Income tax credit - health care preceptors working in health care professional shortage areas - definition of "preceptorship" - continuation under the sunset law. The act makes the following modifications to the existing income tax credit for health care preceptors working in health care professional shortage areas: Clarifies the definition of "preceptorship" to specify that the period of time for which the period of personalized instruction, training, and supervision must be provided to be eligible to claim the tax credit is not less than 4 working weeks or 20 business days per calendar year; and Extends the existing sunset date under which the tax credit would expire to tax years commencing prior to January 1, 2023.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Sponsored bills
Air pollution - greenhouse gas emission reporting - air quality control commission - rules - appropriation. The act requires the air quality control commission in the department of public health and environment (department) to collect greenhouse gas emissions data from greenhouse gas-emitting entities and report on the data, including a forecast of future emissions. The commission will adopt rules by June 1, 2020, to require the reporting, and propose draft rules by July 1, 2020, to cost-effectively allow the state to meet its greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. The act also requires the division of administration in the department to update a statewide inventory of greenhouse gas emissions by sector and to post the findings of the inventory on the division's website through 2030. The act appropriates $265,589 to the department from the general fund to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Blockchain technology - study of potential agricultural applications - creation of advisory group - report to general assembly. The act directs the commissioner of agriculture to convene an advisory group to study the potential applications for blockchain technology in agricultural operations and to report to the general assembly by January 15, 2020, with its findings and recommendations for legislation, if any, contingent on the commissioner's receipt of sufficient money through gifts, grants, and donations to fund the study and report. The advisory group is subject to repeal on July 1, 2020.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Smoking restrictions - application to vape and e-cigarette use - exemptions - age restrictions in permitted smoking areas - signage - penalties. The act amends the "Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act" by: Adding a definition of "electronic smoking device" (ESD) to include e-cigarettes and similar devices within the scope of the act; Citing the results of recent research on ESD emissions and their effects on human health as part of the legislative declaration; Eliminating the existing exceptions for certain places of business in which smoking may be permitted, such as airport smoking concessions, businesses with 3 or fewer employees, designated smoking rooms in hotels, and designated smoking areas in assisted living facilities; Repealing the ability of property owners and managers to designate smoking areas through the posting of signs; Exempting FDA-approved nebulizers, inhalers, and vaporizers, as well as humidifiers that emit only water vapor, from the definition of an ESD; Amending signage requirements for tobacco businesses and vape shops that must notify customers of prohibitions on entry by persons under the age of 18; Increasing the radius of an "entryway", the area around the doorway to a building where smoking is not permitted, from a minimum of 15 feet to a minimum of 25 feet except where existing local regulations permitted a smaller radius when construction or renovation of a business commenced, on or before July 1, 2019; and Creates a grace period, affirmative defenses, and graduated penalties for enforcement of the amended signage requirements and age restrictions for tobacco businesses and vape shops. The act takes effect July 1, 2019, except for the provisions requiring exclusion of minors and the posting of appropriate signage relating to the exclusion, which provisions take effect October 1, 2019. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Gambling - betting on sports events - legalization - creation of division of sports betting - rule-making authority - taxation - submission of ballot issue under Taxpayers' Bill of Rights - allocation of tax revenues - appropriation. In 2018, the United States supreme court held in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association , 138 S. Ct. 1461, that a federal law prohibiting states from authorizing sports betting violated the tenth amendment of the United States constitution. States may now authorize sports betting. The act decriminalizes sports betting in Colorado, effective May 1, 2020, under the following conditions: The collection of a tax on the net proceeds of sports betting must be approved by the registered electors of Colorado at the November 2019 general election; Sports betting will be regulated by the department of revenue, subject to supervision by the existing limited gaming control commission; A limited number of licenses will be issued. Persons or entities currently licensed to conduct limited gaming (i.e., the owners of casinos in Central City, Black Hawk, and Cripple Creek) are the only persons or entities eligible to hold a "master license" to conduct sports betting upon paying a license fee and submitting to background checks. A master license entitles the licensee to contract with a licensed "sports betting operator" or a licensed "internet sports betting operator", or both, for the operation of sports betting. The conduct of sports betting in Central City, Black Hawk, and Cripple Creek is further conditioned on approval by the voters of the respective city in a local election to be held concurrently with the statewide election in November 2019; and The state will collect a tax of 10% on the net proceeds of sports betting activity to fund implementation of the state water plan and other public purposes. Of the total amount of tax collected, after first repaying the general fund appropriation for startup and initial operating costs, 6% is set aside annually to compensate the beneficiaries of revenues generated by limited gaming and other wagering activities for any losses attributable to competition from sports betting. $1,739,015 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of revenue for startup and initial operating costs in the 2019-20 state fiscal year. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Court-appointed special advocate programs - program oversight. The act relocates provisions concerning the statewide oversight of court-appointed special advocate (CASA) programs. The office of the child's representative (office) is required to enter into an agreement with a nonprofit entity (state CASA entity) to enhance the CASA program in Colorado. The state CASA entity is required to submit a report to the office concerning the performance of its duties within one month prior to receiving an allocation of money for CASA programs and, at least annually, must certify to the office the amount that each local CASA program receives from each allocation.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Just transition support for coal-related jobs - office created - advisory committee - just transition plan - workforce transition plan - report - sunset review - appropriation. The act creates the just transition office in the division of employment and training in the department of labor and employment. A just transition advisory committee will develop a draft just transition plan, and the director of the office will submit a final just transition plan to the governor and general assembly, regarding proposed: Benefits to be given to coal transition workers to enable them to support themselves and their families and to access and complete education and training, resulting in being hired for high-quality jobs; Grants to be awarded to eligible entities in coal transition communities that seek to create a more diversified, equitable, and vibrant economic future for those communities; and Sources of funding. The just transition advisory committee is scheduled for repeal in 2025, subject to sunset review. An electric utility that proposes the accelerated retirement of a coal-fueled electric generating facility shall submit to the office and the affected community a workforce transition plan at least 6 months before the retirement of the facility. The director shall submit a report to the general assembly by January 1, 2024, containing recommended legislative changes to the act. $155,758 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of labor and employment and $920 from the general fund to the general assembly for the implementation of the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Prescription insulin drugs - 30-day supply - cost-sharing cap - appropriation. Effective January 1, 2020, the act caps the cost sharing a covered person is required to pay for prescription insulin drugs at $100 per 30-day supply of insulin. The act requires the department of law to investigate the pricing of prescription insulin drugs and submit a report of its findings to the governor, the commissioner of insurance, and the judiciary committees of the senate and house of representatives. $26,054 is appropriated to the department of regulatory agencies for use by the division of insurance to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Regulation of public livestock markets - continuation under sunset law - licensure. The automatic termination date of the regulation of public livestock markets is extended until 2034 pursuant to sunset law. Section 3 repeals a requirement that an applicant for a license prove financial stability, business integrity, and fiduciary responsibility and to provide a statement of assets and liability. Section 4 repeals a requirement that a licensed livestock market meet several size and premises standards. Section 4 replaces this with a requirement that a premises have adequate facilities necessary to operate a public livestock market. Sections 5 and 6 repeal provisions that imply that the state board of stock inspection commissioners regulate the sanitation of public livestock markets. Section 7 clarifies that the veterinarian who inspects livestock at a public livestock market is not employed by the department of agriculture and that livestock is inspected, not examined, for clinical signs of injury or disease. Section 7 also requires the veterinarian to be accredited. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
Colorado secure savings plan - board - studies and analyses - report - appropriation. The Colorado secure savings plan board (board) is established to study the feasibility of creating the Colorado secure savings plan and other appropriate approaches to increase the amount of retirement savings by Colorado's private sector workers. The board consists of the state treasurer or the treasurer's designee and 8 additional trustees with certain experience who are appointed by the governor. The board is required to conduct the following 4 analyses or assessments by a specified date: A detailed market and financial analysis to determine the financial feasibility and effectiveness of creating a retirement savings plan in the form of an automatic enrollment payroll deduction IRA, to be known as the Colorado secure savings plan; A detailed market and financial analysis to determine the financial feasibility and effectiveness of a small business marketplace plan to increase the number of Colorado businesses that offer retirement savings plans for their employees; An analysis of the effects that greater financial education among Colorado residents would have on increasing their retirement savings; and An analysis of the effects that not increasing Coloradans' retirement savings would have on current and future state and local government expenditures. The board may accept any gifts, grants, and donations, or any money from public or private entities to pay for the costs of the analyses. The board may delay implementation of one or more of the analyses if it does not obtain adequate money to conduct the analyses. If after conducting the analyses, the board finds that there are approaches to increasing retirement savings for private sector employees in a convenient, low-cost, and portable manner that are financially feasible and self-sustaining, the board is required to recommend a plan to implement its findings to the governor and the general assembly. For the 2019-20 state fiscal year, $800,000 from the general fund is appropriated to the department of the treasury for the purpose of conducting the analyses or assessments, including operating expenses. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More