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2023 Legislative priorities

The First Regular Session of Colorado’s 74th General Assembly kicked off January 9, 2023. We will update this page throughout the session to reflect Colorado Center on Law and Policy’s anti-poverty priorities and, as new bills are introduced, our positions on them.

 

CCLP’s priorities for 2023

HB23-1126: Medical Debt Credit Reporting Protections

One in 8 Coloradans (12.1%) has medical debt in collections. Here in Colorado, medical debt is also reported on consumer reports and credit reports. This compounds the harm for those facing debt, by impacting financial health and reducing economic stability, creating barriers for affected individuals wherever consumer reports are used.

HB23-1126 would improve the credit reporting situation for 700,000 Coloradans by:

  • Stopping medical debt from being included on credit reports by adding it to the list of types of information that consumer reporting agencies are not allowed to report.
  • Ensuring more Coloradans’ personal information is protected by narrowing the circumstances when otherwise protected information can be shared.
  • Informing impacted consumers about their new rights by requiring debt collectors to notify Coloradans with medical debt that medical debt can no longer be included on credit reports, except under narrow circumstances.

CCLP is proud to SUPPORT HB23-1126, learn more on our HB1126 action page here.

HB23-1112: Income tax credits for struggling families

Workers in the lowest paid jobs can’t afford to meet basic needs. Those with young children face the biggest gap between earnings and cost of basic needs. A new bill could increase the State Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and increase the State Child Tax Credit (CTC). These two tax credits have been proven effective in reducing poverty.

HB23-1112 would bolster both of these tax credits by increasing the credits a Coloradan can claim. For income tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2024, the bill increases the earned income tax credit that a resident individual can claim on their state income tax return to 40% of the federal credit claimed on the resident individual’s federal income tax return. For income tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2024, the bill changes the definition of “eligible child” to match the age of eligibility for the federal credit, increases percentages of the federal credit that a resident individual can claim for the child tax credit on their state income tax return by 20%, 10%, or 5% depending on the resident individual’s income level, and requires the department of revenue to adjust for inflation the income levels set forth to determine eligibility for the credit.

 

CCLP SUPPORTS HB23-1112 in expanding income tax credits for struggling families. Read more about HB23-1112 here and about HB23-1112 EITC & CTC Expansion Fact Sheet (Fact sheet provided by Colorado Fiscal Institute.)

HB23-1124: Funding SNAP E&T

Bill sponsors: Rep. Mandy Lindsay and Sen. Rhonda Fields.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program’s Employment and Training component (SNAP E&T) provides training and support services for SNAP-eligible individuals. This bill proposes to expand that training and support, and expand funding for new and existing third-party partners to provide these services. This bill will renew the funding for enhanced training, employment and support services for a further 2 years, providing $3 million in additional state funding over that time, and drawing down an additional $3m in federal funding. These are much-needed resources as the pandemic’s Public Health Emergency draws to a close.

HB23-1124 requires the general assembly to annually appropriate $1.5 million from the general fund to the department of human services for continued employment support and job retention services and to continue to support work-based learning opportunities for Colorado employment first participants.

 

CCLP and the SKills2Compete – Colorado Coalition SUPPORT HB23-1124, funding SNAP E&T for Colorado. Read more on our new HB23-1124 SNAP E&T Fact Sheet. (PDF, updated 2023-02-01)

SB23-007: Adult Education

Sponsors: Senator Rachel Zenzinger, Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer, Representative Cathy Kipp, Representative Marc Catlin

300,000 Colorado adults lack a high school diploma. Many of the same individuals also have limited or no digital skills. Without these skills, people face limited job options, lower wages and challenges in daily activities. SB23-007 would help Coloradans by:

  • Making changes to adult education programs to better serve adults with less than a 9th grade education
  • Adding digital literacy as a core function of adult education
  • Allowing Community Colleges to grant high school diplomas to their own students.

CCLP SUPPORTS SB23-007, enhancing adult education in Colorado. Read SB23-007 Fact Sheet and endorsers (as of 4.14.23) and about Adult Education in Colorado here. (Both fact sheets provided by Spring Institute.)

