Search Results

The House today advanced legislation, sponsored by Representatives Javier Mabrey and Elizabeth Velasco, on a preliminary vote to improve rail safety in Colorado. < Back May 1, 2025 Rail Safety Bill Advances DENVER, CO - The House today advanced legislation, sponsored by Representatives Javier Mabrey and Elizabeth Velasco, on a preliminary vote to improve rail safety in Colorado. “This is data-informed policy to make Colorado’s railroads safer to better protect railroad workers, Colorado communities and our environment,” said Rep. Javier Mabrey, D-Denver. “Colorado Democrats took a major step to improve safe rail operations last year by creating the Office of Rail Safety, and their work has been critical in identifying gaps in existing emergency response and preparedness. I’m proud to sponsor this legislation to improve rail safety across our state.” “Train incidents can have catastrophic impacts on the economic vitality of our communities and the environment, which is why it’s crucial that we ensure local communities have the resources to prevent and effectively respond to train derailments and accidents,” said Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, D-Glenwood Springs. “Glenwood Springs is the gateway to the West, with daily freight trains and world-class passenger routes significantly contributing to our local economy and tourism. This bill is important for my district to protect our recreational economy and access to clean water by avoiding preventable rail accidents.” SB25-162 would centralize the inspection and regulation of Colorado’s class I and passenger railroads within the Public Utilities Commission, outline communication requirements for emergency response and protect railroad employees from being civilly liable for damages for actions taken in good faith when responding to an emergency situation. The bill also creates the Office of Rail Safety Fund to create a single funding source to improve railroad infrastructure by hiring safety inspectors, equipping emergency response teams, ensuring proper rail maintenance and oversight. The bill requires the Office to assess best practices for ensuring financial responsibility for response, cleanup, and damages from major rail events so that communities are not stuck footing the bill for accidents. Colorado Democrats passed a 2024 law , also sponsored by Rep. Mabrey, to create the Office of Rail Safety and direct it to compile a report including information on rail safety, emergency response, financial responsibility for cleanups of hazardous material incidents and necessary staffing and equipment levels for implementation of safety measures. Previous Next

Representative Meghan Lukens today released the following statements on the Cell Phone Connectivity Interim Study Committee’s latest Colorado tour. < Back September 4, 2024 Cell Phone Connectivity Committee Tours Rural Cell Phone Infrastructure DENVER, CO - Representative Meghan Lukens today released the following statements on the Cell Phone Connectivity Interim Study Committee ’s latest Colorado tour. The bipartisan interim committee toured a handful of locations in Garfield, Eagle and Clear Creek Counties. Chair Rep. Meghan Lukens, D-Steamboat Springs: “We know with better cell phone service, Coloradans can have peace of mind when traveling through the mountains. Today’s tour allowed us to not only engage with experts about some of the challenges of cell phone connectivity in rural Colorado, but to learn more about what it takes to make cell phone coverage reliable in remote areas. “Local emergency response centers in the mountains play a massive role year-round to keep our communities safe, and this tour allowed us to experience some of the tactics they use to stay connected in any condition. “As our committee works toward finalizing legislation for next year’s legislative session, tours like this one provide critical, local insight to boosting cell phone connectivity in our state.” Yesterday, committee members toured Hanging Lakes in Glenwood Canyon, a popular site for tourists and locals alike, as well as Macro Cell Tower in Vail and Vail Public Safety Communications Center. Committee members then completed their visit with an inside tour of the Eisenhower Tunnel located near Keystone in Clear Creek County. The September 3rd tour showcased the large-scale operations, infrastructure and emergency response networks needed in rural Colorado for fast, reliable cell phone service. Previous Next

