Source: https://cbaclelegalconnection.com/tag/marijuana-law/
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 08:06:24+00:00

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The Colorado Court of Appeals issued its opinion in Stiles v. Department of Corrections on Thursday, January 24, 2019.
State Personnel Board—Disciplinary Proceedings—Standard of Review.
Stiles was selected for a random drug screening while serving as a full-time correctional officer for the Department of Corrections (DOC). The day after the test, Stiles submitted a confidential incident report to DOC admitting to marijuana use and explaining the extenuating circumstances that led to it, including a bout of insomnia and personal problems. The test results came back positive for THC, the main psychoactive chemical in marijuana. The warden issued a notice of disciplinary action terminating Stiles.
Stiles appealed his termination to the Colorado State Personnel Board (Board). An administrative law judge (ALJ) conducted a hearing and issued an initial decision finding that the warden’s decision was arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to rule or law. Specifically, the ALJ found that the warden had (1) failed to candidly and honestly consider all of the evidence he procured, particularly Stiles’s lack of prior disciplinary history and his extenuating mitigating circumstances; and (2) imposed discipline that was not within the range of reasonable alternatives by failing to consider the disciplinary alternatives set forth in the DOC regulation directed at marijuana use. The ALJ rescinded Stiles’s termination and modified his discipline. On review, the Board adopted the ALJ’s initial decision.
On appeal, the DOC contended that the ALJ employed an incorrect standard of review and improperly reweighed the evidence when he reviewed the disciplinary action. A C.R.S. § 24-50-125(4) hearing is a de novo hearing at which the ALJ makes credibility, factual, and legal findings without deference to the appointing authority. Therefore, the ALJ applied the correct standard of review.
The DOC next contended that the ALJ misapplied the arbitrary and capricious standard in modifying the warden’s decision. Here, the ALJ’s decision and the Board’s order adopting it were supported by the record, including the warden’s failure to properly weigh the mitigating evidence and the absence of any prior discipline and the imposition of the most severe form of discipline for Stiles’s misconduct.
The Colorado Court of Appeals issued its opinion in Colorado Health Consultants v. City & County of Denver on Thursday, September 6, 2018.
Retail Marijuana—Cultivation as an Accessory Use—Vested Interest—Equitable Estoppel—Taking.
Colorado Health Consultants, d/b/a Starbuds (Starbuds), is a retail marijuana business located in an I-MX-3 zone, which is a special context zone for industrial mixed use. In 2013, the zoning authority issued Starbuds a zoning permit for retail sales. Starbuds separately applied with the Department of Excise and Licenses (Department) for a retail marijuana cultivation (RMC) license, which was issued in 2014. The following year, Starbuds sought renewal of the RMC license and, following an uncontested hearing required by the Denver Revised Municipal Code (DRMC), the license was renewed.
Starbuds again sought renewal in 2016. The DRMC had been revised and a hearing was no longer required, so the Department immediately renewed the RMC license. Several days later the Department discovered that an interested party had requested a hearing on the renewal application. A hearing was held at which Starbuds argued that under DRMC § 6-214(a)(1), the Department was not authorized to conduct a hearing. In a detailed written recommendation the hearing officer recommended the Department deny the renewal request. She found that plant husbandry was not a permitted use in the I-MX-3 zone and the original license had been issued in error. She also rejected Starbuds’ argument that plant husbandry was a permitted “accessory use.” The Department adopted the findings and denied the renewal.
Starbuds filed a C.R.C.P. 106(a)(4) complaint arguing that the Department did not have the authority to hold a public hearing on the renewal application because plant husbandry was a permitted accessory use. It also alleged that the Department was equitably estopped from denying its renewal application and the denial was an unconstitutional taking. The district court affirmed the Department’s order.
On appeal, Starbuds first contended that the Department abused its discretion and legally erred in concluding that plant husbandry is not a permitted accessory use in an I-MX-3 zone and that its zoning permit did not authorize plant husbandry. An RMC license requires that the retail marijuana establishment be located in a zone “where, at the time of application for the license, plant husbandry is authorized as a permitted use under the zoning code,” with a few exceptions. The parties agreed that plant husbandry is not permitted in the I-MX-3 zone. Starbuds argued, however, that marijuana cultivation is a permitted, unlisted accessory use based on the zoning administrator’s issuance of its retail sales permit. The Department rejected this argument because “retail sales” was the only use permitted by the permit. The court of appeals held that because plant husbandry is prohibited as a primary use, it cannot be an accessory use, so the RMC license renewal application was properly denied.
Starbuds then challenged the Department’s subject matter jurisdiction to conduct a hearing under DRMC § 6-214(a)(2) and (3), given that the Department could only have issued the RMC license under § 6-214(a)(1), which contains no hearing provision. The Department separately possessed the discretionary authority to conduct a hearing under DRMC § 32-30. Further, plant husbandry is not a permitted primary or accessory use in an I-MX-3 zone, and therefore Starbuds was never eligible to receive an RMC license in the first instance.
Starbuds further argued that the district court erred in finding that equitable estoppel did not apply to provide it relief, contending that the Department’s decision to hold a hearing caused an injury. First, it was unlikely that Starbuds detrimentally changed its position in reliance on the approval in the nine days between the application approval and its revocation. The record supports the trial court’s finding that the Department mistakenly issued the RMC license in the first place, and Starbuds presented no evidence that its reliance on an unlawfully issued license was reasonable. Moreover, Starbuds was not ignorant of the provision that plant husbandry was not permitted in its zone.
Starbuds last contended that the denial of its RMC license was an unconstitutional taking because it had a reasonable expectation of continued licensure and did not receive due process. There is no vested right in the renewal of a license, and nothing precludes Starbuds’ continued operation as a retail establishment, which was the primary use for which it was zoned. And Starbuds was afforded due process through the renewal hearing. The Department’s denial of Starbuds’ RMC license renewal application did not constitute an unconstitutional taking.
