Today, Governor Polis, Rep. Cathy Kipp, Rep. Ruby Dickson, Rep. Mike Weissman, Senator Chris Hansen, state lawmakers, and community members discussed a historic bill package that will save people money, cut red tape to accelerate the clean energy transition, and advance Colorado’s position as a leader in clean energy nationwide. The legislative package will help achieve 100% renewable energy in Colorado by 2040 and save Coloradans by increasing opportunities and renewable energy tax incentives for people and businesses including reducing the cost of electric vehicles in Colorado by $5,000, electric bikes by $800, and between $3,000 and $500 for heat pumps depending on the technology type. < Back March 9, 2023 Governor Polis, State Legislators Announce Plans to Save People Money on Energy, Cut Red Tape to Accelerate Clean Energy Transition & Ensure that Colorado Continues to be a National Leader DENVER- Today, Governor Polis, Rep. Cathy Kipp, Rep. Ruby Dickson, Rep. Mike Weissman, Senator Chris Hansen, state lawmakers, and community members discussed a historic bill package that will save people money, cut red tape to accelerate the clean energy transition, and advance Colorado’s position as a leader in clean energy nationwide. The legislative package will help achieve 100% renewable energy in Colorado by 2040 and save Coloradans by increasing opportunities and renewable energy tax incentives for people and businesses including reducing the cost of electric vehicles in Colorado by $5,000, electric bikes by $800, and between $3,000 and $500 for heat pumps depending on the technology type. “We can save people money, cut red tape to help accelerate the renewable energy transition and ensure Colorado continues to lead on clean energy solutions,” said Governor Polis. “Together, with our legislative partners and community leaders, we can put in place the right way to achieve our shared goal of 100% renewable energy by 2040, save people money, and utilize clean energy solutions that protect our planet and our pocketbooks.” Gov. Polis and legislative leaders are presenting renewable energy solutions that work to stabilize and lower energy costs by investing in reliable clean energy alternatives statewide. By increasing access to clean energy upgrades for people and businesses and accelerating processes to implement clean energy transitions, these transformative proposals will save people money on energy costs and further reduce harmful emissions. Today, Governor Polis and state lawmakers were joined by Coloradans who have utilized clean energy technologies resulting in significantly lower energy costs for them and their families. “During the cold snaps we’ve experienced this year, not only has the heat pump been incredibly efficient in heating our home, but we also didn’t see the same spikes in our home heating bills that so many other people around the state did,” said Errin, a Marshall Fire survivor and recently switched to a heat pump said today. “With this legislative package, we hope to see more families like ours get access to these more efficient pumps and save money on their utility bills. The tax credits being proposed can help lower costs for families, saving them money on upfront installation, as well as in the long run. ” The Governor in partnership with the state legislature has taken bold climate action and under his leadership, Colorado is well on its way toward achieving 100% renewable energy by 2040. The new clean energy tax incentives included in this proposal will increase money-saving opportunities and increase access to electric vehicle purchases, electric bikes, heat pumps, heating and cooling technology, and industry and building improvements. The proposed legislation also invests in new technologies that will expand clean energy options and continue to position the state as a leader in transformative clean energy development and usage. “As the effects of climate change become more and more pronounced, it is clear we must implement bold policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impacts on our climate and our environment,” said Senator Chris Hansen, D-Denver. “Coloradans are demanding we act, and we plan to tackle this challenge head on by implementing policy that will reduce emissions, set achievable goals, and put our state on a path to climate sustainability for generations to come.” “This plan will create jobs while helping us meet our climate goals and lower energy costs for businesses and families,” said Rep. Ruby Dickson, D-Centennial . “Highlighted in this energy package are bills that will invest in innovative clean energy sources to power our economy and heat our buildings, as well as reducing emissions even in hard-to-decarbonize sectors. These bills will boost businesses, increase access to clean energy alternatives and ultimately cut back on our harmful carbon emissions.” “Many of the bills in this package take an innovative approach for Colorado to lead the transition to clean energy and meet our climate goals while creating jobs and saving consumers, property owners and businesses money,” said Rep. Cathy Kipp, D-Fort Collins. “This proposal prioritizes reliable, clean energy sources and works to attract new businesses to the state while ensuring we are well-positioned to receive federal funding. Our focus is making Colorado a nationwide leader in energy innovation and reducing the use of fossil fuels.” Colorado is leading a