Joint Budget Committee. Under current law, money is transferred from the severance tax operational fund (operational fund) to certain cash funds to benefit programs that are commonly referred to as the tier 2 programs. On June 30, 2018, the bill requires the state treasurer to transfer money to the operational fund from the following cash funds to recoup money that was previously transferred in this fiscal year for tier 2 programs: $727,888 from the species conservation trust fund ( section 8 of the bill); $18,488 from the special account in the general fund used by the mined land reclamation board for reclaiming certain lands ( section 10 ); $80,068 from the water efficiency grant program cash fund ( section 11 ); $108,465 from the interbasin compact committee operation fund ( section 12 ); and $1,455,776 from the water supply reserve fund ( section 14 ). Section 9 transfers to the general fund $393,272 from the division of parks and outdoor recreation aquatic nuisance species fund and $189,912 from the division of wildlife aquatic nuisance species fund. To replace funding from the operational fund, the bill requires the state treasurer to transfer the following amounts on July 1, 2018, from the general fund to pay for tier 2 programs for the next fiscal year: $954,545 to the forest restoration and wildfire risk mitigation grant program cash fund ( section 1 ); $1,186,363 to the healthy forests and vibrant communities fund ( section 2 ); $3,000,000 to the species conservation trust fund ( section 3 ); $45,455 to the wildland-urban interface training fund ( section 4 ); $86,364 to the wildfire preparedness fund ( section 5 ); $127,000 to the special account in the general fund established by the mined land reclamation board ( section 6 ); $450,000 to the conservation district grant fund ( section 7 ); $2,452,193 to the division of parks and outdoor recreation aquatic nuisance species fund (section 9); and $1,184,171 to the division of wildlife aquatic nuisance species fund (section 9). Section 16 further appropriates the $3 million transferred to the species conservation trust fund for programs submitted by the executive director of the department of natural resources that are designed to conserve native species that state or federal law list as threatened or endangered or that are candidate species or are likely to become candidate species as determined by the United States fish and wildlife service. If, prior to July 1, 2018, there is insufficient money in the severance tax reserve, which is used to make severance tax refunds, then under current law, money would be recouped from the various severance tax cash funds in order to make the refunds. Section 13 requires income tax revenue that would otherwise be deposited in the general fund to be deposited in the reserve to make the refund instead of recouping money from the operational fund. Section 15 requires the state treasurer to make 3 transfers from the general fund to the operational fund: $17,030,925 on July 1, 2018, which amount will fund the programs commonly known as the tier 1 programs; $3,000,000 on January 1, 2019; and On July 1, 2019, an amount equal to the operational fund reserve required for the fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2019, or $14,214,854, whichever is less. The transfers made in 2019 will be used to fund the tier 1 operational fund reserve. To offset the general fund transfers, section 14 requires revenue, up to a maximum of $40,942,016, that was or otherwise would be deposited in the operational fund from February 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, to instead be transferred or deposited in the general fund. It also requires the department of revenue to submit an annual report to each member of the general assembly about revenues, property tax credits, stripper well exemptions, and deductions for the oil and gas severance tax. Section 15 also prohibits the state treasurer from making any transfers from the operational fund to benefit the tier 2 programs for the next fiscal year, unless severance tax receipts are deposited in the operational fund during the fiscal year and there is sufficient money in the operational fund reserve so that no transfer will be made to the fund from the general fund on July 1, 2019. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Sponsored bills
The bill allows the institute of cannabis research at Colorado state university - Pueblo (institute) to develop marijuana certification technology (technology). The technology must include an agent that is applied to a marijuana plant or marijuana product and then scanned by a device. The scan, at a minimum, would indicate whether the marijuana was legally cultivated, manufactured, or sold by a licensed marijuana business. The institute may select a vendor to develop the technology. After the technology is developed, the state licensing authority must be satisfied that the technology provides an effective means of certifying marijuana. After the state licensing authority determines the technology is effective, it may promulgate rules that require the technology to be used by licensed marijuana businesses. The technology that scans the marijuana must be made available to law enforcement and the department of revenue. The bill clarifies that the gray and black market marijuana enforcement grant program could award grants to law enforcement agencies to purchase the marijuana scanning technology. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More
Joint Budget Committee. The transitional jobs program is currently set to end on June 30, 2019, and no new transitional jobs are to be offered after December 31, 2018. The bill extends the program for 5 additional years. The bill appropriates money to the department of human services for the program.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Joint Budget Committee. On July 1, 2019, the bill repeals the local government retail marijuana impact grant program, under which the department of local affairs (department) awards grants to eligible local governments for documented marijuana impacts. Any encumbered money from the fiscal year 2017-18 appropriation to the department remains available for expenditure in the next fiscal year. The bill also repeals a reporting requirement regarding the effectiveness of the grant program.