The Colorado Court of Appeals issued its opinion in John Doe No. 1-9 v. Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment on Thursday, July 26, 2018.
Open Meetings Law—State Public Body—Administrative Procedure Act—Colorado Open Records Act—Attorney Fees and Costs—Medical Marijuana—C.R.S. § 24-4-106(8)—Final Agency Action.
The Colorado Constitution authorizes physicians to recommend the medical use of marijuana for patients with debilitating medical conditions. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is designated as “the state health agency” to administer Colorado’s medical marijuana program and is required to promulgate rules to administer the program. CDPHE created the medical marijuana registry to meet its requirement to establish a confidential registry of patients who are entitled to receive medical marijuana cards.
CDPHE has discretion to refer physicians to the Colorado Medical Board (the Board) for violations of medical marijuana laws. The Board, which is entirely separate from CDPHE and is housed under the Department of Regulatory Agencies, determines whether such violations exist.
Wolk, the CDPHE executive director, and Riggins, the state registrar and director of the Medical Marijuana Registry, (collectively, the Department) referred John Does 1 through 9 (collectively, the Doctors) to the Board for investigation of unprofessional conduct involving the Doctors’ certification of patients for the use of medical marijuana. The Department based its referrals on its medical marijuana policy (the Policy).
The Doctors then submitted Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) requests to the Department and the Board, seeking public records about, among other things, the Policy. The Department responded to the request, but withheld certain documents. The Doctors then brought this action against the Department and the Board, alleging violations of Colorado’s Open Meetings Law (OML) and the State Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and seeking injunctive and declaratory relief. The district court dismissed the claims against the Board and granted summary judgment on the Doctors’ OML and APA claims against the Department and, as a result, declared the Policy void.
On appeal, the Department argued for reversal of the summary judgment, contending that the entire agency cannot constitute a “state public body” under the OML, so the OML doesn’t apply. Under the OML’s plain language, the Department is not a state public body. Thus, the district court erred in granting summary judgment on the Doctors’ OML claim against the Board.
The Doctors challenged the dismissal of their OML claim against the Board. However, they did not allege that the Board had authority to enact or implement the Policy, or that it had enacted the Policy. Thus, even accepting as true the Doctors’ allegations that Board employees attended meetings to discuss and develop the Policy, the complaint failed to allege facts showing a link between the meetings and the Board’s policy-making powers. Thus, the Board is not subject to the OML.
The Doctors also challenged the denial of their request for attorney fees and costs under the OML. Given the case disposition, the court of appeals rejected the request.
The Department also argued that the district court erred in finding that the APA applied to the Department referrals because they are not a “final agency action” under the APA. Subject to an exception under C.R.S. § 24-4-106(8), only final agency action is subject to review. The referrals were not final; they didn’t determine anything, and it is uncertain whether an investigation will result in a finding of a violation or any other action. The Doctors sought to enjoin the referrals under the C.R.S. § 24-4-106(8) exception, which allows interlocutory review of agency actions in which a party will suffer irreparable harm. But to fit under the exception, the referrals must be a “proceeding” under the APA, which they are not. The district court erred in granting summary judgment on the Doctors’ APA claims against the Department based on the referrals.
The Doctors further argued that the Policy itself was a final agency action that did not comply with the APA’s rulemaking requirements. Here, the Policy was not binding and did not confer any power the Department did not already have, so it fell within the APA’s exception to the notice and hearing rulemaking requirements.
The Doctors also objected to the dismissal of the APA claims against the Board. However, they developed no argument in their opening brief about how the APA applies to the Board, and their discussion of the APA in their reply brief was too late.
The Doctors next argued that the district court erred in denying an award for attorney fees and costs associated with their request to obtain access to public documents under CORA. A party requesting an order to show cause for the disclosure of public records is not entitled to attorney fees and costs if the requesting party has filed a lawsuit against a state public body and the records relate to the pending litigation and are otherwise discoverable under the rules of civil procedure, which was the case here. The district court did not err in denying attorney fees and costs under CORA.
The judgment was affirmed in part and reversed in part, and the case was remanded with directions.
On Wednesday, June 6, 2018, Lieutenant Governor Donna Lynne signed the final bills of the 2018 legislative session into law in Governor Hickenlooper’s absence. Lt. Gov. Lynne signed 35 bills into law. During the 2018 legislative session, 421 bills were signed into law, 9 were vetoed, and 2 were sent to the Secretary of State without a signature. The bills signed Wednesday are summarized here.
SB 18-015 – “Concerning the ‘Protecting Homeowners and Deployed Military Personnel Act,'” by Sens. Bob Gardner & Owen Hill and Reps. Dave Williams & Larry Liston. The bill directs a peace officer to remove a person from a residential premises and to order the person to remain off the premises if the owner or owner’s authorized agent (declarant) swears to a declaration making specified statements concerning ownership of the premises and the lack of authority for the person or persons who are on the premises to be there.
SB 18-038 – “Concerning the Allowable Uses of Reclaimed Domestic Wastewater, and, in Connection Therewith, Allowing Reclaimed Domestic Wastewater to be Used for Industrial Hemp Cultivation and Making an Appropriation,” by Sens. Kerry Donovan & Don Coram and Reps. Daneya Esgar & Yeulin Willett. The bill codifies rules promulgated by the water quality control commission of the Colorado department of public health and environment concerning allowable uses of reclaimed domestic wastewater, which is wastewater that has been treated for subsequent reuses other than drinking water.
