Second Regular Session
Seventy-fourth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REREVISED
This Version Includes All Amendments
Adopted in the Second House
LLS NO. 24-0736.01 Brita Darling x2241
HOUSE BILL 24-1097
House Committees Senate Committees
State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs State, Veterans, & Military 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,
SENATE
3rd Reading Unamended
March 27, 2024
SENATE
2nd Reading Unamended
March 26, 2024
HOUSE
3rd Reading Unamended
February 20, 2024
HOUSE
Amended 2nd Reading
February 16, 2024
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Taggart and Weissman, Armagost, Bacon, Bird, Boesenecker, Bradley, Brown, deGruy
Kennedy, Duran, Froelich, Hamrick, Herod, Jodeh, Joseph, Kipp, Lieder, Lindstedt, Lynch,
Marshall, Martinez, Marvin, McCluskie, McCormick, Ortiz, Ricks, Rutinel, Sirota, Titone,
Valdez, Weinberg, Willford, Wilson, Young
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Fields and Gardner, Baisley, Buckner, Coleman, Cutter, Exum, Ginal, Hinrichsen, Kolker,
Liston, Lundeen, Marchman, Michaelson Jenet, Mullica, Pelton B., Pelton R., Rodriguez,
Simpson, Smallwood, Sullivan, Van Winkle, Will, Winter F., Zenzinger
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 of10
servicemembers 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
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 servicemembers who are on orders for4
longer than three years, the spouses of servicemembers in the Ready5
Reserve and of servicemembers who transfer from active duty service to6
the National Guard or Armed Forces Reserve, Gold Star military spouses,7
military dependents, and the spouses and dependents of any other8
qualified servicemembers.9
(c) Therefore, the general assembly declares that:10
(I) Regulators should continue to reduce barriers to entry into the11
workforce;12
(II) Military family members should be granted a Colorado13
occupational credential for substantially equivalent experience in another14
state, unless the regulator can demonstrate a specific reason to withhold15
the credential; and16
(III) Credentials should continue to be provided in the least17
burdensome manner possible in order to get professionals to work as soon18
as possible.19
SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 12-20-202, amend20
(1)(b) and (3)(f) as follows:21
12-20-202. Licenses, certifications, and registrations - renewal22
- reinstatement - fees - occupational credential portability program23
- exceptions for military personnel, spouses, gold star military24
spouses, and dependents - rules - consideration of criminal25
convictions or driver's history - executive director authority -26
definitions. (1) Renewal. (b) Notwithstanding any provision of the law27
1097
-3- to the contrary, the director may change the renewal date of any license,1
certification, or registration issued by a regulator so that approximately2
the same number of licenses, certifications, or registrations are scheduled3
for renewal in each month of the year. Where any renewal date is so4
changed, the fee for the license, certification, or registration is5
proportionately increased or decreased, as the case may be. EXCEPT FOR6
A LICENSE, CERTIFICATION, OR REGISTRATION ISSUED IN ACCORDANCE7
WITH SUBSECTION (3)(f) OF THIS SECTION, a license, certification, or8
registration is valid for a period of no less than one year and no longer9
than three years, as determined by the director in consultation with the10
applicable regulator. A licensee, certificate holder, or registrant shall11
submit an application for renewal to the applicable regulator on forms and12
in the manner prescribed by the director.13
(3) Occupational credential portability program. (f) Effective14
January 1, 2021:15
(f) (I) Except as specified in subsection (3)(f)(III) of this section,16
a military spouse,
GOLD STAR MILITARY SPOUSE,
MILITARY DEPENDENT,17
OR SPOUSE OR DEPENDENT OF ANY OTHER QUALIFIED SERVICEMEMBER18
duly licensed, certified, registered, or enrolled in good standing in another19
