< Back March 5, 2019 HOUSE COMMITTEE UNANIMOUSLY APPROVES MULLICA BILL TO INCREASE HEALTH CARE ACCESS IN SCHOOLS (Mar 5) – The House Education committee gave approval today to a bill sponsored by Rep. Kyle Mullica, D-Thornton, to hire more school nurses in schools across Colorado, especially schools in rural areas and in disadvantaged communities. “ This bill is critical because it ensures our children have access to professional health care professionals in their schools. School nurses don’t just handle putting a bandaid on kids, they provide a diverse array of health care services to our children while also handling medical emergencies that occur during the school day,” said Rep. Mullica. “As a nurse, I see this first hand. We have a real issue when untrained school staff are administering medication to students with chronic illnesses. That’s dangerous for the staff and that’s especially dangerous for the students.” 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 1500 to 1700 students. HB19-1203 passed the House Education committee with unanimous bipartisan support and now heads to the Appropriations committee. Previous Next

The House today passed bipartisan legislation to encourage Colorado schools, businesses, higher education institutions and local governments to reduce food waste. < Back February 27, 2025 Bipartisan Bill to Reduce Food Waste Passes House DENVER, CO – The House today passed bipartisan legislation to encourage Colorado schools, businesses, higher education institutions and local governments to reduce food waste. HB25-1166 would add food waste reduction in the state’s voluntary sustainability program. “Reducing food waste saves business money, helps feed our community and protects our environment,” said Rep. Lisa Feret, D-Arvada. “This bill encourages businesses, grocers, and local governments to help reduce food waste by expanding available training and liability protections for food donors. More than one-third of food in our state ends up in our landfills.This bipartisan bill encourages and empowers our community to combat food waste at the source.” HB25-1166 , also sponsored by Representative Ron Weinberg, R-Loveland, passed the House by a vote of 57 to 6. This bill to combat food waste by directing the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to include food waste reduction as part of their sustainability programs and provide training materials. This bill also helps promote food waste prevention and reduction strategies statewide. This legislation also encourages local businesses to donate leftover food instead of throwing it away. It also encourages locally prepared foods to use “use by” labeling to avoid unnecessary food waste. According to Feeding America, 38-percent of all food in the United States goes unsold or uneaten and 145 billion meals wind up in landfills. This bill aims to help cut back on food waste. Previous Next

HB26-1283 would prohibit employers from confiscating and sharing an employee’s ID with federal law enforcement agencies < Back April 16, 2026 ICYMI: Bill to Protect Vulnerable Workers Passes Committee DENVER, CO – The House Judiciary Committee yesterday passed legislation to prohibit employers from confiscating identification documents. HB26-1238 passed by a vote of 6-5 “We’re taking steps to protect vulnerable workers when they’re on the job,” said Rep. Naquetta Ricks, D-Aurora. “Without clear legal protections, employees fear retaliation or lack of recourse from their employer, especially if the employer threatens to turn their information over to federal agents. This bill strengthens protections for workers by prohibiting employers from confiscating personal documents and unlawfully sharing them with federal law enforcement agencies.” “From renting an apartment to accessing health care, you need your ID for just about everything,” said Rep. Junie Joseph, D-Boulder. “Employers cannot confiscate employees’ ID indefinitely or for unnecessarily long periods, and this bill establishes important protections for workers. Immigrant workers are often disproportionately impacted by personal document confiscation. No one should experience harassment or threats on the job, and this bill protects workers, especially if their employers threaten to report them to federal authorities.” HB26-1283 would prevent employers from seizing, demanding, confiscating, retaining or otherwise requiring an employee to surrender their government-issued identification card (ID) for more than a short period of time (up to ten hours), and except for lawful purposes like employment verification or when otherwise required by federal law. To enforce these provisions, the bill creates criminal penalties for unlawful confiscation and gives workers the opportunity to pursue civil action if their documents are unlawfully seized. This bill also strengthens protections for employees and protects them if their employer unlawfully turns over their ID to federal immigration enforcement authorities or threatens to do so. If an employer holds an employee’s ID or personal document with the intent of harassing or intimidating the employee, they could be charged with a bias-motivated crime. HB26-1238 helps protect immigrant communities, especially for workers employed in the service industry, hospitality, agriculture and construction. In recent years, Colorado Democrats have passed legislation to strengthen existing data privacy and protections guaranteed to all Coloradans, including SB25-276 , which prohibits public employees from sharing personally-identifying information related to immigration status with federal immigration enforcement. Previous Next

