< Back February 27, 2020 COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING COVERAGE GETS HOUSE APPROVAL Representative Janet Buckner’s bill to require health insurance plans to cover colorectal cancer screenings starting at age 45 today passed the House by a bipartisan vote of 52-11. HB20-1103 is also sponsored by Representative Perry Will. “Early detection of any cancer can be the difference between life and death,” said Rep. Buckner, D-Aurora . “I’m so proud that the House voted to give Coloradans access to life-saving screenings for colorectal cancer at an earlier age. This bill will save lives.” Under current law, health insurers must provide coverage for preventive colorectal cancer screenings starting at age 50 in accordance with the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) guidelines. HB20-1103 would improve insurance coverage by requiring that carriers, in addition to following USPSTF guidelines, provide coverage for screenings in accordance with the current best medical practice guidelines starting at age 45. This would include coverage for a colonoscopy or other medical screening tests for colorectal cancer as well as coverage for a follow-up colonoscopy if the results of a noninvasive screening test are abnormal. HB20-1103 was approved by the House Health and Insurance Committee unanimously in January. Previous Next

Governor Polis today signed legislation into law to close tax loopholes that allow businesses to deduct meal and drink expenses from their taxable income in order to expand access to healthy foods in lower-income and under-served communities and help small food retailers and small family farms. < Back June 2, 2023 SIGNED! Bill to Boost Food Assistance by Closing Tax Loopholes Becomes Law AURORA, CO - Governor Polis today signed legislation into law to close tax loopholes that allow businesses to deduct meal and drink expenses from their taxable income in order to expand access to healthy foods in lower-income and under-served communities and help small food retailers and small family farms. “Everyday Coloradans don’t get a tax break on their lunches, and neither should wealthy corporations,” said Rep. Mike Weissman, D-Aurora . “About 33% of Coloradans do not have reliable access to nutritious food, which leads to chronic health issues and expensive health care bills. This new law will boost small food producers, local farmers and food assistance to support everyday Coloradans by closing a loophole only available to a select few.” “Working people in my district and across the state don’t get a tax break on their lunches, and too many of them don’t have enough to eat at all," said Senator Rhonda Fields, D-Aurora . “I am happy to close this tax loophole that only benefits the wealthiest Coloradans, and redirect the funds toward addressing food insecurity so that more Coloradans can afford to put food on the table.” “Family owned farms and food retailers need our support more than corporate boardrooms," said Senator Nick Hinrichsen, D-Pueblo . “This bill will reduce hunger and strengthen local supply chains in urban and rural parts of Colorado, with a minimal impact on state finances.” Currently, Colorado taxpayers collectively cover the cost of the “business meals deduction” because state tax deductions are linked to federal tax deductions. HB23-1008 would “decouple” from these federal income tax deductions, ending the resulting state tax loophole that allows corporations to deduct business meal expenses from their taxes. Ending these tax deductions supports efforts to reduce food insecurity for hard-working Coloradans and fund a tax credit to help our local farmers and food retailers acquire necessary equipment and better access market opportunities. This bill builds off bipartisan legislation passed by the General Assembly in 2022 to save Coloradans money on healthy foods. The funding allocated by the 2022 legislation supports programs including the Community Nutrition Incentive Program, which assists women, children, and older Coloradans in subscribing to weekly produce deliveries from a local farm; the Double Up Food Bucks Program, which doubles the value of SNAP benefits in participating markets and stores for fruits and vegetables; and the Community Food Access program, which allows more small retailers to acquire equipment to store and sell produce and supports small family farms in connecting their crops to market demands. HB23-1008 supports and extends these efforts by creating an income tax credit for small food retailers, small family farms and Community Food Consortium members worth 85% of the cost of new systems, equipment, and food distribution in 2024, and 75% in following years. Partnerships between Colorado food producers and small retailers boost revenue and cycle money into local economies. It also appropriates $250,000 to the Department of Public Health and Environment to provide healthy eating program incentives for low-income Coloradans and improve access to fresh, Colorado-grown produce. Previous Next