multi-state consortium with Utah, Wyoming, and New Mexico to gain additional federal investment as a hydrogen hub . Colorado ranks fifth in the nation for electric vehicle sales. Saving People Money on Energy HB23-XXXX: Tax Incentives For Decarbonization - Representatives Weissman and Joseph and Senator Fenberg - This package of clean energy tax credits draws down the costs of clean energy technologies for residents and businesses across Colorado. The package includes investment incentives in geothermal electricity and high-efficiency heat pumps, efforts to reduce pollution from industrial facilities, and extension and expansion of tax credits for light, medium, and heavy-duty electric vehicles, and electric bikes. SB23-016 Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Measures - Representative McCormick and Sirota and Senator Hansen - This establishes new statewide greenhouse gas emissions targets including net-zero emissions by 2050 and importantly enables the possibility of net-zero emissions by giving authority to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) over injection wells for carbon dioxide, a potentially critical tool to permanently remove GHG pollution from the atmosphere. Other provisions include a 30% tax credit on the purchase of electric-powered lawn equipment and technical changes to the community solar garden and electric transmission policy. The bill expands the disclosure of climate risks by insurance companies and encourages the Colorado Public Employees' Retirement Association to consider long-term climate-friendly investment strategies. HB23-1134: Electric Options in Home Warranties - Representatives Joseph and Kipp and Senator Cutter - This bill gives consumers more choices if a warrantied home appliance like a gas furnace breaks. Rather than requiring a like-for-like replacement, this bill ensures appliance warranties allow switching from a gas to an electric appliance if the consumer chooses. HB23-1005: New Energy Improvement Program Changes - Representatives Willford and Titone and Senators Jaquez Lewis and Marchman - Expands options for building owners to pay off cost-saving energy retrofits on their property tax bill while immediately reducing utility bills. Expands the eligibility of building upgrades to include resilience and water-saving investments. HB23-XXXX: Including Thermal Energy As A Clean Heat Resource - Representatives Lieder and Kipp - This bill continues Colorado’s work to reduce emissions from gas utilities by providing a pathway for those utilities to transition away from expensive fuel commodities like natural gas. HB23-XXX: EV Charging and Parking Requirements - Representatives Mauro and Valdez and Senators Faith Winter and Priola - This bill ensures Coloradans across the State have access to high-quality EV charging, especially for renters or those living in multifamily housing. HB23-1161: Environmental Standards for Appliances - Representative Kipp and Willford and Senator Cutter - This bill updates and modernizes Colorado's water and energy efficiency standards for appliances sold in Colorado. Cutting Red Tape to Accelerate Clean Energy Transitions HB23-XXXX: Assessing Reliable and Affordable Energy in Rural Colorado - Representatives Ty Winter and Lukens and Senator Roberts - This bill helps evaluate existing and potential future infrastructure investments across rural Colorado, with a focus on clean energy and transmission infrastructure opportunities, and next-generation energy production technologies. HB23-XXX: Clean Firm Electricity - Representatives Dickson and Velasco - This bill provides a framework for Colorado to invest in the clean energy technologies of the future like geothermal, hydrogen, and long-duration battery storage which will be critical to completely clean up the power grid while ensuring affordable and reliable electricity. HB23-XXXX: Streamlined Solar Permitting & Inspection Grants - Representative Brown and Soper and Senator Roberts - This bill develops new technology to help local governments accelerate processing time for solar, reduce staff time and costs for local governments, and reduce the time and cost of installing solar. This bill also provides grants for local governments to adopt this tool – which means faster, easier, and cheaper local approvals for rooftop solar projects. HB23-1039: Electric Resource Adequacy Reporting - Representative Bird and Senators Rodriguez and Winter - This bill proactively ensures that electric utilities serving end-use retail customers have adequate resources to provide the energy that homes and businesses rely on each day. Ensuring Colorado Continues to Lead on Clean Energy Solutions HB23-1210: Carbon Management - Representative Dickson and Senator Hansen - This bill helps Colorado companies build and scale the technologies needed for the capture, removal, storage, and use of carbon dioxide pollution which is an area of emerging technology. The bill will also identify early investment opportunities to de-risk projects that hold the promise of reducing emissions from the most challenged sectors of the economy. HB23-XXXX: Advancing Clean Hydrogen - Representative Titone - This bill creates a clear regulatory framework and incentives to spur the production of green hydrogen, from renewable energy to power sectors of the Colorado economy like industrial processes, long-haul trucking, and aviation. This bill creates a hydrogen usage credit to encourage the production of the cleanest possible hydrogen fuel and direct it toward these end-uses. Previous Next