< Back June 26, 2020 BILLS TO SUPPORT FOOD PANTRIES AND AT-RISK YOUTH SIGNED INTO LAW Denver, CO — Governor Jared Polis today signed four bills into law to facilitate donations to food pantries, expand access to critical housing services for at-risk youth and permanently allow remote notary services. SB20-090 , sponsored by Representatives Daneya Esgar and Brianna Titone, helps at-risk Colorado youth by allowing youth over the age of 15 to consent to receive shelter or other services from a licensed homeless youth shelter. SB20-106 , sponsored by Representatives Cathy Kipp and Brianna Titone, allows food pantries to expand their sources for goods by allowing food donations from correctional facilities and agricultural producers. “With our state facing devastating budget cuts, we should do everything we can to protect the most vulnerable Coloradans during this pandemic,” said Rep. Brianna Titone, D-Arvada. “The bills signed today will help ensure that at-risk Colorado youth have a roof to sleep under and can access the services they need, and will expand options for food pantries to help them meet the needs of our communities.” “Too many at-risk youth who end up homeless in our state don’t have access to shelter or services,” said Rep. Cathy Kipp, D-Fort Collins. “This new law will mean more of our youth have the housing and support they need to stay safe.” “With over half a million Coloradans seeking health insurance and unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is clearly a serious need in our communities for food support, and our food pantries are stepping up to help,” said Rep. Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo. “We’re making it easier for our food pantries to get food donations so they can help Coloradans through this crisis.” As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to necessitate the limitation of public interactions, SB20-096 , sponsored by Representatives Monica Duran and Terri Carver, facilitates the process for individuals who need to have documents notarized. Rather than requiring an individual to show up in person, the bill allows for remote notarization via video as an option, and includes guardrails to protect consumer privacy. “The COVID-19 pandemic isn’t over, which means it’s still important to social distance and reduce unnecessary interactions,” said Rep. Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge . “Notarization is an important service that people rely on, and this bill will make it easier and safer for Coloradans to have their documents notarized.” The governor also signed SB20-042 , sponsored by Representative Jonathan Singer, which extends the Legislative Oversight Committee Concerning the Treatment of Persons with Mental Health Disorders in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Systems and broadens its focus to include behavioral health and thus treatment for substance use disorders. “I’m proud of the important work this committee has done to improve mental health services in our criminal and juvenile justice system,” said Rep. Jonathan Singer, D-Longmont. “It’s clear there’s more work to do, and I am grateful that the legislature and community partners will continue to work together and reduce our recidivism rate by expanding access to critical behavioral health services.” Previous Next

< Back May 5, 2021 PRIVATE: STARTUP LOAN FUND PASSES BUSINESS AFFAIRS AND LABOR COMMITTEE DENVER, CO– The House Business Affairs and Labor Committee today passed HB21-1288, legislation sponsored by Representatives Bacon and Duran, that would create a startup loan fund to help entrepreneurs start their businesses and create jobs. “Entrepreneurs in every Colorado community are ready and eager to start a business, but accessing capital can be a significant barrier,” said Rep. Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver. “Black and Brown business owners and entrepreneurs have faced even higher walls to climb to access the financial resources needed to start a business. These challenges have been exacerbated by the pandemic and this bill will help ensure a long-term and diverse economy recovery.” “With so many business closing, there are tremendous gaps in goods in services that entrepreneurs are ready to fill; they just need access to loans and capital to get off the ground,” said Rep. Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge. “Colorado is ready for a comeback, and entrepreneurs are ready to get their businesses going. This bill will boost our economy and help launch small businesses that will create jobs and fill the needs created by pandemic-related business closures.” Business closures have impacted communities across our state, often in different ways, leaving gaps in services and the availability of basic goods. To help fill the need created by COVID-19 related business closures, HB21-1288 provides $30 million in ongoing lending capital to entrepreneurs who face barriers to accessing traditional sources of capital and entrepreneurs wishing to restart or reorganize after facing pandemic related financial challenges. People of color have historically faced barriers to accessing the capital necessary to start a new business and have also faced a higher rate of business closures. Previous Next

2023-24 state budget includes investments in water, education, community behavioral health services and wildfire mitigation efforts < Back April 6, 2023 “Colorado for All” Budget to Support Families, Communities Passes House 2023-24 state budget includes investments in water, education, community behavioral health services and wildfire mitigation efforts DENVER, CO – The House today passed the FY 2023-2024 Long Appropriations Bill to invest in families, prepare our students for success, and build healthier communities across the state. SB23-214 passed by a vote of 47 to 16. The state’s $38.5 billion budget is a $1.2 billion increase over last year’s budget. Two-thirds of that increase is attributable to the end of enhanced federal Medicaid match rates, which are expiring as the declared COVID public health emergency ends. “Our balanced budget prioritizes our students, supports our economy, and addresses the most pressing needs in our communities," said JBC Vice Chair Shannon Bird, D-Westminster. “This year’s budget includes funding for Universal Preschool, health care providers, and investments to protect our water resources and mitigate wildfires. I’m proud of our bipartisan efforts to create a budget that supports communities, protects critical services and works for all Coloradans.” “This budget is community-focused, invests in our schools, teachers and critical behavioral health care services and creates a stronger Colorado for all," said JBC member Emily Sirota, D-Denver . "We're making significant investments to get Colorado's universal preschool program rolling, support nutrition assistance for Colorado families and uplift programs that address our workforce and housing needs. I can say we’ve successfully worked together to pass a budget that puts Colorado families first and builds an economy where everyone can thrive." The budget sets aside a total of $469 million in General Fund for one-time investments to address workforce-related needs, housing affordability demands, economic development initiatives and wildfire mitigation and response resources. The budget maintains a 15 percent ($2.3 billion) General Fund reserve to bolster state services and operations in the event of an economic downturn, and designates $543 million in cash assets for the State Emergency Reserve to help Colorado respond to disasters like wildfires and floods. Preparing Students for Success Increasing Funding for K-12: Preparing our students for success and investing in Colorado’s public schools is a top priority this legislative session. In this budget, the total funding for public schools will increase by $485 million, including a record increase in per-pupil funding by $900 per student. Final action on the budget stabilization factor, per pupil funding, and total program funding will come later in the session through the annual School Finance Act. Boosting Investments in School Buildings and Facilities: This record investment in our public schools includes $50 million of funding toward Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) grants, to create new schools and update and renovate existing school facility systems and structures, plus a $8.8 million increase for public school health services. Supporting Universal Preschool: To set our state’s youngest learners up for educational success, the budget includes $322 million to jumpstart Colorado’s free Universal Pre-K program. Universal preschool will save families thousands of dollars each year and make it easier for new parents to get back to work, boosting employers, families and the state’s economy. Investing in Higher Education: The FY 23-24 budget also focuses on the needs of higher education by investing $145 million, a 10-percent increase year-over-year in funding toward state institutions, with a 5 percent cap for in-state tuition increase and additional funding for College Opportunity Fund (COF) stipends from $104 per credit hour to $116 per credit hour for full time students. Funding Schools and Services for Students with Special Needs: This budget provides $18 million for facility schools and expansions of services for