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< Back March 8, 2019 HOUSE APPROVES CUTTER-WEISSMAN BILL TO EXPAND DISCLOSURE OF FUNDING IN CAMPAIGNS House Republicans vote to allow mystery ads to continue flooding campaigns (Mar. 8) — A bill sponsored by Rep. Lisa Cutter, D-Jefferson County and Rep. Mike Weissman, D-Aurora to require expanded disclosure of funding behind campaign communications passed the House today. “I’ve had a twenty-five year career in public relations and communications, and have been a strong advocate for fair and ethical communications, ” said Rep. Cutter. “A healthy and functional democracy depends on transparency, so let’s do everything we can to ensure Colorado voters are fully informed.” The bipartisan SB19-068 would require listing the name of any person or entity that spends more than $1000 per year on electioneering communications on the communication itself, be it a television ad, mailer, or a distributed flyer. It would also increase transparency and accountability in elections by including electioneering communications that occur at any point between the primary and general election. “Voters get bombarded by political ads and mailers during elections from mystery sources, making it difficult for Democrats, Republicans and Unaffiliated voters to properly weigh the issues,” said Rep. Weissman. “Today, we took an an important step toward improving campaign disclosure laws. Coloradans deserve all the proper facts when they fill out their ballots.” The bill passed with a final vote of 39-23 with nearly every House Republican voting against it and now heads to the Governor’s desk. The bill is sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, D-Arvada and Sen. Jack Tate, R-Centennial. It passed the Senate with bipartisan support on a vote of 23-12. Previous Next

On July 1, 2025, a bipartisan law goes into effect to combine two waiver programs to create the Children with Complex Health Needs waiver. This will help streamline access to services for behavioral health conditions or complex health needs. < Back June 26, 2025 Legislation to Streamline Access to Youth Behavioral and Complex Health Care Takes Effect DENVER, CO - On July 1, 2025, a bipartisan law goes into effect to combine two waiver programs to create the Children with Complex Health Needs waiver. This will help streamline access to services for behavioral health conditions or complex health needs. “I’ve seen the positive impact that access to essential health care and services has on children with IDD, behavioral health, and long-term medical needs, which is why it's so important that we expand and streamline the process for receiving care,” said Rep. Rebekah Stewart, D-Lakewood. “This legislation is near and dear to my heart, and I am excited that this new law is going into effect to expand the services available to Colorado kids and families so they can enjoy life at home while receiving the health care they need and deserve.” “We owe it to our children to provide the support they need in their early years. That is not only the right thing to do, but an important investment in our future,” said Sen. Lisa Cutter, D-Jefferson County. “This legislation helps protect and streamline children’s health care and early intervention services to make sure every child in Colorado has the opportunity to thrive.” HB25-1003 , also sponsored by Rep. Max Brooks, R-Castle Rock, creates the Children with Complex Health Needs waiver by merging the Children’s Home and Community-Based Services (CHCBS) and the Children with Life Limiting Illness (CLLI) waivers. This helps streamline waivers to better support Colorado’s youth with behavioral health conditions or complex needs. The CHCBS provides home and community-based services for families with children with significant medical needs so they can continue to live at home and prevent institutionalization. The CLLI provides in-home services and treatments for families with children with a complex health need, including respite care and pain management. Colorado Democrats have passed legislation in recent years to improve access to behavioral health care, including creating the I Matter program to offer no-cost behavioral health services to students, training for first responders and community leaders to identify and respond to symptoms of mental health struggles or substance use disorders, and expanding behavioral health care coverage for Colorado youth. Previous Next

