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The House State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs Committee today passed a bipartisan bill that would make state grant programs and tax credits more accessible. HB24-1287 passed unanimously by a vote of 8-0. < Back March 8, 2024 Bipartisan Rural Grant and Tax Credit Accessibility Bill Passes Committee DENVER, CO - The House State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs Committee today passed a bipartisan bill that would make state grant programs and tax credits more accessible. HB24-1287 passed unanimously by a vote of 8-0. “From workforce to wildfire mitigation, we’ve created numerous grant programs and tax credits with the basic benefits of being a Colorado resident which frequently are unknown and unused,” said Rep. Bob Marshall, D-Highlands Ranch. “Through this legislation, we’re making grant program and tax credit information more accessible to everyone, especially in our rural communities, so we can connect more Coloradans with these resources.” HB24-1287 , also sponsored by Representative Matt Soper, R-Delta, would require state-funded or state-administered grant and tax credit opportunities to be made publicly accessible on a website. The bill would also create the Grant Assistance to Rural Communities Program to assist rural Coloradans in finding and applying for grants and tax credits. Previous Next

SB24-188 fully funds K-12 public education and boosts per-pupil funding by nearly $420 < Back April 17, 2024 2024 School Finance Act Passes House Education Committee DENVER, CO – The House Education Committee today passed the 2024 School Finance Act to fully fund Colorado’s public schools and increase per pupil funding to record-levels. SB24-188, sponsored by Representatives Barbara McLachlan and Shannon Bird, sets funding levels for Colorado’s public school districts and fully eliminates the Budget Stabilization Factor (BSF), which has restricted funding for Colorado's K-12 public education funding for more than a decade. “This year’s School Finance Act is historic; not only does it fully eliminate the budget stabilization factor to fund our schools and increase per-pupil funding by nearly $420, it also streamlines support to our rural school districts,” said Rep. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango. “We’re committed to improving educational outcomes for each and every student, and recruiting, retaining and supporting the educators who make all the difference in the education our kids receive. I look forward to continuing our work to drive additional resources to small rural schools and those who serve students with the greatest needs.” “The 2024 School Finance Act pays off the budget stabilization factor, which means Colorado will be up-to-date with our constitutional requirements, and our school districts will benefit from more funding immediately,” said Rep. Shannon Bird, D-Westminster. “Together, we’re on a path forward to reduce class sizes, increase teacher pay and better support our students with disabilities. The 2024 School Finance Act highlights a record-breaking increase of nearly $420 per-pupil funding which brings the total per-pupil funding to more than $8,400. My passion for making a difference in my community began with the desire to fully fund our K-12 public schools, and this bill fulfills that promise and invests more to support every student in Colorado.” SB24-188 would raise the base level of per-pupil funding by nearly $420 to $8,496 per-pupil. This funding can be used to reduce class sizes, increase teacher pay and provide individualized support to help students learn. This year, the bill increases total funding for public schools by more than $500 million to 9.7 billion and completely buys down the Budget Stabilization Factor, a longstanding goal that will ensure Colorado students get the quality education they deserve. SB24-188 passed committee unanimously. Increased Funding for Rural Schools: Colorado’s small and large rural school districts often have a difficult time recruiting and maintaining a high-quality workforce needed to support Colorado students and school functions. The 2024 School Finance Act creates an ongoing funding stream for the very first time through a new funding factor, the “Rural Factor”, for small and large rural school districts. This eliminates rural school districts’ reliance on one-time funding, which makes it difficult for districts to plan ahead using multi-year budgets. Ninth Grade Success Program: This important program helps ninth grade students with the skills they need to successfully reach tenth grade on-track, on-time and with their peers. This year’s School Finance Act increases funding for this program by 60 percent (from five percent to eight percent) to support our students growth and educational trajectory. Support for Students Living with a Disability: To prepare each and every one of our students for a lifetime of success, the 2024 School Finance Act amends the definition of “concurrent enrollment” to include students in special education. This means students living with a disability and those who receive transition services on their Individualized Education Program (IEP) can access college-level courses for credit as well as some credential and apprenticeship programs to create stronger workforce pathways and opportunities. Previous Next

< Back May 31, 2019 GOV SIGNS BIPARTISAN COMPREHENSIVE SEXUAL EDUCATION LEGISLATION (May 31) – Gov. Polis signed 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 law does not require schools to teach sex education; however, existing law requires that if they do provide sex education, it must be comprehensive. The law 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 new law will teach 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 law 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, D-Thornton. “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.” 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. The bill was sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Nancy Todd, D-Aurora and Sen. Don Coram, R-Montrose. Previous Next

