Legislative update for April 11
Proposed Senate bills
SB 14-002: Safe2Tell act
Description: Moves the Safe2Tell program, which provides K-12 students an anonymous hotline to report school safety problems, from the nonprofit sector to the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.
Committee: Appropriations
Status: Unamended version recommended to the Appropriations committee.
SB 14-003: Child care assistance
Description: Will increase Colorado’s investment in the Colorado Child Care Assistance, which helps bring affordable childcare to the state, Program to bring it back to prerecession levels.
Committee: Health and Human Services
Status: Introduced in Senate and assigned to committee.
SB 14-004: Community college four-year programs
Description: The bill allows the state board for community colleges and occupational education to seek approval from the Colorado Commission on Higher Education for technical, career and workforce development bachelor of applied science degree programs that may be offered at community colleges within the state system.
Committee: Senate Education Committee
Status: Governor signed into law.
SB 14-005: Wage protection
Description: Creates an easier process for employees to recover their wages from employers withholding pay.
Committee: Appropriations
Status: Amended version recommended to Appropriations.
SB 14-014: Property tax rebates and heating grants
Description: Expands the pool of people who can access real tax property expense assistance grants. Means more people can get government assistance to pay their heating bills.
Committee: Appropriations
Status: Amended version referred to appropriations committee.
SB 14-018: Prohibit nicotine product distribution to minors
Description: The bill expands the prohibition of sales of tobacco products persons younger than 18 to include all nicotine products. The bill also makes conforming amendments concerning the Liquor Enforcement Division’s enforcement of the law.
Committee: Senate
Status: Sent to the governor’s office to be signed.
SB 14-024/SB 14-031: Firefighter pension plans
Description: Both bills try to make sure pension plans are solid for volunteer and existing firefighters who are affiliated with the Fire and Police Pension Association.
Committee: Senate
Status: Signed by the governor.
SB 14-046: Local firefighter safety grant program
Description: Repurposes existing funds to be directed toward a firefighter safety and disease prevention fund.
Committee: Appropriations
Status: Amended version referred to the consent calendar to the Senate Committee of the Whole.
SB 14-047: Wildland firefighters death benefit payments
Description: Directs the division of fire prevention and control to make lump-sum payments of $10,000 to the survivors of a seasonal wildland firefighter employed by the state or local government killed in the line of duty.
Committee: Local Government
Status: Governor signed into law.
Senate Bill 14-050: Financial assistance in Colorado
Description: The bill requires that information about financial aid must be released to patients. The limit for amounts charged to uninsured qualified patients will be changed for those below 400 percent of the poverty line to the Medicare reimbursement rate plus 20 percent.
Committee: Appropriations
Status: Amended version referred to the Senate Committee of the Whole.
SB 14-088: Suicide prevention
Description: Creates a suicide prevention commission to provide leadership and recommendations regarding suicide prevention in the state.
Committee: Appropriations
Status Amended version referred to the Senate Committee of the Whole.
SB 14-098: Preventing elder abuse
Description: Strengthens the law that requires certain people to contact authorities if they suspect abuse of persons 70 or older.
Committee: Senate
Status: Governor signed into law.
SB 14-144: Family medicine residency programs in rural areas
Description: Extends the support of the commission on family medicine to rural areas.
Committee: Appropriations
Status: Unamended version referred to Appropriations
Proposed House bills
HB 14-1007: Prohibit agricultural burning fire danger and restrict fireworks
Description: Gives county governments the authority to limit certain forms of fire, to prohibit ag burnings during periods of high danger and to prohibit fireworks during the summer
Committee: Senate
Status: Laid over on Senate third reading until May 8.
HB 14-1041: Concealed handgun carry without permit
Description: Would allow persons legally allowed to own a handgun to engage in concealed carry without a permit.
Committee: Judiciary
Status: Killed in committee.
HB 14-1072: Income tax credit for child care expenses
Description: A tax credit for child care expenses.
Committee: Finance
Status: Introduced into Senate and assigned to committee.
HB 14-1101: Community Solar Garden Bus Per Prop Tax Exemption
Description: Provides tax exemptions to solar gardens build for residential/community use.
Committee: Appropriations
Status: Amended version re-referred to Appropriations.
HB 14-1113: Electric renewable energy standard
Description: Reduces the minimum percentage of renewable energy required of investorowned utilities from 20 to 15 percent for the years 2015 through 2020 and from 30 to 15 percent for the years 2020 and thereafter. The bill also reduces the minimum amounts for coop electric association from 20 to 145 percent for the years 2020 and thereafter.
Committee: Transportation & Energy
Status: Killed in committee.
HB 14-1115: Medicaid Expansion Private Insurance Pilot Program
Description: Establishes the Medicaid expansion premium assistant pilot program to bring healthcare coverage for 2,000 adults who fall between 100 and 133 percent of the poverty line.
Committee: Appropriations
Status: Killed in committee.
HB 14-1150: Federal Land Coordination
Description: Creates a division in the Department of Local Affairs to address federal land decisions in Colorado that affect the state and local governments. The chief coordinator heading the division is required to form a task force to evaluate decisions made on federal land.
Committee: Appropriations
Status: Killed in committee.
HB 14-1157: Policies Allowing Concealed Carry in Public School
Description: Allows school districts to put policy in place that allows their employees to carry a concealed handgun on school grounds if that person holds a valid permit.
Committee: Judiciary
Status: Killed in committee.
HB 14-1166: Renewal of Concealed Handgun Permits
Description: Makes the renewal process for conceal handgun permits easier.
Committee: State, Veterans, and Military Affairs
Status: Governor signed into law.
HB 14-1217: Clarify Mineral Rights Property Owned by County
Description: Clarifies the legal rights of county governments in connect with real property owned by the county.
Committee: Local Government
Status: Killed in committee.
HB 14-1263: Tobacco products to persons younger than 21
Description: Would ban the sale of tobacco products to persons younger than 21.
Committee: Finance
Status: Killed in committee.
HB 14-1291: Permit Charter Schools Hire Armed School Security
Description: Extends the authority to hire a school security officer who may carry a concealed weapon to charter schools.
Committee: Education
Status: Unamended version referred to consent calendar to the Senate Committee of the Whole.
HB 14-1303: Legislature Take Public Testimony Remote Locations
Description: Enables the executive committee of the legislature to consider, recommend and establish policies regarding legislative committees taking public testimony from remote locations across the state.
Committee: Appropriations
Status: Unamended version referred to Appropriations.
Colorado’s ‘reinsurance’ bill drops marketplace health insurance
Health care premiums are dropping for the first time in a long time, and for the individual marketplace on the Western Slope, premiums are going down dramatically.