SB 18-068 – “Concerning Criminalizing False Reports,” by Sens. John Cooke & Kevin Van Winkle and Rep. Jeff Bridges. Under current law, there is a crime of false reporting to authorities. The bill creates a crime of false reporting of an emergency by criminalizing an act of false reporting to authorities that includes a false report of an imminent threat to the safety of a person or persons by use of a deadly weapon.
SB 18-225 – “Concerning the Definition of an Early College for Purposes of the ‘Concurrent Enrollment Programs Act,'” by Sen. Kent Lambert and Rep. Millie Hamner. Under the existing statute, an early college is not subject to the requirements of the ‘Concurrent Enrollment Programs Act’. The bill amends the definition of ‘early college’ to specify that an early college must provide only a curriculum that is designed to be completed within 4 years and includes concurrent enrollment in high school and postsecondary courses such that, when a student completes the curriculum, the student has attained a high school diploma and a postsecondary credential or at least 60 credit hours toward completion of a postsecondary credential.
SB 18-245 – “Concerning the Disposal of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials,” by Sen. John Cooke and Rep. Jeni James Arndt. Current law allows the state board of health to adopt rules concerning the disposal of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) only after the federal environmental protection agency has adopted rules concerning the disposal of NORM. The EPA has not adopted the rules. The bill repeals this prohibition and requires the state board to adopt rules, which must also regulate technologically enhanced NORM (TENORM), by December 31, 2020.
SB 18-250 – “Concerning the Provision of Jail-based Behavioral Health Services, and, in Connection Therewith, Making an Appropriation,” by Sens. Bob Gardner & Kent Lambert and Reps. Pete Lee & Dave Young. The bill continues to allow the correctional treatment cash fund to be used to provide treatment for persons with mental and behavioral health disorders who are being served through the jail-based behavioral health services program.
SB 18-251 – “Concerning Establishing a Statewide Behavioral Health Court Liaison Program, and, in Connection Therewith, Making an Appropriation,” by Sens. Bob Gardner & Kent Lambert and Reps. Dave Young & Pete Lee. The bill establishes in the office of the state court administrator a statewide behavioral health court liaison program. The purpose of the program is to identify and dedicate local behavioral health professionals as court liaisons in each state judicial district to facilitate communication and collaboration among judicial, health care, and behavioral health systems.
SB 18-255 – “Concerning the Use of Electronic Formats in the Issuance of Certificates of Title for Vehicles,” by Sen. Jack Tate and Reps. Jeni James Arndt & Edie Hooten. Current law provides that a record may not be denied effect merely because it is electronic. The bill clarifies that this applies to documents needed to obtain a certificate of title and electronic signatures.
SB 18-259 – “Concerning the Taxation of Retail Marijuana by Local Governments, and, in Connection Therewith, Making an Appropriation,” by Sen. Jim Smallwood and Rep. Dan Pabon. The bill imposes general taxation requirements on local government.
SB 18-267 – “Concerning the Creation of the Justice Center Maintenance Fund,” by Sens. John Kefalas & Randy Baumgardner and Reps. Jon Becker & Chris Hansen. The bill creates the justice center maintenance fund that consists of money appropriated by the general assembly to the maintenance fund from the justice center cash fund to be used for controlled maintenance needs of the Ralph L. Carr Colorado judicial center.
SB 18-269 – “Concerning Providing Funding for Local Education Providers to Implement School Security Improvements to Prevent Incidences of School Violence, and, in Connection Therewith, Creating the School Security Disbursement Program,” by Sens. Tim Neville & Dominick Moreno and Reps. Patrick Neville & Jeff Bridges. The bill creates the school security disbursement program in the department of public safety. A school district, charter school, institute charter school, or board of cooperative services may apply for a disbursement by submitting an application to the department. A disbursement recipient may use the money for one or more of the purposes specified in the bill, which include building improvements to enhance security and training for school personnel.
SB 18-280 – “Concerning a Transfer from the General Fund to the Tobacco Litigation Settlement Cash Fund to be Allocated to the Programs, Services, and Funds that Currently Receive Tobacco Litigation Settlement Money,” by Sen. Kent Lambert and Rep. Millie Hamner. The bill requires the state treasurer to transfer $19,965,068 from the general fund to the tobacco litigation settlement cash fund on July 1, 2018. This money is allocated for the 2018-19 fiscal year to the programs, services, and funds that receive tobacco litigation settlement money to supplement the allocation of settlement money that those programs, services, and funds will otherwise receive.
HB 18-1042 – “Concerning the Creation of a Program to Authorize Private Providers to Register Commercial Vehicles as Class A Personal Property, and, in Connection Therewith, Making and Reducing an Appropriation,” by Reps. Jon Becker & Joann Ginal and Sens. Ray Scott & Rachel Zenzinger. The bill creates the expedited registration program. The program authorizes the department of revenue to promulgate rules authorizing private providers to register interstate commercial vehicles. The provider may collect and retain a convenience fee.
HB 18-1077 – “Concerning the Penalty for a Person who Commits Burglary to Acquire Firearms, and, in Connection Therewith, Making an Appropriation,” by Reps. Larry Liston & Donald Valdez and Sens. Leroy Garcia & Ray Scott. In current law, second degree burglary is a class 4 felony, but it is a class 3 felony under 2 specified circumstances. The bill designates a third type of second degree burglary as a class 3 felony: that is, a burglary, the objective of which is the theft of one or more firearms or ammunition.
HB 18-1146 – “Concerning the Continuation Under the Sunset Law of the Measurement Standards Law,” by Rep. Jovan Melton and Sen. Don Coram. The bill implements the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies in its sunset review and report on the measurement standards law by extending the law for 15 years.
