Bills of Interest February 20-23, 2012

Monday, February 20

10:00 AM, House Floor

HB12-1105 by Rep. Becker--Concerning wind energy property rightsThe bill declares that wind energy is a property right that cannot be separated from the property.

HB12-1160 by Rep. Baumgardner; also Sen.Schwartz

Concerning methane gas captured from active and inactive coal minesAdds methane gas captured from active and inactive coal mines to the definition of "biomass" for purposes of the renewable energy standard

 1:30 P.M. SCR 356 Senate Judiciary Committee

HB12-1100 by Rep. Summers; also Sen. AguilarPregnancy and evidence of substance useMakes the results of any information related to substance use obtained as part of a screening or test performed for the purpose of determining pregnancy or providing prenatal care inadmissible in any criminal proceeding

1:30 p.m. Room 0107 House Agriculture, Livestock, and Natural Resources Committee

HB 1264 Rep. Solano--Facilitate Distributed Energy Generation in ColoradoSeeks to foster Colorado's efforts to incorporate distributed (locally, or home-based) energy generation (DG) from renewable sources through the adoption of updated standards for interconnection between customer-generators of DG and the utility-owned distribution networks into which they feed power. Directs the Colorado public utilities commission (PUC) to adopt amended rules on interconnection, using as a basis the recommended standards developed by the interstate renewable energy council

HB 1278 Rep. Fischer--South Platte Groundwater Study AugmentationThe bill authorizes a study of the interaction between the South Platte alluvial aquifer and surface streams. It also authorizes the state engineer to respond to damaging conditions caused by high groundwater levels in water division 1

1:30 p.m. Room 0112  House Education Committee

HB 1225 Rep. Ramirez, Sen. Steadman--Model Charter School Authorizer DesignationCreates a process by which a school district board of education or the state charter school institute (authorizer) may seek designation as a model authorizer, which is not subject to statutory provisions concerning charter applications and authorizing and renewing charters but will establish its own requirements and procedures. The state board will adopt rules establishing the procedures for applying for model authorizer designation; the practices an applicant must demonstrate, including minimum practices stated in the bill; a rubric for scoring an application; and the fee for initial and renewal applications

Tuesday, February 21

9:00 AM, Senate Floor

SB12-093 by Senator(s) Carroll, Boyd; also Rep. DuranConcerning a requirement that a licensed hospital provide notice to patients of any service not provided by the hospital because of moral convictions based on religious beliefsRequires that all licensed facilities that do not provide certain services due to moral convictions based on religious beliefs, must notify their patients of this refusal and let them know what facilities will provide that service

Upon adjournment, Room 0107  House Judiciary Committee

HB 1223 Levy--Inmate Eligibility for Earned TimeRestores eligibility for earned time to people re-incarcerated for a parole revocation, and creates a new “achievement earned time” of up to 30 days that can be awarded for major program completion or extra-ordinary conduct by an inmate that promotes the safety of staff, volunteers or other inmates.  Also requires that savings from the Department of Corrections budget be reinvested into vocational/educational programming inside prison and re-entry support services for parolees or inmates transitioning through community corrections

1:30 p.m. Room 0112 - House Economic & Business Development Committee

HB 1134 Rep. Pabon--Prohibit Job Discrimination Against UnemployedProhibits publication of an advertisement for any job vacancy that contains a provision that states (a) the qualifications for a job include current employment; (b) that an application for employment will not be considered if the applicant is currently unemployed; or (c) that only applications submitted by job applicants who are currently employed will be considered

HB 1129 Rep. Tyler--Moneys for Small Business Development CentersRequires the general assembly to appropriate moneys, in amounts to match federal funds but not to exceed $300,000 each year, to the Colorado office of economic development, for the state director of small business development centers (SBDCs) in the office to expend up to 15% of the appropriated moneys to increase awareness of SBDCs and to equitably distribute the remainder to SBDCs across the state and, where possible, to reestablish SBDCs that have closed since January 1, 2007

1:30 p.m. Room LSB-A House Health & Environment Committee

HB 1281 Rep. Young--Medicaid Payment Reform Pilot ProgramDirects the department of health care policy and financing to facilitate collaboration among Medicaid providers, clients, advocates, and payers that is designed to improve health outcomes and patient satisfaction, and support the financial sustainability of the Medicaid program. Creates the Medicaid payment reform and innovation pilot program (pilot program) for the purpose of implementing payment reform projects in Medicaid within the framework of the accountable care collaborative. Payment projects may include but are not limited to global payments, risk adjustment, risk sharing, and aligned payment incentives.

1:30 p.m. Room 0107 House Judiciary Committee

HB 1130 Rep. Joshi--First Degree Murder of Unborn ChildCreates a new article for offenses against pregnant women and their unborn children. The new offenses are unlawful termination of a pregnancy in the first, second, third, and fourth degree, vehicular unlawful termination of a pregnancy, and aggravated vehicular unlawful termination of a pregnancy. The bill excludes from prosecution medical care for which the mother provided consent.

