Democrats championed a host of legislation during the 2025 legislative session to support military-connected Coloradans < Back July 23, 2025 Trio of Bills to Support Veterans and Their Families Go Into Effect Democrats championed a host of legislation during the 2025 legislative session to support military-connected Coloradans DENVER, CO – Three laws spearheaded by Colorado Democrats to support Colorado’s veterans and their families will go into effect August 6, 2025. HB25-1132 , sponsored by Senators Nick Hinrichsen, D-Pueblo, and Jeff Bridges, D-Arapahoe County, and Representatives Sean Camacho, D-Denver, and Rebekah Stewart, D-Lakewood, allows funding allocated through Proposition KK, approved by voters last November, to fund eligible non-profit organizations that offer community-based mental health services to veterans and their families. To be eligible, organizations must offer evidence-based practices, provide proper competency training to staff and have established verifiable community partnerships. The bill also expands veterans’ access to complementary services, such as acupuncture and massage therapy, by directing available funds to providers. “Since my time in the Army, I’ve become intimately familiar with the critical need for community-focused mental health services for veterans,” Hinrichsen said. “Our veterans and their families gave everything they had to protect and serve our country, and they deserve all the life-saving support we can give in return.” “As a member of the Air Force, I have seen firsthand how military veterans and their families can struggle to access proper health care for their behavioral health issues,” said Camacho. “Voters approved Prop KK to boost funding for crime victim programs, public safety grants, and behavioral health crisis services just like the one this law funds. Military members and veterans need quality health care, and this law will boost lifesaving behavioral health support for Colorado heroes and their loved ones by implementing the will of the voters.” “Too many of our state’s veterans struggle with PTSD, anxiety, and other life-altering mental health conditions without access to proper treatment,” Bridges said. “Voters approved Prop KK, which boosts funding for crime victim programs, public safety grants, and behavioral health services like the ones supported by this bill. This legislation provides crucial support for our service members while implementing the will of the voters.” “Far too many military members and veterans suffer from PTSD, anxiety, and other behavioral health struggles that impact their day-to-day life without the proper treatment,” said Stewart. “With this law going into effect, we can fund community behavioral health programs and other beneficial services, improving access to the behavioral health care that veterans and their families deserve.” HB25-1132 follows a law passed by Colorado Democrats referring a ballot measure to voters in the November 2024 election to create a new excise tax on the sale of firearms sold by gun dealers, gun manufacturers, and ammunition vendors to fund the Colorado Crime Victim Services Fund, Behavioral Health Administration, and school safety efforts. Nearly 54.5 percent of Colorado voters approved Prop KK to bolster crime victim support and behavioral health programs. SB25-073 , sponsored by Senator Janice Marchman, D-Loveland, and Rep. Matthew Martinez, D-Monte Vista, clarifies that Colorado students with disabilities who are children of active duty military members are entitled to the same rights to open enrollment and guaranteed matriculation as any student who lives in the public school district. It also requires school districts and charter schools to ensure those students receive the appropriate services. “ Changing schools and hopping from one military base to the next is difficult enough, and a lack of timely access to disability services exacerbates those difficulties tenfold,” said Marchman. “No child should be deprived of access to the educational pathways they need because of their background or ability. This law gives them the support they need to seize every opportunity available to them and ensure every student has the potential to succeed.” “As a veteran and an educator, I’m excited that our new law is going into effect to break down barriers to education for students in military families,” said Martinez. “It’s very common for military families to move around every few years, and students suffer when unnecessary administrative delays prevent them from accessing the programs they need to succeed. I’m proud to have sponsored this bipartisan law that will streamline the process for military-connected children with disabilities to transition into Colorado schools to better support students and their families.” SB25-282 , sponsored by Senator Matt Ball, D-Denver, and Representative Lisa Feret, D-Arvada, protects veterans from unaccredited consultants, often called “claim sharks,” who charge money to help navigate the application process to receive benefits from the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA). The law mirrors regulations the federal government uses to regulate Social Security benefits from the Social Security Administration. It requires that businesses must unambiguously notify veterans that they can receive the same services for free from the DMVA, clearly state that they are not affiliated with the DMVA, and limit the amount of money consultants can receive from veterans’ back pay. “Too often, those who have bravely served our country are misled into paying thousands of dollars in fees and even going into debt for services they receive for free from the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs,” Ball said. “Without preventing honest consultants in the industry from doing business, this law will address the backlog in claims from the DMVA while cracking down on bad actors who mislead and defraud our nation’s veterans.” "My fellow veterans deserve fair and safe access to services that help them get benefits they earned through their service and sacrifice for our country,” said Feret. “‘Claim sharks’ rake in millions of dollars each year from excessive fees on service members' disability claims, sometimes even when they don't even win. Our law helps create guidelines in this unregulated space to protect disabled veterans while allowing companies to address the backlog of disability claims. I will not back down as dark money groups try to scam veterans who put their lives on the line for our country." Previous Next