students with specialized needs beyond what can be provided for in a traditional classroom, and $1 million for the School Transformation Grant Program, which trains and supports school leaders working to boost academic achievement in the state’s lowest performing schools. Focusing on School Safety: To support our students and educators, the FY 23-24 budget creates a new Office of School Safety within the Department of Public Safety and invests $6 million toward the School Security Disbursement Program, which enables school districts and some community based organizations to enhance school security measures and better respond to a crisis. Creating Healthier, Stronger Communities Supporting Health Care Providers: This state budget focuses heavily on ensuring Coloradans can live safe, healthy lives in communities across the state. Specifically, this includes a 3 percent provider rate increase , to help providers facing cost increases and implements the new 5 percent across-the-board increase for state employees, ensuring a $15 minimum wage for every state employee. Expanding Access to Behavioral Health Care: To expand access to behavioral and mental health services for Coloradans, this budget allocates $80 million toward behavioral health community programs to help Coloradans access care in their neighborhood, and includes funding to implement the Office of Behavioral Health. Increasing Immunization Rates: The budget also includes $3.8 million to bolster staffing and operating expenses to implement a statewide media campaign to increase routine immunization rates through the use of a mobile clinic program. Housing Support: Everyone deserves a place to live, and this budget works to make critical investments to keep Coloradans housed, including $1.6 million in additional housing support that enable individuals to transition from institutions to living and thriving in their community, and $2.2 million to address factors contributing to youth homelessness. Saving Coloradans Money on Health Care: Primary Care Grants: To support uninsured or underserved patients, the budget includes a $14 million allocation toward the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing’s Primary Care Fund Program to increase access to health care services. Dental Benefits: The budget eliminates the annual $1,500 cap on the adult dental benefits. Eliminating Medicaid Co-pays: To better support Coloradans, the budget eliminates mandatory copay requirements for Medicaid patients accessing pharmacy and outpatient services. Supporting parents of new children: $1.7 million investment toward perinatal services, including new doula and donor milk benefits. Increasing Funding for Nutrition Assistance: The budget includes a $16.7 million investment to meet the increased demand for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), so Coloradans can access and purchase healthy foods. Safer Communities: To improve the safety and security of communities, the budget invests $5.4 million to help the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and $300,000 for the Children’s Advocacy Centers’ child abuse investigation fund. Investments for Wildfire Mitigation, Water Resources, and Parks, Wildlife and Outdoor Recreation Wildfire Response: As Colorado combats harsh wildfires and record-breaking droughts, this budget provides badly-needed funds to help our state better address more frequent environmental disasters. The budget provides $26 million to fund the acquisition of a second Firehawk helicopter which will improve the state’s ability to respond to catastrophic wildfires. Wildfire Mitigation & Defense: This budget allocates $5 million toward the Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action Program to help our state conduct critical forest restoration. In order to better understand the origins of wildfires in our state, the budget also includes $3.2 million to increase resources for fire investigation and data collection. Colorado River & Water Plan: To proactively address the Colorado River water crisis and record drought, the budget includes a $1.5 million investment to help the state’s negotiating position and implementation of its interstate commitments related to the Colorado River. The budget also invests $6 million in the Small Communities Water and Wastewater Grant Fund to draw down $60 million in federal funds to improve water quality, and $12.6 million towards implementation of the state Water Plan. Parks & Wildlife Support: The FY 23-24 budget funds improvements in our natural areas to keep them safe and accessible to more Coloradans and visitors. These investments include support to Colorado’s state parks through increasing resources for the Department of Natural Resources to hire new staff and park rangers, as well as $1 million toward the Colorado Avalanche Information Center Fund to make outdoor recreation safer. Previous Next

