HB22-1004
|
Driver License Fee Reduction
|
House: M. Young (D) D. Ortiz (D) Senate: R. Fields (D) C. Kolker (D) |
The bill requires the state treasurer to transfer $3,900,000 from the general fund to the licensing services cash fund. This transfer allows the department to maintain the current driver license fee while supporting the solvency of the cash fund.
| cMonitor | Governor Signed: 05/16/2022 |
HB22-1047
|
Protecting Human Life At Conception
|
House:
Senate:
| The bill prohibits terminating the life of an unborn child and
makes a violation a class 1 felony. The following are exceptions to the prohibition:
A licensed physician performs a medical procedure designed or intended to prevent the death of a pregnant mother, if the physician makes reasonable medical efforts
under the circumstances to preserve both the life of the mother and the life of her unborn child in a manner consistent with conventional medical practice; and
A licensed physician provides medical treatment, including chemotherapy or removal of an ectopic pregnancy, to the mother that results in the accidental or unintentional injury to or death of the unborn child.
The pregnant mother upon whom termination of the life of an
unborn child is performed or attempted is not subject to a criminal penalty. A conviction related to the prohibition of the termination of the life of an unborn child constitutes unprofessional conduct for purposes of physician licensing. The bill does not prohibit the sale and use of contraception.
The bill states that any act, law, treaty, order, or regulation of the
United States government that denies or prohibits protection of a human person's inalienable right to life is null, void, and unenforceable, in this state and that the courts of the United States have no jurisdiction to interfere with Colorado's interest in protecting human life at conception, when human life begins.
| eOppose | House Committee on Health & Insurance Postpone Indefinitely: 02/23/2022 |
HB22-1060
|
Contribution Limits School Dist Dir Candidate
|
House: E. Sirota (D) Senate: J. Gonzales (D) | Current law regulating campaign finance does not set limits on
contributions to candidates for school district director.
Section 2 of the bill:
Sets aggregate limits on contributions to candidates for school district director from persons other than small donor
committees for any regular biennial or special school election in the amount of $2,500; and
Sets aggregate limits on contributions to candidates for school district director from small donor committees for any regular biennial or special school election in the amount of $25,000.
The bill requires that these aggregate contribution limits be
periodically adjusted for inflation consistent with other contribution limits.
Section 3 subjects the new contribution limits to existing statutory
provisions governing the disclosure of campaign contributions.
Section 4 contains requirements governing when a candidate for
school district director is required to disclose information concerning campaign contributions and clarifies that such candidates are required to file their disclosure with the secretary of state.
| cMonitor | Governor Signed: 04/13/2022 |
HB22-1075
|
Induced Termination Of Pregnancy State Registrar
|
House: S. Luck (R) Senate:
| The bill requires health-care providers that perform induced
terminations of pregnancies to report specified information concerning the women who obtain the procedure to the state registrar of vital statistics in the department of public health and environment in an electronic format as prescribed by the state registrar. The reported
information must not include information that could identify the women who obtained induced terminations of pregnancies.
The bill requires the state registrar to annually create a summary
report of the information reported by health-care providers and to make the report available to the public. The bill places limitations on how and to whom the state registrar may release the information reported to the state registrar. A physician or physician assistant who falsifies or fails to submit the required information engages in unprofessional conduct pursuant to the Colorado Medical Practice Act. An advanced practice registered nurse who falsifies or fails to submit the required information is subject to discipline pursuant to the Nurse and Nurse Aide Practice Act.
| eOppose | House Committee on Health & Insurance Postpone Indefinitely: 02/23/2022 |
HB22-1082
|
Establish Fair Housing Unit Department Of Law
|
House: J. Bacon (D) Senate: J. Gonzales (D) | The bill:
Expands the statutory list of state laws for which the attorney general may bring civil and criminal enforcement
actions to include various statutory provisions relating to housing; and
Creates the fair housing unit within the department of law.
| bSupport | Governor Signed: 05/17/2022 |
HB22-1098
|
Department Of Regulatory Agencies Barriers To Practice Regulated Professions
|
House: S. Bird (D) J. Bacon (D) Senate: L. Liston (R) J. Coleman (D) | The bill requires the director of the division of professions and
occupations (director) in the department of regulatory agencies (division) to complete an audit of the regulated professions and occupations and the regulation of various professions and occupations by regulators of a specific profession or occupation (regulator) to determine what barriers
exist for licensing, certification, and registration of individuals with criminal history records and report the findings to the general assembly.
The bill limits the authority of a regulator to deny a license,
certification, or registration based on an applicant's criminal history record to circumstances when the regulator determines that the applicant's criminal history record jeopardizes the applicant's ability to competently, safely, and honestly practice the regulated profession or occupation as authorized under the applicable practice act or issuance of the credential would not serve public safety or commercial or consumer protection interests. A regulator is required to specify the reasons for any denial based on a criminal history record.
The bill allows a regulator to grant a conditional license,
certification, or registration to an applicant if the regulator determines that the applicant will have appropriate oversight provided by the applicant's employer.
Upon request of an individual with a criminal history record, the
bill requires a regulator to issue a pre-determination letter to the individual advising the individual if the criminal history may prevent the individual from receiving a license, certification, or registration to practice an occupation or profession. A regulator may charge a reasonable fee for the pre-determination letter.
The director is required to compile de-identified information
regarding the reasons why a license, certification, or registration was denied and make this information available to the public on the division's website.
