Sunset Process - House Public Health Care and Human Services Committee. The bill continues the Colorado advisory council for persons with disabilities (council), but transfers it from the office of the governor to the department of health care policy and financing (department). The makeup of the council is decreased from no more than 20 members to a total of 10 members, 3 of whom are nonvoting members. The newly appointed council shall convene its first meeting on or before August 1, 2018, and meet quarterly thereafter. The department is authorized to provide staff support to the council. The powers and duties of the council are expanded and articulated. On or before January 1, 2019, the department shall designate, from interested applicants, a Colorado nonprofit organization (nonprofit) to perform the duties and responsibilities of the disabled parking education program that, under current law, is under the purview of the council. On or before December 1, 2019, the council shall make a recommendation to the department concerning whether or not to contract with the nonprofit to administer the disabled parking program for an addition year or to return the duties to the council. The council is scheduled for a sunset review prior to repeal in September 2023. The bill makes conforming amendments. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Sponsored bills
Legislative Oversight Committee Concerning the Treatment of Persons with Mental Health Disorders in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Systems. In 2017, the general assembly enacted a provision requiring at the end of the 2016-17 fiscal year the state treasurer to transfer unexpended and unencumbered money appropriated for community corrections programs to a new fund to assist persons transitioning from the criminal or juvenile justice systems. The act repealed the provision in 2018. The bill eliminates the repeal of the provision so that the transfer occurs at the end of each state fiscal year. The bill appropriates $60,788 to the department of local affairs for affordable housing costs. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill creates the crisis and suicide prevention training grant program (grant program) in the department of public health and environment (department). The purpose of the grant program is to provide financial assistance to schools in providing crisis and suicide prevention training to schools, with priority given to those schools that have previously not received such training. The grant program may authorize up to $400,000 in grants per year in varying amounts. The office of suicide prevention and the school safety resource center shall work collaboratively with the department to develop guidelines and criteria for the grant program. Grant recipients are required to report on their activities using grant money. The crisis and suicide prevention training grant program fund is created and authorized to accept appropriations from the general assembly, as well as gifts, grants, and donations. The bill makes conforming amendments that authorize the existing office of suicide prevention in statute. (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 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 requires the department of health care policy and financing (department) to create and implement a method for meeting urgent transportation needs within the existing nonemergency medical transportation benefit under the medical assistance program. The method created by the department must provide medical service provider and facility access to approved providers who can meet urgent transportation needs, and include an efficient method for obtaining and paying for the transportation services. The department shall annually report to certain committees of the general assembly on the implementation and effectiveness of the process. The bill includes an appropriation to implement the bill. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Under current law, in connection with the use of a special fund (fund) of an urban renewal authority (authority) to collect the increment used to finance urban renewal projects, any additional revenues received by a municipality, county, special district, or school district (collectively, taxing entity) resulting because the voters have authorized the taxing entity to retain and spend such money under the TABOR requirements of the state constitution after the creation of the fund or as a result of an increase in the property tax mill levy approved by the voters of the taxing entity after the creation of the fund, to the extent the total mill levy of any taxing entity exceeds the respective mill levy in effect at the time of approval or substantial modification of the urban renewal plan, are not included in the amount of the increment that is allocated to and, when collected, paid into the special fund. Under the bill, such additional revenues that have been received because of the 2 specified forms of voter-approved revenue changes are restricted from being pledged by an authority for the payment of any bonds of, or any loans or advances to, or any indebtedness incurred by the authority without the consent of the relevant taxing entity. To the extent the authority has received a certain notification specified in the bill, such additional revenues shall then be promptly repaid by the authority to the municipality or other taxing entity. The bill requires the authority to be notified of the amount of additional revenues and the calculations used in computing the amount by the applicable municipality or other taxing entity prior to making repayment and, in any event, not later than February 1 in each fiscal year following the year in which a voter-approved revenue increase has taken effect. The bill permits an authority and a municipality or any other taxing entity to negotiate for the purpose of entering into an agreement on the issues of the amount of repayment, the mechanics of how repayment of the additional revenues will be accomplished, a method for resolving disputes regarding the amount of repayment, and whether the municipality or taxing entity will waive the repayment requirement, singularly or in combination, and are further authorized to enter into an intergovernmental agreement regarding any of these issues. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
