< Back Rep. Froelich: Keeping the Craig coal power plant open will only hurt Colorado rate payers Jan 8, 2026 See more This op-ed was originally published in the Denver Post here . The president’s eleventh hour executive order to keep the coal-fired Unit 1 at the Craig Station in operation is the combination of this administration’s signature way of governing: disregard for science, climate change denial, dismissal of economic impact to rate-payers, misunderstanding of history, attempts to roll back progress, and overall imperiousness. Unit 1 was on track to cease operations at the end of 2025. While this was a win for the public health and the environment, the five utilities that own it had decided in 2016 that the cheapest option was to retire and replace the aging plant. In the decade since utilities decided to retire Craig 1, they have been busy building new resources to replace the plant. Our Colorado health and safety, as well as affordability of power for consumers, is dependent on making steady progress towards our clean energy goals: retiring dirty and expensive coal plants and moving towards a clean, breathable future. Colorado has transition plans in place that have been negotiated with our utilities, environmental advocates, workers, and residents. The Public Utilities Commission’s decisions and the energy-generation plans of our utilities are carefully considered to take into account the costs to rate-payers, just transitions for workers, and the necessary steps towards a clean energy future. The Trump Administration doesn’t appear to care about any of that. As with the recent similarly ill-conceived and heavy-handed veto of the Arkansas Valley Conduit clean water project funding, Trump prioritizes superficial, punitive, Executive actions. All of us suffer from his callousness and idiocy whether our Congresspeople are from his party or not, whether we voted for him or not. Our beautiful Colorado air, land and water must be protected. Our children don’t deserve record asthma rates, our residents deserve clean drinking water, and our outdoor enthusiasts deserve safe recreation. Trump’s actions are not well thought-out, careful policy decisions. From dismantling scientific research institutions in Colorado to increasing our utility rates, his revenge tour will have real impacts on people’s lives, including those who voted for him. It is worth noting that Venezuelan crude oil will not lower energy costs. We are years away from having the capacity to refine this very heavy, dirty petroleum and we do not use oil to power our electric grid. Our environmental organizations have sought legal recourse and will continue to do so. As Legislators we will also continue to protect our State from his disastrous whims. Meg Froelich is a state representative in the Colorado General Assembly and Mike Weissman is a state senator. Previous Next

< Back Kyle Brown JBC Member Representative Kyle Brown serves as a member of the Joint Budget Committee and previously served as Chair of the Health & Human Services Committee. He represents House District 12, which includes Lafayette, Louisville, Superior, Boulder, Gunbarrel, and Niwot. A Colorado native, Kyle has dedicated his career to improving the lives of Colorado families. He earned a Ph.D. in Genetics from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Georgetown University. His background in science and public policy informs his evidence-based approach to solving Colorado’s toughest challenges. Before joining the legislature, Kyle served on the Louisville City Council, where he championed affordable housing, climate action, and community recovery following the Marshall Fire and COVID-19 pandemic. As Deputy Commissioner for Affordability Programs at the Colorado Division of Insurance, he helped design and implement the Colorado Option, lowering costs and improving access to care statewide. He has also advised progressive U.S. Senators and Colorado governors on health care, education, and economic security. In the legislature, Kyle continues to lead efforts to lower health care costs, expand access to care, and strengthen mental health services. He is a strong advocate for reproductive rights, affordable prescriptions, and a fair, transparent insurance system. Kyle lives in Louisville with his wife and children.