< Back February 3, 2023 Water Efficiency and Resiliency Bill Passes House DENVER, CO – The House today passed legislation to help commercial property owners better finance water and energy efficiency upgrades and improve the resiliency of their properties. HB23-1005 passed by a vote of 46 to 15. “We are one step closer toward making it easier for commercial property owners in Colorado to improve the efficiency of their buildings,” said Rep. Jenny Willford, D-Northglenn. “The C-PACE program is a widely-used, successful program to help commercial properties reduce water and energy usage. In the face of climate change, it is important building owners invest in resilient infrastructure and eco-friendly upgrades–our bill sets them up for success to reduce their carbon footprint.” “We know the C-PACE program is successful, and our bill modernizes the process so more property owners can improve the resilience and efficiency of their buildings,” said Rep. Brianna Titone, D-Arvada. “By expanding this favorable financing mechanism, more building owners can make property upgrades that help them save water, cut down on energy usage and build more resilient structures. Investing in eco-friendly infrastructure is a smart move, and our bill increases opportunities to take advantage of the C-PACE program.” HB23-1005 would help protect Colorado's environment and conserve water resources by expanding project eligibility and streamlining the financing process so more commercial properties in Colorado can take advantage of Colorado Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE’s) program for eco-friendly property upgrades and investments. The C-PACE program allows certain commercial and industrial buildings to finance energy improvement projects through a voluntary property tax assessment that is repaid over a 25-year term. Since 2016, the program has helped finance 116 different projects across the state, totaling almost $250 million in investments. The C-PACE program is currently utilized by 40 different counties , which make up 96% of Colorado’s commercial and industrial properties. Previous Next

< Back January 30, 2023 Workforce Bills Pass Committee DENVER, CO – Two workforce bills to support Colorado workers today passed House committees. HB23-1094, sponsored by Representative Meghan Lukens, would boost the agriculture workforce, and HB23-1072, sponsored by Representative Elizabeth Velasco, would ensure disaster emergency response workers are compensated for time working a disaster. “Colorado’s agriculture industry is critical to our state’s economy,” said Rep. Meghan Lukens, D-Steamboat Springs. “Our bipartisan bill works to train, educate and uplift the next generation of agricultural workers through hands-on internships and training. Colorado’s future in agriculture is strong, and by ensuring a pipeline toward careers in farming and ranching, we will support our farmers, ranchers and agricultural businesses by helping them fill critical open positions in their operations while creating new opportunities for people who want a career in agriculture.” “When disasters strike, local community members are the first on the scene to provide services and support,” said Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, D-Glenwood Springs. “This bill makes sure disaster emergency first responders, volunteers and organizers are compensated for their work. These civil defense workers are ready at a moment's notice to provide assistance to their community during a wildfire or flood and they should be paid for their time on the job.” HB23-1094 passed the House Agriculture, Water and Natural Resources committee by a vote of 12-1 and would modify the Agricultural Workforce Development Program which provides financial incentives to farmers, ranchers and agricultural businesses to hire interns and provide them with hands-on training and the experience needed to pursue a career in agriculture. This bill aims to jumpstart a lifelong career in agriculture and deepen the workforce pool by increasing the duration of paid internships to up to one year instead of six months. HB23-1072 passed the House State Civic, Military and Veterans Affairs committee unanimously and would change the legal definition of “civil defense worker” so those assisting in the local response to disaster emergencies can be paid for their work. In Colorado, civil defense workers respond to disaster emergencies, including wildfires, floods and severe weather in addition to man-made disasters. Workers that are registered with the Office of Emergency Management or local response units are not currently eligible for compensation from their employers when they directly respond to a disaster. This bill allows civil defense workers, often registered crisis response volunteers, to receive pay from their employers when they respond to future disasters. Previous Next

< Back February 8, 2023 House Advances Bill to Improve Free Transit Program DENVER, CO – The House passed legislation on a preliminary vote today to improve the grant program that funds Colorado’s free transit rides during peak ozone season. HB23-1101 supports the continuation of the Ozone Season Transit Grant Program which led to a significant rise in public transit ridership across Colorado. “During the free transit month last August, RTD experienced a ridership increase of more than 20 percent,” said Representative Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver. “Our bill expands this successful free transit program to save Coloradans money on fares and further reduce the amount of harmful ground-level ozone pollution released. Our neighbors along the front range deal with some of the worst air quality in the state, and we’re making progress toward cleaning up our air with the free transit program.” “Breaking down barriers to accessing public transit, including financial barriers, is a great way to get transit-curious Coloradans aboard our buses and trains,” said Representative Stephanie Vigil, D-Colorado Springs . “This legislation would improve the Ozone Season Transit Grant Program so more folks can take advantage of free rides. This successful program helps cut down on the number of cars on the road, saves Coloradans money and works to improve our air quality.” HB23-1101 would improve the Ozone Season Transit Grant Program, which provides funding to the Regional Transportation District (RTD) and transit associations throughout Colorado to offer free rides during ozone season. Last year, Colorado Democrats championed SB22-180 which allocated $28 million toward free transit during ozone season to improve Colorado’s air quality. HB23-1101 utilizes funding from this initial investment to enhance the Ozone Season Transit Grant Program for the next three years. This year’s bill also would allow transit agencies to use grant funding during different months of the ozone season, rollover unspent grant funding to make an impact in future years and use the funding for outreach and education. RTD released final August 2022 ridership numbers in the fall. Data revealed a significant increase in the use of services, particularly buses within the district, during RTD’s 30-day Zero Fare for Better Air program. RTD also experienced a 36 percent ridership increase between August 2021 and August 2022 as well as a 21 percent ridership increase between July 2022 and August 2022. There were also significant increases in ridership in Pueblo, Colorado Springs and mountain communities. Previous Next