HB 18-1156 – “Concerning Limitations on Penalties for Truancy,” by Rep. Pete Lee and Sen. Chris Holbert. The bill clarifies in the Colorado Children’s Code and in the ‘School Attendance Law of 1963’ that a ‘delinquent act’ does not include truancy or habitual truancy. A child who is habitually truant and who refuses to follow a plan to rehabilitate his or her truancy may be subject to various sanctions by the court in a truancy proceeding.
HB 18-1200 – “Concerning Cybercrime, and, in Connection Therewith, Criminalizing Using a Computer to Engage in Prostitution of a Minor, Criminalizing Skimming Payment Cards, Making Changes to the Penalty Structure for Cybercrime, and Making an Appropriation,” by Reps. Paul Lundeen & Alec Garnett and Sens. Rhonda Fields & Don Coram. The bill changes the name of the crime computer crime to cybercrime. The bill makes soliciting, arranging, or offering to arrange a situation in which a minor may engage in prostitution, by means of using a computer, computer network, computer system, or any part thereof, a cybercrime.
HB 18-1218 – “Concerning the Definition of a Charitable Organization for Purposes of State Sales and Use Tax, and, in Connection Therewith, Removing the Limitation that a Veterans’ Organization Only Gets the Charitable Organization Exemption for Purposes of Sponsoring a Special Event, Meeting, or Other Function in the State, So Long as Such Event, Meeting, or Function is Not Part of the Organization’s Regular Activities in the State,” by Reps. Terri Carver & Jovan Melton and Sens. Nancy Todd & Larry Crowder. The bill makes state law consistent with federal law and will treat veterans’ organizations registered under section 501 (c)(19) of the federal internal revenue code the same way as veterans’ organizations registered under section 501 (c)(3) of the federal internal revenue code.
HB 18-1234 – “Concerning Clarification of the Laws Governing Simulated Gambling Activity,” by Reps. KC Becker & Paul Lundeen and Sen. Kent Lambert. The bill amends the definitions of key terms such as ‘gambling’, ‘prize’, and ‘simulated gambling device’ as used in the criminal statutes governing simulated gambling devices and specifies that unlawful offering of a simulated gambling device occurs if a person receives payment indirectly or in a nonmonetary form for use of a simulated gambling device.
HB 18-1302 – “Concerning the Allowance of the Department of Public Health and Environment to Waive Certification Requirements for Toxicology Laboratories that have been Accredited by an Entity Using Recognized Forensic Standards,” by Reps. Joann Ginal & Lois Landgraf and Sen. Vicki Marble. Current law allows the department of public health and environment to waive certain certification requirements for toxicology laboratories that are accredited by the American board of forensic toxicology or the international standards organization. The bill changes the waiver requirement to allow the department to waive certification requirements if the laboratory is accredited by an entity using nationally or internationally recognized forensic standards.
HB 18-1303 – “Concerning Exemption of Nonprofit Youth Sports Organization Coaches from the ‘Colorado Employment Security Act,'” by Reps. Cole Wist & Alec Garnett and Sen. Jack Tate. The bill exempts from the definition of ’employment’ under the ‘Colorado Employment Security Act’ nonprofit youth sports organization coaches if there is a written agreement between the coach and the organization that meets certain requirements, including a statement that the coach is an independent contractor.
HB 18-1313 – “Concerning the Allowance of a Pharmacist to Serve as a Practitioner under Certain Circumstances,” by Reps. Joann Ginal & Jon Becker and Sens. Irene Aguilar & Kevin Priola. The bill clarifies that a licensed and qualified pharmacist may serve as a practitioner and prescribe over-the-counter medication under the ‘Colorado Medical Assistance Act’ and a statewide drug therapy protocol pursuant to a collaborative pharmacy practice agreement.
HB 18-1314 – “Concerning Prohibiting the Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems to Obstruct Public Safety Operations,” by Reps. Joann Ginal & Polly Lawrence and Sen. John Cooke. The bill states that, as used in the existing criminal offense of obstructing a peace officer, firefighter, emergency medical service provider, rescue specialist, or volunteer, the term ‘obstacle’ includes an unmanned aircraft system.
HB 18-1335 – “Concerning the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program, and, in Connection Therewith, Establishing Eligibility Requirements for All Counties and Creating a New Formula to Determine the Amount of Block Grants to Counties,” by Rep. Dave Young and Sen. Kevin Lundberg. For providers under the Colorado child care assistance program, the bill requires the state department of human services, in consultation with the counties, annually to contract for a market rate study of provider rates for each county.
HB 18-1342 – “Concerning a Requirement that a Common Interest Community Created in Colorado Before July 1, 1992, Comply with a Provision of the ‘Colorado Common Interest Ownership Act’ that Allows a Majority of the Unit Owners in a Common Interest Community to Veto a Budget Proposed by the Executive Board of the Common Interest Community,” by Rep. Jovan Melton and Sen. Nancy Todd. The bill requires a common interest community that predates the Act to allow its unit owners to veto, by majority vote, a budget proposed by the common interest community’s executive board; except that the bill does not apply to a common interest community that predates the Act if the common interest community’s declaration sets a maximum assessment amount or provides a limit on the amount that the common interest community’s annual budget may be increased.
HB 18-1350 – “Concerning the Sales and Use Tax Treatment of Equipment Used to Manufacture New Metal Stock from Scrap or End-of-Life-Cycle Metals, and, in Connection Therewith, Making an Appropriation,” by Rep. Tracy Kraft-Tharp and Sen. Kevin Priola. Purchases of machinery or machine tools to be used in Colorado directly and predominantly in manufacturing tangible personal property are currently exempt from state sales and use tax. Manufacturing is currently defined to include the processing of recovered materials. The bill expands the definition of recovered materials to include materials that have been derived from scrap metal or end-of-life-cycle metals for remanufacturing, reuse, or recycling into new metal stock that meets applicable standards for metal commodities sales.
