< Back May 29, 2019 MCLACHLAN’S BIPARTISAN BILL TO HELP EDUCATORS WITH STUDENT LOAN DEBT SIGNED BY GOV New law to help address rural teacher shortage (May 29) – Rep. Barbara McLachlan’s bill to help teachers drowning in student loan debt while also addressing the rural teacher shortage was signed by Gov. Polis today at the state capitol. “We have thousands of vacant educator positions and this new law will offer a solution to that crisis. Students and hardworking families in Colorado’s rural, urban, suburban communities will be better served by this law and our educators will be better off,” said Rep. McLachlan, D-Durango, a former teacher and chair of the House Education committee. SB19-003 is a bipartisan bill that would award up to $5,000 of qualified educational loans for up to five years for teachers and educators employed in qualified positions under the program and targets teachers and rural or other hard-to-fill locations or content areas. The bill also alters the teacher loan forgiveness program, renaming it the educator loan forgiveness program and revises the eligibility criteria for the program. Contributing to a dire shortage of educators in many Colorado communities are a lack of access to affordable housing in rural communities, salaries that are below state or national averages, coupled with sky-rocketing student loan debt and fewer people choosing to enter the profession. #### Previous Next

< Back February 8, 2019 REP. LISA CUTTER’S MEDIA LITERACY BILL CLEARS COMMITTEE Bill will help invest in the next generation of Coloradans (Feb. 7) – The House Education Committee approved a bill sponsored by Representative Lisa Cutter, D-Jefferson County that creates a media literacy advisory committee within the Department of Education. It’s important for Colorado students become more educated about the media and the role it plays in our society “Our kids are immersed in media with an increasing degree of intensity and frequency. A healthy society is dependent on people being educated and informed, so it’s critical that we help them develop the tools to make sense of the information they are taking in,” said Rep. Cutter. “The goal of this bill is to ultimately provide educators with the tools necessary to help our youth better understand the world around them and be equipped to navigate it more effectively.” This effort will help enrich Colorado’s students and their overall learning experience. The bill creates a media literacy advisory committee within the state Department of Education that is responsible for studying media literacy, including best practices and available resources, and then reporting back with recommendations for the House and Senate Education Committees. Cutter hopes to sponsor legislation in the future using these recommendations to implement media literacy studies in elementary and secondary education. The Associated Press and Colorado Press Association testified in support of this bill, among others. A recent academic study shows that 82 percent of middle school students could not distinguish the difference between real news stories and advertisements. HB19-1110 passed on a bipartisan vote of 8-5 and now heads to the House Appropriations committee. Previous Next

