HB26-1139 ensures patients’ continued access to healthcare provided by a human, licensed professional < Back June 3, 2026 JOINT RELEASE: ICYMI: Polis Signs Bill to Strengthen AI Guardrails in Healthcare DENVER, CO – Governor Jared Polis yesterday signed legislation to establish necessary requirements for artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. HB26-1139 will ensure a human oversight of critical insurance coverage determinations. “No matter your zip code or income level, you deserve human-centered health care,” said Rep. Junie Joseph, D-Boulder. “This important law establishes necessary requirements for the professional use of AI systems in health insurance coverage determinations. We are ensuring important decisions, especially denials, are not made solely based on group data. Technology is advancing rapidly, and we’re stepping up to safeguard Coloradans’ access to equitable health care determinations that reflect their individual circumstances.” "Coloradans are being denied coverage for life-saving healthcare by AI without human oversight. Healthcare is a deeply personal, subjective matter, and it is inhumane to allow machine intelligence to make decisions that can dramatically impact a person's life," said Sen. Lisa Cutter, D-Jefferson County. "HB26-1139 ensures that a real person is involved in these critical decisions." “Under our law, AI can be used to expedite approvals in health care coverage, but it cannot be used exclusively to deny coverage,” said Rep. Sheila Lieder, D-Littleton. “Health care is nuanced, and every patient deserves to have their case reviewed by a licensed human, professional. We’re stepping up to ensure AI is responsibly used to make health care decisions that keep Coloradans safe and healthy.” “Healthcare and coverage decisions should be made by patients and their doctors, not algorithms,” said Sen. Lindsey Daugherty, D-Arvada. “This new law is an important step toward ensuring fairness and transparency in important and sensitive healthcare contexts.” HB26-1139 will establish important requirements for entities using AI systems in insurance coverage decisions, to ensure transparency, accountability, and individualized determinations that are subject to human oversight. Under this law, if an AI system recommends denying coverage for a patient, the final decision must come from a qualified human after review. To protect patients against algorithmic bias, decisions to deny healthcare coverage must be based on an individual’s medical history and clinical circumstances, not solely on group data that falls short of an individual’s unique needs. Previous Next

< Back April 26, 2023 House Boosts Tax Credits and Refunds for Hardworking Coloradans by $150 Million DENVER, CO - The House today advanced legislation on a preliminary vote to put more money back into the pockets of hardworking Coloradans by expanding the state Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit. “This legislation will increase the Earned Income and Child Tax Credits and put $150 million back into the pockets of hardworking people,” said Rep. Shannon Bird, D-Westminster. “Coloradans deserve a tax code that boosts their incomes and helps them build a better future for themselves and their families, and that’s exactly what this legislation does. These tax credits are essential and have lifted Coloradans across the state out of poverty. This bill continues our work to save people money and ensure our tax code works for all Coloradans.” HB23-1112 would expand the state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC) and return nearly $150 million more to hardworking families. For tax year 2024, the Colorado EITC would increase from 25 percent to 40 percent of the federal EITC, a four fold increase from where it stood in 2020. A refundable tax credit available to certain families with children under the age of 6, the Colorado CTC would increase by 10 percent starting in tax year 2024, with the tax credit ranging from 20 to 70 percent of the federal CTC depending on marital status, number of qualifying children, and federal adjusted gross income. The federal Child Tax Credit has lifted over 57,000 Colorado kids out of poverty and helped over 630,000 families across the state, while the federal Earned Income Tax Credit has helped cut the national poverty rate in half . The bill builds on legislation passed by Colorado Democrats in recent years to make Colorado more affordable for working-class families. The General Assembly passed HB20-1420 and HB21-1311 , which at the time doubled the state's Earned Income Tax Credit and funded the Child Tax Credit, saving hundreds of thousands of Colorado families money. This session, Colorado Democrats passed HB23-1006 to require employers to provide information about federal and state earned income tax credits and child tax credits to their employees, spreading awareness to Colorado families that qualify for these tax credits to save them thousands of dollars. Previous Next