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Joint Budget Committee. Child find, part of the federal 'Individuals with Disabilities Education Act', requires states to identify and serve children with disabilities. Part C of child find concerns identifying children from birth through 2 years of age for early intervention services. Part C child find is administered by the department of education. Early intervention services for children through 2 years of age are administered by the state department of human services. The bill defines 'early intervention evaluations' as evaluations performed pursuant to part C child find. The bill requires the state department of human services and the department of education to enter into an interagency agreement (agreement) to study the administration of early intervention evaluations. The departments are required to enter into the agreement by October 1, 2018, and to report the results of the study performed pursuant to the agreement to the joint budget committee by June 30, 2019. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Joint Budget Committee. The statewide digital trunked radio system (DTRS) provides interoperable radio communications that allow personnel from multiple agencies in different levels of government to rapidly share information and coordinate efforts in emergency situations. While DTRS is considered one of the nation's most successful statewide public safety communications voice networks, there are areas of the state that do not have adequate coverage on the DTRS network. This means public safety officials are unable to communicate with others when working in geographies with little to no coverage. The general assembly established the public safety communications trust fund (trust fund) for the acquisition and maintenance of public safety communications systems, including the DTRS. Currently, through the 2024-25 fiscal year, the general assembly appropriates $7.2 million each fiscal year from the general fund and other funds to the trust fund for purposes of the DTRS. The governor's office of information technology (office) is required to use the money for the replacement of legacy radio equipment and hardware at radio tower sites and for software upgrade assurance. Due to a one-time savings achieved through negotiations between the office and its DTRS software vendor, approximately $3 million of the money appropriated to the trust fund to date is unexpended. The bill authorizes the office to use any unencumbered and unexpended money appropriated for purposes of the DTRS on DTRS site supporting infrastructure and DTRS supporting software and hardware. In addition, in both the 2018-19 and 2019-20 fiscal years, the bill requires the general assembly to appropriate an additional $2 million from the general fund to the trust fund. The bill requires the office to use the money to work in partnership with local and regional government entities to add additional radio tower sites in areas of the state that are experiencing critical coverage gaps for public safety radio communications. The office is required to submit a report to the joint budget committee detailing the use of the additional $2 million. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Joint Budget Committee. The bill directs the department of health care policy and financing (department) to provide community transition services and supports to persons who are in an institutional setting, who are eligible for medicaid, and who desire to transition to a home- or community-based setting (eligible persons). The services and supports must be available to eligible persons who transitioned from an institutional setting for up to one year. The bill requires the department to submit an annual report to specified committees of the general assembly on the effectiveness of providing the services and supports. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Joint Budget Committee. The bill exempts the Colorado firefighting air corps fund from the maximum reserve, which currently limits the year-end uncommitted reserves in the cash fund to 16.5% of the amount expended from the cash fund during the fiscal year.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Joint Budget Committee. The bill requires fingerprint-based criminal history record checks (record checks) for every applicant, contractor, employee, or other individual who has or may have access to federal tax information received from the federal government by a state agency in accordance with federal internal revenue service publication 1075. The state agency is authorized to collect the fingerprints of the individuals or to use the fingerprinting services of another agency or entity authorized by law to collect them and is required to pay the costs of the record checks to the Colorado bureau of investigation. A state agency that receives federal tax information from the federal government and shares that information with a county department or another state agency may authorize and require the county department or other state agency to conduct record checks for all of its applicants, employees, contractors, or other individuals who may have access to the shared information. The county or other state agency is required to pay the costs of the record checks to the Colorado bureau of investigation. The bill prohibits a state agency that receives federal tax information from the federal government from sharing that information with another agency that refuses or fails to comply with the requirement to conduct record checks. The bill appropriates funds to affected state agencies to implement its requirements. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Joint Budget Committee. The bill directs the department of health care policy and financing (department) to initiate a stakeholder process for purposes of preparing and submitting a redesigned children's habilitation residential program (program) waiver for federal approval that allows for home- and community-based services for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities who have complex behavioral support needs. The department may also request federal authorization to change the agency designated to administer and operate the program from the department of human services to the department. The bill includes language creating the redesigned program, relocates the program in statute, and makes conforming changes in statute to reflect the new location of the program. The new program will become effective once federal approval has been granted for the redesigned children's habilitation residential program waiver. The bill makes and reduces appropriations to the department and the department of human services to implement the bill. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More