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Governor Jared Polis today signed legislation into law that will allow Prop KK revenue to fund community-based behavioral health services for military members, veterans, and their families. < Back May 1, 2025 New Law Will Increase Behavioral Health Funding for Veterans, Military Families DENVER, CO - Governor Jared Polis today signed legislation into law that will allow Prop KK revenue to fund community-based behavioral health services for military members, veterans, and their families. “As a member of the Air Force, I have seen firsthand how military veterans and their families can struggle to access proper health care for their behavioral health issues ,” said Rep. Sean Camacho, D-Denver. “Voters approved Prop KK, boosting funding for crime victim programs, public safety grants, and behavioral health crisis services just like the one this law funds. Military members and veterans desperately need quality health care, and this new law seeks to boost lifesaving behavioral health support for Colorado heroes and their loved ones by implementing the will of the voters.” “Since my time in the Army, I’ve become intimately familiar with the critical need for community-focused mental health services for veterans,” Senator Nick Hinrichsen, D-Pueblo, said. “Our veterans and their families gave everything they had to protect and serve our country, and they deserve all the life-saving support we can give in return.” “Far too many military members and veterans suffer from debilitating PTSD, anxiety, and other behavioral health struggles that impact their day-to-day life without the proper treatment ,” said Rep. Rebekah Stewart, D-Lakewood. “Our law better allows Colorado to fund community behavioral health programs and other beneficial services, improving access to the behavioral health care that veterans and their families deserve.” “Too many of our state’s veterans struggle with PTSD, anxiety, and other life-altering mental health conditions without access to proper treatment,” Senator Jeff Bridges, D-Arapahoe County, said. “Voters approved Prop KK, which boosts funding for crime victim programs, public safety grants, and behavioral health services like the ones supported by this bill. This new law will provide crucial support for our service members while implementing the will of the voters.” HB25-1132 allows Proposition KK revenue to fund non-profit organizations that establish and expand community behavioral health programs for military service members, veterans, and their families. These organizations must meet the following requirements to receive grant funding: Provides local behavioral health services to service members, veterans, and their families, Utilizes evidence-based practices, Trains staff on military cultural competency, and Has established and verifiable community partnerships to deliver behavioral health services for service members, veterans, and their families. The law also allows reimbursement for services that help address behavioral health struggles. Health care professionals are required to provide at least four health care sessions to each veteran they accept as a client in order to qualify for reimbursement. Colorado Democrats passed a law referring a ballot measure to voters in the November 2024 election to create a new excise tax on gun dealers, gun manufacturers, and ammunition vendors to fund the Colorado Crime Victim Services Fund, Behavioral Health Administration, and school safety efforts. Nearly 54.5 percent of Colorado voters approved Prop KK to bolster crime victim support and behavioral health programs. Previous Next

The House today advanced legislation, sponsored by Representatives Chad Clifford and Yara Zokaie, to protect equal opportunity to housing for Coloradans with disabilities. < Back February 2, 2026 Housing Protections Bill for Coloradans with Disabilities Advances DENVER, CO - The House today advanced legislation, sponsored by Representatives Chad Clifford and Yara Zokaie, to protect equal opportunity to housing for Coloradans with disabilities. “We’re ensuring that Colorado law provides equal protections for housing for Coloradans with disabilities,” said Rep. Chad Clifford, D-Centennial. “Everyone deserves housing that fits their needs. Service animals provide life-saving care, and it is crucial that people with disabilities aren’t turned away from housing opportunities due to their service animal. Our law would combat Trump’s attacks against housing protections and ensure that Coloradans with disabilities can live safely and comfortably.” “Colorado Democrats are continuing our work to strengthen protections for Coloradans with disabilities and protect Colorado communities from Trump’s continued attacks,” said Rep. Yara Zokaie, D-Fort Collins. “This bill would codify housing protections into state law and will ensure Coloradans with assistance animals have safe and reliable housing." HB26-1045 would establish that it is an unfair or discriminatory housing practice to deny housing to Coloradans due to their live-in service animals. The bill would also create definitions for “assistance animal” and “emotional support animal” to