Increase would have been much higher without Colorado Democrats special session legislation which preserved coverage for nearly 30,000 Coloradans < Back October 28, 2025 GOP Congress Causes Health Premiums to Double, 75,000 Could Lose Coverage Increase would have been much higher without Colorado Democrats special session legislation which preserved coverage for nearly 30,000 Coloradans DENVER, CO – Representative Kyle Brown and Senator Kyle Mullica, chairs of the House and Senate Health & Human Services committees, today released the following statements after the Division of Insurance announced that 2026 health care premium rates will increase by 101-percent due to Congress’s failure to continue the enhanced premium tax credits. “Congressional Republicans’ refusal to extend the enhanced premium tax credits is doubling health insurance costs for hundreds of thousands of Coloradans,” said Rep. Kyle Brown, D-Louisville, Chair of the House Health & Human Services Committee. “Costs are rising for everyone, and 75,000 Coloradans will lose their health care coverage because Gabe Evans, Jeff Hurd, Jeff Crank and Lauren Boebert failed to act. Our legislation during the special session is helping to blunt these rate hikes and prevent tens of thousands of Coloradans from losing their health care, but Congress must act now to extend the tax credits or hardworking families will pay thousands of dollars more for health care next year.” “Congressional Republicans’ failure to extend enhanced premium tax credits means everyday Coloradans will pay the price,” said Sen. Kyle Mullica, D-Thornton, Chair of the Senate Health & Human Services Committee. “Hundreds of thousands of Coloradans will soon be forced to spend more of their paycheck on essential health care, with thousands expected to lose their coverage altogether. Earlier this year, Colorado lawmakers acted swiftly to shield families from the worst of the unaffordable premium increases, but it is not enough to cover the Division of Insurance’s projected 101 percent rate increase. I renew my call for Congress to act now to prevent these massive price increases and protect coverage for Coloradans.” Statewide health care rates for individuals who purchase their own insurance are expected to increase by 101-percent due to Congressional Republicans’ failure to extend the tax credits. Open enrollment begins this Saturday, and Coloradans who want coverage in 2026 must choose their plan before December 15. If Congressional Republicans don’t act now, a family of four in the Denver metro area with an annual income of around $128,000 will see their health insurance premiums increase by approximately $14,000. If that family lives on the Western Slope, in southwest Colorado, in the San Luis Valley or on the Eastern Plains, their premium bill will increase by $16,000-$21,000. Democrats have repeatedly urged Congress to extend the tax credits, which help make health care more affordable for around 225,000 Coloradans. The expiration of these tax credits on December 31 will lead to fewer people having health insurance and higher health insurance costs for everyone, including small businesses and Coloradans with employer-sponsored health insurance. If Congress extended the enhanced premium tax credits, the average premium increase would be 16-percent, instead of 101-percent, and some Coloradans would see no increase. In August, General Assembly Democrats sent a letter to Colorado’s congressional delegation urging them to extend the enhanced premium tax credits that were intentionally omitted from the GOP’s H.R. 1. Colorado Democrats have significantly lowered health care costs with the state’s reinsurance program, which has saved consumers over $2 billion, and Colorado Option health care plan, which offers the lowest or second lowest cost plan in 90-percent of Colorado counties. A recent study by Brown University found that the Colorado Option reduced monthly premiums by $101, even for non-Colorado Option plans. Earlier this year, the Colorado General Assembly returned to the Capitol to combat some of the harm caused by Trump’s Megabill and Congress’s failure to extend the ePTCs. Colorado Democrats passed a law that will invest in Colorado’s reinsurance program and blunt some of the most severe cost increases from the expiring tax credits. This law reduces the statewide average premium increase from 174-percent to 101-percent, saving Coloradans $220 million on health care next year and preventing 28,000 Coloradans from being kicked off their health coverage. The law also stabilizes Colorado’s reinsurance program, resulting in over 21-percent in premium savings, with reductions up to nearly 40-percent on the Western Slope. Previous Next

