Rep. Michael Carter

Under current law, there are 2 total program formulas to finance public schools. Absent the satisfaction of a statutorily specified condition, the first formula is scheduled to stop determining total program after the 2024-25 budget year (expiring formula), and the second formula is scheduled to determine total program beginning in the 2030-31 budget year (new formula). For the 2025-26 budget year through the 2029-30 budget year (transition period), total program is scheduled to be determined by using figures that were calculated under both the expiring formula and the new formula. The act: Extends the transition period by one year, so that it is from the 2025-26 budget year through the 2030-31 budget year; and Postpones the exclusive use of the new formula to determine total program until the 2031-32 budget year. The act changes how each school district's and institute charter school's annual total program is determined during the transition period. For the 2025-26 and 2026-27 budget years, each school district's and institute charter school's annual total program is the greater of the school district's or institute charter school's total program for the 2024-25 budget year or the amount calculated under the expiring formula plus an amount equal to 15% in 2025-26 and 30% in 2026-27 of the difference between the amounts calculated under the new formula and the expiring formula. For the 2027-28 budget year through the 2030-31 budget year, each school district's and institute charter school's annual total program is the greater of the district's or institute charter school's calculation under the expiring formula plus 1% of that calculation, or: For the 2027-28 budget year, the amount calculated under the expiring formula plus an amount equal to 45% of the difference between the amounts calculated under the new formula and the expiring formula; For the 2028-29 budget year, the amount calculated under the expiring formula plus an amount equal to 60% of the difference between the amounts calculated under the new formula and the expiring formula; For the 2029-30 budget year, the amount calculated under the expiring formula plus an amount equal to 75% of the difference between the amounts calculated under the new formula and the expiring formula; and For the 2030-31 budget year, the amount calculated under the expiring formula plus an amount equal to 90% of the difference between the amounts calculated under the new formula and the expiring formula. Under current law, there are specified conditions that apply to the transition period. If the joint budget committee determines that a specified condition occurs in a budget year during the transition period, then for the next budget year and each budget year thereafter, the transition is suspended, and each school district's total program is determined pursuant to the calculation and determination required for the budget year when the condition occurred. For one of the existing conditions, the act specifies that an income tax deposit to the state education fund that was made to correct an error does not count toward determining whether the condition has been satisfied. A school district's funded pupil count is a figure that is used as a part of determining a school district's total program. Under the expiring formula, a school district's funded pupil count is calculated by determining the greater of the school district's pupil enrollment for the applicable budget year or the average of the school district's pupil enrollment for the applicable budget year and the immediately preceding 4 budget years. Under current law, the new formula calculates a school district's funded pupil count by determining the greater of the school district's pupil enrollment for the applicable budget year or the average of the school district's pupil enrollment for the applicable budget year and the immediately preceding 3 budget years. The act changes the new formula so that: For the 2025-26 budget year, a school district's funded pupil count is calculated by determining the greater of the school district's pupil enrollment for the applicable budget year or the average of the school district's pupil enrollment for the applicable budget year and the immediately preceding 3 budget years; and For the 2026-27 budget year and each budget year thereafter, a school district's funded pupil count is calculated by determining the greater of the school district's pupil enrollment for the applicable budget year or the average of the district's pupil enrollment for the applicable budget year and the immediately preceding 2 budget years. However: If a statutorily specified condition is satisfied, and consequently for the 2026-27 budget year, a district's total program is not determined as scheduled under the transition period, then for the 2026-27 budget year, and each budget year thereafter, funded pupil count will continue to be determined by the greater of the school district's pupil enrollment for the applicable budget year or the average of the school district's pupil enrollment for the applicable budget year and the immediately preceding 3 budget years; and If, for the 2027-28 budget year, the state education fund balance is projected to be less than $200 million, then the general assembly is required to implement a smoothing factor or the funded pupil count will be determined by the greater of the school district's pupil enrollment for the applicable budget year or the average of the school district's pupil enrollment for the applicable budget year and the immediately preceding budget year for the 2027-28 budget year and each budget year thereafter. The act expiring formula is changed so that, starting in the 2027-28 budget year, the funded pupil count used in the expiring formula is the same funded pupil count that is used in the new formula to determine a district's total program during the transition period. The total program for the 2025-26 budget year is determined using the formula changes in the act. The act: Increases the statewide base per pupil funding for the 2025-26 budget year by $195.42 to account for inflation; Sets a new statewide base per pupil funding amount for the 2025-26 budget year at $8,691.80; and Sets the total program funding for the 2025-26 budget year for all school districts and institute charter schools to at least $10,036,070,748 or $10,031,606,090, depending upon whether Senate Bill 25-315 becomes law. Under current law, a new at-risk measure is required to be implemented in the 2025-26 budget year. The act repeals this requirement and requires the department of education (department) to collect data necessary to identify individual student census block groups to account for students who are