Morgan's Bills - 2010 Legislative Session

EMPLOYMENT - RETURN TO WORK:

(1)  SB 10-039 (M. Carroll - Gagliardi).  Job Re-Training Scholarships.  90,000 Coloradans have lost their jobs since November 2008 and while 1,800 new jobs have been created, they are not necessarily in the same occupations.  This bill creates scholarships for people to fund classes, certificates or degrees at vocational schools, junior colleges, community colleges, apprenticeship programs, or 4 year institutions.  These scholarships can be used to get the skills to start a new business or better find employment with an existing one. 
STATUS:  DEFEATED:  POST-PONED Indefinitely House Education Committee.

(2)  HB10-1269 (Levy - M. Carroll) Workplace Fairness Act.  This bill brings the remedies of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII into state law to ensure all basic civil rights of Coloradans in the workplace are protected.
STATUS:  DEFEATED:  POST-PONED Indefinitely House 2nd Reading.

(3) HB10-1397 (Peniston - M. Carroll) Paid Sick Leave.  This bill would have given Colorado workers a right to limited paid sick leave both as a workplace fairness issue and as a public health issue to comply with all health directives advising people to stay home when sick (i.e. H1N1).
STATUS:   DEFEATED:  POST-PONED Indefinitely House Business Affairs & Labor.

CONSUMER PROTECTION & HEALTH CARE:

(4) HB 08-1008 (S. Schafer, McCann - M. Carroll, Schwartz).  Prohibiting Gender Discrimination in Individual Health Insurance Market.  Women pay up to 40% more for the same coverage in the individual health insurance market in states that do not prevent gender discrimination even with no maternity coverage available in Colorado's individual market.  This bill prohibits gender discrimination in pricing (but does allow rating for prior claims experience).
STATUS:   SIGNED by Governor!

(5)  SB 10-076 (M. Carroll - Primavera)  Unreasonable Insurance Claim Practices.  Prohibits use of bonuses or financial incentives to induce or encourage denial of claims or medical care. 
STATUS:  SIGNED by Governor!

(6)  SB 10-124 (M. Carroll - Ryden).  Michael Skolnik Transparency Act of 2010.  This bill gives consumers the right to information about their health care providers including, education, qualifications, disciplinary history, malpractice history, ownership interests, any loss of drug or other hospital priveleges.  This was originally passed for medical doctors in 2007 in honor of Michael Skolnik who died prematurely.
STATUS:  SIGNED by Governor!

(7)  SB 10 - 126 (M. Carroll - Tyler) Pharmaceutical Transparency Act 2010.  This bill discloses key payments from the pharmaceutical industry to health care providers and provides an annual report summarizing those expenses.  It mirrors the federal Physician Payment Sunshine Act.  As amended it posts the federal report now passed in the federal health care reform bill to the state. 
 STATUS:  SIGNED by Governor!

(8)  HB10-1222 (Middleton - M. Carroll)  Sunset Collection Agencies Colorado Office.  This bill requires collection agencies who are collecting debt from Colorado debtors to have a physical office located in Colorado for consumer access.
STATUS:  SIGNED by Governor!

(9) HB 10-1240 (Ferrandino - M. Carroll) Foreclosure Loan Modification Revisions.  This bill addresses some technical changes to facilitate implementation of our foreclosure loan modification bill last year to help keep people in their homes who can afford to do so with slightly modified loan term.
STATUS:  SIGNED by Governor!

PUBLIC SAFETY:

(10)  HB 10-1054 (S. King - M. Carroll) Higher Education Safety.  This bill provides 45 minute of campus public safety protocols in orientation. 
STATUS:  SIGNED by Governor!

(11)  HB 10 - 1056 (Frangas - M. Carroll) Proper Disposal of Docs with Identity Data.  This bill requires that entities in the course of disposal of documents with your personal identifying information that poses a risk for identity theft be shredded.  (social security numbers, bank accounts, etc.)
STATUS:  DEFEATED POST-PONED Indefinitely House Judiciary Committee 2/25/10.

(12) HB 10-1237 (McNulty - M. Carroll) Audit Committee Database Integration Traffic & Criminal Justice Records.  This bill comes as a result of a problem driver audit identifying serious gaps in our database systems to ensure that we are current and accurate about the legal status of a driver's right to drive.
STATUS:  DEFEATED POST-PONED Indefinitely House Judiciary Committee 04/05/10. 

TAXPAYER ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES & GOOD GOVERNMENT REFORMS:

(13)  HB 10 - 1107 (Fischer - M. Carroll):  Use of Ag Lands for Urban Renewal:  Prohibits use of agricultural lands for "urban renewal" unless designated as "brownfield",  2/3 contiguous with urban site and 1/2 deemed blighted, or each of the public entities in the region consent.  This bill closes a loophole on the misuse of ag lands in urban renewal projects that impacts and triggers significant taxpayer backfill to developer projects.
STATUS:  SIGNED by Governor!

