Capitol Week in Review Archives

Top Legislative Priorities Now Law

Legislation | 06/8/2023

Bri Buentello Government Affairs Director

Yesterday marked the end of the 30-day period for Governor Polis to sign into law the bills that were passed during the 2023 legislative session. We are thrilled to tell you that all of our top priority bills have been signed into law.

Below you will find updates on the policy priorities we shared prior to the legislative session focused on advancing educational equity, youth and racial justice in Colorado, and making our schools and communities safer and more supportive.

We would be remiss if we didn’t, once again, thank the many advocates, partners, and policy makers we worked alongside to bring these policies to fruition.

Parents, educators and community leaders participated in listening sessions to identify needs and policy solutions, engaged with lawmakers, testified before committees and shared their experiences with members of the media. Hundreds of advocates sent thousands of emails to policymakers and 27 shared their lived experiences in testimony before committees nearly 60 times.

These impactful policy changes will mean more and better support for Colorado students and educators. They represent steps toward safer and more supportive schools and communities for all Coloradans.

Stand’s 2023 Top Legislative Priorities

Updates on our 2023 top policy priorities:

Expand funding for the Ninth Grade On-Track Program.

HB23-1231, Math in Pre-Kindergarten Through Twelfth Grade, supports math educators with evidence-based training and interventions to help K- 12th-grade students struggling in math. Importantly, this bill includes $1.6 million for the Ninth Grade Success Grant program to help ensure that more Colorado students finish their 9th-grade year on track and graduate high school prepared for post-secondary success. Status: Signed into law!

Remove barriers to support teaching candidates, expanding and diversifying the educator workforce.

HB23-1001, Expanding Assistance For Educator Programs, a continuation of HB22-1220, expands eligibility for financial assistance and offers loan forgiveness to a larger pool of educators who qualify for state programs. Status: Signed into law!

HB23-1064, Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact, creates a compact to make it easier for active-duty military spouses to transfer their teaching licenses without further testing, thereby allowing them to teach in Colorado classrooms faster. Status: Signed into law!

SB23-087, Teacher Degree Apprenticeship Program, creates a teacher degree apprenticeship program as an alternative route to teacher licensure and helps to alleviate the educator shortage. Status: Signed into law!

Ensure equitable school funding.

SB23-099, Special Education Funding, increases Special Education Funding by $40,203, 671. Status: Signed into law!

Eliminate the practice of lying to juveniles during interrogation.

HB23-1042, Admissibility Standards For Juvenile Statements, increases funding for interrogation training for law enforcement, as well as improves the general reliability of confessions by requiring all juvenile interrogations to be recorded. Status: Signed into law!

Cap the cost of phone calls from prison or jail.

HB23-1133, Cost Of Phone Calls for Persons In Custody, mandates that the Department of Corrections (DOC) provide communications services to persons in DOC custody in a correctional facility or private prison. Status: Signed into law!

OTHER KEY BILLS WE WORKED TO ADVANCE THAT ARE NOW LAW

HB23-1003, School Mental Health Assessment, creates the sixth through twelfth-grade mental health assessment program.

HB23-1168, Legal Representation and Students with Disabilities, requires CDE to create and maintain a list of attorneys qualified to represent a parent in a due process complaint and creates a fund to pay attorneys defending parents against due process complaints filed by an education provider.

HB23-1223, Task Force to Prioritize Grants Target Population, creates a task force to establish shared goals and guidelines for prioritizing new and existing grant money to reduce youth violence, suicide, and delinquency risk factors.

HB23-1249, Reduce Justice Involvement for Young Children, funds the expansion of existing local Collaborative Management Programs (CMP) statewide to serve 10-12-year-old children that come into contact with law enforcement and child victims with support from the Department of Human Services.

HB23-1263, Translating Individualized Education Programs, permits the multidisciplinary team that creates an individualized education program (IEP) for a child, who may be eligible for special education services, to translate the IEP draft documents into the dominant language spoken in the home of the child’s parent, guardian, or legal custodian.

HB23-1290, Proposition EE Funding Retention Rate Reduction, refers a ballot issue to the voters at the November 7, 2023, statewide election to allow the state to retain and spend state revenues that would otherwise need to be refunded. If voters approve the ballot measure: the money set aside will be transferred to the preschool programs cash fund and the general fund and the nicotine tax will stay at the rates required by proposition EE.

HB23-1291, Procedures For Expulsion Hearing Officers, addresses due process rights for students by mandating the sharing of evidence during an expulsion hearing, prohibiting conflicts of interest for the hearing officer, as well as requiring annual training regarding student development, restorative justice, and special education and the law.

SB23-004,  Employment Of School Mental Health Professionals,  authorizes a school district to employ health professionals, who are not licensed by the Colorado Department of Education but hold a Colorado license for their profession.

SB23-039, Reduce Child And Incarcerated Parent Separation, requires the Department of Human Services to prioritize and facilitate communication and family time between children and their parents who are incarcerated.

SB-23-287, Public School Finance, increases the statewide base per pupil funding for the 2023-24 budget year by $598.25 (to account for inflation) and creates a public-school finance task force.

