CO Code § 24-30-2204 (2021)
2021 Colorado Code|Title 24 - Government - State|Article 30 - Department of Personnel - State Administrative Support Services|Part 22 - Laura Hershey Disability Support Act|§ 24-30-2204. Program to Assist Persons to Obtain Disability Benefits - Repeal

  When adequate funding is available, the committee shall invite nonprofit entities to submit a proposal for a program to aid persons with disabilities in accessing disability benefits. To qualify, the nonprofit organization must be based in Colorado and governed by a board that:   Is composed of persons with a demonstrated commitment to improving the lives of recipients with disabilities;    Contains members who understand a range of significant disabilities, including physical and mental; and    Contains a majority of either:   Recipients with disabilities; or    Family members of recipients with disabilities who have experience in representing the interests of a person with a disability.              The committee shall review the proposed programs and shall award a contract to the nonprofit entity that best meets the requirements of this section in accordance with the "Procurement Code", articles 101 to 112 of this title. (2) (a) (I) The committee shall review the proposed programs and shall award a contract to the nonprofit entity that best meets the requirements of this section in accordance with the "Procurement Code", articles 101 to 112 of this title.    The term of the contract is one year. Before the contract expires, the committee shall evaluate whether the nonprofit entity and the contract are reasonably meeting the requirements of this section, including objective and quantitative evaluations, whenever possible, of the satisfaction of program participants, the program's success in obtaining disability benefits for program participants, the program's effectiveness at helping program participants obtain jobs, and improvements in the quality of life of program participants. The committee shall include the evaluation criteria in the contract.    The committee may renew the contract annually for up to five years. After five years, the committee shall reopen the contract to a competitive bid process.       The committee shall not award the contract unless the proposal includes:   A system for evaluating whether a person with a disability is reasonably able to navigate the application process to obtain disability benefits, health care, and employment;    A system for prioritizing the need of applicants based upon the evaluations;    A plan for assisting persons with disabilities in navigating the processes of obtaining and retaining disability benefits, health care, and employment;    A plan for establishment of working relationships with state agencies, county departments of human or social services, health care providers, the United States social security administration, and the business community;    A policy of preferential hiring of persons with disabilities;    Reasonable standards for accounting control of expenditures;    Metrics to evaluate the program's quality and cost-effectiveness; and    Effective July 1, 2020, the ability to serve persons with disabilities statewide.       The committee shall not discriminate against a contracting entity for advocacy concerning persons with disabilities.       The entity awarded a contract under this section shall make quarterly reports of expenditures to the department of personnel, which shall make the reports available to the committee. The committee shall include in the contract a method and format for making the reports.     Source: L. 2016: Entire part amended with relocations, (HB 16-1362), ch. 319, p. 1289, § 1, effective August 10. L. 2018: (2)(b)(IV) amended, (SB 18-092), ch. 38, p. 441, § 97, effective August 8.   Cross references: For the legislative declaration in SB 18-092, see section 1 of chapter 38, Session Laws of Colorado 2018.