The office of economic development (office) currently contracts with a nonprofit entity that was designated by the federal defense logistics agency to provide procurement technical assistance statewide (nonprofit entity). The nonprofit entity helps small businesses in the state obtain and perform government contracts at the local, state, and federal level. This includes small businesses owned by women, minorities, and veterans. The current 6-year contract between the office and the nonprofit entity will expire in September 2020. The act authorizes the office to renew the contract for up to 5 years. As part of the state's investment in the procurement technical assistance program (state's investment), current law specifies that the general assembly shall not contribute more than $200,000 from the general fund or any other source annually. The act specifies that for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 state fiscal years, the general assembly shall not provide more than $175,000 from the general fund for the state's investment, and that for the 2020-21 state fiscal year only, the office shall provide, within existing resources, the remaining $25,000 toward the state's investment. In addition, the act allows the general assembly to increase its contribution to the state's investment in any contract year so long as the nonprofit entity contributes a 100% match to the increased amount in the same contract year by soliciting gifts, grants, and donations. In addition, the nonprofit entity is required to obtain $200,000 in gifts, grants, or donations annually for part of the state's investment. In the 3rd through 6th contract year of the original contract, current law requires that at least 25% of the $200,000 be in the form of cash. The act extends this requirement for each year of the renewed contract. Current law also requires the state treasurer to annually transfer $220,000 from the general fund to the procurement technical assistance cash fund through the 2019-20 state fiscal year. The act extends the annual transfer through the 2024-25 fiscal year; except that for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 state fiscal years, the amount of the transfer is $175,000. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Sponsored bills
The act extends the income tax credit for employer contributions to employee 529 qualified state tuition programs for an additional 10 years. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
If approved by voters at the general election held on November 3, 2020, the concurrent resolution would amend section 2 of article XVIII of the Colorado constitution by: Replacing the existing requirement that a charitable organization have 5 years' continuous existence before obtaining a charitable gaming license with a requirement that it: Be registered with the secretary of state; and Have 3 years' continuous existence or, beginning in 2024, have a different period of continuous existence if the general assembly establishes that different period by statute; and Allowing charitable games to be managed or operated by persons other than unpaid volunteers who are bona fide members of the organization, so long as those persons are not paid more than minimum wage.(Note: This summary applies to this concurrent resolution as adopted.)
The bill updates language in the "Colorado Homeless Youth Services Act" and establishes the services for youth experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness grant program (grant program) in the department of local affairs (department). The age requirement for such youth is increased to 24 years of age or younger from more than 11 years of age to less than 21 years of age. The department shall promulgate rules concerning the grant program, and the office of homeless youth services shall administer and monitor the grant program. The grant program consists of up to 5 awards of up to $250,000 each awarded on or before January 1, 2021. Grant awards may only be awarded to existing providers of services to youth experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness, with priority given to those service providers that can expand services to underserved areas of the state, including street and community outreach, drop-in centers, emergency shelters, and supportive housing and transitional living programs. The bill requires the department to prepare and submit a report to the appropriate committees of the general assembly on the outcomes of the grant program. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill makes changes to a program (program) within the department of human services (department) for children and youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities or co-occurring disorders (children and youth). The scope of rules to be promulgated by the department for the program is expanded to include planning for services for children and youth who become 18 years of age while in the program; access to behavioral health services; wait list management; process for a child or youth who is at risk for out-of-home placement; and program evaluation. Current law only allows for a county department of human or social services to submit an application to the program for a child or youth. The bill extends this option to the parent or legal guardian of the child or youth, and extends all notification requirements related to the program to the parent or legal guardian as well. The bill updates reimbursement provisions so that if a child or youth is not in the custody of a county department of human or social services or the department, the department shall directly reimburse the licensed provider where the child or youth is placed. Beginning on or before September 1, 2020, the department is required to compile and make public an annual report on the program. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill amends the "Colorado READ Act" to require each local education provider to post on its website: The core and supplemental reading curriculum, or a detailed description of the reading curriculum, by grade, used in each of its schools; The core and supplemental reading instructional programs and intervention reading instruction, services, and other supports provided in each of its schools; The number of students enrolled in kindergarten and first through third grades who have READ plans, as well as the number of students who have achieved reading competency; and The local education provider's budget and narrative explanation for the use of the "Colorado READ Act" intervention money.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