< Back May 4, 2022 WILDFIRE AND DISASTER PREPAREDNESS BILLS PASS COMMITTEE Legislation directs funding toward creating the Office of Climate Preparedness and a wildfire investigation fund for local fire departments DENVER, CO – The House Health State, Civic, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee today passed two bills to build a safer Colorado. SB22-206 would create the Office of Climate Preparedness and two new programs to improve Colorado’s disaster recovery efforts and prevention plans. SB22-280 would provide more resources to local fire departments to investigate and prevent wildfires. “The rise in wildfire destruction and displacement is very real, and we must be prepared for future natural disasters,” said Rep. Judy Amabile, B-Boulder, sponsor of SB22-206 . “Our bill creates the Office of Climate Preparedness to help Colorado coordinate emergency response efforts, mitigate damage caused by natural disasters and connect Coloradans to the services they need after a disaster. This bill is forward-thinking and a smart investment toward building a safer Colorado and helping our neighbors rebuild after a disaster.” “Wildfires in Colorado are a growing concern for Coloradans across the state and our local fire departments need more resources to investigate the cause behind these wildfires,” said Rep. Dylan Roberts, D-Avon, sponsor of SB22-280. “My bill creates a fire investigation fund specially designed to aid local fire departments in investigating, mitigating and preventing wildfires. Keeping Coloradans safe from wildfire begins with prevention, and our bill makes it easier for local departments to learn from past wildfires to better prevent future ones.” Disaster Preparedness And Recovery Resources: SB22-206 , sponsored by Representative Judy Amabile, passed committee by a vote of 7-3. This bill would establish two programs to help communities recover and rebuild following disasters. $15 million would go to the Disaster Resilience Rebuilding Program to provide loans and grants to homeowners, businesses, and local governments rebuilding after a disaster emergency. The bill also allocates $20 million to the Disaster Recovery and Resilience Program to provide loans and grants to homeowners, businesses, and local governments to cover costs related to rebuilding more resilient and energy efficient homes and structures. The bill also transfers $15 million to the Colorado Firefighting Air Corps Fund to lease wildfire fighting aviation resources and to establish and maintain a statewide dispatch center to ensure rapid response of fire mitigation resources. Finally, the bill creates the Office of Climate Preparedness in the Governor’s office, tasked with coordinating disaster recovery efforts to better respond to natural disaster emergencies and developing a climate preparedness roadmap to ensure Colorado is better prepared for future climate-induced disasters. Wildland Fire Investigations: SB22-080 , sponsored by Representative Dylan Roberts passed committee by a vote of 9-0. This bill would create the Fire Origin and Cause Investigation Fund to help local fire departments investigate and collect data about the cause of wildland fires. Under this bill, local fire departments and the Colorado Department of Public Safety (DPS) can utilize collected data to more effectively prevent and mitigate future wildfires. Representative Robert’s bill aims to build a safer Colorado by investigating wildfires and utilizing data to prevent future wildfires. Previous Next

The House today passed two bills to protect Colorado’s public lands < Back April 30, 2025 Bills to Protect Colorado’s Public Lands Pass House DENVER, CO – The House today passed two bills to protect Colorado’s public lands. HB25-1332 would improve conservation and stewardship of public lands. HB25-1292 would preserve habitats by reducing the environmental impact of essential infrastructure. "Expanding our electric transmission infrastructure is one of the most important actions to successfully transition to a clean and vibrant carbon-neutral economy,” said Rep. Andy Boesenecker, D-Fort Collins, sponsor of HB25-1292. “This bill makes sure that Colorado can meet the need for new and upgraded electric transmission lines while protecting habitats and wildlife.” “Colorado’s clean energy future depends on modern, efficient infrastructure,” said Rep. Junie Joseph, D-Boulder, sponsor of HB25-1292. “This bill helps streamline the placement of high-voltage transmission lines within the right-of-way for state highways. This will accelerate project timelines while reducing disruption to communities and the environment. By establishing a clear and responsible permitting process, we’re supporting a safer, more sustainable transition to clean energy.” HB25-1292 passed the House by a vote of 45-20. This bill would streamline and codify the Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) processes for transmission developers that are considering installing and maintaining essential high-voltage transmission lines (powerlines) along state highways. HB25-1292 aims to create a sustainable pathway for installing and maintaining this essential infrastructure that reduces environmental impact. Co-locating transmission lines along highways can significantly reduce impacts on wildlife and habitat compared to building new lines through greenfield areas When a transmission developer and CDOT pursue the placement of transmission along a state highway right-of-way, the developer would be responsible for outlining mitigation strategies for impacted communities, habitats and wildlife. It is estimated that Colorado needs more than $4 billion of additional transmission investment to meet demand and reach our state’s climate goals. “From recreation to agriculture, our public trust lands play a major role in Colorado’s economy, climate resiliency and habitat conservation,” said Rep. Karen McCormick, D-Longmont, sponsor of HB25-1332. “This bill would help uncover new opportunities for stronger stewardship of our public trust lands while continuing to financially support our schools through long-term funding.” HB25-1332 passed the House by a vote of 43-22. Currently, the Colorado State Land Board (SLB) oversees most of Colorado’s trust lands, including state parks. This bill would establish a formal working group process to identify opportunities to improve and enhance conservation, agricultural operations, and outdoor recreation on state trust lands. There are more than 2.8 million surface acres and 4 million subsurface acres, such as lakes, caves and rivers, overseen by the Colorado SLB. Next year is the 150th anniversary of Colorado and the SLB. This bill aims to uncover challenges and opportunities to advance conservation, agricultural leasing programs, wildlife habitat, climate resiliency and low-conflict recreation. HB25-1332 requires the working group to include participation from Colorado’s Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Tribes, rural schools, and renewable energy organizations, among others. Previous Next

