If you want to
contact your Legislators concerning any of these bills and need to find who
your elected officials are, go to
Vote Smart and fill in
your zip code.
To find out contact information for a bill's sponsor, use one of the
following links:
List of Colorado House Members by name with contact info
List of Colorado Senate Members by name with contact info
Search Bills in the Colorado General Assembly
|
| Bill # |
Name |
Sponsor(s) |
Description |
CAEYC Stand |
|
S.B.
160 |
“Concerning Improvements to
Health Care for Children” |
Sen. Hagedorn, Rep. McGihon |
This is part of the Governor’s
program to begin addressing the uninsured problem. For the Baby and Kid
Care Program under Medicaid, increases the percentage level of the federal
poverty line for eligibility for persons between ages 6 and 19 to 133% on
July 1, 2009. (It is now 100%). Most kids determined to be eligible for
this program will then remain eligible to continue for 12 months, unless
they move out of State or become insured privately or in CHP+. For CHP+,
increases the eligibility level to 225% of the FPL July 1, 2008, and subject
to available money, allows the Department of Health Care Policy and
Financing to raise the level to 250%. This bill may allow child care
centers or other organizations (not specifically named in the bill)
to presumptively determine eligibility for Medicaid and CHP+. |
Monitor Governor signed June 2008 |
|
S.B. 177 |
“Concerning Changes to the
Colorado Works Program, and Making an Appropriation in Connection
Therewith.” |
Sen. Boyd, Rep. Mchon |
This is the omnibus bill
making numerous changes in regard to the Colorado Works Program. Of most
interest is the creation of the “Strategic Statewide Reserve”, and the
“Strategic Statewide Reserve Committee”, created to advise the executive
director on allocations from the SSR fund (unspent TANF block grant moneys
and certain other money transferred to the fund). One member of the
committee represents interests in early childhood development. Part of this
bill addresses the great variability among counties in the amount of TANF
reserves they hold. It requires each county to remit to the SSR fund a
percentage of its unspent TANF transfers, starting at the end of fiscal year
2009-10. |
Monitor Governor signed June 2008 |
|
S.B. 210 |
"Concerning Colorado Child Care Assistance Program Provider Reimbursement
Rates" |
Sen. Shaffer Rep. Scanlan |
Requires the Department of Human Services to conduct a market rate survey of
child care providers every two years and establish a county market rate for
child care providers. Requires each county to reimburse child care
providers participating in the CCCAP at the 75th percentile of the market
rate determined by the department, or the provider's rate, whichever is
lower. Requires each county to include in the county plan that it
submits to the department information concerning how the county plans to
increase access to high-quality child care for low-income families. |
Support Governor signed June 2008 |
|
S.B. 212 |
"Concerning Alignment of Preschool to Postsecondary Education" |
Sen. Romer & Penry Rep. Witwer & Scanlan |
This is the Governor's major education reform bill. This bill calls for
annual 'regional educator meetings', called by the Departments of Education
and Higher Education, working with, among others, the early childhood team
in the Lt Governor's Office and the Division of Child Care. The
meetings shall include ECE providers and preschool, elementary and secondary
teachers, principals and administrators employed by local districts. |
Monitor Governor signed May 2008 |
|
H.B. 1021 |
“Concerning Early Access to
Educational Services for Gifted Children who are Less than Six Years of Age” |
Rep. Peniston |
Amends the definition of “gifted
children” to include children who are 4 years of age. Permits a
school district to include in its program plan provisions to identify and
serve gifted children who are 4 years of age and for whom early access to
kindergarten is deemed appropriate by the district, using criteria developed
by the Colorado Department of Education. School districts can currently
place gifted 4-year olds in kindergarten, or gifted 5-year-olds in first
grade, but they will not receive PPOR for them, because the law requires a
child to reach age 5 by October 1 of his kindergarten year. This bill was
requested by a “gifted and talented” organization, and CDE is involved in
the drafting. Amended in committee to clarify that children meeting the
gifted criteria described in this bill can only move forward one year (that
is, 4-yr-olds to kindergarten, or 5-yr-olds to first grade.) |
Monitor Governor signed May 2008 |
|
H.B. 1049 |
“Concerning
the Extension of the Years for Which a Taxpayer may Claim the Income Tax
Credit for Child Care Facilities” |
Rep. Benefield, Sen. Groff |
This is the existing tax credit,
which permits a taxpayer to take a credit of 50% of the amount of their
contribution for promotion of child care. (The donation can be used for
equipment, staff training, scholarships for kids and/or almost anything else
a child care provider might need, or for resource & referral services.) It
must be money or real estate, not in-kind donations like furniture or
books. The current credit would expire December 31, 2009, and this bill
will extend it to 2020. |
Support Governor signed June 2008 |
|
H.B.
1122
|
“Concerning Repeal of Certain
Requirements Pertaining to Funding Programs through the Tony Grampsas Youth
Services Program.” |
Rep. Benefield, Sen. Bacon |
This bill makes several
changes to the allocation of funds under TGYS. The bill eliminates 3
statutory programs within TGYS and moves their remaining funds to the TGYS
fund for appropriation this year. This gives more flexibility to the
program in making grants. |
Support (did not pass)
|
|
H.B. 1229 |
“Concerning Persons who Provide
Temporary Care in a Licensed Family Child Care Home” |
Rep. Weissmann |
Defines the term “substitute
child care provider” to include persons who provide temporary care in a
family child care home during the absence of the licensed provider.
Requires a substitute child care provider to be certified by the Department
of Human Services, to submit to a fingerprint-based criminal history records
check, and to be ineligible to serve as a substitute child care provider if
he/she has been convicted of certain crimes. The reason for the bill was to
make it possible for a substitute child care worker to get a fingerprint
background check for herself, without tying it to one licensed provider.
Amended in committee to make the requirements of this bill apply only to
those persons who sub for family child care providers more than 14 days in a
calendar year. |
Monitor Governor signed April 2008 |
|
H.B. 1265 |
“Concerning Alignment of the
Maximum Eligibility Guidelines for the Colorado Child Care Assistance
Program County Option with the Federal Maximum Eligibility Guideline” |
Rep. Todd, Sen. Shaffer |
Amends the eligibility guidelines
for CCCAP to align state eligibility income requirements with the federal
economic guidelines, making families whose income does not exceed 85% of the
Colorado state median income eligible for CCCAP. (The current
maximum eligibility level is 225% of POVERTY). Counties can continue
to set a lower eligibility level. |
Support Governor signed April 2008 |