The House Education Committee today passed two bills to support Colorado’s educators. < Back April 3, 2024 House Committee Passes Two Bills to Support Educators DENVER, CO - The House Education Committee today passed two bills to support Colorado’s educators. HB24-1376, sponsored by Representatives Julia Marvin and Cathy Kipp, would extend the Teacher Mentor Grant Program. SB24-132, sponsored by Representatives Barbara McLachlan and Meghan Lukens would extend the confidentiality of performance evaluation reports to beyond licensed educators. "Mentors are important in any field, and especially in education," said Rep. Julia Marvin, D-Thornton, sponsor of HB24-1376. "This bill will allow for greater access to mentor preparation and development for student and novice teachers in their early years of the profession. We know teacher mentorships help build stronger connections, boost the confidence of our newest teachers, and support educational excellence statewide." “We’re taking steps to extend an important educator mentor program to support our new teachers,” said Rep. Cathy Kipp, D-Fort Collins, sponsor of HB24-1376. “This bill expands eligibility for the Teacher Mentor Grant Program, specifically for teachers who have up to three years of career experience. This bill is about fostering new and experienced teacher retention. Together, we’re making it easier for new teachers to access the resources they need to not only succeed in the job, but to better support our students.” HB24-1376 , passed committee by a vote of 9-2. This bill would expand the Teacher Mentor Grant Program to include novice teachers, specifically teachers who have fewer than three years of teaching experience. Under this bill, the Department of Education would create a graduated scale for the stipends provided to mentors. “As a former teacher, I know how important evaluations are because they help us better support our students,” said Rep. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango, sponsor of SB24-132. “Our important bill extends the confidentiality of personnel performance records, including evaluations, to most educators in our schools. This bill is a step forward in protecting the privacy of our school educators and shows them we deeply value their efforts to support our students.” “From administrators to education support professionals, many of those who work in our schools are not awarded important privacy and confidentiality protections when it comes to their personnel records, such as evaluations ,” said Rep. Meghan Lukens, D-Steamboat Springs, sponsor of SB24-132. “Importantly, this bill extends confidentiality protections already awarded to licensed educators to other school professionals. We know that extending fair and consistent protections for school educators will help us foster stronger trust within our schools and better meet the needs of our students.” SB24-132 , passed committee unanimously. This bill would extend the confidentiality of evaluation reports and related records to all teachers, principals, administrators, special service providers, and education support professionals. Under current law, only licensed educators are awarded confidentiality when it comes to their personnel records, including yearly evaluations. This bill extends protections to other educators and school staff. 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

On August 7, two bipartisan bills will go into effect to extend funding to the Opportunity Now Colorado grant program and create more affordable child care opportunities. < Back August 2, 2024 Bipartisan Laws to Save Coloradans Money Go Into Effect DENVER, CO - On August 7, two bipartisan bills will go into effect to extend funding to the Opportunity Now Colorado grant program and create more affordable child care opportunities. “Opportunity Now grants have fostered transformative changes for Colorado’s workforce, encouraged job growth and supported rural and mountain communities like mine in Northwestern Colorado,” said Rep. Meghan Lukens, D-Steamboat Springs. “This bipartisan law outlines the final round of funding for the grant program and has an important focus on the construction and building trades. We’re working hard to meet our workforce needs and that begins with helping Coloradans secure good-paying jobs in growing industries.” “Opportunity is a core Colorado value, and every Coloradan should have the opportunity to earn a good life," said Senator Jeff Bridges, D-Arapahoe County. "That opportunity often starts with a good education, one that's aligned with good-paying jobs in a person's community. Making sure what schools teach matches what businesses need is exactly what the Opportunity Now grant does, leading to better wages for workers, a well-trained workforce for our employers, and a stronger Colorado economy for everyone." HB24-1365 , also sponsored by Representative Matt Soper, R-Delta, and Senator Perry Will, R-New Castle, supports the fourth and final round of the successful Opportunity Now Colorado grant. The goal of this law is to connect more Coloradans with in-demand, high-wage careers, specifically in the construction, infrastructure and building trades. This law also establishes the Regional Talent Summit Grant Program, which helps Coloradans find in-demand careers in their communities. It also introduces a workforce shortage tax credit to help with facility and equipment upgrades needed for training in new, emerging fields, leveraging federal investments outlined in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, CHIPS and Science Act and others. The Opportunity Now grant program has awarded $27 million to 46 grantees representing 145 businesses and 78 education partners in 38 different industries. “Increasing affordable child care options will save Colorado families money and make it easier for new families to return to the workforce and support our thriving economies,” continued Rep. Lukens. “This bipartisan legislation will make it easier to build new child care facilities and find safe ways to reuse existing spaces to boost child care options for Colorado families.” “I’m proud that our bipartisan legislation to increase affordable child care options is going into effect,” said Senator Janice Marchman, D-Loveland. “Quality, affordable child care is essential to support Colorado’s workforce, and by providing funding to develop new and convert existing spaces into childcare centers, we can offer more options to Colorado families.” HB24-1237 , also sponsored by Representative Mary Bradfield, R-Colorado Springs, and Senator Janice Rich, R-Grand Junction, will help reduce costs for developing child care facilities by providing technical planning, building, construction, and development support to increase child care providers. Specifically, this legislation creates the framework to provide planning and capital grants and technical support for local governments, institutions of higher education, public schools, employers, private partners, and builders, to support the development of licensed child care facilities and providers. Previous Next