The bill requires state and local agencies responsible for issuing
occupational or professional credentials (occupational agency), before making a final determination that an applicant's criminal conviction disqualifies the applicant from receiving a license, certification, permit, or registration, to provide a written notice to the applicant specifying the reason for the disqualification and the right of the applicant to submit additional evidence for the occupational agency to consider before making a final determination. A final determination to disqualify an applicant based on a criminal conviction must be issued in writing and include notice of the applicant's right to appeal the determination and the earliest date on which the applicant may reapply.
| cMonitor | Governor Signed: 05/25/2022 |
HB22-1146
|
Investment of Public School Fund Study And Report
|
House: J. McCluskie (D) Senate: P. Lundeen (R) B. Kirkmeyer (R) | Legislative Interim Committee on School Finance. The bill
staggers the terms of the state treasurer's 3 appointed members to the investment board, commencing with new appointments beginning on and after July 1, 2022, to ensure that no more than 2 members' terms expire in the same year.
The bill creates a working group, convened by the state treasurer,
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
to consider opportunities to improve earnings on the deposit and investment of money in the fund, while safeguarding the endowment for public schools and complying with state and federal laws relating to state school trust lands and the fund. The bill authorizes the state treasurer, after consulting with the investment board, to select the members of the working group, and the bill specifies the issues the working group must study. The state treasurer shall report the findings and recommendations of the working group to the joint budget committee and to the education committees of the house of representatives and of the senate during the 2023 legislative session.
The bill clarifies the time frame and circumstances in which a
realized investment loss to the fund may be offset by realized gains before the general assembly is required to appropriate money to cover losses to the fund.
| cMonitor | Governor Signed: 05/26/2022 |
HB22-1155
|
In-state Tuition For Colorado High School Graduates
|
House: J. McCluskie (D) Senate: D. Moreno (D) J. Gonzales (D) | Under existing law, an institution of higher education (institution)
must classify a student, other than a nonimmigrant alien, as an in-state student for tuition purposes if the student attended high school in Colorado for at least 3 years immediately preceding the date the student either graduated from a Colorado high school or successfully completed
a high school equivalency examination and the student is admitted to college within 12 months of graduating high school or completing the equivalency examination. The bill repeals the requirements that a student has attended a Colorado high school for 3 years and be admitted to college within 12 months of graduating or completing an equivalency examination.
The bill requires an institution to classify a student as an in-state
student for tuition purposes if the student:
Graduated from a Colorado high school or successfully completed a high school equivalency examination in Colorado; and
Has resided in Colorado for at least 12 consecutive months prior to enrolling in an institution.
Because the bill repeals the requirement to be admitted to college
within 12 months of graduation, the bill also repeals the exception to that requirement for a student who does not have lawful immigration status and graduated or successfully completed the equivalency examination prior to September 1, 2013.
| bSupport | Governor Signed: 05/26/2022 |
HB22-1191
|
Extending Reproductive Health-care Program Implementation
|
House: L. Herod (D) J. McCluskie (D) Senate: D. Moreno (D) S. Jaquez Lewis (D) | Joint Budget Committee. The bill extends the date by which the
department of health care policy and financing shall administer the reproductive health-care program from January 1, 2022, to July 1, 2022.
| cMonitor | Governor Signed: 03/07/2022 |
HB22-1223
|
Mobile Home Property Tax Sale Notice And Exemption
|
House: C. Kipp (D) Senate: J. Ginal (D) | Section 1 of the bill creates a property tax exemption for mobile
homes that have an assessed value of $2,000 or less.
Section 2 eliminates the requirement that a county treasurer
publish a notice in a newspaper of a sale of a mobile home due to property taxes owed if:
A distraint warrant has been delivered to the owner of the mobile home or to his or her agent; and
The county treasurer publishes a notice of the sale on the treasurer's website.
| cMonitor | Governor Signed: 06/02/2022 |
HB22-1279
|
Reproductive Health Equity Act
|
House: M. Froelich (D) Senate: J. Gonzales (D) | The bill declares that every individual has a fundamental right to
use or refuse contraception; every pregnant individual has a fundamental right to continue the pregnancy and give birth or to have an abortion; and a fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus does not have independent or derivative rights under the laws of the state.
The bill prohibits state and local public entities from:
Denying, restricting, interfering with, or discriminating against an individual's fundamental right to use or refuse contraception or to continue a pregnancy and give birth or to have an abortion in the regulation or provision of benefits, services, information, or facilities; and
Depriving, through prosecution, punishment, or other means, an individual of the individual's right to act or refrain from acting during the individual's own pregnancy based on the potential, actual, or perceived impact on the pregnancy, the pregnancy's outcomes, or on the pregnant individual's health.
