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Governor Polis today signed a bill to streamline the construction of and expand access to electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure for homeowners and renters.  < Back May 23, 2023 Polis Signs Bill to Expand EV Charging DENVER, CO – Governor Polis today signed a bill to streamline the construction of and expand access to electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure for homeowners and renters. “There are many Coloradans who are interested in owning an EV, however it can be difficult to secure charging locations near their home or even in their neighborhoods,” said Rep. Tisha Mauro, D-Pueblo. “Our law builds up and expands EV charging infrastructure across our state so we can accommodate current and future EV owners. We’re committed to making EV use more accessible for all Coloradans because it cuts back on our greenhouse gas emissions, creates more jobs and saves people money.” “With more EVs on the road than ever before, Colorado needs to invest in EV-specific infrastructure to help meet growing demand and cut down our reliance on fossil fuels,” said Rep. Alex Valdez, D-Denver. “ This law breaks down barriers to owning an EV by creating more charging stations, which can be tough to secure if you’re living in an apartment. We’re setting into motion a plan to vastly expand EV charging across the state and save Coloradans money in the process.” HB23-1233 , sponsored by Representatives Tisha Mauro and Alex Valdez, removes barriers to EV ownership by improving access to EV charging, especially for renters and those living in multifamily housing. Specifically, HB23-1233 expands electric vehicle charging infrastructure in new construction to accommodate future and current EV owners. The law updates electric code requirements, removes burdensome parking restrictions for EVs, and provides property tax relief to Coloradans for EV charging stations. HB23-1233 is part of a broader legislative package to incentivize the advancement and adoption of clean energy technologies, accelerate the clean energy transition and make Colorado a leader in budding clean energy technologies. Previous Next

< Back June 3, 2021 BORN TO BE WILD! Keep Colorado Wild Pass passes the House DENVER, CO– The House today passed Representative Kerry Tipper’s bipartisan bill to create a discounted Keep Colorado Wild Pass to increase access to and funding for Colorado’s state parks and public lands. The bill passed by a vote of 46-17. “Colorado’s sprawling public lands and majestic state parks are at the core of our state’s identity, and we need to take action to ensure they remain available for all to enjoy,” said Rep. Kerry Tipper, D-Lakewood . “The Keep Colorado Wild Pass will help us preserve our breathtaking public lands while expanding access and ensuring our state parks are open to all.” SB21-249 , also sponsored by Rep. Perry Will, R-New Castle, would create the Keep Colorado Wild Pass, which can be paid for at the time a vehicle is registered or during the registration renewal process. The pass grants entry into state parks and other public lands and the revenue collected from the pass will go toward supporting search and rescue efforts and investments in our public lands and state parks, which have taken a toll from a surge in outdoor recreation during the COVID pandemic. The pass will be offered at a discounted price, and will cost no more than half the full price of a state parks pass, with a goal to achieve a $20 price with high participation rates. Previous Next

< Back April 10, 2019 HOUSE COMMITTEE APPROVES REP. HOOTON’S BILL TO STRENGTHEN RIGHTS OF MOBILE HOME OWNERS Colorado currently has over 900 mobile home parks (Apr. 10) — The House Transportation and Local Government committee voted in favor of a bill sponsored by Rep. Edie Hooton, D-Boulder, and Rep. Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, to protect the rights of mobile home owners in mobile parks. “Colorado mobile home owners came to DORA to raise serious concerns about how park owners were treating them. The DORA report found that there is ongoing mistreatment occurring in manufactured home communities due to lack of enforcement of existing laws,” said Rep. Hooton. “In some mobile parks in Colorado, there are bad actors exploiting relatively loose regulatory structures.” The Department of Regulatory Agencies’(DORA) report on Manufactured Housing Community Owners and Managers can be found here . HB19-1309 creates a low cost and effective Mobile Home Park Act Dispute Resolution and Enforcement Program within the Department of Local Affairs Housing Division. It also provides counties the same permissive authority that home-rule municipalities have to enact and enforce regulations. “In rural communities, affordable housing is at a premium and mobile home parks are an essential part of the solution to our housing crisis,” said Rep. McCluskie. “But we have concerns about what is happening at these parks. I am proud to bring forward a bill to put in place a