< Back February 2, 2023 Bill to Expand Employee-Owned Business Incentives Passes Committee DENVER, CO - The House Finance Committee today unanimously passed legislation that expands the Employee Ownership Tax Credit. The vote was 11-0. “Employee-owned business models promote higher wages, job security, and better benefit options for hard-working Coloradans,” said Rep. William Lindstedt, D-Broomfield. “The Employee Ownership Tax Credit is an innovative tool for business owners looking to sell or retire and helps address the affordability issues we’re facing in Colorado. This bill builds on the established program by expanding the credit to incentivize more businesses to stay in capable local hands in our communities.” In 2021, Colorado Democrats created a first-in-the-nation refundable income tax credit that incentivizes business owners to move towards employee-owned business models. It allows business owners that are looking to move on from the company to pass the business on to employees, allowing the business to stay within the community and giving hard-working Coloradans a stake in the company. HB23-1081 expands on the Employee Ownership Tax Credit by: Making partially employee-owned businesses eligible to help cover the costs associated with expanding employee ownership; Permitting new methods that businesses are using to transfer equity to employees; and Strengthening incentives for eligible businesses that are transitioning to employee ownership with existing resources. Previous Next

Governor Polis today signed a bipartisan bill to support child care facilities and save Colorado families money. HB23-1091, sponsored by Representative Cathy Kipp, would extend the child care contribution tax credit through 2027. < Back May 23, 2023 Gov. Polis Signs Bipartisan Bill to Make Child Care More Affordable and Accessible DENVER, CO - Governor Polis today signed a bipartisan bill to support child care facilities and save Colorado families money. HB23-1091, sponsored by Representative Cathy Kipp, would extend the child care contribution tax credit through 2027. “Quality child care is a significant investment for each family and a crucial factor in childhood development, leading to success later in life,” said Rep. Cathy Kipp, D-Fort Collins. “With this bill becoming law today, we’re supporting child care providers and facilities to make child care more affordable and accessible for hardworking Colorado families.” HB23-1091 , also sponsored by Republican Assistant Minority Leader Rose Pugliese, continues to encourage charitable contributions to uplift and support child care facilities in Colorado by saving Coloradans money. Specifically, this bill extends the Child Care Contribution tax credit through tax year 2027. The credit is available at 50% of the contribution amount up to $100,000 to Coloradans who make a monetary contribution to promote child care in Colorado. Tax credits are available to those who contribute to facilities, schools, or programs that provide child care, programs that train child care providers, and grant or loan programs for parents requiring financial assistance for child care purposes. Previous Next

< Back May 20, 2022 JOINT RELEASE: INCENTIVES FOR AFFORDABLE, INNOVATIVE HOMES SIGNED INTO LAW Legislation invests $40 million of federal pandemic relief dollars to construct new, affordable, innovative homes that will save people money, increase housing supply and create jobs Grand Junction, CO – Governor Jared Polis today signed legislation sponsored by Representative Kyle Mullica and Senator Jeff Bridges that will jumpstart construction of new, affordable homes to save Coloradans money on housing, increase the housing supply and create jobs. HB22-1282 was developed based on recommendations from the state’s Affordable Housing Task Force . “The legislation Governor Polis signed today will make housing more affordable in communities across our state and save people money on housing,” said Rep. Kyle Mullica, D-Thornton. “Nearly every community in our state is looking at how to reduce the cost of housing. This $40 million investment will attract and expand businesses that build high quality innovative homes that cost less. This will save families money on new homes, expand our supply of affordable homes, and create jobs all across Colorado.” “Hard working Colorado families deserve to have a home they can afford,” said Sen. Jeff Bridges, D-Greenwood Village. “But too many Coloradans are getting priced out of the neighborhoods where they work and currently live. This new law will create good-paying jobs while quickly increasing our housing stock with quality, affordable homes that will help drive down housing costs and get roofs over heads as quickly as possible. I am proud to champion this critical legislation as we continue fighting to make sure every Colorado family has a place they can afford to call home.” “This session, we made the largest investment in the state’s history to reduce the cost of housing, help develop more homes, and save families money,” said Rep. Dylan Roberts, D-Avon, Chair of the Affordable Housing Transformational Task Force . “I’m proud Governor Polis signed HB22-1282, one of our Task Force recommendations, today to boost the construction of affordable, innovative homes, which will be manufactured right here in Colorado, create jobs, and support rural economies all while significantly increasing our supply of affordable homes.” HB22-1282 deploys $40 million to attract, encourage and support the construction of innovative forms of affordable housing to be built all across Colorado. Examples include modular, pre-fabricated, manufactured and other innovative forms of housing. The funding could be used to build or expand factories, hire additional workers, and expand manufacturers’ ability to produce and construct innovative homes. This will quickly boost the affordable housing stock in communities that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, as well as increase the rate of homeownership in communities that have traditionally lacked access to this important wealth-building tool. The legislation will also create jobs by incentivizing new innovative housing companies to manufacture and place their homes in Colorado. Additionally, HB22-1282 will expand Colorado’s workforce by helping current housing manufacturing companies expand their capacity, operations and number of employees to meet affordable housing demands. Previous Next