The 2023 School Finance Act invests a record $665 million more toward K-12 public education, commits to buying down the Budget Stabilization Factor in the 2024-25 school year < Back May 1, 2023 House Passes Record School Funding Bill The 2023 School Finance Act invests a record $665 million more toward K-12 public education, commits to buying down the Budget Stabilization Factor in the 2024-25 school year DENVER, CO – The House today passed the 2023 School Finance Act, increasing per pupil funding by $1,018. This record investment toward K-12 public schools also reduces the Budget Stabilization Factor by $180 million, mapping out a course to eliminate the Budget Stabilization Factor by the 2024-2025 school year. “Increasing funding for our schools is one of the smartest investments we can make because it sets our students on the path to success,” said Rep. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango . “The 2023 School Finance Act reaffirms our commitment to our schools through a record-breaking investment of $665 million more, resulting in $10,614 per pupil. Every school district has different needs, which is why this legislation invests $30 million toward rural schools to help them recruit educators and support the enrichment courses that make education in Colorado well-rounded.” “We’re committed to supporting our teachers and students and this year’s School Finance Act includes the largest buydown ever of Colorado's debt to our K-12 public schools,” said Rep. Cathy Kipp, D-Fort Collins. “Investing in our schools better prepares Colorado's next generation of leaders, and this legislation increases per pupil funding by nearly $1,100 and puts our state on a sustainable path to fully fund K-12 public schools in the next two years. Colorado needs a strong education system, and this bill invests in our schools so they can continue to prepare our students to thrive.” 2023 School Finance Act : SB23-287 passed the House by a vote of 52 to 10 and invests a record-breaking $665 million more in total program funding and raises the statewide average of per pupil funding by $1,018, equating up to $10,614 per pupil. It reduces the Budget Stabilization Factor by $180 million, while committing lawmakers to fully eliminating the Budget Stabilization Factor for the 2024-2025 school year. With this funding, school districts can reduce class sizes, increase teacher pay, and provide individualized support to help students succeed. Additional allocations include: $30 million specifically for large and small rural schools $10 million toward special education preschool support $1 million for gifted and talented universal screening for students $500,000 to support English language learning students and the translation of Individualized Education Programs program documents within special education $300,000 to reimburse schools for expenses related to replacing an American Indian mascot The bill will also create a task force charged with examining Colorado's public school financing system and making recommendations to improve the school finance formula to make it more equitable and student-centered. An additional study will explore what it takes to adequately provide a free and uniform public education for students in Colorado. Previous Next

HB24-1175 gives local governments the right of first refusal to buy existing affordable housing when a building or complex is up for sale < Back August 1, 2024 New Law Goes Into Effect to Preserve Housing Coloradans Can Afford HB24-1175 gives local governments the right of first refusal to buy existing affordable housing when a building or complex is up for sale DENVER, CO - On August 7, legislation goes into effect to give local governments the right of first refusal to purchase existing subsidized housing and preserve Colorado’s limited affordable housing stock. “With rising rents pricing Coloradans out of their communities, local governments need additional tools to help them preserve existing affordable housing options that work for everyday Coloradans,” said Rep. Andrew Boesenecker, D-Fort Collins. “With our new law going into effect, local governments will now be able to purchase and preserve affordable housing properties that were made possible by the investment of public dollars. This legislation better allows us to maintain and expand affordable housing options in our communities and ease Colorado’s housing crisis.” “Whether it’s Broomfield or Berthoud, housing is a top concern for Coloradans,” said Senator Faith Winter, D-Broomfield. “This year, we’re tackling Colorado’s housing crisis from all angles. By giving local governments an additional tool to preserve affordable housing stock, Coloradans will be better positioned to find housing options that fit their budget.” “Our law is one of many steps that Colorado Democrats are taking to combat housing instability and displacement,” said Rep. Emily Sirota, D-Denver. “We need a multi-faceted approach to address our affordable housing shortage, which is why we passed legislation to create new tools for local governments that keep existing affordable housing properties in the rental market and attainable for Coloradans.” “Colorado is in the midst of a housing crisis and we must do everything we can to help renters and homeowners,” said Senator Sonya Jaquez Lewis, D-Longmont. “By giving local governments the chance to make the first offer and create new affordable housing stock, we can ensure more Coloradans – especially lower income families – have an affordable place they can call home.” Many affordable housing buildings are sold and converted to higher-priced market-rate units once the affordability restrictions expire. The right of first refusal gives local governments the right to purchase an existing affordable multi-family residential or mixed-use rental property with at least five units if they match any offers that the seller receives and continue to use the property for long-term affordable housing. Under HB24-1175 , owners would be required to notify local governments two years before affordability restrictions expire to allow time for governments to plan in case that property hits the market. For non-subsidized multifamily rental properties, the law gives local governments the right of first offer before the property is listed for sale. This right applies to buildings more than 30 years old with 15 to 100 units, and the property must be used as long-term affordable housing. If interested, the local government must respond within seven days of receiving notice of intent to sell from the seller and may request additional information, with the seller having five days to comply and the local government another 14 days to make an offer. Accepted offers would lead to a 30-day negotiation period and a 60-day closing period. Previous Next

