Bill to Improve Language Access Passes Senate Committee

HB25-1153 would authorize a statewide assessment of language accessibility across all principal departments

DENVER, CO – Senator Iman Jodeh’s, D-Aurora, bill to improve language access across all Colorado state departments passed the Senate State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee today. 

“Equality under the law is not possible without equal access to state services for the more than 300,000 Coloradans who speak a language other than English,” Jodeh said. “The assessments this bill would activate would be our due diligence to ensure that we are striving for true equal access to the public services like job training opportunities, rental assistance, and legal rights support that make Colorado great.”

HB25-1153 would require a language access assessment to be conducted in most state departments. This assessment would help identify departments’ needs for compliance with language access standards, identify existing language services, and recommend improvements to ensure Coloradans can access government services, regardless of English fluency.

The bill would require the findings from the assessment to be included in a report by December 31, 2026. The report would include findings and recommendations including:

• Improving efficiency, increasing quality of service, reducing costs, avoiding duplicative work, utilizing existing best practices, and minimizing administrative burden when implementing linguistically accessible government services and programs,

• Addressing gaps in language access and improving meaningful services,

• Identifying potential technological advancements to increase language access, and

• Determining what infrastructure is needed to fully implement the standards in the language access universal policy.

Senator Jodeh has championed other legislation this year to increase opportunities for representation and access in state government. SB25-050, also sponsored by Jodeh, would require a space to indicate Middle Eastern, North African, or South Asian identity on government classification forms. 

A December 2024 report from the Office of New Americans found that language access in Colorado state agencies varied and lacked coordination, but nearly all state agencies expressed interest in receiving additional support from the state to address language access needs.

HB25-1153 now moves to the Senate Appropriations Committee for further consideration. Track its progress HERE. 

Senate Approves Legislation to Update Building Codes, Make Housing More Affordable

DENVER, CO – Today Senators Matt Ball, D-Denver, and Nick Hinrichsen’s, D-Pueblo, legislation to make housing more affordable by updating building codes to only require one stairwell for certain multi-family buildings passed the Senate.

“Single-stair buildings are a safe and practical solution that make it far easier to build apartments with enough bedrooms to comfortably house Colorado families,” said Ball. “Single-stair buildings can also be impressive architectural additions to our neighborhoods. I’m proud to sponsor legislation that modernizes our building codes and positions Colorado at the forefront of innovative solutions to our housing crisis."

“Colorado is facing a housing crisis and we must explore every option to build more homes that families can afford,” said Hinrichsen. “Modernizing outdated building codes to allow for single-stair apartment buildings, where modern technology and building materials makes doing so safe, is a simple and effective solution that will open up opportunities to build more affordable housing and revitalize our neighborhoods. This legislation is a critical way that we can increase housing supply, drive down costs, and ensure that every Coloradan has a safe, affordable place to call home.”

Beginning December 1, 2027, HB25-1273 would require a municipality of 100,000 or more residents that is served by an accredited fire protection district, fire department, or fire authority to ensure that their building code allows certain multi-family residential buildings up to five stories to be served by a single exit.

Additional requirements to qualify for a single-stairway exit include:

• Buildings no more than five stories tall with up to four dwelling units per floor,

• Safety features throughout the building that satisfy building codes and other relevant codes, including an automatic sprinkler system and fire resistance and smoke control systems,

• Stairways no more than twenty feet away from a door to each dwelling unit and 125 feet from the stairway to any point in a dwelling unit, 

• Aerial access by the building’s applicable fire department or protection district, and

• Buildings constructed of non-combustible or fire-resistive construction materials.

The bill would also require a jurisdiction to notify their local International Association of Fire Fighters affiliate and the Colorado Professional Fire Fighters Association (CPFF) when they begin the code adoption process and when considering code changes relative to buildings impacted by the bill. These buildings would also be required to include signage to identify that it is a single stair building and a fire-resistant box that contains keys to the buildings for relevant firefighters to access the building and necessary units. 

Under the bill, the Department of Local Affairs would be required to consult with CPFF on implementation and data collection regarding single stair buildings constructed in each jurisdiction and the reporting of that data to the legislature during annual SMART Act hearings. 

According to a 2025 Pew Study, there has been no evidence of safety risks in New York City, Seattle, the Netherlands, and other jurisdictions that allow single stair apartments to be built. Adding a second stairway to an apartment building can increase building costs by six to 13 percent, and single stair apartments can reduce cooling costs by up to 80 percent.

HB25-1273 now returns to the House for consideration of amendments.

Legislation to Increase Access to Affordable Prescription Medication Passes Senate

SB25-289 would create a program to safely donate and dispense certain unused medicine

DENVER, CO – The Senate today passed legislation to increase access to low-cost prescription medication through the creation of a drug donation program. 

