HB 1175: State Education Fund Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act & Colorado Teacher of the Year Program - Colorado

Rerevised → Final Act · 5 edits · Mar 11, 2026

MODERATE

This bill finalizes the transition from automatic annual transfers of state education funds to discretionary appropriations by the General Assembly. It repeals the specific 'Colorado Teacher of the Year Fund' and 'Early Literacy Fund,' replacing them with a new mechanism where the legislature must explicitly appropriate at least $34 million annually for early literacy programs starting in fiscal year 2026-27. The changes also adjust the timeline for transferring remaining unspent funds from these repealed funds back to the general state education fund.

Scope change

The bill shifts the funding mechanism for teacher incentives and early literacy programs from automatic statutory transfers to discretionary legislative appropriations, requiring annual action by the General Assembly to fund these initiatives.

FISCAL

The automatic annual transfer of $24,800 for the Colorado Teacher of the Year program was removed, replaced by a requirement for the General Assembly to annually appropriate funds for the program.

The automatic annual transfer of $34 million for the Early Literacy Fund was removed, replaced by a requirement for the General Assembly to annually appropriate at least $34 million for early literacy purposes.

REQUIREMENT

New statutory requirements mandate that the General Assembly must annually appropriate specific funds for the Colorado Teacher of the Year program and early literacy initiatives, ensuring continued funding but requiring legislative approval each year.

TIMELINE

The repeal of the old funds and the start of the new appropriation system are set to take effect on September 1, 2027, with specific dates in 2026 and 2027 for transferring remaining unspent money from the old funds.

DEFINITION

The legal definitions and structures for the 'Colorado Teacher of the Year Fund' and 'Early Literacy Fund' were removed and replaced with a general funding section for early literacy programs.

Revised → Rerevised · 3 edits · Feb 20, 2026

MINOR

The bill was re-revised to include all amendments adopted in the second house, updating the version status to reflect the latest legislative action. The text was reorganized to clearly mark the 3rd Reading Unamended date and Senate committee assignments. Substantively, the specific funding transfer instructions for the early literacy fund were removed, likely because the detailed provisions were superseded or moved to a different section of the bill.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding specific fund transfers was narrowed by removing detailed instructions for the 2026 transfer of unexpended money from the early literacy fund to the state education fund.

FISCAL

Deleted specific text instructing the state treasurer to transfer all unexpended and unencumbered money from the early literacy fund to the state education fund on July 1, 2026, with an exception for funds available through the 2026-27 fiscal year.

TECHNICAL

Added a header indicating the bill is 'REREVISED' and includes all amendments adopted in the second house.

Added a stamp indicating the bill was '3rd Reading Unamended' on February 20, 2026, in the Senate.

Engrossed (2) → Revised · 4 edits · Feb 19, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was transitioned from its 'Engrossed' version to a 'Revised' version, reflecting amendments adopted during the legislative process. The text was updated to indicate it passed the Second House and includes all amendments, while the list of House sponsors was expanded to include seven additional legislators. The substantive policy text regarding funding amounts and program details remains unchanged in this specific diff.

Scope change

The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; the revision only reflects procedural updates indicating the bill has been amended and passed the Second House.

TECHNICAL

The document header was updated from 'ENGROSSED' to 'REVISED' to reflect that amendments have been adopted.

The status description was updated to state the bill is 'on Second Reading in the Second House' instead of the House of Introduction.

Seven new names (Clifford, Duran, Gonzalez R., Lieder, McCluskie, Nguyen, Slaugh, Stewart K., Weinberg, Winter T.) were added to the list of House sponsors.

Formatting markers for reading stages (e.g., '2nd Reading Unamended') were updated to '3rd Reading Unamended' with new dates, indicating the bill's progress through the legislative calendar.

Reengrossed → Engrossed (2) · 4 edits · Feb 12, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was formally reclassified from 'Reengrossed' to 'Engrossed' after passing the House, indicating it is now ready for final Senate action. Substantively, the text removed a placeholder line and deleted a '3rd Reading Unamended' stamp, while adding a new repeal clause effective September 1, 2027, and introducing a new statute (C.R.S. 22-7-1215) that mandates the General Assembly appropriate at least $34 million annually from the State Education Fund starting in fiscal year 2026-27.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include a new statutory requirement for annual funding of the Colorado Teacher of the Year program, while simultaneously setting a date for the repeal of existing cash fund transfer mechanisms.

FISCAL

Added a new requirement to appropriate at least $34 million annually from the State Education Fund for the Colorado Teacher of the Year program starting in fiscal year 2026-27.

TIMELINE

Added a repeal clause for the current section, effective September 1, 2027.

TECHNICAL

Removed a placeholder line number and a '3rd Reading Unamended' stamp indicating the bill's previous status.

Updated the bill header to reflect its new 'Engrossed' status and amended Senate sponsorship list.

Engrossed → Reengrossed · 4 edits · Feb 12, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was reengrossed to include additional co-sponsors and updated the header to reflect amendments adopted during the House of Introduction. A significant formatting change was introduced, adding a '3rd Reading Unamended' notice with a future date, which serves as a procedural marker rather than a substantive policy change. The text also removed a section repealing a specific statute effective in 2027 and deleted the initial funding declaration for the Colorado Teacher of the Year program, altering the bill's immediate fiscal scope.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed by the removal of the section that repealed a specific statute and the deletion of the initial funding declaration for the Colorado Teacher of the Year program.

FISCAL

Deleted the text declaring annual appropriations of at least $34 million from the State Education Fund for the Colorado Teacher of the Year program.

TIMELINE

Removed a provision that repealed a specific section of the Colorado Revised Statutes effective September 1, 2027.

TECHNICAL

Added co-sponsors Clifford, Duran, Gonzalez R., Lieder, McCluskie, Nguyen, Slaugh, Stewart K., Weinberg, and Winter T. to the House sponsorship list.

Updated the bill header from 'Engrossed' to 'Reengrossed' and added a '3rd Reading Unamended' notice with a future date.

Introduced → Engrossed · 4 edits · Feb 11, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was amended from its original introduction to its engrossed version, updating the header to reflect that all House amendments have been adopted. The most significant substantive change is the removal of four specific purposes related to literacy funding (public information campaigns, independent evaluators, early literacy grants, and per-pupil intervention money) from the list of authorized uses for the Education Fund. This deletion narrows the bill's scope by eliminating specific funding mandates for reading and literacy programs.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed by removing specific funding allocations for literacy-related programs and evaluations from the list of authorized uses for the Education Fund.

FISCAL

Removed the requirement to fund a public information campaign promoting reading.

Removed the requirement to pay for an independent evaluator of literacy programs.

Removed the requirement to fund the Early Literacy Grant Program.

Removed the requirement to allocate per-pupil intervention money to local education providers.

State Education Fund Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act & Colorado Teacher of the Year Program

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