligible for unemployment compensation. This repeal will take effect when the unemployment compensation fund reaches a balance of at least $1 billion. Requires the division to study how to implement a dependent allowance for individuals receiving unemployment compensation. Requires the department of labor and employment to award grants to one or more third-party administrators for the purpose of providing recovery benefits to eligible individuals. The grants to the third-party administrators and the recovery benefits are funded through .00035 of the premium each employer is required to submit to the division. Provides that an individual is eligible to receive recovery benefits if the individual, regardless of the individual's immigration status: Separated from employment through no fault of the individual; received income from employment during a qualified base period or alternative base period; attests that the individual is not currently receiving any state-administered wage replacement assistance; is not eligible for state-administered wage replacement assistance for reasons related to the individual's authorization to work; and has a pay stub or form W-2 to verify the individual's employment and wage withholding. Requires an employer to provide an employee with certain information about unemployment compensation upon the employee's separation from employment; Extends the hold on an employer's solvency surcharge through calendar year 2023; Requires the state treasurer to transfer $600 million to a newly created fund. The transfer is from money received by the state through the federal "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021". The money in the fund may be used only to repay the outstanding balance of federal advances provided to the state through the unemployment insurance trust fund and interest owed on the advances. Sets forth factors that the division must consider in determining whether the repayment of overpaid unemployment compensation benefits repayment would be inequitable.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires the statewide care coordination infrastructure to include a cloud-based platform to allow providers that do not utilize an electronic health record to actively participate in the care coordination infrastructure. The act requires the behavioral health administration (BHA) to: Ensure navigators are available through the statewide care coordination infrastructure website and mobile application, as well as in specific regional locations; and Utilize behavioral health administrative service organizations to help individuals and families initiate care and ensure timely access to services. To implement the care coordination infrastructure, the act requires the BHA to train new and existing navigators on behavioral health safety net system services, behavioral health service delivery procedures, and social determinants of health resources; ensure that the care coordination infrastructure can direct individuals where to seek in-person or virtual navigation support; ensure that the administrative burden associated with provider enrollment and credentialing for navigators and care coordination providers is minimal; include a summary of outcomes for individuals who access the infrastructure in the BHA's annual report; and ensure the 988 crisis hotline responds to anyone experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis, documents referrals and transfers of care of persons with one or more community-based service providers, and includes connections to available behavioral health systems and services. Beginning January 2025, and each January thereafter, the act requires the department of health care policy and financing to assess the care coordination services provided by managed care entities and provide a report as part of its State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act hearing. The act appropriates $12.2 million from the behavioral and mental health cash fund to the department of human services for use by the behavioral health administration for the care coordination infrastructure. The act only takes effect if House Bill 22-1278, which creates the behavioral health administration, becomes law. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates the health-care workforce resilience and retention program (program) using existing initiatives to ensure that Colorado's health-care workforce is supported in order to meet the health-care demands of Coloradans and to support the resilience, well-being, and retention of health-care workers. The program is authorized to seek and expend gifts, grants, and donations to support the program. The program is exempt from the procurement code. The act appropriates $2 million from the economic recovery and relief cash fund for the program. The act creates the practice-based health education grant program (grant program) to increase practice-based training opportunities necessary for health profession students enrolled in accredited Colorado schools to complete degree requirements and become licensed to practice or program participants enrolled in other training or residency programs offered by a public or nonprofit Colorado medical school or accredited residency program to gain hands-on experience in pursuit of a license in the health-care field. The primary care office in the department of public health and environment administers the grant program and shall conduct a stakeholder engagement process to determine key operational components of the grant program policies and procedures. The act appropriates $20 million from the economic recovery and relief cash fund for the grant program. The act directs the state board for community colleges and occupational education (board) to administer the in-demand short-term health-care credentials program in order to support the expansion of available health-care professionals. The bill appropriates $26 million from the economic recovery and relief cash fund for these programs. The board shall allocate funds to community colleges, area technical colleges, local district colleges, and community not-for-profit organizations that deliver hybrid programming that leverages place-based supports in partnership with local district colleges, community colleges, and area technical colleges through reimbursement based on students enrolled in eligible programs for fiscal years 2022-23 to 2025-26 to: Provide assistance for tuition, fees, and course materials for eligible programs; Support alignment with existing efforts, such as apprenticeship and work-based learning, for students to earn eligible program credentials that lead into health-care careers such as nursing; and If unexpended resources exist or if the program use is less than anticipated, to expand eligible programs in allied health based on in-demand credential needs or include high school equivalency support and attainment for students without a high school degree who participate in the program. The act requires the primary care office and the governor's office of information technology to work through the government data advisory board to determine data-sharing agreements that integrate data collected by the state under existing authorities that may inform the analysis of need, allocation of resources, and evaluation of performance of state-administered or state-financed health workforce planning or development initiatives. Under current law, a nurse who holds a volunteer nurse license cannot get paid for nursing tasks. The act removes this limitation. The act directs the nurse-physician advisory task force for Colorado health care to make recommendations on: Alignment of health-care licensing with federal statutory minimums; Identification of unnecessary regulatory burdens or barriers; Regulatory reforms that support health-care licensees to work at their full scope of practice; and Feasibility of temporary candidate licenses for students nearing the completion of an accredited health-care program. The act makes the following changes and additions to the school nurse grant program: Repeals the requirement of a 5-year grant cycle; Requires that the grant supplement, not supplant, funding for school nurse positions existing in the local education provider's most recent fiscal year prior to applying for a grant; Directs the department of public health and environment to annually award grants; and Appropriates $3 million to the department of public health and environment for the grant program from the economic recovery and relief cash fund. The act appropriates $10 million from the economic recovery and relief cash fund to the department of public health and environment. The department shall use this appropriation for recruitment, re-engagement efforts of workers in the health-care profession with current or expired licenses, and staffing. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)