< Back March 25, 2020 GA: REGULAR SESSION SHOULD CONTINUE WHEN PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY SUBSIDES GA brief to Supreme Court argues state Constitution gives lawmakers 120 calendar days to do the people’s work, can be suspended during public health emergency DENVER, CO — House and Senate Democratic Leadership today released the following statements after the General Assembly submitted its brief to the Colorado Supreme Court. The governor and attorney general submitted a brief in support of the General Assembly’s position, as did the Colorado Association of Local Public Health Officials and several other groups and individuals. “We filed a brief asking to fulfill our constitutional obligation to do the people’s business in a regular session, which is not only called for in the Constitution, but is necessary to serve our constituents,” said Speaker KC Becker, D-Boulder. “With their brief, Republican lawmakers are recklessly using a global pandemic to jeopardize our ability to carry out our constitutional requirements and responsibilities.” “What Coloradans need right now is for us to focus on the immediate wellbeing of their loved ones and their livelihoods. What they do not need us to do is abandon all of the work they elected us to accomplish on their behalf,” said President Leroy Garcia . “We suspended our legislative session in order to protect the community from this serious pandemic, but we are committed to continuing to fight for solutions that will provide relief to Coloradans in the wake of this difficult time.” “We suspended the session to protect public health, and a common-sense reading of the Constitution allows us to continue our important work at a later date,” said House Majority Leader Alec Garnett, D-Denver. “This should not be a partisan issue. This is about preserving the legislature’s ability, regardless of the party in power, to do what we were elected to do and carry out the people’s work.” “We are facing one of the worst public health and economic crises we’ve seen in a generation, which makes this partisan gamesmanship all the more disappointing. Now is the time to come together, not play politics,” said Senate Majority Leader Steve Fenberg . “The argument that we cannot suspend a legislative session in the middle of a public health disaster smells of putting politics over people’s lives. Coloradans will need us to get back to work when it’s safe so that we can pass legislation to help our state get through this incredibly difficult time.” The legislature was faced with the difficult decision to protect public health and potentially fail to meet the people’s need for legislation, or meet the public’s interests by continuing to work on legislation while ignoring the danger to the public. To resolve this question, the General Assembly asked the Supreme Court if legislative days must be counted consecutively during a public health emergency, as determined by the governor, or whether the legislature can suspend operations to be resumed at a later date where they left off. Under longstanding rules of the General Assembly approved by both Republicans and Democrats for over a decade, the General Assembly may suspend its session in the case of a public health emergency without having the time of the suspension count against the 120 day legislative clock. In its brief, the General Assembly makes six arguments in favor of the validity of its longstanding interpretation of Article V, Section 7, as embodied in Joint Rules 23(d) and 44(g), that calendar days do not have to be counted consecutively during a public health emergency, allowing the session to resume at a later date. The phrase “120 calendar days” says nothing about whether “calendar days” must be consecutive. Most obviously, neither the word “consecutive” nor any similar term is included in the provision. In 1982 and 1988, Colorado voters limited the legislative session to 120 calendar days. The intent of the Constitutional amendments, found in the accompanying “Blue Books,” was to ensure lawmakers had adequate time to consider all critical and important issues during a regular session. The legislature’s joint rules are consistent with that intent. The rules in question relate to the Assembly’s own procedures, and constitute an appropriate exercise of the Constitution’s independent grant to the Assembly of the “power to determine the rules of its proceedings,” the power “to protect its members against violence,” and “all other powers necessary for the legislature of a free state.” The GAVEL amendment requires that all bills currently introduced be considered on their merits, which cannot happen if the session does not resume. Furthermore, a contrary interpretation could prevent the General Assembly from passing a budget, which it is also Constitutionally required to do. The decision to suspend the session was not optional. It was necessary to protect the public’s health. The legislature’s rules allow the General Assembly to meet its constitutional obligations without exposing legislators, their staff or the public to COVID-19. Special sessions are intended to address specific subject matters, not general business. A special session may only be called by the governor or by a two-thirds majority vote in each house. No sound basis exists to bar the General Assembly from acting on matters that cannot garner support from a supermajority of each chamber at