< Back September 20, 2024 Speaker McCluskie Discusses New School Finance Formula, Increased Funding for Rural Districts FRISCO, CO – Speaker Julie McCluskie yesterday attended the Summit School District board meeting to discuss her legislative efforts to increase public school funding and drive more resources to mountain schools. Speaker McCluskie discussed the positive local impact of her law HB24-1448 , the new public school finance formula, which will increase funding for rural and underfunded districts and SB24-188 , the 2024 School Finance Act, which boosts funding for schools by eliminating the budget stabilization factor (BSF). “Increasing funding for public schools has been one of my top priorities, and I’m incredibly proud of our legislative efforts to modernize the school finance formula to better support our rural and underserved districts,” said Speaker McCluskie, D-Dillon. “As emphasized during today’s discussion, every student deserves access to a high quality education no matter where they live and this monumental legislation brings us closer to that reality. We’ve also fully paid off the budget stabilization factor – fully funding schools for the first time in nearly 30 years. With this increase in funding, our districts can not only work to retain the educator workforce they have, but recruit and train the next generation of Summit County educators and school staff.” Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, the Summit RE-1 school district will receive nearly $869,000 thousand more per year or $5.2 million more once the new formula is fully implemented after six years. Additionally, this district will receive an additional $2.9 million annually to support at-risk students, English Language Learners and students living with disabilities. This is more than a 110 percent increase in funding to support each and every student. Speaker McCluskie has been a longtime champion for K-12 public education in Colorado. In addition to the new school finance formula, Speaker McCluskie supported 2024 legislation to buy down the budget stabilization factor which in turn helps districts increase teacher pay, reduce classroom sizes and purchase new textbooks. In addition to education funding laws, Speaker McCluskie also sponsored bipartisan legislation during the recent legislative Special Session that responsibly reduced property taxes to make our communities more affordable and mitigate the risk of detrimental ballot initiatives that would have severely jeopardized funding for schools. HB24B-1001 reduces property taxes in a responsible way while protecting funding for crucial institutions, especially Colorado’s K-12 public schools, fire districts and emergency services. Previous Next

< Back February 19, 2019 HOUSE APPROVES COMPREHENSIVE SEXUAL EDUCATION LEGISLATION (Feb. 19) – The House gave final approval for Rep. Susan Lontine and Rep. Yadira Caraveo’s bill to expand the content in the comprehensive sexual education that many students in Colorado already receive. This bill does not require schools to teach sex education, however, existing law requires that if they do provide sex education it must be comprehensive. The bill adds consent, defining a healthy relationship, and sexual orientation to the current standards. “Colorado’s students deserve access to age-appropriate, accurate and comprehensive information regarding sex education to keep themselves and their classmates healthy and safe,” said Rep. Lontine, D-Denver. “This bill is also about teaching our students that not everyone is exactly the way you are and that’s okay because every Coloradan should be allowed to live our authentic lives.” Colorado does not have a mandatory sex education requirement. Existing law does provide a set of standards if schools decide to teach about sex education. This bill would increase the ranges of topics to include birth control and pregnancy, abstinence, STD prevention, consent, healthy relationships and sexual orientation. “As a doctor in a clinic, I only have the ability to affect one child and one life at a time,” said Rep. Yadira Caraveo. “Schools have the ability to improve the health of hundreds of kids at a time through the ability to provide comprehensive sex ed that will prevent countless young people from facing life altering illnesses or unplanned pregnancies.” Some of the common misconceptions about HB19-1032 are around the opt-out options already in place, the content around LGBTQ inclusion, and the definition of a healthy relationship. Throughout debate on the legislation, House Republicans attempted to sabotage this bill on the floor by introducing a number of politically charged amendments that would have gutted the bill and reflected how out-of-step they are with everyday Coloradans and students. This bill would also allocate $1 million in funds to an existing grant program administered by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment for teaching comprehensive sex education. Rural schools and public schools that do not have the resources to offer sex education will be prioritized for receiving this grant money. HB19-1032 was approved by a vote of 39-23 and now heads to the Senate where it is sponsored by Sen. Nancy Todd, D-Aurora and Sen. Don Coram, R-Montrose. Previous Next

