Search Results

The Governor today signed two bills into law to restore access to Medicaid services for Planned Parenthood patients and to give voters the opportunity to fund food assistance for Colorado students and families.  < Back August 26, 2025 SIGNED! Legislation to Restore Access to Medicaid Services for over 10,000 Planned Parenthood Patients, Protect Food Assistance for Colorado Kids & Families DENVER, CO – The Governor today signed two bills into law to restore access to Medicaid services for Planned Parenthood patients and to give voters the opportunity to fund food assistance for Colorado students and families. SB25B-002 , sponsored by Senators Jeff Bridges, D-Arapahoe County, and Lindsey Daugherty, D-Arvada, and House Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver, and Representative Jenny Willford, D-Northglenn, authorizes state funding for Planned Parenthood and other reproductive health care providers removed from the federal Medicaid program by H.R.1. This action will restore access to health care services for more than 10,000 patients in Colorado. “Republicans in Congress want you to believe their budget puts working-class Americans first, but the exact opposite is true – this budget is the largest cut to Medicaid in American history,” Bridges said. “Thousands of Coloradans on Medicaid who rely on Planned Parenthood had to scramble to find different providers or went without care altogether after H.R.1 passed. This legislation will restore access to that care and peace of mind to patients across our state.” “Health care shouldn't be political,” Bacon said. “The federal GOP budget bill targeted Planned Parenthood, threatening access to low-cost family planning and preventive care for all Coloradans in all corners of our state. All Coloradans, whether or not they are a Medicaid recipient, deserve access to reproductive health care. This new law is an effort to fight back against the largest cut to Medicaid in the history of our country and protect thousands of Coloradans from losing this essential health care coverage and access to the provider of their choice.” “Time and time again, and most recently, last November, Colorado voters have overwhelmingly said they will support and defend their right to reproductive health care,” Daugherty said. “Amidst a hostile national landscape, this legislation is yet another step we must take to protect Coloradans’ right to safe, accessible and affordable reproductive health care.” “Despite Coloradans’ overwhelming support of reproductive freedom, Congressional Republicans continue to attack access to life-saving health care,” Willford said. “When Trump’s budget was signed into law, it forced Planned Parenthood to immediately cancel every appointment for Medicaid recipients. While corporations enjoy their new tax breaks, Coloradans on Medicaid risk losing access to STI testing, cancer screenings and abortion care. I’m proud to stand up for Coloradans with this new law that will restore access to life-saving care.” SB25B-002 authorizes the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing to use state funds to pay claims to organizations like Planned Parenthood, who were barred from federal Medicaid funding by Congressional Republicans’ H.R. 1, for certain services including cancer screenings, birth control consultations, and STI testing. In the event that federal action renders these entities eligible for reimbursements again, the law would no longer be in effect. H.R. 1 immediately removed Planned Parenthood from the federal Medicaid program, forcing Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains providers to cancel thousands of appointments . Weeks later, a Temporary Restraining Order reversed this federal prohibition, though the issue is still working its way through the courts. SB25B-003 , sponsored by Senate President Pro Tempore Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City, and Senator Katie Wallace, D-Longmont, and Representatives Lorena Garcia, D-Unincorporated Adams County, and Katie Stewart, D-Durango, modifies Proposition MM, which the Legislature referred to the November 2025 ballot, to give Colorado voters the opportunity to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in addition to the Healthy School Meals for All program. “No child in Colorado should go hungry because they can’t afford a nutritious meal – at school or at home,” said Michaelson Jenet. “By adjusting Proposition MM to include SNAP, Colorado voters will have the opportunity this November to help keep this life-saving program afloat, while fully funding Healthy School Meals for All Colorado students.” “Every Coloradan should be outraged that Trump and Congressional Republicans’ budget offers significant tax breaks to mega corporations while jeopardizing food security for children and families,” Garcia said. “SNAP and Healthy School Meals for All are life-saving programs, and there will be crushing consequences if they are not fully funded. I am disappointed in our GOP federal delegation for voting for H.R.1, but this law gives Coloradans the opportunity to combat some of the cuts to food assistance programs and prevent children from going hungry.” “SB25B-003 builds on the will of the voters to ensure that no child in our state goes hungry, while also supporting our local economies,” said Wallace. “The Healthy School Meals for All program improves educational outcomes, supports farmers and ranchers, and reduces strain on families' budgets. With the additions in this new law, we can also help 300,000 Colorado households afford groceries each month. Ultimately, this legislation empowers Colorado voters to continue our state’s now proud tradition of ensuring none of Colorado’s children go hungry.” “It breaks my heart that over 600,000 Coloradans, especially children, will be impacted by the SNAP