Morgan's Bills - 2011 Legislative Session
ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE & CONSUMER PROTECTION
SB 2 Low Income Telephone Users Fund (M. Carroll – J. Kerr) – This is an audit bill that fixes implementation so low income people who qualify for help can get it, and others who may not qualify won’t. INTRODUCED. PASSED Senate Third Reading 34-0. House Transportation Committee 13 - 0, House 2nd Reading, House 3rd Reading 64 - 0. SIGNED by Governor.
SB 68 Consumer Protection Act 2011 (M. Carroll - Solano) – Add enforcement language to Colorado’s Unfair Deceptive Trade Practices Act, presuming public harm, when consumers defrauded. There is an added barrier created by Colorado Courts which has left Colorado consumers without remedies. INTRODUCED. PASSED Senate 3rd Reading. DEFEATED House State Affairs Committee, party-line vote.
SB 175 Uniform Trust Insurable Interest (Carroll) - This bill would implement a Uniform Law around Insurable Interests in Trusts to make sure that any party taking out an insurance policy on another person has a legitimate insurable interest and not betting against the life of another. INTRODUCED. PASSED Senate 3rd Reading 35 - 0. House Judiciary House 3rd Reading. SIGNED by Governor.
HB 1127 Fair Use of Credit Scores (Kagan – M. Carroll) – With record people out of work, credit scores have taken a plunge. Credit scores have been used in hiring, apartment rental and to increase insurance premiums. Bill limits use of credit scores to areas only where there is a real and relevant reason to do so to remove unnecessary barriers to employment, housing and cost of insurance. INTRODUCED. DEFEATED House Local House State, Veteran & Military Affairs Committee.
HB 1023 Foreclosure Deferral Extension (Ferrandino – M. Carroll): The bill continues the foreclosure assistance and deferral we created in the state a few years ago. Unfortunately, the need is still there and it is set to expire. INTRODUCED. PASSED House 64-0, PASSED Senate 34-0. SIGNED by Governor.
HB 1232 Probate Registry of Fiduciaries (Court - M. Carroll): This bill creates a registry of court-appointed guardians, conservators and trustees, increases reporting to protected persons from annually to quarterly and requires responses to requests for information by protected persons within 30 days. INTRODUCED. DEFEATED House Judiciary Committee.
SB 182 Insurable Interest (M. Carroll - Liston): This bill ensures that there is an insurable interest before taking out a life insurance policy. This is a standard requirement across most states, however, has never been codified in Colorado. It prevents taking a life insurance policy out on a stranger and profiting from their death. INTRODUCED. PASSED Senate Business Affairs and Labor 4:3, Senate 3nd Reading 34 - 0, House 3rd Reading 64 - 0. SIGNED by Governor.
GOOD GOVERNMENT
SB 25 Taxpayer Empowerment Act (M. Carroll – Ferrandino) – Adds transparency on privatization of government functions by reforming government contracting to include standard clause about transparency of records relating to cost and performance measures of government contracts. INTRODUCED. PASSED Senate 3rd Reading. House 3rd Reading. Readopted in the Senate 24 - 11. SIGNED by Governor.
SB 115 Government Accountability Act (M. Carroll) – ensures jurisdiction to state auditor for all state governmental and quasi-governmental entities to oversee taxpayer accountability and maximize government efficiency in performance. Closes auditing loopholes for good government. INTRODUCED. PASSED Senate 3rd Reading 35 - 0. House Finance 11 - 0. House 3rd Reading. SIGNED by Governor.
HB 1035 Campaign Finance Blue Book Clarification (Court – M. Carroll) – A bill to add blue book descriptions about who has drafted and funded different issues on the ballot. INTRODUCED. PASSED House 54-10, PASSED Senate 35 - 0. House concurred. SIGNED by Governor.
HB 1108 Coroner Commission (Fields, Ryden – M. Carroll) – The bill creates a commission to look at recommendations for qualifications for state coroner. (Currently no medical background is required and it is a partisan race.) INTRODUCED, DEFEATED House Local Government Committee 6:5 party-line vote.
HB 1118 Audit Authority Toll Authorities (J. Kerr - M. Carroll) - This is an audit bill that gives audit jurisdiction to the State Auditor for public highway (toll) authorities. INTRODUCED, PASSED House 3rd Reading 64 - 1. Senate 3rd Reading 21 - 14. House concurred, SIGNED by Governor.