The House today advanced legislation sponsored by Representative Yara Zokaie and Speaker Pro Tempore Andy Boesenecker on a preliminary vote to strengthen Colorado’s anti-discrimination laws. < Back March 27, 2025 Legislation to Strengthen Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act Advances DENVER, CO - The House today advanced legislation sponsored by Representative Yara Zokaie and Speaker Pro Tempore Andy Boesenecker on a preliminary vote to strengthen Colorado’s anti-discrimination laws. “Under threat of the Trump Administration, it’s more important now than ever that we strengthen Colorado’s anti-discrimination laws,” said Rep. Yara Zokaie, D-Fort Collins. “When someone is wronged, we have a duty to create a pathway to justice. I’m sponsoring this legislation to uphold our shared values of fairness, dignity, and equality under Colorado law and better protect Coloradans who experience discrimination.” “This bill addresses unreasonable deadlines, barriers to financial compensation and other gaps in the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act to strengthen protections for Coloradans who experience discrimination,” said Speaker Pro Tempore Andy Boesenecker, D-Fort Collins. “From housing discrimination to inaccessible building entrances, Coloradans with disabilities have faced barriers to access for far too long. This legislation provides crucial recourse to people with disabilities and other victims of discrimination to ensure they can receive the justice they deserve.” HB25-1239 expands protections under the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA) to protect vulnerable communities, especially Coloradans with disabilities. This bill would allow victims of discrimination to receive monetary compensation for unfair housing practices, discrimination in places of public accommodation, or a violation of their civil rights under the CADA for all protected classes. Under the bill, victims would be able to pursue attorney’s fees and costs, and either recovery of actual monetary damages, non-economic damages of up to $50,000, or a statutory fine of $5,000 per violation per aggrieved party. Awards for damages for non-economic loss or injury are limited to $50,000, and a defendant is entitled to a 50 percent reduction of the amount of the non-economic loss or injury if the defendant corrects the violation within 30 days after the complaint is filed and did not knowingly, intentionally, or recklessly made or caused the violation. Previous Next

< Back July 16, 2020 BECKER, GARNETT: MASK UP, COLORADO! House Dem leadership supports Governor Polis’s executive order on masks Denver, CO — House Speaker KC Becker, D-Boulder, and House Majority Leader Alec Garnett, D-Denver, today released the following statements encouraging Coloradans to wear a mask following Governor Jared Polis’s announcement of a statewide order on face coverings and recent trends in hospitalization and infection rates. “Getting through this pandemic is a team effort,” said Speaker KC Becker, D-Boulder. “Wearing a mask is a tool to help us return to a more normal life, keep businesses open and avoid the devastating impacts that would come from having to close down again. Our economy, our health, and so much of what we love and enjoy about our state depends on us coming together and taking this step. I support the governor for his actions today to save lives.” “Whenever we’re around other people, we need to wear a mask–it’s just that simple,” said House Majority Leader Alec Garnett, D-Denver. “To stay on the right track and recover from this pandemic, we need to be smart and put on our masks. It helps our small businesses stay open, protects riders on public transit, and reduces your risk of contracting COVID-19 by 65 percent. This order is the right decision for Colorado, and I’m grateful for the leadership of so many counties, local officials and Governor Polis to encourage Coloradans to do their part. Mask up, Colorado!” Previous Next

The House today passed bipartisan legislation to increase access to health care by allowing physician assistants to enter collaborative agreements with a physician licensed to provide care without supervision. < Back March 27, 2023 House Passes Bipartisan Legislation to Increase Access to Health Care DENVER, CO - The House today passed bipartisan legislation to increase access to health care by allowing physician assistants to enter collaborative agreements with a physician licensed to provide care without supervision. SB23-083 passed by a vote of 60-2. “Coloradans across our state are struggling to access quality health care in their community,” said Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City. “Our legislation allows collaborative agreements between physicians and physician assistants to create a stronger health care team, increase access to care and reduce costs for patients. We’re working to increase access to health care, especially for Coloradans living in underserved or rural communities.” SB23-083 , also sponsored by Representative Ty Winter, increases access to health care by removing the requirement for physician assistants to be supervised by a physician. This bill allows physician assistants to continue to practice under a collaborative agreement with a licensed physician or a physician group that is in good standing. The collaborative agreement has to include a description of the collaboration, performance evaluation process, and other additional requirements in order to ensure whole health care. If the physician assistant has less than 5,000 practice hours, the agreement must include additional provisions like completing additional practice hours, defining expectations under the collaboration, and requiring a performance evaluation. Physician assistants who have been practicing for under three years must meet certain financial responsibility requirements that they are currently exempt from under the law. Previous Next

