The act extends to July 1, 2027, certain requirements in existing law related to money appropriated to the Auraria higher education center (AHEC) for operational costs, including a requirement to use the money in accordance with baseline service level agreements entered into by AHEC's constituent institutions.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The excess federal Title IV-E reimbursements cash fund (cash fund) exists in current law and includes federal revenue in excess of the amount required to reimburse certain eligible foster care, prevention, and permanency services. The act renames the cash fund as the federal Title IV-E reimbursements cash fund and updates the permissible uses of the money in the cash fund to align with current federal requirements, which permit the state to apply savings associated with federal funding increases to a range of child welfare services. The act specifically authorizes the use of cash fund money for services to support a positive permanency outcome for a child or youth who might otherwise enter or reenter foster care.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act makes optional an appropriation to comply with matching requirements under the federal 'Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act' and allows the amount to be appropriated from the healthy school meals for all program cash fund. The act allows money for administration of the summer electronic benefits transfer for children program to be appropriated from the healthy school meals for all program cash fund. The act makes an appropriation for the start smart nutrition program optional, repeals the start smart nutrition program cash fund, transfers the start smart nutrition program cash fund balance to the general fund, and allows an appropriation for the start smart nutrition program to be made from the healthy school meals for all program cash fund. The act makes an appropriation for the child nutrition school lunch protection program optional and allows an appropriation for the child nutrition school lunch protection program to be made from the healthy school meals for all program cash fund. Under current law, the department of education administers a local school food purchasing program and a local school food purchasing technical assistance and education grant program (legacy local school food programs) that are distinct from the local school food purchasing program and technical assistance and education grant programs within the 'Healthy School Meals for All Act' (HSMA local school food programs). The act permits the general assembly to appropriate money for the legacy local school food programs if the healthy school meals for all program cash fund does not fully fund the HSMA local school food programs. The act appropriates $3,001,741 from the healthy school meals for all program cash fund to the department of education for the affected programs. The act reduces appropriations for the 2026-27 state fiscal year to the department of education for the affected programs by $3,839,685, of which $229,097 is from the general fund and the remainder from various cash funds.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
During the 2023-24 and 2024-25 state fiscal years, the general assembly appropriated money from the state education fund for expenditures related to the healthy school meals for all program. The act directs the state treasurer to transfer $31,066,831 from the healthy school meals for all program cash fund (program fund) to the state education fund on July 1, 2026. Under current law, beginning on July 1, 2026, and on each July 1 thereafter, the state treasurer is required to transfer money from the state education fund to the program fund and to the healthy school meals for all program fund account (account) within the program fund. The act delays that requirement so that the treasurer is required to transfer money from the state education fund to the program fund and to the account beginning on July 1, 2028. In addition, the act repeals reporting requirements related to money in the program fund.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The public defender and prosecutor behavioral health support program (program) is funded through any appropriation made for the program and any gifts, grants, and donations received for the program. Current law splits the program allocation to direct 50% of the money to the Colorado district attorneys' council to award grants to district attorneys' offices and 50% to the office of the state public defender. For state fiscal year 2026-27, the program allocation split is altered to direct 100% of program money to the office of the state public defender.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act eliminates the requirement that the general assembly transfer sufficient funds to the commission on judicial discipline special cash fund (fund) so that the fund balance at the beginning of each fiscal year is at least $400,000. The act transfers $400,000 from the fund to the general fund.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act repeals a professional development program for science teachers (program) on July 1, 2027. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the general assembly appropriated $3 million from the state education fund for the program, which money is available for expenditure through the 2026-27 state fiscal year. The act reduces the appropriation to $1.5 million.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The existing nurse home visitor program (program) provides regular in-home visiting nurse services to low-income first-time mothers during their pregnancies and through their children's second birthday. The nurse home visitor program fund (fund) is subject to annual appropriation by the general assembly to the department of early childhood (department) for grants to entities for operation of the program. Among other revenue sources, the fund consists of money received pursuant to the master tobacco settlement agreement. The act requires the state treasurer, on July 1, 2026, and on each July 1 thereafter through July 1, 2029, to transfer $5.1 million from the fund to the Colorado child abuse prevention trust fund (trust fund). Funds from the trust fund are subject to annual appropriation by the general assembly to the Colorado child abuse prevention board (board) within the department for child abuse prevention programs. These prevention services are eligible for reimbursement money received for prevention services and programs identified in the federal Title IV-E prevention services clearinghouse pursuant to the federal 'Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018' (federal reimbursement money received for prevention services and programs). The trust fund and the board are scheduled to repeal on July 1, 2027. The act continues the trust fund and board indefinitely. The act requires the department, on or before November 1, 2029, to report to the joint budget committee on the effect of the transfers from the fund to the trust fund, including an accounting of any additional federal reimbursement money received for prevention services and programs. For the 2026-27 state fiscal year, the act increases an appropriation for home visiting from the general fund to the department by $5.1 million and decreases by a corresponding amount an appropriation for home visiting to the department from the fund. For the 2026-27 state fiscal year, the act increases an appropriation for child maltreatment prevention from the Colorado child abuse prevention trust fund to the department by $5.1 million and decreases by a corresponding amount an appropriation to the department from the general fund.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act eliminates the requirement that the general assembly annually appropriate money to the department of public health and environment for the comprehensive human sexuality education grant program.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act specifies monthly subsidy payment reimbursement limits for the adoption assistance program and the relative guardianship assistance program that apply to contracts that take effect July 1, 2026, or later, and prohibits reimbursement for services other than nonreoccuring adoption expenses. The act requires the state department of human services to create a standardized notice for families that describes the reimbursement change. The act requires the county departments of human or social services to provide the notice by June 15, 2026, to families currently receiving services. The act reduces the state fiscal year 2025-26 appropriation to the department of human services for adoption and relative guardianship assistance made in the long bill as follows:From the general fund, by $2,199,750; andFrom cash funds, by $407,295.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act eliminates financial assistance and supports and reimbursement to county departments of human or social services (county departments) for non-certified kinship care homes. The act specifies that county departments are not required to provide financial assistance and supports for non-certified kinship care homes, except as required by the federal 'Social Security Act' and by Colorado's out-of-home placement required services and temporary custody provisions. The act requires the department of human services to create a standardized notice for non-certified kinship care providers regarding the discontinuation of non-certified kinship care financial assistance. The act requires county departments to provide the notice by June 15, 2026, to non-certified kinship foster care homes currently receiving monthly payments.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires an institution of higher education (institution) that operates a student health center to provide abortion medication to all students enrolled at the institution. The act requires an institution that has an on-site prescription drug outlet or other outlet to maintain a stock of and provide access to abortion medication to students enrolled at the institution. The act requires an institution that does not have an on-site prescription drug outlet or other outlet to either submit a prescription for abortion medication to an off-campus prescription drug outlet or other outlet or dispense abortion medication through the institution's student health center if permitted by the student health center's licensure. The act prohibits an institution from knowingly providing personally identifiable information contained in a student's patient records, billing records, or precise location data related to accessing abortion medication in response to a request from another state seeking to impose liability for accessing abortion medication. An institution is not required to provide access to or stock abortion medication if doing so would jeopardize an institution's federal grant participation, require the institution to deviate from generally accepted billing practices, modify the generally accepted standards of medical practice, or conflict with the institution's sincerely held religious beliefs or practices.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
