Business Legislation -- Keywords: economic development, employer or tax
Short Title: Priority Of TABOR Refund Methods
Sponsors: KEFALAS / SANDOVAL
Economic Opportunity Poverty Reduction Task Force. The bill increases the threshold necessary to trigger a temporary income tax rate reduction as a method to provide a constitutionally required refund of excess state revenues so that the rate reduction does not occur unless there is also an earned income tax credit refund.
Status
01/13/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
01/20/2010 House Committee on Finance Refer Unamended to Appropriations
02/05/2010 House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
02/10/2010 House Second Reading Passed
02/11/2010 House Third Reading Laid Over Daily
02/12/2010 House Third Reading Passed
02/17/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance
03/02/2010 Senate Committee on Finance Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
03/05/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily
03/11/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed
03/12/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
03/22/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
03/25/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
03/25/2010 Sent to the Governor
04/05/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: County Clerk & Recorder Filing Fees
Sponsors: JUDD / BROPHY
Currently, a county clerk and recorder charges $5 per page to file certain documents, with an additional fee for documents that require multiple entries in the grantor or grantee index. The bill would modify these fees by charging $10 for the first page of a document and $5 for each additional page and eliminating the additional fee for documents that require multiple entries in the grantor or grantee index.
Status
01/13/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to State, Veterans, & Military Affairs
02/04/2010 House Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
02/10/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
02/11/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
02/12/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over to 02/17/2010
02/17/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
02/18/2010 House Third Reading Passed
02/19/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Local Government and Energy
03/09/2010 Senate Committee on Local Government and Energy Refer Unamended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole
03/12/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed
03/15/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
03/22/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
03/25/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
03/25/2010 Sent to the Governor
04/05/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Pinnacol Assurance Board Of Directors
Sponsors: MIKLOSI / HODGE
Interim Committee to Study Issues Related to Pinnacol Assurance. The bill requires 2 employee members of the board of directors of Pinnacol Assurance (board) to be nonmanagement employees. Adds 2 additional members to the board: An injured worker and the executive director of the Colorado department of labor and employment or his or her representative. The bill increases the per diem for the board members from $140 to $250. The bill requires the board to post the date, time, and location of board meetings on the Pinnacol Assurance web site at least 7 calendar days prior to a meeting. Requires the board to allow reasonable time for public comment at all board meetings.
Status
01/13/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Judiciary
02/04/2010 House Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
02/10/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
02/11/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
02/12/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over to 02/17/2010
02/17/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over to 02/26/2010
02/26/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over to 03/02/2010
03/02/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over to 03/08/2010
03/08/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
03/09/2010 House Third Reading Passed
03/11/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Judiciary
03/31/2010 Senate Committee on Judiciary Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
04/07/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily
04/19/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over to 04/22/2010
04/22/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily
04/27/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over to 04/30/2010
04/30/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over to 05/07/2010
05/07/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily
05/10/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments
05/11/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
05/12/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
05/25/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
05/25/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
05/25/2010 Sent to the Governor
05/26/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Limit Surveillance Workers' Comp Claims
Sponsors: PACE / CARROLL M.
Interim Committee to Study Issues Related to Pinnacol Assurance. Section 1 of the bill:
* Prohibits an insurer or employer from conducting surveillance of an employee who has submitted a workers' compensation claim unless the insurer or employer has a reasonable basis to suspect that the employee has committed fraud or made a material misstatement concerning the claim;
* Allows the employee to request an expedited hearing before a prehearing administrative law judge;
* Requires the insurer or employer to provide all materials collected during the surveillance to the injured worker and to destroy all materials collected during the surveillance unless the materials are reasonably necessary to resolve an ongoing claim of fraud;
* Requires persons conducting surveillance to answer the employee's questions truthfully; and
* Creates a $1,000-per-day penalty for violations. Section 2 of the bill:
* Directs the prehearing administrative law judge to issue an injunction against the surveillance unless the insurer or employer shows that it has a reasonable basis to suspect that the employee has committed fraud or made a material misstatement concerning the claim; and
* Allows the identity of a witness or whistleblower who provides evidence in good faith to be withheld or limited to an in camera review.
Status
01/13/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Judiciary
01/13/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Judiciary + Appropriations
02/11/2010 House Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to Appropriations
02/26/2010 House Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
03/02/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over to 03/05/2010
03/05/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
03/08/2010 House Third Reading Passed
03/11/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Judiciary
03/31/2010 Senate Committee on Judiciary Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only
05/05/2010 Senate Committee on Judiciary Postpone Indefinitely
Short Title: Highway Work Zone Accident Reporting
Sponsors: MCFADYEN / SPENCE
Transportation Legislation Review Committee. The bill requires the department of transportation and the Colorado state patrol to annually present a joint report to the transportation and energy committee of the house of representatives and the transportation committee of the senate regarding fatal accidents occurring in state highway work areas.
Status
01/13/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Transportation & Energy
01/21/2010 House Committee on Transportation & Energy Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
01/26/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
01/28/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
02/03/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
02/04/2010 House Third Reading Passed
02/09/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Transportation
02/18/2010 Senate Committee on Transportation Refer Unamended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole
02/23/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily
02/24/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed
02/25/2010 Senate Third Reading Laid Over Daily
02/26/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
03/05/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
03/08/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
03/08/2010 Sent to the Governor
03/18/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Employer Liability Negligent Hiring
Sponsors: WALLER / HUDAK
Economic Opportunity Poverty Reduction Task Force. The bill prohibits information regarding an employee's criminal history from being introduced as evidence in a civil action against an employer if:
* The nature of the criminal history does not bear a direct relationship to the facts underlying the cause of action;
* A court order sealed any record of a criminal case or a pardon was issued before the occurrence of the civil action; or
* The record of an arrest or charge did not result in a criminal conviction. The bill does not eliminate the requirement for criminal history background checks in hiring for certain employment.
Status
01/13/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Judiciary
01/28/2010 House Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
02/02/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over to 02/03/2010
02/03/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
02/04/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
02/05/2010 House Third Reading Laid Over Daily
02/08/2010 House Third Reading Passed
02/09/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Judiciary
03/01/2010 Senate Committee on Judiciary Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
03/04/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily
03/08/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed
03/09/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
03/15/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
03/18/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
03/18/2010 Sent to the Governor
03/25/2010 Governor Action - Signed
03/29/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Eligibility Child Care Assistance Prog
Sponsors: MASSEY & ... / STEADMAN
Early Childhood and School Readiness Legislative Commission. Section 1 of the bill sets forth a legislative declaration concerning the need for consistent and stable child care. Section 2 clarifies certain aspects of the Colorado child care assistance program (program) that will help provide increased stability for children and families. The eligibility redetermination period is extended for all participants in the program from 6 months to 12 months, and, for a family enrolled in both the program and a head start program, the redetermination periods are aligned. A parent is not required to report any income or activity changes during the eligibility period. A parent shall not be determined ineligible for program moneys as a result of taking maternity leave or attending school. The bill allows an early care and education provider (provider) to perform pre-eligibility determinations that it then forwards to the county for final determination of eligibility. The provider may provide services to the family pending the county's final determination of eligibility but shall be reimbursed for those services only if the county determines the family is eligible for services.
Status
01/13/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Education
01/13/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Education + Appropriations
02/22/2010 House Committee on Education Refer Amended to Appropriations
03/05/2010 House Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
03/09/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
03/10/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
03/11/2010 House Third Reading Passed
03/15/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Education
03/15/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Education + Appropriations
03/31/2010 Senate Committee on Education Refer Amended to Appropriations
04/23/2010 Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
04/27/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments
04/28/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
04/30/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily
05/04/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
05/20/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
05/20/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
05/24/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
05/24/2010 Sent to the Governor
06/03/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Workers' Comp Claims Process Brochure
Sponsors: MIKLOSI / CARROLL M.
Interim Committee to Study Issues Related to Pinnacol Assurance. The bill requires the employer or the employer's insurance carrier to provide a brochure to a workers' compensation claimant, in a form approved by the director of the division of workers' compensation, that describes the entities the claimant may contact for information, the claimant's rights related to his or her medical treatment and rights to receive benefit payments, and the claims process.
Status
01/13/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Business Affairs and Labor
01/13/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Business Affairs and Labor + Appropriations
02/03/2010 House Committee on Business Affairs and Labor Refer Amended to Appropriations
02/12/2010 House Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
02/17/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
02/18/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
02/19/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
02/22/2010 House Third Reading Passed
02/24/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Judiciary
03/31/2010 Senate Committee on Judiciary Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
04/07/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily
04/19/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over to 04/22/2010
04/22/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily
04/23/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed
04/26/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
05/12/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
05/12/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
05/13/2010 Sent to the Governor
05/26/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Receipt Of Tax Payment By Cnty Treasurer
Sponsors: TYLER / HUDAK
Current law makes no provision for how a county treasurer should record the date of payment of a property tax payment that has no United States postal service (USPS) postmark. The bill specifies that, if a payment that has no USPS postmark is actually received in the treasurer's office no later than 5 days after the due date, the treasurer shall record the due date as the date of payment. If the payment is actually received in the treasurer's office 6 or more days after the due date, the treasurer shall record the date of actual receipt as the date of payment.
Status
01/13/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Local Government
01/21/2010 House Committee on Local Government Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
01/26/2010 House Second Reading Passed
01/27/2010 House Third Reading Laid Over Daily
01/28/2010 House Third Reading Passed
02/01/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Local Government and Energy
02/09/2010 Senate Committee on Local Government and Energy Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
02/12/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily
02/15/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments
02/16/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
02/18/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily
02/18/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
02/24/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
02/24/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
02/25/2010 Sent to the Governor
03/05/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Prop Tax Work-off Prog Particip Status
Sponsors: DELGROSSO / HEATH
Section 1 of the bill makes it permissive for a governmental entity or private nonprofit or for-profit entity that has a contract with a governmental entity for a property tax work-off program to opt the participant in or out of the "Workers' Compensation Act of Colorado" or the "Colorado Employment Security Act". Sections 2 through 4 of the bill make cross references to the operative statute established in section 1 of the bill in the "Workers' Compensation Act of Colorado" and the "Colorado Employment Security Act".
Status
01/13/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance + Business Affairs and Labor
01/13/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance
01/27/2010 House Committee on Finance Lay Over Unamended - Amendment(s) Failed
02/02/2010 House Committee on Finance Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
02/05/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
02/08/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
02/09/2010 House Third Reading Passed
02/17/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Business, Labor and Technology
03/23/2010 Senate Committee on Business, Labor and Technology Refer Amended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole
03/29/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments
03/30/2010 Senate Third Reading Laid Over Daily
03/31/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
04/01/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
04/16/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
04/19/2010 Sent to the Governor
04/19/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
04/28/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: End Automatic Employer Tax Withholding
Sponsors: SWALM / CADMAN
Currently, an employer is required to deduct and withhold Colorado income tax from an employee's wages. The bill eliminates the mandatory deduction and withholding. Instead, an employer will only deduct and withhold Colorado income tax from an employee's wages if the employee and employer voluntarily agree to it. The bill also makes a conforming amendment to an income tax credit, so that the change to the withholding requirement does not affect the eligibility for the credit.
Status
01/13/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
02/10/2010 House Committee on Finance Postpone Indefinitely
Short Title: Assessor Limit Real Prop Actual Value
Sponsors: BRADFORD / HARVEY
The bill prohibits a county assessor from considering the value of stock in the determination of the actual value of real property; except that this prohibition does not apply to property owned by a cooperative housing corporation. The bill also prohibits a county assessor from considering the value of personal property located on real property in the determination of the actual value of the real property.
Status
01/13/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance
01/13/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance + Local Government
01/15/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance
01/15/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance + Local Government
01/26/2010 House Committee on Finance Refer Unamended to Local Government
02/02/2010 House Committee on Local Government Postpone Indefinitely
Short Title: Urban Renewal Area Ag Lands
Sponsors: FISCHER / CARROLL M.
Section 3 of the bill prohibits any area that has been designated as an urban renewal area from containing any agricultural land unless:
* The agricultural land is a brownfield site as designated by the United States environmental protection agency;
* The area containing the agricultural land is at least two-thirds contiguous with urban-level development and at least one-half of the area consists of urban-level development that is determined to constitute a slum or blighted area;
* The agricultural land is an enclave within the territorial boundaries of a municipality and the entire perimeter of the enclave has been contiguous with urban-level development for a period of not less than 3 years;
* Each public body that levies an ad valorem property tax on the agricultural land agrees in writing to the inclusion of the agricultural land within the urban renewal area; or
* The agricultural land was included in an approved urban renewal plan prior to the effective date of the bill. In addition, section 3 of the bill:
* Where agricultural land is included within an urban renewal area under the conditions specified in the bill, requires the county assessor to value the agricultural land at its fair market value solely for determining the base amount of taxes to be paid to the public bodies without consideration of the tax increment. Nothing in the bill affects the actual classification of agricultural land for property tax purposes.
* Expands the grounds allowing counties to challenge information contained in urban renewal impact reports.