< Back April 27, 2019 HOUSE APPROVES MULLICA BILL TO KEEP KIDS SAFE Colorado ranks last in kindergarten immunizations (Apr. 27) – The House gave final approval to Rep. Kyle Mullica’s bipartisan bill to address Colorado’s low vaccination rates. Higher vaccination rates decrease the risk of outbreaks of preventable contagious and deadly diseases. “We have an obligation to be proactive – not reactive. This is a public health crisis. Waiting for a tragedy to happen is not an option. This is about the safety of our students and experts have been consulted in crafting this important legislation. Colorado ranks last in the country for kindergarten immunizations. We need to do better.” said Rep. Mullica, D-Northglenn. “I urge the Senate to take up and pass this bill.” Rep. Mullica is a trained trauma nurse by profession. What HB19-1312 does: · Creates a standardized exemption form and requires all exemptions be submitted to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) or the local public health agency. Non-medical exemptions must be submitted in person to the CDPHE or local health agency; subsequent renewals can be submitted in person or online. · Directs CDPHE to include immunization exemption information in its annual presentation to the General Assembly. · Directs CDPHE to develop educational materials for health agencies and schools addressing the medical benefits of immunizations. · Gives the Board of Health authority to determine school-required immunizations, based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This bipartisan bill strengthens Colorado’s vaccination exemption process by incorporating strategies known to increase vaccination rates without removing personal or religious exemptions. During House debate on the bill earlier this week, Rep. Yadira Caraveo, the legislatures only doctor and the daughter of immigrant parents, refuted a statement from a House Republican alluding that the issue with low vaccination rates is not because parents are opting out of vaccinating their children, but rather that diseases are being spread by individuals who have immigrated to the United States. Colorado is seeing an increase in vaccine preventable diseases that are endangering public health. According to a recent report, Coloradans paid $55 million on childhood diseases that vaccinations could have prevented in 2017 alone. Medical experts testified at a House hearing earlier this month in support of this common-sense legislation. Public health and medical experts have raised serious concerns about Colorado’s low vaccination rate . Contagious disease outbreaks are happening around the country, most recently in Washington and New York states. According to the CDC, less than 89 percent of kindergarten-aged children in Colorado have received vaccines for diseases like measles, mumps and rubella. Colorado ranks last in country in this category. That’s below the national average of 94.3 percent and below the level of reaching “herd immunity,” the percentage of the population that needs to be vaccinated to avoid a widespread, public outbreak and protect those with compromised or vulnerable immune systems. Herd immunity is essential in protecting vulnerable people, including newborn babies, seniors and people living with ongoing medical issues. The Senate co-prime sponsors are Sen. Kevin Priola, R-Henderson, and Sen. Julie Gonzales, D-Denver. The bill passed the House Health and Insurance committee hearing by a vote of 7-4 on April 15. HB19-1312 was approved on a final vote of 39-20. It now heads to the Senate. Previous Next

< Back May 2, 2019 BILL TO ADDRESS CAMPUS SEXUAL MISCONDUCT HEADS TO GOVERNOR’S DESK One in five women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in college (May 2) – The House approved a bill sponsored by Rep. Janet Buckner and Rep. Barbara McLachlan that would add more guidelines and protections around sexual misconduct and violence in higher education institutes in Colorado. “Our current policy has a problem when we are seeing studies that one in five women and one in 16 men experience sexual assault during college. And what’s even more troubling is that only about 12 percent of victims actually report their assault,” said Rep. Janet Buckner, D-Aurora. “Sexual misconduct poses a serious threat to the safety of our students and interferes with our students’ ability to learn. This bill ensures a fair and consistent response to sexual misconduct in higher education settings and creates equal rights for reporting and responding to parties in an incident.” SB19-007 creates a fair and consistent response to sexual misconduct in higher education settings to ensure that all students know how to report abuse and know that the administrative process will be fair for both parties. It requires institutions of higher learning to adopt policies that clearly outline the process for survivors of sexual misconduct, to provide support services for survivors and to distribute information across campus to inform students of the institution’s policies and procedures. Additionally, the bill requires the Department of Higher Education to convene a biennial working group that will study best practices in order to prevent and raise awareness surrounding sexual misconduct. “This bill will help get rid of sexual violence and abuse on campus. While we are waiting for the federal government to adopt and clarify the law, we are making sure our state laws are ready to follow and maintain protections for survivors,” said Rep. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango. “This is not a one-size-fits-all bill but rather puts minimum requirements for policies regarding reporting and procedures for investigations for all higher education institutions.” In 2017, the Trump administration rescinded guidance for institutions of higher education on how they should address sexual assault under the federal law, Title IX. The lack of federal direction means that states like Colorado have to step up to develop policies that promote and ensure the safety of students on campuses around the state or risk losing important protections. SB19-007 passed by a bipartisan vote of 54-9. It passed unanimously out of the House Education committee. The bill now heads to the Governor’s desk. Previous Next

< Back Rep. McLachlan: Legislators work on tax relief, protecting funding during special session Aug 27, 2024 See more The article was originally posted in the Durango Herald here . As a former educator, I ran for office in 2016 with the priority of passing legislation to increase funding for our public schools and support the needs of both our students and educators. I spent six years as chair of the House Education Committee, overseeing legislation to improve student academic performance, boost the teacher and school personnel workforce, and support our students during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 2024 legislative session, I had my biggest win at the Capitol – the 2024 School Finance Act. This bipartisan law buys down the Budget Stabilization Factor, fully funding Colorado’s public schools and increasing total funding for public schools by more than $500 million to $9.7 billion. Colorado’s K-12 public education is funded by state General Fund money, local property tax revenue and income tax revenue via the State Education Fund. More than 52% of local property taxes go to our K-12 public education, giving us the capital to hire more teachers and school personnel, provide after-school programs, and improve student achievement. Complications resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation, growth and other factors have made our state less affordable, especially in rural areas like Southwest Colorado. Colorado legislators have responded with landmark legislation to reduce the cost of housing, health care and child care. We have taken steps to avoid steep property tax increases by extending and expanding 2021 property tax relief in 2023. Last session, we also passed a bipartisan solution to Colorado’s property tax code to reduce property tax costs. Recently, Gov. Jared Polis called the Colorado General Assembly to convene into a special session beginning on Aug. 26 to pass further property tax relief to avoid two devastating initiatives appearing on the November 2024 ballot. One of these initiatives, lobbied by dark money special interest groups, would reduce revenue for public schools, fire departments, health care, libraries, water infrastructure and public outdoor recreation by nearly $3 billion. The two goals of our special session are saving Colorado homeowners money on property taxes and protecting funding for our communities – like schools and fire districts. We have been working diligently since Polis’ call for a special session to deliver property tax relief for hardworking Coloradans while protecting funding for vital institutions, especially for our public schools and special districts. Colorado has the third lowest property tax in the nation; the bipartisan proposal would reduce the local government residential assessment rate by 0.15 points and the school district assessment rate by 0.1 points. It would also reduce the local government growth cap by 0.25% and set the schools growth cap to 6%. Our priority is to make our state a more affordable place to live for all Coloradans, and these reductions will help homeowners better afford the rising cost of living. Constituent requests have been forwarded to House leadership and property tax committee; as of this writing, we are still waiting to see how all concerns are addressed. As I end my eight-year service to Southwest Colorado, I’m proud to look back on everything we were able to accomplish. We bought down the Budget Stabilization Factor, provided two years of free college and boosted the incomes of hardworking Coloradans with new tax credits. I’m happy to get back to work at the Colorado Capitol to save property owners money while maintaining funding for our public K-12 schools, fire departments and other important community services. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango, is serving her fourth term representing La Plata, Montezuma, Archuleta and San Juan counties. She has been a journalist and teacher. Previous Next

