Sen. Michael Merrifield

Early Childhood and School Readiness Legislative Commission. The bill extends the repeal date of the early childhood and school readiness legislative commission (commission). The bill allows the commission to meet up to 4 times each year but does not require the commission to meet. The bill specifies that the commission shall not meet unless it is granted meetings through the interim committee process through legislative council or unless it receives administrative support from a nonprofit organization or government entity. The bill makes an appropriation for the commission members' travel and per diem. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

The bill allows a unit of local government to enact laws increasing the minimum wage within its jurisdiction. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

The bill prohibits a state or political subdivision from: Providing the race, ethnicity, national origin, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical disability, intellectual and developmental disability, or religious affiliation of a Colorado resident to the federal government without determining that it is for a legal and constitutional purpose; Aiding or assisting the federal government in creating, maintaining, or updating a registry for the purpose of identifying Colorado residents based on race, ethnicity, national origin, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical disability, intellectual and developmental disability, or religious affiliation; Aiding or assisting the federal government or a federal agency in marking or otherwise placing a physical or electronic identifier on a person based on his or her race, ethnicity, national origin, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical disability, intellectual and developmental disability, or religious affiliation; and Aiding or assisting, including using state or local lands or resources, the federal government in interning, arresting, or detaining a person based on his or her race, ethnicity, national origin, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical disability, intellectual and developmental disability, or religious affiliation.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

The concurrent resolution authorizes the general assembly to provide by law for the general supervision of the public schools of the state, but prohibits the general assembly from creating a state board of education. The concurrent resolution repeals the provision that creates and assigns duties to the state board of education and all other constitutional references to the state board of education.(Note: This summary applies to this concurrent resolution as introduced.) , Read More

Early Childhood and School Readiness Legislative Commission. If a district chooses to use early childhood at-risk enhancement (ECARE) positions to enroll children in the district's full-day kindergarten program, children using the ECARE positions must satisfy at least one of the eligibility requirements of the Colorado preschool program.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

Early Childhood and School Readiness Legislative Commission. The bill amends the application and eligibility requirements for the school-readiness quality improvement program and the infant and toddler quality and availability grant program to align with the Colorado shines quality rating and improvement system to streamline the administration of the programs. The bill removes obsolete references to early childhood and education councils. The bill makes conforming amendments to reflect the references changed in the bill and to remove terms no longer used in the programs. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

Wildfire Matters Review Committee. Section 1 of the bill states that any person who starts or maintains a campfire commits the offense of leaving a campfire unattended if he or she knowingly or recklessly: Fails to reasonably attend the campfire at all times; or Fails to thoroughly extinguish the campfire before leaving the site. A person who commits the offense of leaving a campfire unattended commits a class 2 petty offense and, upon conviction of the offense, is punished by a fine of $50. A person who commits the offense of leaving a campfire unattended where the campfire is located in a forested or grassland area commits a class 3 misdemeanor and, upon conviction of the offense, is punished by a minimum sentence of a $50 fine up to a maximum sentence of 6 months imprisonment or a $750 fine, or both. This section also deletes existing statutory provisions requiring a county to post notices concerning unattended campfires. With respect to a fire on any property under the control of the division of parks and wildlife, section 2 makes it unlawful for any person to start or maintain a fire if he or she knowingly or recklessly fails to reasonably attend the fire at all times or fails to thoroughly extinguish the fire before leaving the site. Any person who violates this section of the bill is guilty of a class 3 misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, is punished by a minimum sentence of a $50 fine up to a maximum sentence of 6 months imprisonment or a $750 dollar fine, or both. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) Read More

Under current law, possession of a dangerous weapon is a class 5 felony for a first offense and a class 4 felony for each subsequent offense. The bill amends the definition of 'dangerous weapon' to include a 'multi-burst trigger activator', which the bill defines as: A device that attaches to a semiautomatic firearm and allows the firearm to discharge 2 or more shots in a burst when the device is activated; or A manual or power-driven trigger-activating device that, when attached to a semiautomatic firearm, increases the rate of fire of that firearm. The bill also provides that a person who sells a multi-burst trigger activator to another person, or who purchases a multi-burst trigger activator from another person, commits a class 5 felony; except that each subsequent violation by the same person is a class 4 felony. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More

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Under current law, if a school district board of education (local school board) denies an application for a charter school or revokes or refuses to renew an existing charter, the charter applicant or charter school can appeal the decision to the state board of education (state board). If the state board remands the decision for reconsideration and the local school board confirms its prior decision, the charter applicant or charter school can appeal to the state board again, and the state board may order the local school board to grant the charter application or to reinstate or renew the existing charter. The bill removes the second appeal for denial of a charter application or the revocation or nonrenewal of an existing charter. If a charter applicant or charter school appeals a local school board's decision to deny an application or revoke or not renew an existing charter, the state board may remand the decision to the local school board for reconsideration, but the local school board's decision upon remand is final and not subject to further appeal. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More