< Back May 20, 2019 BILL SIGNED TO HELP COLORADANS SAVE FOR RETIREMENT (May 20) – Gov. Polis signed the Colorado Secure Savings Plan Board, a bill sponsored by Rep. Tracy Kraft-Tharp and Rep. Chris Hansen, to allow the state of Colorado to study different options to increase the ability of Colorado workers to save more for their retirement. Almost half of private-sector workers do not have access to a workplace retirement plan. “Our country is in a retirement crisis. We need a plan to ensure workers can save and retire with dignity and security,” said Rep. Kraft-Tharp, D-Arvada. “This new law will ensure the state studies four models including a no-action plan to see what is the best way to help Coloradans who don’t have access to a workplace retirement savings plan save a little at a time throughout their life for a secure retirement.” Rep. Kraft-Tharp is chair of the House Business Affairs & Labor committee. The “Colorado Secure Savings Plan Board,” SB19-173, creates a board of trustees that would study various options for a public-private partnership that would offer a low-fee plan, similar to Individual Retirement Accounts, to employees without access to workplace plans. Upon conclusion of the study, the board would then send the legislature its recommendations for final approval. Previous Next

Legislation would strengthen firearm training requirements for concealed carry permits to ensure responsible gun ownership < Back March 8, 2024 Bill to Strengthen Firearm Training, Promote Responsible Gun Ownership Advances Legislation would strengthen firearm training requirements for concealed carry permits to ensure responsible gun ownership DENVER, CO - The House today advanced legislation in a preliminary vote to strengthen firearm training requirements for concealed carry permits to promote responsible firearm ownership and protect Colorado communities from gun violence. “States that have eliminated their live-fire training requirements to receive a concealed carry permit saw a 32 percent increase in gun assaults,” said Majority Leader Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge. "The data is clear - live-fire gun training can save lives. This important legislation will ensure that Coloradans with concealed carry permits are properly trained before they bring their firearm into their communities.” “When I received my concealed carry permit years ago, I was surprised to learn that Colorado law did not require live-fire training, a necessary skill to have before carrying a gun in public spaces," said Rep. Marc Snyder, D-Manitou Springs. "Our bill would create a minimum requirement for concealed carry permit holders, including in-person live-fire training with a certified firearms instructor, to ensure that concealed carry permits are issued with appropriate training. Our commonsense gun violence prevention legislation works to prevent senseless gun deaths by improving firearm training.” In Colorado, a person can be issued a concealed carry permit if they complete a handgun training class by a verified firearms safety instructor, pass a background check, and demonstrate competence with a handgun. HB24-1174 would require handgun training classes to be held in-person and include training on safe handling of firearms and ammunition, safe storage of firearms and child safety, safe firearms shooting fundamentals, federal and state firearm laws, state laws related to the use of deadly force for self-defense, interacting with law enforcement who are responding to emergencies, and techniques for conflict resolution and judgmental use of lethal force. Under the bill, the handgun training class would include at least eight hours of instruction, including a live-fire exercise and a written exam that the student must receive passing scores on. The bill would also require a concealed handgun refresher class (refresher class) to be completed in order to renew a concealed carry permit. This refresher class must be at least two hours, including a passing score on both the live-fire exercise and written exam. The refresher class must also include instruction on changes to federal or state firearm laws. HB24-1174 prohibits a person from being issued a permit if they have been convicted of certain misdemeanor offenses within five years of submitting a concealed carry permit application. The bill also makes it a deceptive trade practice for a person to claim to be a verified firearms safety instructor unless they have been verified by a county sheriff. Majority Leader Duran sponsored a 2021 law that promotes responsible gun ownership by ensuring that gun owners properly store their firearms when they are not in use, especially when children are present. Previous Next