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

The House Judiciary Committee today passed bipartisan legislation sponsored by Representative Meghan Lukens that would strengthen protections for survivors of sexual misconduct by expanding the Civil Rape Shield Law. HB25-1138 unanimously passed by a vote of 13-0. < Back February 4, 2025 Bipartisan Lukens Bill to Strengthen Civil Rape Shield Law Passes Committee DENVER, CO - The House Judiciary Committee today passed bipartisan legislation sponsored by Representative Meghan Lukens that would strengthen protections for survivors of sexual misconduct by expanding the Civil Rape Shield Law . HB25-1138 unanimously passed by a vote of 13-0. “Far too often, victims have been unfairly blamed for an assault based on what they wear or how they live their lives, making Coloradans vulnerable to sensitive and irrelevant details being used against them,” said Rep. Meghan Lukens, D-Steamboat Springs. “The unfortunate reality is that survivors of sexual misconduct have been hesitant to pursue legal action because irrelevant details about their past sexual history, lifestyle, and clothing could be used against them. In Colorado, we stand by victims of sexual assault. Our bipartisan legislation would prevent the use of unrelated details in a civil case, protecting survivors so they can hold their stalker, harasser, or assaulter accountable.” HB25-1138 , also sponsored by Minority Leader Rose Pugliese, R-Colorado Springs, would protect victims of sexual assault in civil court by making hairstyle, manner of speech, lifestyle, and clothing related to an alleged sexual offense inadmissible as evidence of consent, credibility, or harm. With few exceptions, the past sexual history of a victim cannot be discussed, and a judge must first review any such evidence in private. Currently, Colorado law says sexual activity is irrelevant and inadmissible in a civil proceeding unless that sexual activity was between a victim and a defendant. This bill would eliminate that exception. Colorado Democrats passed a 2024 law that expanded the Criminal Rape Shield Law to prohibit the admission of evidence of a victim’s clothing or the victim’s past sexual history with a defendant to prove consent. Previous Next

< Back April 18, 2022 HOUSE PASSES TWO BILLS TO SAVE COLORADANS MONEY DENVER, CO – The House passed two bipartisan bills to save Coloradans money. HB22-1010, sponsored by Emily Sirota and Tonya Van Beber, would expand and increase the early childhood educator tax credit and help make childcare more affordable. HB22-1083, sponsored by Kerry Tipper and Janice Rich, would expand a Colorado homeless contribution income tax credit. “Together, we’re saving early child care workers money while making child care more affordable,” said Rep. Emily Sirota, D-Denver, sponsor of HB22-1010. “Child care centers across the state are struggling to hire and retain high-quality, talented workers and parents are left scrambling to find reliable child care options. This bill works to save child care providers money on their taxes and makes it easier for providers to enter the field which will help fill the gaps in the early childhood educator workforce.” “We’re saving Coloradans money and encouraging charitable donations to address our state’s homelessness crisis,” said Rep. Kerry Tipper, D-Lakewood, sponsor of HB22-1083. “Our bill expands a tax credit to Coloradans who donate to homelessness organizations and nonprofits. This tax credit will save Coloradans money and incentivize more donations toward finding permanent housing solutions for Coloradans experiencing homelessness.” HB22-1010 , passed the House by a vote of 47 to 14 and would increase and expand eligibility for the early childhood educator tax credit. The tax credit would help save early childhood educators money and encourage new providers to enter the field. Boosting the child care workforce will expand childcare options and ultimately lower the cost of childcare in Colorado. Child care providers are facing significant workforce challenges as workers leave the field for higher paying, less stressful jobs. HB22-1010 is part of the Colorado House Democrats’ first ten bills. HB22-1083 , passed the House by a vote of 54 to 8 and would expand a Colorado homeless contribution income tax credit. Specifically, this bill would expand a state income tax credit and make it available for all Coloradans that make monetary or in-kind contributions to promote temporary, emergency or transitional housing programs for homeless people. This bill works to save Coloradans money on charitable donations while combatting homelessness in Colorado. Previous Next