The House Energy & Environment Committee today passed legislation to protect electric vehicle (EV) drivers by improving charging infrastructure and oversight. < Back March 6, 2025 Committee Passes Bill to Protect Consumers, Improve EV Oversight DENVER, CO – The House Energy & Environment Committee today passed legislation to protect electric vehicle (EV) drivers by improving charging infrastructure and oversight. HB25-1267 passed committee by a vote of 8-3. “EVs are wildly popular in Colorado and it’s important that our EV charging stations are reliable and accurate,” said Rep. Amy Paschal, D-Colorado Springs . “Certain consumer protections already exist at the pump for those who drive gas-powered vehicles, and this bill ensures those protections are extended to EV drivers as well. Demand for EVs is only increasing in Colorado, and we need to make sure drivers are receiving the amount of electricity they pay for.” “EVs are everywhere in Colorado, which means we should be paying attention to our charging station infrastructure to ensure drivers get what they pay for,” said Rep. Karen McCormick, D-Longmont. “Our bill ramps up consumer protections by allowing the state more oversight surrounding EV charging stations to help ensure they’re accurate and reliable. Colorado’s EV market share is number one in the county, our state must have reliable infrastructure to not only meet demand but meet our climate goals.” HB25-1267 aims to improve oversight of retail EV charging stations to ensure consumers receive the energy they pay for. To accomplish this, the bill creates a new retail EV charging station oversight program within the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) to establish and oversee minimum standards for charging stations. The state already monitors gas pumps to ensure consumers receive the amount of gas they are paying for – this bill extends the same consumer protection protocols for EV drivers The popularity of EVs in Colorado continues to grow. Colorado recently became number one in the country for market share of new EVs, surpassing California. This legislation also aims to help Colorado meet current and future EV infrastructure demand by modifying the EV grant fund. This includes updated policies, procedures and utility oversight of public charging stations. In 2023, Colorado Democrats championed an expansive tax credit package that included incentives for EV buyers in an effort to reach our state’s climate goals of reducing greenhouse emissions by 50-percent by 2030. Previous Next

< Back April 20, 2022 BILL TO PROTECT HOMEOWNERS IN HOAS ADVANCES DENVER, CO – The House today passed bipartisan legislation on a preliminary vote that will protect homeowners in HOAs from foreclosure when they fall behind on their dues. “We’ve heard heartbreaking stories of families who did everything they could to keep up with their mortgage and HOA fines and fees being forced from their homes,” said Rep. Naquetta Ricks, D-Aurora. “No one ever expects their HOA to foreclose on their home for unpaid dues, but thousands of families are facing this unimaginable reality. This bill will protect homeowners in HOAs and make it harder to foreclose on families for unpaid fines and fees.” HB22-1137 , sponsored by Representatives Naquetta Ricks and Mary Bradfield, would create new protections to prevent HOAs from easily foreclosing on homeowners because of late or unpaid HOA fines and fees. The bill requires HOAs to alert unit owners if they are behind on their payments and prohibits an HOA or property management company from referring the delinquent amount to collection unless a majority of the HOAs board members vote to do so in a public hearing. It limits late fees, fines and interest to a maximum of $500 total per violation. Additionally, before an HOA initiates a foreclosure action, they must offer the unit owner a repayment plan, a critical safeguard for homeowners to protect their largest asset. HB22-1137 has proven to be a critical piece of legislation in light of the wave of foreclosures pending in the Green Valley Ranch Neighborhood in Denver where many homeowners have seen fines and fees from their HOA balloon into an unsustainable source of debt and threatening their homes. Previous Next

