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< Back April 18, 2019 REP. FROELICH’S BILL TO INCREASE NATIONAL GUARD TUITION BENEFITS AT CSU-GLOBAL PASSES UNANIMOUSLY Since 2018, CSU-Global has graduated over 18,000 students (Apr. 18) – Rep. Meg Froelich’s bipartisan bill, to allow Colorado State University’s Global Campus to offer students who are National Guard Members tuition benefits unanimously passed in the House. Currently, CSU-Global students cannot seek financial aid or receive tuition benefits through the National Guard’s state statute as an institution for which the National Guard members can utilize their tuition benefits. “Giving our troops the ability to utilize their tuition benefits at CSU-Global will allow these individuals to serve while simultaneously working to complete their higher education,” said Rep. Froelich, D-Englewood. “I want to help National Guard Members be successful while they continue serving our great state.” Nearly 40 percent of CSU-Global students are Colorado residents who reside in 63 out of the 64 counties in the state. Roughly 15 percent of these students are military affiliated. “CSU-Global is designed to serve non-traditional students. That makes it a really good fit for National Guard members because many members are overseas to keep us safe here in Colorado,” Rep. Froelich added. The bipartisan bill now heads to the Governor’s desk. Previous Next

The House today passed bipartisan legislation to save Colorado seniors money. < Back May 3, 2024 Bipartisan Bill to Save Seniors Money Passes House DENVER, CO – The House today passed bipartisan legislation to save Colorado seniors money. HB24-1142, sponsored by Representative Junie Joseph, would increase tax deductions for Coloradans ages 55 to 64. This bill passed the House by a vote of 56 to 6. “The rising cost of living has been tough on our seniors with fixed incomes or those planning to retire soon,” said Rep. Junie Joseph, D-Boulder . “This bipartisan bill would save seniors, aged 55 to 64, money by allowing them to deduct all federally taxed social security income on their state taxes. By increasing the cap of non-taxable social security income, we’re helping ensure our seniors are receiving more of their hard-earned benefits and have more money in their pockets. This bipartisan bill saves seniors money on taxes allowing them to afford groceries, rent or other necessities.” HB24-1142 , also sponsored by Representative Richard Holtorf, R-Akron, would save seniors money when filing their taxes. Under current law, taxpayers ages 55 to 64 may deduct up to $20,000 of pension and annuity income, which includes federally taxable social security income, when calculating their taxable income. For taxpayers 55 to 64 years of age and making $75,000 or less starting in 2025, this bill would allow all federally taxed social security income to be deductible in Colorado. Taxpayers over the age of 65 may already deduct the full amount of federally taxable social security income, or other forms of pension and annuity income up to $24,000. This bill would lower the age to ensure eligible Coloradans aged 55 to 64 can benefit from the full deduction. The current cap still applies to all other forms of pension and annuity income, and the cap may only be exceeded when social security income specifically is higher than the cap. Previous Next

< Back April 8, 2021 BILL TO FOSTER EMPLOYEE-OWNED CORPORATIONS PASSES COMMITTEE DENVER, CO– The House Business Affairs and Labor Committee today passed HB21-1241 , sponsored by Representatives Daugherty and Lynch, which would improve the state’s program that facilitates business conversions to employee-owned corporations by opening it up to more businesses. The vote was 11-2. “Employee-owned businesses create jobs, boost employees’ wealth, and typically pay higher wages and salaries,” said Rep. Lindsey Daugherty, D-Arvada. “With this bill, we’re making it easier for businesses that want to convert to employee-owned to do so through taking advantage of Colorado’s Employee Ownership Revolving Loan Program. There’s no reason a business should be forced to close when ownership wants to sell and employees are ready and eager to take it over and keep it going.” The Employee Ownership Revolving Loan Program provides financial assistance to businesses looking to convert to employee-owned. HB21-1241 extends this program and makes critical changes to ensure more business, and thus their employees, can benefit from the program and follow through on their desire to convert to employee-owned. Employee-owned businesses often grow faster, provide greater job stability, and are better positioned to withstand an economic downturn. The over 50,000 employee-owned businesses in Colorado employ nearly 420,000 people and have retained a greater number of workers during the pandemic. HB21-1241 would allow the Office of Economic and International Trade the flexibility to change eligibility criteria for businesses applying for the Employee Ownership Revolving Loan Program to allow more businesses to apply. It would allow businesses to enter into employee-ownership agreements with less than 50 percent of its employees, which is more in line with industry standards. It also allows the funds to go directly toward the purchase of the business by employees, increasing access to capital for employees to start the conversion process. Previous Next

