The act creates the Colorado soil health program in the department of agriculture (department), which includes programs to encourage widespread adoption of soil health practices. An entity's participation in the soil health program is voluntary. The department, commissioner of agriculture (commissioner), and state agricultural commission will administer the soil health program.The department shall, if financial resources are available, establish the following:A grant program; A system for monitoring the agricultural, environmental, or economic benefits of soil health practices; A state soil health inventory and platform; A soil health testing program; and Other programs the department deems appropriate or necessary. Before establishing a program, the department must provide public notice and afford the public an opportunity to submit written comments.The department may also:Seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations from public and private sources; Provide grants, loans, and other resources to eligible entities to perform soil health activities; and Cooperate and collaborate with other people. The act also creates a soil health advisory committee (advisory committee). The commissioner is required to appoint members who:To the greatest extent possible, represent the different geographic areas, political diversity, and demographic diversity of the state; and Include agricultural producers of diverse production systems, a representative of an Indian tribe, conservation district board members, and water users. The state conservation board appoints 2 members to the advisory committee.The advisory committee will make recommendations to the department and assist in the development of the soil health program. The advisory committee is also authorized to solicit input, review proposals and agreements, and evaluate the soil health program. The advisory committee approves grants.The department shall maintain the confidentiality of information related to private lands that identify landowners, land managers, agricultural producers, or lands.No later than January 31 of each year, the department shall prepare and make available to the public a report of its activities on its official website. The department shall annually report each gift, grant, or donation in its budget request for the state fiscal year to the joint budget committee and at the hearing required by the "State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act".For the 2021-22 state fiscal year, $4,464 is appropriated to the department for use by the agricultural services division.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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The act declares that new technologies, such as blockchain, telemetry, improved sensors, and advanced aerial observation platforms, can improve monitoring, management, conservation, and allocation of water to fulfill obligations under Colorado water law and enhance confidence in the reliability of data underlying water rights transactions. To advance the potential use of these new technologies, the act:Authorizes and directs the university of Colorado and Colorado state university, in collaboration with the Colorado water institute at Colorado state university, to conduct feasibility studies and pilot deployments of these new technologies to improve water management in Colorado; and Appropriates $20,000 to each university from the general fund, contingent on the universities' receipt of a matching $40,000 in gifts, grants, and donations on or before June 1, 2022, for the purpose of funding the feasibility studies and pilot deployments. The universities are directed to report on the amounts and sources of money received through gifts, grants, and donations and the purposes to which those amounts were devoted, on their websites, in any published reports produced by the universities, and in the annual "SMART Act" hearings held by the general assembly.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act transfers $30 million from the general fund to the Colorado water conservation board construction fund and appropriates the money for use by the Colorado water conservation board (CWCB) to protect watersheds against the impacts of wildfires through the existing watershed restoration grant program and for conducting a statewide watershed analysis to investigate the susceptibility of life, safety, infrastructure, and water supplies to wildfire impacts. The CWCB can use up to 5% of the money to administer the grant program and up to 10% to provide technical engineering services to grantees. The CWCB is directed to:Spend up to $500,000 by December 31, 2022, to conduct the analysis; and Award at least $10 million dollars in grants under the grant program by July 1, 2022, and award the remaining money, less the money the CWCB uses to administer the grant program and provide technical engineering services, in grants by December 31, 2022.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law states that in-person contact between a health-care provider or mental health-care provider and a patient is not required under the state's medicaid program for services delivered through telemedicine that are otherwise eligible for reimbursement under medicaid. The act requires the department of health care policy and financing to promulgate rules specifically relating to entities that deliver health-care or mental health-care services exclusively or predominately through telemedicine.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act changes the names of the following colleges:Trinidad state junior college to Trinidad state college; and Otero junior college to Otero college.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act implements the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies (department) in its sunset review and report on the surgical assistants and surgical technologists registration program. Specifically, the act:Continues the registration of surgical assistants and surgical technologists for 7 years, until 2028; Requires a surgical assistant or surgical technologist whose registration is revoked or who has surrendered a registration in lieu of disciplinary action to wait 2 years before reapplying for registration and authorizes the director of the division of professions and occupations within the department (director) to issue letters of admonition and confidential letters of concern to surgical assistants and surgical technologists; Allows the director to enter into confidential agreements with surgical assistants or surgical technologists to limit practice based on an illness or other health condition that affects the ability to safely practice the profession; and Clarifies that a registrant may be disciplined for failing to notify the director of the limitations created by an illness or other health condition, act within such limitations, or act within the limitations imposed under a confidential agreement with the director to limit practice. The act also adds the following as grounds for discipline: Habitual or excessive use or abuse of alcohol, a habit-forming drug, or a controlled substance; Failing to notify the director within 30 days of any disciplinary action; Failing to respond to a complaint against the registrant in a materially responsive and timely manner within 30 days after receiving the complaint; Practicing outside the scope of the practice of a surgical assistant or surgical technologist; and Failing to satisfy generally accepted standards of practice as a surgical assistant or surgical technologist.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires each dental plan issued, amended, or renewed in this state to cover services offered to a covered person through telehealth. The act also requires the state's medical assistance program to reimburse providers for dental care services provided through telehealth.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The practice act for professional architects directs the department of regulatory agencies to adopt rules establishing requirements for continuing education and also requiring an architect to demonstrate retention of the material presented in the continuing education program or course.The act removes the material retention requirement, allowing an architect to renew a license upon demonstrating compliance with the continuing education requirement alone.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The voluntary contribution to the Colorado healthy rivers fund, the Alzheimer's Association fund, the military family relief fund, the Colorado cancer fund, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Colorado fund, and the unwanted horse fund are currently scheduled to appear on the state income tax return form for income tax years beginning prior to January 1, 2021. The act reauthorizes the funds to remain on the form, so long as the funds meet the existing statutory requirement that a voluntary contribution fund must receive at least $50,000 in contributions each tax year.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)