SB25-289, sponsored by Assistant Majority Leader Lisa Cutter, D-Jefferson County, would allow individuals and institutions to safely donate unused medication to licensed, eligible, and/or certified redistribution centers. Redistribution centers could include pharmacies, clinics, health-care providers, and hospitals. 

“Every year, the United States spends billions to dispose of unused prescription medicines from nursing homes, assisted living residences, hospices, and jails,” said Cutter. “Additionally, many left-over prescriptions are flushed down the toilet or thrown into the trash, which causes immeasurable harm to our environment and water supply. With SB25-289, we can create a program to reduce waste, protect the environment, and help Coloradans access the medication they need.”

In 2021, 9.7 percent of Colorado residents reported being unable to fill their prescription due to cost. Of those, 40 percent said their health condition worsened as a result. Under the bill, patients in need would have access to free and low-cost donated medicine. The program would exclude opioids, scheduled medications, and medicines that require special storage conditions unless storage conditions can be verified. As amended, the bill would also establish a veterinary drug donation program. 

The creation of this program, including best practices from other states and safety provisions, has been extensively researched by a task force created by SB22-098.

SB25-289 now heads to the House for further consideration. Track its progress HERE.

Legislation to Protect Victims of Intimate Deepfakes Passes Senate

DENVER, CO – The Senate today approved Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez’s, D-Denver, legislation to protect victims of intimate deepfakes, or sexually explicit AI-generated material, especially those that involve children.

“Artificial intelligence is moving at light speed and working on policy to address its impacts can be an uphill battle,” said Rodriguez. “SB288 will put Colorado on the same level as 37 other states and the federal government, which have enacted laws that criminalize possession, creation, and distribution of AI-generated or computer-edited child sexual abuse material. This will allow both adult and child victims of intimate deepfakes and explicit AI-generated materials to seek justice against perpetrators and bad actors.”

SB25-288 would create a private right of action and allow a victim depicted in a sexually explicit digital image, or deepfake, who has suffered harm from the image to sue an individual who disclosed the image if the victim:

• Did not consent to disclosure of the deepfake,

• Would experience severe emotional distress from the disclosure, and

• Was identifiable. 

The bill outlines the strict criteria required to establish consent, including requiring affirmative, conscious, and voluntary authorization from a depicted individual, and who can bring a case if the depicted person is less than 18 years of age.

In a lawsuit, a victim could recover any money the defendant made from the image plus either the actual damages, including emotional distress, or $150,000 – whichever is greater.

The bill would also update the definition of "sexually exploitative material" in the context of the criminal law punishing sexual exploitation of a child to include realistic computer-generated digital depictions that are obscene. 

Provisions in the bill clarify that juveniles sharing images of themselves or posting intimate images without permission of similarly aged teens are not charged as adults with distribution of child pornography, but rather charged as juveniles under existing statute regarding sexting.

SB25-288 now moves to the House for further consideration.

Senate Approves Bill to Reduce Gun Violence Among Youth

HB25-1250 would seek to educate students and their families about preventing gun violence

DENVER, CO – Legislation sponsored by Senate Assistant Majority Leader Lisa Cutter, D-Jefferson County, to standardize the distribution of educational materials about gun violence prevention to caregivers of Colorado kids passed the Senate today. 

“Preventing acts of gun violence begins at home,” Cutter said. “Some of the most devastating and preventable tragedies in our nation’s history have happened in Colorado schools, and one in three Colorado Middle and High School students say they can access a firearm in their home. Safe storage dramatically reduces firearm suicides and overall youth firearm fatalities. Information is power, and this bill simply helps inform and educate students and their families about gun violence and how to prevent it." 

HB25-1250 would require the Office of Gun Violence Prevention in the Department of Public Health and Environment to accessibly post educational materials about preventing gun violence on its website to be distributed to school districts, charter schools, a board of cooperative services, and the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind at the beginning of each school year. Under the bill, local education providers would also be required to post the materials on their websites.

Denver has worked closely with CU Boulder and Denver Health to use evidence-based approaches to addressing youth violence in Colorado. A Public Health Institute report outlined helpful public health focused strategies to combat youth violence, including the importance of identifying risk factors, intervening before violence can occur, and increasing awareness of this topic as a deterrent of gun violence.

HB25-1250 now moves to the Governor’s desk for his signature. Track its progress HERE. 

Senate Approves Bill to Support Workers on Public Construction Projects

HB25-1130 would boost labor protections for construction jobs by state agencies

DENVER, CO – The Senate today passed legislation sponsored by Senator Jessie Danielson, D-Wheat Ridge, and Chris Kolker, D-Centennial, to allow public projects to use Project Labor Agreements to ensure worker protections. 

“The health of Colorado’s public sector depends on high-quality, well-paid jobs protected by Project Labor Agreements that work for both employers and workers,” Danielson said. “We’ve passed measures in recent years to expand apprenticeship opportunities and build a skilled, protected workforce, and this bill would broaden these protections to the public construction sector.”