The House today passed legislation sponsored by Representatives Yara Zokaie and Kyle Brown that would bring down costs for Coloradans by cracking down on corporate price gouging for everyday necessities like groceries and toiletries. HB25-1010 passed by a vote of 38-24, with no House Republicans voting in support of the bill. < Back March 10, 2025 House Democrats Save Coloradans Money by Cracking Down on Price Gouging DENVER, CO - The House today passed legislation sponsored by Representatives Yara Zokaie and Kyle Brown that would bring down costs for Coloradans by cracking down on corporate price gouging for everyday necessities like groceries and toiletries. HB25-1010 passed by a vote of 38-24, with no House Republicans voting in support of the bill. “Price gouging hurts hardworking Coloradans and mom-and-pop businesses, which is why I’m sponsoring this legislation that will hold bad actors accountable,” said Rep. Yara Zokaie, D-Fort Collins. “No one should have to choose between putting food on the table and paying rent, and as a mom to three young children, I have personally felt the pressure facing so many of our Colorado families. By passing this legislation in the House today, Colorado Democrats are standing up against corporate price gouging to reduce the cost of everyday necessities.” “With corporate greed and profits driving prices higher on groceries and everyday necessities, Colorado Democrats are taking action to stop price gouging and save Coloradans money,” said Rep. Kyle Brown, D-Louisville. “While the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation and supply chain issues have impacted prices, bad acting corporations have taken advantage of these factors to jack up prices just to increase their profits. As Republicans in the legislature side with wealthy corporations, our majority is tackling the rising cost of living, putting an end to corporate price gouging, and making Colorado a more affordable place to live for all.” HB25-1010 would prohibit price gouging of goods or services necessary for the health, safety, and welfare of Coloradans, like groceries and toiletries during a market disruption. In this bill, price gouging is defined as a price increase of 10 percent or above the average cost of the product or good during a declared disaster. A 2024 Federal Trade Commission report stated that the three largest grocers accelerated and distorted the negative effects associated with supply chain disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Colorado Democrats passed a 2024 law , also sponsored by Rep. Brown, to prevent price gouging on rent after a natural disaster. The law was inspired after rents skyrocketed for Coloradans who lost their homes after the Marshall Fire, pricing vulnerable Coloradans out of their communities. Another law created the Prescription Drug Affordability Board to limit Big Pharma price gouging of life-saving prescription drugs, helping lower out-of-pocket prescription drug costs. Previous Next

SB25-290 will support medical providers that serve low-income communities, protecting access to essential health care for thousands of Coloradans < Back May 29, 2025 Signed! Legislation to Protect Access to Health Care, Stabilize Health Care Safety Net LAFAYETTE, CO – Bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senator Kyle Mullica, D-Thornton, and Representatives Kyle Brown, D-Louisville, and Shannon Bird, D-Westminster, to protect access to essential health care for thousands of Coloradans was signed into law today. SB25-290, also sponsored by Senator Barb Kirkmeyer, R-Weld County, will provide immediate financial support to a broad cross-section of safety net health providers, including rural hospitals, community health centers, and behavioral health clinics. “In every corner of Colorado, our health care safety net is in crisis. Senate Bill 290 is a much-needed lifeline to ensure the most vulnerable people in our state continue to have access to health care,” said Mullica. “Between higher costs and workforce shortages, our safety net providers are facing unprecedented pressures, with more than half reporting operating in the negative. This new law fills an immediate need to ensure these safety net providers can keep their doors open and the people of Colorado can still receive the care they need.” “Our health care safety net providers that take care of our low-income, older, and vulnerable community members are in crisis,” said Brown. “Our law fills an immediate funding need to prevent our safety net providers from closing their doors and leaving hundreds of Coloradans without the health care they need. These dollars will help protect essential health care for so many low-income and working Coloradans now.” “Without our safety net providers, many