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The House today passed bipartisan legislation to waive Colorado's state park entry fees for enrolled members of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe. < Back April 14, 2025 Bipartisan Bill to Provide Free State Park Entry to Colorado Ute Tribes Passes House DENVER, CO – The House today passed bipartisan legislation to waive Colorado's state park entry fees for enrolled members of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe. “Long before Colorado was a state, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe were stewards of the land now known as our state parks,” said Rep. Katie Stewart, D-Durango. “This bill ensures that enrolled members of the Colorado Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe can receive free entry to Colorado's state parks. From Mancos State Park in Southwest Colorado, to Golden Gate State Park in the foothills, this bill is the first step in an ongoing process by the state to honor the commitment and uphold the ancestral land reconnection for the oldest continuous residents of our state.” HB25-1163 passed by a vote of 63-1 and is also sponsored by Representative Rick Taggart, R-Grand Junction. This bill would waive the entrance fee to all of Colorado’s state parks for enrolled members of the Colorado Southern Ute Indian Tribe and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. There are 43 state parks in Colorado located in communities across the state. This bill aims to formally recognize the profound cultural and spiritual connections Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe members have the land. HB25-1163 will reduce barriers to accessing outdoor space while modifying governmental systems which have historically excluded Indigenous people. The bill is supported by leaders of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Department of Natural Resources. Previous Next

Speaker Julie McCluskie today delivered remarks at the Elevating Rural Colorado Partnership celebration in Keystone, CO, and discussed recent efforts to boost career pathways in rural Colorado and support rural public schools. < Back July 22, 2024 McCluskie Addresses Elevating Rural Colorado Partnership Education Celebration KEYSTONE, CO – Speaker Julie McCluskie today delivered remarks at the Elevating Rural Colorado Partnership celebration in Keystone, CO, and discussed recent efforts to boost career pathways in rural Colorado and support rural public schools. The event, organized by Colorado Succeeds, the Colorado Education Initiative, Empower Schools, and Lyra Colorado, celebrated five years of progress and partnership to boost rural education opportunities. “From new, low-cost pathways to higher education and good paying jobs to significant new funding for rural public schools, there are so many incredible success stories to celebrate for the high country,” said Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon. “Students in our communities will soon see more resources in their classrooms, and many are already taking advantage of new opportunities we’ve created to complete skills training and degree programs that will set them up for success.” Speaker McCluskie has been a champion of legislation to create new, affordable pathways to complete higher education degrees and programs in rural Colorado that set up students to thrive. She sponsored legislation to create the Opportunity Now Grant program, which funds collaborative efforts with higher education, businesses, trade associations and unions to create new training and degree programs in growing industries with workforce shortages. The Speaker has also led efforts to fully fund public schools and significantly increase funding for rural schools and districts that serve more at-risk, English language learners, and special education students. This year, she passed a new School Finance Formula, which changed how schools are funded for the first time in nearly 30 years. This will result in a 12 percent ($5.2 million) increase in funding for Summit County Schools when the new formula is fully implemented, according to the school finance simulator tool developed by nonpartisan staff at the legislature. Previous Next

HB26-1031 protects the integrity of Colorado’s agriculture industry, protects Colorado farmers from unfair competition < Back April 8, 2026 SIGNED! Bill to Prevent Out-of-State Farms from Using Pueblo Green Chile, Palisade Peach Labels HB26-1031 protects the integrity of Colorado’s agriculture industry, protects Colorado farmers from unfair competition DENVER, CO - Governor Jared Polis today signed bipartisan legislation into law to support Colorado farmers and agriculture by strengthening consumer protections and safeguarding agricultural products grown in Colorado. “From Trump’s tariffs to imported Argentinian beef, Colorado farmers are already facing considerable headwinds. This new law will help ensure that outsiders who falsely label their produce as Colorado-grown are held accountable for driving business