| bSupport | Governor Signed: 04/04/2022 |
HB22-1287
|
Protections For Mobile Home Park Residents
|
House: A. Boesenecker (D) Senate: F. Winter (D) | The bill amends the Mobile Home Park Act and the Mobile
Home Park Act Dispute Resolution and Enforcement Program to:
Prohibit a landlord from increasing rent on a mobile home lot by an amount that exceeds the greater of inflation or 3 percentage points in any 12-month period;
Require the landlord or the landlord's representative to attend up to 2 public meetings for residents of the park each year at the request of the residents;
Clarify that a landlord is responsible for the cost of repairing any damage to a mobile home or lot that results from the landlord's failure to maintain the premises of the park;
Clarify the triggering events that demonstrate a park owner's intent to sell a park for purposes of providing notice to home owners and the method for giving notice;
Change the period in which a group or association of mobile home owners may make an offer to purchase the park from 90 to 180 days, and provide for tolling of that time period in certain circumstances;
Provide a right of first refusal for a public entity that accepts an assignment of a group or association of mobile home owners' opportunity to purchase;
Clarify the obligations of a landlord to provide notice to home owners concerning the terms and conditions of an offer to purchase the park that the landlord would accept and to negotiate in good faith with the home owners;
Require a landlord who changes the use of the land comprising the park to compensate a mobile home owner who has not given notice to terminate the lease or rental agreement and who is displaced by the change in use for the reasonable costs of relocating the mobile home to a location within 100 miles of the park, the fair market value of the mobile home before the change in use, or in the amount of $7,500 for a single-section mobile home or $10,000 for a multi-section mobile home;
Allow the department to enforce statutory provisions concerning the required notice of intent to sell or change the use of the land and the mobile home owners' opportunity to purchase by imposing a fine for a violation or filing for injunctive relief in district court;
Allow the attorney general to investigate and enforce statutory provisions providing protections for mobile home owners;
Allow a resident, local government, or a nonprofit to file a complaint with the division under the dispute resolution program;
Clarify the procedures and penalties that apply when a party does not respond to a subpoena from the division;
Allow the division to take immediate action in response to complaints or violations that will cause immediate harm to mobile home owners;
Prohibit landlords from harassing or coercing mobile home owners in an effort to require a mobile owner to sign an
agreement or to influence a decision by the home owner about an opportunity to purchase;
Establish criteria for when a mobile home park rule or regulation that limits a home owner's right to control the use, appearance, and structure of a mobile home is enforceable;
Prohibit a landlord from interfering with the mobile home owner's right to sell a mobile home to the buyer of his or her choice, except in limited circumstances;
Establish record retention requirements for landlords; and
Consolidate provisions concerning private rights of action for landlords, home owners, and residents, and establish penalties and remedies available in private actions.
| bSupport | Governor Signed: 05/26/2022 |
HB22-1289
|
Health Benefits For Colorado Children And Pregnant Persons
|
House: J. McCluskie (D) S. Gonzales-Gutierrez (D) Senate: R. Fields (D) D. Moreno (D) |
The bill makes the following changes to health insurance coverage for low-income pregnant people and children in low-income families: • Provides full health insurance coverage for Colorado pregnant people who would be eligible for medicaid and the children's basic health plan (CHIP) if not for their
immigration status and continues that coverage for 12 months postpartum at the CHIP federal matching rate; • Provides comprehensive health insurance coverage to all Colorado children who would be eligible for medicaid and CHIP if not for their immigration status; • Requires the state department of health care policy and financing to create an outreach and enrollment strategy for enrolling eligible groups into new coverage options; • Makes comprehensive lactation supports and supplies, including breast pumps, a covered benefit for perinatal people on medicaid and CHIP; • Draws down federal funds to improve perinatal and postpartum support and requires that priorities for the funds be determined through a stakeholder process; • Permanently authorizes an existing survey of birthing parents, run by the state department of public health and environment and increases the ability of the survey to collect and report on the experiences of birthing people of color in Colorado; • Creates a special enrollment period for health insurance coverage due to pregnancy so that an eligible person can sign up for insurance as soon as the person becomes pregnant; and • Improves the quality of health insurance coverage available through the health insurance affordability enterprise.
| bSupport | Governor Signed: 06/07/2022 |
HB22-1304
|
State Grants Investments Local Affordable Housing
|
House: M. Bradfield (R) Senate: J. Coleman (D) J. Gonzales (D) |
The bill creates 2 state grant programs:
The local investments in transformational affordable housing grant program (affordable housing grant program), administered by the division of housing (DOH) in the department of local affairs (department); and
The infrastructure and strong communities grant program (strong communities grant program), administered by the division of local government (DLG) in the department.
The affordable housing grant program provides grants to local
governments and nonprofit organizations to enable such entities to make investments in their communities or regions of the state in transformational affordable housing and housing related matters. The strong communities grant program provides grants to eligible local governments to enable local governments to invest in infill infrastructure projects that support affordable housing.
The strong communities grant program portion of the bill requires
a multi-agency group, comprised of DLG, the state energy office, and the department of transportation, with the assistance of stakeholders, to develop a list of sustainable land use best practices that will accomplish the goals of the grant program and improve a local government's viability in being considered for a grant award.
The bill requires both DOH and DLG to develop policies,
procedures, and guidelines governing the administration of the respective grant programs. The bill specifies how grant funding is to be prioritized and eligible uses of grant money awarded under the grant programs.
The bill creates 2 funds in the state treasury: The local investments
in transformational affordable housing fund and the infrastructure and strong communities grant program fund. The bill specifies requirements pertaining to the administration of these funds.
Both funds are initially supported with a transfer of a specified
amount of money from different funds.
