The bill creates the future educator pathways grant program (grant program) in the department of education (department) to provide grants to local education providers, as defined in the bill, to create future educator pathways programs. The department shall administer the grant program, and the state board of education (state board) shall promulgate necessary rules for the grant program. Future educator pathways programs prepare future educators, including future educators in early childhood education, by providing students with opportunities for concurrent enrollment and apprenticeships that lead to college credit toward degrees and credentials as educators. The state board, after consultation with the department of labor and employment and the department of higher education, shall promulgate rules establishing requirements for apprenticeship programs. The bill specifies the dates by which an eligible local education provider must apply to the department for grant money and the information required in the grant program application. The state board shall award grants to one or more qualified local education providers by dates specified in the bill. A local education provider that receives a grant is required to use the grant money for specified purposes in connection with apprenticeship programs and concurrent enrollment. To receive a grant, a local education provider shall commit to match state grant money with local money equal to 25% of the grant award. The bill specifies that the state board is required to ensure that grants are awarded to geographically diverse local education providers and to a mix of rural, urban, and suburban local education providers. In addition, the state board shall award at least 20% of the total amount awarded in grants to eligible rural local education providers, as defined in the bill, and at least 70% of the total amount awarded in grants to future educator pathways programs that provide apprenticeships. The bill creates the future educator pathways fund (fund) in the state treasury and requires the state treasurer to transfer an amount of money specified in the bill from the general fund to the fund in the 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2022-23 state fiscal years. The state board may award grant program grants in a fourth year of the program if money remains in the fund after the third grant cycle. The department is required to submit an annual report on the grant program to the governor and the house and senate education committees that includes specified information, including a final report. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Early Childhood and School Readiness Legislative Commission. The bill creates the "Helping Others Manage Early (HOME) Childhood Act" (HOME Act). The HOME Act consists of 3 components: A public awareness campaign (campaign), implemented by a third-party entity contracted by the department of human services (department). The campaign will target those persons connected with early childhood in some fashion, from families to providers, and inform them on what is expected from early childhood providers, what is expected from children by the time they enter kindergarten, and what resources are available throughout the state. A series of multicounty workshops directed at early childhood providers to provide information on best practices for effective early childhood education. The multicounty workshops will also provide information on the requirements and procedures for licensure. A series of regional workshops designed to educate interested providers on how to start an early child care center or preschool, as well as any requirements and procedures for licensure. The bill directs that the department provide adequate child care for the multicounty and regional workshops to allow for maximum attendance. The bill includes a repeal date of 2023 with a provision for a mandatory prior review of the effectiveness of the 3 components. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Current law creates the petroleum cleanup and redevelopment fund to fund corrective action plans for petroleum releases not covered by other programs. If it would enhance environmental protection or improve air quality, the bill authorizes the division of oil and public safety to use up to $2 million in the redevelopment fund to develop, in partnership with a private entity, fuel-cell electric-vehicle projects.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill states that a domestic stock insurer (dividing insurer) may divide into 2 or more resulting insurers pursuant to a plan of division. A plan of division must include: The name of the dividing insurer; The name of each resulting insurer created by the proposed division and, for each resulting insurer, a copy of proposed articles of incorporation and proposed bylaws; The manner of allocating assets and liabilities, including policy liabilities, between or among all resulting insurers; The manner of distributing shares in the resulting insurers to the dividing insurer or the dividing insurer's shareholders; A reasonable description of all liabilities and all assets that the dividing insurer proposes to allocate to each resulting insurer, including the manner by which the dividing insurer proposes to allocate all reinsurance contracts; All terms and conditions required by the laws of this state and the articles of incorporation and bylaws of the dividing insurer; and All other terms and conditions required by the division. A plan of division must include additional provisions, the nature of which depends on whether the dividing insurer will survive the division. A dividing insurer may not file a plan of division with the commissioner of insurance (commissioner) until the plan of division has been approved in accordance with all provisions of the dividing insurer's articles of incorporation and bylaws. After a dividing insurer approves a plan of division, the dividing insurer shall file the plan of division with the commissioner. The commissioner shall approve the plan of division if, after considering certain criteria, the commissioner finds that certain requirements are met. If the commissioner approves a dividing insurer's plan of division, an officer or duly authorized representative of the dividing insurer shall sign a certificate of division that sets forth certain information concerning the division. The bill establishes procedures for amending and abandoning plans of division. The bill provides for the protection of confidential information, documents, and materials that are submitted to, obtained by, or disclosed to the commissioner in connection with a plan of division or in contemplation of a plan of division. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill makes changes to a program (program) within the department of human services (department) for children and youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities or co-occurring disorders (children and youth). The scope of rules to be promulgated by the department for the program is expanded to include planning for services for children and youth who become 18 years of age while in the program; access to behavioral health services; wait list management; process for a child or youth who is at risk for out-of-home placement; and program evaluation. Current law only allows for a county department of human or social services to submit an application to the program for a child or youth. The bill extends this option to the parent or legal guardian of the child or youth, and extends all notification requirements related to the program to the parent or legal guardian as well. The bill updates reimbursement provisions so that if a child or youth is not in the custody of a county department of human or social services or the department, the department shall directly reimburse the licensed provider where the child or youth is placed. Beginning on or before September 1, 2020, the department is required to compile and make public an annual report on the program. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Early Childhood and School Readiness Legislative Commission. The bill requires the department of human services (state department) to provide technical assistance and financial incentives to programs that are rated at a level one or 2 in the Colorado shines system (system) to support the programs in advancing to a higher quality level, and to programs that are rated at a level 3, 4, or 5 to support the programs in maintaining a high-quality level or advancing to a higher quality level. Each early childhood council (council) shall support the state department with this assistance by providing local community outreach and engagement strategies. The bill requires each council seeking to apply for school-readiness quality improvement funding (funding) to describe how the council will target and recruit programs that are rated in the system at a level one or higher in the council's 3-year school readiness plan. Councils that received funding prior to the 2020-21 fiscal year must amend the council's 3-year school readiness plan. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
There is currently a state income tax credit for a monetary contribution made prior to January 1, 2025, to promote child care in the state (credit). The credit is equal to 50% of a qualifying contribution. For income tax years that commence on or after January 1, 2020, the bill: Increases the age of a child from 12 to 18 in the definition of "child care", which expands the types of facilities to which a donation would qualify for the credit; and Specifies that a monetary contribution to a child advocacy center is a monetary contribution to promote child care in the state.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The starting point for determining state income tax liability is federal taxable income. This number is adjusted for additions and subtractions that are used to determine Colorado taxable income, which amount is multiplied by the state's income tax rate. Section 3 of the bill requires an individual to add to his or her federal taxable income an amount equal to the federal income tax deduction that he or she took for his or her combined qualified business income amount. The federal deduction may be claimed for income tax years commencing prior to January 1, 2026. The earned income tax credit is equal to a percentage of the federal earned income tax credit. Section 4 increases the percentage from 10% to 20% beginning in 2021. The state child tax credit, which is also a percentage of the federal child tax credit based on the taxpayer's income, is only allowed after the United States Congress enacts a version of the "Marketplace Fairness Act". Section 5 repeals this condition and instead allows the credit to be claimed beginning in 2021.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill amends the "Colorado READ Act" to require each local education provider to post on its website: The core and supplemental reading curriculum, or a detailed description of the reading curriculum, by grade, used in each of its schools; The core and supplemental reading instructional programs and intervention reading instruction, services, and other supports provided in each of its schools; The number of students enrolled in kindergarten and first through third grades who have READ plans, as well as the number of students who have achieved reading competency; and The local education provider's budget and narrative explanation for the use of the "Colorado READ Act" intervention money.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill creates a regulatory and service system to provide secure transportation services, with different requirements than traditional ambulance services, for individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis. Mobile crisis services, units linked to the walk-in crisis services, and crisis respite services may arrange for secure transportation in response to a behavioral health crisis. The department of human services shall allow for the development of secure transportation alternatives. The board of county commissioners of the county in which the secure transportation service is based (commissioners) shall issue a license to an entity (licensee), valid for one year, that provides secure transportation services if the minimum requirements set by rule by the state board of health are met or exceeded. The commissioners shall also issue operating permits, valid for 12 months following issuance, to each vehicle operated by the licensee. A fee may be charged for each license to reflect the direct and indirect costs to the applicable county in implementing secure transportation services licensure. The state board of health is given authority to promulgate rules concerning secure transportation licensure. The department of health care policy and financing is directed to create and implement a secure transportation benefit on or before January 1, 2022. Language is added to exempt secure transportation services from regulation under the public utilities commission. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Under existing law, the office of transportation safety within the office of the executive director of the department of transportation (department) receives funding from the law enforcement assistance fund (LEAF fund) to provide funding to local governments that have established a qualified drunk driving prevention and law enforcement program. The department receives funding from the first time drunk driving offender account in the highway users tax fund for high-visibility drunk driving enforcement. The bill requires the general assembly to annually appropriate $2 million to the department for allocation to local government programs that implement high-visibility drunk driving enforcement. The bill repeals department funding for high-visibility drunk driving enforcement from the first time drunk driving offender account and repeals office of transportation safety funding from the LEAF fund. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Currently, under the federal educator expense deduction, an eligible educator can claim a deduction, not to exceed $250, for the purchase of school supplies and certain professional development courses. The bill creates a state income tax credit for an eligible educator for the purchase of school supplies that qualify for the deduction that exceeds $250 but are less than $750. The amount of the credit that exceeds the educator's income taxes is refunded to the educator.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