state or United States territory to practice a particular profession or20
occupation is, upon application to the division for licensure, certification,21
registration, or enrollment in that profession or occupation in this state,22
entitled to the issuance of a temporary license, certification, registration,23
or enrollment upon submission of satisfactory proof to the regulator,24
under penalty of perjury, of the applicant's active license, certification,25
registration, or enrollment in another state or United States territory in26
good standing. and that the applicant has not committed an act that would27
1097
-4- be grounds for disciplinary action under the law governing the applicable1
profession or occupation.2
(II) For the purposes of AS USED IN this subsection (3)(f):3
(A) "G
OLD STAR MILITARY SPOUSE" OR "GOLD STAR SPOUSE"4
MEANS THE SPOUSE OF A
SERVICEMEMBER, WHICH SERVICEMEMBER DIED5
WHILE ON MILITARY ORDERS, WHO WAS RELOCATED TO COLORADO.6
(A) (B) "In good standing" means that a license, certification,7
registration, or enrollment has not been revoked, expired, or suspended8
and against which there are no outstanding disciplinary or adverse9
actions.10
(C) "M
ILITARY DEPENDENT" MEANS THE DEPENDENT OF
A11
SERVICEMEMBER SERVING IN THE UNITED STATES UNIFORMED SERVICES12
WHO WAS RELOCATED TO COLORADO.13
(B) (D) "Military spouse" OR "SPOUSE" means the spouse of a14
person who is actively SERVICEMEMBER serving in the United States15
armed forces and UNIFORMED SERVICES who is stationed in WAS16
RELOCATED TO Colorado. in accordance with military orders.17
(E) "RELOCATED" MEANS THAT A SERVICEMEMBER IN THE UNITED18
STATES UNIFORMED SERVICES AND THE SERVICEMEMBER 'S SPOUSE OR19
DEPENDENT HAVE, OR THE SERVICEMEMBER'S GOLD STAR SPOUSE HAS,20
MOVED TO COLORADO, AS A RESULT OF: AN ASSIGNMENT TO A DUTY21
STATION IN COLORADO; A REASSIGNMENT, EITHER AS A RESULT OF A22
PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION OR PERMANENT C HANGE OF ASSIGNMENT23
TO COLORADO, BETWEEN TWO DUTY STATIONS ; OR A TRANSFER FROM A24
REGULAR COMPONENT OF A UNIFORMED SERVICE INTO A SELECTED25
RESERVE OF THE READY RESERVE OF A UNIFORMED SERVICE , IF THE26
MEMBER IS AUTHORIZED TO MAKE A FINAL MOVE FROM THE MEMBER 'S27
1097
-5- LAST DUTY STATION TO COLORADO.1
(F) "SERVICEMEMBER" MEANS A MEMBER OF THE UNIFORMED2
SERVICES, AS DEFINED IN 10 U.S.C. SEC. 101 (a)(5).3
(III) An applicant is not entitled to temporary licensure,4
certification, registration, or enrollment pursuant to this subsection (3)(f)5
if approving the temporary licensure, certification, registration, or6
enrollment would violate an existing compact or reciprocity agreement or7
if the regulator demonstrates by a preponderance of evidence, after notice8
and opportunity for a hearing, that9
(A) The applicant has committed an act that would be grounds for10
disciplinary action under the law governing the applicable profession or11
occupation; or12
(B) the applicant's license, certification, registration, or enrollment13
issued by another state or United States territory is not in good standing.14
(IV) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary:15
(A) A temporary license, certification, registration, or enrollment16
issued to a military spouse, A GOLD STAR MILITARY SPOUSE, A MILITARY17
DEPENDENT, OR THE SPOUSE OR DEPENDENT OF ANY OTHER QUALIFIED18
SERVICEMEMBER pursuant to this subsection (3)(f) is valid for three SIX19
years after the date of issuance and may not be renewed.20
(B) Each regulator shall waive the application fee for temporary21
SINGLE STATE licenses, certifications, registrations, or enrollments issued22
pursuant to this subsection (3)(f).23
SECTION 4. Effective date. This act takes effect September 1,24
2024.25
SECTION 5. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,26
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate27
1097
-6- preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for1
the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state2
institutions.3
1097
-7-