HB23-1100, Restrict County Jail Contracts with ICE, prevents the state from contracting with a private company to detain individuals for federal immigration purposes and begins a review process of these contracts over the next two years.

Capitol Week in Review – Sine Die

Capitol Week in Review | 05/9/2023

Bri Buentello Government Affairs Director

Yesterday marked the end of a busy and exciting 2023 legislative session. We are thrilled to update you on the policy priorities we shared prior to the legislative session focused on advancing educational equity, youth and racial justice in Colorado, and making our schools and communities safer and more supportive.

Before we jump into the policy, we want to thank the many advocates that engaged throughout legislative session – from participating in listening sessions to identify needs and policy solutions, to engaging with lawmakers, to testifying before committees or sharing experiences with members of the media. Hundreds of you sent thousands of emails to policymakers and 27 advocates shared their lived experiences in testimony before committees nearly 60 times.

These impactful policy changes will mean more and better support for Colorado students and educators. They represent steps toward safer and more supportive schools and communities for all Coloradans.

Legislative Update

Updates on our 2023 top policy priorities:

Expand funding for the Ninth Grade On-Track and Expelled and At-Risk Student Services (EARSS) grant programs.
- HB23-1231, Math in Pre-Kindergarten Through Twelfth Grade, will support math educators with evidence-based training and interventions to help K- 12th-grade students struggling in math. Importantly, this bill includes $1.6 million for the Ninth Grade Success Grant program to help ensure that more Colorado students finish their 9th-grade year on track and graduate high school prepared for post-secondary success. Status: Awaiting signature by the Governor.

Remove barriers to support teaching candidates, expanding and diversifying the educator workforce.
- HB23-1001, Expanding Assistance For Educator Programs, a continuation of HB22-1220, expands eligibility for financial assistance and offers loan forgiveness to a larger pool of educators who qualify for state programs. Status: Awaiting signature by the Governor.
- HB23-1064, Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact, creates a compact to make it easier for active-duty military spouses to transfer their teaching licenses without further testing, thereby allowing them to teach in Colorado classrooms faster. Status: Awaiting signature by the Governor.
- SB23-087, Teacher Degree Apprenticeship Program, creates a teacher degree apprenticeship program as an alternative route to teacher licensure and helps to alleviate the educator shortage. Status: Awaiting signature by the Governor.

Ensure equitable school funding.
- SB23-099, increases Special Education Funding by $40,203, 671. Status: Awaiting signature by the Governor

Eliminate the, currently allowable, practice of lying to juveniles during interrogation.
- HB23-1042, Admissibility Standards For Juvenile Statements, increases funding for interrogation training for law enforcement, as well as improves the general reliability of confessions by requiring all juvenile interrogations to be recorded. Status: Awaiting signature by the Governor.

Cap the cost of phone calls from prison or jail.
- HB23-1133, Cost Of Phone Calls for Persons In Custody, mandates that the Department of Corrections (DOC) provide communications services to persons in DOC custody in a correctional facility or private prison. Status: Awaiting signature by the Governor.

Other Key Bills We Worked to Advance

HB23-1003, School Mental Health Assessment, which creates the sixth through twelfth-grade mental health assessment program, is awaiting signature by the Governor.

HB23-1168, Legal Representation and Students with Disabilities, which requires CDE to create and maintain a list of attorneys qualified to represent a parent in a due process complaint and creates a fund to pay attorneys defending parents against due process complaints filed by an education provider, is awaiting signature by the Governor.

HB23-1233, Task Force to Prioritize Grants Target Population, which creates a task force to establish shared goals and guidelines for entities to utilize in prioritizing new and existing grant money to reduce youth violence, suicide, and delinquency risk factors was passed by the Senate 23-12 and is awaiting signature by the Governor.

HB23-1249, Reduce Justice Involvement for Young Children, which funds the expansion of existing local Collaborative Management Programs (CMP) statewide to serve 10-12-year-old children that come into contact with law enforcement and child victims with support from the Department of Human Services passed by the Senate and is off to the governor’s desk for signature

HB23-1263, Translating Individualized Education Programs, which permits the multidisciplinary team that creates an individualized education program (IEP) for a child, who may be eligible for special education services, to translate the IEP draft documents into the dominant language spoken in the home of the child’s parent, guardian, or legal custodian, is awaiting signature by the Governor.

HB23-1291, Procedures For Expulsion Hearing Officers, is awaiting signature by the Governor. This bill addresses due process rights for students by mandating the sharing of evidence during an expulsion hearing, prohibiting conflicts of interest for the hearing officer, as well as requiring annual training regarding student development, restorative justice, and special education and the law.

SB23-004,  Employment Of School Mental Health Professionals, which authorizes a school district to employ health professionals, who are not licensed by the Colorado Department of Education but hold a Colorado license for their profession was signed into law by the Governor.    

SB23-039, Reduce Child And Incarcerated Parent Separation, which requires the Department of Human Services to prioritize and facilitate communication and family time between children and their parents who are incarcerated, is awaiting signature by the Governor.

