Sen. Kent Lambert

Provides for the payment of expenses of the executive, legislative, and judicial departments of the state of Colorado, and of its agencies and institutions, for and during the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2018, except as otherwise noted.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) Read More

Joint Budget Committee. The bill provides that on and after November 1, 2018, the division of veterans affairs in the department of military and veterans affairs may operate a veterans one-stop center in Grand Junction for the purpose of providing a central and accessible location where veterans, service members, and their family members in the western portion of the state may have access to assistance and resources. The veterans one-stop center in Grand Junction is repealed, effective September 1, 2023. Before its repeal, the department of regulatory agencies shall review the veterans one-stop center. The bill makes an appropriation. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

The bill establishes that family protection safeguards for a parent or prospective parent with a disability are critical to family preservation and the best interests of the children of Colorado. These safeguards include: That a parent's disability must not serve as a basis for denial or restriction of parenting time or parental responsibilities in a domestic law proceeding pursuant to title 14, without a clear nexus to the parent's ability to meet the needs of the child; in a minor guardianship proceeding pursuant to title 15, without a clear nexus to the parent's ability to meet the needs of the child; or a dependency and neglect proceeding pursuant to title 19, except when it impact the health or welfare of the child; That a parent's disability must not serve as a basis for denial of participation in a public or private adoption, or for denial of foster care or guardianship, when it is otherwise determined to be in the best interest of the child; and That the benefits of providing supportive parenting services must be considered by a court when determining parental responsibilities, parenting time, adoption placements, foster care, and guardianship, and the court may require that such supportive parenting services be provided or implemented, given the resources of the family.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

The Colorado department of human services (department) operates numerous facilities in the state that provide direct care to vulnerable people, including veterans and their families, youth in rehabilitation programs, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and people with mental health diagnoses. Current law specifies when an employee of the department (employee) will be suspended or dismissed after being charged with specified criminal offenses. However, the department has encountered difficulty in suspending, dismissing, or otherwise disciplining employees through the administrative process when the employee was involved in an egregious incident of mistreatment of a vulnerable person but was not convicted of a criminal offense. The bill specifies that: In considering a disciplinary action against an employee for engaging in mistreatment, abuse, neglect, or exploitation, against a vulnerable person, the appointing authority shall give weight to the safety of vulnerable persons over the interests of any other person. If the appointing authority finds that the employee has engaged in mistreatment, abuse, neglect, or exploitation against a vulnerable person, the appointing authority may take such disciplinary action as the appointing authority deems appropriate, up to and including termination, taking into consideration the harm or risk of harm to vulnerable persons created by the employee's actions.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

Joint Budget Committee. The bill amends the 'Increasing Access to Effective Substance Use Disorder Services Act' to: Clarify that a designated managed service organization (designated MSO) may use money allocated to it from the marijuana tax cash fund for expenditures for substance use disorder services and for any start-up costs or other expenses necessary to increase capacity to provide such services; Permit a designated MSO to spend an unused allocation in the next state fiscal year after it has been received, but requires any unspent amount after that time to be returned to the department of human services (department); Allow the appropriation of the money unspent by a designated MSO in the year it is received to roll forward to the next state fiscal year; Require a designated MSO to submit an annual expenditure report to legislative committees in addition to the department, which is currently the only entity that receives this report; Eliminate an annual mid-year expenditure report that a designated MSO is required to submit to the department and replaces it with a requirement that the designated MSO provide the department with information about expenditures as required by the department; Eliminate the requirement that a departmental report about expenditures to legislative committees must continue after the first report is made; and Require the department to report on outcomes related to the implementation of the act as part of its 'State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act' hearing.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

Under existing law, school districts are permitted to operate induction programs for teachers, special services providers, principals, and administrators, and alternative licensure programs for teachers and principals, who do not hold professional licenses. The bill clarifies that charter schools and the state charter school institute may operate such programs. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

Supplemental appropriations are made to the department of corrections. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

Joint Budget Committee. Since July 1, 2011, money in the educator licensure cash fund, which includes educator license fees, has been continuously appropriated to the state board of education and the department of education (department) for its expenses incurred in the administration of the 'Colorado Educator Licensing Act of 1991'. While the money is continuously appropriated, the department is required to report to legislative committees about its expenditures from the fund and about application processing time. Beginning with the next fiscal year, the general assembly is required to annually appropriate the money and the reporting requirement is repealed. The bill grants the department 3 more years of continuous appropriation authority, and it likewise extends the related reporting requirement. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

Joint Budget Committee. Beginning in state fiscal year 2018-19, current law: Requires 12.59% of the gross retail marijuana sales tax revenue remaining in the general fund after a required allocation of 10% of the revenue to local governments to be transferred to the state public school fund; and Continuously appropriates that revenue for the same state fiscal year in which it is transferred from the state public school fund to the department of education to help meet the state share of total program funding for school districts and institute charter schools. The bill eliminates the continuous appropriation of the revenue in the state fiscal year in which it is transferred to the state public school fund and instead specifies that beginning in state fiscal year 2019-20, the general assembly may appropriate all or any portion of the revenue transferred to the state public school fund during the prior state fiscal year to the department of education to help meet the state share of total program funding for school districts and institute charter schools. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

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