Bills of Interest

Bill Number	Bill Sponsors	Bill Title	Bill Summary	Status	Position
SB10-081	Sen. Sandavol (D) Rep. Solano (D)	Farm-to-school Interagency Task Force	In order to provide for the development of a state farm-to-school program, which will promote the consumption of nutritional foods provided by state agricultural producers, the bill creates the "Farm-to-School Healthy Kids Act", which establishes the interagency farm-to-school coordination task force (task force). The bill describes the composition and duties of the task force, and sets a future repeal date of December 31, 2013.	03/04/2010 House Committee on Education Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole	Monitor
SB10-106	Sen. Bacon (D) Rep. Looper (R)	Food Systems Advisory Council	The bill creates a 17-member food systems advisory council (council). The executive directors or their designees from the departments of public health and environment, agriculture, human services, education, and local affairs are 5 of the members of the council. The remaining 12 members are appointed by the governor, the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, the minority leader of the senate, and the minority leader of the house of representatives as outlined in the bill. Those 12 appointive members are representatives of 6 functional areas: Nutrition and health; agricultural production; food wholesalers and food retailers; anti-hunger and food assistance programs; economic development; and local government. The purposes of the council are to: Identify and use existing studies of the food system and examples of best practices, whenever possible; Collaborate with other task forces, committees, or organizations with similar purposes; Develop local food policies for Colorado that contribute to building robust, resilient, and long-term local food economies; Develop policy recommendations regarding hunger and food access; Support the efforts of, be a resource to, and receive input from local and regional food policy councils in the state; Advise and recommend actions that state and local governments, businesses, agriculture, and consumers can take to build robust, resilient, and long-term local food economies. The bill lists several policy issues that the council will consider and study. The council may appoint subcommittees in the following areas: Local and regional food councils, local government, and school districts. The council may also appoint other subcommittees. The council may accept gifts, grants, donations, or federal funds to fund the work of the council. The council will annually report its findings and recommendations, including proposals for legislation or for administrative action, to the general assembly, the governor, and the commissioner of agriculture. As an advisory committee, the council will undergo a sunset review and be repealed, effective July 1, 2013, unless extended by the general assembly.	02/17/2010 Senate Committee on Health and Human Services Refer Amended to Appropri-ations	Support—initiated by LiveWell Colorado
HB10-1022	Rep. Summers (R) Sen. Boyd (D)	Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Administration	The bill requires the state department of human services (department) to adopt the maximum certification period allowable pursuant to federal law for the receipt of federal food assistance benefits under the supplemental nutrition assistance program. Additionally, the bill requires the department to develop and implement a state outreach plan with the use of private and federal moneys to promote access to federal food benefits by eligible persons. The department may partner or contract with one or more nonprofit organizations to develop and implement the outreach plan and is authorized to seek and accept gifts, grants, and donations for the purposes of developing and implementing the state outreach plan. The bill requires the department to submit the outreach plan for federal approval by September 1, 2010, and to request any matching federal moneys that may be available upon approval of the outreach plan. In the event that the department will not be receiving sufficient federal or private moneys to develop and implement the outreach plan, the department is exempted from developing and implementing an outreach plan. The bill also includes amendments changing the name of the federal food stamps program to the supplemental nutrition assistance program to reflect the federal name change. The bill directs the department to implement a program or policy, pursuant to federal law, establishing broad-based categorical eligibility for federal food assistance benefits. At a minimum, the program or policy shall remove the asset test for eligibility and increase the gross income test to 200% of federal poverty level pursuant to federal law.	02/11/2010 House Committee on Health and Human Services Refer Amended to Appropriations	Support
HB10-1066	Rep. Massey (R) Sen. Sandavol (D)	CDE Food Procurement and Distribution	The bill requires the department of education (department) to procure approved food and beverages for and distribute them to any board of cooperative services (BOCES) that contracts with the department for the service. The state board of education is required to promulgate rules identifying approved food and beverages. A BOCES may contract with the department or one or more food and beverage distributors, or any combination thereof, for the provision of food and beverages.	02/11/2010 House Committee on Education Postpone Indefinitely	Support
HB10-1120	Rep. Ferrandino	No Sale of Graffiti Materials to Minors	The bill prohibits a person from selling items used to produce graffiti to a person under 18 years of age without the written consent of the person's parent or guardian. A store that sells graffiti materials must place signs in the store educating patrons about the penalties related to graffiti crimes. Half of the moneys collected from the fines will be deposited in the juvenile diversion cash fund.	02/01/2010 House Committee on Judiciary Postpone Indefinitely	Support