* Permits the required agreement to be entered into by or among the municipality and urban renewal authority and county taxing entities in the case of tax increment financing to provide for a waiver of certain requirements under the urban renewal law. Section 4 of the bill requires urban renewal plans to include a legal description of the urban renewal area, including the legal description of any agricultural land proposed for inclusion within the urban renewal area pursuant to the conditions specified in the bill. Section 5 of the bill provides that, not later than 30 days after the municipality has provided the county assessor notice that the urban renewal plan contains tax increment financing provisions, the assessor may provide written notice to the municipality if the assessor believes that agricultural land has been improperly included in the urban renewal area under the conditions specified in the bill. If the notice is not delivered within the 30-day period, the inclusion of the land in the urban renewal area as described in the urban renewal plan shall be incontestable in any suit or proceeding notwithstanding the presence of any cause. If the assessor provides written notice to the municipality within the 30-day period, the municipality may file an action in state district court for an order determining whether the inclusion of the land in the urban renewal area is consistent with one of the conditions specified in the bill and shall have an additional 30 days from the date it receives the notice in which to file the action. If the municipality fails to file such an action within the additional 30-day period, the urban renewal area shall not include the agricultural land.
Status
01/15/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Agriculture, Livestock, & Natural Resources
02/03/2010 House Committee on Agriculture, Livestock, & Natural Resources Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
02/05/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
02/08/2010 House Third Reading Passed
02/12/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to State, Veterans & Military Affairs
03/02/2010 Senate Committee on State, Veterans & Military Affairs Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only
03/03/2010 House Committee on Agriculture, Livestock, & Natural Resources Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
03/08/2010 Senate Committee on State, Veterans & Military Affairs Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
03/12/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily
03/15/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments
03/16/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
03/18/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily
03/19/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily
03/19/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
04/08/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
04/08/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
04/09/2010 Sent to the Governor
04/14/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Low-profit Limited Liability Companies
Sponsors: MIKLOSI
The bill allows the formation of low-profit limited liability companies, or "L3Cs", in Colorado, organized with the primary business objective of furthering a charitable or educational purpose but permitted to produce income or capital appreciation as long as the production of income or appreciation of property is not a significant purpose of the company. In addition to filing articles of organization, an L3C would have to register with, file its operating agreement with, and submit an annual financial report to the secretary of state and pay fees in connection with such filings and submissions.
Status
01/15/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to State, Veterans, & Military Affairs
03/04/2010 House Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only
03/09/2010 House Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Postpone Indefinitely
Short Title: Corr Educ Vocational Prog Standards
Sponsors: MIKLOSI / NEWELL
The bill adds vocational programs to the educational programs that are offered by the department of corrections (department) pursuant to the "Correctional Education Program Act of 1990" (Act). The bill amends an objective of the Act to ensure that every person in a correctional facility who has an expectation of release from custody within five years receives adult basic education instruction if he or she lacks basic and functional literacy skills and has the opportunity to achieve functional literacy, be released possessing at least entry-level marketable vocational skills, and obtain the equivalent of a high school education. The bill establishes performance objectives for each educational and vocational program (program) offered under the Act (performance objectives). On or before December 31, 2010, the department will develop a plan to meet each performance objective. The bill requires the department of labor and employment to provide annually to the department data on current market trends and labor needs in Colorado. When considering an offender for transfer, the department shall take the offender's enrollment in a program into consideration unless the offender is granted parole or is placed into a community corrections program. If the department transfers an offender enrolled in a program to another facility, the offender shall have priority for placement in a comparable program if such a program exists at the facility. The bill requires the department to annually report certain information regarding the programs offered under the Act.
Status
01/15/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Judiciary
02/01/2010 House Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
02/04/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
02/05/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
02/08/2010 House Third Reading Passed
02/09/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Judiciary
03/01/2010 Senate Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
03/05/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily
03/08/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments
03/09/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
03/10/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Lay Over Daily
03/11/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
03/18/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
03/22/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
03/22/2010 Sent to the Governor
03/31/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Certain Tax Procedures Of Cnty Officers
Sponsors: BENEFIELD / JOHNSTON
Under current law, a board of county commissioners or a county assessor may issue an abatement or refund up to $1,000 to a taxpayer without the approval of the property tax administrator. Section 1 of the bill raises this amount to $10,000. Section 2 allows a county assessor to send notices of valuation for real and personal property to a taxpayer electronically if the taxpayer so requests. Section 3 allows a county treasurer to send tax statements for real and personal property to a taxpayer electronically if the taxpayer so requests.
Status
01/15/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Local Government
01/15/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Local Government + Local Government
01/28/2010 House Committee on Local Government Refer Amended to Local Government
01/28/2010 House Committee on Local Government Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
02/02/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over to 02/03/2010
02/03/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
02/04/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
02/05/2010 House Third Reading Laid Over Daily
02/08/2010 House Third Reading Passed
02/09/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Local Government and Energy
03/25/2010 Senate Committee on Local Government and Energy Refer Unamended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole
03/31/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily
04/01/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed
04/05/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
04/26/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
04/30/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
04/30/2010 Sent to the Governor
05/05/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: SMART Government Act
Sponsors: FERRANDINO / SHAFFER B.
Section 1 of the bill sets forth that the bill shall be known and may be cited as the "State Measurements for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act". Section 2 of the bill requires the joint budget committee (JBC) to consider for recommendation to the general assembly any report approved Merrifield, Middleton, Pace, Pommer, Primavera, Rice, Scanlan, Schafer S., Solano, Todd, Weissmann by the office of state planning and budgeting from a department that suggests improved budgetary efficiency or administrative flexibility through line item consolidation in the annual general appropriation act. Section 2 also requires the JBC to prioritize requests for information in preparing any letter to the governor after passage of the annual general appropriation act. Section 3 of the bill repeals and reenacts provisions requiring departmental presentations to legislative committees of reference (committees). The new provisions mainly make changes to the part of the law that specifies what the presentations must include and, in addition, implement a new performance-based budgeting program to work in cooperation with the committees. The new performance-based budgeting program includes the following:
* For the state budget process for the state fiscal year 2012-13, and the state budget process for each fiscal year thereafter, each principal department of the executive branch and the judicial branch of state government (department) must develop a strategic plan.
* Like the existing law, each department must make a presentation to the assigned committees. The bill also requires that:
* During the legislative session commencing January 2011, the presentation must at least include a presentation regarding the department's progress toward creating a strategic plan.
* During the legislative session commencing January 2012, and during each legislative session thereafter, the presentation must at least include a presentation of the department's strategic plan, a review of the department's performance-based goals and performance measures, and a report on the actual outcomes.
* During the legislative session commencing January 2012, and during each legislative session thereafter, each committee must assign 2 members, one from each party, as liaisons with their assigned departments regarding the performance-based budgeting process. During the same sessions, the chair of the JBC must also assign one member of the JBC to serve as a liaison to work with the committee liaisons.
* Within 30 days after the department presentation, each committee must provide any written recommendations to the department and to the office of state planning and budgeting. Each department may implement the recommendations in the following state fiscal year's strategic plan. If recommendations were not implemented, the department shall provide the committee a written explanation no later than the fifth day of the legislative session of that fiscal year.
* Prior to the legislative session commencing in January 2013, the state auditor must conduct a performance audit of one or more specific programs or services in at least 2 departments and must continue to conduct performance audits of one or more specific programs or services in at least 2 departments annually to audit all departments in a 10-year cycle. Performance audits of the programs or services selected for audit may include, but are not limited to, a review of the integrity of the performance measures audited, the accuracy and validity of reported results, and the overall cost and effectiveness of the audited programs or services in achieving legislative intent and the department's performance-based goals. After presenting the performance audit to the legislative audit committee and obtaining permission for the report to be released, the state auditor must present the audit report to the appropriate committee within the first 15 days of the legislative session. The state auditor must also present any other audit reports that he or she deems relevant for the committee of reference's review.
* During the legislative session commencing January 2012, and during each legislative session thereafter, each committee must consider the department's strategic plan, its presentation of the plan, and any performance audit and must report to the JBC its recommendations for priorities or any changes. The recommendations made by the committee are limited to the department's November 1 budget request for the upcoming state fiscal year. The JBC may take the committee's recommendations into account in preparing the annual general appropriation act. The JBC must report back to the committees its reasoning for following or not following the committee's recommendations.
* Starting December 1, 2012, and each December 1 thereafter, the office of state planning and budgeting must publish an annual performance report. The annual performance report is a summary of each department's strategic plan. The report must be clearly written and easily understood, and limited in length. The report must be distributed to the members of the general assembly to assist members in making decisions related to the annual general appropriation act. Sections 4 and 5 of the bill make adjustments to the duties of the legislative audit committee and the state auditor, respectively, to accommodate the requirements set forth in the bill. Sections 6 and 7 of the bill make conforming amendments. Section 8 of the bill requires the director of the office of state planning and budgeting to require that all state agency budget submissions be distributed in an electronic format. Section 9 of the bill deals with intradepartmental transfers between appropriations. Limits for such types of transfers have not been adjusted since 1994. Section 9 increases the statewide limit from $2 million to $5 million but does not change any other parts of the structured approval process or change limits for specific agencies. Section 9 also eliminates the prohibition from departments using the intradepartmental transfer authority to:
* Transfer dollars from a nonpersonal services line item (such as operating) into a personal services line item;
* Transfer dollars between personal services line items; and
* Transfer dollars from an operating line into a utilities line or lease space line, or between utility line items. Section 10 of the bill deals with the controller's authority to allow, upon approval of the governor, a department to make an expenditure in excess of the amount authorized in an appropriation. Current law limits such excess expenditures to $1 million. Section 10 increases that amount to $3 million. Section 11 of the bill repeals the statutory section requiring the implementation of a zero-base budgeting system for the state.
Status
01/15/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to State, Veterans, & Military Affairs
01/15/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to State, Veterans, & Military Affairs + Appropriations
01/15/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to State, Veterans, & Military Affairs + Appropriations
02/09/2010 House Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Refer Amended to Appropriations
02/09/2010 House Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Refer Amended to Appropriations
03/05/2010 House Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
03/09/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
03/10/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over with Amendments to 03/12/2010
03/12/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over to 03/12/2010
03/12/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over to 03/19/2010
03/12/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
03/15/2010 House Third Reading Laid Over Daily
03/16/2010 House Third Reading Passed
03/18/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance
03/18/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
04/13/2010 Senate Committee on Finance Refer Amended to Appropriations
04/30/2010 Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
04/30/2010 Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments
05/03/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
05/04/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
05/25/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
05/25/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
05/25/2010 Sent to the Governor
06/05/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Property Tax Higher Actual Valuation
Sponsors: BRADFORD / HARVEY
Section 4 of the bill requires a taxpayer to initially pay property taxes based on the valuation from the previous year if:
* The value of land or improvements increases by more than 300%;
* The increase is not based on a change in classification of the land or improvements or an addition or modification thereto; and
* The taxpayer is appealing the valuation. Section 4 also requires a revised tax statement to be sent to a taxpayer after a final order or decision on appeal. Section 5 of the bill requires the taxpayer to pay any remaining taxes owed within 30 days from the revised tax statement if tax is owed after the appeal and the tax based on the valuation from the previous year has already been paid. Section 1 of the bill requires the notice of valuation sent to certain taxpayers whose property value has increased to include a statement about initially paying taxes based on the actual valuation for the previous year. Sections 2 and 3 of the bill require a taxpayer to receive costs, including witness fees, and reasonable attorney fees if the final adjusted valuation is less than one-third of the valuation included in the notice of valuation.
Status
01/19/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Local Government + Finance
02/02/2010 House Committee on Local Government Committee Vote - Final Action Failed
02/12/2010 House Committee on Local Government Postpone Indefinitely
Short Title: Wellness Incentives Rewards Outcomes
Sponsors: RICE & ... / MITCHELL & ...
Current law allows health insurance carriers offering individual health coverage plans and small group plans and the board of directors of the CoverColorado program or carriers providing health benefit plans to CoverColorado participants to offer incentives or rewards to encourage persons covered under the plans to participate in a wellness and prevention program. The incentives or rewards can be based only on participation in a wellness and prevention program and cannot be tied to any particular outcome achieved by participating in the program. The bill repeals the restriction on incentives based on outcomes and allows carriers to base the incentives or rewards on satisfaction of a standard related to a health factor if the incentive or reward under the wellness and prevention program is consistent with the nondiscrimination requirements of the federal "Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996".