< Back September 16, 2021 JOINT RELEASE: AURORA DELEGATION REACTS TO AG REPORT ON AURORA POLICE PRACTICES The Attorney General’s Office released the findings of a patterns and practices investigation into the Aurora Police Department launched following protests surrounding Elijah McClain’s death in 2019 DENVER, CO – Today, members of the Aurora delegation in the Colorado state legislature, including Senators Rhonda Fields and Janet Buckner as well as Representatives Dominique Jackson, Naquetta Ricks, Iman Jodeh, Mike Weissman and Dafna Michaelson Jenet, released the subsequent joint statement in response to Attorney General Phil Weiser’s patterns and practices investigative report released today, which found that the Aurora Police Department consistently breaks the law through racially-biased policing and excessive force: “Today’s report is a glaring picture of how the Aurora Police Department operates, and gives us a full understanding of the gaps that must be filled in order to protect vulnerable families from racist, violent and inhumane police practices within the Department. Thanks to our efforts in 2020 to pass a landmark police reform bill here in Colorado, instances of police violence, prejudice and bad behavior can no longer be swept under the rug. We will no longer tolerate bad actors going unchecked and this report, though disturbing, serves as a path toward dismantling systemic racism and bias within an institution that has lost the trust of our communities. We are incredibly grateful for Attorney General Weiser’s commitment to addressing this ongoing issue in our state and commend him for the work he and his team have put in to come to this conclusion. We remain committed to our collective goal of reforming the way we police in Colorado, advancing racial justice within our communities and working toward a system that is fair and just, one that truly values Black and Brown lives – and having the attorney general and Aurora enter a consent decree agreement is another step toward that goal.” Previous Next

< Back April 7, 2022 REP. HEROD STATEMENT ON JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON’S SUPREME COURT CONFIRMATION DENVER, CO – Representative Leslie Herod D-Denver, chairwoman of the Black Democratic Legislative Caucus of Colorado today released the following statement on Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman confirmed to the United States Supreme Court. “Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation to the United States Supreme Court is a joyful, historic moment. Judge Brown Jackson’s qualifications, experience and perspective have prepared her for the profound honor of serving on our highest court and I couldn’t be more proud that the United States Senate confirmed her appointment today. Whether it’s at the legislature or on the Supreme Court, representation matters. I stand in awe of Judge Brown Jackson’s ability to stare adversity in the face and rise above with grace to achieve this historic milestone. While today is an important day in Black history, it is also an important day in American history. Today, America confirmed our 116th Supreme Court Justice, and she is a Black woman.” Previous Next