SB-23-287, Public School Finance, which increases the statewide base per pupil funding for the 2023-24 budget year by $598.25 (to account for inflation) and creates a public-school finance task force, is awaiting signature by the Governor.

Capitol Week in review

Capitol Week in Review | 04/29/2023

Bri Buentello Government Affairs Director

Capitol Week in Review brings you news of bills we are tracking around our priorities of advancing educational equity and racial justice in Colorado and making our schools and communities safer and more supportive.

Legislative Update

HB23-1003, School Mental Health Assessment, which creates the sixth through twelfth grade mental health assessment program was passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee 6-3 and was laid over until May 1.

HB23-1042, Admissibility Standards For Juvenile Statements, which increases funding for interrogation training for law enforcement, as well as improves the general reliability of confessions by requiring all juvenile interrogations to be recorded is headed to the Governor for signature.

HB23-1133, Cost Of Phone Calls for Persons In Custody, which mandates that the Department of Corrections (DOC) provide communications services to persons in DOC custody in a correctional facility or private prison, was passed by the House. It is expected to be heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee May 1.

HB23-1231, Math in Pre-Kindergarten Through Twelfth Grade, was passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee 7-0 and will be considered by the full Senate next. This bill will support math educators with evidence-based training and interventions to help K- 12th-grade students struggling in math. The bill also includes $1.6 million for the Ninth Grade Success Grant program to help ensure that more Colorado students finish their 9th-grade year on track and graduate high school prepared for post-secondary success.

HB23-1223, Task Force to Prioritize Grants Target Population, which creates a task force to establish shared goals and guidelines for entities to utilize in prioritizing new and existing grant money to reduce youth violence, suicide, and delinquency risk factors is scheduled to be heard May 3 by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.

HB23-1249, Reduce Justice Involvement for Young Children, which changes the minimum age – from 10 to 13 – of children who are subject to prosecution in juvenile court; except in the case of homicide, was passed 4-3 by the Senate Appropriations Committee and will be considered by the full Senate next.

HB23-1291, Procedures For Expulsion Hearing Officers, was passed by House Appropriations Committee 10-1 and will be considered by the full House next. This bill addresses due process rights for students by mandating the sharing of evidence during an expulsion hearing, prohibiting conflicts of interest for the hearing officer, as well as requiring annual training regarding student development, restorative justice, and special education and the law.

SB23-087, Teacher Degree Apprenticeship Program, which creates a teacher degree apprenticeship program as an alternative route to teacher licensure and helps to alleviate the educator shortage, is headed to the Governor for signature.

SB23-099, Special Education Funding, which increases special education funding by an additional $40,203, 671, unanimously passed the House and is headed to the Governor for signature.

SB-23-287, Public School Finance, which sets school funding levels, passed the House Appropriations Committee 10 – 1 and was referred to the Committee of the Whole of the House. The bill increases the statewide base per pupil funding for the 2023-24 budget year by $598.25 (to account for inflation) and creates a public-school finance task force.

Stand Day at the Capitol

We want to take a moment to thank the twelve parents, educators and community leaders who joined our team for a day at the Capitol this week. These advocates were briefed on the latest on key policy moving through the Capitol, listened to Senate floor debate (and were even invited to sit on the Senate floor), got a tour of the Capitol, and shared their policy priorities. We deeply believe that policy making is most effective when the voices of those impacted are at the center of decision making and are thrilled to have so many advocates join us at the Capitol.

Read reflections from some of the participants on our blog.

Our Take

This week the House and the Senate voted on final passage for HB 23- 1042, Admissibility Standards For Juvenile Statements and now it is off to the Governor for signature. We are thrilled that this important bill is one step closer to becoming a reality. It will help ensure that law enforcement officers receive training for interrogation of youth and prioritize securing confessions that are voluntary and reliable. You can read what I shared during the Senate Judiciary hearing on our blog.

Take Action

HB23-1249, Reduce Justice-involvement For Young Children, will end the prosecution of children 12 years and younger and empower alternative child-serving systems, including mental health, education, and child welfare agencies, to address the behavior, deliver treatment and family supports instead of prosecution. Ask your Senator to support HB23-1249 today!

What We’re Reading

Parents who don’t speak English would have more access to translated documents under Colorado bill

How a new law will help incarcerated Coloradans reduce their sentence through a college education

Colorado special education gets long-awaited funding boost

Expulsion hearing officers would get more training under Colorado bill

Chalkbeat’s Education Bill Tracker

Capitol Week in Review

Capitol Week in Review | 04/22/2023

Legislative Update

HB23-1100, Restrict Government Involvement In Immigration Detention, was passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee and full Senate. For years, Colorado taxpayers have been picking up the bill of the federal government by allowing the state to contract a private company to detain individuals for federal immigration purposes. This bill would prevent any such further contracts and begins a review process of these contracts over the next two years.

HB23-1168, Legal Representation And Students With Disabilities, which requires CDE to create and maintain a list of attorneys qualified to represent a parent in a due process complaint and creates a fund to pay attorneys defending parents against due process complaints filed by an education provider, passed the Senate and is headed to the Governor for signature.