provide clarity to housing providers and Coloradans with disabilities and reduce litigation. Last year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development rescinded federal guidelines that outlined the rights that people with disabilities have regarding service animals under the Fair Housing Act. These guidelines also helped landlords, property managers and tenants understand how to distinguish between service animals and Emotional Support Animals. The repeal of these guidelines has created confusion regarding the rights of Coloradans with disabilities and what reasonable accommodations housing providers must provide. In recent years, Colorado Democrats have passed laws to bolster housing protections for Coloradans with disabilities. Colorado Democrats passed laws that save Coloradans money on accessibility modifications to rental housing and prevent unjust evictions for Coloradans who rely on safety net programs, like disability insurance. Last year, Rep. Zokaie passed a law to expand protections under the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act to protect vulnerable communities, especially Coloradans with disabilities, by allowing victims of discrimination to receive monetary compensation for unfair housing practices. Previous Next

Today, Governor Jared Polis signed into law two pieces of legislation to reduce insurance premiums and the cost of prescription drugs. < Back May 10, 2023 Signed! Legislation to Reduce Insurance Premiums, Costs of Prescription Drugs AURORA, CO - Today, Governor Jared Polis signed into law two pieces of legislation to reduce insurance premiums and the cost of prescription drugs. HB23-1224 , sponsored by Senator Dylan Roberts, D-Avon, and Reps. Iman Jodeh, D-Aurora, and Kyle Brown, D-Louisville, lowers insurance premiums and makes it easier for consumers to shop for high value standardized health plans that work for them and their families. The bill strengthens the Department of Insurance’s (DOI) ability to hold carriers accountable for the premium rate reduction requirements on Colorado Option Standardized Plans by granting the DOI the authority to: Limit factors such as as excessive profit and administrative expenses; Structure the public hearing process efficiently while ensuring all parties have the opportunity to participate; Help consumers easily find and compare plans that could lower their out-of-pocket costs. “Too many Coloradans are forced to choose between preventative health care services and paying the bills,” Jodeh said. “By reducing premium rates for Colorado Option plans and strengthening cost-saving requirements over Pharmacy Benefit Managers, our new laws will protect Colorado patients, pharmacies, and businesses from unfair practices while saving them money on health care.” “Every Coloradan, no matter where they live, deserves to have access to the life-saving health care they need,” said Roberts. “Colorado has led the way in lowering costs of health care by creating the Colorado Option. This bill builds on the first year of success of that plan and makes changes that will ensure that next year and in the years to come, even more Coloradans, particularly in the rural communities like those I represent, will be able to access more affordable and higher quality insurance options.” “The Colorado Option has been very successful, creating $14 million in savings for Colorado patients on health care plans, in its first year in the market,” Brown said. “With this new law, we’re making improvements to the Colorado Option to save Coloradans even more money on health care. I’m proud of the work that we’ve done to cut down on health care costs and pass savings down to Colorado consumers.” The second bill, HB23-1227 , ensures that Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBM) follow through on critical cost savings reforms that the legislature has passed in recent years to save consumers money. Sponsored by Senators Sonya Jaquez Lewis, D-Longmont, and Perry Will, R-New Castle, and Reps. David Ortiz, D-Littleton, and Jodeh, the bill provides the DOI with more direct oversight over PBMs by requiring them to register and specifying that the DOI has the ability to enforce those reforms. “As a pharmacist I know firsthand how critical it is for Coloradans to be able to afford their prescription drugs, but too many of our families are still getting squeezed by high costs of medication,” said Jaquez Lewis. “HB1227 is part of a multi-year effort to keep Colorado prescription drug prices affordable. I’m thrilled to see this critical bill to save families even more money on life-saving medications signed into law.” “Addressing the cost of prescription drugs is a critical part of creating an equitable and accessible health care system,” said Ortiz. “This new law will give us the tools to hold Pharmacy Benefit Managers to the cost-saving measures that Colorado Democrats have passed to improve access to affordable, quality health care for all.” The bipartisan bill grants the Insurance Commissioner the power to investigate and impose penalties on PBMs for failing to comply with consumer protections such as charging pharmacies fees to adjudicate claims, clawing back money from pharmacies inappropriately, and discriminating against independent pharmacies versus PBM-affiliated pharmacies. Previous Next