cuts under Trump’s budget bill,” Stewart said. “Families struggling with food insecurity should never have to worry about when their next meal will be, which is why Colorado Democrats helped create the Healthy School Meals for All program and have continuously invested in programs like SNAP and EBT. Our law adds SNAP to Proposition MM, giving Colorado voters the opportunity to continue programs that keep vulnerable Coloradans fed.” In June, Governor Polis signed HB25-1274 which referred two ballot measures, Propositions LL and MM, to Colorado voters to determine whether or not to continue funding the Healthy School Meals for All program, which offers free, nutritious school meals to all public school students. In July, Congressional Republicans made unprecedented cuts to SNAP with the passage of H.R. 1, slashing millions from the program that helps families put food on the table. Now, more than 300,000 low-income Colorado families – including children, older adults, and people with disabilities – are at risk of going hungry. By adjusting Proposition MM to include SNAP, voters will have the opportunity this November to fully fund the successful Healthy School Meals for All program and help fund SNAP. If Proposition MM passes, it could raise up to $95 million per year by limiting state income tax deductions for households earning over $300,000. These new revenues would first ensure that the Healthy School Meals program is fully funded, and then any remaining funds could support SNAP. Previous Next

< Back October 30, 2019 OPIOID AND OTHER SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS STUDY COMMITTEE ADVANCES FIVE BIPARTISAN PROPOSALS Bills address five critical areas: prevention, harm reduction, treatment, recovery and SUD treatment in the criminal justice system DENVER, CO– The Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders Study Committee today advanced five bipartisan bills to combat the opioid epidemic. Each bill addresses a specific area of focus in slowing the opioid crisis. “The opioid epidemic is devastating communities across Colorado, and our state’s response must meet the urgency this crisis demands,” said Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders Study Committee Vice Chair Rep. Chris Kennedy (D-Lakewood). “These bipartisan bills build on legislation we previously passed and advance a comprehensive set of policies in each of five categories– prevention, harm reduction, treatment, recovery and treatment for substance use disorders in the criminal justice system.” “It’s been my honor to chair the Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders Study Committee for the last three years to bring forth policies that are leading the nation to address the public health crisis we face,” said Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders Study Committee Chair Senator Brittany Pettersen (D-Lakewood). “This year’s package builds on our previous success and each piece of legislation is essential in addressing the gaps we see in the continuum of care needed to move people into recovery here in Colorado. There is not one silver bullet to address the opioid epidemic; it’s a complex, enormous problem. While today we passed the most impactful package we’ve seen yet, I know that our work isn’t done, and we are committed to continuing the work to address this crisis.” “Working to turn the tide in the deadly opioid epidemic has been one of my top priorities, and I’m proud of our committee’s bipartisan work to craft and move forward these incredibly important proposals,” said Rep. Bri Buentello (D-Pueblo). “From increasing access to treatment, recovery and prevention services to changing how insurance companies cover non-opioid pain treatments, we can make real progress and aggressively combat this crisis.” “Tackling substance use disorder in our criminal justice system is critical to ensuring successful recoveries and for providing treatment services to those who need them,” said Rep. Leslie Herod (D-Denver). “I’m proud of our bill that would seal records for people who successfully complete treatment programs and which would make medically assisted treatment available to individuals in our criminal justice system.” Prevention of Substance Use Disorders: The first bill the committee passed focuses on prevention efforts. The bill would encourage best practices in healthcare settings to prevent opioid misuse, increase access to alternatives to opioids, expand continuing education for opioid prescribers and support local public health departments in their delivery of prevention services. It would also establish screening and brief intervention and referral to treatment (SBIRT) as a health care standard and improve the utilization of evidence-based prevention programs. The bill would make several changes to insurance plans, prohibiting insurance carriers from requiring copayments that exceed the charges submitted by a physical therapist, occupational therapist or acupuncturist. It requires the Commissioner of Insurance to establish diagnosis for which alternatives to opioids are appropriate. Furthermore, it requires health benefit plans to cover a minimum number of physical therapy, occupational therapy and acupuncture per yearIt would require insurance companies to make the atypical opioid or nonopioid medication available at the lowest cost-sharing tier applicable and prohibit them from limiting or excluding coverage for an atypical opioid. The bill also includes several provisions to improve opioid prescribing best practices. It continues the prescribing limitations currently in place, requires new rules to establish competency-based continuing education for prescribers and modifies requirements for adding information to the prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP). Harm Reduction: The second bill aims to lower