< Back June 23, 2021 DEPARTMENT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD CREATED TO SUPPORT COLORADO FAMILIES DENVER, CO – Governor Polis today signed into law Speaker Garnett and Representative Sirota’s bill to create a new, cabinet-level state agency focused on early childhood education and care, setting up the framework for universal pre-K in Colorado. “This is a great day for Colorado’s kids, parents, educators, and early childhood advocates,” said Speaker Alec Garnett, D-Denver . “Guided by their input, this year we set out to ensure Colorado families can access affordable, quality preschool education and early learning services. Today we delivered by creating an innovative new agency that will set us down the path toward guaranteeing universal pre-k to every family in Colorado. Investing in our kids means planting the seeds for a better, more prosperous Colorado to come.” “For too long, Colorado’s early childhood education and care system has been fractured and difficult to navigate,” said Rep. Emily Sirota, D-Denver. “After today, our efforts to support, educate and care for our youngest Coloradans will be more efficiently organized and will have the resources and funding they need to make a difference. As a former early learning professional, I know that supporting families during the critical early learning years is among the most impactful things we can do to invest in our childrens’ success.” Based on the recommendations of the Early Childhood Leadership Commission, HB21-1304 creates the Department of Early Childhood as a new, cabinet-level state agency with a mission to expand access to high-quality, voluntary, affordable early childhood opportunities, support parents in accessing programs and services, promote equitable delivery of resources, and unify the fragmented administration of early childhood services to reduce duplicative oversight and administrative burden on families, providers, and educators. The new law also requires the creation of a plan to implement voluntary universal preschool statewide in alignment with Proposition EE, and streamlines existing and new funding sources for early childhood education and care programs. Under this legislation, the Governor will submit the community-informed transition plan to the Joint Budget Committee in November as part of his 2022 budget request, to be considered for further legislative action by the General Assembly in the 2022 session. Previous Next

< Back April 25, 2019 GOV SIGNS HEROD BILLS KEEPING PEOPLE OUT OF JAIL AND PROVIDING FREE TAMPONS IN JAIL Bills would eliminate cash bail for petty & traffic offenses, provide menstrual hygiene products to inmates for free (Apr. 25) – Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill today eliminating cash bail for minor offenses including having an open container, trespassing, and shoplifting less than $50 worth of goods. Sponsored by Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver, and Rep. Matt Soper’s, R-Delta, HB19-1225 was approved unanimously by the House and Senate. “Until tonight, thousands of Coloradans awaiting trial for minor offenses languished in jail simply because they couldn’t afford to get out. We were caging the poor and the homeless, not for their crimes, but for their poverty,” said Rep. Herod. “Poverty is not a crime.” The new bipartisan law goes into effect immediately and is expected to help more than 10,000 people avoid pretrial detention. The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado studied state court data and estimated at least 13,000 people a year would be released from jail as a result of this reform, helping with overcrowding at many Colorado jails. Pueblo County jail recently operated at 194 percent capacity and Alamosa County jail reported operating at 127 percent. Governor Polis also signed Rep. Herod’s bill to provide menstrual hygiene products to inmates in county jails free of charge. HB19-1224 was also approved unanimously in the House and Senate. Previous Next

< Back June 8, 2022 JOINT RELEASE: SIGNED! TWO BIPARTISAN BILLS TO SAVE COLORADANS MONEY ON HEALTH CARE Legislation boosts hospital transparency and improves protection from surprise medical bills DENVER, CO – Governor Jared Polis today signed two bills into law that will increase hospital pricing transparency and save Coloradans money on health care. HB22-1285 sponsored by Majority Leader Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo, Representative Patrick Neville, R-Castle Rock, Senate Majority Leader Dominick Moreno, D-Commerce City and Senator John Cooke, R-Greeley will increase hospital pricing transparency practices and save health care consumers money. “Our bipartisan laws will save Coloradans money on health care by improving hospital price transparency and protecting patients from surprise billing,” said House Majority Leader Daneya Esgar . “Hospitals are required to be open and honest about what they’re changing patients, and our bills signed into law today by Governor Polis will not only ensure transparency but limit the hospital’s ability to collect medical debt if they’re not in compliance. Coloradans deserve to know what they’re getting when it comes to health care, and this legislation protects them against surprise medical bills that are often shockingly expensive.” “According to federal law, hospitals are required to be transparent about the price of services they provide patients,” said Senate Majority Leader Dominick Moreno. “By preventing Colorado’s hospitals from sending medical debt to collections if they are out of compliance with these requirements, this new law will protect patients and empower Coloradans to make the right health care decisions for themselves and their families.” HB22-1285 saves Coloradans money on their health care costs by increasing hospital transparency and prohibiting hospitals that are out of compliance with federal price transparency laws from referring medical debt to collections. In July 2021, President Biden signed an executive order that directed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to develop detailed rules to increase hospital billing transparency. Hospitals must now publicly post their “standard charges,” which are the gross charges, discounted cash prizes, payer-specific negotiated charges, and de-identified minimum and maximum negotiated charges so that consumers can make informed decisions when shopping for health care services. Under the law, hospitals that are not in compliance with federal hospital price transparency laws will be prohibited from referring, assigning or selling medical debt to collectors, and they will be prohibited from using the courts to obtain a judgment for an outstanding medical debt. Governor Polis also signed HB22-1284 , sponsored by Majority Leader Esgar, Representative Marc Catlin, R-Montrose and Senators Brittany Pettersen, D-Lakewood, and Bob Gardner, R-Colorado Springs, to improve surprise medical billing protections in Colorado. “We need to do everything we can to protect Coloradans from malicious surprise billing practices, and instead help them access the care they need while saving them money,” said Senator Brittany Pettersen. “This new law will increase protections for patients, lower the cost of health care for Coloradans, and improve patient outcomes as we work to build a healthier Colorado for all.” HB22-1284 boosts Colorado’s surprise medical billing protections by aligning them with recently passed federal legislation. The law provides clarity to consumers, providers and insurance carriers about how to move forward with surprise billing protections. It adds balance billing protections for post-stabilization services to ensure that patients are protected from surprise bills until they can consent and be safely transferred to an in-network facility. It mirrors the federal law’s notice and consent requirements to ensure that out-of-network providers and facilities provide notice to a consumer before a scheduled service, including a good-faith estimate of the total charges the consumer will be responsible for. Additionally, it updates Colorado laws to allow for a 90-day period of continued coverage at in-network rates for transitional care. Previous Next