< Back April 16, 2025 House Approves Bipartisan Bill to Address CBI Employee Misconduct DENVER, CO - The House today passed bipartisan legislation that would establish clear procedures for reporting misconduct in Colorado crime laboratories. HB25-1275, sponsored by Representative Yara Zokaie, passed unanimously by a vote of 65-0. “The CBI scandal has had devastating consequences for survivors of sexual violence, and it is crucial that we do everything we can to prevent this situation from ever happening again,” said Rep. Yara Zokaie, D-Fort Collins. “This bipartisan solution will inform defendants if evidence in their case was implicated in the scandal, and gives them the opportunity to fight for the truth through post-conviction relief. With this bill passing today, we’re one step closer to a criminal justice system that is transparent and just.” HB25-1275 , also sponsored by Rep. Matt Soper, R-Delta, would establish a clear process within the CBI and the court system to address intentional and wrongful misconduct by crime laboratory workers. The bill would require crime laboratory employees who witness or discover misconduct or a wrongful action to notify their supervisor or the crime laboratory director within 14 days. It would also require both defendants and victims to be notified if there was lab misconduct in their case. Under the bill, defendants would have the right to return to court to challenge their conviction if the CBI misconduct interfered with substantial evidence in obtaining their conviction. Lastly, this bill mandates all crime laboratory directors to review all records to identify wrongful actions committed by current or former employees before July 1, 2025. Earlier this year, a former Colorado Bureau of Investigation forensic scientist was charged with manipulating and mishandling data in the DNA testing process of more than 800 criminal cases dating back as far back as 2014. This has contributed to the 558-day wait to receive results for a sexual assault kit. HB25-1275 is a direct response to misconduct by CBI crime laboratory workers and will help uphold the integrity of Colorado’s forensic system. Previous Next

< Back Eliza Hamrick Representative Eliza Hamrick is a member of the House Education and Health & Human Services committees. Rep. Hamrick represents House District 61 which includes southeast Aurora and Centennial. Rep. Hamrick is a career-long educator and has championed legislation to promote apprenticeship programs, support Colorado’s workforce and boost funding for K-12 education. She also sponsored legislation to raise the minimum age to purchase a firearm to help keep our schools and communities safer.

The House today passed legislation to save consumers money and combat electronic waste. < Back March 12, 2024 Titone’s Right to Repair Electronic Equipment Bill Passes House DENVER, CO – The House today passed legislation to save consumers money and combat electronic waste. HB24-1121, sponsored by Representative Brianna Titone and Steven Woodrow, would extend the current right to repair laws to certain electronic equipment, including cell phones, gaming systems, computers and televisions. “Cell phones are a part of our daily lives, we should have more choices on how to fix them when they break,” said Rep. Brianna Titone, D-Arvada. “This bill would give consumers the tools they need to fix their broken electronics, saving them money and time on costly repairs. Right to repair laws, like this one, are important for empowering consumers and keeping e-waste out of our landfills. From tractors to mobility devices, I’m proud to carry another consumer-focused right to repair law through the legislature and save Coloradans money.” “Consumers should have the right to fix their stuff—computers and cell phones included,” said Rep. Steven Woodrow, D-Denver. “This bill strengthens our state’s right to repair laws so that consumers can access the tools and tech they need. This bill saves Coloradans money while reducing waste and pollution.” HB24-1121 would require certain digital electronic equipment manufacturers to comply with existing consumer right to repair laws. Specifically, original equipment manufacturers (OEM) such as Amazon, Apple, Google, and others would need to provide software and physical tools to consumers and independent repair providers upon request so they can fix their broken electronics. HB24-1121 passed the House by a vote of 39 to 18. Under this bill, OEMs can charge a fee for physical tools but software tools must be made available free of charge for the consumer. This bill aims to save electronics consumers money on necessary equipment repairs while speeding up the repair process. HB24-1121 also prohibits parts pairing, a technology used by manufacturers to program certain parts together which restricts the consumer's ability to independently repair their devices and allows OEMs to monopolize replacement parts. . Last year, Rep. Titone championed a first-in-the-nation law for the right to repair agricultural equipment. This law saves farmers and ranchers money and time on costly agricultural equipment repairs. In 2022, Representatives Titone and Ortiz passed two trailblazing right to repair laws specifically for wheelchair users. These laws require wheelchair manufacturers to provide parts and software to consumers and eliminate the need for prior authorization to repair powered wheelchairs and other complex mobility devices for Medicaid recipients. These laws provided the framework for HB24-1121. Previous Next