the rate of opioid overdoses and related deaths and better prevent the spread of communicable diseases. It would extend civil and criminal immunity for a person who acts in good faith to administer an opiate antagonist, such as naloxone, that has expired. Opiate antagonists that are beyond their expiration date can still be effective in reversing an overdose, but some providers are hesitant to administer them out of concern for their liability even though these expired medications can still save lives. The bill would also require insurance plans to reimburse hospitals that provide a covered individual with an opiate antagonist when discharged. To help prevent communicable diseases, the bill would allow pharmacists to provide syringes and removes a regulatory barrier to operating syringe exchange programs. Treatment in the Criminal Justice System: The third bill the committee advanced would help combat substance use disorders in the criminal justice system. It would require the department of corrections and other agencies to make medication assisted treatment (MAT), continuity of care and community resources available prior to release. It would also allow safe stations (police stations, sheriff’s offices, and fire stations) to receive any controlled substance for disposal and refer individuals with SUD to treatment. Under the bill, if an individual enters or successfully completes a SUD treatment program, their records may be sealed. The bill also appropriates funding to criminal justice diversion programs. Treatment of Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders: The fourth bill would make changes to insurance plans, managed care entities and pharmacy benefits to increase access to SUD treatment. Under the bill, insurance carriers must provide coverage for SUD treatment in accordance with the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) or an alternate nationally recognized criteria if ASAM criteria is no longer available, relevant, or follow best practices. Carriers are also required to provide coverage for naloxone, without prior authorization, deductibles, copayment, coinsurance or other cost-sharing requirements. Carriers must report the number of in-network providers who are licensed to prescribe MAT to the commissioner of insurance. The commissioner of insurance may also review and revise the essential health benefits package for MAT.The bill further increases access to treatment by requiring managed care entities to provide care coordination for the full continuum of SUD treatment and recovery. It would prohibit denying access to MAT or SUD treatment services, including recovery services, to individuals who are participating in MAT provided by a recovery residence and entities contracting with the Office of Behavioral Health. Pharmacies would be able to receive an enhanced dispensing fee for the administration of all injectable medications for MAT. The legislation would require an updated community assessment every two years on the sufficiency of SUD services in the community. With SUD impacting families in many different ways, the bill would also require a study of state child care and treatment to make findings and recommendations concerning gaps in family-centered SUD treatment. The study would also look to identify alternative payment structures for funding child care and children’s services alongside SUD treatment of a child’s parent. Finally, the bill would increase access to treatment in rural communities by expanding the provider workforce. It increases funding to the Colorado Health Service Corps Fund for loan forgiveness and scholarships for individuals serving in areas with healthcare workforce shortages. It would also continue a grant writing program to help local communities access federal and state money to address the opioid epidemic, and requires the Office of Behavioral Health to implement a program for training and community outreach related to alcohol and SUD treatment. SUD Recovery: The final bill advanced today seeks to increase access to recovery services. It increases funding for housing assistance by $4 million to $5 million total and extends the funding for an additional fiscal year. It would also appropriate $2 million to the Office of Behavioral Health in the Department of Human Services to expand the Individual Placement and Support Program, a program that helps people with mental illness and/or substance use disorders find and keep jobs. The bill supports recovery community organizations by appropriating $3.5 million to create the Recovery Support Services Grant Program and appropriates $250,000 to the Department of Labor and Employment to support individuals in recovery by providing peer coaching. The bill also seeks to help policymakers better understand the connection between prenatal substance exposure and health outcomes by authorizing a statewide perinatal substance use data linkage project. It would also modify the how determinations of child abuse, neglect, or dependency are determined in situations involving alcohol or substance exposure. Finally, the bill would continue the Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders Study Committee for four additional years, meeting every other year beginning in 2021. It would require the State Substance Abuse Trend and Response Task Force to bring stakeholders together to review progress on bills introduced by the opioid committee and passed by the General Assembly and to generate policy recommendations. Furthermore, it would require the Center for Research into Substance Use Disorder Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Support Strategies to conduct a comprehensive study of Colorado’s SUD treatment and recovery services to inform a state plan for the delivery of services for individuals at risk of relapse. Brief, comprehensive summaries of the legislation advanced today can be found here . Previous Next

