The act transfers $5 million from the general fund to the local government severance tax fund for the purpose of funding grants to local governments for renewable and clean energy infrastructure implementation projects. The grants must be made by August 15, 2021, or as soon as possible thereafter, and the department of local affairs, which makes the grants, is required to report to the general assembly regarding the grants during its 2022 annual "SMART Act" presentation to legislative committees of reference. $5 million is appropriated from the local government severance tax fund to the division of local government of the department of local affairs for state fiscal year 2020-21 so that the division can make the grants, and any of the money not expended before July 1, 2021, is further appropriated to the division for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 state fiscal years for the same purpose.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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As part of the federal "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" (federal act), the state will receive $3,828,761,790, and $380 million of that money will be used for transportation infrastructure. The act creates the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" cash fund (fund) and requires the state treasurer to deposit $3,448,761,790, which is the balance of the federal funds after the transportation infrastructure use, in the fund.The general assembly may transfer money from the fund to another cash fund that is established for the purpose of using the money from the federal coronavirus state fiscal recovery fund, and the act establishes requirements for this type of cash fund or one that includes any subsequent transfers or appropriations (recipient fund). If there is any money remaining in the fund after the legislatively authorized transfers during the 2021 legislative session, then the governor is authorized to allocate up to $300 million for the purposes permitted under the federal act, and the money is continuously appropriated to the departments the governor designates.In order to ensure proper accounting for and compliance with the federal act, if a recipient fund has money from other sources, then the state controller shall establish an identical, companion fund that only includes the federal funds from the federal act.Money in the fund or a recipient fund must be expended or obligated by December 31, 2024, and any money obligated by December 31, 2024, must be expended by December 31, 2026. The state treasurer is required to transfer the unused and unobligated amounts in the fund as of December 31, 2024, to the unemployment compensation fund. A department is prohibited from using any money from the fund or a recipient fund for any purpose prohibited under the federal act, and transfers from the fund to the general fund are prohibited.The state controller is required to provide the secretary of the treasury of the United States with the periodic reports about the state's use of the money from the fund or a recipient fund. Departments and persons receiving money from departments are required to comply with any reporting record-keeping requirements established by the state controller and the office of state planning and budgeting (office) and with any program evaluation requirements established by the office. The office is required to provide the joint budget committee with a yearly performance report, which includes the information the state controller provides to the secretary.The act also modifies existing federal funds reporting requirements so that, like the reporting on the money from the recipient funds, the joint budget committee receives annual reports instead of quarterly reports. In addition, the state controller is required to make the reports instead of the office, and the information required to be submitted is modified.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law allows renewal of a driver's license by mail only every other renewal period. The act eliminates this restriction and allows renewal by mail only if the photo of the person that is on file with the department of revenue (department) is at least as recent as required by federal law.Under current law, to renew a driver's license by mail, a person who is under 66 years of age must attest under penalty of law that the person has had an eye examination within the preceding 3 years. A person who is 66 years of age or older must obtain a signed statement from an optometrist or ophthalmologist attesting that the person has had an eye examination within the last 6 months and attesting to the results of the examination. For both of these requirements, the act changes the threshold from 66 to 80 years of age. The act also requires a person who is under 80 years of age and renewing by mail to attest that the person has had an eye examination within one year before the renewal.Current law allows electronic renewal of a driver's license only for drivers who are 21 to 65 years of age and only for 2 consecutive driver's license renewal periods. The act eliminates the upper age limit for electronic renewal and the renewal period restriction and allows a person to renew a driver's license electronically only if the photo of the person that is on file with the department is at least as recent as required by federal law.Current law requires a person renewing a driver's license electronically to attest under penalty of law that the person has had an eye examination within the preceding 3 years. The act requires a person who is under 80 years of age and renewing electronically to attest that the person has had an eye examination within one year before the renewal. A person who is 80 years of age or older and renewing electronically must obtain a signed statement from an optometrist or ophthalmologist attesting that the person has had an eye examination within the preceding 6 months and attesting to the results of the examination.Current law allows an applicant to renew an identification card electronically if the applicant is 21 to 64 years of age. The act allows applicants who are 65 years of age or older to renew an identification card electronically.Under current law, the department may not issue a driver's license to a person under 18 years of age unless the person has submitted a log or other written evidence certifying that the person has completed a minimum amount of actual driving experience, and the form must be signed by the person who signed an affidavit of liability for the person. The act allows this form to be signed by the person's parent or guardian or by a responsible adult.The act requires the department, on or before June 1, 2022, and on or before June 1 each of the next two years thereafter, to provide to the general assembly a report concerning motor vehicle accidents in Colorado, which report includes data, organized by the age of each at-fault driver, concerning the cause of each such accident, including data related to driver actions and the most apparent human contributing factor of each accident.