< Back January 14, 2019 BENAVIDEZ ELECTED HOUSE CO-WHIP (Jan.14) – Following the recent vacancy from Sen. Jeff Bridges who also served as House co-whip, an election was held today to elect a new co-whip for the House Democrats. Rep. Adrienne Benavidez, D-Adams County, was unanimously elected by her Democratic House colleagues to serve as co-whip alongside Rep. James Coleman, D-Denver. “I’d like to thank my colleagues for their support and I look forward to working with co-whip Rep. Coleman on behalf of the members of the Democratic caucus,” said Rep. Benavidez. “We are focused on lowering the cost of health care, investing in education and expanding opportunity for people across our state.” Rep. Benavidez serves on the House Judiciary and Finance committee. Rep. Adrienne Benavidez represents House District 32, which includes Commerce City and parts of unincorporated Adams County. This is her second term serving in the state legislature. Previous Next

< Back April 11, 2019 HOUSE COMMITTEE UNANIMOUSLY APPROVES ROBERTS-MCCLUSKIE BILL TO HELP LOWER THE COST OF HEALTH CARE (Apr. 11) – This morning, the House Rural Affairs and Agriculture committee unanimously approved a bill address the high costs of healthcare in Colorado. The bill is sponsored by Western Slope Representatives Dylan Roberts, D-Avon, and. Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon. SB19-004 will strengthen Colorado’s laws to allow healthcare cooperatives to incorporate consumer protections like coverage for preexisting conditions. It will also allow the State Insurance Commissioner to work with groups seeking to create co-ops so that they can get their co-op up and running as soon as possible. The bipartisan bill will help lower healthcare costs by encouraging consumers to negotiate rates on a collective basis directly with providers and offer plans to individuals, business, and other groups that are more affordable than what currently exists on the market. “A key part of lowering the cost of health care will be the formation of health insurance co-ops across the state where consumers collectively negotiate rates directly with providers,” said Rep. Roberts. “This bill will authorize the formation of these co-ops across the state which could result in plans that are significantly cheaper than those available today.” “In the absence of federal solutions to the health care crisis we face, Colorado communities are finding creative, innovative approaches to making health care more accessible. Health care co-ops can be one more viable option to provide relief,” said Rep. McCluskie. “I’m proud of the bipartisan bills we’ve worked to pass this session to help provide solutions to health care challenges hardworking families face every day.” Senator Kerry Donovan, D-Vail, is the Senate sponsor of the bill. The Senate approved the bill on a bipartisan vote of 34-to-1 earlier this month. SB19-004 now goes to the House floor. Previous Next

SB25-129 would strengthen Colorado's shield laws to protect patients and providers from hostile out-of-state action < Back March 19, 2025 Bill to Strengthen Reproductive Health Care Protections Passes Committee DENVER, CO – The House Judiciary Committee today passed legislation to strengthen Colorado’s shield law to protect patients and providers from out-of-state attacks on accessible reproductive health care. SB25-129 passed by a vote of 7-4. “Now’s the time to fight back against sweeping civil restrictions, out-of-state interference, and Trump administration threats to restrict abortion and health care for LGBTQ+ Coloradans,” said Rep. Karen McCormick, D-Longmont. “Our bill expands Colorado’s shield laws to include telehealth and prescription label privacy. As attacks on reproductive rights ripple throughout our nation, we must strengthen Colorado's ability to fight back against hostile attacks on your right to an abortion, whether you’re a resident or not.” “By fortifying our shield laws, we reaffirm Colorado’s position as a sanctuary for safe, legal, and protected reproductive and gender-affirming health care,” said Rep. Junie Joseph, D-Boulder. “Our state stands resolute, with no obligation to comply with hostile investigations. This bill embodies Colorado’s unwavering commitment to bodily autonomy, firmly opposing out-of-state attempts to erode these fundamental human rights. As access to reproductive and gender-affirming health care faces relentless attacks nationwide, we must act decisively to preserve these essential freedoms in Colorado.” SB25-129 protects providers by allowing a practitioner to request to have their name excluded from a medication abortion label, and instead, list the prescribing health-care practice. The bill would also prohibit Colorado entities, or a person or entity licensed or regulated by the state from cooperating with hostile out-of-state investigations related to legally protected health care. Additionally, the bill would enhance privacy protections for patients by placing restrictions on health data collecting and published reports published by the Office of the State Registrar. Colorado Democrats passed SB23-188 to establish a shield law to protect those receiving, providing or assisting with reproductive or gender-affirming care from criminal prosecutions. Given recent legal action surrounding out-of-state abortion access, this bill aims to fight back against hostile attacks to keep patients and providers safe while accessing legal health care. Previous Next