< Back March 17, 2022 HOUSE PASSES $27 MILLION TO SUPPORT NURSING FACILITIES DENVER, CO – The House today passed legislation sponsored by Representatives Leslie Herod and Julie McCluskie to provide an additional $27 million to skilled nursing facilities that are Medicaid providers. The vote was 59-4. “Some skilled nursing facilities are at risk of closing because they don’t have enough staff or revenue to cover their expenses,” said Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver. “We’re taking swift action to stabilize nursing facilities in Colorado by distributing $27 million in state and federal funds. This assistance will keep thousands of Coloradans from being forced out of where they live. “Colorado’s skilled nursing facilities need assistance, and we’re delivering with $27 million in state and federal funds to help them stay open and attract the workforce they need,” said JBC Chair Rep. Julie McCluskie. “This funding will be directed at the facilities with the greatest need to shore up their finances so Coloradans won’t lose access to affordable skilled nursing options.” HB22-1247 would direct additional payments to skilled nursing facilities that are Medicaid providers to help them address staffing shortages, provide quality care and support their short term solvency. Our state investment of $17 million will draw additional $10 million in federal dollars, bringing the total additional funding for nursing homes to $27 million. The bill also instructs the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing to seek additional opportunities to draw down federal funds. The legislation also requires the department to establish reporting and result tracking requirements. Nursing facilities across Colorado, especially those with Medicaid patients, have faced funding and staffing challenges, and some have struggled to stay open. At the same time, nurse staffing agencies and travel nursing agencies have been able to attract providers with higher wages than what facilities that care for Medicaid clients can pay, exacerbating the staffing challenges at nursing facilities that are Medicaid providers. Previous Next

Governor Polis today signed legislation sponsored by Senators Julie Gonzales, D-Denver, and Mike Weissman, D-Aurora, and Representatives Meg Froelich, D-Englewood, and Yara Zokaie, D-Fort Collins to protect Coloradans’ rights and freedoms by strengthening legal protections for emergency reproductive health care. < Back May 14, 2025 Signed! New Law Will Strengthen Emergency Protections for Reproductive Health Care DENVER, CO – Governor Polis today signed legislation sponsored by Senators Julie Gonzales, D-Denver, and Mike Weissman, D-Aurora, and Representatives Meg Froelich, D-Englewood, and Yara Zokaie, D-Fort Collins to protect Coloradans’ rights and freedoms by strengthening legal protections for emergency reproductive health care. “The people of Colorado deserve safe and accessible access to abortion and miscarriage care without exception, especially when lives are at stake in emergency situations,” said Gonzales. “We owe it to all Coloradans, and particularly the Coloradans most negatively impacted by barriers to reproductive care, to ensure that emergency care is always granted, no questions asked.” “The Trump administration has deeply eroded federal protections for reproductive health care, and it’s our responsibility to protect life-saving emergency care for pregnant people in Colorado,” said Froelich. “Our law ensures that emergency providers have the clarity they need to do their job and save lives – just have they have done since 1986. Our legislation rules out all ambiguity so pregnant people can receive the life-saving emergency care they need, including an abortion.” "In response to near total abortion bans in other states, the U.S. Supreme Court has so far done nothing, and the Trump administration has decided not to even ask it to try," said Weissman. "As a part of our efforts to protect Coloradans’ fundamental freedoms in volatile times, it is imperative that we clarify in state law to patients and providers alike that emergency care in Colorado will remain comprehensive and accessible." “Our state has been a leader in abortion care because Coloradans understand that access to the full spectrum of reproductive health care saves lives,” said Zokaie. “As the federal EMTALA law crumbles under the Trump administration, this law stands up to protect life-saving emergency care for pregnant patients. In states where reproductive health care is restricted, pregnant people are being denied emergency abortion or miscarriage care until it’s too late; we won't let that happen in Colorado.” SB25-130 ensures emergency access for pregnant people who need abortion or miscarriage care without discrimination based on financial need or the type of care required. It also creates clarity for providers by defining employment protections for individual health care providers, treatment log requirements, guidelines for transfers and discharges. The federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) is a nearly 40-year-old law that requires hospitals to provide emergency medical treatment, including abortion and miscarriage care regardless of ability to pay. However, the Supreme Court is allowing states to deny pregnant people abortion care in life-threatening emergencies by sending cases back to lower courts. In response to threats to these federal protections, this new law will ensure that life-saving emergency care will remain protected in Colorado. Previous Next

