Legislators in the House introduced long-awaited legislation addressing fentanyl use in the state. Tossed into the mix of newly introduced bills is a bill that addresses restrictive employment agreements, one that increases the worker’s comp benefits payable for funeral and burial expenses among other amendments and one that would allow licensed marijuana businesses to change designations.
House Bill 1317 — Restrictive Employment Agreements
Description: Restrictive Employment Agreements
Sponsors: K. Tipper
Summary: The bill would make void a restrictive employment agreement or non-compete agreement, with certain exceptions. If the employer provides proper notice of the restrictive employment agreement or non-compete to the employee or prospective employee, some types of covenants are still allowed.
House Bill 1319 — Dependency Proceedings Unaccompanied Child
Description: Dependency Proceedings Unaccompanied Child
Sponsors: S. Gonzales-Gutierrez and I. Jodeh
Summary: The bill would provide juvenile court jurisdiction over an unaccompanied child in the custody of the federal office of refugee resettlement in a facility in Colorado who has been subjected to parental abuse or neglect. A child may file a petition asking the court to determine that the child is dependent on the court.
House Bill 1326 — Fentanyl Accountability And Prevention
Description: Fentanyl Accountability And Prevention
Sponsors: A. Garnett, M. Lynch, B. Pettersen and J. Cooke
Summary: The bill would make the unlawful possession of any material, compound, mixture or preparation that weighs more than four grams and contains any amount of fentanyl, carfentanil or an analog thereof a level 4 drug felony, with exemptions.
House Bill 1327 — Native American Boarding Schools
Title: Native American Boarding Schools
Sponsors: L. Herod, B. McLachlan, D. Moreno and D. Coram
Summary: The bill would establish the Native American boarding school research program in the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs to research the events, physical and emotional abuse and deaths that occurred at Native American boarding schools in Colorado, including the victimization of families of youth forced to attend the boarding schools and the intergenerational impacts of the abuse. The bill requires the commission to enter into an agreement with an organization to research events, abuse, and deaths that occurred at the Native American boarding school at Fort Lewis, which was known as the Fort Lewis Indian school. After receiving the results the commission needs to make public its recommendations to address the findings from the research program.
Senate Bill 178 — Licensee’s Ability To Change Marijuana Designation
Description: Licensee’s Ability To Change Marijuana Designation
Sponsors: J. Gonzales, A. Valdez and K. Van Winkle
Summary: The bill would allow a medical marijuana cultivation facility licensee to transfer medical marijuana to a retail marijuana cultivation facility licensee and the retail marijuana cultivation facility licensee to receive the marijuana and change the designation of the marijuana from medical to retail. The bill would also clarify that the retail marijuana cultivation facility licensee is required to pay any retail marijuana excise tax.
House Bill 1347 — Workers' Compensation Updates
Description: Workers' Compensation Updates
Sponsors: L. Daugherty and R. Rodriguez
Summary: The bill would amend the Workers' Compensation Act of Colorado. Specifically, the bill would create a process for a claimant to receive advance payment for mileage expenses for travel that is reasonably necessary and related to obtaining compensable treatment, supplies or services and increase the benefits payable for funeral and burial expenses among other amendments.
Senate Bill 183 — Crime Victims Services
Title: Crime Victims Services
Sponsors: F. Winter, B. Gardner, M. Duran and M. Weissman
Summary: Under existing law, the state department of human services reimburses local governments and nongovernmental agencies that operate domestic abuse programs for providing services to victims of domestic violence. The bill would change "domestic abuse programs" to "domestic violence programs" and requires the department to reimburse a nongovernmental agency or a federally recognized Indian tribe that operates a domestic violence, sexual assault or culturally specific program that provides services to victims of domestic abuse or sexual assault. The bill repeals the requirement that programs must request information from each client concerning the relationship of the client to the alleged perpetrator of the abuse.
Senate Bill 188 — Behavioral Health Support For Criminal Justice Advocates
Description: Behavioral Health Support For Criminal Justice Advocates
Sponsors: R. Fields, D. Coram, D. Roberts and B. Titone
Summary: The bill would create the public defender and prosecutor behavioral health support grant program in the department of local affairs. A grant recipient may use grant money for counseling services, including reimbursements for the costs of counseling services, training and education programs that teach the symptoms of job-related trauma, how to prevent and treat trauma and peer support programs. The department is annually required to report to the general assembly about the grant program.