at-risk of below-average academic performance and education outcomes because of socioeconomic disadvantages or poverty, but who may not qualify for free or reduced price lunch. Under current law, as a part of the charter contract, a district charter school and the school district, or the institute charter school and state charter school institute (institute), must agree on funding and services provided by the school district or institute to the charter school, subject to parameters. The act: Suspends the use of these provisions after the 2025-26 budget year; Repeals charter school at-risk supplemental aid after the 2026-27 budget year, following its gradual phase out during the 2025-26 and 2026-27 budget years; Creates incremental funding for charter schools for the 2025-26 budget year; and Requires the general assembly to consult with charter school representatives to ensure that charter schools are aligned with the implementation of the new formula. The act raises the limit from $750 million to $1 billion for the amount of money that the general assembly may appropriate to restore any or all qualified charter school debt reserve funds to their qualified charter school debt service fund requirements. Under current law, $41 million of interest and income earned on money in the public school fund is credited to certain purposes, and any remaining interest and income may be credited as specified by the general assembly or remain in the public school fund. The act requires that any remaining interest and income is credited to the public school capital construction assistance fund. The total annual amount of revenue credited to the public school capital construction fund is capped at $150 million, adjusted for inflation; except that money received from public school fund interest and income does not apply toward the cap. Any amount above the cap is credited to the state public school fund instead. The act creates the kids matter account within the state education fund. Beginning July 1, 2026, the state treasurer must deposit in the account all state revenues collected from an existing tax on 0.00065% on federal taxable income, as modified by law, of every individual, estate, trust, and corporation. The money in the account must only be used for district total program funding and total state funding for all categorical programs. Under current law, the department is required to contract with an entity to develop and implement a public information campaign to emphasize the importance of learning to read by third grade and highlight local education providers that are achieving high percentages of third-grade students who demonstrate reading competency. The act repeals the requirement that the department contract with an entity to develop and implement the information campaign. The act authorizes the department to use any unexpended money that was appropriated for the out-of-school time program grant program and is remaining at the end of the 2024-25 or 2025-26 state fiscal years in the 2025-26 or 2026-27 state fiscal years without further appropriation. The act creates and implements certain parameters for multifunction school activity buses. For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, the act: Appropriates $7,009,989 to the department from the state education fund for at-risk supplemental aid; Appropriates $7.6 million to the department from the public school capital construction assistance fund for public school capital construction assistance board cash grants; Appropriates $25 million to the department from the public school capital construction assistance fund for public school capital construction assistance board lease payments; and Adjusts the 2025-26 long bill by decreasing the cash funds appropriation from the state education fund for the state share of district's total program by $15,775,837; decreasing the cash funds appropriation from the state education fund for at-risk per pupil additional funding by $5 million; and decreasing the cash funds appropriation from the public school capital construction assistance fund for public school capital construction assistance board cash grants by $45,648,087.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Beginning with the 2027-28 school year, the act requires each individual career and academic plan (ICAP) to include a requirement that, during the student's graduation year, the student has exposure to federal financial aid eligibility tools and net price calculators and practices filling out a free application for federal student aid or the Colorado application for state financial aid, unless the student or student's parent or legal guardian affirmatively declines to practice filling out the application or authorized school personnel determines it is not feasible for the student to practice filling out an application. The act requires each school district board of education to incorporate all the financial literacy standards into a course that is required for high school graduation. The act authorizes the department of education (department) to seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations for the purpose of supporting educators in implementing a financial literacy course. For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $210,389 to the department for distribution to school districts to support implementation of a financial literacy course and the ICAP requirement. The act requires the department to distribute money to school districts that do not currently offer a course based on a formula determined by the department, which may include determining eligibility based on attestations from school districts. For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $9,611 to the department of higher education for use by the Colorado commission on higher education and higher education special purpose programs for administration. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act clarifies when a teacher may conclude that an early elementary school student has a significant reading deficiency requiring remediation through a specialized approach to instruction (READ plan) based on a body of evidence that includes information in addition to the student's scores on a reading assessment. Current law requires certain parental communications in connection with a student's READ plan. The act requires the addition of specific information regarding characteristics of dyslexia, if applicable, to the parental communications. Beginning no later than the 2027-28 school year, a local education provider must either develop its own screening process for identifying early elementary school students with characteristics of dyslexia or implement a universal dyslexia screener that conforms to certain new requirements. A local education provider that implements a screener may include the screener in an interim reading assessment or administer the screener separately from the interim assessment. Either way, the screener must accurately and reliably identify students at risk of reading difficulties. If an interim reading assessment includes a screener, the assessment must meet standards for validity and reliability, encourage data-driven instructional decision making, and promote efficient administration and effective follow-up. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The environmental justice advisory board in the department of public health and environment (advisory board) advises the environmental justice ombudsperson, develops recommendations related to adverse environmental effects on disproportionately impacted communities, and supports the implementation of a grant program to finance environmental mitigation projects. The act adds to the advisory board a voting youth member and a nonvoting youth member, which members are between 14 and 21 years of age. The act also requires the Colorado energy office (office), on or before December 31, 2025, to develop and post on its website best practices for the adoption and financing of clean energy resources in schools. The office is required to periodically update the best practices and post the updates on its website. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Beginning January 1, 2026, the act allows the department of health care policy and financing (department) to reimburse community health workers for services rendered to medicaid members after receiving any necessary federal authorization. Reimbursement for community health worker services is subject to available appropriations. The act postpones until January 31, 2027, the requirement for the department to report to the general assembly on community health worker utilization and costs in the medicaid program. The act reduces the appropriations to the department from the general fund for the 2025-26 fiscal year by $1,364,558 and the healthcare affordability and sustainability cash fund for the 2025-26 fiscal year by $342,750. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act eliminates the requirement for a second election to negotiate a union security agreement clause in the collective bargaining process. VETOED by Governor 5/16/2025(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act caps the maximum incarceration sentence for a municipal violation that has a comparable state law crime at the same length as the state-level offense. If a comparable state-level offense does not exist, the maximum period of incarceration is capped at the maximum for a state-level petty offense. Mandatory minimums and increased penalties based on prior convictions are prohibited unless the person is convicted of a municipal offense for which there is a comparable state offense or of an infraction that allows imposition of the same mandatory minimum or increased penalties based on prior convictions. The act also caps a consecutive municipal sentence at 2 times the highest charge in the case. The act clarifies that municipal court defendants have a right to counsel and that municipal defense counsel have the same notice, case information, and opportunity to meet with their clients as do state-level defense counsel. Current law prohibits paying indigent municipal defense counsel on a fixed or flat-fee payment structure if the municipality prosecutes domestic violence cases. The act applies the prohibition to all municipalities. All municipal court proceedings are required to be open to public observation. Virtual observation is required for all in-custody proceedings, and prompt resolution of municipal cases is required. VETOED by Governor 5/16/2025(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act relocates the definition of "utility company betterment" within the statute on local government utility relocation arrangements to clarify that the definition applies to the entire statutory section. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires hospitals, freestanding emergency departments, and licensed health-care facilities that hold themselves out to the public as providing emergency care (facility) to provide emergency medical services to a person who presents to the facility when the person requests or a request is made on the person's behalf for emergency medical services. For each person who presents to a facility and requests emergency medical services or for each request made on the person's behalf for emergency medical services, the act requires the facility to input into a central log whether the person refused treatment or was denied treatment; whether no treatment was required; or whether the person was transferred, admitted and treated, stabilized and transferred, or discharged. The act prohibits a facility from: Denying or discriminating in providing emergency medical services to a patient for a discriminatory or unlawful reason; Penalizing or taking adverse action against a health-care provider for refusing to transfer a patient with an emergency medical condition that has not been stabilized; Delaying providing emergency medical services to a person in order to inquire about the person's ability to pay for the services; and Transferring or discharging a patient with an emergency medical condition unless certain conditions are met. A facility or health-care provider does not violate the act's requirements if certain conditions are met. The act authorizes the department of public health and environment to investigate a facility that negligently violates the requirements of the act. A physician who negligently violates the act engages in unprofessional conduct and is subject to professional discipline. If a civil monetary penalty is imposed, the act requires the maximum civil monetary penalty to be reduced by any civil monetary penalty imposed pursuant to the federal "Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act" for the same violation. The act appropriates $82,768 from the health facilities general licensure cash fund to the department of public health and environment for use by the health facilities and emergency medical services division. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

No later than January 1, 2026, the act requires the department of human services to submit an application to the United States department of agriculture food and nutrition service to implement a restaurant meals program that allows eligible supplemental nutrition assistance program recipients to purchase hot or prepared foods at participating restaurants. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)