Sen. Janice Marchman

Maddy summaryThis bill designates Monday, January 27, 2025, as "Colorado 4-H Day" to recognize the Colorado 4-H Youth Development program. It is a symbolic resolution honoring 4-H's work with youth aged 5-19, including its role in community engagement, leadership development, and STEM education through Colorado State University Extension. The resolution has no legal effect or new requirements - it simply encourages public acknowledgment of the program. (HJR 25-1006, passed by both chambers on January 27-30, 2025)

Maddy summaryThis bill (HJR 25-1007) is a commemorative resolution designating a specific segment of Interstate 25 in Colorado - southbound from mile marker 199.4 and northbound from mile marker 194.8 - as the "Firefighters Memorial Hwy in Memory of Chief Troy Jackson." It honors Troy Jackson, a 30-year firefighter with South Metro Fire Rescue who developed cancer prevention programs for first responders before passing in 2019. The resolution allows the Colorado Department of Transportation to accept donations for signage and coordinate with Arapahoe and Douglas counties for sign maintenance. As a naming resolution, it has no policy or funding changes beyond this memorial designation.

Wildfire Matters Review Committee. The bill requires the general assembly to appropriate $7,500,000 to the division of fire prevention and control (division) for state fiscal year 2024-25 and allows any unexpended portion of the appropriation to also be expended in state fiscal year 2025-26. The division is required to use the money to study and develop applications of artificial intelligence that predict, mitigate, or assist in fighting wildfires, including, at a minimum, applications of artificial intelligence which produce data that can be incorporated into maps displaying the following: Classification of vegetation and wildfire fuel; Predictions regarding the likelihood of wildfire ignition potential in a particular area following observed lightning events; The perimeter of an ongoing wildfire; and Predictions regarding the locations and area to which an ongoing wildfire may spread. The division may contract with a third party that has developed artificial intelligence tools to predict, mitigate, or assist in fighting wildfires. The division is also authorized to seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, and donations for the purposes of the bill. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Maddy summarySJR 25-004 designates January 22 of each year as "Reproductive Rights and Justice Day" in Colorado. This symbolic resolution does not create new laws or policies but commemorates the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision (January 22, 1973) and acknowledges Colorado's legislative actions to protect reproductive rights, including the Reproductive Health Equity Act and the Safe Access to Protected Health Care Package. The designation serves as a formal observance without imposing legal obligations or altering existing rights.

Maddy summaryHJR 25-1005 is a ceremonial resolution encouraging Colorado communities to observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 20, 2025 - the 41st anniversary of the state holiday. It does not create new laws or alter existing policies but urges cities, schools, counties, and local governments to hold commemorative events. The resolution honors Dr. King’s legacy, noting Colorado’s early adoption of the holiday in 1985 and its ongoing observance through events like the annual Marade. This is a non-binding call for community engagement, not a substantive legislative change.