HB23-1231, Math in Pre-Kindergarten Through Twelfth Grade, will be heard by the Senate Education Committee April 24th. This bill will support math educators with evidence-based training and interventions to help K- 12th-grade students struggling in math. Importantly, this bill includes $1.6 million for the Ninth Grade Success Grant program to help ensure that more Colorado students finish their 9th-grade year on track and graduate high school prepared for post-secondary success.

HB23-1235, Technical Modification To Department Of Early Childhood, makes technical changes HB22-1295, which created Colorado’s universal preschool program. This bill would allow the Department of Early Childhood to enter into contracts for early literacy programming and whole-child services and ensures policy is aligned with current state and federal standards and was passed by the Senate.

HB23-1241, Task Force To Study K-12 Accountability System, which creates a task force to study academic opportunities, inequities, practices in schools, and improvements to the accountability and accreditation system, is scheduled to be heard by the Senate Education Committee April 26th.

HB23-1263, Translating Individualized Education Programs, which permits the multidisciplinary team that creates an individualized education program (IEP) for a child, who may be eligible for special education services, to translate the IEP draft documents into the dominant language spoken in the child’s home, is scheduled to be heard by the Senate Education Committee April 24th.

HB23-1291, Procedures For Expulsion Hearing Officers, was passed by House Education Committee and referred to the House Appropriations Committee. This bill addresses due process rights for students by mandating the sharing of evidence during an expulsion hearing, prohibiting conflicts of interest for the hearing officer, as well as requiring annual training regarding student development, restorative justice, and special education and the law.

SB23-004, Employment Of School Mental Health Professionals, which authorizes a school district to employ health professionals, who are not licensed by the Colorado Department of Education but hold a Colorado license for their profession is headed to the Governor for signature.

SB23-099, Special Education Funding, which increases special education funding by an additional $40,203, 671, unanimously passed the House on second reading and is awaiting a final vote.

SB23-158, Sunset Colorado Commission On Criminal And Juvenile Justice, which continues the Commission until September 1, 2028, will be heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee April 24th.

SB23-258, Consolidate Colorado Educator Programs In Colorado Department of Education, which consolidates the review and approval process for educator preparation programs under the Department of Education and the State Board of Education passed the Senate Education Committee and was referred to the Appropriations Committee and will be heard April 27th.

SB-23-287, Public School Finance, which sets school funding levels, passed the Senate Education Committee and was referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee. The bill increases the statewide base per pupil funding for the 2023-24 budget year by $598.25 (to account for inflation) and creates a public-school finance task force.

Our Take

Monday, the Senate Education Committee is considering HB23-1231, Math in Pre-Kindergarten Through Twelfth Grade a bill to support math educators with evidence-based training and interventions to help K- 12th-grade students struggling in math. The bill includes $1.6 million for the Ninth Grade Success Grant program to help ensure that more Colorado students finish their 9th grade year on-track and graduate high school prepared for post-secondary success.

Decades of research shows that ninth grade students who are on-track at the end of their first year of high school are as much as four times more likely to graduate from high school than their off-track peers. Ninth graders who earn at least a quarter of the credits required for graduation and receive no more than one “F” are on-track to graduate. Schools and districts implementing ninth grade success strategies are showing tremendous results. Implementing a focused 9th grade success approach is changing the trajectory for Colorado students.

Take action

Please email members of the Senate Education Committee and ask them to support Colorado educators in preparing the next generation of students.

What We’re Reading

Colorado school finance act boosts K-12 spending, steers clear of formula changes

Colorado bill would add protections for students facing expulsion

Chalkbeat’s Education Bill Tracker

Capitol Week in review

Capitol Week in Review | 04/8/2023

Bri Buentello Government Affairs Director

Legislative Update

HB23-1003, School Mental Health Assessment, creates the sixth through twelfth grade mental health assessment program. The hearing for this bill was rescheduled for April 13th.

HB23-1024, Relative And Kin Placement Of A Child, which establishes measures to support reunification of a child or youth with their family when the child or youth has been temporarily placed with a relative or kin, will be heard April 12 by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.

HB23-1109, School Policies and Student Conduct, was postponed indefinitely, meaning it will not advance further this year, by a unanimous vote in the House Education Committee. This bill aimed to strengthen due process rights for students, particularly as it pertained to behavior off school grounds and outside of school hours. It also increased the training for expulsion hearing officers, including training around disabilities and trauma-informed care and interventions.

HB23-1168, Legal Representation And Students With Disabilities, which requires CDE to create and maintain a list of attorneys qualified to represent a parent in a due process complaint and creates a fund to pay attorneys defending parents against due process complaints filed by an education provider, is scheduled to be considered by the Senate April 10.

HB23-1169, Limit Arrest For Low-level Offenses, which prohibits a peace officer from arresting a person based solely on the alleged commission of a petty offense, except for high level misdemeanors directly impacting victims (e.g. theft), was postponed indefinitely by the House Judiciary Committee.