< Back February 15, 2023 Bill to Improve Judiciary Training in Assault, Domestic Violence Cases Advances DENVER, CO - The House Judiciary Committee today passed a bill to better equip the judicial system and judicial personnel with the tools needed to understand the complex issues that victims of crimes like sexual assault and domestic violence face. “As a survivor of domestic violence, I know how difficult and distressing it can be for victims to come forward with their story,” said Majority Leader Monica Duran, D- Wheat Ridge . “Victims of crimes like domestic violence or sexual assault are often forced to relive their trauma while navigating the judicial system in order to hold their aggressor accountable. This bill is essential in understanding how to create a judicial system that incorporates trauma-informed practices and training to better protect and support victims and survivors.” HB23-1108 , a bipartisan bill that passed out of committee by a vote of 11-2, creates a task force to examine current victim and survivor awareness and responsiveness trainings within the Office for Victims Programs. The task force would report their findings and make recommendations on how to improve trainings for judicial personnel to better serve victims and survivors of crimes including sexual assault, harassment, and domestic violence. The task force would be required to submit a report including findings and recommendations to the House and Senate Judiciary committees by November 1, 2023. Previous Next

< Back June 24, 2021 POLIS SIGNS LEGISLATION TO CURB YOUTH ACCESS TO HIGH POTENCY MARIJUANA New law advances research, addresses diversion and helps educate consumers DENVER, CO – Governor Jared Polis today signed legislation sponsored by Speaker Alec Garnett and Representative Yadira Caraveo, a pediatrician, that seeks to address youth access to high-potency cannabis products. “Working with patients, doctors, parents, students, teachers and the marijuana industry, Colorado is leading the way in addressing youth access to high potency cannabis,” said Speaker Alec Garnett, D-Denver. “The reality is that it’s too easy for Colorado’s youth to access high potency mairjuana when they shouldn’t be able to, and we don’t have the full picture of how these products impact the developing brain. With Governor Polis’ signature today, it will be harder to divert products from the medical marketplace into the hands of our youth. This law will help educate consumers about high potency cannabis, and it will advance critical research that will give us a better understanding of how high potency products impact developing brains.” “Doctors like myself, school-based providers and parents have all seen firsthand how some of our younger Coloradans have experienced health issues after consuming high-potency marijuana products,” said Rep. Yadira Caraveo, a pediatrician. “I’m proud that Governor Polis signed this critical law today, which will make a big difference by strengthening the doctor-patient relationship, cracking down on looping and diversion, advancing critical new research and better educating consumers on high-potency products while ensuring we protect patients’ access to medical marijuana.” The law will advance research into the impact of high potency marijuana on the developing brain, address diversion of cannabis concentrates purchased in the medical marijuana marketplace and educate consumers about concentrates through visual representations of a recommended serving size and public awareness campaigns. Advances Research: The law funds and advances critical research into the impact of high-potency cannabis concentrate products on the developing brain and on physical and mental health. It requires the Colorado School of Public Health to conduct a systematic review of the current scientific research into the effects of high-potency THC marijuana and concentrates and identify gaps in order to conduct new research. Under the law, a new scientific review council of doctors and experts will review the report and make recommendations to the General Assembly on appropriate evidence-based regulatory changes and the funding of additional necessary evidence-based research. Addresses Diversion of High-Potency Products: The law cracks down on “looping” and diversion by reducing the amount of medical concentrates someone can purchase in a day and requiring the Marijuana Enforcement Division’s seed-to-sale tracking database, METRC, to update at the point of sale, instead of at the end of each business day. The data collected is confidential and cannot be shared with anyone except when necessary to complete a sale. Enhanced Doctor-Patient Relationship: The law adjusts medical marijuana recommending practices by requiring doctors to specify a daily quantity authorization if it is above the maximum allowed for the patient’s age and to consider a patient’s mental health history when making a cannabis recommendation. For patients ages 18-20, the law requires two physicians from different medical practices to diagnose the patient as having a debilitating or disabling medical condition after an in-person consultation, and the patient must attend a follow-up appointment every six months after the initial visit unless that patient is homebound. Real-Time Medical Marijuana Purchase Reporting: Through a practice known as “looping,” consumers can purchase the daily limit at multiple dispensaries, circumventing the limits and increasing youth access to high-potency cannabis products. The law will crack down on “looping” in the medical marketplace by requiring medical marijuana stores to immediately record transactions in the seed-to-sale inventory tracking system. This will allow the system to identify discrepancies with daily purchase