< Back May 6, 2022 HOUSE PASSES PROPERTY TAX RELIEF Proposal will save the average homeowner $274 on property taxes DENVER, CO – The House today unanimously passed legislation to lower property taxes, save the average homeowner $274 and prevent many small business owners from seeing their property taxes go up at all. “From sending every taxpayer an early $400 or $800 refund check to lowering the cost of housing, health care and prescription drugs, we’ve been hard at work saving Coloradans money everywhere we can,” said Rep. Mike Weissman, D-Aurora. “The legislation we passed today will prevent tax increases on many small businesses. It builds on our earlier work to lower property taxes for homeowners and businesses and will save the average homeowner $274 on their property taxes.” “I’m excited to sponsor a bill for a $700 million property tax decrease and a net overall tax decrease of $500 million,” said Rep. Patrick Neville, R-Castle Rock. “Rising property values bring a price tag of higher property taxes. I dislike taxes in general, but property taxes are the worst kind of tax. Lowering property taxes will help with the inflationary pressures families are experiencing and is much needed in Colorado.” SB22-238 , sponsored by Representatives Mike Weissman and Patrick Neville, will provide $700 million in property tax relief over two years for homeowners and businesses, helping save families money on housing and cutting costs for businesses statewide. The bill allocates $500 million in 2023 to reduce the residential property from 6.95 percent to 6.76 percent and the nonresidential property tax rate from 29 percent to 27.9 percent. The bill also reduces the taxable value for residential properties by $15,000 and commercial properties by $30,000. The bill provides these savings while mitigating the impact to schools and local governments from the reduction in revenue. Further, SB22-238 provides an additional $200 million in 2024 to extend the property tax relief enacted last year by SB21-293. These savings will reduce property taxes for homeowners by an average of $274 in 2023 on a $500,000 home, and will provide significant savings for every business in the state. The House also unanimously passed HB22-1416 , sponsored by Majority Leader Daneya Esgar and Representative Neville. The bill reforms the property tax assessment process. The bill would provide taxpayers with more information about their valuations and a longer period of time to appeal their values. “By reforming the property tax assessment process, we’ll protect homeowners and business owners and make it easier for people to appeal valuation decisions that impact how much they have to pay,” said Majority Leader Daneya Esgar, D–Pueblo. “This bipartisan legislation will make the property tax assessment process more fair and transparent to ensure property owners can address errors that can cost them money.” Under the bill, the timeline to appeal property values would be extended by one week. It requires county assessors to provide property owners an estimate of their tax liability as well as information about how they can protest their assessed property values. Property owners would have the opportunity to fast track their appeal if the assessor is provided all the necessary information. Additionally, the bill would require property tax administrators to publish the assessors’ handbook, which includes appraisals procedures, and allow for public comment and review on the handbook and proposed changes. For commercial properties, the bill improves transparency in how they are valued by requiring the notice of valuation to notify property owners that they can obtain details from their assessor about how their property was valued. Previous Next