Governor Polis today signed a bipartisan bill into law that will create a refundable state income tax credit and grant programs to boost registered apprenticeship opportunities. < Back May 10, 2024 Gov Signs Bipartisan Bill to Support Colorado’s Workforce DENVER, CO - Governor Polis today signed a bipartisan bill into law that will create a refundable state income tax credit and grant programs to boost registered apprenticeship opportunities. “Colorado has made a lot of progress in our efforts to expand apprenticeship opportunities, and this new law will help employers offset the costs of creating high-quality registered apprenticeships to connect Coloradans with on-the-job experience and address workforce shortages,” said Rep. Jenny Willford, D-Northglenn. “By supporting businesses in new and emerging industries to create apprenticeship opportunities, more Coloradans can earn money while they learn the ropes of their chosen industry. This law will allow us to help local businesses keep their doors open and create a stronger workforce with in-demand skills to keep our communities running.” “I’m committed to paving the way for equitable access to opportunity, so that all Coloradans have the chance to get ahead – and a key way we can do that is by investing in our workforce,” Senate President Pro Tempore James Coleman, D-Denver, said. “We’re bringing forward resources that will expand existing programs and increase the adoption of registered apprenticeships. These investments can create more than 8,000 new apprenticeships, and give Coloradans the opportunities they need to succeed.” HB24-1439 , also sponsored by Representative Ron Weinberg, R-Loveland, and Senator Mark Baisley, R-Sedalia, creates a refundable state income tax credit for eligible employers starting in tax year 2025. This income tax credit is available to businesses operating in a new and emerging industry with a registered apprenticeship program. HB24-1439 also creates the Scale-Up Grant Program to start new or expand existing registered apprenticeship programs and the Qualified Apprenticeship Intermediary Grant Program to connect employers or apprenticeship program participants to registered apprenticeship programs. Previous Next

< Back March 16, 2022 DEMS DEFEAT CONTROVERSIAL GOP CONSTITUTIONAL SHERIFFS BILL DENVER, CO – Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee today defeated clearly unconstitutional legislation sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Luck that would impede federal investigations and law enforcement actions by subjecting them to review and approval by local sheriffs before federal agencies can act. "This legislation is plainly unconstitutional, and it would undermine federal law enforcement,” said Rep. Mike Weissman, D-Aurora. “This bill purports to allow county sheriffs to block federal law enforcement actions, such as investigations into serious crimes like human trafficking and drug trafficking, to the detriment of everyone in Colorado." HB22-1147 , which is unconstitutional according to analysis prepared by nonpartisan staff, would require federal law enforcement departments to seek approval and notify county sheriffs before engaging in a law enforcement operation within their regions or jurisdictions. This would impede and jeopardize critical federal law enforcement investigations. The legislation is inspired by the Constitutional Sheriff Movement, which argues that county sheriffs should have supremacy over federal law enforcement. They have been labeled an extremist group by the Anti-Defamation League. The ADL states that, “the central tenet of CSPOA [The Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association], borrowed from the anti-government extremist sovereign citizen movement, is that the county sheriff is the ultimate authority in the county, able to halt enforcement of any federal or state law or measure they deem unconstitutional.” The bill was defeated by a vote of 8-3. Previous Next

