Legislation - 2020
SB20-003: STATE PARKS IMPROVEMENT APPROPRIATION
Sen. Garcia, Sen. Hisey & Rep. Esgar, Rep. Will
The bill transfers $1,000,000 from the general fund to the capital construction fund to develop infrastructure to open a state park on the property surrounding Fishers Peak and to accommodate additional visitors at other state parks.
Signed by Governor Polis
SB20-025: CONSERVANCY DISTRICT BOARDS ART AND BEAUTIFICATION PROJECTS
Sen. Garcia & Rep. Buentello, Rep. Esgar
Current law authorizes the board of directors of a conservancy district (board) to participate in the development of parks and recreational facilities within the district. The bill permits a board to consider such participation a current expense of the district. The bill also authorizes a board to participate in artistic and beautification projects that improve the aesthetic appearance of waterways within the district and to consider such participation a current expense of the district.
Signed by Governor Polis
SB20-030: CONSUMER PROTECTIONS FOR UTILITY CUSTOMERS
Sen. Garcia, Sen. Rodriguez & Rep. Esgar
This bill comes out of the Investor-owned Utility Review Interim Study Committee. The bill directs the public utilities commission (PUC) to exercise its existing authority to require information from regulated public utilities in the areas of: The number of utility customers who are exempted from tiered rates due to a medical condition or the use of medical equipment requiring higher amounts of electricity than other customers, and the efforts the public utilities are taking to ensure that customers entitled to the exemption are able to do so; and disconnections and delinquencies, including the number of disconnections and a narrative analysis of any trends or inconsistencies revealed by the data. The bill directs the PUC to open rule-making proceedings to: Prescribe standard practices for disconnection due to nonpayment, including the provision of shutoff notices in languages other than English, where appropriate; standard terms for repayment plans to cure delinquencies; and a prohibition on remote disconnection without a personal visit or live telephone call with the customer of record; and Investigate whether to require public utilities to report positive information about customers' payment history to credit reporting agencies. Finally, beginning September 1, 2020, the bill requires an "opt-in" by customers before a public utility may employ a new nonstandard rate such as a time-of-use, inverted block, or flat rate.
Signed by Governor Polis
SB20-069: DISABLED VETERANS FREE STATE PARK ACCESS
Sen. Garcia & Rep. Buentello
Currently, Colorado residents who display a disabled veteran's license plate are allowed free entrance to any state park or recreation area, not including campgrounds, on any day of the year that such park or area is open. The bill allows a Colorado resident to acquire a free transferable annual state parks pass by presenting the same documents required for a Colorado disabled veteran's license plate at a regional office or the central office of the division of parks and wildlife, or at any other locations the division determines. Thus, Colorado residents who are veterans with disabilities will be able to obtain free access to state parks without acquiring a Colorado disabled veteran's license plate.
Signed by Governor Polis
SB20-095: MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT INFORMATION
Sen. Garcia, Sen. Holbert & Rep. Bockenfeld
The bill directs the community college system to work with school districts and charter schools to provide information to the parents of students enrolled in grades 6 through 8 concerning concurrent enrollment opportunities available in grades 9 through 12.
Signed by Governor Polis
SB20-209: ACT SUBJECT TO PETITION CLAUSE BILLS 2020 SESSION
Sen. Garcia, Sen. Holbert & Rep. Becker, Rep. Neville
An Executive Committee of the Legislative Council bill. The bill specifies that for any act, item, section, or part of an act that is enacted by a bill with an act subject to petition clause during the second regular session of the seventy-second general assembly: The act, item, section, or part of the act takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the 90-day period after adjournment sine die of the second regular session of the seventy-second general assembly, unless a later date is otherwise specified in the act; and if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the state constitution against an act, item, section, or part of the act within the 90-day period after adjournment sine die of the second regular session of the seventy-second general assembly, then the act, item, section, or part of the act will not take effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in November 2022 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.
SB20-217: ENHANCE LAW ENFORCEMENT INTEGRITY
Sen. Garcia, Sen. Fields & Rep. Herod, Rep. Gonzales-Gutierrez
SB 20-217 promotes law enforcement accountability and transparency as follows: mandates body cameras, all officers must have body-worn cameras within a year and record interactions with members of the public; public reporting on policing, all law enforcement agencies must track and report data, including demographic information, on uses of force, stops of civilians, searches of civilians and forced entries into homes; rein in use of deadly force by officers, Colorado law will come in line with U.S. Supreme Court precedent holding deadly force may only be used by an officer, including against people who are
fleeing the police, when there is an immediate risk of danger to human life; prevent rehiring of bad officers, officers who are found untruthful, terminated for cause, or are decertified will be listed in a database; civil rights enforcement by individuals, victims of police misconduct will be permitted to bring a lawsuit against officers and officers will not be allowed to
shield themselves with the doctrine of qualified immunity; creates police officer duty to intervene, officers must intervene to stop excessive force and failure to do so will result in discipline; strengthens the criminal legal standard to hold police officers criminally accountable for excessive force; explicitly outlaws chokeholds and protects protesters from police violence, limits
when and how police can use projectiles and chemical agents against a crowd.
Signed by Governor Polis
SB20-220: FREEZE MEMBER PER DIEM AMOUNT
Sen. Garcia, Sen. Hisey & Rep. Young, Rep. Soper
Currently, members of the general assembly who reside in the Denver metropolitan area are entitled to receive up to $45 per legislative day for expenses incurred during the sessions of the general assembly. In lieu of this amount, members who do not reside in the Denver metropolitan area are entitled to an amount equal to 85% of the federal per diem rate for the city and county of Denver, which is $219 for the 2019-2020 fiscal year. The bill freezes the amount to be paid to members who do not reside in the Denver metropolitan area to this current amount for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.
HB20-1044: MODIFY PENSION PLANS ADMINISTERED BY FPPA FIRE AND POLICE PENSION ASSOCIATION
Rep. Bird, Rep. Exum & Sen. Garcia, Sen. Ginal
The bill modifies various plans administered by the fire and police pension association (FPPA). The bill modifies the old-hire pension plans, the statewide defined benefit plan, and the death and disability plan.
Signed by Governor Polis
HB20-1145: MOVE OVER OR SLOW DOWN FOR OFFICIAL VEHICLE
Rep. McKean & Sen. Holbert, Sen. Garcia
Current law requires a driver who is overtaking an emergency vehicle, tow vehicle, or public utility vehicle that is parked on the side of the road to reduce and maintain a safe speed. The bill requires: the driver to slow down to 25 miles per hour if the speed limit is less than 45 miles per hour; or the driver to slow down at least 20 miles per hour less than the posted speed limit if the speed limit is 45 miles per hour or more.
HB20-1153: COLORADO PARTNERSHIP FOR QUALITY JOBS AND SERVICES ACT
Rep. Esgar & Sen. Garcia, Sen. Pettersen
The bill creates the "Colorado Partnership for Quality Jobs and Services Act" to facilitate the creation of formal labor-management partnership agreements between state employees in the state personnel system and the executive branch of state government. The bill specifies that certain employees in the state personnel system, due to the nature and responsibilities of their jobs, are not able to participate in partnership agreements. State employees who are allowed to participate in partnership agreements are designated covered employees.
Signed by Governor Polis