limits, access and retrieve real-time sales data and alert medical mariuana stores if a sale to a patient has exceeded their daily purchase limit for that business day. Reduced Daily Purchase Amounts: The law will limit daily medical marijuana concentrate purchases to eight grams for patients 21 years and older and to two grams for patients between the age of 18 and 20. Patients who had a medical marijuana card before the age of 18, patients who are homebound, for whom a physician has recommended a higher daily authorization, or for patients for whom going to a medical marijuana store on a daily basis presents significant physical or geographical hardship are exempt from these new limits. Consumer Education and Protection: The law will help better educate consumers about high-potency THC marijuana and concentrates by tasking the Colorado School of Public Health with developing a public education campaign, requiring MED to create a tangible education resource on the potential risks of concentrates and that shows visual representations of a recommended serving size be included with every sale and by prohibiting advertisements targeted toward Colorado youth. Previous Next

< Back March 2, 2019 LEGISLATION INTRODUCED EMPOWERING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND PRIORITIZING HEALTH AND SAFETY OF COLORADANS (March 1) – Majority Leader Steve Fenberg today introduced SB19-181, Protect Public Welfare Oil And Gas Operations, a piece of oil and gas legislation that will empower local governments and prioritize the health and safety of Coloradans. Co-sponsored in the House by Speaker KC Becker, the legislation seeks to provide the most meaningful changes to oil and gas regulations Colorado has seen in over 60 years. “Colorado’s communities simply cannot afford to wait any longer,” said Majority Leader Fenberg. “We also must empower communities to take control over what’s happening in their backyards and equip them with the tools they need to stand up for their best interests. These common-sense reforms will ensure the industry operates in an accountable and cooperative manner.” “Coloradans deserve a government that works for them – not the special interests. It is past time for action on this critical issue,” said Speaker KC Becker. “Let’s work together to update our antiquated oil and gas laws to give local communities more of a say when it comes to development near their homes and schools and protect the air we breathe and the water we drink.” In the last decade, oil and gas development in Colorado has rapidly evolved, introducing new technologies and expanding heavy industrial operations to populated urban and suburban neighborhoods. Unfortunately, as the industry has changed, our laws and regulations have not kept pace, leaving our neighborhoods, communities and our environment to bear the impacts and increasing risks. Key elements of the bill include: Providing clear language that local governments have land use authority to protect their public health, safety and welfare, environment and wildlife as drilling occurs. Clarification that the mission of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) is to regulate oil and gas activities, not foster oil and gas development as statute currently reads. Enhancement of staff capacity and balanced representation on the COGCC, including adding a commissioner with public health expertise and ensuring COGCC can charge appropriate permit fees. Direction to the COGCC to increase disclosure of pipeline and flowline locations and enhance monitoring for pipelines. Ensuring proper financial assurances for operations in Colorado designed to prevent continued orphan wells. Allows the commission to conduct a rulemaking to establish a pipeline certification safety process for oil and gas field welders to ensure that workers are properly trained and as result enhances safe operations. Current law allows for permission from just one mineral right owner to make the determination to “force pool” other mineral interest owners and require development of those resources against the will of the owners. The bill establishes a threshold requiring more than 50 percent of the mineral rights owners to consent to developing before forced pooling occurs. Directs air quality commission to put forward common sense rules that reduce harmful emissions including methane, and ensure wells are being constructed to high standards. For more information about SB19-181, please visit https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb19-181 . Previous Next

< Back June 18, 2021 CRITICAL MENTAL HEALTH BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW Bill signed into law today provide three free mental health session for Colorado youth, improve 2-1-1 human services hotline DENVER, CO - – Governor Polis today signed two bills into law that will provide three free mental health sessions to Colorado youth and include behavioral health referrals as part of the states 2-1-1 human services hotline. “We’ve heard from parents and students in every community that they need better access to mental health care,” said Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City. “Thanks to this new law, any school aged person will be able to get three free mental health sessions. We have to put students first as we recover from this pandemic and build back stronger, and that’s what we’ve done by creating this program and directly addressing the mental health needs of our students.” HB21-1258 , sponsored by Representatives Dafna Michaelson Jenet and Kevin Van Winkle, would create a temporary youth mental health services program in the Office of Behavioral Health within the Department of Human Services to facilitate access to mental health services for identified needs, including those that may have resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. The