dispute resolution process for effectively and peacefully resolving conflicts.” In addition, HB19-1309 extends the time a homeowner has to sell or move from their home after an eviction from 48 hours to 60 days, and extends the time to cure a late payment from five days to ten days. Approximately 100,000 Coloradans live in mobile homes, many of them within the state’s over 900 mobile home parks. Currently, the only recourse a homeowner of a mobile home has if they believe a park owner has violated the Colorado Mobile Home Park Act (MHPA) is to initiate a private action in civil court, which is often times too expensive for more homeowners. The Colorado Mobile Home Park Act was passed in 1985 and it lists the rights of mobile home owners and park owners, but no enforcement was ever created. The bill passed with a vote of 7-4 and now heads to the House Finance committee. Previous Next

Legislation would reduce barriers for victims of crimes and improve safety of survivors < Back February 13, 2024 Bipartisan Victim Protections Legislation Passes Committee Legislation would reduce barriers for victims of crimes and improve safety of survivors DENVER, CO - The House Judiciary Committee today passed bipartisan legislation to increase safety for survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking, and other crimes by expanding protections around civil protection orders. HB24-1122 unanimously passed by a vote of 11-0. “Not everyone is as lucky as my son and I were to escape their abuser, and civil protection orders are a crucial tool for survivors to escape from dangerous situations," said Majority Leader Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge. "Too many Coloradans live in fear of their safety every day, and they are especially vulnerable to abuse when the abuser finds out that their partner is taking steps to leave them. Our bill makes robust changes to our criminal justice system to reduce barriers and improve the safety of survivors.” HB24-1122 , also sponsored by Minority Leader Rose Pugliese, R-Colorado Springs, would increase protections for victims of domestic violence by: Broadening the definition of domestic violence, changing sexual abuse to sexual violence including sexual harassment, and reframing these forms of violence as patterns of behavior rather than discreet actions, Reducing reasons why a civil protection order may be denied and directing judges to make a temporary protection order permanent without requiring additional evidence of testimony from the survivor when the respondent doesn’t appear at the hearing, Prohibiting a court from serving an abuser with a notice of a civil protection order unless the protection order is granted, improving the safety of victims after they take action against their abuser, Including temporary care and control of any shared children in the civil protection order when requested by one of the parties and prohibiting judicial officers from redirecting survivors to file in a district court instead, Prohibiting the court from hearing a motion to dismiss or modify a civil protection order if filed incorrectly, Preventing survivors from paying their abuser’s attorney’s fees, and Directing cell phone companies to transfer shared phone lines to the survivor’s name and control if requested with the civil protection order. Majority Leader Duran has spearheaded pivotal legislation supporting survivors, including HB23-1222 , which established standards for domestic violence cases tried in municipalities and increased data sharing, and SB22-183 which invested $48 million toward providing critical resources, programs, and support to victims of crime, including domestic violence. She has also passed laws to protect survivors of domestic violence by strengthening enforcement of requirements that certain domestic violence abusers relinquish their firearms. Previous Next

The House Public & Behavioral Health & Human Services today unanimously passed a bipartisan bill by a vote of 11-0 to expand access to community health services through Medicaid reimbursement. < Back April 18, 2023 McCluskie Bill to Increase Affordable Health Care Passes House Committee DENVER, CO - The House Public & Behavioral Health & Human Services today unanimously passed a bipartisan bill by a vote of 11-0 to expand access to community health services through Medicaid reimbursement. “Community Health Workers, like patient navigators and Promotores de salud, are critical to reducing health disparities in rural communities by connecting patients to critically needed preventative, primary and behavioral health services,” said Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon. “Improving patient access to community health workers and preventative care mitigates costly, life-threatening and preventable diseases to keep Coloradans healthy and alive. This legislation bolsters Colorado’s health care workforce capacity to save people money on care and increase access to the services they need in the communities they call home.” SB23-002 , also sponsored by