away from hardworking Colorado farmers,” said Rep. Matthew Martinez, D-Monte Vista. “Pueblo green chile and San Luis Valley potatoes are renowned Colorado agricultural products, and it is important that we prevent bad actors from slapping ‘Colorado-grown’ labels on out-of-state goods. Our new bipartisan law makes false use of Colorado-grown marketing a deceptive trade practice to support local farmers and give consumers peace of mind.” “Colorado is known for its delicious and high-quality agricultural products like Palisade peaches, Pueblo green chiles, and San Luis Valley potatoes – to name a few,” said Senator Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco. “Consumers want to purchase made-in-Colorado products and should be able to trust the Colorado Proud label. This new law is about supporting Colorado farmers and businesses who make the real deal, right here at home.” HB26-1031 protects the integrity of Colorado-made products and ensures Colorado producers aren’t undercut by mislabeled products imported from out of state. The law prohibits identifying an agricultural product as being produced in Colorado when selling, marketing, advertising or distributing the product unless the product is grown in the state. First approved by the interim Water Resources and Agriculture Review Committee, HB26-1031 helps ensure fairness for local producers by cracking down on deceptive trade practices that allow out-of-state products to carry Colorado-made labeling and take market share away from real Colorado-grown foods. Also sponsored by Representative Matt Soper, R-Delta, and Senator Marc Catlin, R-Montrose, the law boosts consumer protections by reassuring Coloradans that their dollars are getting them the local, premium products they expect. The Trump Administration’s tariffs have driven up costs for Colorado’s businesses, farmers, ranchers, and consumers and limited the available international markets for producers to sell their products. HB26-1031 aims to protect Colorado markets for farmers and ranchers to sell their locally-made products and food. Previous Next

< Back May 7, 2023 House Passes Support for Universal Preschool Providers DENVER, CO – The House today passed legislation to provide one-time bonuses for universal preschool providers. “With Universal Preschool on the horizon, we’re making sure providers know that we’re grateful for their tireless efforts to educate our youngest learners,” said Rep. Meghan Lukens, D-Steamboat Springs . “This bipartisan bill will help recruit more providers and will send preschool providers a bonus to help them renovate spaces, purchase new educational materials, and support their staff. Without our providers it would be impossible to implement free, high-quality universal preschool for our children, and this bill provides them with a much needed thank you.” Supporting Universal Preschool Providers : SB23-269 , sponsored by Representative Meghan Lukens and Mary Bradfield, passed the House by a vote of 50 to 14. This bill invests $2.5 million in bonus payments for Universal Preschool (UPK) providers to support their programs, staff and facilities. This bill would provide one-time bonus payments for early childhood care providers participating in Colorado’s Universal Preschool Program . The bonuses must be used to implement the UPK, or to maintain or expand infant and toddler care capacity. This bill will help ensure there are enough providers in the state so that all families who want to participate in UPK can choose the right setting for their child, and provides support to child care providers in licensed community-based and home-based programs who are participating in state-run preschools for the first time. Recently, the Polis administration announced that more than 25,000 families who signed up for the first round of UPK Colorado have been matched with a provider, with more than 90-percent being matched with one of their top five providers. It is estimated that families who participate in UPK Colorado will save $6,000 per year. UPK sign up is available online on a rolling basis. Previous Next

Today, Representatives Matt Soper (R-Delta) and Yara Zokaie (D-Fort Collins), along with Senators Lisa Frizell (R-Castle Rock) and Mike Weissman (D-Aurora), highlighted a bipartisan bill to establish clear procedures for reporting misconduct in Colorado crime laboratories. < Back February 20, 2025 JOINT RELEASE: Bipartisan Lawmakers Highlight New Bill to Address CBI Employee Misconduct DENVER, CO – Today, Representatives Matt Soper (R-Delta) and Yara Zokaie (D-Fort Collins), along with Senators Lisa Frizell (R-Castle Rock) and Mike Weissman (D-Aurora), highlighted a bipartisan bill to establish clear procedures for reporting misconduct in Colorado crime laboratories. “Transparency is essential to public trust, and the people expect their government to be fully transparent—especially in times of malfeasance," said Rep. Matt Soper . “With the recent reports of tampering by a Colorado crime laboratory scientist, the onus is on us to present