the outset of the special session. Three additional briefs were filed in support of the General Assembly’s position: A combined brief from the Governor and Attorney General; a second brief from the Colorado Association of Local Public Health Officials (CALPHO); and a third combined brief from the ACLU of Colorado, Adams County Commissioner Steve O’Dorisio (in his individual capacity), AFT Colorado, Bell Policy Center, City of Aurora, City of Northglenn, Colorado Children’s Campaign, Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition, Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, Colorado Fiscal Institute, Counties and Commissioners Acting Together, Colorado Criminal Defense Bar, Club 20, Democrats for Education Reform, Denver District Attorney, Good Business Colorado Association, Interfaith Alliance Colorado, Jefferson County Board of Commissioners, Metro Mayors Caucus, SEIU, Sixth Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Towards Justice, and Women’s Lobby of Colorado. Previous Next

The Colorado House Judiciary Committee today passed bipartisan legislation to ensure children featured in online content can access the money they earned once they reach adulthood. < Back January 28, 2026 Lukens’ Bipartisan Bill to Protect the Financial Security of ‘Kidfluencers’ Passes Committee DENVER, CO – The Colorado House Judiciary Committee today passed bipartisan legislation to ensure children featured in online content can access the money they earned once they reach adulthood. HB26-1058 passed committee unanimously. “In a digital age, we need to be doing more to prioritize the safety and financial security of children featured in online content,” said Rep. Meghan Lukens, D-Steamboat Springs. “This bipartisan bill steps up to protect ‘kidfluencers’ by requiring parents to establish a trust for their child when videos earn thousands of dollars. It also provides the right to remove online content once a child reaches adulthood. I’m proud to carry this forward-thinking bill that helps protect the privacy and personal dignity of Coloradans with online content." HB26-1058 , also sponsored by Rep. Scott Slaugh, R-Berthoud, would establish new protections and requirements for children featured in online content, also known as ‘kidfluencers’. To ensure children are paid for their work, parents would be required to establish a trust for their child if the child earns at least $15,000 a year from online content. In addition, the child must be featured in 30-percent or more of monetized content, and the content must earn at least $0.10 per view. This bill would also allow children featured in monetized online content to request that the videos, pictures or other content be removed from the internet when they reach adulthood. HB26-1058 would prohibit the sexualization of children for financial gain and establish avenues for children to pursue civil action if they are featured in sexualized content. To further stop the sexualization of children, the bill also requires social media platforms to develop and implement strategies that keep children safe. Similar laws to protect child actors are already in place. Established in the late 1930s, California’s Coogan Law requires the earnings of child performers be placed in a protected trust. If HB26-1058 is signed into law, Colorado would join Illinois, California, Minnesota and Utah in enacting ‘kidfluencer’ protections. Previous Next

< Back April 27, 2022 HOUSE PASSES BILLS TO HELP COLORADANS RECOVER FROM PANDEMIC DENVER, CO – The House today passed legislation to help Colorado families get back on their feet and recover from the pandemic. “For many low-income Coloradans, the pandemic ripped away any savings they may have had and exacerbated long standing barriers that disproportionately prevent Black and Brown Coloradans from accessing banking services and credit,” said Rep. Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver. “Sadly, when there’s nowhere else for people to turn, predatory lenders and payday loan companies can take advantage of them and drive them further into debt and poverty. This bill creates the Colorado Household Financial Recovery Program to increase access to credit and low-interest loans for low-income Coloradans to help them pay for necessities without destroying their financial futures.” “Access to capital or loans can be out of reach for many of the Coloradans who were also disproportionately impacted by the pandemic,” said Rep. Marc Snyder, D-Manitou Springs. “With the legislation we passed today, we will provide more Coloradans with access to the financial resources they need to overcome economic hardships and provide for their families.” HB22-1359, sponsored by Representatives Jennifer Bacon and Marc Snyder, passed by a vote of 40-24. It creates the Colorado Household Financial Recovery Program to boost low-income individuals and households impacted by the pandemic or the economic conditions that have followed as a result. The program aims to make low-interest loans and credit more available to low-income families. Funded initially with $5.2 million in one-time funds, the program will partner with financial institutions to facilitate small low-interest loans to individuals and families impacted by the pandemic. Many individuals do not have access to credit as a result of the financial pressures of the pandemic, while at the same time, many have drained their savings and are struggling to pay for necessities as pandemic induced inflation has led to rising costs for families. The legislation will assist Coloradans who face financial insecurity or a lack of access to financial and banking services obtain affordable loans. Previous Next

