2021 Colorado State Legislative Update

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— 2021 COLORADO LEGISLATIVE SESSION —
(Session ended Tuesday, June 8, 2021.)
Of this year’s 623 bills, 330 were introduced in the House and 293 were introduced in the Senate. 220 bills have become law.
From Senate Majority Leader Steve Fenberg: “After a couple days of rest, we’ll get back to work on our plan to spend the federal stimulus funding Colorado received from the American Rescue Plan. Bipartisan interim committees will meet throughout the summer and fall to explore the smartest ways to invest that funding in mental and behavioral health programs, affordable housing solutions, workforce development, and much more.
The work continues.”
STATE STIMULUS TRACKER, here.

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AGRICULTURE:
SB21-087 Agricultural Workers’ Rights PASSED Historic new legislation to give farmworkers in Colorado basic rights (that every worker already enjoys). Farmworkers are regularly not paid Colorado’s minimum wage, overtime pay, or even allowed to take breaks for meals and rest on the job. Sponsored by State Senators Jessie Danielson, Dominick Moreno, State Reps Yadira Caraveo and Karen McCormick.
HB21-1181: Agricultural Soil Health Program PASSED monitoring the environmental or economic benefits of soil health practices, state soil health inventory and platform, soil health testing program, provide grants, loans, and other resources to perform soil health activities, also creates a soil health advisory committee. State Rep Karen McCormick was one of the bill’s prime sponsors.
SB21-248 Loan Program For Colorado Agriculture PASSED State Rep Karen McCormick was one of the bill’s prime sponsors.
SB21-235 Stimulus Funding Department of Agriculture Efficiency Programs PASSED helps farmers and ranchers improve the energy efficiency of their operations and fosters renewable energy, soil health, and agrivoltaics. Sponsored by State Senator Sonya Jaquez Lewis, State Reps. Tracey Bernett and Karen McCormick.

BUSINESS:
HB21-1007 State Apprenticeship Agency PASSED

CRIMINAL JUSTICE & REFORM:
HB21-1251 Appropriate Use Of Chemical Restraints On A Person PASSED The bill prohibits a peace officer from using, directing, or unduly influencing the use of ketamine upon another person. Sponsored by State Reps Yadira Caraveo, Leslie Herod, State Senators Rhonda Fields and Julie Gonzales.
HB21-1255 Protection Order Issued Against Domestic Abuser PASSED State Senator Sonya Jaquez Lewis was one of the bill’s prime sponsors.
HB21-1250 Measures to Address Law Enforcement Accountability PASSED Sponsored by State Reps Yadira Caraveo, Leslie Herod, State Senators Rhonda Fields and Bob Gardner.
HB21-1211 Regulation Of Restrictive Housing In Jails: PASSED Sponsored by State Rep Judy Amabile and State Senator Pete Lee.
SB21-071 Limit The Detention Of Juveniles PASSED The bill prohibits the imposition of secured monetary or property conditions on a bond for juveniles charged with or accused of committing a delinquent act.
HB21-1280 Pre-trial Detention Reform PASSED The bill requires a court to hold a bond setting hearing within 48 hours after an arrestee’s arrival at a jail or holding center.
SB21-146 Improve Prison Release Outcomes: PASSED
SB21-064 Retaliation Against An Elected Official PASSED Signed into law.
HB21-1099 Policies And Procedures To Identify Domestic Abuse: PASSED Signed into law.
SB21-062 Jail Population Management Tools LOST

ENVIRONMENT:
HB21- 1238 Modernize Gas Utility Demand-side Management Programs PASSED focuses on gas energy efficiency and fostering transition to clean heat technologies, helping Colorado reach its greenhouse gas reduction goals. This bill is expected to save Coloradans an estimated $600-$700 Million over the next 10 years. Sponsored by State Rep. Tracey Bernett
HB21-1162 Management Of Plastic Products PASSED The bill prohibits stores and retail food establishments, on and after September 1, 2022, from providing single-use plastic carryout bags to customers; except that a retail food establishment that is a restaurant and not a store or convenience store may provide single-use plastic carryout bags .
HB21-1268 Study Emerging Technologies For Water Management PASSED
HB21-1189 Regulate Air Toxics PASSED
HB21-1145 Support Pollinator Special License Plate: PASSED
HB21-1266 Environmental Justice Disproportionate Impacted Community PASSED the bill defines “disproportionately impacted community” and requires the air quality control commission to promote outreach to and engage with disproportionately impacted communities by creating new ways to gather input from communities across the state, using multiple languages and multiple formats, and transparently sharing information about adverse effects resulting from its proposed actions. Creates the environmental justice action task force.
SB21-200 Reduce Greenhouse Gases Increase Environmental Justice LOST (although this bill lost, some of its provisions were folded into HB21-1266)
HB21-1303 Global Warming Potential For Public Project Materials PASSED develops policies for companies involved in constructing public projects to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with manufacturing concrete, steel, and other building and transportation materials. State Rep. Tracey Bernett was one of the bill’s prime sponsors.
SB21-264 Adopt Programs Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions Utilities requires utilities to develop Clean Heat Plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enables natural gas utilities to use new emission reduction technologies in buildings. State Rep. Tracey Bernett was one of the bill’s prime sponsors.

