SB 25-073: Military-Connected Children with Disabilities - Colorado

Revised (04/01/2025) → PA1 (02/20/2025) · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill was amended to clarify that military-connected children with disabilities are eligible for guaranteed matriculation and remote enrollment options. The changes also reorganized the notification requirements for schools to better inform military families of their rights and available supports, while shifting the effective date to after the 90-day post-session period unless a referendum is filed.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to explicitly include remote enrollment as a guaranteed matriculation option for military-connected children with disabilities, and the effective date was modified to allow for potential voter referendum challenges.

ELIGIBILITY

Added explicit eligibility for remote enrollment alongside open enrollment for military-connected children with disabilities.

REQUIREMENT

Reorganized and clarified notification requirements for schools to ensure military families are informed of their rights and available special education supports.

TIMELINE

Changed the effective date from April 1, 2025 to the day following the expiration of a 90-day period after general assembly adjournment, with provisions for voter referendum challenges.

TECHNICAL

Removed references to 'Revised' status and second reading amendments, replaced with 'Preamended' status indicating unofficial committee amendments.

Rerevised (04/02/2025) → Revised (04/01/2025) · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was revised to correct formatting and sponsorship lists while adding new requirements for schools to provide special education services to military families without delay. This ensures military children receive necessary accommodations upon enrollment and that schools actively notify military families of available support services.

Scope change

The bill's scope now explicitly includes inbound active duty military members and their families as a protected group requiring specific notification and service provisions.

REQUIREMENT

Schools must provide appropriate special education services and accommodations to enrolled students consistent with their existing Individualized Education Program or Section 504 plan without unreasonable delay.

School districts and charter schools must take reasonable steps to notify inbound active duty military members and their families of their rights under the bill, including information on special education services.

TECHNICAL

Removed '3rd Reading Unamended' date stamp and corrected sponsorship lists to reflect current legislative status.

Updated document header from 'REREVISED' to 'REVISED' and adjusted amendment adoption language to reflect second reading status in the Second House.

Final Act (04/08/2025) → Rerevised (04/02/2025) · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was reorganized and clarified to better address the needs of military-connected children with disabilities transferring into Colorado schools. The changes streamline the process for ensuring these students receive appropriate special education services and accommodations without delay, while adding specific requirements for handling disputes and transitions between different school settings.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to explicitly cover children transferring from out-of-state districts or private schools, and to clarify procedures for children moving between administrative units or state programs within Colorado.

REQUIREMENT

Added specific requirements for administrative units to review and provide equitable special education services when military-connected children transfer to private schools within Colorado.

Established a process requiring informed consent before making changes to a child's disability category, IEP, 504 plan, eligibility status, or terminating special education services.

ENFORCEMENT

Clarified that administrative units or state-operated programs bear the burden of proof in due process hearings related to disputes over special education services.

TECHNICAL

Reorganized document formatting and added summary information to improve clarity and accessibility of the legislative text.

Signed Act (04/17/2025) → Final Act (04/08/2025) · 3 edits

MINOR

This bill was finalized and prepared for the Governor's signature after passing both legislative chambers. The substantive policy content regarding support for military-connected children with disabilities remains unchanged from the original version, with only formatting and signature block updates reflecting the final legislative process.

Scope change

No substantive change to the bill's scope or applicability; only procedural updates for final enactment.

TECHNICAL

Added note indicating the bill is prepared for signatures of legislative officers and the Governor, directing readers to consult legislative status sheets for final action.

Updated signature blocks with corrected names (Julie McCluskie instead of le McCluskTe, Vanessa Reilly instead of Vanessa-leilly) and removed placeholder text.

Formatted the bill text to align with final act conventions, including proper spacing and signature line formatting.

Reengrossed (02/25/2025) → Signed Act (04/17/2025) · 2 edits · Apr 17, 2025

MINOR

The bill was amended to add several new representatives to the House sponsorship list and to clarify the effective date provision by specifying the exact date of the general election if a referendum petition is filed. The substantive policy language regarding special education services for military-connected children remains unchanged from the reengrossed version.

TECHNICAL

Added names of additional House representatives (Bacon, Barron, Bird, Boesenecker, Bradfield, Bradley, Caldwell, Camacho, Clifford, Duran, Froelich, Garcia, Garcia Sander, Gilchrist, Gonzalez R., Hamrick, Hartsook, Jackson, Johnson, Joseph, Lieder, Lindsay, Lindstedt, Lukens, Mabrey, Marshall, Pugliese, Richardson, Rutinel, Sirota, Soper, Stewart K., Story, Suckla, Taggart, Weinberg, Winter T., Woog, McCluskie) to the House sponsorship list.

TIMELINE

Modified the effective date clause to specify that if a referendum petition is filed, the act will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote by the governor at the general election to be held in November 2026.

Engrossed (02/24/2025) → Reengrossed (02/25/2025) · 2 edits · Feb 25, 2025

MINOR

The bill was reengrossed to include additional sponsors and updated the bill summary to reflect that it is now in its 3rd Reading Unamended status. The primary substantive change is the addition of five new sponsors (Amabile, Coleman, Cutter, Exum, Hinrichsen, Jodeh, Kipp, Kolker, Michaelson Jenet, Mullica, Pelton B., Roberts, Rodriguez, Snyder, Weissman, Winter) to the Senate sponsorship list, while the House sponsorship remains unchanged. No substantive policy changes, funding adjustments, or timeline modifications were made to the bill's core provisions.

TECHNICAL

Five new sponsors were added to the Senate sponsorship list for SB 25-073.

The bill summary was updated to indicate the bill is now in its 3rd Reading Unamended status as of February 25, 2025.

Introduced (01/22/2025) → Engrossed (02/24/2025) · 4 edits · Feb 25, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was amended to clarify its focus on inbound active duty military families and to add specific requirements for school districts to ensure uninterrupted special education services for military-connected children with disabilities. The changes shift the statutory citation from early childhood services to general education statutes and add explicit obligations for schools to prevent inadvertent exclusion of these students.

Scope change

The bill's scope was refined to explicitly target inbound active duty military families and their children, while adding specific procedural requirements for school districts and charter schools to maintain existing educational plans.

SCOPE

Changed the statutory citation from 22-20-103 (early childhood services) to 22-36-107 (general education) to align the bill with K-12 education statutes rather than early childhood services.

DEFINITION

Added new definition (3)(f) clarifying eligibility for open enrollment and guaranteed matriculation for children with existing IEPs or Section 504 plans.

REQUIREMENT

Added new requirement (3)(g) mandating that school districts and charter schools take reasonable steps to notify inbound military families of their rights and provide information on special education eligibility.

Modified the process for transferring students to require immediate review of existing evaluations and creation of comparable programs without unreasonable delay upon enrollment.

Military-Connected Children with Disabilities

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