Governor Jared Polis on Wednesday signed into law thirteen different bills, covering veterans, the environment and more.

VETERANS

SB20-069 allows Coloradans with a disabled veteran’s license plate free access to state parks.

ENVIRONMENT

One bill, SB20-025, states that if a board of directors in a conservancy district participates in aesthetic or parks projects it can or will be seen as a current expense to the district.

EDUCATION

HB20-1260 will adjust and update school finances, as the Joint Budget Committee found an increase in programs for the 2019-20 budget year. This bill is adapted to fit in with HB 19-1262, which concerned state funding for full-day kindergarten.

COMMUNITY HEALTH AND JUSTICE SYSTEMS

SB20-037 creates an Interoperability Platform Advisory Committee. What does that do? According to the bill, the committee will “develop a strategic plan to implement a trusted interoperability platform that securely exchanges information between criminal and juvenile justice systems and community health agencies.”

The committee will submit an initial strategic plan by May 1, 2021, and a final strategic plan by September 1, 2021.

The committee will be repealed on October 1, 2021, under the bill.

RESTAURANTS AND WINE

HB20-1055 “allows a vintner’s restaurant licensee to apply to the department of revenue for permission to manufacture vinous liquors on alternating proprietor licensed premises.”

TECHNOLOGY AND CONSTRUCTION FINANCE

HB20-1261 from the Joint Budget Committee “requires the state treasurer to transfer $7,466,648 from the general fund to the information technology capital account within the capital construction fund on April 1, 2020.”

WATER

SB20-048 is meant to increase speculation about water resources, and “requires the executive director of the department of natural resources to convene a work group to explore ways to strengthen current anti-speculation law and to report to the water resources review committee by August 15, 2021, regarding any recommended changes.”

HB20-1094 will repeal the $1,000 limit permit fee for on-site wastewater treatment system permits to recover the actual indirect and direct costs associated with the permit.

REAL ESTATE

SB20-047 will add to the exemption of real estate appraisals analyses prepared by agents who work for financial institutions. Analyses prepared by an officer, director, or regularly salaried employee of a financial institution were already exempt by law.

LICENSES 

SB20-113 “repeals language requiring each health facility license issued by the department of public health and environment to include the signature of the president of the state board of health (state board), the attestation of the secretary of the state board, and the state board’s seal.”

LAW UPDATES

SB20-043 corrects a conforming amendment that was made in House Bill 19-1174 that inaccurately stated the reimbursement rate for an “out-of-network health care provider who provides emergency services or covered nonemergency services to a covered person at an in-network facility.”

SB20-063, recodes laws with updated language. For example, it will specify the duties of an attorney general.