The act grants the state historical society, also known as history Colorado, the authority to sell 3 properties that no longer fit within the mission of history Colorado. Specifically, the act grants history Colorado the authority to sell the following: The real property known as the McFarlane House in Central City; The real property known as the Pearce-McAllister Cottage in Denver; and The real property known as the Pueblo Museum Support Center, which was used as a storage facility by history Colorado until the artifacts housed at the facility were recently moved to a more northern storage facility for better access by history Colorado staff. The act specifies that the proceeds of the sales are to be credited to the state museum cash fund to be used in connection with the acquisition or construction of a consolidated collections care and storage facility or for controlled maintenance. APPROVED by Governor March 31, 2023 EFFECTIVE March 31, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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The act requires a driver to yield the right-of-way to a driver of a truck, bus, emergency vehicle, or recreational vehicle that generally has a total length of more than 35 feet or a total width of more than 10 feet (large vehicle) when entering, exiting, or driving in the circulatory lanes in a roundabout. The act also requires that when 2 drivers of large vehicles enter, exit, or drive in the circulatory lanes in a roundabout at the same time, the driver on the right must yield the right-of-way to the driver on the left. A person who fails to yield commits a class A traffic infraction and is subject to a fine of $70 and an $11 surcharge. APPROVED by Governor March 23, 2023 EFFECTIVE October 1, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The office of future of work (OFW) was created in the department of labor and employment (department) by executive order of the governor in 2019 to respond to the changing nature of work in the state. The act creates the OFW in statute and expands the duties of the OFW. The purpose of the OFW is to: Identify opportunities for Colorado's communities to transition effectively to emerging industries; Ensure the inclusion of key stakeholders and engage partnerships across public and private sectors; Host, organize, and convene task forces, summits, and other appropriate meetings with diverse stakeholders, designed to improve the state's understanding of the social and economic impacts of the changing nature of work; Explore ways that the state can prepare for current and future impacts, including through the modernization of worker benefits and protections, the development of a skilled and resilient workforce through coordination of registered apprenticeship programs, and the identification of new policy and program solutions; and Undertake studies, research, and factual reports related to issues of concern and importance to Colorado's future workforce. The executive director of the department is required to submit a report to the governor, at least once per calendar year, that includes recommendations for potential policy initiatives. In 2021, House Bill 21-1007 created the state apprenticeship agency (SAA) in the department. The act amends provisions governing the SAA to enable the United States department of labor's office of apprenticeship to recognize Colorado's state apprenticeship agency and authorize the SAA to register and oversee apprenticeship programs. To conform with regulations promulgated by the United States secretary of labor under the federal "National Apprenticeship Act", the act: Modifies references to apprenticeships in Colorado statutes; Directs the SAA to establish the state apprenticeship council (SAC) to provide advice and guidance to the SAA; Creates the committee for apprenticeship in the building and construction trades (CABCT) as a subcommittee of the SAC to advise the SAA on registered apprenticeship programs for the building and construction trades in the state; and Changes the name of the interagency advisory committee on apprenticeship to the committee for apprenticeship in new and emerging industries (CANEI), designated as a subcommittee of the SAC and tasked with advising the SAA on apprenticeship programs that are not within the jurisdiction of the CABCT. The bill allows the general assembly to appropriate money from the general fund or any other available source to the department to pay for the OFW to carry out the duties specified in the act. The OFW is also authorized to seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations to fund its duties. APPROVED by Governor March 23, 2023 EFFECTIVE March 23, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act clarifies that a member of the Colorado National Guard or any other component of the military forces of the state who is an officer or employee of a public employer is entitled to a leave of absence from employment for training or active state military service for the equivalent of 3 weeks of work on the officer's or employee's regular work schedule each year. The officer or employee is entitled to use any paid leave available to the officer or employee or to use unpaid leave. The act clarifies that a member of the Colorado National Guard or the reserve forces of the United States who is an employee of a private employer is entitled to a leave of absence from employment in order to receive military training with the United States armed forces for the equivalent of 3 weeks of work on the employee's regular work schedule each year. The employee is entitled to use any paid leave available to the employee or to use unpaid leave for the employee's period of absence for military training. The act clarifies that a private employee is entitled to use any paid leave available to the employee or to use unpaid leave in order to engage in active service in the Colorado National Guard. The act repeals the requirement that a public employee or officer not be physically or mentally disabled in order to be reinstated to the employee or officer's public position following a leave of absence for active military service. APPROVED by Governor March 10, 2023 EFFECTIVE March 10, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Colorado law requires a new motor vehicle dealer or a used motor vehicle dealer to maintain a principal place of business and sets minimum standards for the principal place of business. The act clarifies that the following acts are not a violation of this requirement: Delivering a motor vehicle to a customer for a test drive away from the dealer's principal place of business; Delivering documents for a customer to sign away from the dealer's principal place of business; Delivering documents to, or obtaining documents from, a customer away from the dealer's principal place of business; or Delivering a motor vehicle to a customer away from the dealer's principal place of business.