 

HB23-1190: Affordable Housing Right of First Refusal

Sponsors: Representative Andrew Boesenecker, Representative Emily Sirota, Senator Faith Winter

Colorado has 160,597 extremely low-income renter households, but only has 46,219 affordable and available rental homes. The Right of First Refusal bill:

  • Preserves affordability for renters and prevents their displacement.
  • Keeps the seller in the driver’s seat and allows for competition. Local governments can match the selling price driven by the market.
  • Exempts certain transfers of property that are not open-market sales and waives transactions when the buyer agrees to affordability protections.
  • Promotes local control and governments can choose to participate. Nothing in this bill requires a local government to exercise its authority.
  • Will allow governments to put recent affordable housing funding (ARPA, Prop 123) to good use.

CCLP SUPPORTS HB23-1190, creating a right of first refusal for tenants of affordable housing. Read the HB23-1190 Fact Sheet and endorsers (Fact sheet updated March 21, 2023 and was provided by Maiker Housing Partners and Colorado Poverty Law Project.)

 

2023 State Legislation List

​Throughout the legislative session, CCLP compiles a list of bills concerning economic opportunity and poverty reduction. This list will include bill sponsors, assigned committees, and the organizations that have expressed their support for or opposition to each bill.

Updated June 8, 2023.

Download the PDF

2023 Skills2Compete Workforce and Skills Legislation at the Capitol

The following bills in the 2023 Colorado General Assembly focus on some issues related to skills training for adult Colorado workers.

Updated June 9, 2023.

Download the PDF

2023 Tenant Protections Bills

The following bills in the 2023 Colorado General Assembly focus on some issues related to tenant protections.

Updated June 9, 2023.

Download the PDF
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HEALTH:
HEALTH FIRST COLORADO (MEDICAID)

Health First Colorado is the name given to Colorado’s Medicaid program. Medicaid provides public, low-cost health insurance to qualifying adults and children. It is an entitlement program funded by the federal, state, and county governments and is administered by counties in Colorado. Those who are required to pay must pay a small co-pay when receiving certain health care services.

State Department: Department of Health Care Policy and Financing

Eligibility: Most adults 18 to 64 are eligible for Medicaid in Colorado if their household income is at or below 133% of the federal poverty limit (FPL). Pregnant women are eligible with incomes of up to 195% FPL, while children under 18 may be eligible if the live in a household with income at or below 142% FPL. Some adults over 65 may also be eligible for Medicaid.

Program Benefits: Through Medicaid, low-income Coloradans are eligible for a range of health care services at little to not cost. Services provided include doctors visits, prescription drugs, mental health services, and dental care. Co-pays for certain individuals may be needed for certain services.

Program Funding and Access: Colorado funds our Medicaid program through state and federal dollars. Medicaid is an entitlement program, which means that all who are eligible for Medicaid can access the program, regardless of the funding level in a given year. This does not mean that it is always easy to access Medicaid, even when eligible. And since the program is administered by counties, funding levels for county staff and other administrative roles can make it easier or harder for Coloradans to access the program. On top of this, not all medical providers accept Medicaid which limits the ability of Coloradans to seek health services even if enrolled, such as if the nearest provider is a 2+ hour drive away.

Note: This data is from before the pandemic and does not reflect changes in enrollment rules during the COVID-19 pandemic and public health emergency.

Statewide Program Access 2015-19: Over the study period of this report, an average of 89.0% of the population at or below 133% of FPL (i.e., the population who is likely to be eligible for Medicaid) were enrolled in Medicaid in Colorado.

FOOD SECURITY:
SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP)

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP helps low-income Coloradans purchase food by providing individuals and families with a monthly cash benefit that can be used to buy certain foods. SNAP is an entitlement program that is funded by the federal and state governments and administered by counties in Colorado.

State Department: Department of Human Services

Eligibility: Currently, Coloradans qualify for SNAP if they have incomes below 200% FPL, are unemployed or work part-time or receive other forms of assistance such as TANF, among other eligibility criteria. Income eligibility for SNAP was different during the study period of this report than today—it was 130% FPL back in 2019 for example. The US Department of Agriculture uses the population at or below 125% FPL when calculating the Program Access Index (or PAI) for SNAP. We follow this practice in our analysis despite Colorado currently having a higher income eligibility threshold.