program would provide any young person age 18 and under with an online mental health screening and would then reimburse providers for up to three mental health sessions. This support is intended to prepare children for the return to in-person learning and a review of stress management tools, and to make a plan for ongoing treatment when necessary. We estimate that this program can support up to 25,537 children. “Colorado’s 2-1-1 Human Services Referral System connects people with critical services, and now it will also be a resource for Coloradans who are struggling to access behavioral health care,” said Rep. Judy Amabile, D-Boulder. “To build back stronger and recover, we have to ensure that everyone in our state can access the mental health care and support they need to heal and thrive.” “People who don’t have health insurance or who are unemployed face some of the toughest obstacles to obtaining mental health care,” said Rep. Mary Young, D-Greeley. “The bill Governor Polis signed today will boost funding for the 2-1-1 hotline and expand it to include behavioral health care referrals, providing more Coloradans access to mental health providers and the services they need.” SB21-239 , sponsored by Representatives Judy Amabile and Mary Young, would improve the 2-1-1 Statewide Human Services Referral System. The bill appropriates $1 million to expand referral services authorized by the Colorado 2-1-1 collaborative to include referrals for behavioral health services and other resources in the state. By doing so, the 2-1-1 hotline will be able to connect more Coloradans with the mental health services they need. The bill additionally focuses on connecting Coloradans who are unemployed or who do not have health benefits to mental and behavioral health services. Previous Next

< Back February 12, 2019 HOUSE COMMITTEE APPROVES HANSEN BILL TO HELP CONSUMERS & ENERGY COMMUNITIES Bill could help lower energy bills and ensure Colorado leads on climate action (Feb. 11) – The House Energy and Environment committee gave approval to Rep. Chris Hansen and Rep. Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo’s bill to help lower the cost of energy bills and transition toward renewable energy today. As a result of market forces, Colorado workers and communities are being negatively affected by the closure of aging power plants. “We have a moral imperative to act on climate and ensure our state transitions to renewable energy sources in a responsible manner. This bill will help lower energy costs for consumers, invest in low-cost renewable energy, and provide direct assistance to communities impacted by the retirement of a fading power plant,” said Rep. Hansen, D-Denver. The Colorado Energy Impact Assistance Act would offer job training and financial support to communities impacted by the decommissioning of power plants. “Coloradans are currently on the hook for the outstanding debt on aging power plants. This legislation would allow the state to refinance that debt at a much lower interest rate by authorizing ratepayer-backed bonds. The bill will help hardworking families save money on their energy bills and ensure a soft landing for when an aging power plant inevitably shuts down because of market forces,” Rep. Hansen added. The bill would have no impact on the state budget. As utilities retire facilities, workers and communities where the plants are located can face economic challenges, and this bill creates a means of mitigating those challenges. HB19-1037 creates the opportunity for Colorado to take advantage of low-cost ratepayer-backed bonds. Bonds can be used if an electric-generating facility is being closed. From a portion of bond proceeds, the bill also creates and funds the Colorado Energy Impact Assistance Authority, which acts to mitigate impacts of plant closures on affected Colorado workers and communities. Twenty-one other states have laws in place allowing ratepayer-backed bonds to be used but this would be the first time in U.S. history that savings from the bonds would help workers and communities transition and cost tax-payers zero dollars in the process. HB19-1037 was approved by a vote of 7-4. The bill now goes to the House floor. Previous Next

Governor Jared Polis and the Department of Local Affairs recently announced the third round of Transformational Affordable Housing Grant recipients, including a $10,750,000 investment in House District 26 that is expected to create 333 new units in rural Colorado. < Back July 13, 2023 Lukens Applauds Over $10.5 Million in Grant Money to Make Housing More Affordable in Rural Colorado DENVER, CO - Governor Jared Polis and the Department of Local Affairs recently announced the third round of Transformational Affordable Housing Grant recipients, including a $10,750,000 investment in House District 26 that is expected to create 333 new units in rural Colorado. “This investment of over $10.5 million is expected to create hundreds of affordable homes that will reduce the cost of housing, save people money and make it easier for Coloradans in rural parts of our state to stay in the communities we love,” said Rep. Meghan Lukens, D-Steamboat Springs. “This round of funding will provide Routt, Eagle and Moffat counties with significant new resources to help our rural and mountain towns drive down the cost of living and boost our workforce with more affordable places to live.” In the 2022 legislative session, Colorado Democrats passed HB22-1304 and HB22-1377 to allocate over $280 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to develop more affordable housing units and to provide housing support and other essential services to unhoused people. One of the grant programs created from these laws, the Transformational Affordable Housing Grant program, aims to aid eligible applicants with the development, creation, and