“I am committed to ensuring that Colorado workers are paid fairly for their work and protected from unfair employer practices,” Kolker said. “This bill would simply extend existing worker protections to make Colorado law consistent across all sectors.”

HB25-1130 would implement project labor provisions to ensure that state projects, like their energy sector counterparts, have the option and authorization to utilize this procurement method.

The bill would define a project labor agreement as a collective bargaining agreement between a lead contractor for a public project and construction labor organizations to establish the terms and conditions of employment of the construction workforce on the public project. These agreements must include guarantees around strikes and lockouts, requirements to resolve disputes before project completion, and policy objectives regarding underrepresented minorities in the construction industry. 

This legislation builds on the Colorado Quality Apprenticeship Training Act of 2019, also sponsored by Senator Danielson, to establish apprenticeship protections for public projects and a 2023 law to create clear and fair working standards for Colorado workers transitioning into the clean energy sector. 

HB25-1130 now moves to the Governor’s desk for his signature. Track its progress HERE. 

Bill to Prevent Youth Overdoses Passes Committee

HB25-1293 would increase overdose prevention education and treatments in Colorado high schools

DENVER, CO – Legislation sponsored by Senator Marc Snyder, D-Manitou Springs, to prevent youth overdoses passed the Senate Education Committee today. 

“Opioid overdose is the third leading cause of deaths among young people in our nation, and we must be doing more to combat these tragedies,” Snyder said. “This bill outlines commonsense solutions to equip students with the tools they need to prevent overdose and save lives.”

Cosponsored by Senator Byron Pelton, R-Sterling, HB25-1293 would add education standards for opioid overdose identification, risks, prevention, and response to high school curricula statewide. It would also allow public and non-public schools to seek gifts, grants, and donations to acquire and maintain a supply of Naloxone and other opioid antagonists on school campuses.

Colorado has the second highest rate of overdose deaths among adolescents nationwide. Overdose education and Naloxone distribution are proven to be crucial in preventing death due to opioid overdose. 

Last year, Colorado lawmakers championed a law that made opioid antagonists and drug testing strips available on school buses and in school buildings. 

HB25-1293 now moves to the Senate Appropriations Committee for further consideration. Track its progress HERE.

Legislation to Protect Consumers, Improve EV Charging Oversight Passes Committee

HB25-1267 would boost charging stations’ accuracy and reliability

DENVER, CO – The Senate Transportation and Energy Committee today passed legislation to improve electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and oversight.

HB25-1267, sponsored by Senators Faith Winter, D-Broomfield, and Judy Amabile, D-Boulder, would improve oversight of retail EV charging stations to ensure consumers receive the energy they pay for. To accomplish this, the bill would authorize the creation of new statewide retail EV charging station rules to establish and oversee minimum standards.

"Consumer protections are already in place to ensure drivers get the gas they pay for at the pump,” said Winter. “This bill updates Colorado law to extend those same protections to EV drivers. HB25-1267 is one of several important steps we are taking to move Colorado’s transportation infrastructure toward a sustainable, reliable, and affordable future."

"Colorado needs EV charging infrastructure that is dependable, accurate, and ready to serve our growing number of electric vehicle drivers,” said Amabile. “Consumers deserve the confidence to know that the electricity they pay for is exactly what they will receive to power their vehicles and go about their lives."

Colorado now ranks first in the country for market share of new EVs, surpassing California. This legislation would help Colorado meet current and future EV infrastructure demand by modifying the EV grant fund to support rulemaking to update policies, procedures, and oversight of public charging stations. The bill would also give the Community Access Enterprise authority to reduce its fee if necessary 

The state already monitors gas pumps to ensure consumers receive the amount of gas they are paying for; this bill extends the same consumer protection protocols for EV drivers. 

In 2023, Colorado Democrats championed an expansive tax credit package that included incentives for EV buyers to reach our state’s climate goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2030.

HB25-1267 now heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee for further consideration. Track its progress HERE.

Legislation to Save Coloradans Money by Cracking Down on Rent Algorithms Passes Senate

HB25-1004 would prohibit landlords from using price-fixing software

DENVER, CO – The Senate today passed legislation that would bring down costs for Coloradans by cracking down on rent algorithms that drive up housing prices.

HB25-1004, sponsored by Senators Julie Gonzales, D-Denver, and Nick Hinrichsen, D-Pueblo, would save Coloradans money on housing by prohibiting the use, sale, and distribution of software that facilitates coordinated rental pricing. Violations would be considered price fixing under the Colorado Antitrust Act.  

“While our communities are struggling to pay their rent, keep a roof over their heads, and provide for their families, corporate landlords are using software to raise rents for everyone,” said Gonzales. “Colorado renters deserve better. This bill would clarify the law to prohibit corporate landlords from illegal price fixing that lines their own pockets at the expense of hardworking Colorado families.” 

