Rep. Perry Will

The act authorizes the custodian of public records to deny access to records containing information that reveals the location or could be used to determine the location of an individual animal, a group of animals, a plant species of greatest conservation need, or an individual animal's or a group of animals' breeding or nesting habitat. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act creates the primary care and behavioral health statewide integration grant program in the department of health care policy and financing (state department) to provide grants to primary care clinics for implementation of evidence-based clinical integration care models. The act requires the state department, in collaboration with the behavioral health administration and other agencies, to develop a universal contract for behavioral health services. The act requires the state department to undertake efforts to transform the state department's process for clients attempting to receive long-term care in the community to respond to the United States department of justice's letter of findings concerning the investigation of Colorado's use of nursing facilities to serve adults with physical disabilities. The act appropriates to implement the act: $616,968 to the department from the general fund; $986,948 to the department from federal funds; and $31,750,00 to the department from the behavioral and mental health cash fund.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Current law prohibits the operation of a motorboat by a person who is less than 16 years of age; except that, a person who is at least 14 years of age but less than 16 years of age may operate a motorboat if the person has completed a boating safety course approved by the division of parks and wildlife and possesses a boating safety certificate issued by the boating safety course provider. The bill raises the minimum age requirement from 16 to 18 years of age and retains the existing exceptions for certain persons who are at least 14 years of age.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

For county court organizational and administrative purposes, the act changes the classifications of Garfield and Montezuma counties from Class C to Class B. For Garfield county, the act amends the requirement that the associate county court judge in Rifle must maintain an official residence in Rifle and instead requires an official residence anywhere in Garfield county. For Rio Blanco county, the act amends the requirement that the associate county court judge in Rangley must maintain an official residence in Rangley and instead requires an official residence anywhere in Rio Blanco county. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The habitat partnership program (program) assists the division of parks and wildlife (division) with reducing wildlife conflicts and meeting game management objectives. The act: Authorizes the director of the division (director) to independently appoint members of the habitat partnership council (council) that, in part, advises local habitat partnership committees (committees) that help implement program objectives; Expands the scope of the program to assist the division with private land conservation and wildlife migration corridor efforts; With respect to reducing wildlife conflicts, prioritizes conflicts that arise from forage and fence issues related to big game ungulate species, which are big game species that are hooved mammals; Authorizes the council to allocate an annual budget to each committee, subject to final approval by the director, and expend funds in areas of the state that are not covered by a committee; Requires the director to set terms for committee members; and Identifies the council and each committee as an independent organizational unit for purposes of purchasing, accounting, and procurement-related issues. The act clarifies that any balance of unexpended and unencumbered money in the habitat partnership cash fund (fund) at the end of a fiscal year that exceeds the amount transferred to the fund at the beginning of the fiscal year from the wildlife cash fund reverts to the wildlife cash fund and continues the fund indefinitely. The act also exempts the program from the "Procurement Code". (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act specifies that a hearing aid provider may prescribe, select, and fit hearing instruments and assistive devices in person or through the use of telehealth. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act specifies that motor vehicle investigators and criminal tax enforcement special agents are peace officers and must be certified by the peace officers standards and training (P.O.S.T.) board. Under current law, a group seeking peace officer status for a specific position prepares a proposal for the P.O.S.T. board's review, and, after performing an analysis and hearing, the P.O.S.T. board submits a report to the group seeking peace officer status and to the judiciary committees of the house of representatives and the senate. The group seeking peace officer status may request legislation during each of the 2 regular legislative sessions that immediately succeed the date of its proposal without having to comply again with certain procedural requirements. The act exempts the department of revenue from the requirement to present legislation seeking peace officer status for motor vehicle investigators and criminal tax enforcement special agents within the 2 regular legislative sessions that immediately succeed the date of its proposal without having to comply again with certain procedural requirements. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act restructures the board of commissioners of the Colorado state fair authority. Under current law, the appointed members of the board include 2 residents of the county in which the Colorado state fair and industrial exposition is held, one resident of each of the 7 congressional districts, and one person from the state at large. Under the act, the board includes 2 residents of the county in which the Colorado state fair and industrial exposition is held, 2 members from the state at large, and 2 residents from each of the 4 agricultural districts of the state. The governor is required to appoint the 2 members from the state at large on October 31, 2022. The members of the board appointed before the effective date of the act to represent congressional districts may continue to hold office until the expiration of their terms, at which point the governor is required to appoint a new member in accordance with the requirements of the act. Members are appointed for terms of 4 years; except that terms are staggered so that no more than 3 members' terms expire in the same year. Of the 12 appointed members, at least 3 members must be affiliated with each of the major political parties for at least one year prior to appointment, and at least 3 members must be unaffiliated for at least one year prior to appointment. In addition, 4 members must be involved in the agricultural industry. The governor is required to attempt to ensure that the board represents the geographical diversity of the state. If a person appointed on a temporary basis while the general assembly is not in session is not confirmed by the senate during the next regular session, the person's term ends and the person is not eligible for reappointment as a temporary appointee during the next legislative interim. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Beginning January 1, 2023, the act increases the salary of full-time newly elected or reelected category II county coroners to match the salary of category II county treasurers, assessors, clerks, and commissioners. The act allows the board of county commissioners to decline the full-time status of a category II county coroner for cause, but only after the coroner is given notice and an opportunity to be heard by the board of county commissioners in a public hearing. The act allows category III and category IV county coroners to work full-time if full-time work is agreed upon in consultation with and approved by the county commissioners. For a category III or category IV county that has a full-time county coroner only, the act increases the salary of a newly elected or reelected county coroner to match the salary of the county treasurer, assessor, clerk, and commissioner. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)