HB10-1131	Rep. Scanlan (D) Sen. Gibbs (D)	Colorado Kids Outdoors Grant Program	The bill creates the Colorado kids outdoors grant program (grant program) in the department of natural resources to provide grants for programs that allow Colorado youth to participate in outdoor activities in the state, including but not limited to programs that emphasize the environment and experiential, field-based learning. The executive director of the department of natural resources (executive director) will adopt rules to implement the grant program, including criteria for selecting grant recipients. An advisory council will assist the executive director in reviewing the applications and creating the criteria. The grant program will be funded through gifts, grants, and donations, which will be deposited in the newly created Colorado kids outdoors grant program fund. The executive director will report to certain legislative committees concerning implementation of the grant program, including the amount awarded and the activities that receive funding. The bill directs the department of education, in consultation with the department of natural resources, to create and the state board of education (state board) to adopt a state plan for environmental education (state plan). The state plan will be designed to strengthen environmental education in the state and provide to educators professional development in environmental education. The department of education and the state board will create and adopt the state plan only if the department receives gifts, grants, and donations to pay the costs of creating and adopting the plan. Any moneys received by the department of education for creating the state plan will be credited to the newly created state environmental education fund.	03/03/2010 House Third Reading Passed	Support
HB10-1147	Rep. Kefalas (D) Sen. Bacon (D)	Safer Streets For Non motorized Transport	The bill codifies the existing bicycle and pedestrian policy directive of the department of transportation (CDOT) into law and makes legislative declarations. The bill: Requires CDOT and the departments of education and public safety to collaborate, under the auspices of the safe routes to schools program of CDOT, with local governments, school districts, and appropriate organizations to develop and make available to schools a comprehensive educational curriculum regarding the safe use of public streets and premises open to the public by users of non motorized wheeled transportation. Requires an individual 2 years of age or older but under 18 years of age to wear a helmet that meets the applicable federal safety standard for helmets whenever the individual uses non motorized wheeled transportation on a public street or premises open to the public. Defines nonmotorized wheeled transportation" as any human-powered vehicle or equipment intended for use on public streets and premises open to the public and designed primarily to transport one or more individuals and that rolls on wheels including, but not limited to, a bicycle, scooter, skateboard, or in-line skates. The definition does not include a wagon, a trailer, or any other vehicle or equipment that is primarily designed to be towed or pulled by an individual or by any other vehicle or equipment. Categorizes a violation of the helmet requirement as an unclassified traffic infraction but specifies that its enforcement shall consist only of the stopping of a violator or an accompanying adult, the informing of the violator or accompanying adult of the violation, and the provision of a card to the violator or accompanying adult that explains the risks of not wearing a helmet and provides information as to where the violator may obtain a free or low-cost helmet if the violator or the violator's family cannot afford to purchase one. Specifies that a violation of the helmet requirement is not admissible as evidence in court as a defense against liability or to reduce damages in a lawsuit arising out of the violator's death or injury and that the parent or legal guardian of a violator shall not be subject to any legal liability due to the violation. Exempts from the helmet requirement an individual whose religious beliefs or practices would be violated by the wearing of a helmet.	03/03/2010 House Third Reading Passed	Support
HB10-1335	Rep. Massey (R)	BOCES School Food Program	The bill authorizes each board of cooperative services (BOCES) to maintain, equip, and operate a food-service facility as a school food authority. The bill creates the BOCES healthy food grant program (program) in the department of education (department) to: (1) Make grants available to BOCES that maintain, equip, and operate food-service facilities as school food authorities; and (2) require each BOCES that receives a grant from the program to procure and distribute to schools of its constituent school districts only food and beverages that satisfy certain nutritional standards. The bill sets forth an application process for the program and permissible uses of grant moneys. The BOCES healthy food grant program cash fund (fund) is created, and the department is authorized to expend no more than 10% of the moneys appropriated to the fund to offset the direct and indirect costs incurred by the department in implementing the program. The department is required to prepare and submit to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate a report that describes the activities carried out under the program and evaluates the effectiveness of the program. The state board of education is required to promulgate rules establishing policies and procedures for the administration of the program. The program is repealed, effective July 1, 2015. The bill includes conforming amendments.	02/25/2010 House Committee on Education Refer Amended to Appropriations	Support