“Renters across the state – including in Pueblo – are being squeezed by rising rents and the growing presence of corporate landlords who drive up prices and displace small, local owners,” said Hinrichsen. “Price fixing is already illegal, but new software is allowing corporations to skirt the law and coordinate pricing away from the public eye. This bill modernizes Colorado law to keep pace with new technology and helps ensure rental housing stays affordable for our communities.”

A recent report found that coordinated rents from algorithmic pricing increase rent prices by $136 per month for Denver renters, or close to $1,600 per year. 

In January 2025, Colorado joined a federal lawsuit to sue six of the largest landlords in the US for participating in algorithmic pricing schemes that harm renters. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser joined another federal lawsuit in August 2024 against RealPage, Inc. for allegedly using illegal agreements with landlords to carry out a price-fixing scheme that has cost Coloradans millions of dollars in rent payments.

HB25-1004 now heads back to the House for consideration of amendments. Track its progress HERE.

Legislation to Protect Access to Health Care, Stabilize Health Care Safety Net Passes Senate

SB25-290 would support medical providers that serve low-income communities, protecting access to essential health care for thousands of Coloradans

DENVER, CO – Bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senator Kyle Mullica, D-Thornton, to protect access to essential health care for thousands of Coloradans passed the Senate today.

SB25-290, also sponsored by Senator Barb Kirkmeyer, R-Weld County, would provide immediate financial support to a broad cross-section of safety net health providers including  rural hospitals, community health centers, and behavioral health clinics to provide stability while long-term, comprehensive solutions can be developed. 

“In every corner of Colorado, our health care safety net is in crisis. Senate bill 290 is a much-needed lifeline to ensure the most vulnerable people of our state continue to have access to health care,” said Mullica. “Between higher costs and workforce shortages, our safety net providers are facing unprecedented pressures, with more than half reporting operating in the negative. This bill fills an immediate need to ensure these safety net providers can keep their doors open and the people of Colorado can still receive the care they need.”

The bill would create the Provider Stabilization Fund within the Department of the Treasury to distribute stabilization payments to safety net providers who provide care to low-income, uninsured individuals on a sliding-scale or for free. The bill would transfer interest earnings and, if necessary, principal from the Unclaimed Property Tax Trust Fund to the Provider Stabilization Fund as a loan. Payments would be distributed based on the proportion of low-income, uninsured individuals that the provider serves. 

SB25-290 now heads to the House for further consideration. Track its progress HERE.

Bill to Improve Consumer Protections in Energy Sales Passes Senate

SB25-299 would ensure consumer protection for Coloradans entering into contracts for solar products

DENVER, CO – A bill sponsored by Senator Katie Wallace, D-Longmont, to protect consumers who enter into contracts for solar energy products passed the Senate today. 

“Right now, consumers can easily be ripped off when entering contracts for solar energy products – which are key to reaching Colorado’s carbon reduction goals,” Wallace said. “In order to reach these goals and effectively address the climate crisis, we must take proactive steps to make clean energy products more accessible and protect consumers in the process.”

SB25-299 would establish procedures that solar sales companies must follow when engaging with consumers. It would require standardized disclosure, contracting, sales material, warranty, and enforcement requirements to ensure Colorado consumers have the best information available about investing in a residential clean energy system. It would apply to each solar electric system or residential battery energy storage system agreement entered into on or after December 31, 2025.

The bill now moves to the House for further consideration. Track its progress HERE. 

Legislation to Save Coloradans Money on Preventive Health Care, Prescription Drugs Passes Senate

Bills would ensure free breast cancer screenings and reduce barriers to changing dose or frequency of a medication

DENVER, CO – The Senate today passed legislation to save Coloradans money on health care by ensuring free breast cancer examinations and streamlining providers’ ability to change dosage or frequency of medications.

In 2019, the legislature passed HB19-1301 to establish no-cost coverage for preventive breast exams. SB25-296, sponsored by Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City, would build on existing law to ensure that follow-up diagnostic and supplemental exams are covered at no cost. The bill would also relocate and clarify existing statute to make high-risk breast cancer screening requirements clearer for providers, insurers, and patients. 

“As someone who has walked the path of breast cancer, I know that access to free preventive screenings saves lives,” said Michaelson Jenet. “Existing Colorado law already ensures that breast cancer prevention screenings are covered by insurance at no cost to the patient. SB25-296 clarifies existing law to ensure that follow-up and diagnostic examinations are covered at no cost so that the people at highest risk can access the care they need to get answers and move forward.” 

SB25-301, a bipartisan bill sponsored by Senator Katie Wallace, D-Longmont, would prohibit insurance companies from imposing prior authorization requirements to adjust the dose or frequency of medication already being used by a patient for a chronic condition. Providers could make such adjustments up to two times without prior authorization. 