2:00 P.M. SCR 352 Senate Transportation Committee

SB12-050 by Senator Renfroe; also Representative BaumgardnerProhibition of Red Light Cameras for Vehicle IdentificationRepeals the authorization for municipalities to use automated vehicle identification systems to identify violators of traffic regulations and issue citations based on photographic evidence, and creates a prohibition on such activity

2:00 P.M. SCR 353 Senate Local Government Committee

SB12-116 by Sen. Foster; also Rep. Brown--Bath Salts as Controlled SubstancesDefines cathinones (chemical relatives of amphetamine and methamphetamine), and classifies possession of any quantity of cathinones as a class 1 misdemeanor, distribution of any quantity a class 3 felony. Distribution by an adult to a minor (where adult is more than 2 years older than minor) would carry a mandatory minimum sentence of at least the minimum but not more than twice the maximum of the presumptive range.  Sale of cathinone would be included in the list of deceptive trade practices under the Colorado Consumer Protection Act

Wednesday, February 22

Upon adjournment, Room 0112 House Education Committee

HB 1155 Rep. Massey--Improvements in College CompletionClarifies the Colorado Commission on Higher Education's authority to adopt a remedialeducation policy, and directs the Commission to ensure the remedial education policy is aligned with the academic admission standards of the institution. Directs the policy to set the procedures for identifying students who need basic skills courses and procedures by which institutions offer those courses. It also specifies hat a student's eligibility for state need-based financial aid will be limited to 140 (instead of 145) undergraduate credit hours during a student's lifetime, and will be unavailable for a course for which the student has received an incomplete 2 or more times.

1:30 P.M. SCR 356 Senate Judiciary Committee

HB12-1053 by Rep. Gardner B.; also Senator Giron--Victims' Rights ChangesAdds trafficking in adults, trafficking in children, first degree burglary, retaliation against a judge, and retaliation against a juror, as crimes included in the victims' rights statute. Expands the definition of victim to include a grandchild.  Requires those responsible for criminal justice records to use reasonable efforts to redact social security numbers of victims and witnesses from criminal justice records. In addition, a victim or a witness has the right to have his or her address redacted and the right to be informed about protection services such as the witness protection program and the address confidentiality program. Clarifies that a victim has the right to know when the defendant is released from county jail.  Changes the standard for when the victim is not allowed to be present so that a court may prohibit a victim from being present if it finds by clear and convincing evidence that the victim's presence would violate the defendant's right to a fair trial. Clarifies the public records about which a victim has a right to be informed, including a victim impact statement.     

Thursday, February 23

1:30 P.M. SCR 356 Senate Health and Human Services Committee

HB12-1177 by Repr. Gerou; also Senator Hodge

Developmental Disability Home Care Allowance Grant ProgramEstablishes a new grant program to provide to certain individuals with developmental disabilities receiving benefits under either the home- and community-based supported living services or the children's extensive support waiver, a home care allowance benefit consistent with benefits received by persons under the home care allowance program.

SB12-130 by Senators Newell and Hodge; also Representatives Massey and Hamner --- Governance of Child Development ProgramsCreates the office of early childhood and youth development, to (a) to operate and oversee the Colorado children's trust fund and related programs, (b) review federal funding guidelines, (c) allocate funding to the early childhood councils and coordinate program delivery by the councils, and (d) develop and periodically review a state plan for delivering early childhood services to children and their families. The purpose of the state plan is to provide a statewide, unified approach to providing early childhood services and operating early childhood programs with the goal of increasing efficiency, effectiveness, and quality in delivering early childhood services.

SB12-128 by Senator Roberts; also Representative Summers --- Alternative Care Facility Reimbursement PilotEstablishes a 3-year pilot program for alternative care facilities in the Medicaid program. The program would utilize alternative care facility placements for Medicaid clients receiving long-term care (LTC) services. The state department would reimburse alternative care facilities at a rate of $3000 per month, per client, reduced by the client portion of the cost.

Upon adjournment, Room 0112 House State, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee

HB 1091 Rep. Solano--Reducing Student Assessments to Federal Requirements --- Removes the provisions of the Colorado student assessment program that require the department of education to administer statewide assessments in certain subject matters to students in certain grades. Mandates that statewide assessments administered by the department shall not exceed federal requirements for the administration of assessments of students.

HB 1219 Rep. Miklosi--Funding Emerging Medical DiscoveriesEstablishes a new fund with a 10 million dollar appropriation to pay for the costs of clinical trials, governmental approval, and product sales of new medical products discovered at the Health Sciences Center at the University of Colorado.

HB 1118 Rep. Conti--School Collective Bargaining Open to Public --- Requires any meeting of a board of education  or school administration personnel with one or more representatives of employees at which the terms of a collective bargaining agreement are negotiated to be open to the public

1:30 p.m. Room 0107 House Judiciary     

HB 1213 Rep. Fields--Escape from Community Corrections Program

Excludes the crime of “walkaway-escape” from a community corrections program from being used as a triggering offense for habitual criminal prosecution and/or sentencing