Current law requires any licensed physician, physician assistant, or anesthesiologist assistant (licensee) who attends or treats any of certain injuries, including injuries resulting from domestic violence, to report the injury at once to the police of the city, town, or city and county or the sheriff of the county in which the licensee is located. The bill states that a licensee is not required to report an injury that the licensee has reason to believe involves an act of domestic violence if: The victim of the injury is at least 18 years of age and indicates his or her preference that the injury not be reported; The injury is not an injury that the licensee is otherwise required to report; and The injury is not a serious bodily injury. When a licensee declines to report an injury that he or she has reason to believe resulted from domestic violence pursuant to the victim's expressed preference, the licensee shall document the victim's request in the victim's medical record. Before a licensee reports an injury that he or she has reason to believe resulted from domestic violence, the licensee shall make a good-faith effort, confidentially, to advise the victim of the licensee's intent to do so. If a licensee has reason to believe that an injury resulted from domestic violence, then, regardless of whether the licensee reports the injury to law enforcement, the licensee shall either refer the victim to a victim's advocate or provide the victim with information concerning services available to victims of abuse. A licensee who, in good faith, refers a victim to a victim's advocate or provides a victim with information concerning services available to victims of abuse is not civilly liable for any act or omission of the victim's advocate or of any agency that provides such services to the victim. Under current law, any licensee who, in good faith, makes such a report of an injury is immune from any liability, civil or criminal, that might otherwise be incurred or imposed with respect to the making of the report. The bill states that a licensee who does not make a report under the new conditions described in the bill is also immune to such liability. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Sponsored bills
With respect to the nongame and endangered wildlife tax check-off, which is scheduled to sunset in 2018, the bill: Expands and renames the check-off as the Colorado nongame conservation and wildlife restoration voluntary contribution program (check-off) for the purpose of benefiting all wildlife in Colorado; Extends the future repeal date of the check-off by 5 years; Specifies that the voluntary contribution moneys allocated to the division of parks and wildlife (division) in the department of natural resources (i.e., 90% of the first $250,000 and $75% of the moneys over that initial $250,000 in contributions per year) will continue to be used by the division for the protection and perpetuation of nongame and endangered wildlife; Provides that the remainder of the moneys received through the check-off (i.e., 10% of the first $250,000 received and 25% of the moneys above $250,000 contributed each year) will be used to make grants for wildlife rehabilitation in the state; For the facilitation of the wildlife rehabilitation grant program, creates the Colorado nongame conservation and wildlife restoration cash fund (fund) authority that is overseen by a seven-member board of directors (board); Describes the process by which the board makes recommendations to the division for authorizing grants to rehabilitators and requires the board to develop guidelines for processing and evaluating grant applications; and Specifies that the board is subject to open records and open meetings laws. Sections 3 and 4 make conforming amendments necessitated by the change of the name of the fund. To implement the bill, section 5 makes an appropriation of $2,200 for the 2017-18 fiscal year from the fund to the department of revenue.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill requires the center of excellence (center) within the division of fire prevention and control within the department of public safety (department), upon receiving sufficient money in the form of gifts, grants, and donations, to conduct a study concerning the integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) within state and local government operations that relate to certain public-safety functions (study). At a minimum, the study must: Identify the most feasible and readily available ways to integrate UAS technology within local and state government functions relating to firefighting, search and rescue, accident reconstruction, and emergency management; and Include consideration of privacy concerns, costs, and timeliness of deployment. The bill also creates, upon receipt of sufficient money in the form of gifts, grants, and donations, a UAS pilot program (pilot program) to integrate UAS within state and local government operations that relate to certain public-safety functions. The bill requires the center to operate the pilot program. Not later than one month after completing the study, the center shall submit a report to the wildfire matters review committee and to the judiciary committees of the house of representatives and senate, or to any successor committees. The report must address each item of the center's study, as well as the results of the pilot program. The bill adds the study and the pilot program as permissible uses of money from the existing Colorado firefighting air corps fund. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Current law states that it is a discriminatory and unfair labor practice for an employer to discharge, discipline, discriminate against, coerce, intimidate, threaten, or interfere with any employee or other person because the employee inquired about, disclosed, compared, or otherwise discussed the employee's wages, unless otherwise permitted by federal law. Federal law exempts certain limited classes of employers from labor laws. The bill strikes the reference to that exemption and extends the current law to those classes of employers, thereby providing wage transparency protections to all employees.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill changes the name of 'Delta-Montrose technical college' to 'technical college of the Rockies'. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