Program Benefits: SNAP participants receive a monthly SNAP benefit that is determined by the number of people in their household and their income. Benefit amounts decrease as income increases, helping households avoid a sudden loss of SNAP when their incomes increase, even by a minor amount. Benefits are provided to an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card that can be used to purchase eligible food items, such as fruits and vegetables; meat, poultry, and fish; dairy products; and breads and cereals. Other items, such as foods that are hot at their point of sale, are not allowable purchases under current SNAP rules.

Program Funding and Access: SNAP, like Medicaid, is a federal entitlement program. This means that Colorado must serve any Coloradan who is eligible for the program. As such, funding should not be a limit to how many Coloradans can be served by the program. However, funding for administration of SNAP at the state and county level can limit the ability of county human service departments to enroll those who are eligible. Other program rules and administrative barriers can make it difficult for Coloradans to receive the benefits they are legally entitled to receive.

Statewide Program Access 2015-19: Over the study period of this report, an average of 61.1% of the population at or below 125% of FPL (i.e., the population who is likely to be eligible for SNAP) were enrolled.

FOOD SECURITY:
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN (WIC)

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, also know as WIC, provides healthcare and nutritional support to low-income Coloradans who are pregnant, recently pregnant, breastfeeding, and to children under 5 who are nutritionally at risk based on a nutrition assessment.

State Department: Department of Public Health and Environment

Eligibility: To participate in WIC you must be pregnant, pregnant in the last six months, breastfeeding a baby under 1 year of age, or a child under the age of 5. Coloradans do not need to be U.S. citizens to be eligible for WIC. In terms of income, households cannot have incomes that exceed 185% FPL. Families who are enrolled in SNAP, TANF, Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), or Medicaid are automatically eligible for WIC. Regardless of gender, any parents, foster parents, or caregivers are able to apply for and use WIC services for eligible children.

Program Benefits: WIC provides a range of services to young children and their parents. These include funds to purchase healthy, fresh foods; breastfeeding support; personalized nutrition education and shopping tips; and referrals to health care and other services participants may be eligible for.

Program Funding and Access: WIC is funded by the US Department of Agriculture. The state uses these federal funds to contract with local providers, known as WIC Clinics. In most cases, these are county public health agencies, but that is not the case in all Colorado counties. Some WIC Clinics cover multiple counties, while others are served by multiple clinics. Private non-profit providers are also eligible to be selected as a WIC Clinic.

Statewide Program Access 2015-17: Between 2015 and 2017, an average of 52.2% of the population eligible for WIC were enrolled in the program in Colorado.

Financial Security:
Colorado Works

Colorado Works is the name given to Colorado’s program for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families or TANF. It is an employment program that supports families with dependent children on their path to self-sufficiency. Participants can receive cash assistance, schooling, workforce development and skills training depending on the services available in their county.

State Department: Department of Human Services

Eligibility: In general, Coloradans are eligible to enroll in TANF if they are a resident of Colorado, have one or more children under the age of 18 or pregnant, and have very low or no income. For example, to be eligible to receive a basic cash assistance grant through TANF, a single-parent of one child could not earn more than $331 per month, with some exclusions—and would only receive $440 per month (as of 2022). That said, there are other services provided by counties through TANF that those with incomes as high as $75,000 may be eligible for. In addition to these, participants in TANF are required to work or be pursuing an eligible “work activity” or work-related activity. Any eligible individual can only receive assistance if they have not previously been enrolled in TANF for a cumulative amount of time of more than 60 months—this is a lifetime limit that does not reset. Counties may have additional requirements and offer benefits that are not available in other counties in Colorado.

Program Benefits:  While the exact benefits that one is eligible for under TANF can vary, all qualified participants are eligible to receive a monthly cash payment, call basic cash assistance. Other than cash assistance, counties are have a lot of choice in how to use their TANF funding; generally a use of TANF funds is appropriate so long as it advances one or more of the four purposes of the program: (1) provide assistance to needy families so that children can be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of their relatives; (2) end the dependence of needy families on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work, and marriage; (3) prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies; and (4) encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families.

It is important to note that those eligible for TANF are also eligible for many of the other programs we’ve included in this report, such as SNAP, Medicaid, and CCCAP.