Status
01/20/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Health and Human Services
02/08/2010 House Committee on Health and Human Services Lay Over Amended
02/11/2010 House Committee on Health and Human Services Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
02/17/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over to 02/26/2010
02/26/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over to 03/08/2010
03/08/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
03/09/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
03/10/2010 House Third Reading Passed
03/16/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Business, Labor and Technology
03/31/2010 Senate Committee on Business, Labor and Technology Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only
04/14/2010 Senate Committee on Business, Labor and Technology Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
04/19/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily
04/20/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments
04/21/2010 Senate Third Reading Laid Over to 04/23/2010
04/23/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed with Amendments
04/27/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily
04/28/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
05/20/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
05/20/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
05/24/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
05/24/2010 Sent to the Governor
05/26/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Limit Reimburs Fully Comp Injured Person
Sponsors: LEVY / STEADMAN
Benefield, Carroll T., Casso, Court, Ferrandino, Hullinghorst, Labuda, McFadyen, Merrifield, Middleton, Pommer, Primavera, Scanlan, Schafer S., Solano, Todd Shaffer B. Under current law, an insurer that pays benefits to a person who is injured due to an act or omission of a third party may, under some circumstances, obtain repayment of those benefits out of any recovery paid to the injured party, regardless of whether the injured party has been fully compensated for his or her losses. The bill would limit the ability of an insurer to obtain a repayment of benefits if the repayment would cause the injured party to not be fully compensated. Additionally, if the injured party has been fully compensated and the repayment is allowed, the amount of the repayment is limited to the amount actually paid by the insurer. Finally, the bill requires the insurer to pay its proportionate share of attorney fees and costs incurred by the injured party in obtaining the settlement or judgment. If a dispute arises regarding an insurer's right to reimbursement or subrogation, it is to be resolved in the same jurisdiction in which the underlying civil claim was handled. When the injured party recovers damages that he or she believes are not sufficient to fully compensate him or her, the injured party must notify the insurer in writing that the recovery obtained is less than the sum of all of the injured party's damages. If the insurer disputes the injured party's claim, the insurer may file a post-trial or other appropriate motion, or if there is no underlying civil action, may seek a declaratory judgment, to determine whether the injured party's recovery is insufficient to fully compensate the injured party. If the court agrees with the injured party, the insurer has no right to reimbursement or subrogation. An insurer is precluded from bringing a direct action against the at-fault third party for subrogation or reimbursement, and the third party cannot add the insurer as a copayee on any check or draft in payment of a settlement or judgment for the injured party. Insurers cannot delay, withhold, or reduce benefits because the obligation to pay benefits results from the acts or omissions of a third party or as a means to compel reimbursement or subrogation. Additionally, if an insurer obtains reimbursement of benefits paid, the insurer must apply the amount of the reimbursement as a credit against any applicable lifetime cap on benefits contained in the applicable policy or plan. The bill does not affect statutory liens granted to hospitals that provide care to an injured party.
Status
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Judiciary
02/22/2010 House Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
02/22/2010 House Committee on Judiciary Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only
02/25/2010 House Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
03/01/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
03/02/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over to 03/05/2010
03/05/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
03/08/2010 House Third Reading Passed
03/11/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Judiciary
03/22/2010 Senate Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
03/25/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily
03/26/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments
03/29/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
03/30/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Lay Over Daily
03/31/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily
04/01/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
04/16/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
04/19/2010 Sent to the Governor
04/19/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
04/28/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Mobile Machinery Specific Ownership Tax
Sponsors: BRADFORD / CADMAN
Section 1 makes stylistic changes to clarify the definition of special mobile machinery. Section 5 deems farm equipment meeting the definition of special mobile machinery to be Class F personal property if the equipment is used for a purpose other than agricultural production. Section 6 prohibits affixing a prorated registration sticker to special mobile machinery unless it is registered, prohibits the operation of such machinery unless it is registered, and grants a credit for taxes paid to the owner who converts a vehicle to special mobile machinery. Section 7 creates a demonstration plate to be used by people who sell special mobile machinery and sets the fee for the plate. A violation of the demonstration plate requirements is a class 2 misdemeanor. Section 8 requires a person who sells special mobile machinery to notify the buyer that the owner should register the machinery. Section 16 authorizes owners to obtain a temporary registration similar to the temporary registration for motor vehicles. The remaining sections of the bill contain conforming amendments.
Status
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Transportation & Energy
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Transportation & Energy + Appropriations
02/25/2010 House Committee on Transportation & Energy Refer Amended to Appropriations
04/09/2010 House Committee on Appropriations Lay Over Amended
04/16/2010 House Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
04/20/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
04/20/2010 House Third Reading Laid Over Daily
04/22/2010 House Third Reading Passed
04/23/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Transportation
04/23/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Transportation + Appropriations
04/29/2010 Senate Committee on Transportation Refer Amended to Appropriations
05/04/2010 Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole
05/06/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily
05/06/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments
05/07/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
05/11/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily
05/11/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
05/25/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
05/25/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
05/25/2010 Sent to the Governor
05/27/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Reduce Sev Tax Credit To Promote Jobs
Sponsors: FRANGAS / ROMER
Under current law, oil and gas producers and interest owners are permitted to claim a credit against the state severance tax on oil and gas for property taxes paid. Section 2 of the bill reduces the amount of the credit by 50% for a 2-year period beginning on January 1, 2011. Section 3 of the bill requires the additional severance tax revenue paid to the state as a result of the reduction in the amount of the credit to be deposited in the following cash funds:
* 90% to the teacher retention cash fund, which is created in section 1 of the bill; and
* 10% to the small business credit cash fund, which is created in section 2 of the bill. The department of education must distribute moneys in the teacher retention cash fund to school districts and the state charter school institute for further distribution to public schools to be used for teacher retention. This money will be in addition to any other school funding. The Colorado economic development commission shall use the moneys in the small business credit cash fund for the purpose of increasing the availability of credit to small businesses as part of the Colorado credit reserve program administered by the Colorado housing and finance authority.
Status
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Business Affairs and Labor
02/09/2010 House Committee on Business Affairs and Labor Postpone Indefinitely
Short Title: Require Government Recovery Audits
Sponsors: VAAD / MITCHELL
The bill adds a new part to the statutory provisions governing the office of state planning and budgeting (OSPB) that:
* Declares overpayments to individuals, vendors, and other entities to be a serious problem for certain government entities (other covered entities) and state agencies that can be mitigated by requiring recovery audits of state agency or other covered entity expenditures designed to recover overpayments.
* Requires the director of OSPB to:
* Contract with private contractors for recovery audits of state agency and other covered entity payments to individuals, vendors, and other entities for state agencies and other covered entities that expend more than $25 million annually;
* Promulgate rules necessary to implement the recovery audit program, including rules to set reasonable compensation as a percentage of the amount recovered from recovery audits for recovery audit contractors and, if deemed appropriate by the director, rules to provide cost-benefit criteria to exempt from the program state agencies and other covered entities that make relatively few or small payments to vendors;
* Report to the legislative audit and joint budget committees by May 1 of each year regarding exemptions from recovery audits proposed to be allowed by the director for the next fiscal year so that the committees can have an opportunity to veto any such exemption;
* Provide copies of all reports received from recovery audit contractors to the governor, the state auditor, and the legislative audit and joint budget committees within 7 days of receipt; and
* No later than December 31 of each year, issue a report to the general assembly summarizing the contents of all recovery audit contractor reports received during the most recently completed fiscal year.
* Allows the director of OSPB to retain a portion of any amount recovered due to a recovery audit in order to defray the reasonable and necessary administrative costs incurred by OSPB in contracting for and providing oversight of the recovery audit.
* Requires the director of OSPB and a state agency or other covered entity subject to a recovery audit to provide to the auditing contractor confidential information necessary for the conduct of the audit to the extent not prohibited by federal law or regulation or an agreement with the federal government, the government of another state, or an agency of another state.
* Requires the auditing contractor to keep the information confidential or face any civil or criminal penalties that would apply to a breach of confidentiality by the state agency or other covered entity or its employees.
Status
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance + State, Veterans, & Military Affairs
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance + State, Veterans, & Military Affairs + Appropriations
02/09/2010 House Committee on Finance Refer Amended to State, Veterans, & Military Affairs
02/16/2010 House Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Refer Amended to Appropriations
04/09/2010 House Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
04/13/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
04/14/2010 House Third Reading Passed
04/19/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance
04/19/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
04/29/2010 Senate Committee on Finance Refer Amended to Appropriations
05/07/2010 Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
05/11/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments
05/12/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
05/12/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
05/27/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
06/01/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
06/01/2010 Sent to the Governor
06/10/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Let Convenience Stores Sell Malt Liquor
Sponsors: LISTON
Current law contains a separate category of licenses for establishments selling fermented malt beverages with an alcohol content of 3.2% or less by weight (3.2% beer), as distinguished from licenses that permit the sale of other alcohol beverages with higher alcohol content, including regular beer, malt liquor, wine, and spirits. Sections 1 to 5 of the bill would allow the sale of malt liquor in convenience stores, defined as retail businesses of less than 5,000 square feet and offering quick purchases of food, beverages, or gasoline but not a pharmacy, which otherwise would be limited to selling 3.2% beer. It would not, however, allow these establishments to sell other types of alcohol beverages such as wine or spirits. Section 6 of the bill requires the department of revenue to conduct a study and report to the general assembly on the effects of the new licensing program by January 1, 2016. Section 8 allows retail liquor stores of less than 5,000 square feet to sell nonperishable food items. Sections 7 and 9 make technical amendments.
Status
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Business Affairs and Labor
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Business Affairs and Labor + Finance
02/10/2010 House Committee on Business Affairs and Labor Refer Amended to Finance
02/24/2010 House Committee on Finance Postpone Indefinitely
Short Title: Elim Sales Tax Exemption For Direct Mail
Sponsors: POMMER / HEATH
Commencing March 1, 2010, the bill eliminates the state sales and use tax exemption for direct mail advertising materials that are distributed in Colorado by any person engaged in the business of providing cooperative direct mail advertising. The bill allows a local government or political subdivision of the state to continue to exempt such direct mail advertising materials from local sales or use tax.
Status
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance
01/27/2010 House Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Finance
01/27/2010 House Committee on Finance Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
01/29/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
01/29/2010 House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments
02/01/2010 House Third Reading Passed
02/02/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance
02/02/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
02/03/2010 Senate Committee on Finance Refer Amended to Appropriations
02/05/2010 Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
02/08/2010 Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments
02/09/2010 Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments
02/10/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
02/12/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Lay Over Daily
02/15/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily
02/16/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
02/23/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
02/23/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
02/23/2010 Sent to the Governor
02/24/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Suspend Indus Fuel Sales & Use Tax Exemp
Sponsors: POMMER / HEATH
For the period commencing March 1, 2010, and ending June 30, 2012, the bill suspends the exemption from the state sales and use taxes for the storage, use, or consumption of electricity, coal, coke, fuel oil, steam, nuclear fuel, or gas for use in processing, manufacturing, mining, refining, irrigation, building construction, telegraph, telephone, and radio communication, street and railroad transportation services, and all industrial uses and makes conforming amendments to prevent the suspension of the exemption from affecting county, municipal, and other local government or political subdivision sales and use taxes.
Status
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance
01/27/2010 House Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Finance
01/27/2010 House Committee on Finance Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
01/29/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
01/29/2010 House Second Reading Special Order - Laid Over with Amendments to 02/01/2010
02/01/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
02/02/2010 House Third Reading Laid Over Daily
02/03/2010 House Third Reading Passed with Amendments
02/04/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance
02/04/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
02/04/2010 Senate Committee on Finance Refer Amended to Appropriations
02/05/2010 Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
02/08/2010 Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments
02/09/2010 Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments
02/09/2010 Senate Third Reading Laid Over Daily
02/10/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
02/12/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Lay Over Daily
02/15/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily
02/16/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
02/23/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
02/23/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
02/23/2010 Sent to the Governor
02/24/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Elim Candy & Soda Sales Tax Exemption
Sponsors: POMMER / HEATH
Effective March 1, 2010, sections 1 and 2 of the bill:
* Narrow the existing state sales and use tax exemptions for food so that candy and soft drinks are no longer exempt from the state sales tax and use taxes;
* Authorize the department of revenue to promulgate rules that allow sellers of candy and soft drinks to, if necessary, reasonably estimate the amount of sales taxes due on their sales; and
* Make conforming amendments to prevent the narrowing of the exemption from affecting county, municipal, and other local government or political subdivision sales and use taxes.
Status
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance
01/27/2010 House Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Finance
01/27/2010 House Committee on Finance Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
01/29/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
01/29/2010 House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments
02/01/2010 House Third Reading Passed
02/02/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance
02/02/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
02/03/2010 Senate Committee on Finance Refer Amended to Appropriations
02/05/2010 Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
02/08/2010 Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments
02/09/2010 Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments
02/10/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed with Amendments
02/11/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Lay Over Daily
02/15/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily
02/16/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
02/23/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
02/23/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
02/23/2010 Sent to the Governor
02/24/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Sales & Use Tax Of Standardized Software
Sponsors: POMMER / HEATH
The bill repeals a special regulation promulgated by the department of revenue related to the type of software subject to sales or use tax. The bill specifies that standardized software is included in the definition of tangible personal property and defines standardized software.
Status
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance
01/27/2010 House Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Finance
01/27/2010 House Committee on Finance Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
01/29/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
01/29/2010 House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments
02/01/2010 House Third Reading Passed
02/02/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance
02/02/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
02/04/2010 Senate Committee on Finance Refer Amended to Appropriations
02/05/2010 Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
02/09/2010 Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments
02/10/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed with Amendments
02/15/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily
02/16/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
02/19/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
02/22/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
02/22/2010 Sent to the Governor
02/24/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Sales Tax Out-of-state Retailers
Sponsors: POMMER / HEATH
Section 1 of the bill relates to current law requiring a retailer to collect sales tax from a person residing in this state only if the retailer has sufficient connections with this state. Commencing March 1, 2010, section 1 articulates a presumption that any out-of-state retailer that has a referral relationship with an affiliate has an obligation to collect sales tax. The bill specifies that the presumption may be rebutted by the out-of-state retailer if the retailer can show that the affiliate with whom the retailer has such a relationship did not engage in active solicitation. The bill defines an affiliate as a person residing in this state that solicits business by means of a public forum in this state. Section 2 specifies that, for purposes of any efforts to collect use tax, the executive director of the department of revenue may issue a subpoena to any out-of-state retailer if the out-of-state retailer refuses to voluntarily furnish specific information when requested and may take the out-of-state retailer's testimony under oath. If the out-of-state retailer fails or refuses to respond to the subpoena and give testimony, the executive director may apply to any judge of the district court of the state of Colorado for an attachment against the out-of-state retailer for contempt.
