Current law allows, when authorized by the parks and wildlife commission (commission), a person to hunt and take a bobcat or mountain lion. The bill generally prohibits shooting, wounding, killing, or trapping a bobcat, Canada lynx, or mountain lion. The bill allows for the shooting, wounding, killing, or trapping or the attempted shooting, wounding, killing, or trapping if it is: Immediately necessary to protect an individual from bodily harm; By a peace officer or licensed veterinarian acting in the course and scope of their duties; By a federal, state, or local department of health to protect human health or safety; Authorized by a scientific collecting license; Authorized by a wildlife sanctuary license; Authorized by a commercial wildlife park license, unless the license authorizes the licensee to shoot, wound, kill, or engage in trapping bobcats, Canada lynx, or mountain lions; By a zoological park accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums or is authorized by a zoological park license; Expressly authorized by federal law; By the division of parks and wildlife (division) for the protection of a threatened species or an endangered species; or By the division for the purpose of relocating the animal and is done using nonlethal methods and devices. A person that shoots, wounds, or kills a bobcat, Canada lynx, or mountain lion to prevent bodily harm to an individual must notify the division within 24 hours after the incident and may not, without authorization from the division, remove from the site, retain, or transfer all or a portion of the bobcat, Canada lynx, or mountain lion. The bill also establishes an exception for a livestock owner if the shooting, wounding, killing, or trapping of a bobcat or mountain lion occurs on land owned or leased by the livestock owner and is immediately necessary to protect livestock and to protect further loss of livestock if certain conditions are met. A person that shoots, wounds, kills, or traps a bobcat or mountain lion to protect livestock: Must report the wounding, trapping, or killing to the division within 5 days after the incident; May not, without authorization from the division, remove from the site, retain, or transfer all or a portion of the bobcat or mountain lion; and May not hold the animal in captivity unless for purposes of rehabilitation. A person that violates the bill is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of $500 to $2,000 or up to one year in jail, an assessment of 20 hunting license suspension points, and civil restitution of $700 for a mountain lion or bobcat and $1,000 for a Canada lynx. Additionally, upon conviction, the commission may suspend the person's hunting license for up to 5 years. The penalty for doing any of the following without legal authority is a class 5 felony: Selling or purchasing a mountain lion; Offering for sale or purchase a mountain lion; or Soliciting another person to illegally hunt or take a mountain lion for monetary gain.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Legislative Oversight Committee Concerning Tax Policy. A farm close-out sale, which is a farmer's or rancher's sale by auction or private treaty of all tangible personal property used in carrying on the farming or ranching operations, is exempt from the sales and use tax. The bill excludes motor vehicles that are subject to registration requirements from a farm close-out sale.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill directs the department of revenue, the secretary of state, and the office of information technology to conduct a study concerning the need for and feasibility of allowing registered electors to update the address of record on their voter registration record when they update their address on their vehicle registration or update their address on their driver's license.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Current law prohibits a hospital from including the healthcare affordability and sustainability fee as a separate line item in its billing statements. The bill allows a hospital to include the total amount of the healthcare affordability and sustainability fee as a separate line item in its billing statements to increase transparency for patients. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill allows eligible electors in the town of Parker to elect to have all of the area within the boundaries of the town included in or excluded from the boundaries of the regional transportation district (district). The bill requires that for the election to go forward, 2 separate ballot questions must be presented to the electors, one regarding the town's inclusion in and one regarding the town's exclusion from the district. The ballot questions may be initiated by petitions signed by at least 5% of the voters, or the governing body of the town of Parker may adopt resolutions to hold elections on the ballot questions. The ballot must include one question allowing the voters to vote for or against the inclusion of the proposed area in the district, and one question allowing voters to vote for or against the exclusion of the proposed area from the district. If one question is approved by a majority of the eligible electors and the other question is not approved by a majority of eligible electors, the question that was approved takes effect. If both questions are approved by a majority of the eligible electors, only the question that received the greater number of votes in favor of the question takes effect. If neither question is approved by a majority of eligible electors, neither question takes effect and the boundaries of the district remain as they were before the election. If the voters elect to be excluded from the district, the exclusion takes effect on the earlier of December 31, 2050, or the date on which any district securities that were secured by the specific pledge of proceeds of sales taxes prior to January 1, 2022, are repaid. The district may continue to collect sales and use tax revenues within the boundaries of the district after the voters elect to be excluded and prior to the effective date of the exclusion, so long as the district provides a reasonably proportionate level of service to the town of Parker during that time. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The "State Measurement For Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act" (SMART Act) establishes a performance management system to better allow the public, the general assembly, the governor, and state departments to assess, manage, and improve the administration and performance of state programs. The bill adds the office of saving people money on health care, created within the governor's office by executive order, to the list of departments that are required to comply with the requirements of the SMART Act.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The Colorado constitution currently requires any petition for a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment to be signed by at least 2% of the registered electors who reside in each state senate district for the change to be placed on the ballot. If a constitutional amendment that extends this requirement to a citizen-initiated statutory change is approved by the voters of the state at the 2022 general election, the bill makes a conforming statutory change to extend the requirement.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The Colorado constitution currently requires any petition for a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment to be signed by at least 2% of the registered electors who reside in each state senate district for the change to be placed on the ballot. If approved by the voters at the November 2022 general election, the concurrent resolution would extend this requirement to a citizen-initiated statutory change. (Note: This summary applies to this concurrent resolution as introduced.)
House Third Reading Laid Over to 07/08/2021 - No Amendments
Current law requires the air quality control commission (AQCC) to adopt rules that will result in the statewide reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 26% by 2025, 50% by 2030, and 90% by 2050, as compared to 2005 emissions. Section 2 of the bill supplements these requirements by: Directing the AQCC to: Consider the social cost of GHG emissions; Require GHG reductions on a linear or more stringent path; and Finalize its implementing rules by March 1, 2022, including specific net emission weight limits for various emission sectors, subject to modification by the AQCC, including through the use of a multi-sector program; Directing each wholesale generation and transmission electric cooperative to file with the public utilities commission a responsible energy plan that will achieve at least an 80% GHG reduction by 2030 as compared to 2005 levels and specifying that if a plan is not filed, the cooperative must achieve at least a 90% GHG reduction by 2030 as compared to 2005 levels; and Directing each retail, wholesale, and municipal electric utility and cooperative electric association to reduce its GHG emissions by at least 95% between 2035 and 2040 and by 100% by 2040. Section 3 adds GHG to the definition of "regulated pollutant", prohibits the AQCC from excluding GHG emissions from the requirement to pay annual emission fees that are based on emissions of regulated pollutants, gives the AQCC rule-making authority to set the GHG annual emission fee, and authorizes the use of these fees for outreach to and engagement of disproportionately impacted communities. Section 4 requires the AQCC's GHG reporting rules to establish an assumed emission rate representing the average regional fossil fuel generation emission rate for electricity generated by a renewable energy resource for which the associated renewable energy credit is not retired in the year generated.Section 5 creates an environmental justice ombudsperson position and an environmental justice advisory board in the department of public health and environment. The ombudsperson and the advisory board will work collaboratively to promote environmental justice in Colorado. Sections 2 and 5 specify processes for soliciting and facilitating input from disproportionately impacted communities regarding proposed AQCC rule changes and departmental decision-making.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Under current law, common carriers and contract carriers may use independent contractors for transportation services. The contract must provide for coverage under either workers' compensation or an occupational accident insurance policy that provides "similar coverage" to that available under workers' compensation. "Similar coverage" must meet or exceed standards set by the division of insurance and is defined to require benefits that are at least comparable to the benefits offered under the workers' compensation system. The bill amends the definition of "similar coverage" by repealing this "comparable benefits" requirement.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Under current law, an entity may appeal a decision by a school district board of education (local board) concerning a charter school to the state board of education (state board). The state board reviews the decision to determine whether it was contrary to the best interests of the students, school district, or community. The bill creates a rebuttable presumption that a local board's decision was in the best interests of the students, school district, or community if the decision was based on at least one of several specified considerations. A person bringing an appeal may overcome the presumption by a preponderance of the evidence demonstrating that the decision was not based on at least one of those considerations. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