Representative Mary Bradfield, would save money on health care by providing a lower cost option for preventative health care and seeks Medicaid reimbursement for community health workers that would incentivize growth in the workforce. The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) would be authorized to seek federal authorization from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to provide Medicaid reimbursement for community health worker services, which would secure long-term funding to make urgently-needed care both easier to access and more affordable for the Coloradans who depend on it. Services provided by community health workers include preventative services, screening, assessments, behavioral or dental health-related services, health coaching, and advocacy. The bill requires HCPF to seek federal approval by July 1, 2024, and to begin implementing coverage once approval is received. The committee also passed SB23-031 , sponsored by Representatives Brianna Titone and Mandy Lindsay, to expand opportunities for clinical health professions and graduate students enrolled in participating Colorado institutions of higher education through training at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus to better support multidisciplinary health care for aging Coloradans . This training would expand geriatric health care services and work to increase the workforce of specialty providers for older Coloradans across the state. SB23-031 passed by a vote of 11-0. Previous Next

Democratic members of the Joint Budget Committee (JBC) today released the following statements after the Legislative Council Staff (LCS) and the Office of State Planning and Budgeting (OSPB) delivered the March quarterly economic forecasts. < Back March 17, 2025 JOINT RELEASE: Recession Risk Increases, Tight Budget Conditions Persist DENVER, CO – Democratic members of the Joint Budget Committee (JBC) today released the following statements after the Legislative Council Staff (LCS) and the Office of State Planning and Budgeting (OSPB) delivered the March quarterly economic forecasts. “The Joint Budget Committee faces an extraordinarily challenging budget process this year because of the rationing equation in TABOR. Uncertainty at the federal level also poses very real threats to our work at the state level,” said JBC Chair Jeff Bridges, D-Arapahoe County. “However, unlike Washington, we have combed through the budget to make thoughtful, strategic, and bipartisan cuts. Even tougher decisions lie ahead that will impact everyday services Coloradans rely on. Despite these challenges, we’ll wrap up our work later this week to pass a responsible, balanced budget.” “Today’s forecast is a reminder that looming trade wars, federal cuts to Medicaid, and sweeping federal layoffs, will significantly harm Colorado’s economy, drive up prices and worsen our budget crisis,” said JBC Member Emily Sirota, D-Denver. “Coloradans are counting on us to responsibly balance our budget, which means we will need to make cuts in places no one wants in order to protect essential services and our most vulnerable community members. Our tight budget condition is the result of increased Medicaid costs and fiscal constraints, and that means we will need to make tradeoffs to deliver on the services Coloradans rely on.” “This economic forecast highlights the uncertainty driven by federal decision-making and the concerns many Coloradans share about the nation’s economy,” said JBC Member Judy Amabile, D-Boulder. “These challenges compound an already difficult budgeting process that the Joint Budget Committee has been working through and presents new challenges as we think long term about the state’s budget and economy. As we approach the end of our budgeting process, I will work hard to protect critical funding for services like education and behavioral health care – investments that will build stronger, healthier communities for years to come.” “As we get closer to delivering a balanced budget for Coloradans, federally-fueled economic uncertainty is creating alarming risks to our economy and new pressures on our budget process,” said JBC Vice Chair Shannon Bird, D-Westminster. “While we have difficult, painful budget decisions still before us, we’ve worked hard to prioritize the investments that Coloradans rely on in education, health care and public safety. Colorado has a long history of passing bipartisan budgets, and I’d like to recognize the JBC’s diligent, thoughtful work to find responsible cuts that, while still painful, will help us finalize a balanced and responsible budget in these difficult circumstances.” Despite headwinds exacerbated by federal policies, Colorado’s economy remains strong. Driven by lower housing inflation, headline inflation in the Denver area is lower than the nation, and inflation in Colorado has been measured at much lower levels than nationally. The LCS forecast anticipates Colorado’s economy will continue to grow, however “rapidly shifting federal policy” has resulted in downward revisions to the economic