Laws aim to help address the behavioral health crisis, help more Coloradans with mental health conditions and substance use disorders access treatment < Back July 1, 2022 JOINT RELEASE: NEW LAWS TO BOLSTER COLORADO’S BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE, HELP STREAMLINE VITAL SERVICES GO INTO EFFECT Laws aim to help address the behavioral health crisis, help more Coloradans with mental health conditions and substance use disorders access treatment DENVER, CO – Today, two laws signed by Governor Jared Polis to help transform Colorado’s behavioral health system officially went into effect. HB22-1278 , sponsored by Senator Pete Lee, D-Colorado Springs, and Representative Mary Young, D-Greeley, will help increase and streamline access to behavioral health services through the Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) for individuals with mental health conditions and substance use disorders “Our law uplifts Colorado’s new Behavioral Health Administration, to make mental health care and substance use disorder treatment less expensive and easier to access,” said Young. “The pandemic has only exacerbated the long-standing challenges Coloradans’ have faced when trying to find the behavioral health care they need. The BHA works to streamline behavioral health care so Coloradans seeking care can find and receive high-quality treatment.” “Coloradans deserve easy access to the behavioral health care they need to maintain their health and well-being, but far too many folks are left with limited or no options for help,” said Lee . “Accessing our behavioral health system can be complex and difficult. The Behavioral Health Administration will help streamline services for people with mental health conditions and substance use disorders. With this law, we will be able to ensure accessible, equitable and high quality care for all.” HB22-1278 establishes a comprehensive, accountable behavioral health safety net system available in every region of Colorado. This includes over 15 different critical behavioral health services including substance use treatment, crisis services, criminal justice diversion, trauma informed care, youth services, and more. Another new law, championed by Senator Jeff Bridges, D-Greenwood Village, and Representative Lisa Cutter, D-Jefferson County, also went into effect today. SB22-181 directs the BHA to invest $72 million to bolster and stabilize the state’s behavioral health care workforce, which will help more Coloradans access the critical care they need to thrive. “If we want to achieve our goal of transforming Colorado’s behavioral health system, then we need a robust workforce to help us do it,” said Bridges . “This new law is a significant investment that will expand our behavioral health workforce and allow us to address our workforce shortage, better meet the needs of patients, and improve patient outcomes.” “This year, we worked to address the most pressing issues in our community. In Colorado, too many people are struggling to access or pay for the behavioral health care they need to thrive,” said Cutter . “This law is part of the total $450 million investment of federal funds to help us meet this challenge by boosting our health care workforce and recruiting and retaining the providers Colorado needs. It will also create new pathways for people entering mental health professions and save providers money as they pursue their education and go through the credentialing process.” The BHA’s workforce plan must include efforts to diversify the behavioral health workforce, expand the peer support professional workforce, reduce the administrative burden on providers, and support the existing workforce. The law also provides funding to the community college system to build a robust career pathway for the behavioral health field. SB22-181 was developed based on recommendations from the state’s Behavioral Health Transformational Task Force . Previous Next