The House today passed legislation sponsored by Representative Rebekah Stewart that would combine two waiver programs to create the Children with Complex Health Needs waiver, streamlining access to services for behavioral health conditions or complex health needs. HB25-1003 passed unanimously by a vote of 64-0. < Back February 3, 2025 Legislation to Streamline Access to Youth Behavioral and Complex Health Care Passes DENVER, CO - The House today passed legislation sponsored by Representative Rebekah Stewart that would combine two waiver programs to create the Children with Complex Health Needs waiver, streamlining access to services for behavioral health conditions or complex health needs. HB25-1003 passed unanimously by a vote of 64-0. “I’ve seen the positive impact that access to essential health care and services has on children with IDD, behavioral health, and long-term medical needs, which is why it's so important that we expand and streamline the process of receiving care,” said Rep. Rebekah Stewart, D-Lakewood. “This bill is near and dear to my heart, and I am excited that we are one step closer to expanding the services available to Colorado kids and families so they can enjoy life at home while receiving the health care they need and deserve.” HB25-1003 , also sponsored by Rep. Max Brooks, R-Castle Rock, would create the Children with Complex Health Needs waiver by merging the Children’s Home and Community-Based Services (CHCBS) and the Children with Life Limiting Illness (CLLI) waivers. This would help streamline waivers to better support Colorado’s youth with behavioral health conditions or complex needs. The CHCBS provides home and community-based services for families with children with significant medical needs so they can continue to live at home and prevent institutionalization. The CLLI provides in-home services and treatments for families with children with a complex health need, including respite care and pain management. Colorado Democrats have passed legislation in recent years to improve access to behavioral and mental health care, including creating the I Matter program to offer no-cost mental health services to students, training for first responders and community leaders to identify and respond to symptoms of mental illness or substance use disorders, and expanding mental health care coverage for Colorado youth. Previous Next

< Back February 3, 2023 Willford’s Patient Consent for Intimate Exams Bill Passes Committee DENVER, CO – The House Health and Insurance Committee passed legislation today that requires licensed healthcare facilities to obtain a patient-signed consent form before health care professionals, medical residents, trainees and students perform intimate examinations. “Requiring a consent form for intimate exams needs to be standard practice for the safety and well-being of every patient,” said Rep. Jenny Willford, D-Northglenn. “Right now, patients are receiving pelvic exams they did not consent to while under sedation for a completely unrelated procedure; we need to put an end to this. Patients can be traumatized, betrayed and can suffer emotionally as they cope with unauthorized intimate exams, and my bill outlines rules for patient consent to protect Coloradans’ when they’re at their most vulnerable.” HB23-1077 passed committee unanimously and would require health care professionals, students, medical residents and trainees to obtain informed consent from sedated or unconscious patients before performing intimate examinations, unless in emergency situations. In addition to consent, health care professionals would only be able to perform intimate examinations if it is pertinent to the planned procedure. This bill would also create a process for obtaining patient consent and non-compliant medical and health care professionals would be subject to disciplinary action by their regulators or the Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). Across the country, medical students and residents are performing unauthorized intimate exams , including pelvic exams for educational purposes, on patients under medical sedation for unrelated surgeries. Patients are not able to consent to these procedures and can experience extreme physical and behavioral responses from the trauma of learning about this exam after it has happened. Previous Next