The act amends the Colorado oral health community grants program administered by the department of public health and environment (department) to award grants for the implementation of oral health screening in public schools through the oral health screening pilot program (pilot program) created in the act. The purpose of the pilot program is to provide oral health screening to students in kindergarten and third grade at a minimum of 5 pilot program sites at school districts or schools of a school district, charter schools, institute charter schools, or boards of cooperative services (local education providers) to demonstrate the effectiveness of oral health screening in kindergarten and third grade in reducing dental decay, the costs of providing oral health screening to students, and best practices for providing oral health screening that could be scaled statewide. The department shall award at least 5 oral health screening grants to oral health screeners to conduct oral health screening activities in schools of local education providers. In selecting screening locations, the department shall select locations that represent a variety of school settings, including large and small local education providers in urban, rural, and frontier areas of the state, with priority given to schools with students who are likely to experience higher rates of undetected oral health concerns. The act includes requirements for the pilot program regarding: Qualifications for participating oral health screeners; The oral health screening; The selection by the department of an oral health screening tool; Notice to parents and legal guardians (parents), including the ability of parents to refuse oral health screening for their children; Reporting to parents about the outcome of the oral health screening and information and referral if dental concerns are identified for a student; and The protection of confidential health data. After completing oral health screening at a pilot program site during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years, no later than July 31, 2025, and July 31, 2026, respectively, a participating oral health screener shall provide data and information to the department for purposes of evaluating the effectiveness of the pilot program, including the number of students screened and oral health concerns identified, as well as other relevant data and information as determined by the department. On or before December 1, 2027, the department of education shall develop a plan for implementation of oral health screening in kindergarten and third grade in all public schools. No later than January 15, 2027, the department shall submit a report of the findings concerning the pilot program and its plan for implementation of oral health screening in all public schools to the health and human services and education committees of the house of representatives and of the senate, or their successor committees, and the department of education. The pilot program repeals July 1, 2031, after the screening and reporting on the pilot program is completed. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, $84,425 is appropriated from the general fund to the department for use by the prevention services division to implement the pilot program. APPROVED by Governor June 7, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act includes outdoor nature-based preschool programs (outdoor programs) as a type of licensed child care center (center) in the department of early childhood (department) for licensing-related matters. No later than December 31, 2025, the executive director of the department shall promulgate rules for centers operating as outdoor programs. The rules must include, but are not limited to: Land-use agreement requirements for outdoor programs operating on public or private land; Policies for site-specific alternative shelter plans; Policies for site-specific risk mitigation plans; Policies for site-specific emergency and disaster preparedness plans; Policies for site-specific evacuation plans; and Policies and procedures for outdoor programs to opt out of certain department requirements through the site-specific risk mitigation plan. The act requires the department to provide training to licensing staff who oversee outdoor program site inspections and, beginning December 1, 2026, to outdoor program operators and staff. The department shall collaborate with local fire departments on fire prevention and protection requirements for outdoor programs and with the department of public health and environment on sanitary standards for outdoor programs. The act requires the general assembly to appropriate $30,000 from the child care licensing cash fund to the department for the 2024-25, 2025-26, and 2026-27 fiscal years to implement the outdoor programs. The act appropriates $179,569 to the department for purposes of licensing outdoor programs. The appropriation consists of $149,569 from the general fund and $30,000 from the cash fund. The act appropriates $35,341 to the department of public health and environmentfor environmental health programs related to outdoor program licensure. APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires the department of education (department) to enter into an agreement with an organization (selected organization) to develop best practices for local education providers to effectively respond to reports of harassment or discrimination. The department shall convene an evaluation committee to select the organization. The evaluation committee consists of representatives from school districts, an organization that advocates for students who face harassment or discrimination, and the office of school safety; persons with lived experience of harassment or discrimination; and students. The selected organization shall submit a report to the department, the office of school safety, and the general assembly's education committees that includes an explanation of the best practices developed by the selected organization. Current law requires public schools to provide training to all employees about harassment and discrimination, beginning no later than July 1, 2024. The act repeals that deadline and instead requires harassment and discrimination training beginning with employee training for the 2025-26 school year, but beginning no later than December 31, 2025. The act requires that harassment and discrimination training that occurs after August 1, 2025, be consistent with the best practices developed by the selected organization. The act requires the selected organization to develop a harassment or discrimination training program for use by schools that is consistent with the best practices developed by the selected organization and that complies with the requirements for public schools' harassment and discrimination training. The department shall make the training program materials available to public schools at no cost. The act appropriates $111,111 from the state education fund to the department for training for local education providers