HB 18-1363 – “Concerning Legislative Recommendations of the Child Support Commission, and, in Connection Therewith, Making an Appropriation,” by Reps. Jonathan Singer & Lois Landgraf and Sen. Larry Crowder. The bill implements several recommendations from the child support commission.
HB 18-1373 – “Concerning the Use of the State Telecommunications Network by Private Entities Through Public-Private Partnerships, and, in Connection Therewith, Relocating Laws Related to the State Telecommunications Network from the Department of Public Safety’s Statutes to the Statutes Regarding Telecommunications Coordination within State Government,” by Reps. Jon Becker & Chris Hansen and Sens. Randy Baumgardner & John Kefalas. The bill authorizes private entities to use the state telecommunications network through public-private partnerships considered, evaluated, and accepted by the chief information officer and relocates laws related to the state telecommunications network from the department of public safety’s statutes to the statutes regarding telecommunications coordination within state government.
HB 18-1402 – “Concerning Authorization for the State Treasurer to Invest State Money in Investment Grade Securities Issued by Sovereign, National, and Supranational Entities,” by Reps. Polly Lawrence & Dave Young and Sens. Bob Gardner & Angela Williams. The bill authorizes the state treasurer to invest state money in securities issued by a sovereign, national, or supranational entity that are rated at least investment grade by a nationally recognized rating organization.
HB 18-1405 – “Concerning an Exception from the Mandatory Reporting Requirements for Persons Providing Legal Assistance to Area Agencies on Aging,” by Rep. Pete Lee and Sen. Bob Gardner. Under current law, staff, and staff of contracted providers, of area agencies on aging are mandatory reporters of the mistreatment of an at-risk elder or an at-risk adult with an intellectual and developmental disability. The bill creates a mandatory reporter exception for attorneys at law providing legal assistance to individuals pursuant to a contract with an area agency on aging, the staff of such attorneys at law.
HB 18-1410 – “Concerning Measures to Address Prison Population Increases,” by Reps. Pete Lee & Leslie Herod and Sens. Kevin Lundberg & Daniel Kagan. The bill requires the department of corrections to track the prison bed vacancy rate in both correctional facilities and state-funded private contract prison beds on a monthly basis. If the vacancy rate falls below 2% for 30 consecutive days, the department shall notify the governor, the joint budget committee, the parole board, each elected district attorney, the chief judge of each judicial district, the state public defender, and the office of community corrections in the department of public safety.
HB 18-1421 – “Concerning the Procurement Process for Major Information Technology Projects Undertaken by State Agencies, and, in Connection Therewith, Making an Appropriation,” by Rep. Bob Rankin and Sens. Kent Lambert & Jack Tate. The bill requires internal process changes in connection with the procurement process for major information technology (IT) projects as specified.
HB 18-1422 – “Concerning Requirements for Marijuana Testing Facilities,” by Rep. Matt Gray and Sen. Cheri Jahn. The bill requires medical and retail marijuana testing facilities to be accredited pursuant to the International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission 17025:2005 standard by a body that is itself recognized by the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation by January 1, 2019.
HB 18-1429 – “Concerning the Exemption of the Workers’ Compensation Cash Fund from the Maximum Reserve,” by Rep. Millie Hamner and Sen. Kent Lambert. Prior to July 1, 2017, the workers’ compensation cash fund was exempt from the maximum reserve for a cash fund, which limits the year-end uncommitted reserves in a cash fund to 16.5% of the amount expended from the cash fund during the fiscal year. The bill once again exempts the workers’ compensation cash fund from the maximum reserve.
HB 18-1437 – “Concerning Eliminating the Requirement that a Person who Participates in College-level Academic Programs through the Correctional Education Program in the Department of Corrections must Bear Entirely the Costs Associated with such Programs,” by Rep. Leslie Herod and Sen. Tim Neville. Under current law, the correctional education program in the department of corrections is required to provide every person in a correctional facility who demonstrates college-level aptitudes with the opportunity to participate in college-level academic programs that may be offered within the correctional facility. The bill removes this stipulation concerning costs and states instead that such costs may be borne through private, local, or federally funded gifts, grants, donations, or scholarships, or by such persons themselves, or through any combination of such funding.
On Tuesday, June 5, 2018, Governor Hickenlooper signed three bills into law and vetoed four bills. To date, he has signed 370 bills, sent two bills to the Secretary of State without a signature, and vetoed nine bills. The bills signed and vetoed Tuesday are summarized here.
HB 18-1136 – “Concerning Treatment for Individuals with Substance Use Disorders, and, in Connection Therewith, Adding Residential and Inpatient Treatment to the Colorado Medical Assistance Program and Making an Appropriation,” by Rep. Brittany Pettersen and Sens. Kevin Priola and Cheri Jahn. The bill adds residential and inpatient substance use disorder services and medical detoxification services to the Colorado medical assistance program. The benefit is limited to persons who meet nationally recognized, evidence-based level of care criteria for residential and inpatient substance use disorder treatment.
HB 18-1266 – “Concerning Expanding the Career Development Success Pilot Program,” by Reps. Daneya Esgar & James Wilson and Sens. Owen Hill & Nancy Todd. The bill amends the existing career development success pilot program, which provides a distribution of up to $1,000 to school districts and charter schools for each high school student who successfully completes an identified industry-certificate, internship, or pre-apprenticeship program or computer science advanced placement course. The bill limits the distribution for industry certificates for a single school district or charter school to 10% of the total number of completed industry certificates reported.
SB 18-206 – “Concerning Ensuring Affordability at Public Research Universities in Colorado, and, in Connection Therewith, Making an Appropriation,” by Sens. Kevin Priola & Andy Kerr and Reps. Jeni James Arndt & Cole Wist. Under current law, the number of in-state students enrolled at public institutions of higher education is governed by various percentage limits and requirements. The bill standardizes the calculation for public research institutions in several ways.