Both grant programs are subject to reporting requirements
specified in the bill, and both grant programs are repealed by a date specified in the bill.
| cMonitor | Governor Signed: 06/01/2022 |
HB22-1329
|
2022-23 Long Bill
|
House: J. McCluskie (D) Senate: C. Hansen (D) |
| cMonitor | Governor Signed: 04/25/2022 |
HB22-1332
|
Office of Economic Development and International Trade American Rescue Plan Act Funds For Rural Colorado
|
House: L. Herod (D) J. McCluskie (D) Senate: C. Hansen (D) | Joint Budget Committee. Senate Bill 21-291 transferred $40
million of American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) money from the
economic recovery and relief cash fund to the Colorado economic development fund and directed the office of economic development and international trade (OEDIT) to use $10 million of the money transferred to incentivize small businesses to locate in rural Colorado and for the location neutral employment incentive program. To ensure that the use of the $10 million complies with ARPA requirements, the bill instead directs OEDIT to use the money to support businesses in rural Colorado that undertake economic development activity in rural Colorado in response to the negative economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
| cMonitor | Governor Signed: 04/25/2022 |
HB22-1350
|
Regional Talent Development Iniative Grant Program
|
House: J. McCluskie (D) Senate: P. Lundeen (R) J. Bridges (D) | The bill establishes the regional talent development initiative grant
program (grant program) in the office of economic development (office) to fund talent development initiatives across the state that meet regional labor market needs and specified grant program goals, including initiatives that meet workforce development needs in regions as they recover from the negative economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The office, a state agency designated by the office, or a third party with whom the office contracts is to serve as the administrator of the grant program (program administrator). The office is directed to appoint a steering committee of business, civic, education, and nonprofit professionals (steering committee) to support the program administrator, including:
Developing a grant application process;
Establishing grant application selection and prioritization criteria; and
Advising the program administrator in appointing a selection committee to review grant applications and make grant award recommendations.
The office, in collaboration with the departments of labor and
employment, higher education, and education (departments) and the steering committee, is to identify regions throughout the state to inform the selection of grant applications.
The office is to publish a report on the grant program by
November 1, 2023, and by each November 1 through November 1, 2027.
The bill creates the regional talent development initiative grant
program fund (grant program fund) and directs the state treasurer to transfer $91 million from the workers, employers, and workforce centers cash fund (cash fund) to the grant program fund as follows:
$56,750,000 from federal money in the cash fund that the state received pursuant to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021; and
$34,250,000 from money in the cash fund that originated from the general fund.
The money in the grant program fund is continuously appropriated
to the office for the grant program and related costs. The grant program repeals on July 1, 2028.
| cMonitor | Governor Signed: 05/26/2022 |
HB22-1356
|
Small Community-based Nonprofit Grant Program
|
House: L. Herod (D) Senate: J. Gonzales (D) | The bill creates the small community-based nonprofit
infrastructure grant program (grant program) in the division of local government in the department of local affairs (division) to provide grants
to certain small community-based nonprofit organizations that have been impacted or disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency for infrastructure and capacity building. The division is required to administer the grant program and to contract with no more than 5 nonprofit organizations with specified qualifications (regional access partners) to award and monitor the grants.
To be eligible to receive a grant through the grant program, an
organization must be one of the following:
A small community-based nonprofit organization that operates under section 501 (c)(3) of the federal internal revenue code;
A small community-based nonprofit organization that does not operate under section 501 (c)(3) of the federal internal revenue code and that works with a fiscal agent; or
A collaboration of multiple small community-based groups that are not nonprofit organizations and that work with a fiscal sponsor.
The bill specifies the criteria that each small community-based
nonprofit organization or each of the small community-based groups that apply for a grant collaboratively are required to satisfy to be considered an eligible recipient for a grant pursuant to the grant program.
The bill specifies that grant recipients may use grant program
money for infrastructure and capacity building purposes including data technology needs, professional development for staff and board members, strategic planning and organizational development for capacity building and fundraising, communications, and existing program expansion, development, or evaluation. The bill also specifies that grant money cannot be used for capital improvements, real estate or land acquisition, payment of debt, advocacy or lobbying, organizing, endowments, or reserves.
To receive a grant, an applicant must submit an application to a
regional access partner in accordance with the policies and procedures developed by the division. The regional access partner is required to award grants and ensure that:
The maximum grant award does not exceed $100,000; and
A grant award does not exceed 30% of the recipient's annual operating budget.
The general assembly is required to appropriate $35 million from
the economic recovery and relief cash fund to the division for the purposes of the grant program. The regional access partners are required to award the grants for the purposes of the grant program on or before December 30, 2024. The bill specifies that the division and any person that receives money from the division, including a regional access partner, shall comply with the compliance, reporting, record-keeping, and program evaluation requirements established in current law by the office
of state planning and budgeting and the state controller.
| cMonitor | Governor Signed: 06/03/2022 |
HB22-1359
|
Colorado Household Financial Recovery Program
|
House: M. Snyder (D) J. Bacon (D) Senate: R. Rodriguez (D) | The bill requires the state treasurer to establish the Colorado
household financial recovery program (program) in the department of the treasury to partner with financial institutions to incentivize lending to low-income individuals and households impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic or its negative economic impacts.
Money available for the program must be used for one or more of
the following purposes:
To establish a loan loss reserve to partially offset risk to lenders in making loans to individuals and households impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic;
To make payments to lenders to buy down interest rates on loans made to individuals and households impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic;
To provide lending capital for affordable, small loans to individuals and households impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; or
To award grants to nonprofit community-based organizations to conduct marketing and outreach to individuals and households impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic who may be eligible to participate in the program.