smart, remedial legislation. HB25-1275 will ensure prosecutors, defense attorneys, victims, and defendants are notified. If an individual was convicted based on evidence tainted by a state actor, their defense attorney must be informed so they can determine whether it impacted the case. This bill ensures accountability and safeguards to protect the integrity of our justice system," added Soper. "Extreme misconduct by a former CBI employee is causing significant delays in our criminal justice system, preventing family members and survivors from receiving appropriate closure,” said Rep. Yara Zokaie. “I’m sponsoring this bipartisan legislation to establish a clear process for addressing intentional misconduct by CBI crime laboratory workers. By establishing reporting requirements and victim notification procedures, Colorado will have clear guidelines for dealing with CBI employee misconduct while ensuring survivors can receive the justice they rightfully deserve.” “To restore public trust, it is imperative that we establish a transparent and accountable process when reporting on misconduct in our state’s laboratories,” said Senator Frizell. “This legislation establishes a clear, transparent process to address breaches of forensic integrity, ensuring that all affected parties- prosecutors, defense attorneys, victims, and defendants- are properly informed. Justice can only be upheld when we hold bad actors accountable and implement safeguards to prevent future misconduct, and this bill is a crucial step in that effort.” “Crime survivors want investigatory processes related to their seeking justice to complete quickly and accurately,” said Sen. Weissman. “But recent misconduct in crime laboratory settings delays justice, prolongs uncertainty, and further traumatizes survivors who have already suffered unspeakable victimization. Colorado needs to have better procedures in place to effectively address cases of intentional misconduct if and when they arise, repair trust in CBI, and support survivors in their pursuit of justice – this bipartisan bill does all three.” Earlier this year, a former Colorado Bureau of Investigation forensic scientist was charged with manipulating and mishandling data in the DNA testing process of more than 800 criminal cases dating back as far back as 2014. HB25-1275 is a direct response to misconduct by CBI crime laboratory workers and will help uphold the integrity of Colorado’s forensic system. This legislation would establish a clear process within the CBI and the court system to address intentional and wrongful misconduct by crime laboratory workers. Specifically, the bill requires crime laboratory employees who witness or discover misconduct or a wrongful action to notify their supervisor or the crime laboratory director within 14 days. This bill would require both defendants and victims to be notified if there was lab misconduct in their case. Additionally, this bill would give the defendant the right to return to court to challenge their conviction if the CBI misconduct interfered with substantial evidence in obtaining their conviction. Lastly, this bill mandates all crime laboratory directors to review all records to identify wrongful actions committed by current or former employees before July 1, 2025. By instituting clear reporting responsibilities and safeguards, HB25-1275 will help ensure fairness in the justice system and establish policies and procedures for addressing future CBI employee misconduct. Previous Next

< Back April 19, 2019 HOUSE APPROVES MULLICA’S BIPARTISAN BILL TO INCREASE HEALTH CARE ACCESS IN SCHOOLS (Apr. 19) – The House final gave approval today to a bill sponsored by Rep. Kyle Mullica to hire more school nurses in schools across Colorado, especially schools in rural areas and in disadvantaged communities. “As a nurse, I see first hand how untrained school staff are administering medication to students with chronic illnesses. This can be dangerous for the staff and especially for the students,” said Rep. Mullica, D-Northglenn.“ This bill would ensure Colorado’s kids have access to health care professionals in their schools. School nurses provide a range of health care services to our students while also handling medical emergencies during the school day.” Rep. Mullica is a trained trauma nurse by profession. HB19-1203 would provide grants to improve the ratio of school nurses to students while also prioritizing nurses in rural areas and lower-income communities. This bill also allows school nurses to partner with local public health agencies so that nurse practitioners can also serve in schools. Currently, there are 632 nurses that serve 910,000 school-aged students. That’s roughly one nurse for every 1,500 to 1,700 students. HB19-1203 passed with a bipartisan vote of 51-13 and now heads to the Senate. Previous Next