< Back March 7, 2019 HOUSE COMMITTEE PASSES LOCAL WAGE OPTION LEGISLATION Growth in worker wages spurs consumer spending & a healthier economy (Mar 6) – The House Transportation and Local Government committee approved a bill sponsored by Rep. Rochelle Galindo, D-Greeley, and Rep. Jovan Melton, D-Aurora, to provide local governments the option to raise the minimum wage within their jurisdictions. “We are giving the power to set the local minimum wage to our municipalities and counties,” said Rep. Galindo. “Our state is so diverse and what works for Denver is not necessarily going to work for Greeley or Trinidad. The Local Wage Option is a tool that can help Colorado’s workers and communities thrive.” HB19-1210 would allow local governments to adjust their minimum wage up to more effectively address the local cost of living, rather than have to adhere to a statewide standard in a state where local real estate markets and health care costs vary dramatically. “Colorado is a very big, diverse state and economic situations can be very different in different areas of the state. One size does not fit all when it comes to addressing the needs of every Coloradan,” said Rep. Melton. “ This is really about allowing local communities to decide what is best for them.” The bill would allow counties and cities to increase the minimum wage in their localities beyond the state minimum wage, currently set at $11.10 an hour. Research shows that wage growth spurs consumer spending and a healthier economy and that concerns of potential negative impacts to businesses or jobs are not borne out in the data on this issue. Denver City Mayor Michael Hancock and Summit County Commissioner Thomas Davidson testified in support of this bill. The bill, which can be found here , passed committee with a vote of 6-5. It now heads to the House floor. Previous Next

< Back December 10, 2020 HOOTON AND A. VALDEZ APPOINTED TO CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE DENVER, CO — Speaker-designate Alec Garnett today announced his appointment of Reps. Edie Hooton and Alex Valdez to the Capital Development Committee (CDC). Rep. Hooton will serve as the senior member on the Committee. “Rep. Edie Hooton is a committed lawmaker and consensus builder who I’m sure will take on the work of the CDC with her signature grace and dedication,” said Speaker-designate Alec Garnett, D-Denver. “She’ll be joined by returning CDC member Alex Valdez, whose tenacity and private sector experience have made him an invaluable asset to the committee. I’m so proud of these two members and look forward to watching them deliver for the people of Colorado.” “It’s an honor to take on this new and important role,” said Rep. Hooton, D-Boulder. “The CDC stewards some of Colorado’s most important investments for our institutions of higher education and our state agencies, and I’ll work hard to ensure they are responsibly managed and cared for.” “I’m excited to resume my work on the Capital Development Committee next session,” said Rep. Valdez, D-Denver. “A careful and thorough review of our capital projects will allow us to make solid recommendations to the Joint Budget Committee and build back a more just economy for all. Let’s get to work!” The Capital Development Committee (CDC) is a statutory committee responsible for reviewing funding requests for capital projects from all state agencies, and making prioritized recommendations to the Joint Budget Committee. Rep. Hooton will be serving her third term in the state legislature, where she has served as the Vice Chair of the House Energy and Environment Committee and on the Transportation and Local Government Committee. She has also served as the Co-Caucus Chair for the House Majority Caucus. Rep. Hooton represents District 10, which includes parts of Boulder County. Rep. Alex Valdez is serving in his second term. In addition to serving on the CDC, Rep. Valdez has also served on the Energy & Environment and Transportation & Local Government committees. He represents House District 5, which includes parts of Denver. Previous Next

< Back April 23, 2019 HOUSE GIVES PRELIMINARY APPROVAL TO BILL TO HELP COLORADO WORKERS Just Transition’ bill would ensure state studies and prepares for future (Apr. 22) – The House gave preliminary approval to Speaker KC Becker and Rep. Rochelle Galindo’s bill to create the Just Transition Office within the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment to support the livelihood of coal transition workers, their families and their communities, and to help provide these workers access to training and job opportunities. “The time to take action on climate is now, but we cannot work towards a clean energy economy without also working on solutions to support workers who are affected by this transition,” said Speaker Becker, D-Boulder. “Workers and communities whose livelihoods are threatened by shifting economic tides and advancements in technology need support. We can support these communities in this transition and that’s the intention of this bill.” Due to market forces, Colorado’s power sector is transitioning toward renewable energy resources and natural gas. This bill would help ensure communities and workers who are going to be impacted by this market driven transition away from coal won’t be left behind. The bill creates the Just Transition Office to provide critical benefits to workers who are laid off to help them get back up on their feet and award workforce and economic development grants to communities whose residents and local economies are disproportionately impacted by the decline of coal. “Weld County is a working class community and I come from a working class family. I’m a blue collar worker, so I understand the challenges of working people and the struggles they go through every single day to keep a roof over their head,” said Rep. Galindo, D-Greeley. “With this bill, we are looking out for workers whose livelihoods will be impacted by inevitable market shifts. We need to be responsive, cognizant and proactive – not reactive – for workers when addressing this market driven transition.” The bill was approved by a voice-vote. A recorded vote will take place at a later date. Previous Next

