Colorado Bills

The bill creates the crime of misuse of electronic images by a juvenile. The offense prohibits a juvenile from knowingly distributing, displaying, or publishing through digital or electronic means, or possessing, a sexually explicit image of himself or herself or of another juvenile who, as depicted in the image, is within 4 years of age of the charged juvenile. If a juvenile is charged with the crime of misuse of electronic images by a juvenile, he or she cannot be charged with sexual exploitation of a child. It is an affirmative defense to the distribution offense if the juvenile committed the act as a result of coercion, intimidation, or harassment. It is an affirmative defense to the possession offense if the juvenile: Did not solicit or request to be supplied with the image or images; and Did not participate in or encourage the making of the image or images; and Did not transmit or distribute the image or images to another person; and Took reasonable steps to either destroy or delete the images within 72 hours or reported the receipt of such image or images to law enforcement or a school official within 72 hours.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill permits certain liquor licensees to allow a customer to remove one sealed container of not more than 750 milliliters of vinous liquor from the licensed premises. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The resolution makes the following changes regarding the operations of the general assembly: Decreases the maximum length of regular sessions of the general assembly from 120 calendar days to 90 calendar days in even-numbered years and 60 calendar days in odd-numbered years; Requires a biennial budget session to be held in every even-numbered year; Limits the number of bills that a member of the general assembly may introduce to 2 bills in any regular session of the general assembly, excluding bills for appropriations and bills recommended by legislative committees; Limits the number of resolutions that a member of the general assembly may introduce to 2 resolutions in any regular session of the general assembly. This includes resolutions, joint resolutions, and concurrent resolutions, but excludes resolutions on the question of adjournment or relating solely to the transaction of business between the 2 houses. Allows both houses of the general assembly to create a restrictive process to authorize an exemption from the specified bill and resolution limits; Beginning with the fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2020, implements a biennial state budget cycle and specifies how the general assembly will apply existing constitutional requirements to the biennial budget process; and Establishes the process for consideration of a general appropriation bill.(Note: This summary applies to this concurrent resolution as introduced.)

The bill creates a process whereby an owner of a storage water right may obtain a decree that authorizes releases from storage to a downstream point of diversion or delivery for decreed beneficial uses to be dedicated to, and used by, the Colorado water conservation board in the intervening stream reach to preserve or improve the natural environment to a reasonable degree if specified conditions are satisfied. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill creates the 'Colorado Right to Rest Act', which establishes basic rights for persons experiencing homelessness, including, but not limited to, the right to use and move freely in public spaces, to rest in public spaces, to eat or accept food in any public space where food is not prohibited, to occupy a legally parked vehicle, and to have a reasonable expectation of privacy of one's property. The bill does not create an obligation for a provider of services for persons experiencing homelessness to provide shelter or services when none are available.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill clarifies that a certification or exemption letter required for exemption from a school immunization requirement may be from a licensed physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice nurse or a parent, guardian, emancipated student, or student 18 years of age or older. A person submitting a letter is not required to use a specified form. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill specifies that it is not a discriminatory practice for a private business to decline to contract to provide goods or services: That convey a message with which the business chooses not to associate itself or with which the business owner disagrees; or For an event that conveys a message with which the business chooses not to associate itself or with which the business owner disagrees.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Under current law, money in the P.O.S.T. board cash fund can be used to provide training for peace officers. The bill clarifies that the money can also be used to train military law enforcement personnel stationed in Colorado. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill modifies certain statutory requirements applicable to a downtown development authority (authority) in the following respects: In all cases where any plan of development managed by the authority includes an allocation of property tax increment generated by the mill levy imposed by one or more public bodies that are not municipalities, the bill requires that one director of the board of such authority be appointed by agreement of the boards of county commissioners of each county other than a city and county whose property taxes are subject to allocation under any such plan. One director must also be appointed by agreement of the boards of education of each school district whose property taxes are subject to allocation under any such plan and one director must also be appointed by agreement of the boards of directors of each special district whose property taxes are subject to allocation