CONCERNING AUTHORIZATION FOR CERTAIN PUBLIC ENTITIES TO ENTER INTO VOLUNTARY AGREEMENTS AFFECTING RENT ON PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY.

Sponsors: KAGAN / BOYD

Economic Opportunity Poverty Reduction Task Force. Current law prohibits counties and municipalities from enacting any ordinance or resolution that would control rent on private residential property (rent control statute). The bill clarifies that the rent control statute applies only to private residential housing units. The bill also clarifies that nothing in the rent control statute shall prohibit or restrict the right of a property owner and a state agency, county, municipality, or housing authority (public entity) from voluntarily entering into and enforcing an agreement that controls rent on a private residential housing unit, whether the agreement is entered into before, on, or after the effective date of the bill. An agreement authorized pursuant to the act may specify how long a unit is subject to its terms, whether or not subsequent property owners are subject to the agreement, and remedies for early termination agreed to by both the property owner and the public entity. Finally, the rent control statute shall not preclude public entities from cooperatively entering into an agreement, nor shall it preclude the assignment of rights and remedies to any party to the agreement.

Status 03/18/2010 Senate Committee on Health and Human Services Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole

Fiscal Notes Status: No fiscal impact for this bill

CONCERNING THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION  ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

Sponsors: SUMMERS & ... / BOYD

Economic Opportunity Poverty Reduction Task Force. Section 1: The bill requires the state  department of human services (department) to adopt the maximum certification period allowable  pursuant to federal law for the receipt of federal food assistance benefits under the supplemental  nutrition assistance program. Additionally, the bill requires the department to develop and  implement a state outreach plan with the use of private and federal moneys to promote access to  federal food benefits by eligible persons. The department may partner or contract with one or  more nonprofit organizations to develop and implement the outreach plan and is authorized to seek and accept gifts, grants, and donations for the purposes of developing and implementing the  state outreach plan. The bill requires the department to submit the outreach plan for federal  approval by September 1, 2010, and to request any matching federal moneys that may be  available upon approval of the outreach plan. In the event that the department will not be  receiving sufficient federal or private moneys to develop and implement the outreach plan, the  department is exempted from developing and implementing an outreach plan. The bill also  includes amendments changing the name of the federal food stamps program to the supplemental  nutrition assistance program to reflect the federal name change. Section 2: The bill directs the  department to implement a program or policy, pursuant to federal law, establishing broad-based  categorical eligibility for federal food assistance benefits. At a minimum, the program or policy  shall remove the asset test for eligibility and increase the gross income test to 200% of federal poverty level pursuant to federal law.

Status

02/11/2010 House Committee on Health and Human Services Refer Amended to Appropriations

Fiscal Notes Status: Fiscal impact for this bill 

CONCERNING THE CREATION OF THE COLORADO QUALITY IN CHILD CARE INCENTIVE GRANT PROGRAM.

Sponsors: SOLANO & ... / HODGE & ...

Early Childhood and School Readiness Legislative Commission. Subject to the receipt of  sufficient federal moneys or gifts, grants, or donations, the bill creates the Colorado quality in  child care incentive grant program (grant program), with the objective of providing incentives to county or district departments of social services to increase the quality of early care and  education providers and facilities in the county while allowing each grantee to retain flexibility  concerning how to utilize its resources. The state board of human services is given rule-making  authority to establish policies and procedures for the grant program. The department of human  services is required to prepare and submit to the education and health and human services  committees of the house of representatives and the senate a report describing the activities of the  grant program. The bill creates a separate fund to accept federal moneys and any gifts, grants, or  donations received for the purpose of implementing the grant program.

Status

03/19/2010 Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole

Fiscal Notes Status: Fiscal impact for this bill

CONCERNING A UNIVERSAL APPLICATION FOR PROGRAMS RELATED TO EARLY CHILDHOOD ISSUES.

Sponsors: BENEFIELD / HODGE

Early Childhood and School Readiness Legislative Commission. The bill establishes an early childhood universal application subcommittee (subcommittee) to the government data advisory  board (advisory board) created in the office of information technology. The bill specifies  membership of and duties for the subcommittee. The subcommittee will report to the chief  information officer (CIO) and the advisory board. The CIO will prepare a report on a universal  application to be used by all state agencies, school districts, and federally funded early childhood  programs and will combine that report into the annual report the CIO submits to the general  assembly. The subcommittee is repealed effective July 1, 2013.

Status

03/15/2010 Senate Third Reading Passed 

Fiscal Notes Status: Fiscal impact for this bill

CONCERNING THE CREATION OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR DEVELOPMENT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.

Sponsors: PENISTON / STEADMAN  

Early Childhood and School Readiness Legislative Commission. Subject to the receipt of sufficient federal moneys or gifts, grants, or donations, the bill creates the early childhood  educator development scholarship program (program) in the department of education  (department). The program will provide scholarships to persons who are employed in early  childhood development who are pursuing an associate of arts degree in early childhood  education. The department will administer the program and develop rules for application to the  program, the selection of recipients, and the amount of awards. The resources for the early childhood educator development scholarship fund will come from the federal race to the top and  early learning challenge moneys and gifts, grants, and donations. The department will provide all recipients with a unique educator identifier.