“SB25-301 would increase affordable, consistent access to the medication Coloradans with chronic illnesses rely on by allowing a health care provider to adjust the dose of a medication without needing to go through additional, lengthy insurance authorization processes,” said Wallace. “Colorado’s health care providers know what’s best for their patients, not insurance companies. This bill gives providers the flexibility to respond to their patients’ needs without fear of losing insurance coverage for necessary adjustments.”

In 2015, 3.1 million Coloradans had at least one chronic disease. Many chronic diseases may require adjustment of medication doses to effectively treat the illness. This bill would reduce administrative burdens and accelerate access to timely, appropriate care. 

Both bills now head to the House for further consideration. Track their progress: SB25-296, SB25-301.

Freedom from Intimidation in Elections Act Clears Senate

HB25-1225 would expand protections against intimidation for voters and election workers

DENVER, CO – Legislation sponsored by Senators Nick Hinrichsen, D-Pueblo, and Lindsey Daugherty, D-Arvada, to protect voters and election workers from intimidation passed the Senate today. 

“Coloradans in rural and underserved communities are disproportionately impacted by efforts to suppress voters,” Hinrichsen said. “It is critical that we shore up protections for voters so that everyone, regardless of zip code or identity, feels safe participating in our democratic process.”

“Colorado’s gold-standard free and fair elections are the backbone of our democracy,” Daugherty said. “Increased threats of violence have put voters and election workers at risk of danger. This bill would strengthen protections for all people involved in our elections process so that everyone feels safe to be represented and make their voices heard.”

HB25-1225, also known as the Freedom from Intimidation in Elections Act, would expand protections against intimidation, threats or coercion while voting, attempting to vote, assisting others in voting, or helping to administer an election. Under the bill, carrying a visible firearm, imitation firearm or toy firearm while engaging in certain election-related activities would be considered intimidation, with exceptions for law enforcement officials and hired on-site security. The bill would also allow an individual who alleges intimidation or coercion to pursue civil recourse. 

This bill is the latest in a series of legislation passed by Colorado Democrats in recent years to protect voters from intimidation, including a 2022 law to prevent armed voter intimidation by prohibiting the open carry of firearms at or near polling centers.

HB25-1225 now moves back to the House for consideration of amendments. Track its progress HERE. 

Signed! Bipartisan FY25-26 Budget to Protect Investments in K-12 Education, Medicaid

DENVER, CO – The Governor today signed the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 state budget. This bipartisan budget protects critical investments in K-12 education and Medicaid, caps tuition for higher education, and makes responsible reductions across programs and agencies to achieve a balanced budget. The state’s $43.9 billion budget contains $16.7 billion in general fund expenditures.

“This is a budget that no one is happy with but that everyone can be proud of,” said Joint Budget Committee Chair Jeff Bridges, D-Arapahoe County. “Thanks to the rationing equation in TABOR, the Joint Budget Committee faced difficult decisions that resulted in painful tradeoffs. But unlike Washington, we made these cuts thoughtfully, strategically, and with bipartisan support. We eliminated dozens of programs and invested those savings in public education, and public safety, and public lands. It’s not a perfect budget, but it’s responsible and responsive to our TABOR constraints while keeping our commitment to the people of Colorado.”

“This budget navigates significant reductions in resources while still meeting our core responsibilities,” said Joint Budget Committee Chair Vice Chair Rep. Shannon Bird, D-Westminster. “From protecting access to healthcare for our most vulnerable to fully funding our public schools and capping college tuition increases, this bipartisan budget invests in the services that Coloradans rely on. Despite having to make painful decisions, I'm pleased with our efforts to preserve the services that keep Coloradans safe and healthy and expand opportunity for all."

“After months of precise and careful decision-making to minimize the impact of $1.2 billion in cuts to the state budget, we crafted a responsible budget that invests in the well-being of every Coloradan by protecting funding for Medicaid, K-12 education, and food stamps,” said Joint Budget Committee member Judy Amabile, D-Boulder. “Despite a challenging budget situation exacerbated by federal uncertainty, we remain committed to creating every possible opportunity for Colorado communities and families to thrive.”

“I’m proud of the thoughtful decisions we made to soften the impact of our $1.2 billion gap while prioritizing the essential services that families and older Coloradans need,” said Joint Budget Committee member Rep. Emily Sirota, D-Denver. “Our state’s fiscal restraints and TABOR-required cuts forced us to make tough reductions to important services in order to protect funding for K-12 and higher education, Medicaid and Healthy School Meals for All."

Protecting Investments in K-12 and Higher Education

• Protecting K-12 Funding: In just the last few years, Colorado Democrats have increased total funding for our schools by nearly $3 billion. Since the 2018-19 school year, per pupil funding has increased from $8,123 to $11,852 next year. Despite a declining enrollment environment, this year’s budget builds on steady progress to increase the resources going to our classrooms by directing an additional $150 million more from the General Fund into schools as compared to the FY24-25 budget.