HB 18-1011 – “Concerning Measures to Allow Greater Investment Flexibility in Marijuana Businesses, and, in Connection Therewith, Making an Appropriation,” by Reps. Dan Pabon & Kevin Van Winkle and Sens. Tim Neville & Cheri Jahn. The bill would have repealed certain requirements for marijuana business owners, and would have created and defined two new ownership licenses, controlling beneficial owners and passive beneficial owners, and a new investment type, indirect financial interest holder. The bill also would have given the state licensing authority rulemaking authority related to the parameters of, qualifications of, disclosure of, requirements for, and suitability for the new license types and investment type. “The marijuana industry is organically expanding. While we wish to encourage business opportunity, we must approach capital expansion in the market in a way that is consistent with our federal oversight, and not degrade the robust regulatory system that Colorado worked so hard to establish,” said Governor Hickenlooper in the veto letter.
For a complete list of Governor Hickenlooper’s 2018 legislative actions, click here.
On Monday, April 30, 2018, Governor Hickenlooper signed 21 bills into law and sent one bill to the Secretary of State without a signature. To date, he has signed 204 bills and sent two to the Secretary of State without signature. Some of the bills signed Monday include the Long Appropriations Bill, a bill providing access to workers’ compensation benefits for out-of-state workers temporarily in Colorado, a bill requiring fingerprint-based background checks for employees with access to federal tax information, and more. The bills signed on Monday are summarized here.
HB 18-1069 – “Concerning the Allowable Uses of Reclaimed Domestic Wastewater, and, in Connection Therewith, Allowing Reclaimed Domestic Wastewater to Be Used for Toilet Flushing and Making an Appropriation,” by Reps. Jeni James Arndt & Dan Thurlow and Sen. Don Coram. The bill codifies rules promulgated by the water quality control commission of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment concerning allowable uses of reclaimed domestic wastewater, which is wastewater that has been treated for subsequent reuses other than drinking water.
HB 18-1186 – “Concerning the Continuation of the Colorado Youth Advisory Council, and, in Connection Therewith, Implementing the Sunset Review Recommendations of the Department of Regulatory Agencies and Making an Appropriation,” by Reps. James Wilson & Judy Reyhar and Sen. Vicki Marble. The bill implements the recommendation of the department of regulatory agencies to concerning the Colorado youth advisory council and extends the sunset date to September 1, 2023.
HB 18-1259 – “Concerning Providing Marijuana Samples to Employees for Business Purposes,” by Rep. Matt Gray and Sen. Vicki Marble. The bill permits a medical marijuana optional premises cultivation licensee, a medical marijuana-infused products manufacturing licensee, a retail marijuana cultivation facility licensee, and a retail marijuana products manufacturing licensee to provide samples to managers for quality control and product development purposes. The bill specifies limits on the amount that can be provided as a sample per batch.
HB 18-1284 – “Concerning the Cost of Prescription Drugs Purchased at a Pharmacy,” by Reps. Janet Buckner & James Wilson and Sens. Beth Martinez Humenik & John Kefalas. The bill enacts the ‘Patient Drug Costs Savings Act.’ The act prohibits a carrier that has a contract with a pharmacy or pharmacist, or a pharmacy benefit management firm acting on behalf of a carrier, from preventing a pharmacist from disclosing the cost of prescription drugs or requiring a pharmacy to collect a copay that exceeds the pharmacy’s costs.
HB 18-1308 – “Concerning an Exemption from the “Workers’ Compensation Act of Colorado” for Nonresident Employers whose Employees are Temporarily Working in Colorado,” by Reps. Tracy Kraft Tharp & Jon Becker and Sens. Owen Hill & Daniel Kagan. The bill establishes an exemption from the ‘Workers’ Compensation Act of Colorado’ for an out-of-state employer whose employees are working in Colorado on a temporary basis as long as the employer furnishes workers’ compensation coverage in the state in which the employee is regularly employed and the home state is contiguous to Colorado.
HB 18-1322 – “Concerning the Provision for Payment of the Expenses of the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Departments of the State of Colorado, and of its Agencies and Institutions, For and During the Fiscal Year Beginning July 1, 2018, Except as Otherwise Noted,” by Rep. Millie Hamner and Sen. Kent Lambert. This is the Long Appropriations Bill, which budgets for various monies to be applied to different state agencies.
HB 18-1323 – “Concerning Transfers of Money to a Newly Created Office of State Planning and Budgeting Youth Pay for Success Initiatives Account within the Pay for Success Contracts Fund, and, in Connection Therewith, Making an Appropriation,” by Rep. Bob Rankin and Sen. Dominick Moreno. The bill requires the state treasurer to transfer specified amounts from the general fund and the marijuana tax cash fund to a newly created Office of State Planning and Budgeting Youth Pay for Success Initiatives account within the pay for success contracts fund for state fiscal years 2018-19 through 2021-22.
HB 18-1324 – “Concerning the Continuation of the Governor’s Commission on Community Service, and, in Connection Therewith, Making an Appropriation,” by Rep. Millie Hamner and Sen. Kent Lambert. The bill codifies the existing governor’s commission on community service, which was created through executive order.
HB 18-1325 – “Concerning Measures to Address Coverage Gaps in the Statewide Digital Trunked Radio System, and, in Connection Therewith, Making an Appropriation,” by Reps. Millie Hamner & Bob Rankin and Sen. Kent Lambert. The statewide digital trunked radio system (DTRS) provides interoperable radio communications that allow personnel from multiple agencies in different levels of government to rapidly share information and coordinate efforts in emergency situations. The General Assembly established the public safety communications trust fund for the acquisition and maintenance of public safety communications systems, including the DTRS.
