Second Regular Session
Seventy-fourth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
INTRODUCED
LLS NO. 24-0736.01 Brita Darling x2241
HOUSE BILL 24-1097
House Committees Senate Committees
State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs
A BILL FOR AN ACT
C
ONCERNING OCCUPATIONAL CRE DENTIALING FOR MILITARY101
FAMILIES.102
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
http://leg.colorado.gov
.)
Effective September 1, 2024, the bill makes changes to Colorado's
occupational credential portability program (program) relating to the
spouses and dependents of military members, including:
! In addition to military spouses already covered by the
program, allowing gold star military spouses and
dependents of military members who are licensed, certified,
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Taggart and Weissman,
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Fields and Gardner,
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law. registered, or enrolled in a profession or occupation
(credentialed) in good standing in another state or United
States territory (current state) to be credentialed in
Colorado by endorsement from the current state to practice
the same profession or occupation in Colorado;
! Allowing an applicant to be credentialed under the program
if the applicant committed an act that would have been
grounds for discipline in this state, but for which the
applicant remains in good standing in the current state
because the act is not grounds for discipline in the current
state;
! Removing the 3-year limitation and nonrenewal provision
for a military spouse's credential and allowing military
spouses, gold star military spouses, and military dependents
to obtain a renewable 6-year credential while in Colorado;
! Waiving the application and renewal fee for Colorado
credentials issued to military spouses, gold star military
spouses, and military dependents; and
! Expanding eligibility for the program to spouses and
dependents of Armed Forces Reserve, Ready Reserve, and
National Guard members in Colorado.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. Short title. The short title of this act is the "Military2
Family Employment Support Act".3
SECTION 2. Legislative declaration. (1) (a) The general4
assembly finds and declares that:5
(I) Not all active military members have orders for three years or6
less; this is especially true for younger enlisted members;7
(II) Nearly 39% of military spouses require professional licensing8
for their jobs;9
(III) Colorado has nearly 17,000 military spouses of service10
members across all branches of service; and11
(IV) Colorado not only recognizes the sacrifice that military12
spouses make while military members are in service, but also recognizes13
HB24-1097-2- those who have lost their spouses in the line of duty.1
(b) Further, the benefits of the "Red Tape Reduction Act", which2
was enacted in House Bill 20-1326 in 2020, should be expanded to3
encompass the spouses of military service members who are on orders for4
longer than three years, spouses of service members in the Ready Reserve5
and of service members who transfer from active duty service to the6
National Guard or Armed Forces Reserve, Gold Star military spouses,7
and military dependents.8
(c) Therefore, the general assembly declares that:9
(I) Regulators should continue to reduce barriers to entry into the10
workforce;11
(II) Military family members should be granted a Colorado12
occupational credential for substantially equivalent experience in another13
state, unless the regulator can demonstrate a specific reason to withhold14
the credential; and15
(III) Credentials should continue to be provided in the least16
burdensome manner possible in order to get professionals to work as soon17
as possible.18
SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 12-20-202, amend19
(3)(f) as follows:20
12-20-202. Licenses, certifications, and registrations - renewal21
- reinstatement - fees - occupational credential portability program22
- exceptions for military personnel, spouses, gold star military23
spouses, and dependents - rules - consideration of criminal24
convictions or driver's history - executive director authority -25
definitions. (3) Occupational credential portability program.26
(f) Effective January 1, 2021:27
HB24-1097
-3- (f) (I) Except as specified in subsection (3)(f)(III) of this section,1
a military spouse,
GOLD STAR MILITARY SPOUSE, OR MILITARY DEPENDENT2
duly licensed, certified, registered, or enrolled in good standing in another3
state or United States territory to practice a particular profession or4
occupation is, upon application to the division for licensure, certification,5
registration, or enrollment in that profession or occupation in this state,6
entitled to the issuance of a temporary
license, certification, registration,7
or enrollment upon submission of satisfactory proof to the regulator,8
under penalty of perjury, of the applicant's active license, certification,9
registration, or enrollment in another state or United States territory in10
good standing. and that the applicant has not committed an act that would11
be grounds for disciplinary action under the law governing the applicable12
profession or occupation.13
(II) For the purposes of AS USED IN this subsection (3)(f):14
(A) "G
OLD STAR MILITARY SPOUSE" OR "GOLD STAR SPOUSE"15
MEANS THE SPOUSE OF A SERVICE MEMBER , WHICH SERVICE MEMBER DIED16
WHILE ON MILITARY ORDERS, WHO WAS RELOCATED TO COLORADO.17
(A)
(B) "In good standing" means that a license, certification,18
registration, or enrollment has not been revoked, expired, or suspended19
and against which there are no outstanding disciplinary or adverse20
actions.21
(C) "M
ILITARY DEPENDENT" MEANS THE DEPENDENT OF AN22
INDIVIDUAL SERVING IN THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES WHO WAS23
RELOCATED TO COLORADO.24
(B)
(D) "Military spouse" OR "SPOUSE" means the spouse of a25
person who is actively AN INDIVIDUAL serving in the United States armed26
forces and who is stationed in WAS RELOCATED TO Colorado. in27
HB24-1097
-4- accordance with military orders.1
(E) "R
ELOCATED" MEANS THAT AN INDIVIDUAL SERVING IN THE2
U
NITED STATES ARMED FORCES AND THE INDIVIDUAL 'S SPOUSE OR3
DEPENDENT HAVE, OR THE INDIVIDUAL'S GOLD STAR SPOUSE HAS, MOVED4
TO COLORADO, AS A RESULT OF: AN ASSIGNMENT TO A DUTY STATION IN5
C
OLORADO; A REASSIGNMENT, EITHER AS A RESULT OF A PERMANENT6
CHANGE OF STATION OR PERMANENT CHANGE OF ASSIGNMENT TO7
C
OLORADO, BETWEEN TWO DUTY STATIONS ; OR A TRANSFER FROM A8
REGULAR COMPONENT OF A UNIFORMED SERVICE INTO A SELECTED9
RESERVE OF THE READY RESERVE OF A UNIFORMED SERVICE , IF THE10
MEMBER IS AUTHORIZED TO MAKE A FINAL MOVE FROM THE MEMBER 'S11
LAST DUTY STATION TO COLORADO.12
(III) An applicant is not entitled to temporary
licensure,13
certification, registration, or enrollment pursuant to this subsection (3)(f)14
if approving the temporary licensure, certification, registration, or15
enrollment would violate an existing compact or reciprocity agreement or16
if the regulator demonstrates by a preponderance of evidence, after notice17
and opportunity for a hearing, that18
(A) The applicant has committed an act that would be grounds for19
disciplinary action under the law governing the applicable profession or20
occupation; or21
(B) the applicant's license, certification, registration, or enrollment22
issued by another state or United States territory is not in good standing.23
(IV) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary:24
(A) A temporary license, certification, registration, or enrollment25
issued to a military spouse,
GOLD STAR MILITARY SPOUSE, OR MILITARY26
DEPENDENT pursuant to this subsection (3)(f) is valid for three
SIX years27
HB24-1097
-5- after the date of issuance and may not be renewed.1
(B) Each regulator shall waive the application fee for temporary2
SINGLE STATE licenses, certifications, registrations, or enrollments issued3
pursuant to this subsection (3)(f).4
SECTION 4. Effective date. This act takes effect September 1,5
2024.6
SECTION 5. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,7
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate8
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for9
the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state10
institutions.11
HB24-1097
-6-