• Capping Tuition Rates for Higher Education: In recent years, Colorado Democrats have fought to increase college access by limiting tuition increases and boosting funding for financial aid. This year’s budget includes a 3.5 percent cap on tuition increases for in-state students.

Continuing Medicaid Services for Vulnerable Coloradans

• Protecting Medicaid Services that Coloradans Rely On: This year, Colorado Democrats rejected proposed reductions to provider rates and instead secured a moderate 1.6 percent increase and protected Medicaid eligibility, avoiding dire impacts to Coloradans who rely on Medicaid services. However, this progress remains under threat by federal government actions to potentially cut Medicaid.

• Continuing Dental Services Provided Through Medicaid: This year’s budget protects funding for Coloradans on Medicaid to receive dental care.

Supporting Colorado Kids and Families

• Bolstering Child Care Assistance: The budget invests $15 million in FY24-25 and $10 million in FY25-26 to increase support for the child care assistance program, a vital resource for low-income families to ensure access to quality child care providers which have seen long waitlists and frozen enrollment in many counties due to funding restrictions.

• Early Intervention Support for Colorado Children: The budget increases support for early intervention services that help bridge developmental gaps for infants and toddlers who were born premature or with other special needs. This year, Colorado Democrats acted swiftly to plug an unexpected gap in funding in FY24-25 by providing $4 million to halt proposed service reductions, and are investing an additional $16.5 million to sustain the program in FY25-26.

• Healthy School Meals for All: This budget fully funds the Healthy School Meals for All program through the end of the year, preserving what voters previously approved at the ballot. If HB25-1274 passes, a referred ballot measure in November will ask voters to weigh in on whether to raise the needed revenue to continue the program or scale it back. 

• Anti-Poverty Programs Administered by Local Governments: This year’s budget protects programs like TANF and SNAP administered by local governments to serve the most vulnerable communities.

Preserving Colorado’s Public Lands and Natural Resources

• Investing in State Parks: This budget preserves and improves Colorado’s state parks, including $52 million in investments to protect critical habitats, maintain park facilities, and reinforce parks' infrastructure.

• Promoting Water Conservation: This year’s budget protects funding for water conservation and resource management projects to ensure access to clean water for generations of Coloradans to come. 

Safeguarding Colorado's Civil Liberties

• Maintaining Election Security: The Trump administration abruptly halted federal support for election security, including from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. This budget keeps Colorado’s elections safe and secure by providing $410,000 for robust security assessments and critical technology for all local election systems. 

• Defending Against Unlawful Federal Actions: Amidst ongoing uncertainty from the Trump administration, the budget allocates an additional $604,000 for increased support in the Attorney General’s Office to fight reckless, unlawful federal actions and protect federal funding that Coloradans rely on. This year’s budget also creates The Colorado Defense Fund and sets aside $4 million via SB25-269 and HB25-1321 to protect Colorado from the Trump administration's attempts to freeze federal grants or undermine Colorado’s sovereignty.

Senate Approves Legislation to Create The Colorado Defense Fund

The Colorado Defense Fund sets aside $4 million to “Musk-proof” Colorado from federal actions that threaten the Colorado way of life

DENVER, CO – Today the Senate approved Senators Jeff Bridges, D-Arapahoe County, and Judy Amabile’s, D-Boulder, legislation to protect Colorado taxpayers and critical state services from funding freezes and federal actions that threaten the Colorado way of life.

The Colorado Defense Fund, HB25-1321, comes in the wake of recent adverse action by the Trump administration, including federal funding freezes, disruptions to essential services, and mass lay-offs. The bill would set aside $4 million to protect Colorado’s interests from federal efforts to freeze funding, halt contracts, or otherwise disrupt essential services for Coloradans.

“Our Colorado way of life is not insulated from the chaos we’re seeing from Washington,” said Bridges. “We’ve already seen unprecedented funding and grant program freezes from the federal government that have halted services that Coloradans rely on, with little consideration of long term impacts. This additional funding will ensure that Colorado is ready to respond swiftly and effectively to future federal actions that threaten nonnegotiable services like health care, early childhood education, and public safety.”

“Federal funding provides essential services like fixing our roads and improving access to health care – services that Colorado cannot fully fund alone,” said Amabile. “When billionaires in Washington play games with taxpayer money, everyday Coloradans are going to feel the impacts. The Colorado Defense Fund is a critical way for us to protect our taxpayers from federal overreach and preserve our Colorado way of life.”

Coloradans pay more in federal taxes than the state receives back in federal funding, making federal funding freezes even more painful for taxpayers. The legislation stands up for Colorado, protects Colorado taxpayers’ return on investment, and minimizes the impact of volatile federal actions on our economy and the Colorado way of life.

Under the bill, the governor could use funds to respond to federal action. This includes working to mitigate the impacts of disruptions in federal funding and responding to legal proceedings, inquiries, hearings and investigations initiated or threatened by the federal government. These funds could also be used to defend or protect state officers and employees acting in their official role. 

