2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 24 - GOVERNMENT - STATE (§§ 24-1-101 — 24-116-102) › PRINCIPAL DEPARTMENTS (§§ 24-30-101 — 24-36-306) › Article 34 - DEPARTMENT OF REGULATORY AGENCIES (§§ 24-34-101 — 24-34-1008) › Part 10 - TASK FORCE ON THE RIGHTS OF COLORADANS WITH DISABILITIES (§§ 24-34-1001 — 24-34-1008) › Section 24-34-1003 - Task force on the rights of Coloradans with disabilities - creation - membership - report

(1)
There is created in the commission the task force on the rights of Coloradans with disabilities. The mission of the task force is to bring together the appropriate stakeholders, experts, and impacted groups to study and make recommendations concerning issues related to persons with disabilities. The task force shall create subcommittees to study and report findings on the following issues:
(a)
Rewriting and modernizing the Colorado Revised Statutes concerning civil rights for persons with disabilities;
(b)
Basic access to the Colorado outdoors for persons with disabilities;
(c)
The affordability, accessibility, and attainability of housing for persons with disabilities;
(d)
Physical and programmatic basic access within state and local government; and
(e)
Any other issue related to accessibility and the civil rights of persons with disabilities.
(2)
The task force includes the following members, appointed on or before August 1, 2023:
(a)
The lieutenant governor, or the lieutenant governor's designee, who is a non-voting member except as necessary to break a tie;
(b)
Four voting members who are either from a disability rights advocacy organization or a veterans service organization that serves veterans with a disability. The speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, the minority leader of the house of representatives, and the minority leader of the senate shall each appoint one voting member.
(c)
Four voting members as appointed by the governor; and
(d)
Subject matter experts must be allowed to participate in task force discussions upon the invitation of the task force. The subject matter experts presence is not required or included in determining a quorum of the task force. The subject matter experts must include, but need not be limited to:
(I)
Representation from the department of local affairs;
(II)
Representation from the division of housing within the department of local affairs;
(III)
Representation from the department of regulatory agencies;
(IV)
Representation from the Colorado civil rights commission;
(V)
Representation from the Colorado office of economic development and international trade;
(VI)
Representation from the office of state planning and budgeting;
(VII)
Representation from varying advocacy organizations as deemed appropriate;
(VIII)
Disability law experts;
(IX)
Other legal experts; and
(X)
Persons who represent Colorado's federal partners.
(3)
The task force shall create the subcommittees identified in sections
24-34-1004
to
24-34-1007
, and the governor shall make appointments to each subcommittee, based on recommendations from the task force. Each subcommittee shall make separate reports on its findings and recommendations and provide the reports to the task force.
(4)
The task force shall produce a final report, including recommendations, and submit it to the governor and general assembly on or before January 30, 2025. The task force shall consider the reports of the subcommittees but is not bound by any findings or conclusions of any subcommittee in producing its final report.
(5)
The task force may employ one-and-a-half full-time employees and contract with a vendor to facilitate and assist with the operations and duties of the task force and subcommittees. Task force members and subcommittee members may receive per diem compensation and may be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurred while on official task force or subcommittee business, as provided in section
12-20-103 (6)
.
Added by 2023 Ch. 269,§ 1, eff. 5/25/2023.