< Back May 26, 2021 HOUSE ADVANCES BILL TO CURB YOUTH ACCESS TO HIGH-POTENCY THC Legislation would advance research, address diversion, and educate consumers DENVER, CO – The House today advanced legislation sponsored by Speaker Alec Garnett and Representative Yadira Caraveo, a pediatrician, on a preliminary vote that would address youth access to high-potency cannabis products. “Colorado is going to lead the way on addressing youth access to high-potency cannabis,” said Speaker Alec Garnett, D-Denver. “ We are going to be at the forefront of looking at the science and the relationship between high-potency concentrates and the developing brain, taking on a role the federal government should have played years ago. This bill takes a measured, innovative approach to prevent Coloradans age 18-20 from purchasing massive quantities of concentrates and then diverting those products into the gray and black markets where our youth are buying them.” “As a pediatrician, I’ve seen first hand how young Coloradans have experienced significant health issues after using high-potency products,” said Rep. Yadira Caraveo, a pediatrician. “We have to take a look at how we can keep high-potency cannabis away from our youth who aren’t supposed to have access to it. This bill will make a big difference by strengthening the doctor-patient relationship and better educating consumers on high-potency products while ensuring we protect patients’ access to medical marijuana.” The bill would advance research into the impact of high potency marijuana on the developing brain, address diversion of cannabis concentrates purchased in the medical marijuana marketplace, and educate consumers about concentrates through visual representations of a recommended serving size and public awareness campaigns. Advances Research: The bill funds and advances critical research into the impact of high-potency cannabis concentrate products on the developing brain and on physical and mental health. It requires the Colorado School of Public Health to conduct a systematic review of the current scientific research into the effects of high-potency THC marijuana and concentrates and identify gaps in order to conduct new research. Under the bill, a new scientific review council of doctors and experts will review the report and make recommendations to the General Assembly on appropriate evidence-based regulatory changes and the funding of additional necessary evidence-based research. Addresses Diversion of High-Potency Products: The bill cracks down on “looping” and diversion by reducing the amount of medical concentrates someone can purchase in a day and requiring the Marijuana Enforcement Division’s seed-to-sale tracking database, METRC, to update at the point of sale, instead of at the end of each business day. Enhanced Doctor-Patient Relationship: The bill adjusts medical marijuana recommending practices by requiring doctors to specify a daily quantity authorization and to consider a patient’s mental health history when making a cannabis recommendation. For patients ages 18-20, the bill requires two physicians from different medical practices to diagnose the patient as having a debilitating or disabling medical condition after an in-person consultation, and the patient must attend a follow-up appointment every six months after the initial visit unless that patient is homebound. Real-Time Medical Marijuana Purchase Reporting: Through a practice known as “looping,” consumers can purchase the daily limit at multiple dispensaries, circumventing the limits and increasing youth access to high-potency cannabis products. The bill would crack down on “looping” in the medical marketplace by requiring medical marijuana stores to immediately record transactions in the seed-to-sale inventory tracking system. This would allow the system to identify discrepancies with daily purchase limits, access and retrieve real-time sales data, and alert medical mariuana stores if a sale to a patient has exceeded their daily purchase limit for that business day. Reduced Daily Purchase Amounts: The bill would limit daily medical marijuana concentrate purchases to eight grams for patients 21 years and older and to two grams for patients between the age of 18 and 20. Patients who had a medical marijuana card before the age of 18, patients who are homebound, for whom a physician has recommended a higher daily authorization, or for patients for whom going to a medical marijuana store on a daily basis presents significant physical or geographical hardship are exempt from these new limits. Consumer Education and Protection: The bill would better educate consumers about high-potency THC marijuana and concentrates by tasking the Colorado School of Public Health with developing a public education campaign, requiring MED to create a tangible education resource on the potential risks of concentrates and that shows visual representations of a recommended serving size be included with every sale, and by prohibiting advertisements targeted toward Colorado youth. Previous Next