preservation of affordable housing opportunities throughout Colorado. The legislation requires half of the grant money to be made available to rural communities to give them a fair shot at accessing grant dollars so they can address rural housing shortages. In the recently announced third round of grant recipients, Moffat, Routt, and Eagle county recipients collectively received over $10 million in grant money. The grant program awarded: The Yampa Valley Housing Authority and Lone Tree Trust, LLC with $4 million to add 234 more workforce housing units in Steamboat Springs by developing for-sale condominiums and rental apartments, Colorado Mountain College with $2 million to build 36 units in Eagle County for residents who are at or below 100% of the Area Median Income (AMI), The Eagle County Housing and Development Authority with $2 million to purchase 43 newly-constructed condominium units, and The Craig Housing Authority with $2.75 million to develop 20 new modular homes. In May 2023, the department awarded over $31 million in its second round of grants, including a $8.6 million investment to the Town of Hayden. This investment will fund a workforce housing project in Hayden that will create 129 new housing units in the Prairie Run Workforce Apartments. These rental units will offer housing between 80% and 160% AMI and will be all-electric with high efficiency electrical heating. Previous Next

< Back January 30, 2020 REP. CARAVEO’S MULTILINGUAL BALLOT ACCESS BILL ADVANCES DENVER, CO– HB20-1081, sponsored by Representative Yadira Caraveo, today passed the House Committee on State, Veteran, and Military Affairs by a vote of 6-3. “It’s essential for our democracy that every citizen in our state have the ability to understand their ballots,” said Rep. Caraveo (D- Thornton). “This bill will make ballot access easier for Coloradans across the state while placing only minimal responsibilities on our local governments.” The bill establishes a hotline run by the Secretary of State’s office to provide access to ballot translation and requires the Secretary of State’s office to have the hotline available for the November 2022 election and for every general election and statewide odd-year election thereafter. County clerks are to make available minority language sample ballots when a language is spoken by at least 2,000 or 2.5 percent citizens of voting age who speak English “less than very well” in a county. These sample ballots would be available in-person beginning in November 2022 and for every general election and statewide odd-year election thereafter. There are over 100,000 Colorado voters who speak English “less than very well,” and over 80,000 of them live in counties where ballots and other election materials are not available in languages other than English. Ballots are often difficult for minority language speakers to comprehend, even if they do speak and read some English. The federal Voting Rights Act only requires the counties of Conejos, Costilla, Denver, and Saguache provide election materials in both English and Spanish, limiting ballot access for Coloradans across the state who speak English “less than very well.” Previous Next

< Back May 20, 2019 BILLS TO IMPROVE RENTERS RIGHTS & HELP COLORADO’S MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE SIGNED INTO LAW Colorado ranks poorly when it comes to rights of renters (May 20) – Today, Gov. Jared Polis signed two bills to improve the rights of renters in Colorado and expands the benefits and eligibility for the Property, Tax, Rent, Heat Credit program (PTC Rebate). “I believe that having a safe and affordable place to live is a cornerstone to self-sufficiency,” said Rep. Dominique Jackson, D-Aurora, during the House floor debate. “This is real life. When Coloradans are paying market rents, they deserve to live in a safe and habitable place. This is a very fair, and very necessary bill.” HB19-1170 is a commonsense bill that would improve renters’ rights if their home becomes uninhabitable or otherwise unfit for human habitation. Under this bill, tenants can notify the landlords of uninhabitable conditions through written notice including through electronic means. The landlord will then have 24 to 72 hours to begin to address the complaint. If the issues persists, the tenant has a right to withhold an estimate cost of the repairs from their rent payment and they have the right to break a lease if the uninhabitable condition persists. “If you are paying rent you have the right to expect a home that is safe and healthy to live in, with remedies available if it isn’t,” said Rep. Mike Weissman, D-Aurora. “With a rent market as challengin g as ours is right now, we need to ensure these protections for residents now more than ever.” In addition, the Governor also signed another bill, HB19-1118, sponsored by Rep. Jackson to allow sufficient time for tenants to remedy a lease violation before getting evicted. Under HB19-1118, tenants will now receive 10 days to pay their rent or address a minor lease issue before an eviction is filed against them, up from three days. The Governor also signed HB19-1085, sponsored by Rep. Tony Exum, D-Colorado Springs. “This program helps keep some of Colorado’s seniors, disabled and most vulnerable families and individuals warm and secure in their own homes. I am proud to see this program come to fruition so we can help keep people safe and potentially save a life when temperatures plummet,” Rep. Exum said. This program, within the Department of Revenue, provides property tax, rental, fuel and heat assistance to seniors over the age of 65, those with disabilities and surviving spouses over the age of 58. This bill expands these benefits and eligibility for the PTC rebate program. The bill passed the House last session but was blocked in the previously Republican controlled Senate. Previous Next