forecasts. According to LCS, “over the forecast period, increased tariffs are expected to reduce trade volumes, put upward pressure on prices, and dampen business investment in structures and equipment.” Tariffs will “put upward pressure on retail gasoline prices.” Given the uncertainty surrounding consequential economic decisions made by the Trump administration, including tariffs, freezing federal funds and promised extensive changes to federal economic and tax policy, Colorado’s recession risk has been elevated. President Trump's tariff policies have resulted in more business volatility and uncertainty for consumers, and LCS staff believes there are now more risks to the forecast that could worsen budget conditions (downside risks) as a result of these federal policies. For example, tariffs on the import of crude oil from Canada could raise prices for Colorado consumers. Colorado has a large number of federal employees, some of whom have been subject to mass layoffs by the Trump administration at the USDA, NOAA, IRS and other federal departments. Colorado’s budget conditions remain constrained as costs grow. Medicaid costs have increased in Colorado, mainly due to aging demographics and higher demand for more expensive services, such as long term care. Colorado is facing a budget deficit of more than $1 billion, however, increased costs in Medicaid make up nearly 60 percent of this deficit. Colorado’s Medicaid funding could further be jeopardized if Congress adopts a plan to drastically reduce Medicaid spending. This federal funding cut to Medicaid has the potential to impact Colorado's ability to provide health care to nearly 400,000 Coloradans . The state is also required to fulfill voter-approved investments that further reduce the amount available in a capped budget and require legislative trade offs. The Legislative Council Staff (LCS) forecast anticipates General Fund revenues to be $17.89 billion in FY 2025-2026, adding to an opening balance of $2.20 billion in reserves, and $18.78 billion in FY in 2026-2027 – a 6.5 percent decrease in total funds available when compared year over year. The Office of State Planning and Budgeting (OSPB) anticipates that General Fund revenue will be $17.2 billion for FY 2024-2025 and $18.0 billion for FY 2025-2026 – a $344.6 million decrease for FY 2024-2025 and a $108.5 million decrease for FY 2025-2026 as compared with the December revenue forecast. Previous Next

HB25-1135 will address student cell phone use in classrooms < Back February 19, 2025 Bipartisan Bill to Create Healthier Learning Environments for Students Passes Committee DENVER, CO – The House Education Committee today passed bipartisan legislation to reduce student distraction caused by cell phones and foster a healthier learning environment. “Limiting classroom distractions helps create a learning environment where students are engaged, asking questions and focused on the material,” said Rep. Meghan Lukens, D-Steamboat Springs. “As a teacher, I’ve experienced firsthand the distractions caused by student cell phone use in the classroom. Our bipartisan bill will help address cell phone distractions in our schools so students can focus on learning.” HB25-1135 , also sponsored by Representative Mary Bradfield, R-El Paso County, passed committee by a vote of 12-1. This bill aims to reduce cell phone-related distractions in classroom settings while promoting mental health among Colorado students. HB25-1135 encourages local control by allowing districts to consider their own guidelines when creating their district level policy. This bill would not impose a statewide ban on student cell phone use in Colorado’s public K-12 schools. Under this bill, school districts would create their own policy for student cell phone use in a K-12 setting. Policies must accommodate students with disabilities, and those who rely on those who rely on phones for healthcare needs or learning purposes. Research shows that student use of cell phones in schools can have negative effects on performance, including lower test scores and smaller learning gains. Additionally, cell phone use is associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety. From Florida to Ohio, at least 19 states have laws or policies that prohibit or limit the use of student cell phone use in schools or encourage districts to create their own policies as a best practice. Previous Next

