The bill requires the state board of licensure for architects, professional engineers, and professional land surveyors to adopt rules establishing a continuing education requirement for professional land surveyors. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More
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Water Resources Review Committee. The bill codifies rules promulgated by the water quality control commission (commission) of the Colorado department of public health and environment concerning allowable uses of reclaimed domestic wastewater, which is wastewater that has been treated for subsequent reuses other than drinking water. Section 3 of the bill defines 3 categories of water quality standards for reclaimed domestic wastewater, sets forth the allowable uses for each water quality standard category, and adds industrial hemp cultivation as an allowable use for reclaimed domestic wastewater when the industrial hemp is not used as a food crop. Section 3 also authorizes the commission to establish new categories of water quality standards and to recategorize any use of reclaimed domestic wastewater to a less stringent category of water quality standard. Section 3 also authorizes the division of administration in the department of public health and environment to grant variances for uses of reclaimed domestic wastewater. Sections 1, 2, and 4 make conforming amendments.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill provides local college districts with the authority to sell or lease district property. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Current law requires a person, before conducting an excavation, to contact a nonprofit notification association (comprised of all owners and operators of underground facilities) by dialing '811' to learn the location of underground facilities in the excavation project area. The owners and operators must then accurately mark the location of their facilities. Violations of the excavation damage prevention law are enforced exclusively through civil actions initiated by damaged parties to collect specified civil penalties and damages. In 2016, the United States department of transportation's pipeline and hazardous materials safety administration (PHMSA) conducted an adequacy evaluation of Colorado's enforcement of its excavation damage prevention law and determined that the enforcement is inadequate, which may eventually result in the withholding of federal funds from Colorado. The bill creates the underground damage prevention safety commission (commission) as an independent agency within the department of labor and employment. The commission has rule-making and enforcement authority regarding specified portions of the excavation damage prevention law and is required to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the notification association to facilitate implementation and administration of the law. The notification association is required to provide administrative support to the commission in performing its duties. A review committee of the commission initially determines whether a violation of the law has occurred and, if appropriate, recommends remedial action, potentially including a fine. Fines range from $250 for a single minor violation within the previous 12 months to $75,000 for a fourth major violation within the previous 12 months. The full commission is bound by the review committee's determination of facts but determines the final agency action regarding alleged violations. Fines are credited to the damage prevention fund, which the commission will use to develop educational programming, including by making grants, that is designed to improve worker and public safety relating to excavation and underground facilities. Current law allows only an excavator to submit a location request to the notification association. The bill authorizes a licensed professional engineer designing excavation to submit a location request. The engineer is required to ensure that the engineering plans meet certain standards established by the American Society of Civil Engineers for defining the accuracy of an underground facility location. Current law creates 2 tiers of membership in the notification association. Tier 2 members are limited members with limited benefits and include certain special districts, local governments, cable television providers, and small telecommunications providers; tier 1 members are full members with full benefits, and tier 1 consists of all other owners and operators. If, after receiving a location request, the notification association determines that a tier 1 member owns or operates the underground facilities, the notification association contacts the tier 1 member to arrange for the marking of the underground facilities. If a tier 2 member owns or operates the underground facilities, the excavator must contact the tier 2 member to arrange for the marking of the underground facilities. Effective January 1, 2021, all underground facility owners and operators are full members of the notification association with full benefits, and excavators will no longer need to contact the owners or operators to arrange for the marking. All new underground facilities installed on or after January 1, 2020, must be electronically locatable when installed. Home rule local governments and power authorities are not subject to the commission's enforcement authority, but the governing body of a home rule local government or power authority is required to either adopt a similar enforceable damage prevention safety program or waive its exemption and delegate its damage prevention enforcement authority to the commission. Information regarding the location of underground facilities is exempt from the 'Colorado Open Records Act', pursuant to the existing exemption for specialized details of critical infrastructure. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Young and Beginning Farmers Interim Study Committee. The bill requires the commissioner of agriculture to create, by rule, the agricultural workforce development program to provide incentives to agricultural businesses to hire interns. Qualified agricultural businesses may be reimbursed an amount not to exceed 50% of the actual cost of hiring a qualified intern. The rules must include specified criteria for qualifying businesses and interns participating in the program. Qualified internships must include at least 130 hours of work experience and cannot exceed 6 months in duration. The program is repealed on July 1, 2024. The bill appropriates $43,157 from the general fund to the department of agriculture for use by the commissioner to implement the program. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill authorizes the director of the division of labor standards and statistics in the department of labor and employment (director) to administer and enforce the law that prohibits an employer from discriminating against an employee on the basis of sex and to issue awards to employees and impose penalties on employers for violations. The bill removes the director's enforcement authority and instead permits an aggrieved person to bring a civil action in district court to pursue remedies specified in the bill. The bill allows exceptions to the prohibition if the employer demonstrates that a wage differential is based upon one or more factors including a seniority system, a merit system, or a system that measures earnings by quantity or quality of production or a bona fide factor other than sex. The bill prohibits an employer from discharging or retaliating against an employee for actions by an employee asserting the rights established by the bill against an employer. An employer is required to announce to all employees employment advancement opportunities and the pay range for the opportunities. The director is authorized to enforce actions against an employer concerning transparency in pay and employment opportunities, including fines of between $500 and $10,000 per violation. $85,034 is appropriated from the employment support fund to the department of labor and employment for use by the division of labor standards and statistics. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill requires the department of health care policy and financing and the division of insurance in the department of regulatory agencies (departments) to conduct a study and to prepare and submit a report to certain committees of the general assembly concerning the costs, benefits, and feasibility of implementing a medicaid buy-in option, a public-private partnership option, or a community- or regionally based option for health care coverage. The report must contain a detailed analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of each option and must identify the most feasible option based on objectives and criteria described in the bill. In conducting the study, the departments shall engage in a stakeholder process that includes public and private health insurance experts, consumers, consumer advocates, providers, and carriers. The bill includes an appropriation. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill authorizes the commissioner of insurance to apply to the secretary of the United States department of health and human services for a state innovation waiver, for federal funding, or both to allow the state to implement and operate a reinsurance program to assist health insurers in paying high-cost insurance claims. The state cannot implement the program absent waiver or funding approval from the secretary. The program is established as an enterprise for purposes of section 20 of article X of the state constitution. The division of insurance is to include an update regarding the program in its annual SMART Act report, and the program is subject to sunset review and repeal in 5 years. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