< Back May 5, 2022 MULLICA BILL IMPROVES HOSPITAL PREPAREDNESS Legislation applies lessons learned from COVID-19 Pandemic to ensure health facilities can meet increased demand for care DENVER, CO – The House today passed legislation sponsored by Representative Kyle Mullica, an ER Nurse, to improve hospitals’ and health facilities’ preparedness to meet increased demands for care. “Colorado’s nurses and health care providers stepped up during the pandemic in truly unimaginable ways to save lives and keep our hospitals staffed,” said Rep. Kyle Mullica, D-Thornton, an ER Nurse. “I’ve never seen so many colleagues tired and worn out from their shifts at the hospital, and it happened time and time again with every new surge in cases. This legislation will require hospitals to have plans in place to meet increased demand for bed capacity to alleviate pressure on nurses and ensure that gravely ill patients don’t have to wait in hospital lobbies because there aren’t any beds.” HB22-1401 , which passed the House 37-27, requires every Colorado hospital to have a plan to meet nurse staffing needs. This aims to mitigate the concerns of health care staff regarding hospitals’ ability to meet patient needs when demand surges. It applies lessons learned from the pandemic to enable hospitals to quickly surge their capacity. Hospitals will have to report their nurse staffing plans to the Department of Public Health and Environment and publicize them on their website. They will also have to evaluate their plans quarterly to address feedback and or complaints from health care providers. The bill also requires hospitals to report the number of beds they are able to staff, their current bed capacity, and instances where staffed-bed capacity exceeds 80 percent. If hospitals do not take corrective action to address failures to meet required staffed-bed capacity or vaccine and testing capacities, they could face fines from CDPHE. Previous Next

< Back March 22, 2019 HOUSE ELIMINATES CASH BAIL FOR PETTY & TRAFFIC OFFENSES Bipartisan bill expected to help more than 10,000 people avoid pretrial detention (Mar. 22) – The House unanimously approved a bill sponsored by Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver, and Rep. Matt Soper, R-Delta, to eliminate cash bail for minor offenses including having an open container, trespassing, and shoplifting less than $50 worth of goods. “Every night, thousands of Coloradans awaiting trial for minor offenses languish in jail simply because they can’t afford to get out. We are caging the poor and the homeless, not for their crimes, but for their poverty,” said Rep. Herod. “Poverty is not a crime.” The ACLU of Colorado studied state court data and estimated at least 13,000 people a year would be released from jail as a result of this reform, helping with overcrowding at many Colorado jails. Pueblo County jail recently operated at 194 percent capacity and Alamosa County jail reported operating at 127 percent. HB19-1225 passed with a bipartisan, unanimous vote and now heads to the Senate. Previous Next

Bill would implement History Colorado recommendations to work towards social, educational and economic equity for tribal communities < Back May 1, 2024 House Passes Bill to Extend Federal Indian Boarding School Research Program Bill would implement History Colorado recommendations to work towards social, educational and economic equity for tribal communities DENVER, CO – The House today passed legislation to continue the federal Indian boarding school research program within History Colorado. HB24-1444, sponsored by Representatives Barbara McLachlan and Leslie Herod, would implement History Colorado recommendations to support healing generational trauma in tribal communities, capture oral histories and dive deeper into long standing inequities faced by tribal communities. “History Colorado’s research about the federal Indian boarding schools revealed the atrocities of the past; it left us with a choice on how to right these wrongs and better support our tribal communities today,” said Rep. Barbara Mclachlan, D-Durango. “This bill would extend History Colorado’s important research for another three years, acknowledging the abuse and forced assimilation and addressing some of the longstanding social, economic, and educational inequities still faced by our tribal communities.” “We cannot erase the horrors of the past, but we must face them,” said Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver . “This bill directs the State of Colorado to continue to expose the truth about the American Indian boarding schools.” HB24-1444 , passed the House by a vote of 61 to 2. This bill would extend, in consultation with tribes, the federal Indian boarding school research program within History Colorado until 2027. Enacted in 2022 through HB22-1327 , this research program was tasked with researching the events, abuse, and deaths that occurred at American Indian boarding schools in Colorado. History Colorado released the findings from their report and recommendations in October of 2023, which revealed that nine institutions in the state attempted to assimilate American Indian students. This bill would implement recommendations from History Colorado’s initial report, including ongoing research and tribal consultations with different historically impacted tribes and listening sessions with American Indian and Alaska Native communities on the history and impact of federal Indian boarding schools in Colorado. The program will also undertake the collection of oral histories of survivors through listening sessions that highlight American Indian narratives. This bill would invest $1 million to continue the program and ensure consultation with different tribes and the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs in putting forward recommendations to work toward social, educational and economic equity for tribal communities by November 8, 2025. Previous Next