Status
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance
01/27/2010 House Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Finance
01/27/2010 House Committee on Finance Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
01/29/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
01/29/2010 House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments
02/01/2010 House Third Reading Passed
02/02/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance
02/02/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
02/04/2010 Senate Committee on Finance Refer Amended to Appropriations
02/05/2010 Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
02/05/2010 Senate Second Reading Re-referred to Appropriations
02/08/2010 Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
02/08/2010 Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments
02/09/2010 Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments
02/10/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed with Amendments
02/15/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily
02/16/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
02/23/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
02/23/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
02/23/2010 Sent to the Governor
02/24/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Elim Nonessent Articles Sales Tax Exemp
Sponsors: FERRANDINO / HEATH
Effective March 1, 2010, the bill narrows the existing state sales and use tax exemptions for sales to retailers or vendors of food, meals, or beverages of articles, containers, and bags that are to be furnished without separate charge to consumers or users for use with articles of tangible personal property purchased at retail upon which state sales tax is paid so that articles, containers, and bags that are nonessential to the consumer or user are no longer exempt from the state sales and use taxes and makes conforming amendments to prevent the narrowing of the exemption from affecting county, municipal, and other local government or political subdivision sales and use taxes.
Status
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance
01/27/2010 House Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Finance
01/27/2010 House Committee on Finance Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
01/29/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
01/29/2010 House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments
02/01/2010 House Third Reading Passed
02/02/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance
02/02/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
02/03/2010 Senate Committee on Finance Refer Amended to Appropriations
02/05/2010 Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
02/09/2010 Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments
02/10/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
02/15/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily
02/16/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
02/23/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
02/23/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
02/23/2010 Sent to the Governor
02/24/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Suspend Ag Sales & Use Tax Exemp
Sponsors: FERRANDINO / HEATH
The bill suspends the exemption from the state sales and use taxes for the sale or storage, use, or consumption of agricultural compounds used in caring for livestock, semen for agricultural and ranching purposes, and pesticides for use in the production of agricultural and livestock products for the period beginning March 1, 2010, and ending June 30, 2013. The bill also prevents the suspension of the exemption from affecting sales or use taxes levied by towns, cities, counties, or other political subdivisions of the state that are based on the state sales or use tax unless a town, city, county, or political subdivision expressly subjects such sale or storage, use, or consumption to its sales or use tax for the specified period at the time of adoption of its initial sales or use tax ordinance or resolution or subsequent amendment to the ordinance or resolution.
Status
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance
01/27/2010 House Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Finance
01/29/2010 House Committee on Finance Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
01/29/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
01/29/2010 House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments
02/01/2010 House Third Reading Passed
02/02/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance
02/02/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
02/04/2010 Senate Committee on Finance Refer Amended to Appropriations
02/05/2010 Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
02/09/2010 Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments
02/10/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
02/11/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Lay Over Daily
02/15/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily
02/16/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
02/23/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
02/23/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
02/23/2010 Sent to the Governor
02/24/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Elim Certain Cars Qualified For Tax Cred
Sponsors: FERRANDINO / HEATH
Current law specifies that motor vehicles that meet certain federal guidelines and have a minimum fuel economy of 30 miles per gallon but less than 40 miles per gallon (category 7 motor vehicles) qualify for a state income tax credit for the purchase of vehicles using alternative fuels for the tax years commencing January 1, 2010, and January 1, 2011. The bill disqualifies category 7 motor vehicles from the state income tax credit for purchases of category 7 motor vehicles made on or after January 1, 2011.
Status
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance
01/27/2010 House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to Finance
01/29/2010 House Committee on Finance Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
01/29/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
01/29/2010 House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments
02/01/2010 House Third Reading Passed
02/02/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance
02/02/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
02/03/2010 Senate Committee on Finance Refer Unamended to Appropriations
02/05/2010 Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
02/09/2010 Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed
02/10/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
02/23/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
02/23/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
02/23/2010 Sent to the Governor
02/24/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Susp Credit Alternative Minimum Tax
Sponsors: FERRANDINO / HEATH
The bill suspends for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2010, the credit against the state income tax for an amount equal to 12% of the credit allowed for payment of minimum tax liability under the federal internal revenue code.
Status
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
01/27/2010 House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to Finance
01/29/2010 House Committee on Finance Postpone Indefinitely
Short Title: Net Operation Loss Deduction Temp Limit
Sponsors: FERRANDINO / HEATH
Under current law, a corporation may reduce its Colorado taxable income by carrying forward a net operating loss (NOL). There is no annual limit on the amount of NOL that may be carried forward. For each of the next 3 income tax years, the bill limits the amount of NOL that may be carried forward to $250,000. A NOL may be carried forward one additional year for each year that a corporation is prohibited from carrying forward a portion of its NOL because of this limit.
Status
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance
01/27/2010 House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to Finance
01/29/2010 House Committee on Finance Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
01/29/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
01/29/2010 House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments
02/01/2010 House Third Reading Passed
02/02/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance
02/02/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
02/04/2010 Senate Committee on Finance Refer Amended to Appropriations
02/05/2010 Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
02/08/2010 Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments
02/09/2010 Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments
02/10/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
02/15/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily
02/16/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
02/23/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
02/23/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
02/23/2010 Sent to the Governor
02/24/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Enter Zone Inv Tax Credit Deferral
Sponsors: HULLINGHORST / HEATH
Currently, the enterprise zone investment tax credit (credit) allows a taxpayer to claim an income tax credit that is equal to a percentage of the taxpayer's total qualified investment in qualified property during an income tax year, as long as the investment is in property that is used solely and exclusively in an enterprise zone for at least one year. A taxpayer is allowed to claim the credit for the first $5,000 of income tax liability, plus an amount equal to 50% of the taxpayer's tax liability in excess of $5,000, to the extent permitted by the amount of the qualified investment. A taxpayer is allowed to carry forward the credit for 12 income tax years after the year in which the full amount of the credit was unused. For the 2011, 2012, and 2013 income tax years, the bill limits the amount of the credit that a taxpayer may claim to $250,000 and requires that a taxpayer defer claiming any amount of the credit allowed that exceeds $250,000 to the 2014 income tax year. The bill allows a taxpayer that deferred claiming any credit in excess of $250,000 to carry forward the credit for 12 income tax years after the year the credit was originally allowed, plus one additional year for each year that the taxpayer had to defer claiming the credit in excess of $250,000.
Status
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance
01/22/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance
04/05/2010 House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to Finance
04/07/2010 House Committee on Finance Lay Over Unamended - Amendment(s) Failed
04/21/2010 House Committee on Finance Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
04/26/2010 House Second Reading Passed
04/27/2010 House Third Reading Passed
04/29/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance
05/04/2010 Senate Committee on Finance Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
05/07/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed
05/10/2010 Senate Third Reading Laid Over Daily
05/10/2010 Senate Third Reading Lost
05/10/2010 Senate Third Reading Reconsidered
05/12/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed with Amendments
05/12/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
05/25/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
05/25/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
05/25/2010 Sent to the Governor
05/27/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Group Life Ins Minimum No Reqmnt
Sponsors: KERR A. / STEADMAN
Current law establishes the minimum number of persons that must be covered by a group life insurance policy. The current minimum number of persons required to be covered is 3. This bill deletes the minimum number requirement.
Status
01/26/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Business Affairs and Labor
02/02/2010 House Committee on Business Affairs and Labor Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
02/05/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
02/08/2010 House Second Reading Passed
02/09/2010 House Third Reading Passed
02/17/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Business, Labor and Technology
03/03/2010 Senate Committee on Business, Labor and Technology Refer Unamended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole
03/08/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed
03/09/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
03/15/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
03/18/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
03/18/2010 Sent to the Governor
03/25/2010 Governor Action - Signed
03/29/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Modifications To PERA
Sponsors: LAMBERT / KING K.
The bill makes changes to the public employees' retirement association (PERA) as specified below. Highest average salary. Currently, a PERA member's highest average salary (HAS) is based on an average of the highest annual salaries associated with 3 periods of 12 consecutive months of service with a base year. Current law also imposes either an 8% or 15% cap on the amount of salary increase from one year to the next that will be counted toward the HAS calculation, depending on whether a person was a member, inactive member, or retiree on certain dates. For all members who are not yet eligible to draw a full or reduced service retirement benefit on January 1, 2011, the bill changes the current HAS calculation to a 5-year HAS with a base year and imposes a 5% cap on the amount of salary increase from one year to the next that will be counted toward the HAS calculation. Report by the state treasurer. The bill requires the state treasurer to submit a report to the general assembly regarding the overall financial standing of PERA on an annual basis, or more frequently than annually when the treasurer determines that the financial standing of the association is unsound. Actuarial necessity. Currently, statute does not define under what conditions an actuarial necessity exists. The bill states that an actuarial necessity exists when the defined benefit plan is not actuarially sound and that, in the event of an actuarial necessity, the general assembly may modify the benefits allowed to certain members in the defined benefit plan of PERA. Rate of return on investments. The bill requires the board to assume an annual rate of return on all investments made with PERA funds that is based on the average of the actual rate of return for the 3 previous calendar years. Employer and member contribution rates. The bill changes the employer and member contribution rates for employers and members in the PERA defined benefit plan beginning on January 1, 2011. For all employers and members, the contribution shall be an amount equal to 10% of the member's salary. Eliminate the amortization equalization disbursement (AED). The AED is a contribution made by each PERA employer, in addition to the employer contribution, that was enacted by the general assembly as a means of improving the funded ratio of the retirement plans administered by PERA. The AED began in the 2006 calendar year and was 0.5% of each PERA employer's total payroll. The AED increased by 0.5% for the 2007 calendar year. For employers in all divisions of PERA, current law requires the AED to increase by an additional 0.4% in the 2008 through 2012 calendar years for a total AED equal to 3% of the employer's total payroll. The bill eliminates the AED for employers in all divisions of PERA beginning in the 2011 calendar year. Eliminate the supplemental amortization equalization disbursement (SAED). The SAED is a contribution made by each PERA employer but is funded from moneys that would otherwise be used by the employer for employees' annual raises. The SAED is in addition to the employer and employee contributions and the AED. Like the AED, it was enacted by the general assembly as a means of improving the funded ratio of the retirement plans administered by PERA. The SAED began in the 2008 calendar year and was 0.5% of each PERA employer's total payroll. For employers in all divisions of PERA, current law requires the SAED to increase by an additional 0.5% in the 2009 through the 2013 calendar years for a total SAED equal to 3% of the employer's total payroll. The bill eliminates the SAED for employers in all divisions of PERA beginning in the 2011 calendar year. Adjustment of contribution rates by the general assembly. Currently, contribution rates set in statute are not typically adjusted on an annual basis. The bill requires the general assembly to review the PERA employer and employee contribution rates when the actuarial funded ratio of a particular division of PERA is at or above 90% and to determine the amount, if any, by which such contributions can be reduced for that particular division and still maintain the actuarial funded ratio of that division at or above 90%. The general assembly is required to review the contribution rates again if the actuarial funded ratio of the division reaches 90% and subsequently falls below 90%. Purchase of service credit. Currently, under certain circumstances, PERA members are allowed to purchase service credit for years of service that are not currently counted toward their years of service. The bill prohibits all purchases of service credit on and after January 1, 2011. Rule of 95. A member is currently required to have 30 years of service and to have reached the age of 50 or 55, depending on when the employee began employment with a PERA employer, to retire with a full retirement benefit. This is commonly known as the rule of 80 or the rule of 85, respectively. The bill creates a new rule of 95 by requiring members, other than state troopers, who did not have 5 years of service credit on the effective date of the bill to have 30 years of service and to have reached the age of 65 to retire with a full retirement benefit. Cost of living adjustment (COLA). Currently, the annual COLA for benefit recipients is either 3.5% or the lesser of 3% or inflation, depending on when the member began membership in PERA. The bill reduces the COLA to the lesser of 2% or inflation for all current and future retirees, regardless of when they began membership in PERA. In addition, the bill requires benefit recipients whose effective date of retirement is on or after January 1, 2011, to receive benefits for at least the full preceding calendar year before the benefit is adjusted with the COLA. When the actuarial funded ratio of any division of PERA is at or above 90%, the bill allows the general assembly to restore or adjust the COLA for only benefit recipients whose benefits are based on the account of a member who was in the division with an actuarial funded ratio at or above 90%. The bill allows the general assembly to annually adjust the COLA for benefit recipients from any division with an actuarial funded ratio of 90% or more and specifies that such adjustment shall be based on the rate of inflation. Defined contribution plan. PERA currently offers a defined contribution plan and specifies the conditions under which a member may opt into the defined contribution plan in lieu of participating in the defined benefit plan. The bill eliminates the existing defined contribution plan administered by PERA and specifies that all employees who are members of the existing defined contribution plan shall become members of a newly established defined contribution plan (new DC plan). The bill establishes the new DC plan for public employees and requires that an employee first hired on or after January 1, 2011, shall become a member of the new DC plan and shall not have the option to become a member of the defined benefit plan. Employees who are members of the defined benefit plan and who are not entitled to full or partial retirement benefits are allowed to make an irrevocable election to participate in the new DC plan. In connection with the new DC plan, the bill:
* Specifies the amount of employee and employer contributions that shall be made to the individual account of an employee who is a member of the new DC plan;
* Specifies the vesting requirements for members of the new DC plan;
* Allows each member of the new DC plan to exercise control of the investment of the member's account under the new DC plan;
* Directs the board to select investment alternatives for the members of the new DC plan that provide a choice between risk and return in the investment;
* Specifies that the new DC plan shall offer at least one alternative to allow members to invest in tangible precious metals or commodities;
* Specifies that PERA and employers shall not be responsible for any financial losses experienced by members in the new DC plan;
* Directs the board to establish distribution options for members in the new DC plan;
* Specifies the rights of members in the new DC plan;
* Requires that a retiree who returns to work shall become a member of the new DC plan for any service after retirement;
* Requires that a member or DPS member who is a member of the defined benefit plan but then begins employment with a new PERA employer on or after January 1, 2011, shall become a member of the new DC plan, regardless of whether the new and previous employers are in the same division of PERA.
