Legislature

Colorado's senior citizens now have well-defined protections against abuse, thanks to the signing of Senate Bill 111 by Gov. John Hickenlooper.

This law creates a new class of protections for "at-risk elders," those Coloradans 70 and over. Currently, many caretakers are encouraged to report suspected abuse, but they are not required to do so.

The new law makes a number of changes to the Adult Protective Services system. Provisions in the law were recommended by the Elder Abuse Task Force, which was created by the legislature in 2012.

Colorado's enterprise zone program will be modified to permanently cap the amount of investment tax credit that may be claimed at $750,000 per year, place greater emphasis on job creation and workforce development and provide transparency in assessing the program's effectiveness, thanks to Gov. John Hickenlooper's signing of House Bill 1142 on Wednesday.

Under the new law:

Gov. John Hickenlooper, in signing the law that expands Medicaid eligibility, has ensured that Colorado will be a healthier place in years to come.

The expansion of health insurance coverage means that many more Coloradans will get the care they need at the right time and in the right place. The governor signed Senate Bill 200 on Monday.

The 2013 legislative session made extraordinary progress in expanding opportunities for more Coloradans.

In our January preview of the session, we described how legislative leaders from both sides of the aisle outlined broad goals and emphasized the role of public policy in expanding opportunity. During the session, they delivered. The result is one of the most productive and far-reaching sessions in memory.

The 2013 legislative session made extraordinary progress in expanding opportunities for more Coloradans. The legislature enacted several measures that the Bell and others have been working on for almost a decade.

Our end-of-session edition of The Opportunity News reviews many of those accomplishments, with a focus on the Bell's major bills.

Click here to read our end-of-session wrap-up

When Gov. John Hickenlooper signed House Bill 13-1136, the Job Protection and Civil Rights Enforcement Act, into law early this week, he took a crucial step in ensuring safer workplaces for all Coloradans.

Starting this week, the Colorado health insurance exchange has a new name and website – "Connect for Health Colorado" and www.connectforhealthco.org.

The website is designed to help people understand how the new exchange will work, how it affects different populations and to answer questions about health insurance and the operation of the exchange.

Coloradans can begin using the exchange to shop for health insurance on Oct. 1, 2013; the insurance will take effect on Jan. 1, 2014.

The Bell Policy Center strongly supports House Bill 13-1136, the "Job Protection and Civil Rights Enforcement Act," which will provide meaningful remedies for workers who are not protected by federal law and therefore can't receive damages or attorney fees even after successfully proving discrimination. Here's why we believe in this bill

Colorado is beginning to see the "silver tsunami" – a dramatic increase in the number of residents 65 and older. In fact, by 2030, the number of 65+ households will more than double.

Because of the cost of long-term care for seniors, this growing population poses a serious challenge for the state as well as individuals and their families.

The Colorado Title Board has approved 21 ballot measures designed to provide funding for Senate Bill 13-213, which would update Colorado's school financing formula for the first time in almost 20 years. If the bill passes, voters must approve one of these ballot measures to provide funding for it.