Law increases financial penalties for businesses that violate the law, incentivizes reporting and improves transparency < Back June 5, 2024 ICYMI: Legislation to Increase Penalties for Child Labor Violations Becomes Law Law increases financial penalties for businesses that violate the law, incentivizes reporting and improves transparency DENVER, CO – Governor Jared Polis yesterday signed legislation sponsored by Representatives Sheila Lieder and Judy Amabile into law administratively 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 law significantly increases 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 law encourages violation reporting, improves transparency around enforcement measures, and increases penalties for violations of these common sense protections. Outlined in the law 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 law brings us closer to that important goal.” HB24-1095 updates the Colorado Youth Employment Opportunity Act of 1971 and strengthens the penalty structure. Under current law, first-time child labor law violators face no fines or fines of only a few hundred dollars. This law raises the total range a violator may be fined for first and repeated offenses. HB24-1095 also removes legal disincentives that keep victims of child labor violations from reporting and protect child workers from employer retaliation. Previous Next

< Back May 2, 2022 HOUSE PASSES BILLS TO SAVE COLORADANS AND RESTAURANTS MONEY Legislation will save restaurants $40 million this summer and save Coloradans money on health care and prescription drugs DENVER, CO – The House today passed two bills that will save Coloradans and restaurants money. HB22-1406, sponsored by Representatives Leslie Herod and Dylan Roberts, will save restaurants $40 million this summer by allowing retailers to retain some of the sales tax they collect. HB22-1370, sponsored by Representatives Iman Jodeh and Emily Sirota, will save Coloradans on health care and prescription drugs. “Restaurants were some of the hardest hit businesses during the pandemic, and while public health restrictions have been lifted, they are now facing new challenges from rising costs to a tight labor market,” said Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver. “This legislation will save thousands of restaurants and retailers $40 million this summer to help them address rising costs and fill the open positions that they need to grow.” “Restaurants are the lifeblood of our communities and local economies across the state. Helping them save money helps all of Colorado,” said Rep. Dylan Roberts. D-Avon. “The legislation we passed today will save restaurants up to $70,000 per restaurant and $40 million statewide this summer, which they can use to cover expenses, expand their business, pay their workers more and reduce costs for consumers.” HB22-1406 passed by a vote of 58-7. The bill will save nearly 9,000 restaurants and retailers nearly $40 million this summer by allowing them to deduct up to $70,000 from their net taxable sales, saving businesses about $2,000 in sales tax collections in July, August and September of this year. “With too many Coloradans suffering from the high cost of prescription drugs, we’re making necessary reforms to ensure that savings from prescription drug rebates are passed on to consumers instead of pocketed by highly profitable insurance companies,” said Rep. Iman Jodeh, D-Aurora. “The legislation we passed today will make health insurance more dependable and protect consumers from out of pocket expenses that they weren’t expecting.” “No one should have to pay health care bills because their coverage changed in the middle of their plan year without notice or their consent,” said Rep. Emily Sirota, D-Denver. “This legislation will save Coloradans money on health care and prescription drugs and ensure that people have access to the care and medications their doctors recommend.” HB22-1370 passed by a vote of 42-23. The bill makes prescription drugs and health care more affordable and dependable. The bill ensures doctors are in charge of a patient’s treatment instead of insurance companies by limiting when a patient has to try and fail a treatment that their insurance company prefers before they can get what their doctor recommends. The bill ensures that patients know what they’ll be expected to pay for services by requiring that 25 percent of health plans have a set dollar amount for co-pays instead of unpredictable percentage-based coinsurance. The bill will save Coloradans money on prescription drugs by requiring insurance companies to pass along the savings from manufacturers’ rebates. The bill also restricts health insurance companies from raising the out-of-pocket costs of someone’s prescription medications on the individual market in the middle of their coverage and prohibits companies from dropping coverage of a medication a patient needs midway through the patients’ coverage. Two-thirds of Coloradans are not confident they can pay for their usual health care needs with their existing coverage and more than half of all Coloradans worry about affording the medication they need to stay healthy. Colorado Democrats have prioritized saving people money on health care and have passed landmark legislation, including creating the Colorado Option and Prescription Drug Advisory Board, that will save Coloradans money on health care. Previous Next