The House Transportation, Housing & Local Government today passed legislation to improve safety and traffic flow on Colorado’s mountain highways. < Back April 10, 2024 Bipartisan Bill to Improve Mountain Highway Safety, Ease Traffic Passes Committee DENVER, CO – The House Transportation, Housing & Local Government today passed legislation to improve safety and traffic flow on Colorado’s mountain highways. SB24-100, sponsored by Representative Elizabeth Velasco, is focused on improving safety on the western slope, including through Glenwood Canyon. “Living in Glenwood Springs, our community is incredibly reliant on mountain highways, specifically I-70, to keep our economy running, emergency services accessible and to ensure our stores are well-stocked,” said Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, D-Glenwood Springs . “While we cannot control bad winter weather, improving preparedness and strengthening safety precautions on our mountain roads will help prevent speed-related crashes, spin-outs and accidents that completely shut down our mountain highways. This bill is about improving mountain highway safety which will keep the flow of traffic moving so everyone, from tourists to locals, can travel more efficiently along the mountainous areas of I-70.” SB24-100 , also sponsored by Representative Rick Taggart, R-Grand Junction, would improve safety by allowing the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to establish a zone with increased speeding fines for commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in Glenwood Canyon. The bill would also ban CMVs from driving in the left lane on I-70 in several key stretches where crashes are most frequent and disruptive, except to pass vehicles going under the speed limit. SB24-100 passed committ ee by a vote of 11-0. According to CDOT , CMVs represent about 7-percent of traffic, but account for more than 52-percent of traffic incidents. Wrecks involving CMVs take nearly twice as long to clear as passenger incidents. SB24-100 would further expand locations where CDOT may require traction equipment from parts of I-70 to key mountainous stretches of other state and U.S. highways. The bill would also give port of entry officers the powers of a peace officer when enforcing highway closures and direct CDOT to study additional locations for chain-up and chain-down stations. Previous Next

The state Supreme Court said the 2021 Abuse Accountability Act is unconstitutional. So, let’s change the Constitution. < Back Majority Leader Duran: Even decades after sexual abuse, victims need a pathway to seek justice Aug 14, 2023 See more This was published in the Colorado Sun on Aug 14, 2023 . As any survivor will tell you, the pathway toward healing is not linear. Everyone deserves to feel safe and supported in their home, but many children face a very different and dangerous reality. As many as one in four girls and one in thirteen boys in the United States experience sexual abuse. However, we know these numbers are likely much higher given the number of cases that go unreported or resurface decades after they happen. So, earlier this summer, when the 2021 Child Sexual Abuse Accountability Act was deemed unconstitutional by the Colorado Supreme Court, my heart broke for survivors across the state. The 2021 law would have allowed survivors of child sexual abuse until 2025 to prepare and pursue civil lawsuits against persons or institutions for crimes alleged committed between 1960 and 2022. This law was a crucial lifeline for those long awaiting accountability. It took years to pass this law, with survivors testifying and demanding we create a new legal course of action to seek justice, which we did. Despite the best efforts and support from my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, this Supreme Court ruling now makes it nearly impossible for survivors to seek the justice and accountability they are rightfully owed. After bravely coming forward and publicly sharing their stories, many survivors of childhood abuse reopened traumatizing wounds only for the court to rip away this avenue for justice. After this devastating news, I was reminded of why I stepped foot in the political arena in the first place. As a survivor of domestic violence, I face the pain, in every sense of the word, each and every day. It took years to muster up the courage to leave my abuser, not only to keep my young son safe, but to reclaim my life. I know the feeling of displacement all too well as you navigate a tricky court system, face limited survivor resources and restart a life from scratch. Sharing my story is never easy, but hopefully it makes one less person feel alone in this uphill battle. Survivors of sexual and domestic violence are already left with barebone avenues to pursue justice and accountability and if your case makes it to trial, it can be retraumatizing and painful to undergo the proceedings. For many survivors of child sexual abuse, this process is overwhelming and the trauma they experienced can sometimes take years, if not decades, to recover — which is well beyond Colorado’s statute of limitations. After listening to survivors and working with advocacy organizations, it was clear that not all survivors come forward right away. Whether it is five years, 10 years or more, are not all survivors of child sexual abuse owed a pathway to seek justice? While it might be easier to say “we tried,” I am working towards uncovering solutions that would bring us closer to creating clear pathways for our survivors to seek accountability in the courts. Survivors are counting on us to make meaningful change, and it is our responsibility to see it through. During my time at the General Assembly, my colleagues and I have made great strides towards supporting Colorado’s crime victims, including SB22-183 which invested $48 million in