< Back April 15, 2021 SIGNED! BILLS TO END STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS IN CIVIL SEX ABUSE CASES & HIRE FORMER-INMATE WIDLAND FIREFIGHTERS DENVER, CO — Governor Jared Polis today signed two bills into law. SB21-073, sponsored by Representatives Dafna Michaelson Jenet and Matt Soper, would end the statute of limitations on civil sex abuse cases. SB21-012, sponsored by Representative Dylan Roberts, would allow the Department of Public Safety to hire formerly incarcerated individuals with wildland firefighting experience. “It’s been such a long road, but today, finally, we are ending the statute of limitations for civil sex abuse cases,” said Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City. “Victims deserve justice whenever they choose to seek it. Outdated laws won’t be able to stop them anymore. Courageous Coloradans from all walks of life came forward to share their painful stories, and together, we changed how victims can seek justice in our state.” SB21-073 would remove the current six year limitation on bringing a civil claim based on sexual misconduct. The bill applies to a cause of action that accrues on or after January 1, 2022, or a cause of action that accrued prior to that date but before the current six year statute of limitations expires. The legislation defines sexual misconduct in statute and removes restrictions that limited victims’ ability to file a civil action or recover damages. “Our communities are safer because of the dangerous work done each fire season by Colorado’s State Wildland Inmate Fire Team (SWIFT),” said Rep. Dylan Roberts, D-Avon. “This law will allow Colorado to hire experienced wildland firefighters so they can continue protecting our communities from ever more dangerous and destructive fires. It’s a win-win situation for Colorado; it creates jobs and helps us combat wildfires.” HB21-012, sponsored by Representative Dylan Roberts, D-Avon, would allow the wildland fire management section in the Department of Public Safety to more easily hire former inmates with wildland firefighting experience. The bill also requires the department to develop materials to increase awareness of wildland firefighting career opportunities for Coloradans who have experience fighting fires through the inmate disaster relief program. Previous Next

< Back February 19, 2020 BILL TO ABOLISH COLUMBUS DAY PASSES THE HOUSE DENVER, CO — The Colorado House today passed a bill to remove state recognition of Columbus Day, a holiday named after the perpetrator of numerous crimes against humanity, and instead create a holiday that recognizes humanitarian Frances Xavier Cabrini. The new holiday would be the first state holiday named after a woman and would honor Cabrini’s tireless work on behalf of Colorado’s children. The bill was approved by a vote of 37-26. “I’m glad to finally see the House vote to end our state’s recognition of a holiday that brings pain to indigenous people in Colorado every year,” said Rep. Adrienne Benavidez (D-Adams County). “I’m proud that we were able to get this done after so many years trying — this is a momentous day. I’m especially glad that at the same time as we ended our recognition of Columbus, we were able to take a step towards establishing the first state holiday in Colorado to honor a woman.” “I’m proud to see the House vote to set the historical record straight,” said Rep. Kyle Mullica (D-Northglenn). “The legacy and memory of Columbus are a very present source of pain for many communities in our state, and I’m glad we took a step towards putting this pain behind us.” HB20-1031 would establish Cabrini Day on the first Monday in October as a state holiday. It would be a paid holiday for state employees, and the bill would remove state sanction of Columbus day, which occurs one week later. The holiday would recognize Cabrini’s humanitarian values and lifelong dedication to service, especially to the Italian American immigrant community, who faced discrimination and difficulty as they immigrated to America. She worked tirelessly to support the Italian-American community in the United States, including through several projects in Colorado. In 1904, Cabrini established Denver’s Queen of Heaven Orphanage for girls. In 1910, she founded a summer camp for the orphanage’s residents in Golden, Colorado. Currently, a shrine stands in her honor in the original location of the summer camp in Golden. The shrine includes the “Stone House”, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Columbus Day is one of the few holliday’s named after a person, and its continued existence perpetuates the pain and suffering he inflicted. He was responsible for the kidnapping, rape and murder of thousands. Over 50,000 indiginous people commited suicide rather than comply with his rule, and within two years of his landing in the bahamas, over 125,000 people died, half the population. The bill aims to end the state sanctioned pain this holliday The bill passed on Third Reading this morning; the bill will now move onto the Senate. ### Previous Next