The House today passed legislation to create a tax exemption for Colorado homeowners who are underinsured for rebuilding or replacement costs after a declared wildfire disaster. HB23-1240 passed by a vote of 44-16, with 16 Republicans voting against the bill. < Back April 22, 2023 Tax Exemption to Help Wildfire Victims Rebuild Passes the House DENVER, CO - The House today passed legislation to create a tax exemption for Colorado homeowners who are underinsured for rebuilding or replacement costs after a declared wildfire disaster. HB23-1240 passed by a vote of 44-16, with 16 Republicans voting against the bill. “After the Marshall Fire, nearly 60% of families who lost their homes did not have enough insurance coverage to rebuild their home,” said Rep. Kyle Brown, D-Louisville. “Hundreds of families were burdened with restoring their property on their own dime. Our bill gives these families a tax refund on building materials that will save them money on construction costs, giving them an extra boost when they need it most.” “When a wildfire wipes out hundreds of homes at once, it’s almost impossible to get the resources you need to rebuild,” said Rep. Judy Amabile, D-Boulder. “Insurance companies struggle to quickly provide quotes and building materials are stretched thin. This legislation creates a tax exemption for wildfire victims to help address the barriers that prevent them from rebuilding their home.” HB23-1240 creates a state sales and use tax exemption for construction and building materials for homeowners looking to rebuild or repair their home after a declared wildfire disaster. The exemption for qualified purchases is administered through a refund process, which must be claimed by June 30, 2028, and allows homeowners that have already made purchases to retroactively claim a refund. This bill is accompanied by HB23-1174 , also sponsored by Representatives Kyle Brown and Judy Amabile, to reduce homeowner underinsurance for damaged homes or structures. It would require home insurance companies to offer a variety of coverages to protect them, covering the cost of repair or replacement for a damaged or destroyed structure. If a homeowner wants additional coverage, the insurer must offer coverage for extended replacement, law and ordinance, and inflation protection. It would also extend the length of time in which an insurer would have to notify a homeowner of a cancellation or refusal to renew a homeowner’s policy from 30 days to 60 days. The bill passed the House by a vote of 45-17. Previous Next

< Back December 31, 2021 BOULDER DELEGATION STATEMENT ON FIRES IN BOULDER COUNTY DENVER, CO — Representatives Matt Gray, D-Broomfield; Judy Amabile, D-Boulder; Tracey Bernett, D-Louisville; Edie Hooton, D-Boulder; and Karen McCormick, D-Longmont, tonight released the following statement on the fires in Boulder County: “We are devastated to see the destruction from the fires in Boulder County, and we are heartbroken over the losses so many of our neighbors are experiencing tonight. We are truly grateful for the first responders bravely working to save homes and communities, and our prayers are with them and everyone trying to evacuate tonight. Please be safe, listen to instructions from Boulder OEM, and keep first responders and everyone in the path of these fires in your thoughts tonight.” Previous Next

Governor Jared Polis yesterday signed legislation to strengthen our workforce and reduce recidivism by ensuring Coloradans involved with the justice system can re-enter the workforce, acquire professional credentials, support their families, and succeed in their careers. < Back June 5, 2024 ICYMI: Gov Signs Bill to Boost Colorado’s Workforce DENVER, CO - Governor Jared Polis yesterday signed legislation to strengthen our workforce and reduce recidivism by ensuring Coloradans involved with the justice system can re-enter the workforce, acquire professional credentials, support their families, and succeed in their careers. “This legislation is crucial in bridging the gap between workforce shortages and Coloradans involved with the justice system who are trying to break their way out of cycles of incarceration,” said Rep. Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver. “Current Colorado law makes it difficult for Coloradans with criminal records to qualify for certain careers, reducing their ability to find a good-paying job. With this legislation, we’re streamlining the process for Coloradans to make it easier for them to successfully re-enter our communities and to reduce recidivism.” “Coloradans who have a criminal record face significant barriers to entry when looking for jobs, which makes it harder to break the cycle of incarceration and rebuild their lives,” Senate President Pro Tempore James Coleman, D-Denver, said. “This new law aims to break down those barriers and make it easier for formerly incarcerated Coloradans to re-enter their communities and find a good-paying job that supports them and their families.” “We’re committed to addressing workforce shortages in critical industries, which is why we passed this legislation to make it easier for people who have been involved with the justice system to qualify for careers in sectors that are crucial for our economy,” said Rep. Shannon