< Back April 16, 2019 HOUSE COMMITTEE APPROVES BILL TO KEEP COLORADO CHILDREN SAFE Colorado ranks last in kindergarten immunizations (Apr. 16) The House Health and Insurance committee approved Rep. Kyle Mullica’s bipartisan bill to address Colorado’s low vaccination rates. Higher vaccination rates decrease the risk of outbreaks of preventable contagious and deadly diseases. “This is about keeping Colorado’s kids safe. We need to be proactive, not reactive. We are in the midst of public health crisis and we can’t wait for a tragedy to occur,” said Rep. Mullica, D-Northglenn. “Experts believe this option will help improve Colorado’s dismal and dangerous immunization rates. I thank everyone who came to the state capitol today to make their voices heard.” Rep. Mullica is a trained trauma nurse by profession. Here’s what HB19-1312 does: Creates a standardized exemption form and requires all exemptions be submitted to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) or the local public health agency. Non-medical exemptions must be submitted in person to the CDPHE or local health agency; subsequent renewals can be submitted in person or online. Directs CDPHE to include immunization exemption information in its annual presentation to the General Assembly. Directs CDPHE to develop educational materials for health agencies and schools addressing the medical benefits of immunizations. Gives the Board of Health authority to determine school-required immunizations, based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This bipartisan bill strengthens Colorado’s vaccination exemption process by incorporating strategies known to increase vaccination rates without removing personal or religious exemptions. Colorado is seeing an increase in vaccine preventable diseases that are endangering public health. According to a recent report, Coloradans paid $55 million on childhood diseases that vaccinations could have prevented in 2017 alone. Medical experts testified in support of the commonsense legislation. Public health and medical experts have raised serious concerns about Colorado’s low vaccination ra te. Contagious disease outbreaks are happening around the country. Most recently in Washington state and New York state. According to the CDC, less than 89 percent of kindergarten-aged children in Colorado have received vaccines for diseases like measles, mumps and rubella. Colorado ranks last in country in this category. That’s below the national average of 94.3 percent and below the level considered ideal for reaching “herd immunity,” the percentage of the population that needs to be vaccinated to avoid a big outbreak and protect those with compromised or vulnerable immune systems. Herd immunity is essential to protect the vulnerable including newborn babies, seniors and people living with ongoing medical issues. The Senate co-prime sponsors are Sen. Kevin Priola, R-Henderson and Sen. Julie Gonzales, D-Denver. The bill passed by a vote of 7-4. It now heads to the House floor. Previous Next

SB25-041 will refine competency restoration and sanity examinations while expanding supportive housing for incarcerated individuals < Back June 2, 2025 New Law Will Improve Treatment of People with Behavioral Health Disorders in the Criminal Justice System SB25-041 will refine competency restoration and sanity examinations while expanding supportive housing for incarcerated individuals DENVER, CO – The Governor today signed legislation sponsored by Senate President Pro Tempore Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City, Senator Judy Amabile, D-Boulder, and Representative and Regina English, D-Colorado Springs, to improve services for people with behavioral health disorders in the criminal justice system. “Everyone deserves to feel safe and protected in their interactions with law enforcement and the justice system, especially people battling serious behavioral health issues,” said Michaelson Jenet. “This new law works to streamline and protect access to the resources that the most vulnerable people in the criminal justice system need to heal and eventually re-enter their communities feeling healthier, stronger and more productive.” “To create safer communities, we need to make sure Coloradans in the criminal justice system with behavioral health disorders receive the care they need to stand trial effectively,” said English. “Without consistent behavioral health care for these individuals, criminal trials are likely to be delayed, which hinders our justice system. This new law streamlines access to inpatient services for those in the criminal justice system to help reduce recidivism and prioritize justice for survivors.” “Coloradans seeking support in the aftermath of mental health crises deserve comprehensive care and a system willing to treat them with dignity,” said Amabile. “Every American is owed the right to fair criminal trial, and we owe it to victims, defendants, their families and their communities to implement an equitable and dignified environment for proceedings to take place.” SB25-041 , cosponsored by Representative Mary Bradfield, R-El Paso County, will allow the Colorado Department of Human Services to continue providing inpatient services for up to 90 days after an individual’s case is dismissed because the person is deemed “incompetent to proceed.” It also allows the department to work with community organizations to provide permanent supportive housing for these individuals or those who complete the Bridges of Colorado program . The new law was recommended by the Treatment of Persons with Behavioral Health Disorders in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Systems Interim Committee , which is responsible for overseeing its associated task force and implementing recommendations regarding the treatment of people with behavioral health disorders in the criminal and juvenile justice systems. Previous Next

< Back July 28, 2020 JOINT RELEASE: DEM LEADERSHIP STATEMENT ON REPUBLICAN PLAN TO DEFUND PUBLIC SCHOOLS Denver, CO – House and Senate Democratic leadership today released the following joint statement in response to Republicans’ public school voucher proposal that would defund public schools as they work to resume student learning during a pandemic: “The challenges families are facing are real, but this proposal is not a serious effort to address them. Their plan cloaks in the guise of crisis-response, a long-sought and unpopular voucher plan that would defund public education in our state at the worst possible time. Stripping away the funding schools need to protect students, their families and educators in the midst of a pandemic, is reckless and detrimental to the entire community.” “Our school districts have been working tirelessly with education partners and parents on innovative approaches to safely reopen based on the unique conditions in their localities. It is disappointing that our Republican colleagues chose to use media tactics to push their agenda rather than working with the Majority on solutions that meet the pressing needs of Coloradans. We urge them to come to the table in good faith to listen and understand the needs of our school districts, parents and teachers before rushing to extreme and partisan policies. “What we need right now is informed decision making, not shortsighted ideas that would radically change our state’s education system.” Previous Next

