The middle-income housing authority (authority) has the power to make and enter into contracts or agreements with public or private entities to facilitate public-private partnerships. The act clarifies this power of the authority to enter into public-private partnerships by specifying that: The affordable rental housing component of a public-private partnership is exempt from state and local taxation, and the authority must provide initial and ongoing notice to the local assessor of the exemption; A public-private partnership may include an agreement concerning commercial property in connection with an affordable rental housing project; A public-private partnership may provide for the transfer of the interest in an affordable rental housing project to an entity other than the authority; The authority may issue bonds to finance the affordable rental housing component in a public-private partnership; and Bonds issued by the authority may be payable from the revenue and assets of the affordable rental housing component of a public-private partnership or solely from the revenue or assets of the authority as current law requires. Additionally, the act expands the board of directors of the authority from 14 to 16 by adding 2 nonvoting members. The senate majority leader and the house majority leader will each appoint a member of the general assembly from their respective chambers to serve as the 2 new nonvoting members; except that, if the senate majority leader and the house majority leader are from the same political party, the house minority leader will appoint the member to the board of directors from the house. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, $3,774 is appropriated from the general fund to the legislative department for use by the general assembly to implement the act. APPROVED by Governor June 2, 2023 EFFECTIVE June 2, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Section 2 of the act appropriates $250,000 to the prevention services division (division) within the department of public health and environment to partner with a statewide nonprofit organization to provide healthy eating program incentives among low-income populations in the state and must attempt to improve access to fresh Colorado-grown fruits and vegetables among low-income populations in the state. The nonprofit organization that the division selects for partnership must have experience in supporting healthy eating incentives programs and experience with coordinating healthy eating programs and funding between local, state, and federal programs. Section 3 requires individual taxpayers to add an amount of federal taxable income equal to their federal deduction for business meals to their state income tax liability for the 2024 through 2030 income tax years. Section 4 requires the same of corporate taxpayers. Section 5 creates a refundable tax credit for both small food retailers and small family farms that purchase certain systems or equipment (purchasers) and a member of the community food consortium for small food retailers and Colorado-owned and Colorado-operated farms (the consortium) that completes its duties and responsibilities. For the 2024 income tax year, the tax credit is equal to 85% of the cost of the amount spent by a member of the consortium on completing its duties and 85% of the cost of the systems or equipment purchased by purchasers. For income tax years 2025 through 2030, the tax credit is equal to 75% of the cost of the systems or equipment purchased by the small food retailers and small family farms and 75% of the amount spent by a member of the consortium on completing its duties. Section 6 modifies the small food business recovery and resilience grant program (grant program). Section 6: Allows the department of agriculture to award grants of up to $50,000, rather than $25,000; Allows the department to annually award a grant to a grantee, rather than only once; Modifies the definition of "small food retailer" to include food retailers with less than 10,000 square feet or retail space, rather than less than 5,000 square feet of retail space; and Extends the repeal date of the grant program from September 1, 2027, to September 1, 2031. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, $360,413 from the general fund is appropriated to the department of agriculture and $44,411 is appropriated to the department of law to provide legal services for the department of agriculture, which consists of money reappropriated from a portion of the appropriation made to the department of agriculture. APPROVED by Governor June 2, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires hospitals to make public and post each hospital's medicare reimbursement rates. The act: Requires the department of health care policy and financing (state department) to conduct a performance assessment for each hospital to determine the hospital's adherence to federal transparency rules and publish the results on its website; Repeals sections of statute regarding hospital price transparency and debt collection that are currently under the administration and authority of the department of public health and environment and relocates these sections so that hospital price transparency and debt collection provisions are under the administration and authority of the state department; and Makes a violation of the hospital transparency requirements outlined in the act a deceptive trade practice under the "Colorado Consumer Protection Act". APPROVED by Governor June 2, 2023 EFFECTIVE June 2, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act updates the veterinary education loan repayment program in the following ways: Increases the number of qualified applicants per year from 4 to 6; Eliminates the requirement that an applicant must have graduated from an accredited veterinary school in 2017 or later; Increases the total amount an applicant is eligible for over a 4-year period from $70,000 to $90,000; Increases the yearly repayment amounts for successful applicants; and Requires the state treasurer to transfer $540,000 from the general fund to the veterinary education loan repayment fund on September 1, 2023. APPROVED by Governor June 2, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates the Colorado universal preschool program provider participation bonus program (bonus program). The bonus program requires a one-time bonus payment to any eligible preschool provider (provider) that participates in the preschool program