< Back November 1, 2021 MAJORITY LEADER ESGAR STATEMENT ON SCOTUS ORAL ARGUMENTS ON SB8 DENVER, CO — Majority Leader Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo, today released the following statement on the US Supreme Court hearing on SB8, the Texas law that will ban abortions as soon as six weeks–before many women know they are pregnant. “I was outraged by the Supreme Court’s failure to block this law from taking effect, and I urge the court to do so now. SB8 is a dangerous attack on abortion rights that threatens patients’ health and access to critical care. The Supreme Court must adhere to decades of precedent, uphold Roe v. Wade and overturn Texas’ blatantly unconstitutional law. In Colorado, we will continue to defend access to abortion and ensure that our laws protect the fundamental rights of all people to access the health care they need.” Previous Next

< Back October 30, 2022 Speaker Garnett and Majority Leader Esgar Statements on Passing of Minority Leader McKean DENVER, CO – House Speaker Alec Garnett, D-Denver, and House Majority Leader Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo, today released the following statements on the passing of House Minority Leader Hugh McKean. Statement from Speaker Garnett: Emily and I are shocked and heartbroken by the passing of Minority Leader Hugh McKean. We will miss his kindness, the joy that he brought to the capitol every day, and the care that he showed every person he ever met. Hugh was the very definition of a statesman– a genuinely nice guy who always wanted the best for our state and his constituents. His integrity and the deep respect with which he treated every member of the House were a model for every lawmaker he worked with. The thoughts and prayers of the entire Democratic Caucus are with Leader McKean’s family and loved ones. Statement from Majority Leader Esgar: Heather and I join our entire caucus and every Coloradan in mourning the sudden passing of my friend and colleague Leader McKean. Hugh worked tirelessly on behalf of his constituents and cared deeply about our state and our future. In our roles as Majority and Minority Leader, we worked closely together every day, with a shared commitment to doing the people’s work. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, his loved ones and the House Republican Caucus. ### Previous Next

< Back April 11, 2019 HOUSE EDUCATION COMMITTEE APPROVES GRANT TO HELP 9TH GRADERS SUCCEED & LOWER DROPOUT RATE Bipartisan bill approved on a vote of 10-3 (Apr. 11) — The House Education committee passed a bill sponsored by Rep. Bri Buentello, D-Pueblo, and Rep. Tony Exum, D-Colorado Springs, that would create a program to help students in the 9th grade succeed, as studies have shown that 9th grade can be an indicator on if a student will drop of out of school. “As a teacher, I know how crucial it is to provide resources for these students and help them succeed early on,” said Rep. Buentello. “Data shows that ninth grade is the make or break it moment for students. Students are not just passed up anymore, they have to pass or fail, and this reality often hits them like a ton of bricks. The data shows these types programs that focus on keeping kids in schools succeed in their mission.” HB19-1276 establishes a ninth grade success grant program administered by the Department of Education to help ninth grade students develop the skills needed to graduate from high school and succeed afterwards. The bill outlines best practices that must be utilized for the purposes of the program in order for a local education provider to be eligible for a grant. The department would reviews applications from local education providers and recommends to the State Board of Education about awarding grants. “In Colorado Springs, we’ve got a school district that has a dropout rate of around three percent, which is higher than the state average. This puts that school district in the bottom 20 percent of graduation dropout rate statewide, which is really heartbreaking” said Rep. Exum. “If we can do something to help kids succeed in school, then we should do it.” This grant would prioritize schools with four-year high school graduation rates that are in the bottom 20 percent statewide. The bill passed the committee with a bipartisan vote of 10-3 and now heads to the House committee on Appropriations. Previous Next