HB 18-1326 – “Concerning Support for Persons Interested in Transitioning from an Institutional Setting, and, in Connection Therewith, Making and Reducing Appropriations,” by Rep. Dave Young and Sen. Kent Lambert. The bill directs the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing to provide community transition services and supports to persons who are in an institutional setting, who are eligible for Medicaid, and who desire to transition to a home- or community-based setting.
HB 18-1328 – “Concerning the Children’s Habilitation Residential Waiver Program, and, in Connection Therewith, Making and Reducing an Appropriation,” by Rep. Dave Young and Sens. Kent Lambert & Dominick Moreno. The bill directs the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing to initiate a stakeholder process for purposes of preparing and submitting a redesigned children’s habilitation residential program waiver for federal approval that allows for home- and community-based services for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities who have complex behavioral support needs.
HB 18-1331 – “Concerning Expanding the Use of Open Educational Resources at Public Institutions of Higher Education, and, in Connection Therewith, Creating the Colorado Open Educational Resources Council, Creating a Grant Program to Support the Creation and Use of Open Educational Resources, and Making an Appropriation,” by Reps. Dave Young & Bob Rankin and Sen. Kevin Lundberg. The bill creates the Colorado open educational resources council in the Department of Higher Education and assigns tasks to the new council.
HB 18-1332 – “Concerning Creation of a Grant Program to Support Collaborative Educator Preparation Initiatives to Address the Teacher Shortage in Colorado, and, in Connection Therewith, Making an Appropriation,” by Reps. Millie Hamner & Bob Rankin and Sen. Dominick Moreno. The bill creates in the Department of Higher Education the collaborative educator preparation grant program to support joint initiatives among educator preparation programs, alternative teacher programs, school districts, boards of cooperative services, and public schools for preparing and placing educators.
HB 18-1333 – “Concerning Part C Child Find Responsibilities of State Departments, and, in Connection Therewith, Making an Appropriation,” by Rep. Dave Young and Sen. Kent Lambert. The bill defines ‘early intervention evaluations’ as evaluations performed pursuant to part C child find. The bill requires the state Department of Human Services and the Department of Education to enter into an interagency agreement to study the administration of early intervention evaluations. The departments are required to enter into the agreement by October 1, 2018, and to report the results of the study performed pursuant to the agreement to the joint budget committee by June 30, 2019.
HB 18-1334 – “Concerning an Extension of the Transitional Jobs Program, and, in Connection Therewith, Making an Appropriation,” by Rep. Millie Hamner and Sen. Kent Lambert. The bill extends the transitional jobs program for five more years.
HB 18-1336 – “Concerning the Repeal of the Local Government Retail Marijuana Impact Grant Program,” by Rep. Dave Young and Sen. Kent Lambert. On July 1, 2019, the bill repeals the local government retail marijuana impact grant program, under which the Department of Local Affairs awards grants to eligible local governments for documented marijuana impacts.
HB 18-1337 – “Concerning a Veterans One-stop Center in Grand Junction, and, in Connection Therewith, Making an Appropriation,” by Reps. Millie Hamner & Bob Rankin and Sen. Kent Lambert. The bill provides that on and after November 1, 2018, the Division of Veterans Affairs in the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs may operate a veterans one-stop center in Grand Junction for the purpose of providing a central and accessible location where veterans, service members, and their family members in the western portion of the state may have access to assistance and resources.
HB 18-1339 – “Concerning a Requirement for Fingerprint-Based Criminal History Record Checks for Individuals with Access to Federal Tax Information, and, in Connection Therewith, Making an Appropriation,” by Rep. Bob Rankin and Sen. Kent Lambert. The bill requires fingerprint-based criminal history record checks for every applicant, contractor, employee, or other individual who has or may have access to federal tax information received from the federal government by a state agency in accordance with federal Internal Revenue Service Publication 1075.
SB 18-066 – “Concerning an Extension of the Operation of the State Lottery Division Beyond July 1, 2024,” by Sens. Jerry Sonnenberg & Leroy Garcia and Reps. Jeni James Arndt & Cole Wist. The bill extends the scheduled termination on July 1, 2024, of the state lottery division in the Department of Revenue to July 1, 2049.
SB 18-195 – “Concerning a Requirement that the Money in the Healthcare Affordability and Sustainability Fee Cash Fund be Appropriated Annually rather than Continuously Appropriated,” by Sen. Dominick Moreno and Rep. Bob Rankin. Current law specifies that money in the healthcare affordability and sustainability fee cash fund is continuously appropriated to the Colorado healthcare affordability and sustainability enterprise for specified healthcare related purposes. Beginning with state fiscal year 2018-19, the bill makes the expenditure of money from the fund by the enterprise subject to annual appropriation by the General Assembly.
SB 18-202 – “Concerning the Exemption of the Colorado Firefighting Air Corps Fund from the Maximum Reserve,” by Sen. Kent Lambert and Rep. Millie Hamner. The bill exempts the Colorado firefighting air corps fund from the maximum reserve, which currently limits the year-end uncommitted reserves in the cash fund to 16.5% of the amount expended from the cash fund during the fiscal year.
Additionally, on Monday, the Governor sent one bill to the Secretary of State without a signature. That bill was HB 18-1093, “Concerning the Allowable Uses of Reclaimed Domestic Wastewater, and, in Connection Therewith, Allowing Reclaimed Domestic Wastewater to Be Used for Food Crops and Making an Appropriation,” by Rep. Jeni James Arndt and Sen. Don Coram. The bill codifies rules promulgated by the water quality control commissio of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment concerning allowable uses of reclaimed domestic wastewater, which is wastewater that has been treated for subsequent reuses other than drinking water.