< Back April 10, 2019 HOUSE APPROVES TWO BILLS TO PROTECT CONSUMERS & WORKERS Froelich-Singer bill to combat wage theft approved 64-0 (Apr. 10) — The House approved two bills with bipartisan support to protect workers from wage theft and to safeguard Coloradans from the unfair practice of wage garnishment. This morning, the House unanimously passed HB19-1267, sponsored by Rep. Jonathan Singer, D-Longmont, and Rep. Meg Froelich, D-Englewood. This bill would make the withholding or stealing wages a criminal offense. “This is about protecting workers. Wage theft is being treated very differently from theft when it is a corrosive act in society,” said Rep. Froelich. “We want to bring restitution for these workers and contractors who have faced wage theft. Stealing from workers isn’t a partisan issue and I’m glad the House made that abundantly clear today.” Currently, employers stealing wages from employees or contractors is a classified misdemeanor. Often times, it is not even worthy of prosecutors to go after because the penalties are so low. “Over $750 million a year are in lost wages. These are everyday workers across the board who are losing their hard-earned wages,” said Rep. Singer. “Labor trafficking is the majority of human trafficking. This bill will actually help workers in a way that the government never could.” This bipartisan bill now heads to the Senate. The House also approved HB19-1189, sponsored by Rep. Matt Gray, D-Broomfield, and Rep. Alex Valdez, D-Denver, with bipartisan support. The bill would require clearer and more timely notice of garnishment and to allow individuals more time to prepare for possible reduced wages and understand their options better. “We were able to bring consumer advocates and debt collection agencies together to provide relief for Colorado families who need it most,” said Rep. Matt Gray. “Colorado workers who are having their wages garnished will see more take home pay to afford the cost of housing, child care and investing in their future.” In addition to making wage garnishment intentions more clear, this bill will also reduce the disposable earning subject to garnishments and create a general hardship exemption that would permit individuals to prove in court that the amount of their pay subject to garnishment should be further reduced or eliminated all together. “When we heard testimony, someone said wage garnishment is traditionally a methodology used to go after people who don’t have any money, I believe this is true,” said Rep. Valdez. “We need to consider the people we can help, even if it’s just a little bit, even if it’s just a few. We need to take a step in the right direction.” A 2017 national study found that wage garnishments disproportionately impacts lower income individuals earning between $20,000 to $60,000. Colorado ranks 34th among 50 states for protecting individuals’ paychecks from onerous garnishment. The bill passed the House floor with a bipartisan vote of 37-27. The bill now heads to the Senate. Previous Next