Bird, D-Westminster. “We’re committed to keeping Coloradans safe, and this law helps more people enter the workforce while prioritizing public safety. With this legislation, previously incarcerated Coloradans will have an easier path to success and industries will have more qualified candidates to choose from to fill job vacancies.” HB24-1004 establishes a uniform process for considering criminal records in occupational registration, certification, and licensure applications. The law includes a wide range of careers, from the construction and banking industries to IT. It prohibits regulators from automatically refusing to grant or renew a license based on an applicant’s criminal record unless the applicant’s conviction is directly related to a specific element of the occupation and is still relevant at the time of an individual’s application. Representatives Bacon and Bird and Senator Coleman passed a 2022 law to ensure that when pursuing a credential, applicants were only denied based on their criminal history if that history would hinder their ability to do their job safely and competently. Previous Next

< Back October 14, 2019 REP. CARAVEO RECEIVES NATIONAL CHILD HEALTH ADVOCATE AWARD FROM AAP DENVER, CO — Representative Yadira Caraveo, MD, FAAP (D-Thornton) today received the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) prestigious Child Health Advocate Award during a ceremony at the Old Supreme Court Chamber in the Colorado State Capitol. After receiving the award, Rep. Caraveo released the following statement: “I am honored to have been chosen as this year’s Child Health Advocate by the American Academy of Pediatrics and am enormously grateful to the Colorado chapter of the AAP for helping to make this a reality. As a pediatrician and as a lawmaker, protecting the health and wellness of children has always been my top priority. I am humbled by today’s award, but I have no intention of resting on my laurels — not even for a moment. I will continue to work side by side with wonderful child health care advocates like the AAP to ensure more and better care is readily accessible to all children in Colorado, regardless of their family’s economic status.” Dr. David Keller, Board Member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Colorado Chapter and Legislative Policy Committee Chairman released the following statement after presenting Rep. Caraveo with the award: “Through her work in the pediatric practice as well as in the Colorado General Assembly, Dr. Caraveo has repeatedly proven herself as a champion for children’s health. I am so proud to celebrate Dr. Caraveo’s accomplishments today by presenting her with one of the AAP’s most prestigious awards. I know I speak for all of us at the AAP when I say that I look forward to working with Dr. Caraveo as she continues her hard work to protect and defend children’s health.” The National Child Health Advocate Award is given out annually and recognizes the significant accomplishments of public officials and private sector advocates who have served as a voice for children in state and local government. First awarded in 1991, previous recipients have included Roy Romer (former Governor of Colorado), Howard Dean (former Governor of Vermont), Michael Moore (former Attorney General, State of Mississippi) Christine Gregoire (former Attorney General and Governor State of Washington), and William Purcell, MD, FAAP (former State Senator, State of North Carolina). Rep. Caraveo has used her unique experience as the only medical doctor in the legislature to pass laws that improve the health and wellness of all Coloradans. She sponsored a comprehensive sex education law and created a program to increase the usage of primary care to improve the quality and consistency of health care. She also was the co-sponsor of SB19-181, the most comprehensive oil and gas reform law to date which updated Colorado’s antiquated oil and gas laws to put the health and safety of Coloradans first. Representative Caraveo also passed a law to allocate funds to the 2020 Census to ensure a fair and accurate count of all Coloradans. Previous Next

< Back March 8, 2022 BILL TO IMPROVE MISSING PERSONS INVESTIGATIONS PASSES JUDICIARY COMMITTEE DENVER, CO – Legislation sponsored by Representatives Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez and Jennifer Bacon to improve missing persons investigations today passed the House Judiciary Committee. “This bill will ensure that all missing persons reports are taken seriously and that investigations are opened quickly,” said Rep. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, D-Denver. “We are facing an alarming increase in missing indigenous women and women of color, but it can be confusing to figure out where to file a missing person report, and jurisdictions don’t always have to accept them. The bill requires all jurisdictions to accept reports if the missing person is a Colorado resident or was last seen in Colorado, and they will now be required to accept reports over the phone or electronically, instead of just in person.” “We need to make it easier to file missing persons reports so that every report is investigated in a timely and thorough manner,” said Rep. Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver . “This bill will make sure that departments across the state are accepting reports and sharing information with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Too many cases of people of color going missing are underreported and not investigated. Victims deserve justice, and this will ensure that all cases are treated with the seriousness they deserve.” SB22-095 would improve missing persons investigations by clarifying when Colorado law enforcement departments must accept a missing persons report. Under current law, departments are required to accept a report submitted in person if the missing person resides in the agency’s jurisdiction or was last believed to be in the agency’s jurisdiction. The bill expands this requirement to include missing persons who are Colorado residents or were last believed to be in Colorado. It also requires reports to be accepted if they are submitted over the phone or electronically. If the missing person is an adult, the agency must notify the Colorado Bureau of Investigation within eight hours (down from 24 hours), and if the missing person is a child, the agency must notify CBI within 2 hours. Previous Next

< Back April 14, 2022 HOUSE SENDS BUDGET TO GOVERNOR Budget increases per pupil funding by nearly $570 per student, improves air quality, increases public safety funding and expands health insurance for children and pregnant women DENVER, CO – The House today passed the Conference Report on the FY 2022-2023 Long Appropriations bill, sending the state budget to the governor for his signature. “We’re making a record investment in K-12 public education that schools can use to reduce class sizes, increase teacher pay and prepare our students for success,” said JBC Chair Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon. “This budget increases funding for public safety and sets aside hundreds of millions to save Coloradans money as pandemic-induced inflation burdens families across our state. This balanced budget will prepare our students for success, support our economic recovery, save Coloradans money and move our state forward.” “I’m proud that our balanced budget will increase funding for public schools and invest in air quality monitoring, which will prepare our students for success and improve our air,” said JBC member Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver. “This budget will improve educational outcomes for at-risk and special education students and increase health care access for children and pregnant people to help close equity gaps that disproportionately impact Black and Brown Coloradans. This is a responsible budget that sets aside a record reserve to protect our state from any uncertainty that may lie ahead.” Preparing Students for Success Improving Public Schools: The budget increases funding for education by nearly $200 million, reducing the Budget Stabilization Factor to $321 million–the lowest it’s been since it was created. This record investment in K-12 education will increase funding for public schools and put more resources into classrooms. This responsible approach will direct record levels of support to public schools and ensure this increase is sustainable. Statewide, schools will receive on average $569 more per student next year, which is over $14,000 more for a classroom of 25 students. Schools can use these additional resources to reduce classroom sizes, increase teacher pay, provide individualized support to help students learn, and ensure that students have what they need to thrive. Saving Students Money on Higher Education: This budget supports our institutions of higher education amidst rising costs and the challenges of the pandemic. As tuition rises across the country, the budget saves students money by investing state dollars to keep tuition down. With an investment of $129 million, we are boosting financial aid and tuition assistance to save Colorado students and families money on their degrees. Expanding Early Childhood Education: Universal preschool and expanded access to early childhood education will save parents thousands of dollars a year. The budget invests $6.5 million to fund the new department of early childhood to bring Colorado one step closer to offering universal preschool next year. Fort Lewis, Aims, Colorado Mountain College: The budget funds discounted tuition for Coloradans living near Fort Lewis, Aims and Colorado Mountain Colleges. The budget increases funding for these institutions by over $2.5 million. Saving Coloradans Money Reducing Fees: The budget sets aside $157 million to reduce fees for businesses, as well as licensing fees for frontline workers including nurses, mental health professionals and teachers. Boosting Rural Economies: The budget provides $10 million for economic development in rural communities by leveraging federal dollars. Providing