The act repeals the teacher recruitment education and preparation program (TREP) after the 2026-27 budget year. The act repeals the teacher recruitment and preparation program and pathways in early technology early college high schools working group on July 1, 2027. On July 1, 2026, the act requires the state treasurer to transfer $799,200 from the electrifying school buses grant program cash fund to the state education fund. The general assembly declares that TREP may receive funding from the state education fund. For the 2026-27 state fiscal year, the act caps the amount that a district receives for a student participating in TREP under the school finance formulas at $7,104. The act increases the cash fund appropriation to the department of education for state share of districts' total program funding and decreases the cash fund appropriation for extended high school in the 2026-27 long bill in order to fund TREP for the 2026-27 state fiscal year. The amount of the changes is contingent on whether House Bill 26-1364, concerning the calculation of the consumer price index for the 2025 calendar year, becomes law.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law requires 3.5% of the gross retail marijuana sales tax revenue to be distributed to local governments. The act eliminates the distribution to local governments and allocates the gross retail marijuana sales tax revenue as follows, on and after July 1, 2026:73.17% to the marijuana tax cash fund (fund);11.33% to the state public school fund;1.5% to the marijuana cash fund; and14% to the general fund. The act also directs the state treasurer to transfer from the fund to the state public school fund on June 30, 2027, and on each June 30 thereafter, an amount equal to the difference between the balance of the fund and:15% of the amount that the general assembly appropriated from the fund in that fiscal year; andAny amount of the fund designated to be part of the emergency reserve for that fiscal year.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates the access to opportunity task force (task force) to study and report on how to expand access to effective public schools to address opportunity gaps. The act requires the task force to report its findings and recommendations to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate, the governor, the state board of education, the commissioner of education, and the department of education on or before January 1, 2027. If the first meeting of the task force is not until after July 31, 2026, then the report deadline is 5 months after the task force's first meeting. The act specifies that the task force will only conduct a study and prepare a report if the department of education receives sufficient gifts, grants, and donations.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates the cradle to career grant program (grant program) in the department of human services (CDHS) to provide grants to a local government, local education provider, state institution of higher education, Indian tribe or tribal organization, or community-based nonprofit or not-for-profit organization (eligible entity) to promote coordinated community-based supports and services that open opportunities for economic mobility from poverty. The grant program must connect children and youth with high-quality educational and extracurricular programming and families with key health and social services in order to improve prenatal and early childhood outcomes, student achievement, workforce readiness, and wealth-building opportunities. The act creates the cradle to career advisory council (council) to approve or disapprove CDHS's potential grant recipients and to collaborate with CDHS to develop grant program guidelines and criteria for awarding grants. Council members must be Colorado residents and must not provide financial support for the grant program. To receive a grant, an eligible entity must submit an application that includes an economic mobility needs assessment and a comprehensive proposal to address the needs within its designated service area. The application must identify prospective community partners and subcontractors. The act caps the amount that CDHS may award in connection with a single grant application at 49% of available grant program money. A grant recipient must comply with various health and safety, financial responsibility, and anti-discrimination safeguards. Each grant recipient must annually report to CDHS addressing the recipient's progress using a set of performance indicators to assess the economic mobility outcomes and impacts associated with the grant award. CDHS must make a related report to the health and human services committees of the general assembly and the governor each year. CDHS may seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, and donations for grant-program-related purposes. If CDHS does not receive $900,000 for those purposes on or before December 31, 2028, the grant program is repealed. The general assembly shall not appropriate general fund dollars for grant program operations.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires the state treasurer to transfer $1.2 million from the universal high school scholarship cash fund (fund) to the Colorado economic development fund and $2.3 million from the fund to the general fund on June 30, 2026.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act expands the Colorado commission on higher education (commission) from 11 to 13 members by adding 2 nonvoting student members who are enrolled at a state-supported institution of higher education (student members). Specifically, the act adds:One student member from a graduate research university or a 4-year institution of higher education; andOne student member from a community college, local district college, or area technical college. The governor shall make initial appointments of student members on or before July 1, 2027. Student members serve on the commission for a term of 2 years. The act shrinks the advisory committee to the commission from 13 to 12 members by removing the advisory committee member designated to represent the students of the state.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Under current law, with certain exceptions, royalties and other payments for the depletion or extraction of a natural resource on public school lands is credited to the state public school fund, which is also known as the permanent fund. The act requires that:For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, $25 million of this money be credited to the state public school fund; andFor the 2026-27 state fiscal year, $45 million of this money be credited to the state public school fund.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act repeals limited purpose fee-for-service contracts for: the career pathways program, the multidisciplinary health-care provider access training program, and the career and technical education and apprenticeship programs alignment, on June 30, 2028; and cybersecurity and distributed ledger technologies and the food systems advisory council, on June 30, 2026. The act repeals, on June 30, 2028, the multidisciplinary health-care provider access training program, the career pathways program, and the state apprenticeship agency's career and technical education and apprenticeship programs alignment requirement.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act changes the requirement for an independent evaluation of the use of 'Colorado Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act' (READ Act) money from an annual requirement to a biennial requirement. The act adds a requirement that the Colorado department of education post an annual report on its website that summarizes data from local education providers on their reading curricula; programs, services, and supports; and student progress and includes any department input on proposed program changes. The act reduces the appropriation made in the annual general appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year to the department of education from the state education fund for the early literacy program external evaluation by $750,000.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
In current law, a person who is a member of the Colorado National Guard who is accepted for enrollment at a designated institution of higher education (member) has all their tuition costs waived. All tuition waiver costs are currently funded by the state from money in the Colorado National Guard tuition fund. The act changes the funding mechanism of the Colorado National Guard tuition waiver program by requiring each designated institution of higher education to waive the remaining balance of a member's tuition cost in excess of the amount of any private, state, or federal financial assistance received. The act requires the department of military and veterans affairs to reimburse each institution for 50% of the cost of tuition waived by the institution and requires the general assembly to appropriate money to the Colorado National Guard tuition fund to cover the reimbursement.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