More than 80 percent of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable < Back June 5, 2024 SIGNED! New Law Will Improve Black Maternal Health Care Coverage More than 80 percent of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable DENVER, CO – Today, Governor Jared Polis signed legislation that aims to improve perinatal health outcomes, especially in Black and historically marginalized communities. SB24-175 , sponsored by Senators Rhonda Fields, D-Aurora, and Janet Buckner, D-Aurora, and Representatives Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango, and Iman Jodeh, D-Aurora, requires large employer health benefit plans to cover doula services in alignment with Medicaid. The law also instructs hospitals that provide labor and delivery or neonatal care services to participate in at least one maternal or infant health quality improvement initiative. Additionally, the Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) will contract with a Colorado perinatal care quality collaborative to provide maternal and infant health equity improvement initiatives to hospitals; track disparity and health outcome data; and address disparate outcomes particularly among American Indian, Native Alaskan, and Black birthing populations. “The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate of any rich country and significant disparities in outcomes – and the crisis will continue to worsen unless we act,” said Fields. “This law is incredibly important as it addresses gaps in coverage and holds hospitals accountable for ensuring equitable care for all people, and I’m proud to see it signed today.” “Addressing the access gap in health care coverage is the first step we can take to reduce our country’s maternal mortality rate, which is far too high and disproportionately high for Black, American Indian and rural mothers,” said McLachlan. “To improve health outcomes for expecting mothers, including those in rural and remote areas, we need to ensure they have access to a range of perinatal care and that it’s covered by their insurance. I’m proud to have sponsored this law to keep expecting mothers and their newborns safe.” “No Black woman should lose their life, or come close to losing their life, in an attempt to birth their child,” Buckner said. “While maternal mortality rates around the world fell 44 percent, maternal mortality rates in the United States increased by 16.7 percent during that same period of time. It's unacceptable. Working to solve our maternal health crisis – especially for Black and historically marginalized communities – will lead to better economic, health, and social outcomes while saving lives.” “As a new mother myself, I want the best possible outcomes for all expecting mothers. Yet, our country’s maternal mortality rate reflects a different reality, especially for Black mothers,” said Jodeh. “This law works to combat the maternal mortality rate by encouraging hospitals to focus on improving their maternal or infant health outcomes, expanding insurance coverage for doula services and improving health equity training for birthing health care providers.” Under this law, CDPHE will create a program that provides financial support to hospitals in rural areas, hospitals serving a higher percentage of Medicaid and uninsured patients, or hospitals with lower-acuity maternal and neonatal care. Lastly, it requires coverage of over-the-counter and prescribed choline supplements for pregnant people. Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women. According to the CDC, multiple factors contribute to these disparities, such as variation in quality health care, underlying chronic conditions, structural racism, and implicit bias. SB24-175 intends to address systemic racism in health care and develop better and more culturally informed care for historically marginalized communities. Previous Next

< Back May 13, 2021 HOUSE ADVANCES COLORADO’S HEALTH CARE SERVICES RESERVE CORPS DENVER, CO– The House today advanced legislation sponsored by Representatives Kyle Mullica and Yadira Caraveo to create the Colorado Health Care Services Reserve Corps. “In addition to the strain and stress of the pandemic, the last year revealed gaps in our health care workforce that we have to address going forward,” said ER Nurse Rep. Kyle Mullica, D-Northglen. “As thousands of health workers faced the daily challenges of battling this pandemic, many providers struggled to find ways to help. By creating Colorado’s Health Care Services Reserve Corps, we can build back stronger and ensure our health care workforce is prepared to meet the next crisis.” “Pediatricians like myself are trained to intubate young children and treat respiratory illnesses; we do it all the time, but I’m not trained in adult or emergency medicine,” said Rep. Yadira Caraveo, D-Thorntton, a physician. “Early in the pandemic, when emergency rooms were filling up with older patients, I didn’t have the training to jump in and help. Colorado’s health care providers are ready to serve when a crisis hits, and with the right training and resources, they would be more than willing to step up and fill any gaps that emerge. Whether it’s a natural disaster or another pandemic, Colorado’s Health Care Reserve Corps will bolster our response to the next health crisis.” Rising temperatures, harmful air quality, and more intense wildfires are making health emergencies that require a medical response more common. Thousands of nurses are retiring each year, and there is projected to be a national physician shortage of over 120,000 doctors by 2032 while Colorado has nearly 120 designated health professional shortage areas. HB21-1005 would create a state-level task force made up of experts in licensing, medical professionals, hospital administrators, and cross training facilitators to layout plans to create the Colorado Health Care Service Reserve Corps. The task force will determine the membership of the Reserve Corps, create training practices and recommend benefits that could attract members to the corps. The task force may also make recommendations for legislation necessary to successfully establish the Reserve Corps. Previous Next

The House today passed a bill sponsored by Representatives Jennifer Parenti and Jenny Willford to better protect youth and keep them safe when participating in private organized sports. HB24-1080 passed by a vote of 45-16. < Back February 26, 2024 House Passes Legislation to Protect Youth in Sports DENVER, CO – The House today passed a bill sponsored by Representatives Jennifer Parenti and Jenny Willford to better protect youth and keep them safe when participating in private organized sports. HB24-1080 passed by a vote of 45-16. “Colorado youth participating in out-of-school sports should be safe, which is why we are putting common sense protections into place to ensure that the adults who supervise youth sports have passed a background check and are trained in CPR/AED certification,” said Rep. Jennifer Parenti, D-Erie. “We owe it to our children to ensure we are doing everything we can to prevent injury and harm and this bill is a critical step to create the safe environment they deserve.” “Kids and parents deserve to know that their sports programs are run by someone they can trust,” said Rep. Jenny Willford, D-Northglenn . “Our bill would require coaches and other adults involved in these sports programs to pass a background test and be CPR/AED and First Aid certified to ensure that we’re creating a safe environment for our kids to play in.” HB24-1080 would require private youth sports organizations to conduct criminal history record checks on personnel who work directly with youth athletes, in both a volunteer or paid position. This bill would also require paid directors, coaches, assistant coaches or athletic program personnel to be CPR/AED and First Aid certified to help youth in the case of an emergency. HB24-1080 aims to prevent childhood sexual assault and keep our youth safe while participating in out-of-school activities. Previous Next