During the first regular session of the seventy-second general assembly, the Senate passed House Bill 19-1005 on third reading on May 3, 2019, and the governor signed the bill on May 13, 2019. Because of an amendment to the effective date clause, the bill never took effect. The bill was introduced with a standard act-subject-to-petition clause (ASP clause), meaning the bill would have taken effect on August 2, 2019, unless a referendum petition was filed against the bill. However, on April 26, 2019, the House Appropriations Committee adopted an amendment (L.010) that added an exception to the ASP clause. The amendment specified that "If the voters at the November 2019 statewide election do not approve a measure . . ., then this act takes effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor." When L.010 was adopted, House Bill 19-1333 was being considered. House Bill 19-1333 created a ballot issue that, if approved by voters, would have allowed the state to increase the cigarette tax and increase the tobacco products tax, would have allowed the state to create a new tax on nicotine products, and would have used a significant portion of the tax revenue for preschool programs and expanded learning opportunities. The concept behind L.010 was that if the ballot issue obtained voter approval, then the tax credit for early childhood educators would not be necessary. However, on May 2, 2019, the Senate postponed House Bill 19-1333 indefinitely during second reading. Since House Bill 19-1333 never passed, voters were never given an opportunity to approve the ballot issue, and the governor never had an opportunity to declare a vote on it. Consequently, because of the way L.010 was written, House Bill 19-1005 never took effect. In order to give effect to the intent of the general assembly and the governor in approving House Bill 19-1005, the exception to the effective date needs to be repealed. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill creates the health benefit plan design change review committee (committee) in the division of insurance to review introduced bills that impose new requirements on, or amend existing requirements of, health benefit plans. For any such bill, the committee shall conduct an actuarial review of the near-term effects of the bill, including: An estimate of the number of Colorado residents who will be directly affected by the bill; Estimates of changes in the rates of utilization of specific health care services that may result from the bill; Estimates concerning any changes in consumer cost sharing that would result from the bill; The financial impact, if any, of the bill on group benefit plans offered under the "State Employees Group Benefits Act", regardless of whether the bill makes any amendment to that act; The financial impact, if any, of the bill on medical assistance programs under the "Colorado Medical Assistance Act", regardless of whether the bill makes any amendment to that act; and The financial impact, if any, of the bill on small-, medium-, and large-sized business employers. The bill authorizes the commissioner of insurance to promulgate rules as necessary for the operation of the committee. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill creates the rural arts grant program (grant program) in the creative industries division (division) in the office of economic development, to provide grants to artists to enhance rural prosperity through the arts and creative sector. To be eligible to receive a grant through the grant program, the artist or artists must live and work outside of the scientific and cultural facilities district and work with a qualified governmental or nonprofit organization (qualified organization) that will serve as the artist's sponsor in submitting a grant application. The division is required to implement and administer the grant program and award grants from the money annually appropriated by the general assembly for the grant program. The division is also required to promulgate rules create policies and procedures for the implementation and administration of the grant program and to publish the policies and procedures on its website . The bill specifies the information that must be included in a grant application. The council on creative industries is required to review the applications and award grants based on specified criteria. Grant recipients may use the money received through the grant program for projects that advance the artistic and cultural goals of rural communities and their economies, projects that will enhance their community's culture, or projects that provide incentive for cross-community collaborations and that have the potential to contribute to the acceptance and consideration of differing perspectives. The division is required to disburse awarded grants to the qualified organization, which shall ensure that the grant money is available to the artist or artists for the purposes specified in the grant application. The qualified organization may use up to 5% of the total amount of grant money awarded for administrative costs associated with the grant. Each qualified organization that receives a grant shall, in partnership with the artist or artists who worked on the project, submit a report regarding the use of the grant money to the division after the completion of the project for which the grant money was used. The division is required to submit an annual summarized report to the general assembly regarding the grant program. (Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.) (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)