Updated February 9, 2024
We are nearly a month into the 2024 legislative session, and the legislature is considering bills focused on housing policy, child care, school-based health care, and more. Meanwhile, legislators are sorting out how to prioritize projects in a tight budget year. One area we’re watching: School finance. The Public School Finance Task Force has released a report with recommendations for modernizing Colorado’s school funding formula and making it more equitable, and legislators will have to figure out how to make those recommendations a reality.
If you haven’t already, read our policy priorities for the 2024 legislative session.
What we’re watching:
Monthly Residential Eviction Data & Report: National research shows that families with children are more likely to experience an eviction. But data about evictions within Colorado are inconsistent and hard to access. We’re excited that SB24-064, which will improve our state’s eviction data collection and reporting, cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday and is moving to the Senate Appropriations Committee. Senior Director of Policy Sarah Barnes testified in support of the bill. Learn more about SB24-064.
Bilingual Child Care Licensing Resources – HB24-1009: This bill would help Coloradans who speak languages other than English access child care licensing resources – a step toward helping more kids have access to care in the language they speak at home in the earliest years of their lives. The bill would also create a bilingual licensing unit to help the Colorado Department of Early Childhood satisfy its duties. We’re excited that HB24-1009 cleared the House Committee on Education on Thursday and is moving to the House Appropriations Committee. Senior Policy Analyst Lauren Corboy testified in support of the bill.
Other bills on the move:
Analysis of Universal Health-Care Payment System – HB24-1075: This bill would create a statewide health care system study conducted by the Colorado School of Public Health. It also would create a statewide health-care analysis advisory task force for the purpose of advising the Colorado School of Public Health during the analysis. The bill cleared the House Committee on Health & Human Services on Wednesday and is moving to the House Appropriations Committee.
Increase Access to School-Based Health Care – SB24-034: In an effort to eliminate gaps in care, especially in rural school districts, this bill would expand access to primary, behavioral, oral, and preventive health-care services in school-based centers. It’s paramount that every child has every opportunity to receive the care they need in a timely, convenient manner – and school-based health centers can often provide that care. The bill passed out of the Senate Education Committee last week and is headed to Appropriations.
Racial Equity Study – SB24-053: This bill would require History Colorado to produce a study to determine any historical and ongoing effects of slavery and subsequent systemic racism on Black Coloradans. We see the impacts of systemic racism in health, education, and financial prosperity, and a study could help us acknowledge these impacts and take steps to create a more equitable state. This bill passed out of the Senate State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee last week and is headed to Finance.