After a long-fought scrimmage that embroiled lawmakers, their states, and two Presidential Administrations, the US Air Force will permanently base Space Command in Colorado Springs. The reversal of former President Donald Trump’s decision to move Space Command out of our state speaks to Senator John Hickenlooper’s leadership throughout the basing decision process and, ultimately, the current Administration’s decision to put national security before politics. < Back Rep. Marc Snyder: Keeping Space Command in Colorado Good for National Security Nov 1, 2023 See more This op-ed was originally posted in the Gazette After a long-fought scrimmage that embroiled lawmakers, their states, and two Presidential Administrations, the US Air Force will permanently base Space Command in Colorado Springs. The reversal of former President Donald Trump’s decision to move Space Command out of our state speaks to Senator John Hickenlooper’s leadership throughout the basing decision process and, ultimately, the current Administration’s decision to put national security before politics. In early 2021, the Trump administration announced Space Command would be re-headquartered thousands of miles away from its preliminary headquarters in Colorado Springs to Huntsville, Alabama. Proponents of keeping Space Command in Colorado have argued that the move of a defense base of this gravity would have taken over a decade to complete and shipped off thousands of high-ranking military officials and jobs. It also cast doubt on the integrity of the Pentagon’s basing process and jeopardized our military readiness at a time when space is increasingly important to our national security. Senator Hickenlooper has long emphasized that the basing decision should center on operational readiness, not politics. Yet despite clear evidence that keeping the base in Colorado would help us reach readiness quicker, partisan politics got in the way, and their indifference to choosing the best option for our country was on full display. This is precisely what Alabama lawmakers did when one blocked the Department of Defense from routinely reallocating funds as a part of a political battle to secure a favorable outcome for Alabama. Senator Hickenlooper rightly highlighted this misuse of political power to regulate defense spending, stating that this action penalized troops for political interests. He also called out the lawmakers for intertwining special interests and blowing smoke to force a decision. In the end, President Biden ultimately sided with the evidence and decided that the Peterson Space Force in Colorado Springs was the best location for Space Command. The straw that broke the camel’s back was the objective analysis from General James Dickinson, who argued that moving the headquarters would threaten our military readiness, which would far outweigh any minor benefits of moving to Alabama. Although this decision was made based on preparedness, not political gains, one would be remiss to overlook the economic benefits of keeping Space Command in Colorado Springs. The governor’s office estimated that over 274,000 people in Colorado are employed in national security aerospace, and the state leads the nation in private aerospace employment per capita. This decision preserves the nearly 1,400 jobs and $1 billion annual economic impact reliant directly on Space Command’s base in Colorado Springs. That’s a huge impact on our city’s and our state’s economy. Leaders in the business community have applauded the decision, stating that keeping the headquarters in our state will protect our jobs, continue to boost the economy, and not displace Space Command’s military and civilian workforce and their families. During a fraught geopolitical moment in history – one in which China and Russia have proven their aerospace capabilities – our lawmakers should know better than to pit party politics against national security decisions. Using political tools to control national defense spending to further political interests is not how lawmakers should legislate nor how government should be run. Thankfully, Colorado’s senators recognize that their job is to always put the well-being and safety of the general public first, and they fought hard to ensure US Space Command kept its home in our state. Previous Next

HB25-1320 will drive $256 million more to Colorado’s K-12 public schools for the 2025-26 school year < Back April 7, 2025 2025 School Finance Act Passes Committee DENVER, CO – The House Education Committee today passed the 2025 School Finance Act to implement the new school funding formula and sustainably drive more funding to Colorado’s K-12 public schools. “This year’s School Finance Act delivers for our K-12 public schools – it drives $256 million more to school districts compared to last year, while creating a sustainable funding model for our schools,” said Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon . “Under this bill, the vast majority of districts will receive additional funding despite nearly universal declining enrollment, and no district will drop below the amount of funding they received this school year. Our students deserve a school finance formula that focuses on them, and that’s what we’ll deliver.” “From eliminating the budget stabilization factor to driving more funding than ever before to Colorado’s public schools, we’re committed to investing in public education,” said Rep. Meghan Lukens, D-Steamboat Springs . “As a teacher, I know how important adequate school funding and reducing classroom sizes are to creating an environment where students thrive. This year’s School Finance Act invests $256 million more in Colorado’s public schools than last year and increases funding by $380 on average per student. I’m incredibly proud to sponsor this bill that will increase funding for our public schools and drive funding to the students who need it the most.” Colorado lawmakers have worked diligently to drive record-breaking funding to Colorado’s K-12 public schools. Since 2019 when voters gave Democrats the trifecta, total funding for schools has increased by over $3 billion while Colorado schools have lost tens of thousands of students in that time, even after accounting for increased student counts from full day kindergarten. Since the 2018-2019 school year, average per pupil funding has increased from $8,123 to $11,852 next year. The 2025 School Finance Act ( HB25-1320 ) passed committee by a vote of 13-0. This bill would drive $256.7 million more to Colorado’s public schools than last school year, bringing the 2025-26 school funding total to a record $10.35 billion despite Colorado facing a declining student enrollment environment. HB25-1320 acknowledges unique challenges for rural and remote districts, increases education funding to keep up with inflation and prioritizes sustainable funding for years to come. In last year’s School Finance Act , lawmakers delivered on their promise to pay off the Budget Stabilization Factor. At the same time, HB24-1448 modernized the school funding formula used to determine the total program funding for Colorado’s K-12 public school districts for the first time in 30 years. This legislation created a more student-centered formula designed to drive more resources to rural and underserved districts, as well as students living with a disability, at-risk students and English Language Learners (ELLs). For the 2025-2026 school year, HB25-1320 will: Provide $82.5 million more for public schools next year than the old formula and five-year averaging would have. Increase per pupil funding by $400, bringing the total per pupil funding to $11,852. Ensure that 157 of 178 districts will see an average 2.9 percent increase in funding, while the remaining 21 districts with significantly declining enrollment are held harmless. HB25-1320 will implement the new school funding formula at 15-percent per year for six years, and then 10-percent for the final seventh year of implementation, while still maintaining the four-year averaging model for the 2025-26 school year. To help stabilize school funding in a declining enrollment environment, the bill includes a three-year averaging model in 2026-27 if the new funding formula is implemented at 30 percent, otherwise it will remain at four-years. Given the tight budget conditions, largely driven by increased Medicaid costs, Colorado lawmakers have had to address a $1.2 billion shortfall in the state budget. However, HB25-1320 is designed to give the legislature the flexibility to continue increasing school funding while adapting to changing budget realities. To maintain the financial health of the State Education Fund (SEF), HB25-1320 provides the flexibility to adjust the percentage of the formula implemented each year or the averaging components of the formula to ensure a healthy reserve in the fund’s balance. Previous Next