HB 1229 Issue Committee Disclosures (Court - M. Carroll) - This bill ensures issue committee disclosures following the Sampson case ruling strike down existing limits (as applied). INTRODUCED. DEFEATED House State Affairs Committee.
HB 1124 Conflicts of Interest HOAs, Special Districts (A. Williams - M. Carroll) - This bill requires HOAs and special districts to devise conflicts of interest policies around disclosure, recusal and disclose if serving on multiple related Boards prior to a vote. INTRODUCED, PASSED House 55-9-1. Senate Local Government Committee 5 - 0. Senate 2nd Reading Consent, Senate 3rd Reading 23 - 11. SIGNED by Governor.
HB 1282 Judicial Public Access System (B. Gardner - M. Carroll) - This bill creates a public oversight board on the Court's public access system address fees and access. INTRODUCED, PASSED House 3rd Reading, DEFEATED per sponsor's request Senate Judiciary -- issues resolved without a bill.
SB 253 HOA Information Office Implementation Clarification (M. Carroll - A. Williams) - This bill closes an HOA registration loophole, simplifies registration process, and clarifies enforcement mechanism. INTRODUCED, PASSED Senate Judiciary, Senate 3rd Reading, House Business. DEFEATED by GOP on the House calendar.
HB 1315 Independent Ethics Commission (B. Gardner - M. Carroll) - This bill ensures that no more than 2 people of the same political party will be appointed to the Independent Ethics Commission. PASSED House 64 - 0, Senate 3rd Reading Consent 35 - 0, SIGNED by Governor.
JOB PROTECTION
SB 72 Civil Rights Act 2011 (M. Carroll – Levy) – Gives Title VII job protection and remedies to Colorado workers from discrimination (race, gender, sexual orientation) when work for an employer of 15 or less. (More than 15 already covered). INTRODUCED. PASSED Senate 20 - 15. DEFEATED House State Affairs Committee, party-line vote.
SB 179 Worker Alternative Use of ID (M. Carroll) - This bill allows workers to present work-issued ID at a job site to reduce risk of identity theft or loss of state issued ID on the job. INTRODUCED. PASSED Senate 35 - 0. House Judiciary 13 - 0. House 63 - 0. SIGNED by Governor.
HEALTH CARE
SB 88: Direct Entry Midwives (M. Carroll / Lundberg – Acree): Continues ability for midwives trained for home births to continue to practice in Colorado, updates their practice act, and gives ability to administer minor treatments to mom or baby that are within their training and scope of practice. INTRODUCED. PASSED Senate 32 - 3. House 3rd Reading 63 - 0, Conference Committee met, referred. Readopted. SIGNED by Governor.
VETERAN SUPPORT
HB 1037 Military Family Relief Fund (Ryden – M. Carroll)– Reauthorizes Military Family Relief Fund on Income Tax Check off to support military families experiencing hardship as a result of deployment. INTRODUCED. PASSED House 65-0, PASSED Senate 34 - 1, SIGNED by Governor.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORMS
SB 176 Appropriate Use of Solitary Confinement (M. Carroll - Levy): This bill creates due process protections for inmates with severe mental illness or developmental disabilities with respect to solitary confinement and gives allows inmates with good record to get earned time. It directs the cost-savings from the bill into mental health treatment. INTRODUCED. PASSED Senate 3rd Reading 35 - 0, House 3rd Reading, SIGNED by Governor.
SB 201 Elements of Criminal Impersonation (Barker - Roberts, Carroll): This bill clarifies the defintion and elements of proof for the crime of impersonation. INTRODUCED. PASSED Senate 3rd Reading 35 - 0, House 3rd Reading 63 - 0, SIGNED by Governor.
SB 241 Changes to the Operation of the Parole Board (S. King & M. Carroll - B. Gardner & Kagan). This bill adds qualifications to serve on the parole board and creates presumptive release for certain low risk offenders and revises compassionate release policies for geriatric or terminally ill inmates. INTRODUCED, PASSED Senate 3rd Reading 35 - 0, House 3rd Reading, SIGNED by Governor.
SB 257 Concerning Effective Parole Supervision (M. Carroll). This bill preserves the primary discretionary parole system but removes the second layer of non-discretary parole that is costing the State of Colorado nearly $75 million per year for no greater public safety return. This reduces CO spending and could free up significant funds for other priorities, such as education. ON HOLD per sponsor's request Senate Judiciary -- additional time needed to work on issue.
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