The bill creates the financial empowerment office (office) and the director of the office (director) in the department of law to grow the financial resilience and well-being of Coloradans through specified community-derived goals and strategies. The director is appointed by the Colorado attorney general and may hire staff as necessary to perform the duties and functions of the office. The office also consists of a manager who is appointed by the director. The office is authorized to partner with governmental bodies, community organizations, financial institutions, local service providers, and philanthropic organizations to achieve the purposes of the office. The office is also authorized to develop: Methods to increase access to safe and affordable financial products; Tools and resources that advance, increase, and improve Colorado residents' financial management; and Community-informed policies and systems that dismantle systemic barriers to building ownership and wealth for all, especially low-income communities and communities of color. The financial empowerment office is required to: Support the organization of community coalitions to define and lead financial resilience strategies; Align, support, and build ties to build financial education and well-being in communities across the state; Establish a statewide coalition to assist the director in increasing access to safe and affordable banking products that help improve the financial stability of Colorado residents; Work with stakeholders to increase access to low-cost, credit-building loans and financial products; Work with state authorities and other stakeholders to expand access to safe and affordable banking products with low fees and easy account access; Develop technical assistance to launch or expand local financial coaching and counseling efforts; Raise money to support coaching, safe and affordable banking, and potential loan funds; Collaborate with the office of the state treasurer on the creation and management of a loan fund to support small credit-building loans; and Track community feedback on consumer financial abuses and coordinate with the enforcement teams at various state agencies, connect consumers with existing resources, and educate the public on their related consumer rights. The office is also required to submit an annual report to the general assembly regarding the activities of the office and the state of affordable banking access in Colorado. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Current law provides for the issuance of a Colorado professional fire fighters license plate and sets standards for organizations that may qualify applicants to be issued the license plate. One of the qualifications is that the organization has been in existence for at least 20 years. The bill lowers this requirement to at least 15 years. The bill provides an evidentiary standard for an organization to prove that it has met the required minimum of 3,000 members residing in Colorado to qualify applicants to be issued the license plate. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill requires each district attorney to collect data regarding defendants related to demographics, charges filed, pretrial release results, and sentencing. The district attorney is required to create an annual report with the data collected and make the data collected available to the public upon request. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Under current law, it is a class 1 felony if a person commits or attempts to commit certain specified felonies and the death of a person, other than one of the participants, is caused by anyone. The bill: Requires the death be caused by a participant; Repeals certain elements of the affirmative defense; Changes the penalty from a class 1 felony to a class 2 felony; Clarifies that a court shall sentence a defendant to a definite sentence within the aggravated range when the court finds certain aggravating circumstances; and Provides for a defendant to be subject to a mandatory sentence as a crime of violence if the fact finder makes specific findings of fact.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Each offender who is sentenced to the department of corrections is required to undergo a diagnostic examination and evaluation. The bill requires those diagnostic services to include screening for indicators of dyslexia. The bill requires the correctional education program to provide scientifically based or evidence-based reading instruction to offenders who may have dyslexia. The department of corrections is required to enter into an agreement with a literacy consultant to assist the implementation of the dyslexia screening and educational programs. The bill requires the department of human services to implement a dyslexia screening program for juveniles held in detention facilities and to administer scientifically based or evidence-based reading instruction to juveniles committed to the department who may have dyslexia. The department of human services is required to enter into an agreement with a literacy consultant to assist the implementation of the dyslexia screening and educational programs. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Under current law, a law enforcement officer is prohibited from arresting or detaining a person due to a civil immigration detainer. The bill makes an exception to the prohibition if the person was ordered deported or removed from the United States, or has been convicted of specified federal crimes related to improper entry or reentry into the United States, or has been convicted of a felony in Colorado (illegal alien). The bill also requires law enforcement to notify the federal immigration and customs enforcement (ICE) of the date and time of the illegal alien's release from custody and to detain an illegal alien for not more than 48 hours after the date and time of release. Notwithstanding governmental immunity, the bill also creates a civil remedy against a law enforcement officer's employing agency if a law enforcement officer does not notify ICE or detain the illegal alien as required and the illegal alien then commits a crime. The victim of the crime is entitled to compensatory damages up to specified limits if the damages are proximately caused by the crime. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Colorado Commission on Uniform State Laws. The bill repeals the "Uniform Parentage Act" and enacts the "Uniform Parentage Act (2017)" (new uniform act). The new uniform act: Clarifies establishment of the parent-child relationship, including the voluntary acknowledgment of parentage and the rules for acknowledgment or denial of parentage; Establishes a registry of parentage; Establishes procedures for genetic testing; Specifies rules for proceedings to adjudicate parentage; Makes provisions for assisted reproduction; Creates requirements for surrogacy agreements; and Specifies use of information about donors. The bill makes conforming amendments. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill repeals the laws relating to extreme risk protection orders. Under current law, a person can be held on an involuntary 72-hour mental health hold if the person appears to be an imminent danger to others or to himself or herself. The bill changes the standard from imminent danger to extreme risk and defines extreme risk as a credible and exigent threat of danger to themselves or others through actionable threats of violence or death as result of a current mental health state. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill prohibits the department of health care policy and financing (department) from denying a medicaid recipient the right to purchase direct primary care services or enter into a direct primary care agreement. On or before July 1, 2025, the department shall submit a report to the joint budget committee on whether allowing medicaid recipients to purchase direct primary care services or enter into a direct primary care agreement resulted in any direct or indirect cost-savings to the state and federal medicaid programs and whether there has been an increase or decrease in overall access to care for medicaid recipients.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill prohibits each state agency or instrumentality from approving or assisting any project that diverts water from water division 3, which consists of the Rio Grande river basin, for export to another basin in Colorado or export to any portion of another state unless the state engineer determines, after due consideration of all findings provided by the Colorado water conservation board, that the project will not: Increase the costs or negatively affect operation of the federal closed basin project; Adversely affect the purposes of any national wildlife refuge or federal wildlife habitat area withdrawal located in water division 3; Adversely affect the purposes of the Great Sand Dunes national park and Great Sand Dunes national preserve; or Increase the costs or negatively affect operation of any state parks, state wildlife areas, or lands administered by the state board of land commissioners located in water division 3.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill creates the Colorado individualized combined degree pilot program (pilot program) that the department of higher education must administer, working with the department of education. The pilot program is designed to assist school districts and charter schools in providing individualized degree programs that enable a participating student to design and complete an educational program that is unique to the student and results in the simultaneous completion of a high school diploma and a baccalaureate degree during the 4 years in which the student is enrolled in high school. A school district or charter school may apply to participate in the pilot program by submitting an application to the department of higher education, which shall select up to 10 participants. Each participating school district and charter school must establish a local individualized combined degree program (local program), which must meet specified requirements. Each participating school district or charter school must transfer a specified percentage of per pupil revenue to the individualized degree account created for each participating student that is enrolled in the school district or charter school. The bill specifies that each student who participates in a local program must, with the student's parents, select individuals to serve as an advisory board to help the student design and complete the student's individualized degree program. The student's individualized degree program may be an existing baccalaureate degree program at an institution of higher education or may be designed specifically to meet the student's unique educational and career goals. A uniquely designed degree program must meet specified requirements and is subject to approval by the Colorado commission on higher education. Each participating student must apply for federal and state student financial assistance. A portion of the money annually appropriated for state student financial assistance must be distributed to students participating in local programs based on each student's demonstrated financial need. Each participating student must create an individual degree account with collegeinvest. The money that the student receives from the school district or charter school and the state and federal financial assistance that the student receives must be credited to the account. The student, with the approval of the student's parent and advisory board, must use the money in the student's account only to pay for the costs incurred in obtaining the student's baccalaureate degree. On or before January 15, 2024, and annually thereafter through 2030, the department of higher education, working with the department of education, shall prepare a report concerning the effectiveness of the pilot program and submit the report to the governor, the Colorado commission on higher education, the state board of education, and the education committees of the general assembly. The pilot program is repealed, July 1, 2030. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill amends existing law relating to the administration of epinephrine auto-injectors to include permitting public schools to obtain a stock supply of inhalers containing albuterol (inhaler) that the school nurse or trained school personnel may administer to a student who the school nurse or trained personnel believe is experiencing respiratory distress. Persons administering an inhaler must complete training on administering an inhaler and on recognizing symptoms of respiratory distress. The state board of education, with assistance from the department of public health and environment, shall promulgate rules for the administration of inhalers to students, including education and training necessary for personnel administering inhalers. The inhalers may be obtained and used through standing orders and protocols issued by a licensed physician and other medical personnel with prescriptive authority. Schools may seek monetary donations to purchase inhalers and may enter into arrangements with manufacturers and suppliers to obtain inhalers at reduced prices or for free. If a school district acts consistent with the law and does not engage in willful or wanton conduct that causes damages, the school, school district, and school employees are immune from civil liability for any damages related to administering the inhaler to a student who was believed to be in respiratory distress. In addition, the bill amends existing law relating to the administration of epinephrine auto-injectors outside of school settings to include permitting authorized entities, such as recreation camps, amusement parks, and sports arenas, to obtain a stock supply of inhalers containing albuterol to administer to persons believed to be in respiratory distress. Persons administering the inhalers for authorized entities must complete training on administering an inhaler and on recognizing symptoms of respiratory distress. The inhalers may be obtained and used through standing orders and protocols issued by a licensed physician and other medical personnel with prescriptive authority. Authorized entities may seek monetary donations to purchase inhalers. If an authorized entity acts consistent with the law and does not engage in willful or wanton conduct that causes damages, the authorized entity and its employees are immune from criminal liability or civil suit for any damages related to administering the inhaler to a person who was believed to be in respiratory distress. A physician, school nurse, pharmacist, and other medical personnel acting in accordance with the law are not subject to discipline by a licensing board for either administering an inhaler in a school or for prescribing inhalers for a school or a designated entity. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