Status

03/19/2010 Senate Second Reading Passed

Fiscal Notes Status: Fiscal impact for this bill

CONCERNING AN INCENTIVE TO CREATE COLORADO NONPROFIT JOBS BY ESTABLISHING AN INCOME TAX CREDIT.

Sponsors:SUMMERS / ROMER

Status

02/24/2010 House Committee on Finance Refer Amended to Appropriations

Fiscal Notes Status: Fiscal impact for this bill

BILL SB10-152

CONCERNING INFORMATION RELATING TO A REFERRAL OF SUSPECTED CHILD ABUSE BY CERTAIN MANDATORY REPORTERS.

Sponsors: NEWELL / GAGLIARDI

The bill requires a county department of social services (county department) to provide information to a mandatory reporter concerning the mandatory reporter's report to the county department of suspected child abuse or neglect. Within 30 calendar days after receipt of a report, the bill requires the county department to provide certain information to the mandatory reporter, including but not limited to the name of persons who may pose a safety risk to the victim, whether the victim has been returned to his or her home, whether the case has been closed, and contact information for the caseworker investigating the report. Within 90 calendar days after receipt of the report by the county department, a mandatory reporter may seek certain additional information from the county department. The bill authorizes a county department to provide this information only to certain mandatory reporters, including but not limited to hospitals, physicians, nurses, school employees and officials, and mental health professionals. Information disclosed to a mandatory reporter is confidential, and the mandatory reporter shall not disclose the information to any other person.

Status 03/04/2010 Introduced in House - Assigned to Health and Human Services

Fiscal Notes Status: Fiscal impact for this bill

BILL SB10-171

CONCERNING THE CREATION OF A CHILD PROTECTION OMBUDSMAN PROGRAM.

Sponsors: NEWELL / GAGLIARDI

The bill establishes the child protection ombudsman program (program) as an independent program in the department of human services (state department) that shall be operated by the executive director of the state department (executive director) either directly or by contract with a private nonprofit or public agency or organization. The child Romer, Shaffer B., Spence, Steadman, Williams Labuda, Levy, McNulty, Middleton, Nikkel, Primavera, Rice, Ryden, Scanlan, Todd, Tyler protection ombudsman (ombudsman) will direct the program. The powers and duties of the ombudsman shall include: * Reviewing and seeking resolution of complaints concerning child protection services made by or on behalf of a child, including requesting and reviewing information relating to the case; * Evaluating and making recommendations for a statewide grievance policy; and * Filing an annual report concerning the duties of the program and recommendations for improvements to the child protection system. The powers and duties of the ombudsman may include: * Reviewing issues raised by members of the community relating to child protection services and making recommendations for resolution of the issues; * Helping to educate the public concerning the prevention of child maltreatment; * Promoting best practices and effective programs relating to the child protection system; and * Recommending statutory, regulatory, budgetary, and administrative changes to improve the child protection system. The program will comply with all state and federal laws relating to the treatment of confidential information. The ombudsman will act independently of the state department and the county departments of social services (county departments). Positions taken by the ombudsman may not reflect those of the state department or the county departments. The ombudsman and employees of the program will have qualified immunity from suit and liability except in cases of willful and wanton misconduct. Within 45 days after the effective date of the bill, the executive director shall appoint and convene an advisory work group to assist in developing a detailed plan for the design of the program (detailed plan), including the qualifications of the ombudsman. If the program is administered through a contract, the work group shall also advise the executive director concerning the criteria for the request for proposals issued for the contract. The work group may consist of members who represent county departments, mandatory reporters, families and children who have been involved with the child protection system, child protection advocates, members of the general assembly, and any other person with expertise in child protection. Members of the work group shall serve without compensation and at the pleasure of the executive director. If the executive director is operating the program through a contract, within 30 days after completing the detailed plan for the program, the executive director shall issue a request for proposals; except that the executive director shall not issue the request for proposals unless he or she determines that sufficient moneys are committed or available for awarding and implementing the contract for the program. The proposal submission period, the review of proposals, and the award of the contract shall be completed within 60 days after the issuance of the request for proposals. The bill creates the child protection ombudsman program fund and authorizes the department to seek gifts, grants, and donations for the program. The ombudsman will prepare and submit an annual report concerning the program to the executive director for review and comment, and the executive director will forward the report to the governor and to each member of the health and human services committees of the house of representatives and the senate. At the beginning of the third year after implementation of the program, the state auditor's office will conduct a performance and fiscal audit of the program.

Status 03/19/2010 Senate Committee on AppropriationsRefer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole

Fiscal Notes Status: Fiscal impact for this bill