< Back April 29, 2019 HOUSE APPROVES EXPANSION OF RURAL BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE House Democrats have long been working to expand rural broadband access (Apr. 29) – The House approved Rep. Dylan Roberts’ bill to expand the broadband infrastructure in Colorado, especially in rural areas. In parts of rural Colorado, broadband services are inadequate and in some instances nonexistent. “Access to the internet is an indispensable part of our lives and it’s important we create equity between the rural and urban areas,” said Rep. Roberts, D-Avon. “Improving broadband infrastructure will help close the digital divide in communities from the Eastern Plains to the Western Slope. We can save millions of dollars on new infrastructure if we allow electrical easement holders to deliver internet services to communities through already-existing transmission corridors. That’s what this bill allows.” Rep. Roberts is the Chair of the Rural Affairs and Agriculture committee and the Capital Development committee. This bill allows electrical easement holders to lease existing fiber resources on these easements for the purpose of delivering broadband internet services to communities. It will allow the utilization of dark fiber by providers to connect areas without having to spend money on costly new infrastructure or easement negotiation. Similar legislation has been passed in Indiana, Missouri and Tennessee. SB19-107 passed the Senate on a 35-0 vote and passed the House today with a bipartisan vote of 62-2. It now heads back to the Senate for approval of amendments. The Senate co-prime sponsor is Sen. Kerry Donovan, D-Vail. Previous Next

< Back April 11, 2019 HOUSE COMMITTEE APPROVES ROBERTS-JACKSON STUDENT LOAN SERVICER ACCOUNTABILITY BILL Coloradans issued over 1000 complaints against loan services in 2017 (Apr. 11) — The House Education committee approved a bill sponsored by Rep. Dylan Roberts, D-Avon, and Rep. Dominique Jackson, D-Aurora, that would help prevent fraud and misconduct, and improve transparency on student loan servicers. “In passing this bill we can ensure borrowers are not steered away from the best borrowing option for them and are not the victims of deception,” said Rep. Roberts. “This is one of the most pressing issues for my generation and people my age are growing frustrated with the inaction of their elected leaders on this issue. Student debt in Colorado has ballooned from $19 billion to over $27 billion in just three years – we can no longer wait to act. This is a crucial step that we can take for generations and generations to come and help borrowers repay their loans as quickly as possible.” This bill would include student loan servicers in the Uniform Consumer Credit Code to establish licensing requirements for these service providers. It also empowers the Colorado Attorney General’s office to field, review, and attempt to resolve any complaints by borrowers against service providers. “I put myself through undergraduate school and a very expensive graduate program. I took out a lot of student loans,” said Rep. Jackson told the committee. “It’s not just my colleagues’ generation, it’s mine too. I don’t get to retire because I have this debt and I feel like I will die with this student loan debt.” In 2017, Coloradans issue over 1000 complaints against loan service providers. That is a 78 percent increase compared to previous years, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. SB19-002 passed the committee on a vote of 8-5 with every House Republican voting to leave student loan borrowers unprotected from fraud and misconduct. The bill now heads to the House Finance committee. The Senate approved the bill on a vote of 27-8 in March. The Senate sponsors are Sen. Faith Winter and Sen. Steve Fenberg. Previous Next