In January, the Trump administration, through the recommendation of Elon Musk’s DOGE, froze more than $570 million in federal funding to Colorado. In response, Colorado joined a 22-state lawsuit to restore federal funding. 

While most of the funding has been restored through a federal judge, more than $69 million in public safety grants are still being withheld by the federal government. Colorado’s ability to deliver on essential government services relies on $13.9 billion in federal funding. 

Sweeping federal action has caused uncertainty and disruption for Colorado. For example, the federal government recently revoked more than $250 million in federal public and behavioral health care funding and $25.6 million already allocated to address drought in the Colorado River Basin has been paused. 

HB25-1321 now heads to the Governor’s desk for his signature.

Senate Approves Legislation to Strengthen the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act

HB25-1239 would expand protections under the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act

DENVER, CO - The Senate today advanced legislation to strengthen Colorado’s anti-discrimination laws.

HB25-1239, sponsored by Senators Lindsey Daugherty, D-Arvada, and Mike Weissman, D-Aurora, would expand protections under the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA) to protect vulnerable communities, especially Coloradans with disabilities. 

“The cost of hiring an attorney prevents many Coloradans from pursuing justice after facing discrimination,” said Daugherty. “People with disabilities who are denied housing or turned away from public spaces deserve a clear path to hold wrongdoers accountable and access the support they need to move forward.”

“People with disabilities should have the same rights to seek damages after experiencing discrimination as any other protected group,” said Weissman. “This bill ensures that people with disabilities can be compensated for attorney fees, emotional distress, and other noneconomic harms if they experience discrimination or violation of their civil rights.”

This bill comes from a task force established by the legislature in 2023 to study the rights of Coloradans with disabilities and make recommendations. HB25-1239 would be the largest expansion of CADA enforcement rights since CADA was passed nearly 70 years ago.

This bill would allow victims of discrimination to receive monetary compensation for unfair housing practices, discrimination in places of public accommodation, or a violation of their civil rights under the CADA for all protected classes. Under the bill, victims would be able to pursue attorney’s fees and costs, and either recovery of actual monetary damages, non-economic damages of up to $50,000, or a statutory fine of $5,000 per violation per aggrieved party.

Awards for damages for non-economic loss or injury would be limited to $50,000. A defendant would be entitled to a 50 percent reduction of the amount of the non-economic loss or injury if the defendant corrects the violation within 30 days of the complaint and did not knowingly, intentionally, or recklessly cause the violation.

HB25-1239 now heads back to the House for consideration of amendments. Track its progress HERE. 

Legislation to Expand Behavioral Health Care Access and Workforce Capacity Passes Senate

Two Joint Budget Committee bills would increase access to behavioral health treatment for Colorado youth and veterans

DENVER, CO – Legislation sponsored by Joint Budget Committee (JBC) Chair Jeff Bridges, D-Arapahoe County, and JBC member Judy Amabile, D-Boulder, to invest in Colorado’s health care workforce and behavioral health services passed the Senate today.

“These bills leverage existing resources to expand our state’s investment in behavioral health treatment for youth and veterans, while building long-term capacity to meet emerging behavioral health needs,” said Bridges. “By passing Proposition KK, Colorado voters made it clear that expanding access to mental and behavioral health care is a priority. These bills honor that commitment by creating both immediate and long-lasting solutions.”

“As a parent of someone with a serious mental illness, I understand how critical early access to mental and behavioral health care is for Colorado’s youth,” said Amabile. “Comprehensive treatment at an early age helps set our kids on a path to lifelong success and can prevent immeasurable pain and financial hardship in their future. These bills ensure consistent funding and increased capacity to serve youth, veterans, and other Coloradans in need.”

SB25-292 would establish a new Workforce Capacity Center, or “Center of Excellence,” to provide specialized health care training on evidenced-based systems of care for children and youth, modeled after a similar program in Ohio. The center would be placed within a state university and would provide technical assistance, training, evaluation, and continuous quality improvement to build and sustain capacity to meet the needs of Colorado youth. The bill would create job opportunities, train Colorado’s emerging health care workforce, and fill existing gaps in necessary services. 

Colorado voters approved Proposition KK last November, which created a firearms and ammunition excise tax to fund mental and behavioral health services. SB25-295 would implement the voter-approved measure by transferring $8 million of new, sustainable funding received from Proposition KK to the behavioral and mental health excise tax cash fund to be used to provide necessary mental and behavioral health treatment. Five million would go toward veterans mental health services and three million would support crisis services for children and youth. 

Both bills will now head to the House for further consideration. Track their progress: SB25-292, SB25-295. 

ICYMI: Legislation to Prevent Surprise Ambulance Billing Passes Committee

DENVER, CO – The Senate Health and Human Services Committee passed legislation to protect patients from surprise ambulance billing yesterday. 