Coloradans won’t have access to the preventive and primary care that helps them lead healthier lives,” said Bird. “Higher costs and workforce shortages mean our safety net providers are shouldering enormous financial pressures just to keep the doors open. This law provides immediate, short-term support to our safety net providers so our community members can receive the health care they need.” Safety net providers include primary care and family clinics that provide critical health care to communities across Colorado, like seniors, hardworking families, and rural Coloradans. These safety net providers have been under an enormous financial strain as demand and costs increase. SB25-290 will create the Provider Stabilization Fund within the Department of the Treasury to distribute stabilization payments to safety net providers who provide care to Medicaid recipients and low-income, uninsured individuals on a sliding scale or for free. The new law will transfer interest earnings and, if necessary, principal from the Unclaimed Property Trust Fund to the Provider Stabilization Fund as an interest-free loan to be repaid by 2045. Payments will be distributed based on the proportion of low-income and uninsured individuals that the provider serves. Congressional Republicans’ proposed budget reconciliation bill would further strain safety net providers, especially rural hospitals that depend on Medicaid funds. Without access to preventive and primary care services, Coloradans are more likely to seek emergency care , increasing costs in the health care system as a whole and leading to worse health outcomes. Previous Next

< Back July 6, 2023 LGBTQ+ Caucus Statement on Recent US Supreme Court Decisions DENVER, CO– The Colorado Democratic LGBTQ+ Caucus today released the following statement on recent decisions by the US supreme Court: We, the members of the Colorado General Assembly LGBTQ+ Caucus, stand strongly aligned with our brothers and sisters in the Black, Latino and Women’s Caucuses to express our outrage and dismay at the recent attacks against all of our communities leashed upon us by the US Supreme Court. We will not sit back and allow our country to sanction discrimination against its own people simply because of how they look, how they live or who they love. When Coloradans elected an overwhelming Democratic majority to the General Assembly in 2022–with the highest representation of LGBTQ people, women and people of color in our history, they sent a clear mandate to ensure our state will be one that stands as a beacon of freedom, equity, diversity and inclusion here in the Mountain West and across the country. We stand together not just to represent Colorado’s LGBTQ community, but to lead with our values, by shaping the legislation this Assembly puts forward and holding accountable those who seek to threaten and harm us and our neighbors. We will not allow an extremist minority to set progress back in our state or our nation. The recent decisions condoning anti-LGBTQ discrimination, cyber-bullying and cyber-stalking, while simultaneously crippling affirmative action and student debt relief, represent an unprecedented attack on our civil rights, racial and social justice and basic human decency: To prioritize one citizen’s right to make money in a particular way over another person’s right to live and love as they were created is not freedom–it is state-sanctioned discrimination. To interfere in the values set forth by our institutions of higher education, who understand that our nation is stronger with a diverse, educated workforce, is not equality–it is state-mandated aristocracy. To suggest that one person’s right to harass, bully, intimidate and threaten others is more important than another person’s right to feel safe in their own home, school or workplace, is not liberty–it is state-sanctioned abuse. To rule that providing assistance to those struggling under the burden of student debt is un-American, while forgiving billions of dollars of pandemic-era PPP loans and tens of thousands of dollars of mortgage interest relief each year to homeowners, is not promoting responsibility–it is state-sanctioned plutocracy. Here in Colorado we are proud to be a national leader in the movement to expand and strengthen civil liberties and protections for our LGBTQ community. Since our shameful decision on Amendment 2 over thirty years ago, we have made great strides to right a previous wrong and recognize we carry a special responsibility to create a safe and welcoming place for all people to grow, live and love as they choose. We know that within that diversity lies a profound strength–for our caucus, our communities and our state. This extremist court has opened the dangerous door for discrimination against any marginalized peoples and would seek to create second-class citizens who must take a back seat to religious views in the name of free speech, but we will not allow them to distract us from our mission to cultivate a state where education, family, opportunity, community and prosperity are accessible to all who seek it. As thousands of our neighbors from across the country flock to our state seeking reproductive and gender-affirming care, as Colorado stands strong against the tide of anti-LGBTQ legislation sweeping the country, and as we continue to right the wrongs of our own checkered history, the members of this LGBTQ caucus will stand together against this dangerous rise of Christian nationalism, call out hate and bias where we see it, and fight to defend the protections of liberty we have enshrined in our laws against all who would seek harm upon us and our community. This is who we are as a caucus, as a people and as a state. Previous Next

