Rep. Ryan Armagost

In current law, the sentencing structure for theft, except for auto theft, is based on the value of the item stolen. The bill exempts theft of firearms from that sentencing structure and makes theft of a firearm a class 6 felony, regardless of its value. Subsequent violations, including multiple firearms stolen in the same criminal incident, are separate class 5 felonies. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

An individual applying for the property tax exemption for a veteran with a disability has been required to submit the application to the division of veterans affairs (division) in the Colorado department of veterans and military affairs. The act instead requires an individual to submit an application to the individual's county tax assessor. When submitting an application, the act requires an individual to include proof of qualifying veteran with a disability status, which the act defines as documentary evidence from the United States department of veterans affairs that the individual is a qualifying veteran with a disability. The act further requires the division to develop guidance that specifies the documentary evidence from the United States department of veterans affairs that must be included with an application. The act eliminates the requirement that the division determine whether an individual is a qualifying veteran with a disability. To comply with an existing statutory requirement that "people first language" be used in new or amended statutes that refer to persons with disabilities, the act also changes the existing terms "disabled veteran" and "disabled veterans" to "veteran with a disability" and "veterans with a disability". APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2023 PORTIONS EFFECTIVE June 5, 2023 PORTIONS EFFECTIVE January 1, 2024 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act increases monetary penalties for cruelty and aggravated cruelty to service animals, certified police working dogs, and police working horses. APPROVED by Governor June 2, 2023 EFFECTIVE June 2, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires that the department of human services (department) add to its report information on the number of youth who at the time they received services from the county department of human or social services (county department) or were placed in out-of-home placement by a county department had an open delinquency case in a district court, were on juvenile probation, or had a juvenile deferred sentence. The act repeals the requirement to created performance measures for local collaborative management programs. The act requires a local collaborative management program to create one or more individualized service and support teams which may refer a child to services and establish a service and support plan for a child in need of services. The act requires the department to create an information form to be used by certain agencies and individuals to refer a child to a local collaborative management program for services. The act delineates who has access to the records created by an individualized service and support team. The act requires the department to include strategies for children who would benefit from integrated multi-agency services in its training for counties participating in a local collaborative management program. The act requires each interagency oversight group to add to its report to the executive director of each department and agency that is a party to a memorandum of understanding certain demographic, status, and referral information on children and families served and referred to services through a local collaborative management program. On July 1, 2023 and annually thereafter, the act requires the general assembly to appropriate money to the collaborative management cash fund (fund) to serve children who would benefit from integrated multi-agency services. Beginning July 1, 2024, the act requires the executive director of the department to provide an annual sum to each local collaborative management program to provide services to children who would benefit from integrated multi-agency services based on a funding formula that takes into account the amount of available funds, the need for a base of resources to direct a child and family members to appropriate services, and the number of children in the population to be served. On or before July 1, 2024, a local collaborative management program nd each July 1 thereafter, the act requires the district attorney of each judicial district to submit a report to the house of representatives judiciary committee and the senate judiciary committee that includes information on children who are offered an opportunity to participate in a diversion program. The act appropriates $2,257,411 from the general fund to the department for use by the division of child welfare. From this appropriation, $257,411 must be used for collaborative management program administration and evaluation and $2,000,000 must be used to assist interested counties that do not already operate a local collaborative management program with establishing a local collaborative management program or joining an existing local collaborative management program. The act further appropriates $1,165,039 from the general fund to the fund for use by the division of child welfare for distribution to existing local collaborative management programs. APPROVED by Governor June 1, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Under existing law, the office of public guardianship (office) is authorized to operate in 3 judicial districts and is scheduled to repeal on June 30, 2024. The act extends the office indefinitely and requires the office to begin operating in