< Back March 25, 2021 BILLS TO HELP COLORADANS WITH DISABILITIES, CREATE NEW RIGHTS FOR ASSAULT SURVIVORS DENVER, CO– The House Judiciary Committee today passed legislation that will improve statewide protections for Coloradans with disabilities and create new rights for sexual assault survivors to have access to rape kit evidence. HB21-1110 , sponsored by Representative David Ortiz, would update Colorado’s disability laws to ensure they are as protective as the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. It would ensure that Coloradans with disabilities have equal access to all government services, including government-managed webpages. It would also prohibit state agencies from promulgating rules that are less protective than the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. It passed 11-0. “While the federal ADA was a critical start to equity in basic human rights and accessibility in Colorado, there’s more we can do to align our state’s anti-discrimination laws with federal protections for people with disabilities,” said Rep. David Ortiz, D-Littleton, the first Coloradan to serve in the General Assembly who uses a wheelchair. “Government websites are major access points for critical state services, and we know that Coloradans with significant disabilities are more likely to need these services. This bill will require government websites to be ADA-accessible because we know too many Coloradans have found it difficult to access state services online.” HB21-1143 , sponsored by Representatives Meg Froelich and Matt Soper, creates new rights for survivors of sexual assault. Under the bill, survivors would have the right to be notified when forensic medical evidence is submitted for testing, when law enforcement has received the results of the analysis, and 60 days prior to the destruction of the evidence. Survivors would also have the right to object to the destruction of the evidence, to be informed of whether a DNA sample was obtained from the analysis and matched to any DNA profiles in state or federal databases, and to receive physical documentation describing their rights under the law, as well as nearby resources, after the exam has been completed. The bill passed 10-0. “No survivor should ever have to find out that their case has been closed and the rape kit evidence destroyed without their input,” said Rep. Meg Froelich, D-Englewood. “The bill we advanced today will create important new rights for sexual assault survivors to preserve invaluable evidence, prevent lost rape kit evidence and advance justice.” Previous Next

< Back May 27, 2021 HOUSE DEBATES, ADVANCES BILL TO IMPROVE COLORADO ELECTIONS House Republicans debate existence of voter suppression, try to disenfranchise students and eligible voters DENVER, CO– The House today advanced legislation to improve Colorado’s gold standard elections system. “Colorado has the most secure election system in the country, and at the same time, we make it easy to vote, which has led to one of the highest voter turnout rates of any state,” said Rep. Susan Lontine, D-Denver . “One of the reasons for this is that we are always looking at how we can make our system better, and that’s what this bill does. As Republicans in the legislature try to eliminate our universal vote-by-mail ballot and push dangerous lies about the integrity of our elections, Democrats are committed to strengthening our system and making it easier for voters to navigate and ensure their voice is heard.” “Today, we’re taking action to make Colorado’s gold standard election system even better,” said Rep. Yadira Caraveo, D-Thornton. “This bill improves our dropboxes and expands prohibitions on partisan electioneering at our polling stations. It modernizes the voter registration system to make it easier for individuals to register and helps college students learn where and how they can vote. It’s great to see Colorado’s bipartisan county clerks come together to make recommendations for how we can make our elections more secure and more accessible.” SB21-250, sponsored by Representatives Susan Lontine and Yadira Caraveo, stems from the recommendations and findings of Colorado’s sixty-four county clerks, the Secretary of State, and other stakeholders. It makes clarifications, adjustments, and improvements to ensure Colorado’s election system remains the gold standard. The bill will improve access to drop boxes and Voter Service and Polling Centers, streamline Colorado’s voter registration system, and increase transparency in recall elections. Additionally, it clarifies and expands prohibitions on electioneering within 100 feet of a polling place in order to protect against partisan election interference. Specifically, the bill ensures that voters who are in dropbox lines at 7:00 PM are allowed to drop off their ballots, the same way voters who are in line by 7:00 PM at a voter service and polling center are able to cast a ballot. It also allows greater public input into the location of drop boxes. The bill clarifies what constitutes “electioneering” and ensures that voters may not be challenged for frivolous reasons unrelated to their eligibility. The bill modernizes the voter registration system to create a process for voters to register online with the last four digits of their social security numbers should they not have a driver’s license, requiring that information be matched and checked against the social security database in real time before proceeding to register the voter. The bill also requires institutions of higher education to provide information to enrolled students on their eligibility to vote and how to keep their address up to date so fewer ballots will be returned as undeliverable. Previous Next