Property Tax Relief: The budget includes funding to save Coloradans money on their property taxes. Democrats have made it a goal this session to save people money, and with property values rising, we’re looking at an effort to save people money on property taxes. Boosting Funding for Public Safety Improving Investigations: The budget boosts the capabilities of the Colorado Bureau of Investigations to support local law enforcement departments in solving and preventing crimes. The budget implements a multi-year effort to increase the department’s funding to $15.3 million, including a nearly $6.8 million increase next year. This funding will go toward additional investigators, supervisors and forensic scientists to boost forensic labs, crime scene processing, and support to local law enforcement agencies. Funding for Public Safety Legislation: The budget puts aside funding for legislation that will prevent crime and reduce recidivism. The bipartisan bills direct resources to support local law enforcement initiatives to recruit, train and retain a high quality, diverse law enforcement workforce through strategies such as tuition support, workforce mobility, enhanced curriculum, training, and mental health services. The public safety package also includes resources to improve school safety, reduce recidivism, prevent bias-motivated crimes and expand effective strategies like co-responder models and violence interrupter programs. Protecting EMS and 9-1-1 Response Services: Counties in rural Colorado are at risk of losing EMS response services, while 9-1-1 operators across that state are feeling increased pressures and demands. This budget significantly increases funding by $7 million for EMS providers and increases staffing at 9-1-1 dispatchers to retain and recruit the staff they need to respond to community emergencies. A Healthier Colorado: Expanding Services for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: The budget increases funding for home and community based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities by $58.5 million. Boosting Children’s Health: The budget increases funding for the Child Health Plan by $29.8 million, including an increase of $7.9 million for children and pregnant women enrolled in the program. Increasing funding for Behavioral Health: In addition to the $450 million behavioral health package moving through the legislature as a result of the bipartisan interim ARPA task force, the budget invests $54 million in behavioral health community programs. This funding provides for mental health and substance use disorder care for eligible Medicaid clients. Improving Air Quality: The budget includes an increase of $43.4 million to improve Colorado’s air quality. Of this amount, $17.9 million will be used to increase air quality monitoring, establish an electric lawn equipment rebate program for public entities, and replace old monitoring equipment. Additional Highlights Ensuring a Responsible Budget Reserve: The budget sets aside a record reserve to protect Colorado from future changes to the budget forecast. This budget ensures responsible savings so Colorado will be protected from possible drastic changes to the economy. Saving responsibly to guard against future downturns and pre-paying for some key priorities protects the progress Colorado has made rebounding from COVID. Investing in Capital Construction: The budget makes impressive investments in updates, expansions, or additions to facilities at public buildings and colleges and universities across the state. This includes improvements to the National Western Center at CSU, the agricultural facilities at the State Fairgrounds in Pueblo, the health sciences building at Pueblo Community College, Brendt Hall and the FLC Health Sciences Center at Fort Lewis, the Bowman Building at Lamar Community College, and library renovations at Trinidad State College. Improving State Parks, Opening Sweetwater Lake: The budget boosts funding to support Colorado’s outdoor recreation industry and conservation, a key economic driver and job creator for the state and a core part of Coloradans’ quality of life. The budget includes a nearly $6 million increase for state park operations and wildlife conservation to open new trails, hire additional game wardens to assist park visitors and preserve Colorado’s beautiful outdoors. It also includes funding to help open the state’s newest park, Sweetwater Lake, in Western Colorado. Investing in Transportation and Infrastructure: The initial funding from last year’s transformational investment in Colorado’s transportation system to save people money on their vehicle repairs is starting to flow to projects. The budget directs nearly $50 million in funding generated through SB21-260 to get critical road maintenance projects under way to reduce traffic and improve Colorado’s competitiveness with neighboring states, as well as to make much-needed investments in multimodal and clean energy transportation options to modernize Colorado’s state’s transportation system. Previous Next