Colorado § 26-2-142 - Colorado teen parent driver's license program - report - rules - definitions - appropriation.

§ 26-2-142. Colorado teen parent driver's license program - report - rules - definitions - appropriation.

(1) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) "Eligible individual" means an individual who is:

(I) Fifteen years of age or older and under twenty years of age; and

(II) A parent.

(b) "Program" means the teen parent driver's license program created in subsection (2) of this section.

(2) There is created in the state department the Colorado teen parent driver's license program to provide financial assistance for the cost of driver's education school training for eligible individuals and the cost to obtain a driver's license or permit.

(3) (a) The state department shall solicit interest and cost distribution proposals from teen parent organizations to administer the program. Upon the state department's approval, the teen parent organizations may subcontract with and pay money received pursuant to this section to the providers of the services as necessary to serve eligible individuals. The selected teen parent organizations must be operational no later than thirty days after entering into a contract with the state department.

(b) For purposes of selecting a teen parent organization before July 1, 2023, to administer the program, the selection process described in subsection (3)(a) of this section is not subject to the "Procurement Code", articles 101 to 112 of title 24. For purposes of selecting a teen parent organization on or after July 1, 2023, the state department shall commence a selection process that complies with the "Procurement Code", articles 101 to 112 of title 24.

(4) The state department may promulgate rules for the implementation of this section.

(5) For the 2022-23 state fiscal year, the state department shall submit a preliminary report, and beginning in state fiscal year 2023-24 and each fiscal year thereafter, shall report to the public through the annual hearing pursuant to the "State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act", part 2 of article 7 of title 2. At a minimum, the report must include:

(a) The total number of teen parent organizations contracted with the state department pursuant to subsection (3) of this section, including any subcontractors;

(b) The total amount of money awarded to each teen parent organization;

(c) The location of each teen parent organization and the counties served;

(d) The total number of eligible individuals who received driver's licenses each year, disaggregated by each month; and

(e) The total number of eligible individuals who received training from a driver's education school, disaggregated by each month.

(6) (a) For state fiscal year 2022-23, the general assembly shall appropriate one hundred thousand dollars from the general fund to the state department for use by the state department to implement this section. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year and each state fiscal year thereafter, the general assembly may appropriate money from the general fund to the state department for use by the state department to implement this section.

(b) The state department may use up to seven and one-half percent of any money appropriated by the general assembly for administrative costs incurred by the state department pursuant to this section.

Source: L. 2022: Entire section added, (HB 22-1042), ch. 283, p. 2033, § 1, effective May 31.