Governor Jared Polis today signed legislation to save consumers money and combat electronic waste. < Back May 28, 2024 Signed! Right to Repair Electronic Equipment DENVER, CO – Governor Jared Polis today signed legislation to save consumers money and combat electronic waste. HB24-1121, sponsored by Representative Brianna Titone and Steven Woodrow and Senators Jeff Bridges and Nick Hinrichsen, 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 new law will give consumers more options 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.” “Accidents happen, people drop their phones and break their screens every day, but because of ‘parts pairing’ and repair restrictions, owners aren’t allowed to fix their devices,” said Senator Jeff Bridges, D-Arapahoe County . “Colorado has led the nation in expanding right to repair laws, from agricultural equipment to wheelchairs to now electronics. This legislation is good for consumers, small businesses, and our economy.” “Consumers should have the right to fix their stuff—computers and cell phones included,” said Rep. Steven Woodrow, D-Denver . “This law strengthens our state’s right to repair laws so that consumers can access the tools and tech they need. This law saves Coloradans money while reducing waste and pollution.” “Manufacturer-imposed repair restrictions affect a wide variety of products from tractors to cell phones, resulting in surging costs, monopolistic business practices, and thousands of electronic devices thrown out every day,” said Senator Nick Hinrichsen, D-Pueblo. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: if you can’t repair something that’s yours, do you really own it? I would argue no, which is why this legislation is so important. Right to repair laws are essential for empowering consumers and ensuring a fair market.” HB24-1121 will 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. Under this law, OEMs can charge a fee for physical tools but software tools must be made available free of charge for the consumer. This law 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

< Back April 13, 2022 HOUSE COMMITTEE APPROVES BILL TO SUPPORT NONPROFITS Legislation would distribute $35 million from the transformative Economic Recovery and Relief Funds to support nonprofits serving communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic DENVER, CO – The House Transportation & Local Government Committee today passed a bill that would boost funding for community-based nonprofit social service organizations, specifically those that provide critical support to communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. “During the pandemic, our nonprofits went above and beyond to provide necessary resources and services to their communities, it’s time they receive extra support,” said Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver. “This bill directs $35 million in pandemic recovery funds to our nonprofits so they can continue to positively impact our neighbors and build stronger communities. We’re thankful for our nonprofits and we’re proud to provide them with support to keep their doors open and serve our communities in need.” “Nonprofits are at the heart of nearly every community, but many of them are struggling to stay afloat,” said Rep. Edie Hooton, D-Boulder. “Our legislation invests in local nonprofits, many of which stepped up to provide food service, youth resources and COVID emergency information, during the pandemic. When the world came to a halt, Colorado’s nonprofits worked tirelessly to meet the needs of their community and I’m proud to sponsor legislation that supports their efforts.” HB22-1356 , sponsored by Representatives Leslie Herod and Edie Hooton, will provide $35 million in federal pandemic relief funds to nonprofit social service organizations that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Small community-based nonprofits have played an important role in delivering critical services to families and communities that were directly impacted by the pandemic. These organizations continue to fill critical gaps, but face significant challenges as they respond to longstanding community needs that were only exacerbated by the pandemic. HB22-1356 passed committee by a vote of 10-3. Financial constraints often limit these organizations’ ability to serve additional Coloradans and those constraints are more challenging under recent economic conditions. The grants are designed to support small community-based nonprofits that largely serve individuals who were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and experienced significant financial pressures. Eligible entities will be able to apply for grants as large as $100,000 to expand program capacity, foster professional development for employees or engage in strategic planning to grow their organization and maximize the use of funds. During the 2021 legislative session, the General Assembly set aside $700 million in federal pandemic relief funds to use for economic recovery and relief initiatives in the years ahead. This legislation uses $35 million of this funding to support essential organizations that are doing critical work in Colorado communities to help families recover from the pandemic. Previous Next