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act makes several changes to the existing statute concerning open educational resources, including:Expanding the open educational resources grant program (grant program) to provide grants to develop, implement, and replicate entire zero-textbook-cost degree programs; Moving preparation of the annual grant program report from the open educational resources council (council) to the department of higher education (department); and Extending the repeal date for the council and the grant program for 5 years. The statutes existing before passage of the act require public institutions of higher education, beginning in the fall of 2021, to inform students before registration of which courses use open educational resources. The act directs the commission on higher education to adopt guidelines to require public institutions of higher education, beginning no later than the fall of 2025, to also inform students at the point of registration concerning those courses that use open educational resources.The act directs the department to review the open educational resources policies adopted across the state and identify and determine the efficacy of policies that expand the use and promote the sustainability of open educational resources. The department must include this information in the annual grant program report.For the 2021-22 fiscal year, the act appropriates $1,108,200 to the department to use for open educational resource initiatives and preparation of the annual grant program report.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law requires the department of human services to contract annually for a market rate study of provider rates for the Colorado child care assistance program. The act adjusts the contractual and reporting requirement to every 3 years.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act removes the $1 million limit for the grant share of individual projects under the forest restoration and wildfire risk mitigation grant program (program). The act also adds a requirement that when the technical advisory panel (panel) considers hazardous fuel reduction projects for the program, the panel shows preference to applicants that are adopting local measures that reduce wildfire risks to people, property, and infrastructure that complement funds provided through the program.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act repeals the state recovery audit program, effective July 1, 2022, and reduces the state fiscal year 2021-22 general fund appropriation to the department of personnel for use by financial operations and reporting for personal services by $64,714 and the related FTE by 1.0 FTE.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law provides for the establishment of a single entry point system that consists of single entry point agencies throughout the state for the purpose of enabling persons 18 years of age or older in need of long-term care to access appropriate long-term care services.The act requires the state board of the department of health care policy and financing (department) to adopt rules providing for the establishment of a redesigned case management system (system), no later than July 1, 2024, that consists of case management agencies throughout the state for the purpose of enabling individuals in need of long-term care to access appropriate long-term services and supports. No later than December 31, 2021, the department shall work with stakeholders to develop a timeline for the implementation of the system. No later than December 31, 2022, the department shall issue a competitive solicitation in order to select case management agencies for the system.The act makes conforming amendments to replace the terms "community-centered board" and "single entry point agency" with "case management agency".(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Section 1 of the act is a nonstatutory legislative declaration stating the critical need for the provision and financing of auxiliary services throughout rural areas of the state. Auxiliary services are aids and services that assist in effective communication with a person who is deaf, hard of hearing, or deafblind.Section 2 requires the Colorado commission for the deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind (commission) to arrange for the provision of auxiliary services in rural areas of the state, including the provision of training and outreach regarding the auxiliary services. The commission is required to report annually on the program to the joint budget committee.Section 3 amends the definition of "entity" regarding entities eligible to apply to the commission for grant money to remove the requirement that a not-for-profit organization must be a community-based organization to be eligible to apply for grant money.Section 4 directs the public utilities commission to implement a cost-recovery mechanism to support the provision of auxiliary services in rural areas of the state.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
All money in the Colorado avalanche information center fund (CAIC fund) has been subject to annual appropriation by the general assembly to the department of natural resources (DNR) for the direct and indirect costs associated with the Colorado avalanche information center (CAIC). Pursuant to an intergovernmental agreement between the DNR and the Colorado department of transportation (CDOT), state highway fund money that is continuously appropriated to CDOT is credited to the CAIC fund to provide funding to the CAIC for work associated with the highway avalanche safety program that reduces avalanche risk on state highways. Beginning with state fiscal year 2021-22, the act continuously appropriates to the DNR for CAIC's costs associated with the highway avalanche safety program all money that is credited to the CAIC fund from the state highway fund and all interest or income derived from the deposit and investment of that money.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)