New law requires a three-day waiting period before firearm purchase < Back April 28, 2023 SIGNED! Bill to Require a Waiting Period to Prevent Gun Violence Becomes Law New law requires a three-day waiting period before firearm purchase DENVER, CO - Legislation sponsored by Senators Tom Sullivan, D-Centennial, and Chris Hansen, D-Denver, and Representatives Meg Froelich, D-Englewood, and Judy Amabile, D-Boulder, to create a minimum three day waiting period to delay immediate access to a firearm and save lives from gun violence was signed into law today. “Waiting periods are a successful tool that are proven to prevent suicide and death by firearm ,” said Rep. Meg Froelich, D-Englewood. “Widely supported by gun owners, waiting periods can provide an opportunity to intervene before an impulsive act of violence is committed. This legislation is one of many ways that we’re addressing gun violence in Colorado and making our communities a safer place to live.” “Previously, if you wanted to get your hands on a gun, you could do so with near immediacy,” said Senator Tom Sullivan, D-Centennial. “Whether you intend to harm yourself or others, waiting periods on firearm purchases delay immediate access to weapons and cut down on impulsive acts of violence. I’m proud to champion this new law that will save lives and create safer communities for all Coloradans.” “Waiting periods are a necessary buffer when someone in a crisis wants a gun to cause harm to themselves or others,” said Rep. Judy Amabile, D-Boulder . “My son’s life was spared because his background check was delayed when he went to our local gun store. To this day, he is grateful that he didn’t have instant access to a firearm at that moment. I'm confident that this legislation will help save other Colorado lives from senseless and preventable gun death.” “A cooling off period could be the difference between life and death for a person in the midst of a mental health crisis,” Senator Chris Hansen, D-Denver, said. “This legislation is backed by research and will reduce gun deaths by suicide and homicide. I’m incredibly proud of Colorado’s leadership on this issue and am proud to take this meaningful step to reduce the epidemic of gun violence.” Research shows that creating a waiting period for purchasing a firearm has led to a 7 to 11 percent reduction in suicides by firearm and a 17 percent reduction in firearm-related homicides. In 2020, Colorado had the seventh highest suicide rate in the US, and in 2021, there were 740 suicides by firearm in Colorado, accounting for more than half of all suicides in the state. From 2014 to 2019 , the number of firearm deaths in Colorado was greater than deaths from motor vehicle crashes and opioid overdoses. Among firearm deaths, more than 75 percent were caused by intentional self-harm or suicide. Current law mandates that a background check is complete before a firearm can be transferred, which often takes less than three days. HB23-1219 requires a gun seller to wait for an approved background check or three days from the initiation of the background check, whichever is later, before delivering a gun to the purchaser. Creating a waiting period delays immediate access to firearms and can help prevent impulsive acts of violence, including suicides, homicides and assaults. Mandatory waiting periods are supported by 72 percent of gun owners. Transferring a firearm prior to the expiration of the waiting period would be a civil infraction punishable by a $500 fine for the first offense, and a $500 to $5,000 fine for a second or any subsequent offenses. The bill would not apply to antique firearms. It also exempts the transfer of a firearm between an active duty military servicemember and their family who is set to deploy overseas. Local governments may establish a waiting period greater than 3 days. Previous Next

< Back February 26, 2019 GRAY & JAQUEZ LEWIS ELECTRIC VEHICLE BILL ON THE MOVE Bill will help consumers and reduce carbon pollution emissions (Feb. 25) – The House Energy and Environment committee approved a bill sponsored by Rep. Sonya Jaquez Lewis, D-Longmont, and Rep. Matt Gray, D-Broomfield, that would extend the Electric Vehicle tax credit from 2022 to 2025 as it is currently set to expire in 2021. “We need to usher these vehicles at a time where they are the rule, not the exception,” said Rep. Gray. “We need to make sure we are supporting these vehicles, getting more of them on the road, and making a cleaner future for our state.” The state innovative motor vehicle income tax credit is intended to reduce the cost of alternative fuel vehicles and incentivize their purchase. This tax credit is especially accessible because customers may work with the auto dealer to receive the tax credit immediately at the time of purchase. Colorado is widely considered to be one of the best states to buy an electric vehicle. “The next several years are a critical time for the adoption of cleaner vehicles. The irrefutable scientific data says we must act now. More people driving cleaner cars will lead to cleaner air, improve public health and help protect our Colorado way of life,” said Rep. Jaquez Lewis. “This bill extends the innovative motor vehicle tax credits for the cleanest vehicles on the market. More Coloradans will be able to purchase or lease these vehicles and our communities will benefit from this growing technology.” 