under any such plan. The bill specifies additional requirements applicable to the appointment of board members. In connection with existing statutory procedures permitting an authority to allocate taxes it collects to a special fund to finance a plan of development, the bill clarifies that the taxes that may be allocated are the property taxes of specifically designated public bodies. Before any plan of development containing any tax allocation provisions that allocates any taxes of any taxing entity other than the municipality may be approved by the municipal governing body, the bill requires the authority to notify the governing boards of each other taxing entity whose incremental property tax revenues would be allocated under such proposed plan. Representatives of the authority and the governing body of the municipality and of each taxing entity are then required to meet and attempt to negotiate an agreement governing the sharing of incremental property tax revenue collected within the plan of development area. The agreement may be entered into separately among the municipality, the authority, and each such taxing entity, or through a joint agreement among the municipality, the authority, and any taxing entity that has chosen to enter into that agreement. Any such shared incremental tax revenues governed by any agreement are limited to incremental revenue that may be allocated to a plan of development. The bill gives the parties 120 days to negotiate an agreement. If, after such period has passed, the parties fail to enter into an agreement, the bill requires the parties to participate in mediation on the issue of the appropriate sharing of incremental property tax revenues and the costs of a development project among the municipality, the authority, and any such taxing entities whose incremental property tax revenues will be allocated pursuant to a plan of development and with whom an intergovernmental agreement with the municipality and the authority has not been reached. The mediation is to be conducted by a mediator jointly selected by the parties. If the parties are unable to agree on the appointment of a single mediator, the bill specifies requirements governing the appointment by the parties of a 3-mediator panel, payment of the mediator's fees and costs, and issues the mediator is to consider in making his or her determination. Within 90 days, the bill requires the mediator to issue his or her findings of fact as to the appropriate sharing of costs and incremental property tax revenues, and to promptly transmit such information to the parties. With respect to the use of incremental property tax revenues of each other taxing entity, following the issuance of findings by the mediator, the governing body of the municipality is required to: Incorporate the mediator's findings on the use of incremental property tax revenues of any taxing body into the plan of development and an intergovernmental agreement and proceed to adopt the plan; Amend the plan of development to delete authorization of the use of the incremental property tax revenues of any taxing body with whom an agreement has not been reached; or Direct the authority to either incorporate the mediator's findings into one or more intergovernmental agreements with other taxing entities or enter into new negotiations with one or more taxing entities and enter into one or more intergovernmental agreements with such taxing entities that incorporate such new or different provisions concerning the sharing of costs and incremental property tax revenues with which the parties are in agreement. The bill prohibits any incremental property tax revenues from being allocated to and paid into the special fund of the authority unless the municipality and the authority have satisfied the mediation and other requirements of the bill.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill ensures that women are fully and accurately informed about their personal medical conditions regarding their pregnancies and health care options. Current medical procedures already use ultrasound technology to provide information regarding the gestational age of a child in utero. The bill ensures that a woman has the opportunity to see or forego seeing her ultrasound. The bill gives the woman a choice between an abdominal or vaginal ultrasound. The bill allows a woman the opportunity to find a provider of ultrasound technology that will provide the service free of charge. The bill requires that a woman be given full and accurate information regarding her abortion. The bill describes the information that the physician performing the abortion provides to the woman, and gives the woman an opportunity to sign or refuse to sign a receipt of information. The bill requires the abortion provider to provide certain information to the woman at least 24 hours prior to performing an abortion. The bill creates a civil right of action for noncompliance with the requirements, making a physician's noncompliance with the requirements unprofessional conduct and making a violation of the requirements a crime. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill prohibits a health benefit plan or third-party administrator plan covering services by licensed chiropractors, optometrists, or pharmacists (providers) from: Limiting or restricting a covered person's ability to select a provider of the covered person's choice if certain conditions are met; Imposing a copayment, fee, or other cost-sharing requirement for selecting a provider of the covered person's choosing; Imposing other conditions on a covered person or provider that limit or restrict a covered person's ability to use a pharmacy of the covered person's choosing; or Denying a provider the right to participate in any of its network contracts in this state or as a contracting provider in this state, so long as the provider agrees to specified conditions.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)