IMMIGRANT RIGHTS:
HB21-1194 Immigration Legal Defense Fund PASSED The bill creates the immigration legal defense fund. The department of labor and employment , as the administrator, awards grants from the fund to qualifying nonprofit organizations (organizations) that provide legal advice, counseling, and representation for, and on behalf of, indigent clients who are subject to an immigration proceeding.
HB21-1060 U Visa Certification Requirements: PASSED signed into law
HB21-1057 Extortion Of Immigrants Engaging In Lawful Acts: PASSED signed into law Under current law, it is criminal extortion to threaten to report another person’s immigration status to law enforcement to induce the threatened person to give the person money or another item of value. The bill adds to that version of criminal extortion a prohibition against threatening to report a person’s immigration status to law enforcement to induce the threatened person to perform an act or refrain from performing a lawful act.
SB21-077 Remove Lawful Presence Verification Credentialing: PASSED signed into law

GUN SAFETY:
HB21-1299 Office Of Gun Violence Prevention: PASSED
HB21-1298 Expand Firearm Transfer Background Check Requirements PASSED Eliminates the Charleston Loophole.
SB21-256 Local Regulation Of Firearms: PASSED
SB21-078 Lost Or Stolen Firearms: PASSED, Signed into law.
 State Senator Sonya Jaquez Lewis was one of the bill’s prime sponsors.
HB21-1106 Safe Storage Of Firearms: PASSED, Signed into law.


HEALTHCARE:
SB21-194 Maternal Health Providers PASSED Requires a carrier offering a health benefit plan in the state, and the department of health care policy and financing when administering the “Colorado Medical Assistance Act”, to reimburse health-care providers that provide health-care services related to labor and delivery in a way that promotes high-quality, cost-effective care, prevents risk in subsequent pregnancy, and does not discriminate based on the type of provider or facility. Sponsored by State Senator Janet Buckner, and State Rep. Leslie Herod.
SB21-009 Reproductive Health Care Program PASSED Sponsored by State Senator Sonya Jaquez Lewis and State Rep. Yadira Caraveo.
SB21-016 Protecting Preventive Health Care Coverage PASSED
HB21-1232 Standardized Health Benefit Plan Colorado Option PASSED
HB21-1012 Expand Prescription Drug Monitoring Program PASSED
SB21-175 Prescription Drug Affordability Review Board PASSED State Senator Sonya Jaquez Lewis was one of the bill’s prime sponsors.
SB21-011 Pharmacist Prescribe Dispense Opiate Antagonist PASSED, Signed into law.
SB21-038 Expansion of Complementary And Alternative Medicine PASSED
HB21-1068 Insurance Coverage Mental Health Wellness Exam PASSED

REGULATION:
HB21-1317 Regulating Marijuana Concentrates PASSED

SOCIAL JUSTICE, EQUITY AND ACCESS:
SB21-029 Colorado American Indian Tribes In-state Tuition PASSED Signed by President of the Senate.
HB21-1117 Local Government Authority Promote Affordable Housing Units PASSED
HB21-1114 School District Provision Of Internet Service PASSED signed into law
HB21-1122 First Responder Interactions Persons With Disabilities PASSED
SB21-199 Remove Barriers To Certain Public Opportunities PASSED State Senator Sonya Jaquez Lewis was one of the bill’s prime sponsors.

TRANSPORTATION:
SB21-238 Create Front Range Passenger Rail District PASSED
SB21-262 Special District Transparency PASSED The bill makes various changes to statutory provisions to promote transparency for special districts.

VOTING:
HB21-1071 Ranked Choice Voting In Nonpartisan Elections PASSED
SB21-188 Ballot Access For Voters With Disabilities PASSED signed into law
HB21-1011 Multilingual Ballot Access For Voters: PASSED