< Back June 1, 2021 HOUSE PASSES BILLS TO FINANCE CLEAN ENERGY PROJECTS AND WEATHERIZATION SERVICES DENVER, CO– The House today passed legislation to create jobs and help Colorado build back stronger by financing clean energy projects and weatherization services. These bills are a part of the Colorado Comeback state stimulus, a package of legislation that will invest roughly $800 million into helping Colorado recover faster and build back stronger. “Renewable energy projects create jobs and help Colorado meet our climate goals,” said Rep. Alex Valdez, D-Denver. “By making smart investments that stimulate our economy and get people back to work, Colorado is going to advance new energy projects and clean energy retrofits across the state and build back stronger.” “Colorado is going to lead the way on renewable energy projects that create jobs and protect our environment,” said Rep. Tracey Bernett, D-Longmont. “This innovative approach leverages state funding to draw down significant capital that will finance critical new clean energy and energy efficiency projects that will stimulate our economy and save consumers money.” SB21-230 , sponsored by Representatives Valdez and Burnett, passed by a vote of 42-21. The bill invests $40 million in clean energy finance initiatives through the Colorado Energy Office. The majority of the funds will go to the Colorado Clean Energy Fund (CCEF), which uses the “green bank” model already in operation in over a dozen states to finance clean energy projects and bridge the gaps between businesses and private capital providers. By leveraging limited public funds, the CCEF can draw over $120 million of total investment and create over 2,000 in Colorado communities most impacted by climate change. The remaining funds will be allocated to proven programs within the Colorado Energy Office that support clean energy retrofits, energy-efficient new construction, clean energy lending and funding for the installation of EV charging stations at facilities across the state. “Home weatherization saves property owners money on their utility bills, lowers energy use, increases comfort, and creates good jobs for workers in this critical industry,” said Rep. Edie Hooton, D-Boulder. “This program will help thousands of Coloradans improve the energy efficiency of their homes through cost-effective services that also improve home values.” “New weatherization technologies, such as furnace safety testing or air sealing, help consumers save on their energy bills and reduce energy consumption,” said Rep. Mike Weissman, D-Aurora. “Boosting resources for the Weatherization Assistance Program will create jobs, reduce emissions that harm our environment, and help lower-income Coloradans make important home improvements that will lower their energy bills and also help protect our environment.” The Colorado Energy Office’s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) offers free weatherization support for Colorado’s low-income residents. WAP works to maximize energy cost savings for each client by providing them with cost-effective energy efficiency services. The program’s services focus on the home as a system and include a variety of measures that improve the home’s energy efficiency. These cost-effective services reduce wasted energy and lower heating bill costs, while improving the overall comfort and safety of a home year-round, they include things like air sealing, furnace safety testing, LED light bulb retrofits, and more. SB21-231 , sponsored by Representatives Mike Weissman and Edie Hooton, passed by a vote of 43-20. The bill provides $3 million in additional funding to supplement the program’s $20 million budget. Under its current budget, the program only serves about 2,000 homes per year, although about 500,000 Colorado households could qualify. Previous Next

< Back June 27, 2019 DEMOCRATIC LATINX LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS RESPONDS TO SUPREME COURT DECISION TO REFER CITIZENSHIP QUESTION ON 2020 CENSUS BACK TO LOWER COURTS (June 27) – The members of the Colorado Democratic Latinx Legislative Caucus issued a statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision this morning to refer the addition of a citizenship question on the 2020 Census back to the lower courts. Latinx are the second largest population group in the country and represent over 21 percent of Colorado’s population. “Over the course of the litigation around placing a citizenship question on the 2020 U.S. Census, it became clear that the Trump administration proactively sought to limit the political power of Latinx communities and other communities of color. That is unacceptable and wrong. Today’s Supreme Court decision rightly determined that the administration hasn’t shown enough justification for adding the question, but the fight isn’t over – a lower court will still have to weigh in. “However this ultimately turns out, it will be more important than ever to stand up and be counted in the census. For every person who sits out the census, our state and our communities stand to lose critical federal funds for major programs such as health care, transportation, and education. Our representational democracy is also at stake, because the census counts play a central role in determining how many Congressional representatives Colorado deserves. We know this fight is not over. In order to protect our communities, our future, and our Colorado way of life, we ask our communities to stay vigilant as we watch the proceedings of the lower courts and to stand up and participate in the census.” Valid census data is tied to billions of dollars of federal funding allocations for Colorado. For example, the state received over $93 million in federal funding for Head Start programs supporting early childhood education and nearly $34 million in Community Development Block Grants for FY16 due to accurate Census data. Previous Next