The state treasurer may select one or more program administrators,
including banks, community development financial institutions, or credit unions, to administer all or a portion of the money available for the program. The administrator or administrators are selected based, in part, on their proposed use of the money, their ability to partner with nonprofit community-based organizations that work with individuals and households impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to connect borrowers to affordable banking products and other financial services.
The bill specifies program policies, including loan terms, and
requires the state treasurer and administrators to establish and publicize additional program policies as necessary.
The state treasurer or an administrator may establish a loan loss
reserve to partially offset loan losses and thereby incentivize lending by financial institutions to individuals and households impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The state treasurer shall determine the amount of the offset and shall establish and publicize policies for participating financial institutions.
The state treasurer shall report annually to the governor and certain
committees of the general assembly concerning the use of program money and other information concerning the program.
The bill creates a fund for the program and identifies allowable
uses of the money in the fund.
| cMonitor | Governor Signed: 06/03/2022 |
HB22-1366
|
Improving Students' Postsecondary Options
|
House: C. Kipp (D) Senate: J. Bridges (D) | The bill establishes a number of new programs concerning
postsecondary career and education options for students, including:
Establishing the postsecondary, workforce, career, and education grant program in the department of education (CDE) to provide grants to local education providers to improve the training of school educators and
administrators, to support students and families in developing career and education plans for after high school, and to increase the number of students for whom applications for free financial aid are completed;
Creating regional postsecondary and workforce coordinators in the CDE to train educators concerning financial aspects of postsecondary options;
Updating the financial literacy resource bank to include more information and training concerning postsecondary financial aid;
Creating stipends for teachers who successfully complete financial aid training;
Adding a requirement to individual career and postsecondary education plans to include information about available state and federal financial aid;
Requiring the department of higher education (CDHE) to use technology to assist students and families in completing postsecondary state and federal financial aid applications; and
Requiring the CDHE to make certain improvements to streamline the Colorado application for financial aid.
The bill appropriates money for each of the programs and specifies
that the CDE and the CDHE may use the money appropriated in subsequent years without additional appropriation.
| cMonitor | Governor Signed: 05/26/2022 |
HB22-1390
|
Public School Finance
|
House: B. McLachlan (D) J. McCluskie (D) Senate: R. Zenzinger (D) P. Lundeen (R) | Section 1 of the bill finds that current economic conditions have
increased the amount of revenue available to the state for the 2022-23 budget year, allowing the state to increase the amount of appropriation for the state's share of total program funding for school districts and institute charter schools, thereby mitigating the impact of the budget stabilization factor. Additionally, it finds there is uncertainty concerning the continuity
and longevity of these current economic conditions and the reliability of continuing high property values and increased revenue.
Section 2 of the bill:
Increases the statewide base per pupil funding for the 2022-23 budget year by $252.88, to account for inflation of 3.5%, to a new statewide base per pupil funding amount of $7,478.16; and
Sets the total program funding for the 2022-23 budget year for all school districts and institute charter schools after application of the budget stabilization factor to not less than $8,420,114,162.
Section 3 of the bill permits a public school one additional year to
discontinue the prohibited use of an American Indian mascot if the public school was first notified of the prohibited use on or after January 1, 2022.
Section 4 of the bill extends by one year the requirement for a
board of cooperative services (BOCES) to obtain written permission from the school district in which a school operates or is located if the BOCES intends to authorize the school and the school is physically located within the geographic boundaries of a school district that is not a member of the BOCES.
Section 5 of the bill extends by one year the ability for local
education providers to carry forward more than 15% of per-pupil intervention money received pursuant to the Colorado READ Act.
Sections 6 and 7 of the bill extend by one year the local
accountability system grant program and the requirement that the department of education (department) contract with an external evaluator to evaluate the implementation of the local accountability systems. The bill makes an appropriation for this evaluation.
Section 8 of the bill extends by one year the completion of the
pilot program to develop and use screening and identification processes and intervention strategies for early identification of and support for students enrolled in kindergarten through third grade who may have dyslexia.
Section 9 of the bill states that, if a school district permits a
student whose parent or guardian is a resident of the state but not a resident of the district to attend school in the district, the school district shall not require the parent, guardian, or student to pay tuition to attend school in the district, regardless of when during the school year, or under what circumstances, the student enrolls in or attends school in the district.
Section 10 of the bill authorizes financial assistance through the
educator recruitment and retention program to be used for applicants agreeing to teach for 3 years in educator shortage areas in the state.
Section 11 of the bill permits a vendor that contracts with the
department to develop a quality teacher recruitment program, and commits to satisfying the requirement to match 100% of the money paid
by the department for the contract through gifts, grants, or donations from private donors, to also accept gifts, grants and donations from school districts.
Section 12 of the bill removes the department's authority to
annually reallocate money among participating schools under the local school food purchasing program.
Sections 13 to 16 of the bill extend by one year the K-5 social and
emotional health pilot program and amend the requirements for school mental health professionals participating in the pilot program.
Section 17 of the bill permits 20% of the money appropriated for
the Colorado imagination library program to be used by the contractor for operating costs.
Section 18 of the bill requires the state auditor to grant an
extension of the time to meet auditing requirements for the 2021-22 budget year for rural and small rural school districts that can demonstrate difficulty in retaining an auditor, in lieu of prohibiting the release of tax revenue for the school districts.
| cMonitor | Governor Signed: 05/26/2022 |
HB22-1395
|
Transportation Innovation Grant Program
|
House: M. Young (D) Senate: R. Zenzinger (D) C. Simpson (R) | The bill creates the competitive transportation innovation grant
program (grant program) in the department of education (department) to address the public school transportation shortage.
