For property tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2023, the bill specifies that a senior is deemed to be a 10-year owner-occupier of a primary residence that the senior has owned and occupied for less than 10 years and therefore qualifies for the senior property tax exemption for the residence if: The senior would have qualified for the senior property tax exemption for the senior's former primary residence but a medical necessity required the senior to stop occupying the former primary residence; The senior has not previously received the exemption for a former primary residence on the basis of medical necessity; and The senior has not owned and occupied another primary residence since the senior first stopped occupying the senior's former primary residence due to medical necessity. "Medical necessity" is defined as one or more medical conditions of a senior that a physician licensed to practice medicine in Colorado has certified on a form developed by the state property tax administrator as having required the senior to stop occupying the senior's prior primary residence. When applying for an exemption on the basis of medical necessity, a senior must provide the form establishing proof of medical necessity. For property tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2023, but before January 1, 2028, the bill increases the maximum amount of actual value of the owner-occupied residence of a qualifying senior or veteran with a disability that is exempt from property taxation from $200,000 to $300,000. For property tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2028, the bill increases the maximum amount of actual value of the owner-occupied residence of a qualifying senior or veteran with a disability that is exempt from property taxation from $300,000 to $500,000. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill modifies the closing and settlement procedure for real estate transactions to ensure that the funds intended to be used at closing have been: Received and deposited into a trust account at least one business day before the scheduled closing; and Confirmed as deposited and available for immediate disbursement upon the settlement and closing of the real estate transaction. The bill takes effect September 1, 2024. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Current law prohibits a county employee from purchasing a tax lien or property for which a tax lien is sold. The bill narrows the prohibition to apply to a county employee only if the employee participates in the tax lien sales process by preparing, conducting, or executing a sale of lands and town lots. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill prohibits: Requiring a COVID-19 vaccine for a minor in Colorado; Administering a COVID-19 vaccine to a child without the informed consent of the child's parent or legal guardian; Administering a COVID-19 vaccine to an emancipated minor without the informed consent of the emancipated minor; A school from dismissing, suspending, refusing admission, or refusing to permit participation in an extracurricular activity to a student who has claimed a COVID-19 immunization exemption; A public or private entity from discriminating against a minor participating in a nonpublic home-based educational program based on whether the minor received the COVID-19 vaccine; A public entity from levying a fee, fine, or tax, or a private entity from levying a fine or fee, on a minor or their parent or legal guardian based on whether the minor received the COVID-19 vaccine; or A public or private entity from discriminating against a minor based on whether the minor received a COVID-19 vaccine. The bill allows an aggrieved person to file a civil action and waives sovereign immunity if the violator is a public entity. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill extends the right to use deadly physical force against an intruder under certain conditions to include owners, managers, and employees of a business and to any person in lawful possession of a firearm at a place of business. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill states that any federal act, law, executive order, administrative order, rule, and regulation (federal laws) that is, or accomplishes, any of the following is an infringement on the right to bear arms in Colorado: A tax, levy, fee, or stamp not common to all other goods and services that is imposed on a firearm, firearm accessory, or ammunition and that might reasonably be expected to create a "chilling effect" on the purchase or ownership of those items by law-abiding citizens; Any registration or tracking of firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition; Any registration or tracking of the ownership of firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition; A prohibition on the possession, ownership, use, or transfer of a firearm, firearm accessory, or ammunition by law-abiding citizens; and Any order to confiscate firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition from law-abiding citizens. The bill prohibits any entity or person from enforcing or attempting to enforce any federal law that infringes on the right to keep and bear arms. The state or a political subdivision that enforces or attempts to enforce a federal law that infringes on the right to keep and bear arms is liable to the injured party and subject to a civil penalty of up to $50,000 per occurrence. The bill prohibits the state or a political subdivision, including a law enforcement agency, from employing a person who, while acting as a federal agent or under color of federal law, knowingly enforced, attempted to enforce, or gave material aid and support to the efforts of another who enforced or attempted to enforce a federal law that infringes on the right to keep and bear arms. The state or a political subdivision who employs the person is subject to a civil penalty of up to $50,000 per employee. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill prohibits state money from being used to further certain social, political, or ideological interests beyond what controlling state and federal law require. Sections 1 to 3 of the bill apply this prohibition to the public employees' retirement association (PERA) by requiring PERA to make investments solely on financial factors and prohibiting PERA from investing in an entity with a stated purpose to further certain social, political, or ideological interests beyond what federal and state law require (nonfinancial commitment). Section 1 also: Requires that PERA ensure that a designated agent commits to following guidelines that match PERA's obligation to act solely on financial factors prior to PERA entrusting member funds to the designated agent; Requires that a designated agent ensure that a proxy advisor or other service provider has committed to following guidelines that match PERA's obligation to act solely on financial factors prior to the designated agent following a recommendation of the proxy advisor or service provider; and Gives the attorney general the authority to enforce these investment requirements. Section 2 requires PERA to invest solely in the financial interest of PERA members and beneficiaries. Section 3 clarifies that the fiduciary duties of PERA's board of trustees include the obligation to act in the financial interest of PERA members and benefit recipients. Section 4 requires a government contract to include a verification that a company entering into a government contract does not, and will not during the term of the contract, engage in an economic boycott of another company to further certain social, political, or ideological interests. Section 4 prohibits a person from penalizing a financial institution for complying with the non-economic boycott verification requirement. Section 4 also gives the attorney general the authority to enforce the newly created article. Section 5 requires the state treasurer to make investments solely on financial factors, prohibits the state treasurer from investing in entities with a stated nonfinancial commitment, and gives the attorney general authority to enforce these investment requirements. Sections 6 to 10 make conforming amendments.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Currently, the department of revenue may issue a qualified individual either 2 military license plates with identifying figures that authorize the individual to use reserved parking, or one military license plate with the identifying figure that authorizes the use of reserved parking and a parking placard authorizing the use of reserved parking. The bill allows a qualified person the option to be issued 2 military license plates and a parking placard.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill prohibits the governor from renewing a state of disaster emergency declared beyond 30 days. Instead, the bill authorizes the general assembly, upon the written request of the governor and by adopting a joint resolution, to extend the state of disaster emergency for up to 30 additional days. The general assembly may continue, at the written request of the governor and by adopting a joint resolution for each extension, to extend a state of disaster emergency for periods of up to 30 days for as long as it deems it necessary to do so. If the general assembly is not scheduled to convene in a regular session when a state of disaster emergency will end as required by the bill, the governor or a two-thirds majority of the members of each house of the general assembly, in accordance with applicable state constitutional provisions, may call the general assembly into an extraordinary session to consider extending the state of disaster emergency.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Transportation Legislation Review Committee. For 10 income tax years, section 1 of the bill creates a refundable income tax credit for purchasing driver education and training for a minor. The amount of the credit is the amount spent on driver education and training, but cannot exceed $1,000 per student. To claim a credit, an individual must provide the department of revenue (department) with a receipt for the amount paid if the department requests the receipt. Currently, a minor who is under 18 years of age may be issued a driver's license or temporary driver's license if the minor has held an instruction permit for 12 months and has completed 50 hours of supervised driving, including 10 hours of night driving. Section 2 adds the requirements that the applicant must: Complete a 30-hour driver education course, which may include an online course, approved by the department; and Receive at least 6 hours of behind-the-wheel driving training with a driving instructor or, for minors who live in rural areas of the state, 12 hours of behind-the-wheel training with a parent, a legal guardian, or an alternate permit supervisor. Additionally, section 2 eliminates the current instructional requirements for minors under 16 and one-half years of age to hold an instruction permit for 12 months, complete 50 hours of supervised driving, including 10 hours of night driving, and receive 6 hours of behind-the-wheel driving training with a driving instructor or, if the minor lives more than 30 miles from a business offering driving instruction, at least 12 hours of training from a parent, legal guardian, or responsible adult to be eligible for issuance of a driver's license. Section 2 also adds a requirement that a minor who is 18 years of age or older and under 21 years of age must successfully complete a 4-hour prequalification driver awareness program approved by the department to be issued a driver's license or temporary driver's license. Current law authorizes the department to issue an instruction permit to a minor if the minor meets one of the following conditions: A minor who is 16 years of age or older need not complete a driver education course; A minor who is at least 15 and one-half years of age but under 16 years of age must have completed a driver education course or a 4-hour driver awareness course; or A minor who is 15 years of age or older but under 15 and one-half years of age must have completed a driver education course. Sections 2 and 3 eliminate the tiered system and require all minors who are under 18 years of age to complete a 30-hour driver education course and minors who are 18 years of age or older but under 21 years of age to complete a 4-hour driver awareness course. Section 5 prohibits a person who has been convicted of certain violent or sexual crimes from providing behind-the-wheel driving instruction to minors. A commercial driving school is prohibited from employing such a driving instructor to provide behind-the-wheel driving instruction to minors. Each instructor employed by a commercial driving school must obtain a fingerprint-based criminal history record check to verify that the instructor has not committed a disqualifying crime.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill prohibits a prescriber from issuing to a patient a prescription for an opioid that will be dispensed or administered outside of a health-care facility or the prescriber's practice location if the amount of the opioid exceeds 90 morphine milligram equivalents per day, unless the patient suffers from intractable pain.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Current law requires candidates by petition to be placed after candidates designated and certified by assembly on the primary election ballot. The bill eliminates this requirement and instead requires all candidates to be placed on the primary ballot in an order determined by lot. In conformity with this change, the bill also eliminates the requirements that a certificate of designation by assembly indicate the order of the vote received by candidates for each office and that candidates who receive the same number of votes be ordered by lot.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