on responding to harassment and discrimination reports. APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 6, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act creates the agricultural and rural community behavioral health program (program) in the behavioral health administration (BHA). The BHA is required to identify a specific BHA staff person to serve as a liaison between the BHA, the department of agriculture (department), behavioral health-care providers, rural community leaders, agricultural communities, and nonprofit organizations that serve agricultural communities. The program shall: Engage in statewide community outreach to educate communities on behavioral health issues facing farmers, ranchers, other agricultural industry workers, their families, and rural communities; Establish interdepartmental relationships; and Develop an understanding of and address the root causes of behavioral health issues in the agricultural industry and in rural communities. The act creates the agricultural behavioral health community of practice work group (work group) in the department. The purpose of the work group is to convene a group of leaders and experts in agriculture and behavioral health care to improve access to behavioral health care for those involved in agriculture and their families. The work group consists of at least 7 members and shall: Compile best practices to provide behavioral health care to those involved in agriculture and their families; Identify gaps in the provision of behavioral health care to those involved in agriculture; Engage with other stakeholders involved in behavioral health care focused on those involved in agriculture; Collect data, as permitted by state and federal data privacy laws, on behavioral health-care outcomes in agricultural communities and steps taken to support those involved in agriculture through behavioral health initiatives and programs; and Report to the department and the BHA on the data collected and recommend legislative or policy changes to further improve agricultural behavioral health care. The work group is scheduled for sunset review and repeal on September 1, 2029. The act establishes the agricultural behavioral health grant program (grant program) in the department. Subject to available appropriations, the department may administer the grant program. The purpose of the grant program is to: Continue existing programs or create new programs that address the root causes of behavioral health issues in the agricultural industry or in rural communities; Strengthen collaborative efforts between organizations and communities in addressing the root causes of behavioral health issues in the agricultural industry or in rural communities; and Improve access to health, wellness, and behavioral health care for farmers, ranchers, other agricultural industry workers, and their families. The act requires the department to contract with a statewide agricultural organization to convene an in-person annual summit for organizations with an interest in promoting and providing behavioral health care to agricultural communities. The department and the BHA are required to enter into an interagency agreement to share data collected in the course of addressing behavioral health-care issues in the agricultural industry and in rural communities. The interagency agreement must state that the data shared will be aggregated and anonymized, and data sharing must be in compliance with state and federal data privacy laws. On or before January 1, 2026, and each January 1 thereafter, the department is required to submit a report summarizing data collected by the work group, and data collected from grant recipients, to the agriculture, water, and natural resources committee and the health and human services committee of the house of representatives and the agriculture and natural resources committee and the health and human services committee of the senate, or their successor committees, and the BHA. On or before January 1, 2027, and each January 1 thereafter, the department shall include in the report a summary of the data collected regarding the in-person annual summit. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the general assembly appropriates $61,989 from the general fund for use by the department to implement the act. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the general assembly appropriates $145,116 to the department of human services for use by the BHA to implement the act. APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2024 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act creates the educator safety task force (task force) in the office of school safety (office) in the department of public safety (department). The task force consists of the following voting members: the director of the office, teachers, education support professionals, a school support professional, school administrators, a charter school teacher and a charter school administrator, a representative of an organization representing students and families from disproportionately impacted schools, a representative of a statewide organization that represents students with disabilities, an individual who works for a nonprofit that focuses on school safety, and a restorative justice professional. The task force members must be appointed by July 31, 2024. The task force also includes the following nonvoting members: the commissioner of education, a representative of the behavioral health administration, and a student who represents a community disproportionately impacted by school discipline. The task force shall convene no later than September 1, 2024, and shall meet at least 4 times in 2024 and at least 3 times in 2025 and may hold meetings with remote participation. On or before June 30, 2025, the act requires the task force to review, investigate, and make recommendations to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate, the governor, the state board, the commissioner of education, and the department concerning: Any issue relating to the safety and well-being of public school staff, including laws or regulations that affect the safety and well-being of public school staff; The effects of the declining number of education professionals on student behaviors, as well as the impact of widespread staff shortages and the effects of class size and caseloads on disruptive learning environments; Incidents of aggressive student behaviors toward educators; The work and recommendations of existing education task forces; The impact of insufficient funding, lack of coordination of services between school and community, and the lack of wraparound services on learning environments; and The role that resource inequality may play in staff safety issues. The act appropriates $146,250 for the 2024-25 state fiscal year for administrative services related to the office from the general fund to the department to implement the act. APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 5, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)