The bill allows school districts, charter schools, institute charter
schools, the state charter school institute, boards of cooperative services,
a consortium of school districts, tribal governments, local governments, and community organizations that partner with school districts (eligible applicants) to apply to the grant program. The state board of education (state board) shall select grantees who develop and implement innovative solutions, strategies, and services to address the public school transportation shortage. Eligible applicants shall serve students of color and students from under-resourced communities who are disproportionately impacted by the transportation shortage and struggle to access school districts of their choice and career pathway programs because of their limited access to transportation. The department operates the grant program. The grant program is a one-time grant program, but grantees have 2 years to spend the grant money.
If selected for a grant, a grantee is required to submit a report to
the department on or before August 1, 2024, and to submit a second report on or before August 1, 2025. The report must include an explanation of the solutions, strategies, and services developed and implemented with the grant money as described in the grantee's grant application.
On or before August 30, 2024, and again on or before August 30,
2025, the department is required to submit a report summarizing information submitted by the grantee.
The bill requires the general assembly to appropriate money from
the revenue loss restoration cash fund to address the public school transportation shortage resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The bill repeals the grant program, effective July 1, 2026.
| cMonitor | House Committee on Appropriations Lay Over Unamended - Amendment(s) Failed: 05/12/2022 |
HB22-1411
|
Money From Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund
|
House: L. Herod (D) J. McCluskie (D) Senate: D. Moreno (D) | In 2021, the state received $3,828,761,790 from the federal
coronavirus state fiscal recovery fund as part of the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. For purposes of complying with the
requirements established by the United States department of the treasury (treasury), the general assembly established administrative requirements related to the expenditure of this federal money. Section 1 of the bill modifies these requirements by:
Establishing deadlines for a subrecipient, which is a person that carries out a program or project on behalf of the state, to expend or obligate this money, and if not, to return this money to the state for the state to either expend or return to treasury, depending on the timing;
Requiring the state controller to transmit to treasury any money that was obligated by December 31, 2024, but not expended by December 31, 2026;
Requiring the department of revenue to provide the state controller with any information about any increases in the state's net tax revenue, which is necessary for calculating the state's revenue reductions for 2022 and 2023;
Clarifying that the compliance, reporting, record-keeping, and program evaluation requirements established by the office of state planning and budgeting and the state controller apply to a person regardless of whether the person is a beneficiary or a subrecipient and regardless of whether the person receives the money directly from a department or from a subrecipient; and
Permitting the state controller to report any expenditures to treasury as a government service to the extent of the reduction in the state's revenue due to the COVID-19 public health emergency relative to the revenues the state collected for the state fiscal year 2018-19. Sections 3 through 6 make conforming amendments related to this change.
The bill also substitutes money from the general fund or from a
cash fund that included money that originated from the general fund for money that was allocated in 2021 legislation from the federal coronavirus state fiscal recovery fund, as follows:
$29.5 million from the housing development grant fund (section 7);
$36.5 million from the highway users tax fund that was distributed to counties, cities, and incorporated towns, which is accomplished by replenishing and reclassifying the federal funds that were initially used (section 8);
$10 million from the Colorado startup loan program fund (section 9), with the freed up federal funds being transferred to the revenue loss restoration cash fund (section 6); and
$98.5 million from the affordable housing and home
ownership cash fund (section 10).
Sections 2 and 6 include conforming amendments related to the
reclassification of the money paid to the counties, cities, and incorporated towns.
| cMonitor | Governor Signed: 05/27/2022 |
HB22-1414
|
Healthy Meals For All Public School Students
|
House: D. Michaelson Jenet (D) S. Gonzales-Gutierrez (D) Senate: R. Fields (D) |
The bill creates the healthy school meals for all program (program) in the department of education (department) to: • Reimburse school food authorities that choose to participate in the program (participating school food authorities) for free meals provided to students who are not eligible for free or reduced-price meals under the federal school meals programs; • Provide local food purchasing grants to eligible participating school food authorities; • Provide funding to participating school food authorities to increase the wages or provide stipends for individuals employed to prepare and serve food; and • Provide assistance to participating school food authorities through the local school food purchasing technical assistance and education grant program. The portion of the program that provides reimbursement for school meals begins operating in the 2023-24 budget year. The remaining portions of the program begin operating in the first full budget year after the state of Colorado begins participating in the federal demonstration project to use medicaid eligibility to identify students who are eligible for the federal school meals programs (demonstration project). A participating school food authority must: • Provide free meals to all students enrolled in the public schools that the participating school food authority serves and that participate in the national school lunch program or national school breakfast program; • Provide to the department annual notice of participation; and • Maximize the amount of federal reimbursement by participating in the federal community eligibility provision to identify students who are eligible for the federal school meals programs. The amount of reimbursement distributed pursuant to the program is equal to the federal free reimbursement rate multiplied by the total number of meals served minus any other federal or state reimbursement the school food authority receives for providing meals. The bill requires the department to: • Participate in the federal community eligibility provision for the state as a whole, if that option is available; and • Apply to participate in the demonstration project. Under the bill, a participating school food authority that creates a parent and student committee to advise on food purchasing (advisory committee) is eligible to receive a local food purchasing grant (grant) to purchase Colorado grown, raised, or processed products for school meals. Each eligible participating school food authority must comply with reporting requirements. The bill establishes the amount