The House today passed a bipartisan bill on a vote of 51-9 to expand property tax exemptions for nonprofit housing developers such as community land trusts to build up Colorado’s affordable housing stock. < Back April 11, 2023 House Advances Property Tax Exemptions for Affordable Housing DENVER, CO - The House today passed a bipartisan bill on a vote of 51-9 to expand property tax exemptions for nonprofit housing developers such as community land trusts to build up Colorado’s affordable housing stock. “With land prices becoming increasingly expensive, it becomes more and more difficult for housing developers to buy land and build housing that is affordable for Coloradans,” said Rep. William Lindstedt, D-Broomfield . “By expanding property tax exemptions for nonprofit affordable housing developers we can make it easier to build homes so our health care workers, teachers, and child care providers can afford to stay in their communities.” HB23-1184 , also sponsored by Representative Lisa Frizell, expands property tax exemptions to include more nonprofit organizations that build and sell affordable housing and increases the Area Median Income to qualify for this housing from 80% to 100%. It also extends the exemption period from five years to 10 years to better reflect the development timeline for larger affordable housing projects. The bill would create a new property tax exemption for land owned by community land trusts and other nonprofit affordable homeownership providers that develop permanently affordable for-sale homes. This exemption only applies to the land and not the home. The National Low Income Housing Coalition ranked Colorado as the 8th least affordable state in 2022 and stated that the average renter needed to work 2.3 full-time jobs at minimum wage to afford a two-bedroom rental. Data from the American Community Survey demonstrates the racial inequality when it comes to homeownership with 71 percent of non-Hispanic White Coloradans owning their home compared to only 51 percent of Hispanic and 43 percent of Black Coloradans. Previous Next

< Back May 12, 2021 HOUSE PASSES WILDFIRE MITIGATION BILL Legislation extends tax deduction on wood harvested from beetle-killed trees DENVER, CO– The House today advanced two bills that would promote healthy forests by extending a tax deduction on the sale of wood harvested from trees killed by Pine or Spruce beetles. “Climate change is leading to more intense and devastating wildfires that are threatening our communities,” said Rep. Lisa Cutter, D-Jefferson County. “By keeping our forests healthy and incentivizing the removal of dead trees from the forest floor, we can help reduce the devastation and intensity of wildfires. This bill will continue critical efforts to enhance forest health in Colorado.” Pine and spruce beetles are killing trees in forests across Colorado, leaving a trail of destruction that can serve as explosive fuel for increasingly intense and dangerous wildfires. By encouraging the sale of wood products from trees killed by these beetles, the state can incentivize removing them from our forests, which helps to slow the growth and intensity of wildfires. HB21-1261 , which is sponsored by Representatives Lisa Cutter and Marc Catlin, would extend an expired tax exemption on the sale of wood and wood products from trees killed by pine or spruce beetles until 2026. The bill passed 63-1. Previous Next