Status
01/26/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to State, Veterans, & Military Affairs
02/23/2010 House Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Postpone Indefinitely
Short Title: Arts Ed For Workforce Development
Sponsors: MERRIFIELD / SPENCE & ...
In section 1, the bill recognizes the importance of visual arts and performing arts in public education. Section 2 of the bill requires each public school in the state to provide visual arts and performing arts education. Demonstration of proficiency regarding the visual arts and May, McKinley, Middleton, Nikkel, Peniston, Primavera, Roberts, Scanlan, Schafer S., Solano, Todd, Tyler Romer, Tapia, Williams performing arts standards will be a condition of high school graduation from the public schools of the state beginning with the ninth-grade class of 2010-11. Under current law, the state board of education must adopt rules describing the minimum contents of each student's individual career and academic plan. Section 3 of the bill requires each plan to include the student's progress in visual arts and performing arts classes. Sections 4-8 of the bill amend several provisions of the "Preschool to Postsecondary Education Alignment Act" to specifically incorporate visual arts and performing arts education into the standards, assessments, and postsecondary and workforce readiness program that the state board of education and local education providers adopt. Sections 9-13 of the bill recognize the importance of visual arts and performing arts education in preventing student dropouts and in helping local education providers re-engage students in school. Under current law, the office of dropout prevention and student re-engagement, in the department of education, collaborates with several community organizations. The bill includes private nonprofit or for-profit community arts organizations in the list of collaborative agencies. Certain local education providers are currently required to assess their practices related to student dropouts and re-engagement. The bill includes policies and practices related to visual arts and performing arts education in the assessment. Those local education providers that adopt student graduation and completion plans are encouraged to include increased availability of visual arts and performing arts education in those plans. The bill also specifies visual arts and performing arts education as education services for which a local education provider may seek grant moneys under the student re-engagement grant program. Sections 14 and 15 of the bill conform the definition of arts-based activity in the dropout prevention activity grant program with the definitions of visual arts and performing arts created in the bill. Section 16 of the bill clarifies that career and technical education for which a school district, board of cooperative services, or charter school may receive funding includes visual arts and performing arts education.
Status
02/05/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Education
02/25/2010 House Committee on Education Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
03/01/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over to 03/05/2010
03/05/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
03/08/2010 House Third Reading Passed
03/11/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Education
04/01/2010 Senate Committee on Education Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
04/08/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily
04/13/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments
04/14/2010 Senate Third Reading Reconsidered
04/14/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
04/14/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
04/16/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily
04/16/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Not Concur - Request Conference Committee
04/22/2010 First Conference Committee Result was to Committee Recessed
05/04/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
05/04/2010 House Consideration of First Conference Committee Report result was to Recede
05/17/2010 Governor Action - Intends to Sign
05/18/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
05/18/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
05/18/2010 Sent to the Governor
05/18/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: New Energy Jobs Creation Act
Sponsors: MIKLOSI / SCHWARTZ
Section 1 of the bill creates the Colorado new energy improvement district (district) as an independent public body corporate and a public instrumentality performing an essential public function, clarifies that, under applicable Colorado supreme court case law, the district is not subject to the provisions of the taxpayer's bill of rights, and specifies the qualifications, manner of appointment, and terms of the board of directors of the district. Section 1 of the bill also specifies that the purpose of the district is to help provide the special benefits of new energy improvements to owners of eligible real property who voluntarily join the district by establishing, developing, financing, and administering a new energy improvement program (program) in counties that have approved the conduct of the program by the district through which the district can provide assistance to any such owner in completing a new energy improvement by providing reimbursement or a direct payment for all or a portion of the cost of completing a new energy improvement and further specifies the powers and duties of the district, including but not limited to the power to:
* Develop and implement a process by which an owner of eligible real property may join the district;
* Impose special assessments on eligible real property included in the district; and
* Issue bonds payable from the special assessments for the purpose of generating the moneys needed to make a reimbursement or a direct payment to district members for all or a portion of the cost of completing new energy improvements. Section 1 of the bill also requires the public utilities commission to:
* Determine the extent to which the marketing, promotional, and other efforts of a utility for which the commission has developed demand-side management targets or goals have contributed to energy efficiency improvements funded by the district; and
* Allow a utility to count the related energy savings towards compliance with the targets or goals using any method deemed appropriate by the commission. Section 2 of the bill requires the state auditor to conduct or cause to be conducted an annual performance audit and an annual financial audit of the district and the program and prepare and present to the legislative audit committee an annual report and recommendations on each audit conducted. Section 3 of the bill makes a conforming amendment.
Status
02/08/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to State, Veterans, & Military Affairs
03/02/2010 House Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only
03/04/2010 House Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
03/09/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
03/10/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over to 03/12/2010
03/12/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over to 03/17/2010
03/17/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over to 03/19/2010
03/19/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
03/22/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
03/23/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over to 03/26/2010
03/26/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
03/29/2010 House Third Reading Passed
04/05/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Local Government and Energy
04/13/2010 Senate Committee on Local Government and Energy Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
04/16/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily
04/19/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments
04/20/2010 Senate Third Reading Laid Over Daily
04/21/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed with Amendments
04/23/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily
04/28/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
05/13/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
05/17/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
05/17/2010 Sent to the Governor
06/09/2010 Governor Action - Intends to Sign
06/11/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Green Jobs CO Training Pilot Program
Sponsors: VIGIL / SCHWARTZ & ...
The bill creates in the office of the governor the green jobs Kagan, Kefalas, Levy, Massey, McFadyen, McKinley, Middleton, Miklosi, Pace, Peniston, Pommer, Riesberg, Ryden, Scanlan, Schafer S., Solano, Soper, Tyler Colorado training program, which is a 2-year pilot program. The pilot program will offer grants to applicants who train individuals for jobs in the wind, solar, renewable energy, and energy efficiency industries. The bill also creates the green jobs Colorado advisory council, which will review grant applications and award grants to applicants who meet the requirements specified in the bill. The bill specifies that the pilot program is to be funded by federal funds received by the department of labor and employment for the purposes of the pilot program and by funds received from the governor's energy office. Finally, the bill requires the executive director of the department of labor and employment to evaluate the green jobs Colorado training program and report his or her findings to the governor and the legislative committees of reference assigned in the bill.
Status
02/09/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Business Affairs and Labor
02/24/2010 House Committee on Business Affairs and Labor Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
03/01/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
03/02/2010 House Third Reading Laid Over Daily
03/03/2010 House Third Reading Passed
03/09/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Local Government and Energy
03/09/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Local Government and Energy + Appropriations
03/23/2010 Senate Committee on Local Government and Energy Refer Amended to Appropriations
04/23/2010 Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
04/27/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments
04/28/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
04/30/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily
05/04/2010 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
05/12/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
05/12/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
05/13/2010 Sent to the Governor
06/11/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Ballot Measure Disclosure Requirements
Sponsors: COURT / STEADMAN
Section 1 of the bill makes legislative findings and declarations. Section 2 of the bill requires the secretary of state to notify the proponents of a statewide initiative petition at the time a petition is approved that the proponents must register an issue committee if 200 or more petition sections are printed or accepted in connection with Hullinghorst, Kagan, Kerr A., King S., Labuda, Levy, Looper, Massey, McCann, McFadyen, Merrifield, Middleton, Miklosi, Murray, Pace, Peniston, Pommer, Primavera, Rice, Roberts, Ryden, Scanlan, Schafer S., Solano, Soper, Todd, Tyler, Vaad, Vigil, Weissmann circulation of the petition. Section 3 of the bill requires each person who submits written comments to the staff of legislative council for the general assembly in connection with drafting the arguments for and against the initiated or referred measures contained in the ballot information booklet (blue book) to provide certain identifying information. The arguments for and against each measure in the analysis section of the blue book shall be preceded by a phrase referencing the secretary of state's election center web site address containing information on those issue committees that support or oppose the measures at the upcoming election. Section 4 of the bill clarifies "major purpose" for purposes of the campaign and political finance provisions of the state constitution. Section 5 of the bill makes a conforming amendment. Section 6 of the bill requires an issue committee that makes an expenditure in excess of $1,000 on a communication that is broadcast, printed, mailed, or delivered to disclose, in the communication produced by the expenditure, the name of the issue committee making the expenditure. The bill specifies how the disclaimer must appear in the communication. Section 7 of the bill specifies that upon a determination by the office of administrative courts that an issue committee knowingly or intentionally failed to file a report required pursuant to the state's campaign finance laws, the administrative law judge shall direct the issue committee to file any such report within 10 days and may, in addition to any other penalty, impose a penalty not to exceed $20 for each contribution received and expenditure made by the issue committee that was not timely reported.
Status
03/19/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to State, Veterans, & Military Affairs
03/19/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to State, Veterans, & Military Affairs + Appropriations
03/19/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to State, Veterans, & Military Affairs + Appropriations
03/19/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to State, Veterans, & Military Affairs + Appropriations
04/06/2010 House Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Refer Amended to Appropriations
04/06/2010 House Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Refer Amended to Appropriations
04/06/2010 House Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Refer Amended to Appropriations
04/16/2010 House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
04/20/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
04/21/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
04/22/2010 House Third Reading Passed
04/23/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to State, Veterans & Military Affairs
04/23/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to State, Veterans & Military Affairs
04/23/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to State, Veterans & Military Affairs
05/03/2010 Senate Committee on State, Veterans & Military Affairs Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
05/03/2010 Senate Committee on State, Veterans & Military Affairs Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
05/03/2010 Senate Committee on State, Veterans & Military Affairs Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
05/06/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily
05/07/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed
05/10/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
05/24/2010 Governor Action - Intends to Sign
05/25/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
05/25/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
05/25/2010 Sent to the Governor
05/25/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Eliminate PERA's Unfunded Liability
Sponsors: SHAFFER B. & ... / KERR A.
The bill contains benefit and contribution changes to the benefit plans of the public employees' retirement association (PERA) to achieve Hudak, Johnston, Keller, Kester, Morse, Newell, Romer, Sandoval, Schwartz, Steadman, Tapia, Tochtrop, Whitehead, Williams a sound actuarial response to PERA's current financial situation. The bill makes changes to fully amortize the unfunded actuarial accrued liability of each of PERA's divisions and thereby reach a 100% funded ratio for each division within the next 30 years. The bill contains the following three main changes and several additional changes to accomplish the 100% funded ratio: 2% increase in the amortization equalization disbursement (AED). The AED is a contribution made by each PERA employer, in addition to the employer contribution, that was enacted by the general assembly as a means of improving the funded ratio of the retirement plans administered by PERA. The AED began in the 2006 calendar year and was 0.5% of each PERA employer's total payroll. The AED increased by 0.5% for the 2007 calendar year. For employers in all divisions of PERA, current law requires the AED to increase by an additional 0.4% in the 2008 through 2012 calendar years for a total AED equal to 3% of the employer's total payroll. The bill makes several modifications to the AED as follows:
* For employers in the state, school, and DPS divisions only, the bill extends the annual increases in the AED through the 2017 calendar year. For each of those calendar years, the AED increases by 0.4% of the employer's total payroll. After the 2017 increase, the total AED for these 3 divisions will be 5% of the employer's total payroll.
* In any year that the actuarial funded ratio of the state, school, or DPS division of PERA is at or above 103%, the bill requires the AED for that particular division to be reduced by 0.5%. Subsequent to reaching a 103% funded ratio, in any year that the actuarial funded ratio of any of these 3 divisions of PERA falls below 90%, the bill requires the AED for that particular division to be increased by 0.5%; except that the AED shall not exceed 5%.
* For employers in the local government division and the judicial division only, the bill freezes the annual increases in the AED beginning with the 2011 calendar year. For these 2 divisions, the bill maintains the AED at the 2010 rate of 2.2% of the employer's total payroll.