(14) SB 10-203 (M. Carroll - Weissmann).  Campaign Finance Disclosures Post Citizens United.    This bill is in response to the US Supreme Court's recent decision in Citizens United reversing the prior prohibition on independent expenditures from corporations and labor unions.  Without this legislation it would be legal to have unlimited amounts of corporate and union funds on independent expenditures without disclosure to the people. 
STATUS:  SIGNED by Governor!

(15) SB 10 - 114 (M. Carroll - Weissmann):  Colorado Taxpayers Accountability Act:  Provides that any entity that receives public taxpayers funds for a public function be subject to the Colorado Open Records act for public projects.  Allows us to follow every taxpayer dollar and assess whether we are getting a good value for the money.
STATUS:  DEFEATED on House Concurrence.

(16)  HB 10 - 1156  (Court - M. Carroll):  Publicly  Financed Campaigns:  This bill reduces the role and influence of special interests and lobbyists in legislative elections by creating a voluntarily tax check off fund that would be available to candidates with strong grassroots support that does not take corporate or lobbyist money.
STATUS:  DEFEATED POST-PONED INDEFINITELY House State Veteran, Military Affairs 03/25/10.

(17) HB 10-1350 (Pace - M. Carroll):  Corporate Responsibility Act:  This bill requires transparency, accountability for use of public funds, incentives to ensure they serve their stated purpose and create the jobs promised.
STATUS:  DEFEATED Senate Floor 2nd Reading.

(18) HB 10-1401 (Ferrandio - M. Carroll:)  State Internet Portal Authority.  This bill increases transparency, accountability on SIPA and subjects them to the authority of the state auditor for oversight.
STATUS:  SIGNED by Governor!

(19) HB 10-1278 (Ryden - M. Carroll):  HOA Info Office. This bill creates an office of an ombudsman for homeowners with respect to their rights in HOAs to help prevent conflicts, avoid litigation and increase awareness of rights and remedies under current law.
STATUS:  SIGNED by Governor!

(20) HB 10-1346 (Kagan - M. Carroll):  Administrative Procedures Act Rule-making changes.  Legal Services bill to improve time-lines on hearings and rule-making process.
STATUS:  SIGNED by Governor!

PINNACOL:  WORKERS' COMPENSATION

(21)  SB 10-011 (M. Carroll - Miklosi) Pinnacol Conflicts of Interest.  This bill (a) prohibits bonuses or financial incentives to induce or encourage denial of claims and medical care; (b) gives parties the right to information about what, if any, financial connections the physicians have to the parties in a Division "Independent" Medical Examination; (c) prohibits Pinnacol taking a reversionary interest in a workers benefits in the event of death, protecting widow and children; and (d) protects primacy of doctor-patient relationship by reducing 3rd party interference unless patient is present or communication done in writing with with worker having right to receive a copy.
STATUS:  SIGNED by Governor!

(22)  HB 10-1012 (Pace - M. Carroll)  Standards for Surveillance of Injured Workers.  Current law gives no standards for when it is or is not appropriate to surveil injured workers.  This bill requires that there be a reasonable basis to suspect fraud or material mis-statement in order to justify the loss of privacy to the injured worker.  Many workers will significant legitimate injuries reported use of surveillance as a harassment tool to get them to settle their claims for less than the law provides.
STATUS:  DEFEATED POST-PONED INDEFINITELY  Senate Judiciary 05/05/10.

(23)  HB 10 - 1038 (Miklosi - M. Carroll)  Notice to Injured Workers of their Rights. 
STATUS:  SIGNED  by Governor! This bill provides notice to injured workers that file a claim of what their rights are in Colorado to increase education, reduce confusion and help avoid litigation where possible.
STATUS:  SIGNED by Governor!

(24) HB 10-1009 (Miklosi - Hodge)  Pinnacol Board.  This bill adds representation of an injured worker and medical provider on the Board to balance the board and give public notice to Board meetings. 
STATUS:  SIGNED by Governor!

(25)  SB 10-012 (Tochtrop - Pace)  Increased Enforcement Penalties.  This bill improves enforcement of existing laws under the Workers' Compensation Act by increasing penalties for violations and changing the violation of the medical prompt pay statute from "willfully" to "knowingly".
STATUS:  SIGNED by Governor!

(26) SB 10-013 (Hodge - Ryden) Workers Compensation Transparency & Accountabiltiy.  This bill reinstates the annual oversight report over Pinnacol Assurance, provides increased information about complaints with the Division of Workers Compensation and requires exist surveys of injured worker satisfaction  with the process.
STATUS:  SIGNED by Governor!

(27) HB10-1356 (Ryden - Tochtrop) Workers Comp Policyholder Protection Act.  This bill directs the insurance commissioner to choose the lower rate levels for employers unless justification is given for the higher rate.  It also provides that if Pinnacol's surplus reaches 800% of risk based capital that a dividend will issue to policyholders.
STATUS:  DEFEATEDHouse Business Affairs Committee Postponed Indefinitely.

(28)  HB 10-1247 (Gagliardi - M. Carroll) Sunset WC Class Appeals Board.  This bill continues the Worker Compensation Class Appeals Board charged with providing a process for employers to challenge their "class", which drives their rates. 
STATUS:  SIGNED by Governor!

Printable Version of this Page