The bill extends indefinitely the 'Child Mental Health Treatment Act' and renames it the 'Children and Youth Mental Health Treatment Act' (act). Significant changes to the act include: Continuing the ability of a parent or guardian of a non-medicaid eligible child or youth to receive mental health services for the child or youth without unwarranted child welfare involvement; When evaluating a child or youth for eligibility for mental health treatment services (services), the evaluating mental health agency shall use a standardized risk stratification tool; Establishing a new definition of 'mental health agency' to capture a larger set of behavioral health services providers; Reporting requirements for the department of health care policy and financing and mental health agencies that provide services for children and youth are updated and clarified; Requiring the department of human services to maintain and update a list of providers on its website, as well as post information from various reports required by the act, excluding any personal health information; and Revising the membership of the advisory board that assists and advises the executive director of the department of human services with the development of service standards and rules for the provision of services. The bill makes conforming amendments. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Sunset Process - House Public Health Care and Human Services Committee. The bill implements the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies in its sunset review and report concerning the 'Physical Therapy Practice Act' as follows: Extends the licensing of physical therapists and the certification of physical therapist assistants until 2024 ( sections 1 through 3 ); Clarifies that a physical therapist may make physical therapy diagnoses ( sections 5 and 7 ); Allows a physical therapist to perform dry needling if the physical therapist has the knowledge, skill, ability, and competency to perform the act and has completed a dry needling course and obtains informed consent from the patient. The bill also allows the department to promulgate rules to establish requirements for dry needling ( section 8 ); Clarifies that a physical therapist's scope of practice includes the direct supervision of unlicensed physical therapists ( section 9 ); Requires that physical therapy professional development activities must be measured by a contact-hour-to-credit-hour ratio ( section 10 ); and Adds as grounds for disciplinary action the failure to supervise physical therapist assistants; and the failure to report an adverse action, the surrender of a license, or other discipline taken in another jurisdiction ( section 11 ). In addition, the bill: Allows a physical therapist assistant to perform noninvasive wound debridement under the supervision of a physical therapist ( sections 13 and 15 ); Repeals some elements of the continuing professional competency program for physical therapists ( section 13 ) and subjects physical therapist assistants to a continuing professional competency program ( section 14 ); Replaces a physical therapist member of the physical therapy board with a physical therapist assistant member ( section 6 ); and Removes physical therapists practicing in Colorado pursuant to the 'Interstate Physical Therapy Licensure Compact Act' from the 'Michael Skolnik Medical Transparency Act of 2010' ( section 16 ).(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Under current law, when a student in out-of-home placement transfers from one school to another school, the sending school must certify to the receiving school or school district the course work that the student has fully or partially completed while enrolled at the school. The receiving school or school district must accept the student's certified course work and the course work certified by previous schools in which the student was enrolled, as reflected in the student's records, as if it had been completed at the receiving school. The receiving school or school district must apply all of the student's certified course work toward completion of the student's requirements for graduating from the grade level in which the student is enrolled at the receiving school or school district or for graduation from the receiving school or school district if the student is enrolled in twelfth grade. The bill requires receiving schools and school districts to follow the same procedures for a student who transfers to a school or school district from a division of youth services placement. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More
Joint Technology Committee. The government data advisory board (board) was created in the office of information technology to advise and provide recommendations to the chief information officer regarding interdepartmental data protocol and best practices in sharing and protecting data in state government. The bill modifies the definition of interdepartmental protocol to reflect current practice. The bill also modifies the composition of the board to include a representative from each state agency and to remove members of the education data subcommittee from the board. Currently, the board is scheduled for repeal on July 1, 2019. The bill extends the board to July 1, 2024. The bill specifies that prior to being repealed, the board is subject to review by the joint technology committee rather than pursuant to the sunset review process. In addition, current law specifies that prior to its repeal on July 1, 2019, the education data subcommittee is subject to review pursuant to the sunset review process. The bill eliminates the sunset review of the education data subcommittee to facilitate the repeal of the subcommittee on July 1, 2019. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More