* In any year that the actuarial funded ratio of the local government or judicial division of PERA is at or above 103%, the bill requires the AED for that particular division to be reduced by 0.5%. Subsequent to reaching a 90% funded ratio, in any year that the actuarial funded ratio of either such division of PERA falls below 90%, the bill requires the AED for that particular division to be increased by 0.5%; except that the AED shall not exceed 5%. 2% increase in the supplemental amortization equalization disbursement (SAED). The SAED is a contribution made by each PERA employer but is funded from moneys that would otherwise be used by the employer for employees' annual raises. The SAED is in addition to the employer and employee contributions and the AED. Like the AED, it was enacted by the general assembly as a means of improving the funded ratio of the retirement plans administered by PERA. The SAED began in the 2008 calendar year and was 0.5% of each PERA employer's total payroll. For employers in all divisions of PERA, current law requires the SAED to increase by an additional 0.5% in the 2009 through the 2013 calendar years for a total SAED equal to 3% of the employer's total payroll. The bill also makes several modifications to the SAED as follows:
* For the employers in the state, school, and DPS divisions only, the bill extends the annual increases in the SAED through the 2017 calendar year. For each of those calendar years, the SAED increases by 0.5% of the employer's total payroll. After the 2017 increase, the total SAED for these 3 divisions will be 5% of the employer's total payroll, but it will be funded from moneys that would have otherwise been used for employees' annual raises.
* In any year that the actuarial funded ratio of the state, school, or DPS division of PERA is at or above 103%, the bill requires the SAED for that particular division to be reduced by 0.5%. Subsequent to reaching a 103% funded ratio, in any year that the actuarial funded ratio of any of these 3 divisions of PERA falls below 90%, the bill requires the SAED for that particular division to be increased by 0.5%; except that the SAED shall not exceed 5%.
* For employers in the local government division and the judicial division only, the bill freezes the annual increases in the SAED beginning with the 2011 calendar year. For these 2 divisions, the bill maintains the SAED at the 2010 rate of 1.5% of the employer's total payroll, but, to the extent allowed by law, it will be funded from moneys that would have otherwise been used for employees' annual raises.
* In any year that the actuarial funded ratio of the local government or judicial division of PERA is at or above 103%, the bill requires the SAED for that particular division to be reduced by 0.5%. Subsequent to reaching a 90% funded ratio, in any year that the actuarial funded ratio of either such division of PERA falls below 90%, the bill requires the SAED for that particular division to be increased by 0.5%; except that the SAED shall not exceed 5%. 2% cap on the cost of living adjustment (COLA) for all retirees, members, and inactive members. Currently, the annual COLA for benefit recipients is either 3.5% or the lesser of 3% or inflation, depending on when the member began membership in PERA. For the years 2010 and 2011, the bill reduces the COLA to the lesser of 2% or inflation and requires the inflation calculation to be based on specified periods during the 2008 and 2009 calendar years, resulting in a 0% or near 0% COLA for those 2 years. For the year 2012 and each year thereafter, the bill changes the COLA to the applicable COLA cap, which will be 2% for the foreseeable future, unless PERA experiences a year with a negative investment return. A year with a negative investment return triggers a 3-year period during which the COLA will be the lesser of inflation or the COLA cap. The bill makes the following additional changes regarding the COLA:
* Specifies that benefits for all benefit recipients will be adjusted with the COLA each year with the July benefit.
* Requires benefit recipients whose effective date of retirement is on or after January 1, 2011, to receive benefits for at least a 12-month period following retirement before the benefit is adjusted with the COLA. In addition, for members who are not eligible to retire as of January 1, 2011, the bill requires that members retiring with a reduced service retirement reach the age of 60 or meet the applicable age and service requirement for a full service retirement to be eligible to receive the COLA.
* Increases the 2% COLA limit by 0.25% in each year that the actuarial funded ratio of PERA is at or above 103%. If, after reaching a 103% funded ratio, the funded ratio subsequently falls below 90%, the bill reduces the COLA limit by 0.25% in each year that the funded ratio is below 90%, but specifies that the COLA limit will never go below 2%. This change applies to the COLA for all current and future retirees. Additional change for PERA employers. The bill makes the following change that affects employers in only the school and DPS divisions:
* Eliminate increase in employer contribution. Pursuant to current law, the employer contribution for employers in the school division and the DPS division will increase by 0.4% beginning in 2013. The bill eliminates this increase and maintains the employer contribution of 10.15% for the school division and 13.75% for the DPS division. Additional changes for active and inactive PERA members. The bill makes several additional changes that affect active and inactive members as follows:
* Highest Average Salary (HAS). Currently, a PERA member's HAS is based on an average of the highest annual salaries associated with 3 periods of 12 consecutive months of service with a base year. Current law also imposes either an 8% or 15% cap on the amount of salary increase from one year to the next that will be counted toward the HAS calculation, depending on whether a person was a member, inactive member, or retiree on certain dates. For members who are not yet able to draw a full or reduced service retirement benefit on January 1, 2011, the bill maintains the current 3-year HAS calculation but imposes an 8% cap on the amount of salary increase from one year to the next that will be counted toward the HAS calculation.
* 50% employer matching contribution. Currently, all members who receive a refund of their PERA accounts prior to meeting the age and service requirements for a retirement benefit receive a matching employer contribution that is equal to 50% of the employee contributions in the member's contribution account. The bill eliminates the 50% matching contribution for members who receive a refund when they have fewer than 5 years of earned service credit. Employees who have fewer than 5 years of service credit on the effective date of the bill and who receive a refund of their account will receive the 50% match on any employee contributions made through the effective date of the bill.
* Service retirement eligibility. A member is currently required to have 30 years of service and to have reached the age of 50 or 55, depending on when the employee began employment with a PERA employer, to retire with a full retirement benefit. This is commonly known as the rule of 80 or the rule of 85, respectively. The bill modifies the age and service requirements for a full service retirement as follows: For existing members with less than 5 years of service credit, the rule of 85 applies with a required minimum age of 55 to retire. For members hired on or after January 1, 2011, but prior to January 1, 2017, the bill creates a new rule of 88 by requiring members to have 30 years of service and to have reached the age of 58 to retire with a full retirement benefit. For members hired on or after January 1, 2017, the bill creates a new rule of 90 by requiring members to have 30 years of service and to have reached the age of 60 to retire with a full retirement benefit. These changes do not apply to state troopers.
* Early retirement reduction factors. Under current law, the retirement benefit for members who retire early is reduced by a certain percentage, depending on when the member retires, for each year or fraction of a year that the member would have had to work to be eligible for a full retirement benefit. The bill changes the reduction factor to the actuarial cost of the reduction to ensure that early retirement benefits are not greater than the actuarial equivalent of a full service retirement benefit at the earliest date of retirement eligibility. This change applies to members who are not eligible to draw a retirement benefit on January 1, 2011.
* COLA. Currently, the benefit of any vested inactive member who began PERA membership on or before December 31, 2006, and who terminated PERA membership with at least 25 years of service credit is increased by the COLA that would have been granted to the account if the retirement benefit had been paid since the date of termination of membership. The bill eliminates this provision for members who are not eligible to draw a benefit on January 1, 2011. Additional changes for PERA retirees. The bill makes the following additional changes for PERA retirees who return to employment with a PERA employer after retirement:
* Working retiree contribution. Currently, when a retiree returns to work for a PERA employer without suspending his or her retirement, the retiree is not required to pay member contributions to PERA. The bill requires a retiree who returns to work for a PERA employer to make a working retiree contribution to PERA. The bill specifies that the working retiree contribution is an amount equal to what would be paid to PERA as a member contribution, but that the working retiree contribution is not considered a member contribution and will not be deposited in the retiree's member contribution account.
* Employment after service retirement for members in the school and DPS divisions and higher education members in the state division. Current law limits the number of hours and days that a service retiree may work for a PERA employer to 110 days in a calendar year if the retiree works for more than 4 hours a day or 720 hours in a calendar year if the retiree works for less than 4 hours a day. For each PERA employer in the school and DPS divisions and the higher education employers in the state division, the bill increases the maximum number of days that a retiree may work to 140 days in a calendar year if the retiree works for more than 4 hours a day or 916 hours in the calendar year if the retiree works for less than 4 hours a day. Such increases apply to only 10 employees for each employer in the school division and DPS division and each higher education employer in the state division. In addition, the bill specifies that for the first 110 days of such employment, the employer shall submit the employer contribution, the working retiree contribution, the AED, and the SAED to PERA and for the last 30 days of such employment, all such contributions shall be funded by a reduction in the salary of the service retiree.
* Benefit calculation for service earned after retirement. The bill prevents retirees who suspend their retirement benefit and return to work for a PERA employer from adding service credit to their original retirement benefit. Instead, the bill requires that each period of service for a PERA employer after retirement be calculated as a separate benefit segment under the benefit structure that was in place when the retiree originally retired. If the retiree works for at least a year, the retiree is entitled to an additional benefit upon re-retirement or can choose a refund of any moneys credited to the member's contribution account during the period that the retiree worked after retirement, plus the applicable employer matching contribution. If the retiree works for less than a year, the retiree is entitled to the refund only.
* Optional retirement plan. The bill allows a retiree working for an institution of higher education to suspend retirement benefits and return to PERA membership pursuant to PERA laws. In addition, the bill specifies that a retiree in an optional retirement plan who has returned to work at an institution of higher education without suspending his or her benefit is not subject to the working retiree contribution. DPS division. The bill implements the same changes to the DPS division of PERA as are implemented to the school division to fully amortize the unfunded actuarial accrued liability of the DPS division. PERA board of trustees. The bill requires the PERA board of trustees to determine the total aggregate actuarial funded ratio of PERA and then to determine the actuarial funded ratio of each division separately. The bill requires PERA to submit a report to the general assembly on January 1, 2016, and every 5 years thereafter, regarding the economic impact of the changes included in the bill to the annual increase provisions on the retirees and benefit recipients as compared to the actual rate of inflation and the progress made toward eliminating the unfunded liabilities of each division of PERA.
Status
01/13/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance
01/13/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
01/26/2010 Senate Committee on Finance Refer Amended to Appropriations
01/29/2010 Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
01/29/2010 Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed
01/29/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments
01/29/2010 Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments
02/01/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed with Amendments
02/03/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance
02/03/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
02/10/2010 House Committee on Finance Refer Unamended to Appropriations
02/12/2010 House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
02/12/2010 House Second Reading Special Order - Passed
02/15/2010 House Third Reading Laid Over Daily
02/16/2010 House Third Reading Passed
02/17/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
02/17/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
02/17/2010 Sent to the Governor
02/23/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Economic Opportunity Task Force
Sponsors: SANDOVAL / GAGLIARDI
Economic Opportunity Poverty Reduction Task Force. The bill specifies that the duties of the economic opportunity poverty reduction task force (task force) include developing a relevant, fluid model for assessing progress toward reducing poverty and increasing economic opportunity in Colorado. Once a model is developed, the task force will recommend that the general assembly adopt the task force's model for purposes of evaluating the effectiveness of certain public programs and policies in achieving the goals of the task force.
Status
01/13/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Health and Human Services
01/28/2010 Senate Committee on Health and Human Services Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
02/02/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments
02/03/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
02/04/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Health and Human Services
03/04/2010 House Committee on Health and Human Services Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
03/10/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over to 03/12/2010
03/12/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
03/15/2010 House Third Reading Passed
03/18/2010 Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily
03/18/2010 Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
04/07/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
04/08/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
04/08/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
04/08/2010 Sent to the Governor
04/15/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Workers' Comp Conflicts Of Interest
Sponsors: CARROLL M. / MIKLOSI
Interim Committee to Study Issues Related to Pinnacol Assurance. Section 1 of the bill requires a physician who has been proposed by the division of workers' compensation (division) in the department of labor and employment to perform an independent medical examination (IME) of an injured worker to disclose any business, employment, financial, or advisory relationship with an insurer or self-insured employer if a party requests the information. Section 1 gives a party to the IME process the right to obtain and review the information regarding any physicians proposed to conduct the IME prior to making a determination to eliminate one of the proposed physicians as an examiner. Section 1 also directs the director of the division to adopt rules as necessary to implement the disclosure requirements. Section 2 of the bill prohibits the payment of a financial incentive by an insurer, self-insured employer, or health care provider to deny or delay a workers' compensation claim, or to deny or delay medical care or payment for medical treatment for any such claim. Section 2 declares that a violation of its provisions constitutes bad faith and an unfair or deceptive practice in the business of insurance and subjects the person committing the violation to penalties under the unfair or deceptive insurance practices statutes, which may be up to $3,000 per violation, not to exceed an aggregate penalty of $30,000, or, in the case of knowing violations, up to $30,000 per violation, not to exceed an aggregate penalty of $750,000 annually. Section 2 also subjects persons violating its provisions to penalties under the "Workers' Compensation Act of Colorado". Section 3 prohibits a treating physician from communicating with the insurer or employer of an injured worker unless the injured worker is present or the communication is in writing and is provided to the injured worker. Section 4 specifies that contractual provisions that establish a reversionary interest in an insurer for indemnity benefits are void as against public policy.
