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

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Status: Unamended version recommended to the Appropriations committee.

SB 14-003: Child care assistance

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Description: Will increase Colorado’s investment in the Colorado Child Care Assistance, which helps bring affordable child care 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: Passed in House and sent to governor’s desk to be signed.

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: Amended version passed in Senate.

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: Passed in Senate.

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: Unamended version referred to appropriations committee.

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: Passed in Senate.

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: Senate Health & Human Services Committee

Status: Introduced in Senate and assigned to committee.

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 Appropriations Committee.

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: Passed in Senate.

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: Local Government

Status: Introduced in Senate and assigned to committee.

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: Testimony and committee discussion only in Finance.

HB 14­-1113: Electric renewable energy standard

Description: Reduces the minimum percentage of renewable energy required of investor-­owned 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 co­-op electric association from 20 to 145 percent for the years 2020 and thereafter.

Committee: Transportation & Energy

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: Introduced in House and assigned to committee.