2018 was the fourth-hottest year on record and the five hottest years on record occurred in the past five years. Cars and trucks account for one-fifth of the United States carbon pollution emissions. The bill modifies the amount of the tax credit and extends the number of years the credit is available for the purchase or lease of an electric motor vehicle, a plug-in hybrid electric motor vehicle, an original equipment manufacturer electric truck and plug-in hybrid electric truck. The Auto Alliance has estimated that Colorado has just over 7,200 electric vehicles registered in Colorado. While small, support from this tax credit will help more drivers make the decision to go electric and thus reduce the amount of harmful carbon emissions in our atmosphere. HB19-1159 was approved by a vote of 7-4 now goes to the Finance committee. Previous Next

Bipartisan school funding updates drive more resources to support at-risk students, English Language Learners, special education students, and rural districts < Back April 30, 2024 House Advances New School Finance Formula to Increase Equity in School Funding, Support Rural Districts DENVER, CO – The House today advanced a bipartisan bill on a preliminary vote to support Colorado students. HB24-1448, sponsored by Speaker Julie McCluskie and Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon, would update Colorado’s outdated and inequitable school finance formula by increasing funding for rural schools and at-risk, special education, and English Language Learner students. “This bill is a monumental step forward for public education in Colorado. The new, student-focused public school finance formula will increase funding for K-12 education and drive more resources to at-risk students, English Language Learners, special education, and rural school districts,” said Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon. “For far too long, our school finance formula has not invested in the students with the greatest needs, underfunding rural districts and those serving more children in poverty; now is the time to get this right and drive equity into how we fund our schools. Every student deserves a world class education no matter where they live, and with this bill, we will live up to our promise to set all Colorado students on a pathway to thrive.” “With our historic buy-down of the budget stabilization factor, this is the time to update Colorado’s 30 year-old inequitable school finance formula because every student in every community deserves our investment,” said Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver. “When it comes to public education in Colorado, we have not been meeting the needs of our most vulnerable students, including our at-risk, English Language Learners, and special education students. This is the best opportunity we’ve had in decades to direct additional dollars to the districts and classrooms serving students the greatest needs. When we invest in high-quality education, we’re investing in our future, and I’m beyond proud to be championing a bill that prioritizes student outcomes and opportunity for every child in our state.” HB24-1448 is also sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, R-Monument and Senator Rachel Zenzinger, D-Arvada. It would update Colorado’s school finance formula which has not been significantly modified in 30 years. The current formula, which is built around district-centered factors rather than student needs, is confusing and overly complex. It directs more funding to wealthier districts, rather than directing funds to low-income students, English Language Learners, or those in special education. State data shows that at-risk students, English Language Learners, and special education students are not achieving at the same levels compared to their peers, demonstrating that the current school funding formula from 1994 does not address and meet the needs of these students This legislation implements the spirit of the recommendations of the School Finance Task Force, which reached overwhelming consensus, in order to drive more resources to the students who need them the most, specifically at-risk students, special education students and English Language Learners. With hundreds of millions of additional dollars now going to public schools in Colorado, these changes, which would take effect for the 2025-2026 school year and implement in a gradual phase-in over 6 years, will drive more of these new resources to historically underfunded districts with lower property wealth and that serve a higher number of at-risk students and English Language Learners. When fully implemented, there will be $866 million in the formula for our at-risk students, $142.7 million for English Language Learners, and $240 million in the formula for our Special Education students, in addition to the constitutionally-required $375 million in the Special Education categorical. The new formula puts students first by increasing the student weights for at-risk, English