HB25-1088, sponsored by Senator Kyle Mullica, D-Thornton, would build upon previous bipartisan legislation to protect patients from surprise ambulance billing by extending protections to public ambulance services.  

“No Coloradan should hesitate to call an ambulance during an emergency because they are concerned about the cost,” said Mullica. “Existing law creates an uneven playing field where some ambulance rides are protected from surprise billing while others are not – but patients have no say over who responds to their 911 call. HB25-1088 protects consumers and establishes clear, fair reimbursement rates to support the sustainability of ambulance services across Colorado.”

Colorado’s existing billing protections only include private ambulance services, yet more than 75 percent of ambulance agencies in Colorado are public departments, not covered by current law. 

This bill would also put key federal Advisory Committee on Ground Ambulance and Patient Billing (GAPB) recommendations in place, such as: 

• Prohibiting all ambulance agencies from balance billing patients for both emergency and non-emergency transports,

• Establishing reimbursement rates for ambulance services that are out of network,

• Requiring carriers to pay the rates adopted by governing political subdivisions, assuming those rates meet conditions designed to improve transparency and limit costs,

• Creating a public-facing website of rates adopted by political subdivisions, and

• Ensuring ambulance agencies are paid directly after a transport. 

HB25-1088 now heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee for further consideration. Track its progress HERE.

Bill to Reduce Gun Violence Among Youth Passes Senate Committee

HB25-1250 would seek to educate students and their families about preventing gun violence

DENVER, CO – Legislation sponsored by Senate Assistant Majority Leader Lisa Cutter, D-Jefferson County, to standardize the distribution of educational materials about gun violence prevention to caregivers of Colorado kids passed the Senate Health and Human Services Committee today. 

“Preventing acts of gun violence begins at home,” Cutter said. “Some of the most devastating and preventable tragedies in our nation’s history have happened in Colorado schools, and one in three Colorado Middle and High School students say they can access a firearm in their home. Safe storage dramatically reduces firearm suicides and overall youth firearm fatalities. Information is power, and this bill simply helps inform and educate students and their families about gun violence and how to prevent it." 

HB25-1250 would require the Office of Gun Violence Prevention in the Department of Public Health and Environment to accessibly post educational materials about preventing gun violence on its website to be distributed to school districts, charter schools, a board of cooperative services, and the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind at the beginning of each school year. Under the bill, local education providers would also be required to post the materials on their websites.

Denver has worked closely with CU Boulder and Denver Health to use evidence-based approaches to addressing youth violence in Colorado. A Public Health Institute report outlined helpful public health focused strategies to combat youth violence, including the importance of identifying risk factors, intervening before violence can occur, and increasing awareness of this topic as a deterrent of gun violence.

HB25-1250 now moves to the Senate floor for further consideration. Track its progress HERE. 

Legislation to Save Coloradans Money on Preventive Health Care, Prescription Drugs Passes Committee

Bills would ensure free breast cancer screenings and reduce barriers to changing dose or frequency of a medication

DENVER, CO – The Senate Health and Human Services Committee today passed legislation to save Coloradans money on health care by ensuring free breast cancer examinations and streamlining providers’ ability to change dosage or frequency of medications.

In 2019, the legislature passed HB19-1301 to establish no-cost coverage for preventive breast exams. SB25-296, sponsored by Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City, would build on existing law to ensure that follow-up diagnostic and supplemental exams are covered at no cost. The bill would also relocate and clarify existing statute to make high-risk breast cancer screening requirements clearer for providers, insurers, and patients. 

“As someone who has walked the path of breast cancer, I know that access to free preventive screenings saves lives,” said Michaelson Jenet. “Existing Colorado law already ensures that breast cancer prevention screenings are covered by insurance at no cost to the patient. SB25-296 clarifies existing law to ensure that follow-up and diagnostic examinations are covered at no cost so that the people at highest risk can access the care they need to get answers and move forward.” 

SB25-301, a bipartisan bill sponsored by Senator Katie Wallace, D-Longmont, would prohibit insurance companies from imposing prior authorization requirements to adjust the dose or frequency of medication already being used by a patient for a chronic condition. Providers could make such adjustments up to two times without prior authorization. 

“SB25-301 would increase affordable, consistent access to the medication Coloradans with chronic illnesses rely on by allowing a health care provider to adjust the dose of a medication without needing to go through additional, lengthy insurance authorization processes,” said Wallace. “Colorado’s health care providers know what’s best for their patients, not insurance companies. This bill gives providers the flexibility to respond to their patients’ needs without fear of losing insurance coverage for necessary adjustments.”

In 2015, 3.1 million Coloradans had at least one chronic disease. Many chronic diseases may require adjustment of medication doses to effectively treat the illness. This bill would reduce administrative burdens and accelerate access to timely, appropriate care. 

Both bills now head to the Senate floor for further consideration. Track their progress: SB25-296, SB25-301.