of the grants, limits on how the grant money may be spent, and the required membership of the advisory committee. The department must annually review a sample of the invoices for purchases made using grant money to ensure compliance with purchasing requirements. The bill creates the local school food purchasing technical assistance and education grant program (grant program) under which a statewide nonprofit organization distributes grants to promote the purchase of Colorado grown, raised, or processed products by participating school food authorities and to assist participating school food authorities in preparing meals using basic ingredients rather than processed products. The nonprofit organization must report annually to the department concerning implementation of the grant program. The department must submit to committees of the general assembly a biennial report concerning implementation of the program. The department must contract with an independent auditor to conduct a biennial financial and performance audit of the program. The report and the audit must include implementation of the program, implementation of the local food purchasing grants, use of the additional amount for increasing wages or providing stipends, and implementation of the grant program. The bill directs the general assembly to appropriate annually, by line item in the annual appropriation bill, the amount necessary to implement the program, including a specified amount for the grant program. Current law caps state income tax itemized deductions for taxpayers who have federal adjusted gross income of $400,000 or more at $30,000 for single filers and $60,000 for joint filers. The bill applies the cap to both itemized and standard income tax deductions for taxpayers who have federal adjusted gross income of $300,000 or more and lowers the cap to $12,000 for single filers and $16,000 for joint filers. The amount of revenue generated by the changes to the cap must be appropriated to fund the program. If the program is repealed, the changes to the cap no longer apply. The bill takes effect only if it is approved by the voters at the November 2022 general election. This approval is a voter-approved revenue change that allows the state to retain and spend all revenue generated by the changes to the cap on state income tax deductions.
| cMonitor | Governor Signed: 06/06/2022 |
SB22-039
|
Funding For Educational Opportunities
|
Senate: P. Lundeen (R) B. Kirkmeyer (R) House:
| The bill requires the state treasurer to transfer $723 million from
the general fund to the state education fund for the 2022-23 budget year.
The bill repeals the budget stabilization factor starting in the
2023-24 budget year, and for each budget year thereafter.
The bill creates the Hope Scholarship Program (program) in the
department of education (department). The purpose of the program is to meet the educational needs of every eligible student by assisting with certain education expenses. The bill requires:
The department to contract with an entity that will administer the program (administering entity);
The department to transfer to the administering entity an amount equal to 125% of the prior budget year's average state share of per pupil revenues for an eligible student who receives a scholarship;
The department to prorate the amount transferred to the administering entity based on the amount of time remaining in the budget year, and deduct the amount transferred from the amount that the department distributes to the eligible student's school district of residence for the budget year in which an account is created, subject to limitations;
The parent of an eligible student to apply to the administering entity for a scholarship;
A parent of an eligible student to only spend scholarship money on defined eligible expenses; and
The administering entity to oversee the program and perform an audit to ensure scholarship money is spent on defined eligible expenses.
| cMonitor | Senate Committee on Education Postpone Indefinitely: 02/24/2022 |
SB22-087
|
Healthy Meals For All Public School Students
|
Senate: R. Fields (D) House: D. Michaelson Jenet (D) S. Gonzales-Gutierrez (D) | The bill creates the healthy school meals for all program (program)
in the department of education (department) to reimburse school food authorities for free meals provided to students who are not eligible for free or reduced-price meals under the federal school meals programs. The program begins operating in the 2023-24 budget year, subject to the state being selected to participate in the federal demonstration project to use
medicaid eligibility to identify students who are eligible for the federal school meals programs (demonstration project).
A school food authority that chooses to participate in the program
(participating school food authority) must:
Provide free meals to all students enrolled in the public schools that the participating school food authority serves;
Provide to the department annual notice of participation; and
Maximize the amount of federal reimbursement by participating in the federal community eligibility provision to identify students who are eligible for the federal school meals programs.
The amount of reimbursement distributed pursuant to the program
is equal to the federal free reimbursement rate multiplied by the total number of meals served, minus any other federal or state reimbursement the school food authority receives for providing meals.
The bill requires the department to:
Participate in the federal community eligibility provision for the state as a whole, if that option is available; and
Apply to participate in the demonstration project.
Under the bill, a participating school food authority that creates a
parent and student committee to advise on food purchasing (advisory committee) is eligible to receive a local food purchasing grant (grant) to purchase Colorado grown, raised, or processed products for school meals. Each eligible participating school food authority must comply with reporting requirements. The bill establishes the amount of the grants, limits on how the grant money may be spent, and the required membership of the advisory committee. The department must annually review a sample of the invoices for purchases made using grant money to ensure compliance with purchasing requirements.
Under the bill, a participating school food authority may receive
an additional amount to increase the wages for individuals employed to prepare and serve food.
The bill creates the local school food purchasing technical
assistance and education grant program (grant program), under which a statewide nonprofit organization distributes grants to promote the purchase of Colorado grown, raised, or processed products by participating school food authorities and to assist participating school food authorities in preparing meals using basic ingredients rather than processed products. The nonprofit organization must report annually to the department concerning implementation of the grant program.
The department must submit to committees of the general
assembly a biennial report concerning implementation of the program. The department must contract with an independent auditor to conduct a biennial financial and performance audit of the program. The report and
the audit must include implementation of the program, implementation of the local food purchasing grants, use of the additional amount for increasing wages, and implementation of the grant program.