critical resources and supportive services to victims of crime and HB23-1222 , which created new protections for domestic violence survivors seeking justice in municipal courts. While we accomplish great feats during the session, our work does not stop there. As a member of the Child Welfare System Interim Study Committee, we are moving the needle to make sure Colorado survivors get the resources and support they desperately need. While this is impressive progress, more must be done and in the wake of the court’s ruling. State Sens. Rhonda Fields and Jesse Danielson, and Rep. Michaelson Jenet and I are determined to see this through with the help of Colorado voters. While we are still working through the specifics, we are looking at crafting a referred constitutional amendment that would allow voters to restore the intentionality of the 2021 Child Sexual Abuse Accountability Act. Our goal remains the same as it did with the original legislation: offer survivors of child sexual abuse a pathway to pursue justice and hold offenders accountable. I want to make one thing clear: Colorado survivors have not been forgotten, and our work will continue. Monica Duran, of Wheat Ridge, represents District 23 in the state House of Representatives, where she is majority leader. Previous Next

< Back February 1, 2022 BILL TO BOOST HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE ADVANCES DENVER, CO – The Health and Insurance Committee today passed legislation that would boost the health care workforce by extending a tax credit for health care “preceptors,” mentors who coach and encourage new providers to enter the health care workforce. The bill passed committee by a vote of 9 to 2. “We’re working hard to boost Colorado’s health care workforce this legislative session,” said Rep. Julie McCluskie D-Dillon . “This tax credit will help build healthier, safer communities, especially in rural areas, by encouraging talented individuals to pursue careers in medicine, nursing, counseling, behavioral health and other frontline health care positions. If we learned anything from the pandemic it’s that we can’t do this alone, we need a strong health care workforce to help Colorado recover.” HB22-1005 builds on the existing state tax credit offered to preceptors working in rural communities by increasing the number of health care preceptorships eligible for the credit. This major expansion includes addiction counselors, pharmacists, registered nurses, clinical social workers and other high demand areas in Colorado’s health care workforce. The health care workforce shortage in Colorado has been exacerbated by the pandemic. This is especially true in rural communities that struggle to fill critical medical positions, including doctors and behavioral health professionals. The legislation increases the overall number of preceptors allowed to receive the credit and extends the credit until 2033. It is currently set to expire next year. Previous Next

< Back April 8, 2022 HOUSE ADVANCES BEHAVIORAL HEALTH LEGISLATION Bills invests $35 million to integrate physical and behavioral health care DENVER, CO – The House today advanced legislation that will make transformational investments to increase access to behavioral health care by better integrating primary care and behavioral health care. “This session, we’re directing $450 million in federal funds to increase access to and save people money on behavioral health care,” said Rep. Chris Kennedy, D-Lakewood. “The legislation we advanced today will invest $35 million to integrate behavioral health care into primary care so that Coloradans can access both at the same location at the same time. This will save Coloradans money when they seek behavioral health care or substance use disorder treatment and make critical care more available throughout the state, especially in rural and underserved areas.” Integrating Primary Care and Behavioral Health Care: HB22-1302 , sponsored by Representatives Chris Kennedy and Perry Will and Senators Sonya Jaquez Lewis and Kevin Priola, invests $35 million to improve behavioral health outcomes by better integrating physical and behavioral health care. The bill will provide grants to primary care practices to integrate behavioral health care into their clinical models, helping Coloradans access whole person care and early behavioral health interventions before a crisis. The transformational investment will increase access to mental health and substance use disorder screening and treatment and help coordinate referrals to other levels of care. Previous Next

< Back Cecelia Espenoza Rep. Cecelia Espenoza represents House District 4 in North/West Denver, a community she has Called home for over 30 years. Born to migrant farmworkers from Colorado, she was the first in her family to graduate from college and she went on to be the second Latina to pass the bar in Utah. She returned to Colorado as the first tenure-track Latina to teach law in Colorado. She was also the first Mexican-American to become an appellate judge on the highest immigration court in the country. She is focused on addressing the housing crisis, investing in our K-12 public schools, combating gun violence, and protecting reproductive rights while supporting the most vulnerable in our communities including: immigrants and refugees; and Colorado’s LGBTQ+ community. Rep. Espenoza serves on the Judiciary and State, Civic, Military & Veterans Affairs committees.