established in the department of early childhood (department). The department can award additional bonus payments to eligible recipients that maintain or increase their licensed capacity to serve infants and toddlers between April 1, 2022, and April 1, 2024. Subject to available appropriations, the department shall also award bonus payments to eligible recipients located in low-capacity preschool areas. The purpose of the bonus program is to: Increase provider participation in the Colorado universal preschool program (preschool program) to ensure that all children have access to a universal preschool classroom in their communities; Strengthen the mixed delivery system by supporting providers that have not previously participated in the Colorado state-run preschool program; and Preserve access to infant and toddler care. Providers are required to use the bonus payments to implement or support the preschool program or maintain or expand infant and toddler care. The department is required to report to the joint budget committee on or before September 1, 2024, on the number and types of providers that receive bonus payments and the number and types of bonus payments awarded. The bonus program is repealed, effective July 1, 2025. The act appropriates $2,500,000 from the general fund to the department for purposes of the program. APPROVED by Governor June 2, 2023 EFFECTIVE June 2, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act allows an employee to use accrued paid sick leave when the employee needs to: Care for a family member whose school or place of care has been closed due to inclement weather, loss of power, loss of heating, loss of water, or any other unexpected occurrence or event that results in the closure of the family member's school or place of care; Grieve, attend funeral services or a memorial, or deal with financial and legal matters that arise after the death of a family member; or Evacuate the employee's place of residence due to inclement weather, loss of power, loss of heating, loss of water, or any other unexpected occurrence or event that results in the need to evacuate the employee's residence. To implement the act, $74,927 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of labor employment for use by the division of labor standards and statistics. APPROVED by Governor June 2, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act defines terms related to federal firearm licenses and firearm components, including "frame or receiver of a firearm" and "unfinished frame or receiver." The act prohibits: On and after January 1, 2024, knowingly possessing or transporting an unfinished firearm frame or receiver, unless it has been imprinted with a serial number as required by federal law; Knowingly selling, offering to sell, transferring, or purchasing an unfinished firearm frame or receiver, unless it has been imprinted with a serial number as required by federal law; On and after January 1, 2024, knowingly possessing, purchasing, transporting, or receiving a firearm or frame or receiver of a firearm that is not imprinted with a serial number; Knowingly selling, offering to sell, or transferring a firearm or frame or receiver of a firearm that is not imprinted with a serial number; and Manufacturing or causing to be manufactured a frame or receiver of a firearm; unless the manufacturer is a federally licensed firearm manufacturer. The act includes exceptions for each type of prohibited conduct, including specified exceptions for conduct involving federal firearm licensees and transfers to serialize a frame or receiver. A person who commits any of the prohibited conduct commits unlawful conduct involving an unserialized firearm, frame, or receiver. Unlawful conduct involving an unserialized firearm, frame, or receiver is a class 1 misdemeanor; except that a second or subsequent offense is a class 5 felony. The act requires a person who, on the effective date of the act, owns a firearm, frame, or receiver that the person manufactured and that is not imprinted with a serial number by a federal firearms licensee, to have the firearm, frame, or receiver imprinted with a serial number no later than January 1, 2024. The act prohibits the Colorado bureau of investigation from approving the transfer of a firearm to a person who was convicted of misdemeanor unlawful conduct involving an unserialized firearm, frame, or receiver within 5 years prior to the transfer. A person convicted of felony unlawful conduct involving an unserialized firearm, frame, or receiver is prohibited from possessing a firearm or other weapon. The act permits a federal firearms licensee to imprint a serial number on a firearm or a firearm frame or receiver and establishes a process and requirements for licensees to serialize firearms. Existing law prohibits possession of a dangerous weapon. The act defines "machine gun conversion device" and makes machine gun conversion devices a dangerous weapon under Colorado law. APPROVED by Governor June 2, 2023 PORTIONS EFFECTIVE June 2, 2023 PORTIONS EFFECTIVE January 1, 2024 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act addresses recommendations from the state child support commission (commission), including the following: Requires that parents share a child's health insurance coverage information with each other; Provides a time frame for parents to seek reimbursement for extraordinary medical expenses, including mental health expenses; Requires a court to provide a verbal and written advisement to parents and caretakers and information to parents about child support law when the court enters or modifies a child support order; Requires a $100 civil infraction fine for the issuance of a fraudulent income withholding order and authorizes a court to issue a judgment against an employer that willfully refuses to comply with an income withholding order for child support; Excludes funeral or burial expenses from life insurance settlements relating to past-due child support and requires burial costs to be covered; Changes the income adjustment for maintenance to reflect existing maintenance calculation and accounts for tax-deductibility for some maintenance payments; Changes the survivability of an administrative process action to include retroactive support, unpaid support, and monthly support owed to the nonparent caretaker; Enables a court to order retroactive support through the month the child support obligation begins and provide continuity of retroactive support for