The House today passed a bill sponsored by Representative Naquetta Ricks and Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon that would strengthen safeguards for HOA homeowners to help them retain the equity they built in their property and keep them safely housed. HB25-1043 passed by a vote of 38-24. < Back February 27, 2025 House Passes Bill to Protect HOA Homeowner Equity, Keep Coloradans Safely Housed DENVER, CO - The House today passed a bill sponsored by Representative Naquetta Ricks and Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon that would strengthen safeguards for HOA homeowners to help them retain the equity they built in their property and keep them safely housed. HB25-1043 passed by a vote of 38-24. “Homeownership is an important way to build generational wealth, but our current laws allow HOAs to strip away everything Coloradans worked hard for, which threatens the stability of hardworking families,” said Rep. Naquetta Ricks, D-Aurora. “If a homeowner suffers from a medical emergency, loses their job, or experiences other financial hardships that impact their HOA payments, their home can be foreclosed and sold for just cents on the dollar, and the owner’s hard-earned equity disappears instantly. This bill helps create critical safeguards to ensure better notice, transparency, and accountability around HOA foreclosures so Coloradans can stay safely housed and protect their equity.” “Colorado HOA homeowners, especially in my district, have had their biggest asset taken from them and sold at an auction for a fraction of its worth over sometimes very small amounts owed to the HOA,” said Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver. “It can be difficult to recover after a foreclosure, especially with high housing costs and no equity to fall back on from the foreclosed property. This bill would help prevent hardworking Coloradans from being senselessly displaced and ensure that homeowners can recover some equity from the house they paid for.” In cases where an HOA pursues a foreclosure against a unit owner, HB25-1043 would allow an owner to file a motion with the court to stay the sale of their home at auction for up to nine months, during which time an owner could sell their own home. Currently, an HOA may sell the unit at auction for only the cost of unpaid assessments and attorneys’ fees. Before taking legal action or referring an HOA homeowner to a collection agency, the bill would strengthen the requirement that an HOA have a written policy of sending a unit owner the HOA’s ledger verifying the amount owed within seven business days after a homeowner requests it. Under the bill, an HOA must also provide information about its ability to foreclose and force a sale of a unit through the HOA information and resource center before taking legal action against a unit owner. The bill also requires an HOA to provide homeowners with a notice regarding the right to participate in credit counseling at least 30 days before initiating a foreclosure. HOAs would be required to include additional information for the previous year when submitting their annual registration with the Department of Regulatory Affairs. This would include the number of unit owners who were late on payments of assessments, judgments obtained against unit owners, payment plans entered into with unit owners, and foreclosure actions filed by the HOA. Reps. Ricks and Bacon have passed numerous laws to protect HOA homeowners, including protections to prevent HOAs from easily foreclosing on homeowners because of late or unpaid HOA fines and fees and creating safeguards against foreclosure and protecting HOA residents from having to pay excessive attorney fees that can result from enforcement actions. Previous Next

< Back April 11, 2023 Bills to Combat Deforestation and Improvement Wildfire Evacuations Advance in the House DENVER, CO - The House today advanced legislation on a preliminary vote to help our forests recover from deforestation and better prepare communities for evacuations following a wildfire or other disaster. “Wildfires have not only devastated Colorado families, ranches, and businesses, but they have also ravaged our forests and caused thousands of acres of deforestation,” said Rep. Tammy Story, D-Conifer, sponsor of SB23-1060 . “We’re taking steps toward more effective forest restoration by using Colorado-grown nursery seedlings to reforest burned areas and build climate-resilient watersheds. Allocating funding to the Colorado State Forest Service Nursery will help mitigate the risk of wildfires, protect communities and preserve our water resources.” HB23-1060 updates and expands the operations of Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) Nursery to help them meet seedling trees and shrubs conservation demands and increase reforestation efforts. In Colorado, seedlings are used for burned forest restoration, creating climate-resilient watersheds and forests and enhancing carbon storage. $5 million was allocated toward the CSFS Nursery last year from HB22-1323 and additional funding would help complete the upgrades and expectations of shade house structures, improve seed storage and seedling processing, amongst other needs that will help meet growing demand. “While Colorado continues to build more homes to keep up with growing demand, we must consider wildfire risk and evacuation plans to ensure the safety of all Coloradans during an emergency,” said Rep. Marc Snyder, D-Manitou Springs, sponsor of HB23-1075 . “By studying best practices for evacuations, we can gather data to implement effective policy to protect Coloradans from wildfire threats and other dangers to public safety. This bill will help ensure that evacuations are orderly and quick and that communities understand what they’re supposed to do when a major fire breaks out.” HB23-1075 requires the Office of Emergency Management to conduct a study to identify and assess the availability of technology to help with evacuation and clearance time modeling in local emergency management plans. The study will also evaluate the feasibility of requiring developers to perform evacuation and clearance time modeling for proposed developments in a wildfire rise area. The study must be completed by December 1, 2023 and the Department of Public Safety would be required to report the findings during the 2024 legislative session. Previous Next