The bill directs the general assembly to appropriate annually, by
line item in the annual appropriation bill, the amount necessary to implement the program, including a specified amount for the grant program.
| cMonitor | Senate Committee on Appropriations Postpone Indefinitely: 05/10/2022 |
SB22-103
|
Remedy For Improper Guilty Pleas
|
Senate: J. Gonzales (D) House:
| The bill finds that some criminal defendants were not effectively
advised of immigration consequences to a guilty plea, and therefore, these defendants did not knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily enter a guilty plea.
The bill authorizes these persons to petition the court for an order
vacating the guilty plea.
| cMonitor | Governor Signed: 04/18/2022 |
SB22-140
|
Expansion Of Experiential Learning Opportunities
|
Senate: R. Gardner (R) J. Coleman (D) House: B. McLachlan (D) J. Amabile (D) |
The bill requires the department of labor and employment
(department), in partnership with the business experiential-learning commission in the department, the office of economic development, the state work force development council, the departments of education and higher education, the state board for community colleges and occupational education, and area technical colleges, to provide incentives to eligible employers to create high-quality, work-based learning opportunities for adults and youth (incentive program).
The department is required to select at least 2 work-based learning
intermediaries (intermediaries) to coordinate employers, schools, youth, and adults participating in the incentive program to establish work-based learning opportunities and select employers to participate in the incentive program.
The department shall provide monetary incentives to the selected
intermediaries and employers for the implementation of work-based learning opportunities. The department is required to compile data concerning the incentive program and submit a report to the business committees of the senate and house of representatives during the State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act hearings held each legislative session.
The office of future work in the department and its partners are
required to create a digital navigation program and employ digital navigators to:
Reach out to youth and adults who have been historically excluded or disengaged from work-based learning opportunities and connect them with available opportunities;
Address digital inequities, including access to digital technology and computer skills training, cybersecurity, and affordable internet service;
Refer youth and adults to career navigation services; and
Provide a one-stop service that includes: Making referrals to work-based learning programs; facilitating enrollment in digital literacy classes, workshops, and upskilling and work-based learning opportunities; and assisting with digital skill development, job applications, and access to other benefits and services.
The office of new Americans in the department is required to:
Convene an 18-month global talent task force to study the process for certain in-demand occupational licenses, look at international credentials, and take advantage of the global pool of skilled workers; and
Provide tools for new Americans and English language learners to enter into work-based learning programs to improve language and skills development for specific
occupations and careers.
The bill authorizes the executive director of the department to
promulgate rules to implement the incentive program and the digital navigation program.
The general assembly is required to appropriate $6,100,000 to the
department for the purposes of the bill.
| cMonitor | Governor Signed: 06/03/2022 |
SB22-160
|
Loan Program Resident-owned Communities
|
Senate: J. Gonzales (D) N. Hinrichsen (D) House: A. Boesenecker (D) M. Lindsay (D) | The bill establishes a revolving loan and grant program to provide
assistance and financing to mobile home owners seeking to organize and purchase their mobile home parks. The division of housing (division) in
the department of local affairs (department) is required to contract with at least 2, and not more than 3, loan program administrators, unless the division determines that there is only one qualified applicant during an open and competitive selection process, in which case the division may contract with a single administrator.
The administrators are required to use money provided by the loan
program to make loans to mobile home owners seeking to purchase their mobile home parks. The division is required to establish a grant program to provide grants to nonprofit organizations that provide technical and other assistance to eligible home owners seeking to organize to purchase their mobile home parks. The division is also required to establish a grant program to provide grants to eligible home owners to support programs to ensure the long term affordability of a resident-owned park, including by stabilizing lot rents and limiting rent increases.
| cMonitor | Governor Signed: 05/17/2022 |
SB22-172
|
Colorado Rural Health-care Workforce Initiative
|
Senate: F. Winter (D) House:
| The bill establishes the Colorado rural health-care workforce
initiative (initiative) to expand the number of health-care professionals practicing in Colorado's rural or frontier counties. As part of the initiative, an institution of higher education (institution) is authorized to establish and operate a health-care professionals rural track within any health-care
professional education program offered by the institution.
A rural track must set aside seats in its health-care professional
education program for students who express an interest in studying and working in a rural or frontier county, offer didactic curriculum related to practicing the health-care discipline in rural or frontier counties, place students in rural or frontier counties for hands-on instruction and training, and award scholarships to students in the rural track. In order to receive a scholarship, a student must commit to working as a health-care professional in a rural or frontier county for 2 years after completing education and training.
The rural office at the university of Colorado's school of medicine
(rural program office) provides technical assistance to the institutions operating a rural track regarding recruiting and admitting students committed to working in rural areas and identifying rural or frontier counties in which students may be placed for clinical training. The rural program office also facilitates, arranges, or advises an institution about arranging housing for students placed in a rural or frontier county. The rural program office must provide, without charge, to institutions operating a rural track, didactic curriculum related to practicing in rural or frontier counties. The bill requires the rural program office to annually evaluate the effectiveness of the initiative and report to the general assembly's education committees about the initiative.
The bill requires the general assembly to annually appropriate
$150,000 to the rural program office to support institutions that operate a rural track. For state fiscal year 2022-23, the general assembly is required to appropriate up to $400,000 to certain institutions to establish or expand rural tracks in 12 programs specified in the bill.
| cMonitor | Governor Signed: 06/01/2022 |