Legislation would allow anyone to administer opioid-antagonist at schools < Back April 8, 2025 Bill to Prevent Overdoses in Schools, Save Lives Passes Committee DENVER, CO – The House Health & Human Services Committee today passed legislation to save lives and prevent overdoses. SB25-164 would allow anyone to administer opioid-antagonists, such as Naloxone, to someone experiencing an overdose at a Colorado public school. “Our students are losing friends and peers to preventable overdoses – we need to do more to save lives,” said Rep. Jamie Jackson, D-Aurora . “During an overdose, time is of the essence, and this bill makes Naloxone more accessible in schools. Additionally, our bill would remove the unnecessary training requirements to administer opioid-antagonists, so anyone can act quickly to save a life.” “When compared to other states, Colorado ranks near the top for fatal youth overdoses,” said Rep. Jenny Willford, D-Northglenn. “Fatal overdoses are preventable, and we should be doing everything we can to save a life. Our bill works to make opioid-antagonists more accessible in Colorado public schools and school buses by allowing them to be placed in AED defibrillator cabinets.” SB25-164, passed committee by a vote of 12-1. This legislation aims to boost access to Naloxone in schools to combat fatal overdoses. While training is still encouraged, SB25-164 would remove cumbersome training requirements to administer Naloxone so anyone could help reverse an overdose. To increase access to Naloxone during an emergency, this bill would allow it to be placed inside AED defibrillator cabinets located in schools and on school buses. This bill also streamlines the Naloxone Bulk Fund to make it more accessible and efficient for schools. Specifically, allowing staff of the statewide program to focus on overdose prevention outreach, education and training in rural and underserved areas. A 2024 study revealed that Colorado ranked second in the nation for fatal youth overdoses. Colorado lawmakers have worked to combat the youth overdose crisis in Colorado. HB25-1293 , also sponsored by Rep. Jackson, would require public high schools to adopt education standards focused on drug overdose identification, risks, prevention, and response. SB25-164 builds upon previous legislation allowing school districts to maintain a supply of Naloxone to be used on buses and at school sponsored events. 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

< Back April 23, 2021 HOUSE ADVANCES NEW FINANCIAL LITERACY STANDARDS DENVER, CO– The House today preliminarily approved HB21-1200 on second reading. The bipartisan bill, which is sponsored by Representatives Kipp and Rich, would improve financial literacy standards to help ninth through 12th graders better understand financial products, focusing specifically on higher education loans and financial assistance. “By improving our financial literacy programs, we can help ensure that more Coloradans have the knowledge and tools they need to make life changing financial decisions,” said Rep. Cathy Kipp, D-Fort Collins. “When we help young people better understand the complicated and high stakes financial decisions they’re making, we can set them on a path to success. This bill would ensure that Colorado students learn about all the financial products they may encounter along the way to paying for higher education and other important obligations.” HB21-1200 would require the Department of Education to include higher education planning tools in financial literacy standards the next time they are updated. Financial literacy standards for ninth through 12th graders would ensure students understand the costs associated with obtaining a degree, managing credit card and student loan debt, buying a home, and saving for retirement. The bill adds how to budget and pay for higher education and how to manage student loan debt to the suggested financial literacy curriculum and requires school districts to inform students and parents about the importance of applying for state and federal financial aid. In Colorado, more than 743,000 people have student loan debt, with an average debt burden of more than $38,000. Coloradans carry approximately $28.6 billion in student debt. The federal free application for student aid (FAFSA) helps determine a student’s eligibility for financial aid. Research shows that high school seniors who complete the FAFSA are 84 percent more likely to enroll in postsecondary education. Providing students with financial literacy assistance can help them begin building the assets they need for financial stability later in life. Previous Next