Status
01/13/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Judiciary
03/31/2010 Senate Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
04/07/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily
04/19/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over to 04/22/2010
04/22/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily
04/23/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments
04/26/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
04/27/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Judiciary
04/28/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Judiciary
05/06/2010 House Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
05/10/2010 House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments
05/11/2010 House Third Reading Passed
05/11/2010 Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
05/18/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
05/18/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
05/18/2010 Sent to the Governor
05/27/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Workers' Comp Benefits Knowing Penalty
Sponsors: TOCHTROP / PACE
Interim Committee to Study Issues Related to Pinnacol Assurance. Increases the penalty for violating the workers' compensation laws from up to $500 to up to $1,000. Changes the mental state from "willfully" to "knowingly" in the statute that penalizes denying workers' compensation medical benefits, delaying payment of medical benefits for more than 30 days, or stopping payments. Allows the director of the division of workers' compensation or an administrative law judge to apportion the penalties, in whole or part, among the aggrieved party, the medical services provider, and the workers' compensation cash fund.
Status
01/13/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Judiciary
03/31/2010 Senate Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
04/06/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily
04/07/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily
04/19/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over to 04/22/2010
04/22/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily
04/23/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily with Amendments
04/23/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments
04/26/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
04/27/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Judiciary
05/03/2010 House Committee on Judiciary Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
05/05/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
05/06/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
05/07/2010 House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments
05/10/2010 House Third Reading Passed
05/11/2010 Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Reconsider
05/11/2010 Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
05/11/2010 Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Pass
05/18/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
05/18/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
05/18/2010 Sent to the Governor
05/26/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Workers' Compensation Accountability
Sponsors: HODGE / RYDEN
Interim Committee to Study Issues Related to Pinnacol Assurance. Section 1 of the bill requires workers' compensation insurers to survey a limited number of injured workers at the close of each claim. Section 1 also requires the insurers to report the results of the surveys to the division of workers' compensation (division) in the department of labor and employment, and requires the division to post the survey results on the division's web site. Finally, section 1 prohibits an employer or insurer from taking disciplinary action or otherwise retaliating against an injured worker or his or her dependents for completing a survey. Section 2 of the bill requires the chief executive officer of Pinnacol Assurance to submit an annual report to the governor and committees of the general assembly reporting on the business operations, resources, and liabilities of the Pinnacol Assurance fund. Section 3 of the bill requires the division to post on the division's web site the procedure for an injured worker to follow to file a complaint with the division regarding any issue over which the director or his or her designee has authority to pursue, settle, or enforce.
Status
01/13/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Judiciary
01/13/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Judiciary + Appropriations
03/31/2010 Senate Committee on Judiciary Refer Unamended to Appropriations
04/16/2010 Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
04/21/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily
04/26/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments
04/27/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
04/27/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Business Affairs and Labor
05/05/2010 House Committee on Business Affairs and Labor Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
05/06/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
05/07/2010 House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments
05/10/2010 House Third Reading Passed
05/11/2010 Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
05/19/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
05/20/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
05/20/2010 Sent to the Governor
05/27/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Return To Work By FPPA Member
Sponsors: WILLIAMS / RIESBERG & ...
Police Officers' and Firefighters' Pension Reform Commission. Allows the board of directors of the fire and police pension association to adopt rules, in the board's discretion, suspending the distribution of Waller benefits to any retired member participating in the defined benefit system who, after electing a retirement, has returned to work with an employer who also participates in the defined benefit system. Allows the board of directors to adopt rules upon findings by the board that allow a member who has elected a retirement to continue to receive retirement benefits and earn additional benefits.
Status
01/13/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Business, Labor and Technology
01/25/2010 Senate Committee on Business, Labor and Technology Refer Unamended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole
01/28/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed
01/29/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
02/01/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Business Affairs and Labor
02/10/2010 House Committee on Business Affairs and Labor Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
02/17/2010 House Second Reading Passed
02/18/2010 House Third Reading Passed
02/26/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
02/26/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
03/01/2010 Sent to the Governor
03/10/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Work Share Program
Sponsors: HEATH / PACE
Section 1 of the bill directs the director of the division of employment and training in the department of labor and employment (director) to establish a work share program allowing for the payment of unemployment compensation benefits to employees of a particular work unit whose work hours have been reduced at least 10% but not more than 40%. In order to be eligible for payment of benefits, an employer must submit a work share plan (plan) to the director for approval. The plan must apply to at least 10% of the employees in the affected unit. The plan must meet specific requirements in order to be approved by the director. Employees must also meet specific eligibility requirements in order to be eligible for the payment of benefits. The bill allows for modifications to a plan if conditions of the employer change. The bill also specifies that the benefits payable under the work share program are not in addition to the total maximum allowable regular unemployment benefits in a benefit year. Sections 2 through 4 of the bill make conforming amendments.
Status
01/13/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Business, Labor and Technology
01/13/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Business, Labor and Technology + Appropriations
02/17/2010 Senate Committee on Business, Labor and Technology Refer Amended to Appropriations
02/26/2010 Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
03/01/2010 Senate Second Reading Special Order - Laid Over Daily
03/03/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments
03/04/2010 Senate Third Reading Laid Over Daily
03/05/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
03/10/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to State, Veterans, & Military Affairs
03/10/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to State, Veterans, & Military Affairs + Appropriations
03/10/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to State, Veterans, & Military Affairs + Appropriations
03/10/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to State, Veterans, & Military Affairs + Appropriations
03/23/2010 House Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Refer Unamended to Appropriations
03/23/2010 House Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Refer Unamended to Appropriations
03/23/2010 House Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Refer Unamended to Appropriations
04/23/2010 House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
04/27/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
04/28/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
04/29/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
04/30/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
05/03/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
05/04/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
05/05/2010 House Second Reading Passed
05/06/2010 House Third Reading Laid Over Daily
05/07/2010 House Third Reading Passed
05/19/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
05/20/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
05/20/2010 Sent to the Governor
06/07/2010 Governor Action - Intends to Sign
06/09/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Create Efficiencies In State & Local Gov
Sponsors: PENRY / CURRY
The bill creates efficiencies and cost savings in state and local government by:
* Eliminating all duties of the office of the executive director of the department of local affairs and directing those duties and appropriations to the lieutenant governor;
* Implementing a 2-year statewide hiring freeze that will require the governor or his or her designee to sign off on all new hires. All new hires must meet the test of being critical to protecting the life, health, or safety of Colorado residents. The governor shall provide the general assembly a monthly report of each new hire made in that month.
* Eliminating all bonuses paid to any state employee for 2 years;
* Reducing the personnel budget of the governor's office, the executive directors' offices, and the directors of each principal department's offices to 2005-06 fiscal year levels;
* Reducing by 3% the number of all full-time equivalent state employees paid in whole or in part with general fund dollars within 5 years;
* Requiring the governor to report in writing to the general assembly by April 1, 2010, regarding the consolidation of existing boards and commissions;
* Authorizing the governor to repeal the Colorado commission on higher education and to direct any necessary responsibilities and appropriations to the lieutenant governor;
* Requiring the governor to report in writing to the general assembly by April 1, 2010, regarding which agencies and departments perform similar or redundant functions and should be consolidated;
* Limiting the governor's energy office to spending no more than 10% of its total budget on personnel;
* Requiring that all executive branch expenditures on professional organization dues and memberships be made from gifts, grants, or donations and not from any general fund or cash fund appropriation, except from cash funds established for the purpose of receiving gifts, grants, and donations;
* Requiring the state school board to strongly encourage school districts to create boards of cooperative services where feasible for the purpose of enabling 2 or more school districts to cooperate in furnishing services authorized by law and for consolidating central administrative services;
* Requiring that all actions performed by an existing or newly created board of cooperative services that result in cost savings to the member school districts, as compared to the cost of the school districts performing the same actions individually, to be calculated, and requiring each member school district to remit to the state general fund an amount equal to 50% of the savings realized by the member school district. However, such amount shall not exceed the amount the member school district received as its state share of total program funding for the applicable budget year.
* Requiring the governor to reduce by 10% the pay of all full-time equivalent state employees earning $125,000 or more annually, except employees of state institutions of higher education;
* Requiring the controller to transfer from the general fund to the newly created general fund overflow reserve fund an amount that he or she calculates to be the equivalent of the total amount of general fund moneys appropriated in all bills that are vetoed by the governor, including any general fund line item appropriation in the general appropriation act that is line-item vetoed by the governor;
* Removing the requirement that motor vehicles have a front license plate.
Status
01/13/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to State, Veterans & Military Affairs
01/13/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to State, Veterans & Military Affairs + Appropriations
03/31/2010 Senate Committee on State, Veterans & Military Affairs Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only
04/14/2010 Senate Committee on State, Veterans & Military Affairs Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only
04/19/2010 Senate Committee on State, Veterans & Military Affairs Refer Amended to Appropriations
04/30/2010 Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
04/30/2010 Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments
05/03/2010 Senate Third Reading Lost
Short Title: Spec Election For Vacant US Senate Seat
Sponsors: KOPP
Currently, a vacancy in the office of a United States senator from this state is filled by appointment of the governor. The bill requires such vacancies to be filled by a special senatorial vacancy election.
Status
01/13/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to State, Veterans & Military Affairs
01/27/2010 Senate Committee on State, Veterans & Military Affairs Postpone Indefinitely
Short Title: Fair Legal Employment Act
Sponsors: SCHULTHEIS / BAUMGARDNER
Under current law, employers are required to examine, and retain records of examining, the legal work status of new employees. The bill repeals the current law and instead creates the "Fair and Legal Employment for Coloradans Act" (act), which requires all nongovernmental employers in the state to participate in the federal electronic verification program (e-verify program) for purposes of verifying the work eligibility status of all new employees hired by an employer. A person who employs only H-2A workers would not have to comply with the act. Employers would be obligated to start participating in the e-verify program in accordance with the following schedule:
* For employers with 200 or more employees, by January 1, 2011;
* For employers with 50 or more employees but fewer than 200 employees, by July 1, 2011; and
* For employers with fewer than 50 employees, by July 1, 2013. The attorney general is to impose fines on an employer for knowing or intentional failure to participate in the e-verify program or to provide documentary proof of participation. An employer would be prohibited from intentionally or knowingly employing an unauthorized alien, and would be required to immediately terminate an employee for whom the employer receives a final notice of nonconfirmation of work eligibility through the e-verify program. The attorney general or the county or city attorney, as appropriate, would be obligated to investigate complaints of employer noncompliance, and the appropriate county or city attorney would have to bring a court action against the employer when an investigation shows a complaint has merit. Upon finding a violation, the bill requires the court to order the employer to:
* Terminate the employment of all unauthorized aliens;
* Be subject to probation, during which the employer must submit quarterly reports of all newly hired employees to the county or city attorney; and
* Submit a sworn affidavit attesting that the employer has terminated the employment of all unauthorized aliens. For knowing violations, the court may order the suspension of the employer's business licenses. For intentional violations, the court must order the suspension of all business licenses for a period determined by the court. For a second violation, the court is to order the immediate and permanent revocation of all business licenses. The bill requires the attorney general to maintain copies of, and provide access to, all court orders issued against employers and to maintain a database of employers with a first violation. The department of labor and employment (department) is required to notify employers via quarterly electronic publications and post a notice on its web site explaining the requirements of the act to employers. Additionally, the bill requires the secretary of state, in consultation with the department, to include information about the requirements of the bill on its web site. The bill creates the e-verify program cash fund, to consist of moneys collected as fines imposed on employers for failing to participate in the e-verify program. The moneys in the fund are to be used to cover the reasonable costs incurred by the attorney general, county attorneys, and city attorneys in administering and enforcing the requirements of the act. The bill defines as a discriminatory or unfair employment practice the refusal to hire, or to terminate from employment, a United States citizen or permanent resident alien while hiring or retaining an unauthorized alien in the same type of job when the employer knew or should have known that the person was an unauthorized alien.
Status
01/13/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to State, Veterans & Military Affairs
03/03/2010 Senate Committee on State, Veterans & Military Affairs Postpone Indefinitely
Short Title: Retirement Plans Automatic Enrollment
Sponsors: NEWELL / BRADFORD
The bill allows wage deductions for contributions attributable to automatic enrollment in an employee retirement plan (plan) regardless of whether the federal "Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974", as amended (ERISA), applies to the plan. "Automatic enrollment" is defined to allow an employee to specify the amount of his or her wage deduction, or to elect affirmatively to have no wage deduction, under an employee retirement plan. Employers or other plan officials are relieved from liability related to investment decisions if the following conditions are met:
* The plan allows the participating employee at least quarterly opportunities to select investments for the employee's contributions among investment alternatives available under the plan;
* The employee is given notice of the investment decisions that will be made in the absence of participant direction, a description of all the investment alternatives available for employee investment direction under the plan, and a brief description of procedures available for the employee to change investments; and
* The employee is given at least annual notice of the actual default investments made of contributions attributable to the employee. The bill will take effect January 1, 2011.