On Monday, April 9, 2018, Governor Hickenlooper signed 12 bills into law. To date, he has signed 126 bills into law and sent one to the Secretary of State without a signature. The bills signed Monday include a bill to increase transparency in higher education statutes concerning military service, a bill repealing procedures to fill vacancies in candidate nominations for municipal elections, a bill allowing the Colorado Oil and Gas Commission to roll-over its year-end balances in order to facilitate financing, and more. The bills signed Monday are summarized here.
SB 18-107 – “Concerning the Repeal of Procedures to Fill Vacancies in Candidate Nominations for Elections Conducted under the ‘Colorado Municipal Code of 1965,'” by Sen. Rachel Zenzinger and Rep. Dan Thurlow. The bill repeals the process by which a vacancy in nomination may be filled for an election conducted under the ‘Colorado Municipal Code of 1965’ and makes conforming amendments.
HB 18-1098 – “Concerning the Expanded Ability of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to Finance the Remediation of Oil and Gas Locations,” by Reps. Lori Saine & Matt Gray and Sen. Vicki Marble. Under current practice, expenditures by the Colorado oil and gas conservation commission to address the mitigation of adverse environmental impacts of oil and gas operations are paid from the environmental response account of the oil and gas conservation and environmental response fund, and the year-end balance of the account transfers into the fund. The bill specifies that the year-end balance of the account remains in the account.
HB 18-1112 – “Concerning Covered Health Care Services Provided by a Pharmacist,” by Reps. Jon Becker & Daneya Esgar and Sen. Larry Crowder. The bill requires a health benefit plan to provide coverage for health care services provided by a pharmacist if the services are provided within a health professional shortage area and the health benefit plan provides coverage for the same services provided by a licensed physician or advanced practice nurse.
HB 18-1134 – “Concerning Eligibility of Kindergarten Students Funded through Early Childhood At-risk Enhancement Positions,” by Reps. Brittany Pettersen & James Wilson and Sens. Michael Merrifield & Beth Martinez Humenik. If a district chooses to use early childhood at-risk enhancement (ECARE) positions to enroll children in the district’s full-day kindergarten program, children using the ECARE positions must satisfy at least one of the eligibility requirements of the Colorado preschool program.
HB 18-1145 – “Concerning the Repeal of Laws Regulating Ballot Issue Petition Circulators that have been Permanently Enjoined from Enforcement,” by Rep. Edie Hooten and Sen. Dominick Moreno. The bill repeals laws ordered permanently enjoined from enforcement in Independence Inst. v. Gessler , 936 F. Supp. 2d 1256 (D. Colo. 2013).
HB 18-1148 – “Concerning the Prohibition Against a Carrier Requiring Step Therapy for Covered Persons with Stage Four Advanced Metastatic Cancer,” by Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet and Sen. Larry Crowder. The bill prohibits a carrier that issues a health benefit plan that covers treatment for stage four advanced metastatic cancer from requiring a cancer patient to undergo step therapy prior to receiving a drug approved by the United States food and drug administration if use of the approved drug is consistent with best practices for treatment of the cancer and as long as the drug is on the carrier’s prescription drug formulary.
HB 18-1172 – “Concerning Money Allocated from an Appropriation from the Marijuana Tax Cash Fund to a Designated Managed Service Organization to Implement its Community Action Plan,” by Rep. Dave Young and Sen. Kent Lambert. The bill amends the ‘Increasing Access to Effective Substance Use Disorder Services Act’ to clarify that a designated managed service organization (designated MSO) may use money allocated to it from the marijuana tax cash fund for expenditures for substance use disorder services and for any start-up costs or other expenses necessary to increase capacity to provide such services and may allow allocations to roll forward.
HB 18-1199 – “Concerning a Process for the Ground Water Commission to Use for Approving Aquifer Storage-and-Recovery Plans, and, in Connection Therewith, Requiring that the Ground Water Commission Promulgate Rules Governing its Implementation of the Process,” by Reps. Marc Catlin & Barbara McLaughlin and Sen. Don Coram. The bill authorizes a person to apply to the ground water commission (commission) for approval of an aquifer storage-and-recovery plan and requires the commission to promulgate rules governing the application process and the requirements that an aquifer storage-and-recovery plan must meet to be approved.
HB 18-1228 – “Concerning Increasing Transparency in Higher Education Statutes Relating to Military Service,” by Reps. Justin Everett & Dafna Michaelson Jenet and Sen. Leroy Garcia. The bill creates a new article 7.4 in title 23, Colorado Revised Statutes, with the article heading ‘Military Members, Veterans, and Dependents’, in order to locate physically within the same article, whenever practicable, higher education provisions relating to the military.
HB 18-1238 – “Concerning the Continuation of the Wildland-Urban Interface Training Advisory Board, and, in Connection Therewith, Implementing the Recommendations of the 2017 Sunset Report by the Department of Regulatory Agencies,” by Reps. Dominique Jackson & Marc Catlin and Sen. Vicki Marble. The bill implements the recommendation of the Department of Regulatory Agencies to sunset the wildland-urban interface training advisory board.
HB 18-1246 – “Concerning Updates to the “Colorado Nursery Act”, and, in Connection Therewith, Modernizing the Act and Protecting Agriculture from Pests, Diseases, and Noxious Weeds,” by Rep. Jessie Danielson and Sen. Don Coram. The bill updates the ‘Colorado Nursery Act’, last amended in 2009, to protect nursery stock.
HB 18-1293 – “Concerning Payment of Expenses of the Legislative Department,” by Reps. Crisanta Duran & Patrick Neville and Sens. Kevin Grantham & Lucia Guzman. The bill makes appropriations for matters related to the legislative department for the 2018-19 state fiscal year.
For a list of all of Governor Hickenlooper’s 2018 legislative decisions, click here.

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