< Back March 24, 2022 GOV. SIGNS BILLS TO SUPPORT OLDER COLORADANS, PREVENT DOXXING OF HEALTH CARE WORKERS DENVER, CO – Governor Jared Polis signed two bills into law today that would support older Coloradans and prevent doxxing of health care professionals. “This law is a commitment to strengthen our support for older Coloradans,” said Rep. Mary Young, D-Greeley, sponsor of HB22-1035. “Throughout this process, we have collaborated to redefine the programs and supportive services that older Coloradans need to lead impactful, productive lives. We also prioritized the state’s ability to respond faster to the ever changing needs of older Coloradans. Together, we modernized Colorado law to include support for health services, social services, workforce development and digital literacy programs. This bipartisan effort proves our state not only cares about older Coloradans but prioritizes their needs.” HB22-1035 updates the Older Coloradans Act to bolster supports and services to older Coloradans, such as social services, health services, workforce development, digital literacy and the state’s infrastructure for the growing older population in the state. The legislation operationalizes many of the recommendations set forth by the Strategic Action Planning Group on Aging and sets clear goals to guide the state as it works to ensure “that Colorado is the best state in which to grow old.” The law requires the state of Colorado to prevent abuse, exploitation and neglect of older Coloradans by creating a commission to coordinate and guide state aging programs. “Today, we’re standing up to protect our health care workers,” said Rep. Andrew Boesenecker, D-Ft. Collins. “Threats against code enforcement offices, animal control officers, and health care and child protection workers will not be tolerated in Colorado and this law protects them from having their personal information published online. Doxxing is dangerous and this law shields everyday Coloradans just doing their jobs from violent threats against them and their family.” HB22-1041 will protect code enforcement officers from doxxing, a practice of sharing someone’s sensitive information online with malicious intent. This law extends protections to health care workers and animal control officers, among others, to withhold their personal information from the public. The law will create a new process for workers to redact their full name and address from online records if they receive a personal threat. Previous Next

< Back July 30, 2021 GARNETT, ESGAR STATEMENTS ON THE PASSING OF GOVERNOR DICK LAMM DENVER, CO– House Speaker Alec Garnett and Majority Leader Daneya Esgar released the following statements on the passing of former Governor Dick Lamm. “Governor Lamm was a towering presence in Colorado politics,” said Speaker Alec Garnett, D-Denver. “He made it his life’s work to protect our state’s natural treasures and ensure that our state remained a great place to live and work . He leaves behind a legacy of dedication and hard work, and while we didn’t always agree, I appreciated his mentorship and have always respected and admired Governor Lamm enormously. My thoughts today are with his wife Dottie and family. May he rest in peace.” “My most heartfelt condolences go out to Governor Lamm’s family today,” said Majority Leader Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo. “Governor Lamm was a public servant who knew how to reach across the aisle and put people over politics without compromising on his values. Despite the enormous loss that we feel today, Governor Lamm’s legacy of straight talking, hard working, and no-nonsense public service is alive and well.” Previous Next