SB 181: Works Program Reserves & Cost of Living Adjustment - Colorado

Rerevised → Final Act · 5 edits · May 21, 2026

MODERATE

This bill modifies the Colorado Works Program by allowing counties to extend assistance beyond the standard 60-month limit for specific households facing hardship. It also suspends cost-of-living adjustments for cash assistance grants for two fiscal years (2026-27) before reinstating them, and removes mandatory minimum reserve balance requirements to provide counties with more flexibility in managing funds.

Scope change

The bill expands eligibility for program extensions to include single-parent households with children under one year old and child-only cases, while removing strict reserve balance rules that previously required the state to backfill funds if reserves dropped below certain percentages.

ELIGIBILITY

Extended the 60-month lifetime maximum participation limit for households demonstrating good cause, specifically adding single-parent households with children under one year old and child-only cases.

FISCAL

Removed mandatory minimum balance requirements for the Colorado long-term works reserve and the total statewide county TANF reserve, eliminating the state's obligation to backfill these funds if they fall below specific thresholds.

TIMELINE

Suspended the cost-of-living adjustment for basic cash assistance grants for the state fiscal years commencing July 1, 2026, and July 1, 2027, with the suspension ending effective July 31, 2028.

REQUIREMENT

Required the works allocation committee to review reserve balances quarterly and submit written reports to the joint budget committee regarding reserve levels and deficit projections.

Mandated the creation of a mitigation fund to assist counties whose TANF reserves fall below fifteen percent of their county block grant amount.

Revised → Rerevised · 3 edits · May 11, 2026

MINOR

The bill was re-revised to incorporate additional House sponsors and update the legislative status to reflect that it passed the House unamended on May 11, 2026. These changes indicate the bill has successfully advanced through the House committee process and is ready for final Senate action.

Scope change

The bill's substantive scope and applicability remain unchanged; the updates are procedural, reflecting new co-sponsors and the bill's current legislative status.

TECHNICAL

Added five new House sponsors (Clifford, Duran, Froelich, Lindsay, and McCluskie) to the list of legislative supporters.

Updated the document header to change the status from 'Revised' to 'Rerevised' and clarified that amendments were adopted in the Second House.

TIMELINE

Added a specific record stating the bill was passed by the House unamended on May 11, 2026.

Reengrossed → Revised · 1 edit · May 8, 2026

MINOR

The bill text was updated from a 'Reengrossed' version to a 'Revised' version, reflecting that amendments were adopted during the second reading in the second legislative chamber. This change indicates the bill has progressed further in the legislative process but does not alter the substantive policy content of the bill itself.

TECHNICAL

The header text was updated to reflect the bill's current status as 'Revised' rather than 'Reengrossed', and the amendment adoption stage was clarified to 'Second Reading in the Second House'.

Engrossed → Reengrossed · 4 edits · May 6, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was reengrossed to include additional sponsors in the Senate, reflecting expanded legislative support. A new date of May 6, 2026, was added, likely indicating a procedural milestone or effective date for a subsequent amendment. The summary note was updated to clarify that a new bill summary will be available after the House of Introduction passes the bill a third time without further amendments.

Scope change

The bill's substantive scope regarding county assistance programs appears unchanged in this specific diff, as the visible text cuts off before the full policy details. The changes are primarily procedural, affecting sponsorship and summary availability.

TECHNICAL

Three new Senate sponsors (Bright, Coleman, Kipp, Mullica, Pelton B., Pelton R., Rich, Simpson) were added to the bill's sponsorship list.

The title of the bill version was updated from 'ENGROSSED' to 'REENGROSSED' to reflect the inclusion of all amendments adopted in the House of Introduction.

The disclaimer regarding the bill summary was updated to inform readers that a new summary reflecting the reengrossed version will be posted after the House completes its third reading.

TIMELINE

A specific date, May 6, 2026, was inserted into the document header, potentially marking a deadline or effective date for the reengrossed version.

Introduced → Engrossed · 3 edits · May 5, 2026

MINOR

The bill was formally marked as 'Engrossed' to reflect all adopted amendments, and the page numbering was updated to remove the original bill number. Substantively, the text provided shows the removal of a section requiring the joint budget committee to annually review reserve balances and appropriate funds if those balances fall below specific thresholds. Additionally, a section regarding exit interviews and follow-up reporting requirements was deleted. These changes simplify the bill by removing specific funding oversight mechanisms and administrative reporting mandates.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding mandatory funding reviews and specific administrative reporting requirements has been narrowed by removing the relevant sections.

REQUIREMENT

Deleted the requirement for the joint budget committee to annually review TANF reserve balances and appropriate funds if they fall below set percentages.

Deleted the section mandating exit interviews and follow-up reporting for program participants.

TECHNICAL

Updated the document status from 'Introduced' to 'Engrossed' and corrected the page numbering to reflect the final version.

Works Program Reserves & Cost of Living Adjustment

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