HB23-1231, Math in Pre-Kindergarten Through Twelfth Grade, will be heard by the House Appropriations Committee April 10. This bill will support math educators with evidence-based training and interventions to help K- 12th grade students struggling in math. The bill also includes $1.6 million for the Ninth Grade Success Grant program to help ensure that more Colorado students finish their 9th grade year on-track and graduate high school prepared for post-secondary success.

HB23-1235, Technical Modification To Department Of Early Childhood, makes technical changes HB22-1295, which created Colorado’s universal preschool program. This bill would allow the Department of Early Childhood to enter into contracts for early literacy programming and whole-child services, and ensures policy is aligned to current state and federal standards and was passed 7-4 by the House Education Committee.

HB23-1249, Reduce Justice Involvement for Young Children, which changes the minimum age – from 10 to 13 – of children who are subject to prosecution in juvenile court; except in the case of homicide, was passed by the House Judiciary Committee 9-4 and referred to the House Appropriations Committee.

SB23-004, Employment Of School Mental Health Professionals, which authorizes a school district to employ health professionals, who are not licensed by the Colorado Department of Education but hold a Colorado license for their profession was passed unanimously by the House Education Committee.

SB23-70, Mandatory School Resource Officer Training, is a bill that would require a law enforcement officer to complete a Safe2Tell training curriculum before working as a school resource officer; it was passed unanimously by the House Education Committee.

SB23-099, Special Education Funding, which increases special education funding by an additional $40,203, 671, is scheduled to be heard by the House Education Committee April 10.

SB23-258, Consolidate Colorado Educator Programs In Colorado Department of Education, which consolidates the review and approval process for educator preparation programs under the Department of Education and the State Board of Education is scheduled to be heard April 10 by the Senate Education Committee.

Our Take

After hours of compelling testimony, nine members of the House Judiciary Committee voted to pass HB23-1249, Reduce Justice-involvement For Young Children. This legislation will end the prosecution of children 12 years and younger and empower alternative child-serving systems, including mental health, education, and child welfare agencies, to address the behavior, deliver treatment and family supports instead of prosecution. We applaud the members that voted to advance this important legislation.

Take Action

Send a thank you note to the legislators that voted to pass HB23-1249 with one click!

What We’re Reading

Opinion: Families shouldn’t go into debt paying for prison calls

School district invites mental health co-responders to assist school resource officers

Chalkbeat’s Education Bill Tracker

Capitol Week in Review

Capitol Week in Review | 03/31/2023

Bri Buentello Government Affairs Director

Legislative Update

HB23-1003, School Mental Health Assessment, which creates the sixth through twelfth grade mental health assessment program will be heard April 6 in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.

HB23-1024, Relative And Kin Placement Of A Child, which establishes measures to support reunification of a child or youth with their family when the child or youth has been temporarily placed with a relative or kin, will be heard April 5 by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.

HB23-1089, Special Education Services For Students In Foster Care, which designates students in out-of-home placements as residents of the school district of their school of origin to increase stability and learning success, will be heard April 5 by Senate Education.

HB23-1169, Limit Arrest For Low-level Offenses, which prohibits a peace officer from arresting a person based solely on the alleged commission of a petty offense, except for high level misdemeanors directly impacting victims (e.g. theft), was rescheduled to be heard by the House Judiciary Committee April 5.

HB23-1235, Technical Modification To Department Of Early Childhood, makes technical changes HB22-1295, which created Colorado’s universal preschool program. This bill would allow the Department of Early Childhood to enter into contracts for early literacy programming and whole-child services, and ensures policy is aligned to current state and federal standards and is scheduled to be considered by the House April 3.

HB23-1249, Reduce Justice Involvement for Young Children, which changes the minimum age – from 10 to 13 – of children who are subject to prosecution in juvenile court; except in the case of homicide, will be heard April 5 by the House Judiciary Committee.

SB23-004, Employment Of School Mental Health Professionals, which authorizes a school district to employ health professions, who are not licensed by the Colorado Department of Education but hold a Colorado license for their profession will be heard by the House Education Committee April 6.

SB23-70, Mandatory School Resource Officer Training, is a bill that would require a law enforcement officer to complete a Safe2Tell training curriculum before working as a school resource officer; it is scheduled to be heard April 6 in the Senate Education Committee.

Our Take

Legislators are considering a policy that will help reduce recidivism by keeping families connected while a loved one is incarcerated. HB23-1133, Cost of Phone Calls for Persons in Custody, would make prison communication free across Colorado.

Every year, Colorado families –who are disproportionately Black, brown, and low-income – pay over $8.8 million to speak to their incarcerated loved ones. Over 50% of families with an incarcerated loved one struggle to meet basic housing and food needs. One out of three families with a loved one behind bars goes into debt just to stay in touch, and women carry 87% of the burden.

Research has repeatedly shown that when incarcerated people and their families are in regular communication, they do better both while they are behind bars serving their sentence and when they reenter the community, which improves safety for correctional officers and the public.

Take Action

Ask legislators to reduce recidivism and keep families connected!

Email your representative and ask them to support HB23-1133.