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The bill modifies the following statutory provisions that apply to solar energy so that they also apply to geothermal energy: which generally is using the heat of the earth to generate electricity or to heat or cool space or water: Section 1 of the bill requires the Colorado energy office (office) to develop basic consumer education and guidance about leased or purchased geothermal or, if available, leased installation in consultation with industries that offer these options to consumers of a system that uses geothermal energy for water heating or space heating or cooling in a single building or for space heating for more than one building through a pipeline network; Sections 2, 6, and 8 limit the aggregate of all charges or other related or associated fees the state, a county, or a municipality may impose or assess to install a geothermal energy system, which means a system that uses geothermal energy for water heating or space heating or cooling in a single building, for space heating for more than one building through a pipeline network, or for electricity generation; Section 3 specifies that geothermal equipment is a type of pollution control equipment that the division of administration in the department of public health and environment may certify as pollution control equipment; Section 4 specifies that a "project" for purposes of the "County and Municipality Development Revenue Bond Act" includes capital improvements to existing single-family residential, multi-family residential, commercial, or industrial structures, to retrofit such structures for installation of geothermal improvements a system that uses geothermal energy for water heating or space heating or cooling in a single structure; Section 5 permits a county board of commissioners or a regional planning commission, and section 9 requires permits a municipal development commission, to include methods for assuring access to appropriate conditions for geothermal energy sources in a master plan for development; Section 7 specifies that the addition of a geothermal energy device to such building used as part of a system that uses geothermal energy for water heating or space heating or cooling to a building is not necessarily considered a structural alteration for purposes of continuing a nonconforming use of a building, structure, or land under a county zoning resolution; Section 10 permits the Colorado agricultural value-added development board to use some of the money in the agriculture value-added cash fund for geothermal energy generation facilities that are colocated with agricultural uses; Section 11 10 adds a geothermal energy device to the types of renewable energy generation devices that cannot be prohibited in legal instruments related to the transfer or sale of, or interest in, real property; Section 13 includes an independently owned geothermal energy system, which is defined in section 12 , in the property tax exemption for household furnishings; Section 14 11 creates community geothermal gardens, which are analogous to community solar gardens; except that a qualifying retail utility is permitted and not required to purchase electricity and renewable energy credits generated from one or more community geothermal gardens; and Sections 15 and 16 12 through 16 create conforming amendments to the definition of "qualified community location" to incorporate community geothermal gardens for purposes of local improvement districts and municipal special improvement districts to the creation of community geothermal gardens. Section 1 requires permits the office to update the greenhouse gas pollution reduction roadmap to expressly include geothermal energy as a renewable energy resource that qualifying retail utilities may use to achieve the electric utility sector greenhouse gas pollution reduction goals set forth in the roadmap. (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.)
The act renews for July 2022, August 2022, and September 2022, after a 10-month hiatus, a temporary deduction from state net taxable sales for qualifying retailers in the alcoholic beverages drinking places industry, the catering industry, the food service contractors industry, the mobile food services industry, the restaurant and other eating places industry and for retailers operating a hotel-operated restaurant, bar, or catering service in the state. The temporary deduction from state taxable sales for qualifying retailers is equal to the lesser of state net taxable sales or $70,000 for each month for which a deduction is allowed. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act establishes the financial literacy and exchange program (program) within the division of housing (division). The program allows the division to create FLEX accounts for certain persons who sign FLEX agreements and participate in eligible housing assistance voucher programs. The division is required to establish policies and procedures as necessary for the administration of the program and to annually report to the general assembly on the status of the program. The division is required to contract with for-profit and nonprofit entities to provide financial literacy support to eligible program participants. The act also creates the continuously appropriated FLEX fund, which may be used for the direct and indirect costs of implementing the program, and appropriates $103,355 to the FLEX fund from the general fund. The department of local affairs is responsible for the accounting related to this appropriation. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The department of human services (department) is required to transfer ownership of all or part of the Ridge View campus in Watkins, Colorado to the department of personnel for use by the division of housing (division) for a supportive residential community to provide transitional housing, a continuum of behavioral health service treatment, medical care, vocational training, and skill development for its residents and the general public. The division, in collaboration with the behavioral health administration and the department of human services, is required to develop a feasible master plan for the redevelopment and operations of the Ridge View campus into the Ridge View Supportive Residential Community, including a financial plan for start-up and ongoing operational costs. The division is required to enter into one or more contracts with public or private contractors to establish the Ridge View Supportive Residential Community at the Ridge View campus. The department, in partnership with the behavioral health administration and the department of health care policy and financing, is required to work to ensure that youth bed capacity will be created elsewhere in a manner that most appropriately serves the mental health needs of Colorado's youth. The Ridge View Supportive Residential Community is required to provide the following services and programs: A transitional housing program for individual adults with case management, care coordination, and vocational and housing placement assistance; A continuum of behavioral health services and treatment, informed by American Society of Addiction Medicine standards, available to people coming from the transitional housing program and to the general public; and A federally qualified health center or other primary care clinic at which people have access to medical treatments that help facilitate recovery, including medical and dental care and a continuum of behavioral health services. The health clinic and all behavioral health services and treatment are required to be accessible to people in the transitional housing program and the general public. For the 2022-23 state fiscal year, and to the extent not spent in that state fiscal year the 2023-24 state fiscal year as well, the act appropriates money from the economic recovery and relief cash fund to the division for the repurposing of the Ridge View campus. The division is authorized to use up to 10% of the amount appropriated for its administrative costs in connection with the repurposing of the Ridge View campus and up to 10% of the amount appropriated for its costs in connection with transportation. The act also appropriates $44,557 from the general fund to the department for use by the behavioral health administration to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)