The House Agriculture, Water and Natural Resources Committee today passed legislation to distribute funds to help homeowners better protect their properties from wildfire damage. < Back April 13, 2023 Snyder, Joseph Wildfire Resiliency Grant Program Passes Committee DENVER, CO - The House Agriculture, Water and Natural Resources Committee today passed legislation to distribute funds to help homeowners better protect their properties from wildfire damage. “Wildfires can wipe out entire neighborhoods in just a couple of hours and have devastating consequences for communities throughout Colorado, including my hometown with the Waldo Canyon fire in 2012,” said Rep. Marc Snyder, D-Manitou Springs. “This bill will save property owners money on effective firefighting strategies and proactive approaches to retrofit their home, barns, or other buildings on their property to be more resilient to wildfire while promoting education on wildfire resiliency.” “Colorado is ranked in the top five states with the highest wildfire risk, and what used to be a wildfire season is now a year-round threat,” said Rep. Junie Joseph, D-Boulder. “Wildfire prevention and mitigation efforts can save Colorado millions of dollars, while also greatly reducing displacement and the devastation of entire neighborhoods. This bill will create a grant program to help property owners harden their structures through strategies and technologies to mitigate the risk of wildfires.” HB23-1273 , which passed by a vote of 10-3, creates the Wildfire Resilient Homes Grant Program. Qualified homeowners can apply to the program to receive grant money to cover retrofitting or structural improvements to existing houses and other buildings. This grant program also expands to new-builds and rebuilds to make any structure on a homeowner’s property more resilient against wildfires. Wildfires have become an increasing threat in Colorado, with the three largest wildfires in Colorado history occurring in 2020 alone. The International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC) provides standards for building wildfire-resilient homes, including non-combustible roofing, underfloor protection, defensible space, and residential sprinklers. Previous Next

< Back April 16, 2019 GOV. SIGNS BECKER-CARAVEO BILL TO PRIORITIZE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF COLORADANS & GIVE LOCAL COMMUNITIES A VOICE (Apr. 16) – Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill that will update Colorado’s antiquated oil and gas laws to protect families and individuals from residential drilling by putting health and safety first, empowering local communities, and protecting our clean air and clean water. “Today, our state took a big step forward toward ensuring local governments have a seat at the table with the oil and gas industry and state government when new wells are to be drilled in that community. This law will give communities concerned about the health and safety impacts of oil and gas greater assurance that air quality and other impacts don’t take a back seat to other concerns,” said Speaker KC Becker. “This bill was years in the making, and for far too many, it’s long overdue. I’m proud of what we have accomplished with this new law.” “As we discussed flow lines, well sites and profits, it was easy for some to lose sight of a major aspects of this new law and that’s the refocusing of the COGCC to put health and safety first,” said Rep. Yadira Caraveo, the legislature’s only doctor and the co-prime sponsor of the bill. “We shouldn’t prioritize well sites over of the health of wheezing infants. This bill gives local governments a voice when it comes to residential drilling.” The landmark law directs the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) to regulate oil and gas development to protect public welfare, and clarifies that local governments have the same authority to regulate the oil and gas industry as they have with every other industry in Colorado, including the mining industry. The law also removes the prohibition against local governments requiring oil and gas companies to cover the direct costs of regulating, monitoring and permitting the sites in their communities. “I want to thank Erin Martinez for lending her powerful voice to this fight. My colleagues and I share her belief that industry can put health and safety first and continue to thrive at the same time,” Speaker Becker added. “Like many Coloradans, we admire Erin Martinez’s strength, commitment, and courage to enact change in the wake of terrible tragedy.” The new law addresses emissions and air quality by requiring increased monitoring and implementing a rule-making process to reduce emissions to better meet federal regulations. A “brown cloud” returned to Denver last month and reports showed that the air quality was worse than that of Beijing. SB19-181 would also ensure that taxpayers are not footing the bill for cleaning up orphan oil and gas wells that have been abandoned but not adequately plugged. Current bonding requirements are inadequate to cover the cost of clean-up when a company abandons a well. Cleanup costs for just one abandoned well costs an average of $82,000. Currently, there are nearly 400 known orphan wells in Colorado and a long list of wells that should be investigated. Finally, SB19-181 also provides increased protections for property owners with regard to forced pooling. Under current law, just one mineral rights owner can start the process of “forced pooling” other mineral owners and require development of those resources against the will of the majority of the owners. This bill would raise the threshold and put more transparency and guardrails on the process. The sponsors and proponents of the bill made clear during each hearing and floor debate that this bill is not a reiteration of Proposition 112, nor is it a moratorium or a ban on drilling. Watch the bill signing here . Previous Next