What We’re Reading

State budget clears Colorado Senate, school funding TBD

Chalkbeat’s Education Bill Tracker

Capitol Week in Review

Capitol Week in Review | 03/24/2023

Bri Buentello Government Affairs Advisory

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

HB23-1001, Expanding Assistance For Educator Programs, which supports student teachers toward the goal of diversifying the teacher workforce, was sent to the Governor for signature.

HB23-1003, School Mental Health Assessment, which creates the sixth through twelfth grade mental health assessment program was passed on third readings by the House.

HB22-1112, Earned Income And Child Tax Credits, which increases percentages of the federal credit that a resident individual can claim for the child tax credit on their state income tax and requires the Department of Revenue to adjust for inflation, is scheduled to be heard in the House Finance Committee on March 27.

HB23-1151, Clarifications To 48-hour Bond Hearing Requirement, passed unanimously out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Current law requires an individual who is in jail to be brought before a judge for a bond hearing within 48-hours of arriving at the jail. This bill builds off previous bail reform to further clarify that medical emergencies or addiction treatment is an exception to the 48-hour rule, that the hearing can be held remotely or even through a phone call.

HB23-1169, Limit Arrest For Low-level Offenses, which prohibits a peace officer from arresting a person based solely on the alleged commission of a petty offense, except for high level misdemeanors directly impacting victims (e.g. theft), was rescheduled to be heard by the House Judiciary Committee March 28.

HB23-1235, Technical Modification To Department Of Early Childhood, which makes technical changes HB22-1295, which created Colorado’s universal preschool program, is scheduled to be heard on March 29 in the House Education Committee. This bill would allow the Department of Early Childhood to enter into contracts for early literacy programming and whole-child services, and ensures policy is aligned to current state and federal standards was introduced in the House and assigned to the House Education Committee.

HB23-1249, Reduce Justice Involvement for Young Children, was introduced in the House. This bill changes the minimum age – from 10 to 13 – of children who are subject to prosecution in juvenile court; except in the case of homicide.

Our Take

As we shared in last week’s edition of Capitol Week in Review, increasing funding for the Ninth Grade Success Grant program is a top priority of Stand Colorado. 9th grade has come to be well known as the make-or-break year. How well students perform academically in 9th grade can predict their future success. The first year in high school has a huge impact on whether students graduate. In fact, students who end 9th grade on-track are three times more likely to graduate from high school than their off-track peers. (toandthrough.uchicago.edu)

In Colorado, the Center for High School Success (CHSS), a Stand for Children program, partners with four districts who receive funds through the Ninth Grade Success Grant Program. In the 2021-22 school year, On-Track Rates in schools that partner with CHSS in Colorado grew an average of 19 percentage points, drastically increasing the number of students who will graduate in 2025.

It’s clear that implementing a focused 9th grade success is changing the trajectory for Colorado students. By ensuring that students finish their 9th grade year on-track, we ensure students graduate high school prepared for post-secondary success.

Learn more here.

Take Action

The House Appropriations Committee is considering HB23-1231, a bill to support math educators with evidence-based training and interventions to help K- 12th grade students struggling in math. The bill also includes $1.6 million for the Ninth Grade Success Grant program to help ensure that more Colorado students finish their 9th grade year on-track and graduate high school prepared for post-secondary success. Ask the Appropriations Committee to support HB23-1231 with one click!

What We’re Reading

Chalkbeat’s Education Bill Tracker

Capitol Week in Review

Capitol Week in Review | 03/11/2023

Bri Buentello Government Affairs Advisory

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

HB23-1001, Expanding Assistance For Educator Programs, which supports student teachers toward the goal of diversifying the teacher workforce, is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Education Committee on March 13.

HB23-1037, Department Of Corrections Earned Time For College Program Completion, which permits an inmate sentenced for a nonviolent felony offense to have earned time deducted from their sentence for each accredited degree or other credential awarded will be heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee March 13.

HB23-1064, Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact, which makes it easier for active-duty military spouses to transfer their teaching licenses without further testing, thereby allowing them to teach in Colorado classrooms faster, is headed to the Governor for signature.

HB23-1100, Restrict Government Involvement In Immigration Detention, passed out of the House. For years, Colorado taxpayers have been picking up the bill of the federal government by allowing the state to contract a private company to detain individuals for federal immigration purposes. This bill would prevent any such further contracts and begins a review process of these contracts over the next two years. It passed the House and was introduced in the Senate and assigned to the Judiciary Committee.

HB23-1109, School Policies and Student Conduct, is scheduled to be heard for action only by the House Education Committee March 29. This bill aims to strengthen due process rights for students, particularly as pertains to behavior off school grounds and outside of school hours. It also increases the training for expulsion hearing officers, including training around disabilities and trauma-informed care and interventions.

HB23-1145, Hearing Timelines Juveniles in Adult Facilities, which aligns Colorado law’s hearing timelines for juveniles held in an adult facility while awaiting trial with the timelines in the federal “Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act”, passed the Senate on third readings 35-0.

HB23-1198, Teacher Externship Program for Science Technology Engineering and Math Disciplines, which creates a statewide program to provide kindergarten through twelfth grade teachers work-based learning opportunities, passed House Education Committee and was referred to the Finance Committee.