additional judicial districts in 2025 and to operate in every judicial district in the state by December 31, 2030. The act establishes a board of directors (board) to oversee the office. The board consists of 7 members: 3 members who are attorneys appointed by the chief justice of the Colorado supreme court and 4 non-attorney members appointed by the governor. The existing public guardianship commission that oversees the office is repealed, effective August 31, 2023. The act permits the office to initiate petitions for guardianship and take any action on behalf of a client that a private guardian may take. The act requires the office to prioritize individuals with the greatest needs when the number of cases in which services have been requested exceeds the number of cases in which public guardianship can provide services. The office of administrative services for independent agencies created in the judicial department in Senate Bill 23-228 in 2023 provides administrative and fiscal support to the office of public guardianship. The office is required to employ guardians to provide guardianship services to the office's clients. A guardian must be certified as a guardian or become certified within 2 years after being hired by the office. The office shall provide training to guardians in specified subjects. The act requires a court to waive filing fees for petitions for guardianship filed by the office in cases that involve an indigent and incapacitated person who is eligible for guardianship services from the office. A court is prohibited from requiring the office or a guardian employed by the office to post a bond as a condition for appointment as a guardian. The act authorizes the office to spend any gifts, grants, or donations it receives without prior appropriation by the general assembly. The act requires the state auditor to conduct, or cause to be conducted, a performance audit of the office during the period between July 1, 2027, and June 30, 2030. APPROVED by Governor May 30, 2023 EFFECTIVE May 30, 2023 NOTE: Certain sections of the act are contingent on whether or not Senate Bill 23-228 becomes law. Senate Bill 23-228 was signed by the governor April 20, 2023. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires the state department of human services (state department) to contract with an independent third party to conduct a feasibility study to determine the feasibility of creating a system to support individuals with serious mental illness through a collaboration between Colorado's behavioral health and judicial systems. The act requires the state department to work with the behavioral health administration, department of local affairs, department of public safety, department of health care policy and financing, judicial department, and other state agencies to determine the eligibility requirements and application process for selecting the independent third party. The act requires the state department to submit a report detailing the findings and recommendations from the feasibility study to the general assembly, the governor's office, and impacted state agencies by March 1, 2024. The act appropriates $300,000 to the state department in state fiscal year 2023-24 for purposes of conducting the feasibility study. The appropriation consists of $160,000 from the general fund and $140,000 from the behavioral and mental health cash fund. APPROVED by Governor May 30, 2023 EFFECTIVE May 30, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act permits the peace officers standards and training (P.O.S.T.) board to promulgate rules concerning persons who have deferred action status from the federal immigration and naturalization service or who have applied for asylum status (eligible immigrants) to be a certified peace officer or reserve peace officer. The act permits every law enforcement agency to amend its written firearms policy to allow an eligible immigrant to possess a firearm, so long as the firearms policy complies with federal requirements. The act authorizes an eligible immigrant to enroll in a training academy if the immigrant is employed by a law enforcement agency that has a firearms policy that allows an eligible immigrant to possess a firearm. APPROVED by Governor April 27, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Beginning on or before August 1, 2024, the act requires the department of law to annually convene a training for school resource officers and school officials to discuss best practices in responding to safe2tell reports, including defining roles, communication about a report, outcome reporting, and training resources to improve school resource officers' support of students and school staff. Safe2tell may conduct a survey to collect data and discussions regarding its operations. APPROVED by Governor April 27, 2023 EFFECTIVE April 27, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Beginning January 1, 2024, an employer is allowed an income tax credit in an amount equal to 50% of the employer's expenses incurred from voluntarily paying: An employee during a period of leave for the purpose of adopting a child; and For temporary replacement help, if any, during an employee's pre-adoption. The maximum amount of pre-adoption leave for which an employer can claim the credit is 12 weeks per employee. To be eligible for the credit, an employer must have a written policy offering pre-adoption leave. The credit is limited to pre-adoption leave for employees who have been employed for at least one year and who for the preceding year earned less than $80,000. The credit does not include the cost of any compensation in addition to wages that an employer pays or provides to an employee. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)