orders that have future commencement dates; Modifies the number of hours parents are expected to work for the imputation of income to 32 hours a week and 50 weeks a year and includes transportation as a barrier the court must consider if imputation of income is appropriate; Requires appointment of 2 parent obligors and 2 parent obligees to the commission; and Requires the commission, as part of its review, to evaluate its internal policies and efficiency. APPROVED by Governor June 2, 2023 PORTIONS EFFECTIVE June 2, 2023 PORTIONS EFFECTIVE July 1, 2023 PORTIONS EFFECTIVE August 1, 2023 PORTIONS EFFECTIVE September 1, 2023 PORTIONS EFFECTIVE July 1, 2024 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act implements recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies in its sunset review and report on the division of racing events (division) and the Colorado racing commission (commission) in the department of revenue. Specifically: The division and the commission are continued 9 years from the current repeal date of September 1, 2023, until September 1, 2032; Certain language from the definition of the term "in-state simulcast facility" is relocated, with amendments; and Certain greyhound kennel inspection requirements that have become redundant with inspection requirements imposed upon the department of agriculture are repealed. APPROVED by Governor June 2, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act extends the Colorado food systems advisory council (council) established within Colorado state university until September 1, 2026. The act adds a representative of a food bank as a member of the council. The act changes how 16 members of the council are appointed, requiring that the governor or the governor's designee appoint 5 members and that the speaker of the house of representatives, the minority leader of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, and the minority leader of the senate appoint 12 members on a rotating basis as new positions or vacancies arise. The act creates new duties for the council, including: Examining best practices to advance or improve food distribution systems and develop new markets for Colorado agricultural producers; and Conducting research and providing support at the request of the governor, members of the general assembly, or any state agency in connection with the council's purpose and duties. The act requires the council to include a summary of the council's activities from the prior year and a summary of the council's planned activities for the upcoming year in council's annual report to specified legislative committees. The council must also accept and consider public comment regarding the annual report. The act repeals the council's authority to engage in any other activity not specified in statute that the council determines is necessary to accomplish the council's purposes. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $151,068 from the general fund to the department of higher education for limited fee-for-service contracts with state institutions, which amount is reappropriated for use by the board of governors of the Colorado state university system for the food systems advisory council. APPROVED by Governor June 2, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Under Colorado law, an art gallery may obtain a permit to serve complementary alcohol beverages, but a permit holder is prohibited from: Selling alcohol beverages by the drink; Serving alcohol beverages for more than 4 hours in a 24-hour period; Serving alcohol beverages more than 15 days per year; Charging an entrance fee or a cover charge in connection with offering complimentary alcohol beverages; Violating the "Colorado Liquor Code"; or Allowing more than 250 people to be on the premises at one time when alcohol beverages are being served. The act broadens this permit to allow most retail establishments to obtain the permit if the establishment conducts business at a physical building in Colorado, sells goods or services to the public at the location, and derives less than 50% of the establishment's gross sales of goods and services from the sale of food. The prohibitions for art gallery permit holders are not changed and apply to a retail establishment that obtains a permit; except that: The prohibition on selling alcohol is broadened to cover the sale of alcohol beverages in any form; The number of days that an establishment may serve alcohol beverages in a year is increased from 15 to 24 days; Maximum serving sizes are set for beer, wine, and spirits; A person is prohibited from holding the permit and another liquor license; Serving or distributing alcohol beverages is prohibited between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m.; and Serving underage guests is prohibited and underage servers are prohibited. To implement the act, $98, 744 is appropriated from the liquor enforcement division and state licensing authority cash fund to the department of revenue for use by the liquor and tobacco enforcement division. APPROVED by Governor June 2, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act refers a ballot issue to the voters at the November 7, 2023, statewide election to allow the state to retain and spend state revenues that would otherwise need to be refunded for exceeding the estimate in the ballot information booklet analysis for proposition EE and to allow the state to maintain the tax rates established in proposition EE that would otherwise need to be decreased. If voters reject the ballot issue, the state will both: Refund $23.65 million to distributors and wholesalers in a reasonable manner determined by the department of revenue; and Reduce by 11.53% the tax rates of the taxes on cigarettes, tobacco products, and nicotine products created or increased by proposition EE. If voters approve the ballot measure: The money set aside for the potential refund related to proposition EE will instead be transferred to the preschool programs cash fund and the general fund; and The new tax on nicotine products and the increased taxes on cigarettes and tobacco products in proposition EE will stay at the rates required by proposition EE. The refund or alternative spending is made or backfilled from revenue in the newly created proposition EE cash fund, which consists of $23.65 million from the preschool programs cash fund and the general fund. APPROVED by Governor June 2, 2023 EFFECTIVE June 2, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