Bill would increase financial penalties for businesses that violate the law, incentivize reporting and improve transparency < Back April 24, 2024 House Advances Legislation to Increase Penalties for Child Labor Violations DENVER, CO – The House today passed legislation on a preliminary vote to ramp up financial penalties for businesses that violate child labor laws. “Over the years, Colorado has made important progress to improve child labor laws - but we must ensure violators are held accountable for their actions,” said Rep. Sheila Lieder, D-Littleton. “Under current law, businesses face small or non-existent fines for child labor violations that could be putting our youth at risk. Our bill would significantly increase financial penalties to hold bad actors accountable, and importantly, keep our youth safe. We’re also committed to protecting those who speak out about child labor violations from retaliation, and this bill sets up guidelines to ensure those whistleblowers are protected.” “We need to ensure our state’s child labor laws are working as intended – the health and safety of our youth depends on it,” said Rep. Judy Amabile, D-Boulder. “This bill encourages violation reporting, improves transparency around enforcement measures, and increases penalties for violations of these common sense protections. Outlined in the bill are additional whistleblower protections to keep those who report child labor violations safe from retaliation. At the end of the day, we need to ensure our businesses are operating lawfully and our youth is protected, and this bill brings us closer to that important goal.” HB24-1095 would update the Colorado Youth Employment Opportunity Act of 1971 and strengthen the penalty structure. Under current law, first-time child labor law violators face no fines or fines of only a few hundred dollars. This bill would raise total employer liability to $750 for first-time offenses and $10,000 for willful or repeated offenses. HB24-1095 would also remove legal disincentives that keep victims of child labor violations from reporting and protect child workers from employer retaliation. Additionally, this bill would strengthen employer transparency by requiring the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) to publish child labor violations or determinations. CDLE must issue a written notice to an employer with a description of penalties and damages owed if the act is violated. Under this bill, all fine revenue will be deposited into the Wage Theft Enforcement Fund, which distributes payments owed to Colorado employees who have filed claims of wage theft. Representative Lieder has championed important bills to strengthen worker protections and labor laws in Colorado. This includes HB23-1196 , which amended language in the Colorado Youth Employment Opportunity Act of 1971 to expand the legal action that a child, or a parent of a child, can take to hold a company accountable for breaking the law. Previous Next

< Back April 30, 2019 HOUSE PASSES MCLACHLAN’S WILDLAND FIRE AIRSPACE BILL Colorado homes and communities on front lines of destructive wildfires (Apr. 30) – The House gave preliminary approval to a bill sponsored by Rep. Barbara McLachlan to help combat wildfires and protect public safety. “Wildfire season is fast approaching,” said Rep. McLachlan, D-Durango. “This will help ensure airspace is clear above wildfires and give our firefighters the tools they need to keep our homes, communities and firefighters safe.” SB19-020 directs the Center of Excellence (COE) to study and implement a system to patrol the airspace above a wildland fire. The COE was created under SB14-164 in the Division of Fire Prevention and Control in the Dept. of Public Safety. Its mission is to protect Colordoans, land, and resources in Colorado by researching, testing and evaluating existing and new technologie that support sustainable effective and efficient aerial fighting techniques. Detection of drones is currently limited to visual observation which poses challenges during a wildland fire. Earlier this month, the House gave unanimous approval to HB19-1006, Rep. Barbara McLachlan’s bipartisan bill to mitigate the impacts of wildfires on Colorado’s mountain communities. Previous Next