< Back March 20, 2019 HOUSE HEALTH COMMITTEE APPROVES BILL TO REDUCE INSULIN PRICES The cost of insulin has increased 555 percent over the last fourteen years (Mar. 20) – The House Health and Insurance committee approved Rep. Dylan Roberts’ bill to reduce the price of life-saving insulin for people with diabetes in Colorado. Over 420,000 Coloradans have diabetes and an additional 20,000 Coloradans are diagnosed with diabetes every year. “You wouldn’t imagine that such a small vial of medicine could have such a large impact on someone’s life, but for people with Type 1 Diabetes, insulin is the same as oxygen. You need it everyday to survive,” said Rep. Roberts, D-Avon . “This is a life-saving and life-sustaining drug, and we need to make sure that everyone who needs it isn’t forced to choose between their life and their other expenses. The skyrocketing cost of insulin is outrageous and it is literally putting people’s lives at risk.” 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 bill is a targeted and modest step at trying to solve the much larger problem of prescription drug pricing but it will make a huge difference for Colordans with diabetes and their families,” continued Rep. Roberts. The bill 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. “It should never be a parent’s job or a kid’s job to think about the cost of this life-saving medicine,” said Rep. Yadira Caraveo, D-Thornton, who is the only medical doctor in the legislature. “ The game is rigged, and it’s not rigged for the patients. Kids are paying for this with their fingers, toes, kidneys, hearts and with their lives. If we have to have the Attorney General look at a report, if we have to pass bill after bill, then let’s do it. Because the alternative is to tell Colorado’s children they can’t afford to pay for this medicine to help them deal with their chronic illness.” 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. One-in-four type-1 diabetics report rationing their insulin due to the high cost of the drug. HB19-1216 passed the House Health and Insurance committee by a bipartisan vote of 9-2 and now heads to the House Appropriations committee. Previous Next

Senate President Steve Fenberg, D-Boulder, and House Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, announced the Democratic members who will serve on the Joint Select Committee on Rising Utility Rates < Back February 22, 2023 Senate & House Democrats Announce Appointments to Joint Select Committee on Rising Utility Rates DENVER, CO – Senate President Steve Fenberg, D-Boulder, and House Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, announced the Democratic members who will serve on the Joint Select Committee on Rising Utility Rates : From the Senate, appointed by the President of the Senate: President Steve Fenberg, D-Boulder Senator Lisa Cutter, D-Jefferson County From the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives: Representative Chris deGruy Kennedy, D-Lakewood Representative Matthew Martinez, D-Monte Vista President Fenberg will serve as Chair of the Committee and Representative deGruy Kennedy will serve as the Vice Chair. “The recent spikes in energy prices have sent Coloradans’ utility bills through the roof, and it’s costing too many working Colorado families an arm and a leg just to heat their homes,” Fenberg said. “Democrats are committed to making Colorado a more affordable place to live, and our work on this critical committee will help us uncover the root cause behind high prices. I look forward to teaming up with my colleagues to find solutions that will better protect consumers, improve stability, and save people money on their energy bills.” “We owe it to Coloradans to get to the bottom of what is causing skyrocketing utility costs, and I’m honored to be appointed to a Joint Select Committee that is committed to making our state more affordable for everyone,” said deGruy Kennedy “We know many Coloradans are stuck paying higher-than-normal energy bills this year, and our role in this Joint Select Committee is to better understand pricing inconsistency, uncover other factors that lead to high prices and hopefully help prevent future price hikes.” “Coloradans are struggling to make ends meet and skyrocketing utility bills are only making matters worse,” Cutter said. “Before us is a unique opportunity to hear from utility companies, regulators, advocates, and every day Coloradans about what role the state can, and should, play in protecting consumers and ensuring Colorado remains an affordable place to live. I’m honored to serve on the Joint Select Committee and I’m committed to working diligently to get Coloradans the answers they deserve.” “Many Coloradans were prepared for snow and ice this winter season, but many weren’t prepared for the inconsistent and expensive energy bills they received,” said Martinez. “I’m ready to get to work as a member of the bipartisan Joint Select Committee that’s dedicated to uncovering what is leading to higher energy costs for hardworking families across Colorado. Our goal is to look at multiple factors that could be causing the rise in utility prices and explore ways to save Coloradans money on their energy bills.” Fenberg and McCluskie convened the Joint Select Committee to investigate the causes of Coloradans’ rising utility rates and explore potential actions to prevent future price hikes, saving Colorado’s working families money on their energy bills. The Joint Select Committee on Rising Utility Rates will seek expert testimony from utility companies, relevant agency staff, regulators, consumer advocates, and policy experts in order to better understand issues such as the impact of volatility in natural gas markets, the frequency and justification for rate increases sought by utilities, and other relevant factors. Previous Next