For income tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2018, but prior to January 1, 2022, the bill creates a state income tax credit for a donation a taxpayer makes to a sponsor that is used solely for the costs associated with an employer-assisted eligible activity in a rural area. The bill defines 'sponsor' to mean the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, a housing authority operated by a county or municipality, or a nonprofit corporation that has been designated as community development corporation under the federal tax code. The amount of the credit allowed by the bill is 20% of the approved amount of the donation as documented in a form and manner acceptable to the department of revenue (department); except that the aggregate amount of the credit awarded to any one taxpayer is limited to $400 in any one income tax year. If the amount of the credit allowed exceeds the amount of the taxpayer's income tax liability in the income tax year for which the credit is being claimed, the amount of the credit not used as an offset against income taxes in such income tax year is not allowed as a refund but may be carried forward and applied against the income tax due in each of the 5 succeeding income tax years, but must first be applied against the income tax due for the earliest of the income tax years possible. A taxpayer claiming the credit allowed by the bill is required to submit, maintain, and record any information that the department may require by rule regarding the taxpayer's donation to the sponsor, including the certificate received evidencing the donation. The bill specifies various verification procedures that the taxpayer and sponsor must follow for the taxpayer to be able to claim the credit. The bill requires each sponsor that has issued certificates evidencing donations in a calendar year in the cumulative amount of $10,000 or more to report to the general assembly by the deadlines specified in the bill on the overall economic activity, usage, and impact to the state from the employer-assisted eligible activity for which it has certified a donation eligible for a tax credit under the bill. The bill requires the department and the division of housing within the department of local affairs (division) to promulgate any rules necessary to facilitate the effective implementation of this tax credit. The department and the division may each develop policies and procedures necessary to facilitate the effective implementation of the tax credit. The bill prohibits a taxpayer from claiming the tax credit under the bill for a donation for which the taxpayer is claiming any other state tax credit or deduction. By the deadlines specified in the bill, the division is required to provide the department with an electronic report on the taxpayers who have received a tax credit under the bill for the calendar year that conforms to the income tax year for which the credit is allowed. The bill specifies information the report must contain. The statutory provisions created by the bill are repealed, effective July 1, 2031. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill requires the staff of the legislative council to prepare demographic notes on legislative bills in each regular session of the general assembly. The speaker of the house of representatives, the minority leader of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, and the minority leader of the senate are authorized to request 5 demographic notes each, or more at the discretion of the director of research of the legislative council. The bill requires the staff of the legislative council to meet with the member of leadership requesting the demographic note and with the sponsor of the legislative bill to discuss whether a demographic note can practically be completed for that legislative bill. If not, the member of leadership may request a demographic note, within the limits specified in the bill, on a different legislative bill that might be more conducive to a demographic note's analysis. A demographic note is defined as a note that uses available data to outline the potential disparate effects of a legislative measure on various populations within the state. Populations may be identified by race, gender, disability, age, geography, income, or any other relevant characteristic for which data are available. The bill requires the director of research to develop the procedures for requesting, completing, and updating the demographic notes and to memorialize the procedures in a letter to the executive committee of the legislative council. Finally, the bill requires each state department, agency, or institution to cooperate with and provide information for a demographic note of a legislative bill in the manner requested by the staff of the legislative council. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The Colorado water conservation board (board) administers a pilot program to demonstrate the practice of fallowing agricultural irrigation land and leasing the associated water rights for temporary municipal, agricultural, environmental, industrial, or recreational use. Under the current pilot program, the board, in consultation with the state engineer, may authorize up to 10 pilot projects, each of a duration up to 10 years. Of the 10 pilot projects that the board may authorize, no more than 3 pilot projects may be located in any one of the following major river basins: The South Platte river basin; the Arkansas river basin; the Rio Grande river basin; and the Colorado river basin. An applicant must apply on or before December 31, 2018, to sponsor a pilot project. The pilot program is scheduled to be completed in 2029, at which time the board, in consultation with the state engineer, is required to provide a final report to the water resources review committee, or its successor committee, on the results of the pilot projects authorized. The bill extends the pilot program as follows: The board, in consultation with the state engineer, may authorize up to 15 pilot projects; No more than 5 pilot projects may be located in any one of the 4 major river basins listed above; An applicant must apply on or before December 31, 2023, to sponsor a pilot project; and The pilot program would be completed in 2034, at which time the board, in consultation with the state engineer, would provide a final report to the water resources review committee or its successor committee.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Legislative Audit Committee. Under current law, of the 9 members of the board of directors of the state historical society (board), the board is to recommend 4 members for appointment by the governor. The bill repeals certain obsolete provisions, including the provision requiring recommendation by the board. Under current law, the directors council of the state historical society (council) was established. The bill changes the language from establishing the council to allowing the board to establish the council. If the council is not established by June 1, 2020, the bill repeals the section authorizing its establishment. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)