< Back May 6, 2023 House Passes Support for Universal Preschool Providers DENVER, CO – The House today passed legislation to provide one-time bonuses for universal preschool providers. “With Universal Preschool on the horizon, we’re making sure providers know that we’re grateful for their tireless efforts to educate our youngest learners,” said Rep. Meghan Lukens, D-Steamboat Springs . “This bipartisan bill will help recruit more providers and will send preschool providers a bonus to help them renovate spaces, purchase new educational materials, and support their staff. Without our providers it would be impossible to implement free, high-quality universal preschool for our children, and this bill provides them with a much needed thank you.” Supporting Universal Preschool Providers : SB23-269 , sponsored by Representative Meghan Lukens and Mary Bradfield, passed the House by a vote of 50 to 14. This bill invests $2.5 million in bonus payments for Universal Preschool (UPK) providers to support their programs, staff and facilities. This bill would provide one-time bonus payments for early childhood care providers participating in Colorado’s Universal Preschool Program . The bonuses must be used to implement the UPK, or to maintain or expand infant and toddler care capacity. This bill will help ensure there are enough providers in the state so that all families who want to participate in UPK can choose the right setting for their child, and provides support to child care providers in licensed community-based and home-based programs who are participating in state-run preschools for the first time. Recently, the Polis administration announced that more than 25,000 families who signed up for the first round of UPK Colorado have been matched with a provider, with more than 90-percent being matched with one of their top five providers. It is estimated that families who participate in UPK Colorado will save $6,000 per year. UPK sign up is available online on a rolling basis. Previous Next

< Back May 22, 2019 GOV SIGNS ROBERTS BILL TO REDUCE INSULIN PRICES Price of insulin has increased 555 percent over the last 14 years (May 22) – Governor Polis signed Rep. Dylan Roberts’ bill to reduce the price of life-saving insulin for people with diabetes in Colorado. “For Coloradans living with Type 1 Diabetes, insulin is essential to their survival – it is the same as oxygen. The skyrocketing cost of insulin is outrageous and it is literally putting people’s lives at risk,” said Rep. Roberts, D-Avon . “With this new law, Coloradans will no longer be forced to choose between this life-saving and life-sustaining drug and their other expenses.” One-in-four type-1 diabetics report rationing their insulin due to the high cost of the drug. HB19-1216 caps the total co-pay that patients will pay for insulin to $100 per one-month supply, regardless of how much insulin is being dispensed. This is down from an average out-of-pocket costs of $600-900 per month, which Coloradans currently face. “This law is a significant step in trying to solve the much larger problem of prescription drug pricing and will make a significant difference for Coloradans living with diabetes and their families,” continued Rep. Roberts. Rep. Roberts has been an outspoken advocate for Coloradans living with diabetes since arriving at the state capitol. Over 420,000 Coloradans have diabetes and an additional 20,000 Coloradans are diagnosed with diabetes every year. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser was also in attendance at the bill signing. In addition to the co-pay cap, the law also directs the Colorado Attorney General’s office investigate business practices, organization, pricing, and data of pharmaceutical manufacturers, pharmacy benefit managers, insurance carriers, and any other entity that influences insulin costs and create a report that explores possible legislative solutions. The report will be submitted to the governor, the commissioner of insurance, and the judiciary committees of the House and Senate in 2020. The annual medical cost related to diabetes in Colorado is almost $4 billion. Almost 18 percent of that cost, roughly $700 million, is for prescription insulin to treat diabetes. The cost of insulin rose by 45 percent between 2014 and 2017 and by over 700 percent over the last twenty years while the actual product of insulin has not changed in any significant way since 1996. Gov.Polis also signed Rep. Roberts’ bill that expands the types of locations that have automated external defibrillators. HB19-1183 encourages any person that owns, operates, or manages a public place to place functional automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in sufficient quantities to ensure reasonable availability for use during perceived sudden cardiac arrest emergencies. Previous Next