Language Learners, and adding a new special education factor. At-risk, English Language Learner, and special education weights will all be set at 25 percent, an increase from the current 12 percent weight for at-risk, 8 percent weight for English Language Learners, and no weight for special education in the formula. Smaller districts with a concentration of 70% or higher at-risk students would receive an extra 7 percent, to total 32 percent, ensuring their high concentration of at-risk students get the additional funds they need. Funding for every district would increase by at least .5 percent. The categorical funding for special education will continue to increase according to law and Amendment 23. The new formula is simpler and better accounts for district characteristics by fixing the “Order of Operations” to emphasize student needs. It removes the multiplicative factors that change the base funding per pupil, which currently creates cascading funding impacts throughout the formula that are challenging to track. Instead, factors that increase funding for small districts or districts with high cost of living will be additive and easy to understand. It also creates a new remoteness factor to support rural schools and will hold harmless any districts that drop below current law funding. Access the school finance simulator here to see individual school district impacts. Previous Next

< Back December 9, 2022 Polis-Primavera Administration Announces Behavioral Health Grant Opportunities and Toolkit to Help Communities Apply DENVER - Today, the Polis-Primavera administration and Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) announced that over $130 million in grant opportunities supporting behavioral health care are now available for eligible parties to apply. The grant programs focus on implementing innovative, data-driven behavioral health strategies that meet the needs of individual communities and expanding crime prevention. As part of these grant opportunities, the BHA has partnered with Colorado Health Institute to provide technical assistance to applicants through the community behavioral health services toolkit which will support navigating the application process and creating the most effective projects for each community. “Ensuring people have access to high-quality behavioral healthcare when they need it is one of the most important investments we can make in our state,” said Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera. “Governor Polis and I are encouraged by the investments we’ve delivered over the past four years, including the allocation of resources to bolster Colorado’s behavioral health workforce and funding to address targeted areas of community need, but the work does not stop here. I look forward to continuing improving behavioral healthcare resources so that every Coloradan can reach the support they deserve.” “As we emerge from the pandemic, it is the BHA’s plan to operate as a community anchor, supporting local efforts while elevating our collective cause to strengthen Colorado’s behavioral health system,” said Dr. Morgan Medlock, Behavioral Health Administration Commissioner. The new four grant programs are a result of SB22-196 , sponsored by Senators Julie Gonzales and Pete Lee as well as Representatives Jennifer Bacon and Adrienne Benavidez, and HB22-1281 , sponsored by Representatives Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez and Naquetta Ricks and Senators Faith Winter and Bob Rankin. These laws were signed by Governor Polis this summer as a part of the Polis-Primavera administration’s commitment to delivering bold investments in behavioral healthcare for Coloradans. The grant opportunities now accepting applications include: The Criminal Justice Early Intervention Grant Program Community Investment Grant Program Children, Youth, and Families Grant Program Substance Use Workforce Stability Grant Program “Arresting and jailing Coloradans with behavioral health needs has never been an efficient or cost-effective way to combat our state’s behavioral health crisis and help folks get the care they need, so we’re taking steps to change that,” said Senator Julie Gonzales, D-Denver. “Through this grant opportunity, local communities will be equipped with the resources they need to divert people away from the criminal justice system and into appropriate community treatment programs.” “The Criminal Justice Early Intervention Grant Program is a community-based solution that will reduce reliance on our jails and prisons for mental health care and make it easier for Coloradans with behavioral health needs to receive the treatment they need," said Assistant Majority Leader-elect Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver, sponsor of SB22-196 . "Now, with grant applications open, we're one step closer to improving behavioral health access for Coloradans in communities across the state.” “Coloradans with behavioral health conditions deserve treatment, not punishment, yet the criminalization of these conditions has only made the problem worse,” said Senator Pete Lee, D-Colorado Springs. “This grant opportunity will help ensure folks with mental health conditions and substance use disorders can get the treatment they need rather than enter the criminal justice system while making our communities safer, reducing recidivism, and saving taxpayers