Status
01/13/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Business, Labor and Technology
01/19/2010 Senate Committee on Business, Labor and Technology Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
01/22/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments
01/26/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
01/27/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Business Affairs and Labor
02/02/2010 House Committee on Business Affairs and Labor Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
02/08/2010 House Second Reading Passed
02/09/2010 House Third Reading Passed
02/15/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
02/15/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
02/17/2010 Sent to the Governor
02/24/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Job Training Scholarship Programs
Sponsors: CARROLL M. / GAGLIARDI
Section 1 of the bill creates the Colorado job retraining scholarship program (scholarship program), implemented and administered through collegeinvest in the department of higher education. Through the scholarship program, collegeinvest will award scholarships to persons who have been determined eligible to receive unemployment insurance benefits on or after July 1, 2008, by the department of labor and employment and who are pursuing job training or education programs that meet the goal of the scholarship program to assist persons to achieve gainful employment, including self-employment, in a recognized occupation or a high-need employment area. The collegeinvest board of directors (board) shall adopt policies to implement and administer the scholarship program. A scholarship recipient may use the scholarship toward a skilled trades apprenticeship program and to attend courses and programs at institutions of higher education, including public universities, community colleges, junior colleges, public occupational education, and nonpublic institutions of higher education. Collegeinvest shall annually award and pay $1 million in scholarships pursuant to the 3-year scholarship program. Scholarships shall not be funded from general fund appropriations. The board shall report to the general assembly in 2011, 2012, and 2013 concerning the scholarships awarded. The Colorado job retraining scholarship program is repealed, effective July 1, 2013. Section 2 of the bill amends the teach Colorado grant initiative by creating a fund for the grant initiative. Section 3 of the bill transfers $500,000 annually, commencing in the 2010-11 fiscal year, from the collegeinvest fund to the teach Colorado grant initiative fund for appropriation to the department of higher education for the implementation of the teach Colorado grant initiative. Section 4 of the bill appropriates $500,000 from the teach Colorado grant initiative fund to the department of higher education for purposes of implementing the teach Colorado grant initiative.
Status
01/13/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Education
01/13/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Education + Appropriations
02/25/2010 Senate Committee on Education Refer Amended to Appropriations
04/16/2010 Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
04/20/2010 Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments
04/21/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
04/21/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Education
04/29/2010 House Committee on Education Postpone Indefinitely
Short Title: Campaign Finance Clean-up
Sponsors: BACON / NIKKEL
The bill makes the following technical modifications to statutory provisions governing campaign finance:
* Section 2 of the bill conforms the registration requirements for issue committees involved in recall elections to the registration requirements for other types of issue committees.
* Section 3 of the bill extends from 7 business days to 15 business days the amount of time allowed for curing a deficiency in a report required to be filed under the "Fair Campaign Practices Act" (FCPA). Section 3 also clarifies that the secretary of state may require any filing of campaign finance reports to be made by electronic means.
* Section 4 of the bill changes the existing requirement that a new candidate certify by affidavit his or her familiarity with the provisions of the FCPA to a requirement that the candidate file a statement attesting to such knowledge under penalty of perjury. Section 4 also modifies procedures concerning the notice of disqualification sent to a candidate barred from seeking a particular office.
* Section 5 of the bill changes the deadline by which certain public officials must file their personal financial disclosure statements from 30 days after their election, appointment, or retention to the January 10 following their election, appointment, or retention. Section 5 also specifies that any person who has timely filed an amended personal financial disclosure statement with the secretary of state is not required to additionally file an original disclosure statement by the January 10 following his or her election, reelection, appointment, or retention in office.
Status
01/13/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to State, Veterans & Military Affairs
01/25/2010 Senate Committee on State, Veterans & Military Affairs Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only
01/27/2010 Senate Committee on State, Veterans & Military Affairs Refer Amended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole
02/02/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments
02/03/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
02/04/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to State, Veterans, & Military Affairs
03/18/2010 House Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
03/23/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
03/25/2010 House Second Reading Passed
03/26/2010 House Third Reading Passed
04/12/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
04/12/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
04/12/2010 Sent to the Governor
04/21/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Colorado Works Streamlining Eligibility
Sponsors: BOYD / MASSEY
Section 1 of the bill replaces the statutorily required verification of child immunizations as a condition of eligibility to participate in the Colorado works program (works program) with the requirement that a county department of social services distribute information concerning vaccinations to all applicants for the works program. Section 6 repeals the verification of child immunizations as a condition of eligibility for the works program. Section 2 amends the term "assistance" to align with the use of the term in current law and under department of human services (department) rule and adds a definition for "guardian" to the works program. The defined term "specified caretaker relative" is amended to "specified caretaker" to include a person who exercises responsibility for a dependent child in his or her home. Section 3 allows a person or a family to receive assistance upon verification of pregnancy instead of at the sixth month of pregnancy and makes conforming amendments relating to a "specified caretaker". Section 3 also removes the asset test for eligibility for the works program and prohibits the use of an asset test as a condition of eligibility for the works program. Section 4 makes conforming amendments to align the statutes with defined terms. Section 5 removes the statutory language concerning the standard of need for eligibility for basic cash assistance and the calculation of the amount of a basic cash assistance grant. The department, through the state board of human services, shall promulgate rules concerning the standard of need for eligibility for a basic cash assistance grant and that standard of need shall not be less than the basis for standard of need currently in statute. The department shall also promulgate rules concerning the calculation for determining the amount of a participant's basic cash assistance grant, and that calculation shall include an earned income disregard. The department shall ensure that the earned income disregard and the calculation for a basic cash assistance grant do not result in an applicant or participant having or receiving fewer financial resources than the applicant or participant would have had or received under specified previous law or rule. Certain provisions in current law are relocated within the statute amended in this bill section. Section 7 provides for an effective date of January 1, 2011, for the provisions of the bill.
Status
01/15/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Health and Human Services
01/15/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Health and Human Services + Appropriations
01/28/2010 Senate Committee on Health and Human Services Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only
02/04/2010 Senate Committee on Health and Human Services Refer Amended to Appropriations
02/19/2010 Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
02/23/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily
02/24/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments
02/25/2010 Senate Third Reading Laid Over Daily
02/26/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
03/02/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Health and Human Services
03/02/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Health and Human Services + Appropriations
03/15/2010 House Committee on Health and Human Services Refer Unamended to Appropriations
03/26/2010 House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
04/01/2010 House Second Reading Passed
04/02/2010 House Third Reading Passed
04/05/2010 House Third Reading Passed
04/12/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
04/12/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
04/12/2010 Sent to the Governor
04/21/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Exempt Personal Prop Tax Pilot Program
Sponsors: SCHEFFEL / PRIOLA
The bill establishes a pilot program to reimburse 5 participating counties for revenue lost as a result of a business personal property tax exemption. To qualify as a participating county, a county must:
* Enact an ordinance to eliminate the business personal property tax for 5 years; and
* Have a population that is greater than 20,000 but less than 500,000. The state will reimburse a participating county for lost property tax revenue for 4 of the 5 years that the exemption is in place. The first year the reimbursement will be 100% of the lost property tax revenue, and that percentage will be reduced by 25% in each of the next 4 years. After the 5 years of the county business personal property tax exemptions, legislative council staff will undertake a study to determine whether the exemptions stimulated economic growth. Staff will prepare a report of the findings to be delivered to legislative committees.
Status
01/20/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to State, Veterans & Military Affairs
02/17/2010 Senate Committee on State, Veterans & Military Affairs Postpone Indefinitely
Short Title: Create CO Capital Investment Bulletin Bd
Sponsors: JOHNSTON / RIESBERG
The bill requires the office of economic development (office) to host on its official web site the Colorado bioscience and clean technology capital investment bulletin board to create a virtual marketplace for early stage bioscience and clean technology projects with capital funding opportunities in the state. On behalf of the office, the bioscience membership organization and the clean technology membership organization (posting entities) shall create, maintain, and monitor the bulletin board through the posting entities' posting rights. Certain vetting organizations will provide the posting entities with information about appropriate early stage bioscience and clean technology projects with capital funding opportunities in the state.
Status
01/20/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Business, Labor and Technology
02/01/2010 Senate Committee on Business, Labor and Technology Postpone Indefinitely
Short Title: Creative Industries Division In OED
Sponsors: NEWELL / RICE
Lundberg, Morse, Romer, Sandoval, Schwartz, Spence, Steadman, Tapia, Tochtrop, White, Whitehead, Williams [Drafting note: This bill reorganizes existing provisions of statutory law for purposes of clarity. Section and subsection numbers and paragraph letters have changed, but no substantive amendments to the operative provisions have been made except where indicated by capitalized or stricken type. Where section and subsection numbers and paragraph letters have changed, the prior designations are indicated by bold, bracketed type.] Currently, the office of film, television, and media, the state council on the arts, and the art in public places program are all established within the Colorado office of economic development but are not placed in the same location in statute. The bill creates a creative industries division (division) within the Colorado office of economic development and reorganizes the statutory provisions that create the office of film, television, and media (office), the state council on the arts, and the art in public places program (program) into a new part. The bill renames the state council on the arts as the council on creative industries (council) and authorizes the council to establish policies for the council, the office, and the program. The bill specifies that the director of the council shall be the director of the division. In addition, the bill requires the director of the Colorado office of economic development to make funding recommendations to the governor and the general assembly for the operation of the council, the program, and the office. The bill directs the general assembly to make annual appropriations to the division, in such form as the general assembly deems appropriate, for the operation of the council, the office, and the program.
Status
02/04/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Business, Labor and Technology
02/17/2010 Senate Committee on Business, Labor and Technology Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
02/22/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily
02/24/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed
02/25/2010 Senate Third Reading Laid Over Daily
02/26/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
03/02/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Business Affairs and Labor
03/10/2010 House Committee on Business Affairs and Labor Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
03/15/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
03/16/2010 House Third Reading Passed
03/18/2010 Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily
03/18/2010 Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
05/07/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
05/10/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
05/10/2010 Sent to the Governor
05/17/2010 Governor Action - Intends to Sign
05/18/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Modifications To Enterprise Zone Act
Sponsors: HEATH / HULLINGHORST & ...
The "Urban and Rural Enterprise Zone Act" (act) specifies limitations on the population of an area that may be included in an enterprise zone but does not include a standard method of calculating the population. The bill specifies that the population of an enterprise zone shall be calculated using data from the most recent federal decennial census at the county, municipal, or block levels and that the calculations that require the use of block level data shall include the entire population of each block in which the enterprise zone is included. In addition, the bill increases the population limitation for an urban enterprise zone from 80,000 to 115,000 people and increases the limitation for a rural enterprise zone from 100,000 to 150,000 people to account for population growth that has occurred since 1986 when the population limits were established and to account for new standardized methodology. Currently, the state auditor is required to use 6 broad economic indicators when evaluating the effectiveness of the act in an audit. The current factors are too broad to be utilized to determine the impact of an enterprise zone. The bill eliminates the requirement that the state auditor use the 6 indicators and instead creates a new pre-certification process that a taxpayer is required to follow if the taxpayer intends to claim an enterprise zone income tax credit pursuant to the act in order to demonstrate that the act has an impact on the taxpayers' decisions. Currently, a taxpayer's business may earn an income tax credit pursuant to the act by:
* Being located in the enterprise zone; and
* Performing an activity that is eligible for an enterprise zone income tax credit, regardless of whether the availability of the income tax credit had any demonstrable impact on the taxpayer's decision to start, relocate, or expand the business in the enterprise zone. The bill requires a taxpayer to complete a pre-certification process prior to beginning and completing any activity for which a taxpayer intends to claim an income tax credit pursuant to the act to ensure that the income tax credits allowed pursuant to the act have an impact on taxpayers' business decisions. The bill directs the department of revenue (department) to include a section for the pre-certification data on the enterprise zone income tax credit certification forms that the department currently uses. Currently, some enterprise zone administrators charge a fee to programs, projects, and organizations (contribution projects) that have been approved by the Colorado economic development commission (commission). Current statute does not provide any authority or limitation regarding the fees, and, consequently, the fee policies vary from one enterprise zone to another. The bill requires each enterprise zone administrator that charges fees to create a policy regarding the fees and to submit the policy to the commission for approval. The commission must review each policy submitted by an enterprise zone administrator. The bill directs the Colorado office of economic development (office) to work with the commission and the department to develop the capability, if there is no fiscal impact, to allow taxpayers that intend to claim one or more income tax credits pursuant to the act to submit pre-certification forms, certification forms, and required reporting information in an electronic format. The bill requires the department to aggregate and report data collected regarding tax credits claimed pursuant to the act, categorized by the date that the tax credit was authorized, the specific tax credit allowed pursuant to the act that each taxpayer was authorized to claim, and the total amount of the tax credits claimed for each tax credit allowed pursuant to the act. The bill requires the department to submit the data to the office on an annual basis.
Status
02/04/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance
02/04/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance + Appropriations
02/18/2010 Senate Committee on Finance Refer Unamended to Appropriations
03/19/2010 Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
03/23/2010 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily
03/26/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments
03/29/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
03/30/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance
04/07/2010 House Committee on Finance Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
04/13/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over to 04/16/2010
04/13/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
04/16/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over to 04/23/2010
04/23/2010 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
04/26/2010 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
04/27/2010 House Third Reading Passed
05/05/2010 Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
05/19/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House
05/20/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
05/20/2010 Sent to the Governor
06/07/2010 Governor Action - Intends to Sign
06/09/2010 Governor Action - Signed
Short Title: Request For Comprehensive Tax Study
Sponsors: HEATH / COURT
*** No bill summary available ***
Status
01/13/2010 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to State, Veterans & Military Affairs
01/19/2010 Senate Committee on State, Veterans & Military Affairs Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
01/20/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed
01/20/2010 Introduced In House - Assigned to
01/20/2010 House Third Reading Laid Over to 01/22/2010
01/22/2010 House Third Reading Passed
01/27/2010 Signed by the President of the Senate
01/27/2010 Signed by the Speaker of the House