< Back November 11, 2022 Julie McCluskie Elected Speaker DENVER, CO – Speaker-elect Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, today released the following statement after House Democrats elected her the next Speaker of the Colorado House: “It is an enormous privilege to serve the great state of Colorado, and I’m honored to lead one of the largest and most diverse Democratic majorities in our state’s history. The diversity of this body is our strength. As public servants, we are called upon to answer the expectations and needs of the people in our districts and to govern responsibly on behalf of every person in our state–those who voted for us and those who did not. “We have made bold progress to lower health care costs, make housing more affordable, protect our freedoms and invest in our schools, but Coloradans are still struggling in the aftermath of a deadly pandemic, global inflation and the worst wildfires in our state’s history. Even with these challenges, I know that our brightest days are still to come. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do what’s best for our state, move Colorado forward and help Coloradans thrive. ” House Democrats will have 46 seats in the 74th General Assembly. The caucus is one of the largest and most diverse ever elected in Colorado. Nearly 75 percent of the incoming Democratic lawmakers are women, nearly 40 percent are people of color, and 13 percent are LGBTQ+. Speaker-elect McCluskie was first elected to the General Assembly in 2018 and represents House District 13, which includes Lake, Chafee, Park, Summit, Grand, and Jackson counties. She currently chairs the Joint Budget Committee. Born and raised in Colorado, Julie and her husband Jamie have spent most of their married years in the Rocky Mountains. They are proud parents of two children, Ian and Cait, and enjoy spending family time in Colorado’s great outdoors. Speaker-elect McCluskie has authored landmark legislation to save people money on health insurance, make housing more affordable, and increase funding for public schools, higher education and wildfire mitigation efforts. She spearheaded efforts last year to direct federal recovery dollars toward innovative strategies that will grow Colorado’s workforce and save Coloradans money as they pursue new skills needed to enter growing industries. She spent more than a dozen years working in Summit School District before serving in the General Assembly. ### Previous Next

Majority Leader Monica Duran today delivered the keynote presentation at the 36th Annual Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance (COVA) Conference. < Back October 16, 2024 Majority Leader Duran Delivers Keynote Presentation for Annual Domestic Violence Conference KEYSTONE, CO – Majority Leader Monica Duran today delivered the keynote presentation at the 36th Annual Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance (COVA) Conference. Majority Leader Duran’s presentation, “My Journey to Hell and Back”, highlighted parts of her personal, professional and political life. “I’d like to thank COVA for inviting me to deliver the keynote presentation at their annual conference – it’s truly an honor,” said Majority Leader Duran, D-Wheat Ridge . “Domestic abuse is difficult to talk about, let alone escape with a young son, and I wouldn’t be here today without the fearless advocates and resources that helped me get back on my feet. I’m beyond proud of our recent legislative efforts to support survivors and curb gun violence in Colorado. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which serves as both a reminder for how far we’ve come and how much further we must go to create a safer state for us all.” Majority Leader Duran has been a longtime advocate for survivors of domestic violence and violent crime. During the 2024 legislative session, Majority Leader Duran sponsored a law to strengthen protection orders for victims of domestic violence, stalking, and sexual violence. She also sponsored important gun safety legislation, including laws to improve conceal carry permitting and expand extreme risk protection orders . In recent years, she passed laws that improved standards for domestic violence cases tried in municipalities , invested $48 million with a funding boost of $3 million toward survivor programs and strengthened requirements for certain domestic violence abusers to relinquish their firearms. In addition to passing vital survivor-forward laws, Majority Leader Duran has also been awarded the 2023 Domestic Abuse Survivor Heroes (DASH) Award from non-profit Zero Tolerance for Domestic Abuse, 2023 Violence Free Aquamarine Award and the 2024/2023 Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CCASA) Legislator of the Year Award. Previous Next