HB23-1207, Stipends For National Board-certified Educators, which allows stipends (up to $3200) for educators serving in low-performing, rural or high-needs school districts, passed the House Education Committee and was referred to the Appropriations Committee.

HB23-1211, Collect Data Language Translation Services Special Education, which requires the Department of Education to track the provision of language translation services related to IEPs and include such data as part of its annual “SMART Act” was postponed indefinitely.

SB23-181, Concerning Screening of Dyslexia in Public Schools, builds on recommendations for further screening and training on how best to screen for individual literacy deficiencies was introduced in the Senate. The bill also establishes an independent ombudsman to represent parents of students with literacy needs.

Our Take

The House is expected to take a final vote soon on HB 23- 1042, Admissibility Standards For Juvenile Statements.

In Colorado, children of color are one and a half to three times more likely to be arrested and interrogated than their white counterparts (CO Dept. of Public Safety, 2020). As a result, children of color are more often harmed by false confessions, directly contributing to the racial disparity in the criminal justice system.

Currently, law enforcement may use deception during interrogation of youth. As you would imagine, children are more susceptible to manipulation and more likely to provide inaccurate information and false confessions under such pressure. In the last twenty-five years, youth who were exonerated after being convicted of crimes, 38% gave false confessions.

HB 23- 1042, Admissibility Standards For Juvenile Statements will:

Increase funding for interrogation training for law enforcement, and
Improve the general reliability of confessions by requiring all juvenile interrogations to be recorded, and
If law enforcement does use deceptive tactics during custodial, interrogation, the judge may discern whether the resulting confession was voluntary and therefore reliable and admissible in trial.

Read personal testimony in support of this legislation on our blog here, here, here, and here.

Take Action

Last week, members of the House Education Committee heard hours of testimony from students, educators, and legal experts asking them to support HB23-1109, School Policies And Student Conduct. This is legislation that promotes restorative practices, ensures reduced legal system involvement, fosters fairness in a system that otherwise considers students guilty until proven innocent, and creates accountability for unregulated and untrained expulsion hearing officers

What We’re Reading

The ‘Science of Reading’ and English-Language Learners: What the Research Says

Chalkbeat’s Education Bill Tracker

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Capitol Week in Review | 03/3/2023

Bri Buentello Government Affairs Advisory

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

HB23-1024, Relative And Kin Placement Of A Child, which establishes measures to support reunification of a child or youth with their family when the child or youth has been temporarily placed with a relative or kin outside of the family home, passed unanimously in the House Public & Behavioral Health & Human Services Committee and was referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

HB23-1100, Restrict Government Involvement In Immigration Detention, passed out of the House. For years, Colorado taxpayers have been picking up the bill of the federal government by allowing the state to contract a private company to house or detain individuals for federal civil immigration purposes. This bill would prevent any such further contracts and begins a review process of these contracts over the next two years. It passed out of the House on third readings, 41-22.

HB23-1109, School Policies and Student Conduct, was heard in the House Education Committee and laid over for a vote. This bill aims to strengthen due process rights for students, particularly as pertains to behavior off school grounds and outside of school hours. It also increases the training for expulsion hearing officers, including training around disabilities and trauma-informed care and interventions.

HB23-1172, Child Welfare And Juvenile Court Jurisdiction, a bill brought by Denver Area Human Services that seeks to provide improved care for children in foster care while maintaining parent rights, was introduced in the Senate.

HB23-1187, Alternatives In Criminal Justice System And Pregnant Persons, which requires the court to consider alternatives, such as probation, to pregnant or postpartum defendants if the risk of incarceration outweighs risk to the public, passed out of the House 44 – 19.

HB23-1188, Individualized Learning Schools And Programs, which authorizes a public or charter school to offer an individualized learning program or become an individualized learning school, was rescheduled to be heard in the House Education Committee on March 23.

HB23-1198, Teacher Externship Program for Science Technology Engineering and Math Disciplines, which creates a statewide program to provide kindergarten through twelfth grade teachers work-based learning opportunities, is scheduled to be heard in the House Education Committee on March 8.

HB23-1207, Stipends For National Board-certified Educators, which allows cash stipends (up to $3200) for teachers, social workers, librarians and administrators serving in low-performing, rural or high needs school districts, is scheduled to be heard in the House Education Committee on March 8.

HB23-1211, Collect Data Language Translation Services Special Education, which requires the department of education to track the provision of language translation services related to IEPs and include such data as part of its annual “SMART Act” hearing, is scheduled to be heard in the House Education Committee on March 9.

Our Take

Hundreds of Colorado students are expelled from schools every year for low-level nonviolent conduct or based on mere allegations. This disproportionately impacts children of color and students with disabilities.

On Thursday, the House Education Committee heard HB23-1109, School Policies And Student Conduct. This is a bill that promotes restorative practices, ensures reduced legal system involvement, fosters fairness in a system that otherwise considers students guilty until proven innocent, and creates accountability for unregulated and untrained expulsion hearing officers. After hours of testimony, the bill was laid over for a vote on March 16.