< Back May 10, 2022 HOUSE PASSES BILLS TO IMPROVE AIR QUALITY DENVER, CO – The House today passed two bipartisan bills that will improve air quality and increase access to alternative modes of transportation. Air Quality Improvements: SB22-193 , sponsored by Representatives Meg Froelich and Alex Valdez, would provide funding for several different programs in the transportation and industrial sectors, as well as the Department of Public Health and Environment, to reduce emissions and improve Colorado’s air quality. The bill includes record investments in clean transportation initiatives and air quality monitoring and incentives. The bill passed 41-24. “Poor air quality along the Front Range has become intolerable, and it’s leading to negative health outcomes, especially for children,” said Rep. Alex Valdez, D-Denver. “This legislature is making the single largest investment in our state’s history to improve our air quality, reduce harmful emissions and build a healthier Colorado.” “We’ve made addressing poor air quality one of our top priorities this session, and I’m proud to see the House pass this robust package of bills that will help make it easier for Coloradans to breathe all along the front range,” said Rep. Meg Froelich, D-Englewood. “This $111 million investment will create cleaner commuting options and help private entities and local governments finance projects that reduce industrial emissions.” SB22-193 will invest $111.25 million to improve Colorado’s air quality. This includes: $65 million for the Electrifying School Buses Grant Program to help school districts and charter schools convert and replace fossil-fuel reliant school buses with electric-powered school buses. $25 million for the Industrial and Manufacturing Operations Clean Air Grant Program to help private entities, local governments, and public-private partnerships finance projects to reduce industrial emissions through different technologies such as beneficial electrification, renewable energy projects, and methane capture. $12 million for the Community Access to Electric Bicycles Grant and Rebate programs which will ease and accelerate the adoption of electric bicycles by providing businesses, local governments, and individuals discounted e-bikes and easier access to e-bike sharing programs. $7 million for increased and expanded aerial surveying and localized monitoring to help identify leaks at oil and gas facilities. $1.5 million for financing and incentives for cannabis producers to reduce their energy and water use. $750,000 for increasing access to transit for state employees. Protecting Communities from Contamination from Orphan Wells: SB22-198 , sponsored by Representatives Mike Weissman and Perry Will, aims to reduce methane emissions from abandoned, unmaintained oil and gas wells by creating a sustainable funding mechanism to plug, remediate, and reclaim orphan wells. The bill passed 45-20. “Oil and gas wells that have been abandoned are a significant contributor to harmful methane emissions and are a liability for taxpayers,” said Rep. Mike Weissman, D-Aurora. “This bipartisan bill will address environmental and public health concerns from orphaned oil and gas wells and ensure that operators pay their fair share to clean up abandoned wells so taxpayers aren’t left on the hook to deal with them or the health impacts they cause.” Colorado has more than 200 orphaned wells and 500 orphaned sites, which leak methane and contribute to climate change. If passed, SB22-198 would create an enterprise within the Department of Natural Resources to fund, through annual per well fees paid by operators, the proper plugging and remediation of orphaned or abandoned wells. This bill works to complement the recent financial assurances rulemaking required in SB19-181. Saving Consumers Money on Energy Efficiency Devices: SB22-051 , sponsored by Representative Emily Sirota, would exempt certain decarbonizing building materials from state sales and use tax and allow a tax credit of 10 percent of the costs of installing energy efficient heat pump water or air cooling or heating systems. The bill passed 40-25. “Energy efficiency devices like heat pumps reduce our use of dirty fuels and lower emissions, which will improve air quality and save Coloradans money,” said Rep. Emily Sirota, D-Denver. “This bill will save families and businesses money when they install energy efficient heating and cooling systems, which in turn will also save them money on energy costs.” Previous Next