< 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

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

HB25-1239 will expand protections under the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act < Back May 22, 2025 Governor Signs Legislation to Strengthen the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act HB25-1239 will expand protections under the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act DENVER, CO - Governor Polis today signed a new law to strengthen Colorado’s anti-discrimination laws. HB25-1239 , sponsored by Senators Mike Weissman, D-Aurora, and Lindsey Daugherty, D-Arvada, and Representatives Yara Zokaie, D-Fort Collins, and Andrew Boesenecker, D-Fort Collins, will expand protections under the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA) to protect vulnerable communities, especially Coloradans with disabilities. “People with disabilities should have the same rights to seek damages after experiencing discrimination as any other protected group,” said Weissman. “This bill ensures that people with disabilities can be compensated for attorney fees, emotional distress, and other noneconomic harms if they experience discrimination or violation of their civil rights.” “Under threat from the Trump Administration, it’s more important now than ever that we strengthen Colorado’s anti-discrimination laws,” said Zokaie. “When someone is wronged, we have a duty to create a pathway to justice. With this new law, we’re upholding our shared values of fairness, dignity, and equality under Colorado law and better protecting Coloradans who experience discrimination.” “The cost of hiring an attorney prevents many Coloradans from pursuing justice after facing discrimination,” said Daugherty. “People with disabilities who are denied housing or turned away from public spaces deserve a clear path to hold wrongdoers accountable and access the support they need to move forward.” “This law 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 Boesenecker. “From housing discrimination to inaccessible building entrances, Coloradans with disabilities have faced barriers to access for far too long. This law provides crucial recourse to people with disabilities and other victims of discrimination to ensure they can receive the justice they deserve.” This law comes from a task force established by the legislature in 2023 to study the rights of Coloradans with disabilities and make recommendations. HB25-1239 is the largest expansion of CADA enforcement rights since CADA was passed nearly 70 years ago. This new law will 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 law, victims will be able to recover 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 will be limited to $50,000. A defendant will be 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 of the complaint and did not knowingly, intentionally, or recklessly cause the violation. Previous Next

< Back May 10, 2019 GOV SIGNS MICHAELSON JENET BILL TO IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH ACCESS FOR COLORADO’S KIDS (May 10) – Gov. Polis signed Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet’s bill today at North Middle School that will increase access to mental health services for children. Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet’s bill would create a pilot program that provides a social worker in participating schools to follow kids from kindergarten to fifth grade. “Our hearts break for the victims of the shooting in Highlands Ranch and their families. We know that our students need more access to mental health services and we know that services provided sooner rather than later yield greater results,” said Rep. Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City. “Social workers can check-in and prevent an emotional cycle that may spiral out of control. This new law will help ensure support is provided sooner rather than later, and no child falls through the cracks.” HB19-1017 asks the Department of Education to select up to 10 pilot schools that meet the necessary characteristics, including high poverty, ethnic diversity, and a large concentration of students in the foster care system. One social worker for every 250 students in the schools will be readily available to those students throughout their elementary period. This bill, also sponsored by Sen. Rhonda Fields, was approved in the Senate with bipartisan support, and passed in the House on a vote of 40-23. The Governor also signed another bill to ensure Colorado’s children have more security and safety in the food they eat. HB19-1171, sponsored by Rep. Michaelson Jenet, would expand school meal programs. When students skip meals it affects their academic performance. Colorado currently pays a forty-cent copay on reduced price lunches for K-8 students through the School Lunch Protection Program. The bill would expand copay coverage through high school. Rep. Michaelson Jenet was the co-prime sponsor of a new law last year that expanded the school meal program to grades 6-8. HB19-1171 passed with bipartisan support in the House and the Senate. Previous Next

LEGISLATION WILL HELP PREVENT YOUNG PEOPLE FROM COMMITTING GUN VIOLENCE, SAVE LIVES IN COLORADO < Back April 28, 2023 SIGNED! BILL TO RAISE MINIMUM AGE TO PURCHASE A FIREARM TO 21 BECOMES LAW LEGISLATION WILL HELP PREVENT YOUNG PEOPLE FROM COMMITTING GUN VIOLENCE, SAVE LIVES IN COLORADO DENVER, CO – Legislation that would raise the minimum age to purchase a firearm in Colorado to 21 was signed into law today.Under current federal law individuals must be 21 years old to purchase a handgun, but only 18 years old to purchase long guns. SB23-169 , sponsored by Senators Kyle Mullica, D-Thornton, and Jessie Danielson, D-Wheat Ridge, and House Minority Leader Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge, and Rep. Eliza Hamrick, D-Centennial, would raise the age limit to purchase any firearm to 21 with limited exceptions. “Gun deaths in Colorado climb higher every year, and a disproportionate number of them are committed by younger Coloradans,” Mullica said. “As an ER nurse I’ve seen firsthand the devastating ways gun violence impacts our communities, which is why I am proud to champion this new law that will reduce gun violence and save lives all across our state.” “Gun violence is traumatic for anyone to experience, let alone for a child or young adult,” Duran said. “As a survivor of domestic violence and gun intimidation at a young age, I know firsthand how critical it is to prevent our youth from being put in a life or death situation because a firearm was too easily accessible. By increasing the minimum age to purchase a gun, we can prevent suicides and gun violence and keep our Colorado kids and communities safer.” “Young people aged 12-24 make up one-fifth of the population, but commit just under half of all gun murders,” Danielson said. “There is an urgent need to do more to prevent gun violence in Colorado, and I am proud to champion this legislation that does just that. Raising the age to purchase a firearm will keep more deadly weapons away from our youth, reduce youth suicide rates, and make our communities safer.” “Having been a teacher for over 30 years, so many of my students have grown up fearing the constant threat of gun violence – sadly, they are known as the lockdown generation,” Hamrick said. “From countless active shooter events to losing peers to suicide, Colorado youth are forced to grapple with gun violence from a very young age. I’m proud of the work we’ve done to implement this commonsense gun violence prevention policy into Colorado law to keep firearms away from our youth and our children, making our schools and communities safer.” According to Everytown for Gun Safety , firearms are the leading cause of death for young people in the U.S. ages 18 to 20, and the firearm suicide rate among this group has increased a staggering 61 percent in the last decade. Previous Next