HB 25-1221: Emily Griffith Associate of Applied Science Degree - Colorado

Rerevised (04/01/2025) → Revised (03/31/2025) · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill was revised to update its version status from 'Rerevised' to 'Revised' and to reflect that amendments were adopted on second reading in the Senate rather than third reading unamended. The substantive content remains unchanged, with no new policy provisions added or removed.

TECHNICAL

Updated version header from 'REREVISED' to 'REVISED' and changed the amendment status description from '3rd Reading Unamended' to 'Adopted on Second Reading in the Second House' to reflect the legislative process timeline.

Final Act (04/08/2025) → Rerevised (04/01/2025) · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was reorganized from a final act format to a rerevised version with updated formatting and page numbering. The substantive policy content remains largely the same, authorizing Emily Griffith Technical College to offer an Associate of Applied Science degree linked to registered apprenticeship programs with Board approval.

Scope change

None - the bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; only formatting and presentation were modified.

TECHNICAL

Document structure changed from final act format to rerevised bill format with updated headers, page numbers, and reading status information.

Legislative sponsorship lists were reorganized and reformatted for clarity.

Bill summary section was added to provide a plain-language explanation of the bill's purpose and key provisions.

Page numbering and formatting were updated to reflect the rerevised version dated April 1, 2025.

Signed Act (04/10/2025) → Final Act (04/08/2025) · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill authorizes Emily Griffith Technical College to offer an Associate of Applied Science degree. The changes between the signed and final versions are primarily formatting and signature-related, with no substantive policy changes to the bill's content.

Scope change

No substantive change to the bill's scope or applicability

TECHNICAL

Added a note about legislative status and signatures at the beginning of the document

Corrected a typo in the college name from 'TECI INICAL' to 'TECHNICAL' in subsection (5)(a)

Corrected the spelling of 'Carl D. Perkins' from 'Cam, D. Perkins' in subsection (6)

Updated signature block formatting and removed placeholder text from the end of the document

Reengrossed (03/04/2025) → Signed Act (04/10/2025) · 6 edits · Apr 10, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was reengrossed to add additional Senate sponsors and expand the legislative declaration to include more context about apprenticeships and workforce development. The core policy changes involve adding a new section allowing Emily Griffith Technical College to offer an Associate of Applied Science degree, provided it is tied to a registered apprenticeship program and approved by the State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education. The bill also establishes specific criteria for board approval, including alignment with high-demand occupations and cost-effectiveness, and ensures the program is eligible for federal Perkins funding.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include additional Senate sponsors and more detailed legislative findings regarding the importance of apprenticeships and workforce development in Colorado.

ELIGIBILITY

Added eligibility for Emily Griffith Technical College to offer an Associate of Applied Science degree, contingent on enrollment in a registered apprenticeship program and board approval.

REQUIREMENT

Established new requirements for the degree program, including inclusion of transferable general education courses, alignment with high-need occupations, and submission to the Department of Higher Education for publication.

DEFINITION

Created new definitions for 'Board' and 'Degree Program' within the newly added statute section 23-60-804.

FISCAL

Confirmed eligibility for the degree program to receive federal Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act funds.

ENFORCEMENT

Added a referendum petition provision allowing the act to be voted on by the people if challenged within 90 days of final adjournment, with potential delay of effective date until November 2026.

SCOPE

Added additional Senate sponsors to the bill and expanded the legislative declaration with more detailed findings about apprenticeships and workforce development.

Engrossed (03/03/2025) → Reengrossed (03/04/2025) · 3 edits · Apr 1, 2025

MINOR

The bill was reengrossed to add additional co-sponsors to the House sponsorship list and update the document header to reflect that it is the reengrossed version. A significant substantive change was the removal of a section that would have required Emily Griffith Technical College to determine a program designation for an Associate of Applied Science degree before offering it.

Scope change

The bill's scope was reduced by removing a specific requirement that the college determine a program designation before offering an Associate of Applied Science degree.

TECHNICAL

Added multiple new co-sponsors to the House sponsorship list, including Bacon, Bird, Bradley, Brown, Carter, Clifford, Duran, English, Espenoza, Froelich, Jackson, Lieder, Lindsay, Lukens, Marshall, McCluskie, Phillips, Ricks, Rutinel, Sirota, Stewart K., Stewart R., and Titone.

Updated the document header from 'ENGROSSED' to 'REENGROSSED' and changed the accompanying text to indicate amendments were adopted in the House of Introduction rather than on Second Reading.

REQUIREMENT

Deleted a section requiring Emily Griffith Technical College to determine a program designation for an Associate of Applied Science degree before offering it, which was previously a prerequisite for the college to offer that degree.

Introduced (02/11/2025) → Engrossed (03/03/2025) · 3 edits · Apr 1, 2025

MINOR

The bill was amended to reflect its progression from introduction to engrossed status, incorporating all House amendments adopted during second reading. The most significant substantive change is the removal of a requirement for the Emily Griffith Technical College to submit its degree program to the state board for review and approval before offering it, along with the deletion of the specific criteria the board would use to evaluate such requests. This change shifts the program approval process away from state board oversight for this specific degree offering.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding state board oversight was reduced by removing the requirement for Emily Griffith Technical College to obtain board approval before offering its degree program.

REQUIREMENT

Deleted the requirement that Emily Griffith Technical College must submit its degree program to the state board for review and approval before offering it.

Removed the section specifying the criteria the state board would use to decide whether to approve the college's request to offer the degree program.

TECHNICAL

Added header text indicating the bill is now in engrossed status and includes all amendments adopted on second reading in the House of Introduction.

Emily Griffith Associate of Applied Science Degree

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