Expelling students exposes them to a greater likelihood of delinquency or criminal system involvement and is therefore more expensive and less effective than keeping students in school. We’re so grateful to the parents, educators, and community leaders who joined us to testify in support of this legislation. We stand for safe and supportive schools and communities for all students and are proud to advocate for this bill alongside so many students, educators, and legal experts.

Here’s what they had to say:

“If we don’t make the change now to have skillful and well-versed advocates making informed decisions for our students and their families then we are accepting a system that funnels students out of the classroom and into the juvenile and criminal legal system.” Tina Carroll, educator, parent, and Stand Advocacy Fellow

“…young people will someday become adults and if we continue to treat them like marginalized members of society, we may pay a higher price in the end. If someone had taken the time to see me as more than a problem to get rid of, I might have had an easier road to get to where I am now.” Jesse Rula, educator, parent, and Stand Advocacy Fellow

“As a high school counselor, I am forced to witness and triage the fallout of failed exclusionary discipline on practically a daily basis. Our best, most obvious solution is to focus on… addressing the harm done to individual and community…while focusing heavily on the rehabilitation of the perpetrator.” Lauren Kinney, school counselor and Stand Advocacy Fellow

Take Action

What We’re Reading

‘I spent over $6,763 on phone calls’: Colorado lawmakers debate bill to offer free phone calls to inmates

Chalkbeat’s Education Bill Tracker

Capitol Week in Review

Capitol Week in Review | 02/24/2023

Bri Buentello Government Affairs Advisory

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

HB23-1024, Relative And Kin Placement Of A Child, which establishes measures to support reunification of a child or youth with their family when the child or youth has been temporarily placed with a relative or kin outside of the family home, is scheduled to be heard in the House Public & Behavioral Health & Human Services Committee on March 1.

HB23-1100, Restrict Government Involvement In Immigration Detention, passed on the House floor and a final vote is expected early next week. For years, Colorado taxpayers have been picking up the bill of the federal government by allowing the state to contract a private company to house or detain individuals for federal civil immigration purposes. This bill would prevent any such further contracts and begins a review process of these contracts over the next two years.

HB23-1109, School Policies and Student Conduct is scheduled to be heard in the House Education Committee on March 2. This bill aims to strengthen due process rights for students, particularly as pertains to behavior off school grounds and outside of school hours. It also increases the training for expulsion hearing officers, including training around disabilities and trauma-informed care and interventions.

HB23-1133, Cost Of Phone Calls For Persons In Custody, which mandates that the Department of Corrections (DOC) shall provide communications services to persons in DOC custody in a correctional facility or private prison, was passed out of House Judiciary and referred to the Committee on Appropriations on a vote of 8-4.

HB23-1168, Legal Representation And Students With Disabilities, which requires CDE to create and maintain a list of attorneys qualified to represent a parent in a due process complaint and creates a fund to pay attorneys defending parents against due process complaints filed by an education provider, passed unanimously out of the House of Education and was referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

HB23-1188, Individualized Learning Schools And Programs, which authorizes a public or charter school to offer an individualized learning program or become an individualized learning school, is scheduled to be heard in the House Education Committee on March 2.

HB23-1212, Promotion Of Apprenticeships, directs the Office of Future of Work in the Department of Labor and Employment to create an apprenticeship navigator pilot program to promote apprenticeships to high school students, was introduced in the House.

SB23-004, Employment Of School Mental Health Professionals, which authorizes a school district to employ health professions, such as psychologists, who are not licensed by the Colorado Department of Education but hold a Colorado license for their profession, was referred to the Committee of the Whole and will be placed on the consent calendar in the Senate.

SB23-115, Department of Education Supplemental, which moves state dollars towards the Deptartment of Education for programs administered by the state, passed out of the House and will now be sent to the Governor.

SB23-136, Adjustments To School Funding Fiscal Year 2022-23, which concerns the adjustment of state dollars to local school districts, passed out of the House and will now be sent to the Governor.

SB23-158, Sunset Colorado Commission On Criminal And Juvenile Justice, which continues the Commission until September 1, 2028, was introduced in the Senate.

OUR TAKE

We are thrilled HB23-1133, Cost Of Phone Calls For Persons In Custody, which mandates that the Department of Corrections (DOC) provide communications services to persons in DOC custody in a correctional facility or private prison, passed out of the House Judiciary Committee.

Natalie Perez, Stand Community Organizer, testified in support of the bill saying, “Phone calls should be accessible. It seems absurd that inmates have to pay the current rates for a phone call when sometimes that is the only way they can stay in touch with their loved ones.”

1 in 3 families with an incarcerated loved one goes into debt trying to pay predatory prison telecom vendors to maintain contact and 87% of the financial burden is borne by women. Every child deserves to hear “I love you” from their parent. Communication mitigates the trauma suffered by the 1 in 28 children whose parents are incarcerated. When people incarcerated are connected to their outside lives there are less incidents in facilities and recidivism is reduced. The positive social and fiscal benefits associated with communication significantly outweigh its costs.

WHAT WE’RE READING

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Chalkbeat’s Education Bill Tracker