Program Funding and Access: Colorado funds its TANF program through funds received from the federal government through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant. Most of the federal funds are allocated by the state to counties, which are required to provide a 20% match of state funding. Federal and state rules allow the state and counties to retain a portion of unspent funds in a TANF reserve.

Statewide Program Access 2015-19: Over the study period of this report, an average of 50.7% of the population at or below 100% of FPL (i.e., the population who is likely to be eligible for TANF) were enrolled in TANF in Colorado.

EARLY LEARNING:
COLORADO CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (CCCAP)

The Colorado Child Care Assistance Program provides child care assistance to low-income families and caregivers living in Colorado in the form of reduced payments for child care. It is a program funded by the federal, state, and county governments and is administered by counties in Colorado. The share owed by parents/caregivers is determined on a sliding scale based on the family’s income.

State Department: Department of Early Childhood Education

Eligibility: Counties set eligibility for families separately, but must serve families with incomes at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Limit. Families accepted to the program are no longer eligible once their income exceeds 85% of the state median income. Parents or caregivers must be employed, searching for work, or engaged in another approved activity to be eligible for CCCAP. Parents and caregivers enrolled in Colorado Works (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families or TANF) or in the child welfare system are also eligible to participate in CCCAP. Generally, CCCAP serves families with children under 13, although children as old as 19 may be eligible under certain circumstances.

Program Benefits: If a family is eligible for CCCAP and has income, they may likely have to pay a portion of their child’s or children’s child care costs each month. The amount that families owe is based on their gross income, number of household members, and the number of children in child care in the household. As such, households tend not to experience a benefit cliff with CCCAP when they see their incomes increase

Program Funding and Access: Colorado funds the CCCAP program using federal dollars it receives from the Child Care and Development Block Grant program. The state allocates federal and state funds to counties using a formula that takes into account factors like current caseloads and the number of eligible residents. Assistance is available until the county’s funds are spent, so the number of families that can be served is often a function of how much funding is available and the income and composition of the household that applies. It is not uncommon for counties to overspend or underspend their allocations of funds. The state reallocates unspent funds from counties who underspent to those who overspent. While underspending could indicate a problem with the way a county administers its CCCAP program, it could just as likely be a sign that there are few providers in the county who participate in CCCAP—or a lack of providers generally.

Statewide Program Access 2015-19: Over the study period of this report, an average of 10.8% of the population at or below 165% of FPL and younger than age 13 (i.e., the population who is likely to be eligible for CCCAP) were enrolled in CCCAP.

Housing:
HUD rental assistance programs

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has three housing assistance programs that we look at together: Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8), Project-based Section 8, and Public Housing. In Colorado, these programs provided assistance to over 90% of the households who received federal housing assistance from all HUD programs. Through federally funded, local or regional public housing agencies (PHAs) are the agencies that administer these programs, through not all are available in all counties. These are not the only programs available in Colorado that assist households afford the cost of housing, such as units funded through federal and state tax credit programs.

State Department: Department of Local Affairs

Eligibility: Generally, households with incomes under 50% of the area median income (AMI) of the county they live in are eligible for these rental assistance programs, although PHAs have discretion to select households with incomes at higher percentages of AMI. That said, HUD requires that 75% of new vouchers issued through the Housing Choice Voucher/Section 8 program in a given year are targeted to households with incomes at or below 30% of AMI. PHAs are also able to create criteria that give priority to certain types of households who are on waiting lists for these programs.

Program Benefits: These rental assistance programs help households afford the cost of housing by reducing their housing costs to around 30% of their household income. In the case of the Housing Choice Voucher program, the PHA pays the voucher holder’s landlord the remaining portion of the rent.

Program Funding and Access: Funding and access are both challenges for these rental assistance programs. In addition to limitations on the number of public housing units or housing vouchers a PHA can manage or issue, lack of funding compared to the need constrains the ability of PHAs to assist low-income households. In 2020, Coloradans were on waitlists for Housing Choice Vouchers for an average of 17 months. Waitlists also exist for the other rental assistance programs.

Statewide Program Access 2015-19: Over the study period of this report, an average of 21.1% of renter households with incomes at or below 50% AMI (i.e., the population who is likely to be eligible for HUD rental assistance programs) were living in subsidized housing.