money.” “Early behavioral health intervention is one tool we have to divert Coloradans away from the criminal justice system toward treatment," said Rep. Adrienne Benavidez, D-Commerce City, sponsor of SB22-196. "The Criminal Justice Early Intervention Grant Program is a local strategy to get Coloradans the behavioral health they need before they enter the criminal justice system in the first place." The grant programs invest in local strategies and encourage those who understand their community’s individual needs and challenges to apply. Eligible applicants include local governments, community-based and/or nonprofit organizations, nonprofit hospitals, rural health clinics, substance use disorder treatment or recovery providers, federally recognized tribes, and local law enforcement agencies. “Navigating Colorado’s behavioral health system can be unnecessarily difficult, which makes it challenging for folks to access the care they need when they need it,” said Senator Faith Winter, D-Westminster. “These grants will help local governments and nonprofits implement innovative, community-based programs to fill critical gaps within our behavioral health system and improve outcomes for families, children, and youth across our state.” “Coloradans in every corner of our state feel the acute lack of behavioral health services, and each community’s needs are different,” said Rep. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, D-Denver, sponsor of HB22-1281. “I’m thrilled that this grant program will soon accept applications because it means families, kids, and youth will soon have expanded access to the behavioral health care they so critically need.” “New grant programs, including the Children, Youth, and Families Grant Program, will fill critical gaps in care so that more families can access the behavioral health services they need to thrive,” said Rep. Naquetta Ricks, D-Aurora, sponsor of HB22-1281 . “Every community's needs are different and the available grants are designed to help local governments, non-profits and substance use organizations secure the necessary funding to improve behavioral health outcomes for Coloradans." The community behavioral health services assessment toolkit was created by the BHA in partnership with the Colorado Health Institute to support applicants through the application process and understanding their community’s strengths, needs, and gaps; overall strengthening their investments. The toolkit offers assistance with grant writing, needs assessment, and/or program design. Applicants for the Community Investment Grant Program and the Children, Youth, and Families Grant Program are able to utilize the toolkit. “We know navigating grant application processes can have many obstacles, especially for our historically-excluded communities and those who have been unable to access trusted resources, and we truly want to make applying for funding as simple and accessible as possible. The BHA is here to support you and to honor lived experiences,” said Kayla Martin, BHA Contracts & Procurement Manager. Other transformative behavioral healthcare investments signed this year by Governor Polis include: SB22-177 was signed by Gov. Polis in May and sponsored by Senators Brittany Pettersen (now Congresswoman-elect) and Bob Rankin and Representatives Brianna Titone and Mary Bradfield. SB22-177, Investments in Statewide Care Coordination Infrastructure, will improve coordination across Colorado between behavioral health providers and include new resources for communities statewide. Streamlining information and data will improve how providers coordinate care and services for people seeking behavioral health services and improve patient experiences. SB22-181 , the Behavioral Healthcare Workforce Development, created a new plan to strengthen and build the behavioral healthcare workforce to ensure Colorado can continue to provide high-quality services. This bill was sponsored by Senators Bridges and Simpson and Representatives Cutter and Van Beber. Through collaboration with the Department of Higher Education, institutions of higher education, and community colleges, this plan will provide new training opportunities, internships, scholarships, and more to help recruit, train, and retain a qualified behavioral healthcare workforce. The Polis-Primavera administration has committed to developing the behavioral healthcare system in Colorado and saving people money on healthcare. Through their commitment, the administration has created innovative resources to ensure that more Coloradans can access quality support when needed. Governor Polis created the Behavioral Health Transformational Task Force (BHTTF) in 2019 which focuses on streamlining Colorado’s behavioral health system and increasing the efficiency and access to resources. The task force is made up of stakeholders, legislatures and community leaders to deliver well-rounded strategies. The Polis-Primavera administration has worked closely with the BHTTF to create transformative behavioral health bills. Further information regarding available technical assistance for these grant opportunities can be found by creating an account and logging in to VSS to access the request for applications (RFA) and more information regarding each of these grant programs and timelines can be found on the BHA Funding Opportunities webpage. Previous Next