I want to wish all the mothers and mother-figures, a very happy Mother's Day! My mom is a retired high school teacher and still works as a college instructor and as an education advocate. She has served as a role model to me and has influenced my passion for supporting and improving education. This kind of dedication to education has translated into many of the bills I have sponsored, including the School Finance Act, which successfully passed out of the Senate this week unanimously. I am grateful to the support of my mother and all the folks that have encouraged and supported me throughout this session.

Next, I want to give a shoutout to our mental health workers and individuals who are bravely facing mental health challenges. May is the month where we celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month. The legislature made monumental strides this year in broadening and strengthening our mental and behavioral health systems. The most significant bill is probably HB22-1278 concerning the creation of the behavioral health administration. This is just one of several bills that will hopefully expand and strengthen our mental health supports throughout the state. Click HERE for a list of all the bills related to mental and behavioral health.

The last day of the legislatrive session is this coming Wednesday, May 11. Out of the 226 bills still pending, I have nine Senate bills awaiting action in the House, and four House bills still making their way through the Senate. Anything left on the calendar without making it through the full process will "die" on the calendar. While it may seem a bit overwhelming, I am confident that we will finish the legislative session strong. For a recap of the bills I sponsored and to learn more about what happened at the Capitol this session, join us for our monthly town hall meeting. Click HERE for details!

Juneteenth becomes newest state holiday: Governor Jared Polis signed landmark legislation championed by members of the Black Democratic Legislative Caucus of Colorado to make Juneteenth a Colorado State Holiday. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union Soldiers, led by Major General Gordan Granger, arrived in Galveston, Texas to announce the end of the Civil War and declare that more than 250,000 enslaved Black people were free. For more information, click HERE.

Bipartisan property tax relief legislation introduced: Last week, a bipartisan property tax relief measure to help save Colorado homeowners and businesses save money was introduced. SB22-238 concerns reductions in real property taxation for only the 2023 and 2024 property tax years, and, in connection therewith, reducing the assessment rates for certain classes of nonresidential property and all residential property. The package will provide $700 million in property tax relief over two years for homeowners and businesses. The new reductions are in addition to $400 million in property tax relief passed by legislature last year, for a combined savings of over $1 billion in property tax relief through 2024. For more information, click HERE.

Bills to address homelessness: During the interim, I served on the Affordable Housing Transformational Task Force, which produced a series of bills aimed at addressing our affordable housing crisis in Colorado. In addition to those efforts, we are also bringing forward a separate package aimed at addressing homelessness in particular. Through the various bills, we are investing $200 million to reduce homelessness in our communities. The bills include:

Colorado Politics: Colorado Senate passes fentanyl bill, sets felony threshold at 1 gram

The Denver Post: A divided Colorado Senate votes to make fentanyl bill more punishing

Chalkbeat Colorado: Fully fund K-12 schools? Colorado lawmakers say maybe next year

Colorado Politics: Legislature approves extending public health whistleblower protections after pandemic

Law 360: Colo. House OKs Extending Affordable Housing Credit

Colorado Public Radio: Wheelchair users could get the ‘right to repair’ in Colorado as bill heads to governor’s desk

For a full list of this week's press and videos visit rachelforcolorado.com/news.

Please join us on Saturday, May 21 from 10:30 am - 12:00 pm for a virtual legislative town hall meeting. The legislative session will end on May 11, so we will provide a legislative wrap-up of the session. In addition, we will host several reporters who cover the Capitol to get their perspective. For more details, click HERE.

NEW! HB22-1415 Repeal Registered Manager Requirement Liquor Licensees: Concerning elimination of the requirement that certain businesses licensed to sell alcohol beverages for consumption on the licensed premises register a manager of the licensed premises with the state licensing authority. This bill will be heard in House Appropriations on Monday, May 8.

NEW! HB22-1418 Extension Of Certain Unused Tax Credits: Concerning the extension of the period for which unused and expiring Colorado job growth incentive and enterprise zone income tax credits may be carried forward to subsequent years. This bill will be heard in Senate Finance on Monday, May 9 upon adjournment.

SB22-085 Colorado Safe Student Protection Program: Concerning creating the Colorado safe student protection program. This bill passed the Senate and will be heard in House Appropriations.

SB22-210 License Supplemental Health-care Staffing Agencies: Concerning the regulation of supplemental health-care staffing agencies by the department of public health and environment. This bill passed out of the Senate and will be heard in House Appropriations on Monday, May 9.

SB22-216 Reallocation Of Limited Gaming Revenues: Concerning the reallocation of the limited gaming tax revenues for fiscal years following a significant decrease in the revenues, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation. This bill passed out of Senate and will be heard on Second Reading in the House.

SB22-225 Ambulance Service Sustainability And State Licensing: Concerning emergency medical services in the state, and, in connection therewith, creating an emergency medical services system sustainability task force and requiring ambulance services to obtain a state license from the department of public health and environment. This bill passed out of the Senate and will be heard in House Appropriations on Monday, May 9.

SB22-235 County Administration Of Public Assistance Programs: Concerning county administration of public assistance programs, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation. The bill passed out of the Senate and was sent to the House.

HB22-1051 Mod Affordable Housing Tax Credit: Concerning modification of the Colorado affordable housing tax credit, and, in connection therewith, extending the time during which the credit may be claimed and increasing the yearly amount of credits that can be allocated. This bill passed the Senate Finance Committee and through the Senate on Second Reading.

HB22-1114 Transportation Services For Medicaid Waiver Recipients: Concerning authorizing a transportation network company to provide nonmedical transportation services to persons who are enrolled in certain medicaid waiver programs, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation. The bill passed unanimously on Second Reading and sent to the House for concurrence.

HB22-1220 Removing Barriers To Educator Preparation: Concerning removing barriers in educator preparation to support educator candidates entering the educator workforce. This bill passed out of the Senate and sent back to the House for concurrence.

HB22-1290 Changes To Medicaid For Wheelchair Repairs: Concerning changes to medicaid to allow for expedited repairs to complex rehabilitation technology. The bill passed out of the Senate.

HB22-1320 Achieving A Better Life Experience Savings Accounts: Concerning the achieving a better life experience (ABLE) savings program for individuals with disabilities, and, in connection therewith, modifying who may create and control an ABLE program account, preventing the state from filing certain claims against an ABLE program account upon the death of the designated beneficiary, and allowing contributions to an ABLE program account that are withdrawn for qualified disability expenses to be deducted from a taxpayer's federal taxable income for purposes of determining the taxpayer's state taxable income. The bill passed out of the Senate.

HB22-1390 Public School Finance: Concerning the financing of public schools, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation. The bill passed unanimously out of Senate and sent back to the House for concurrence.

FAILED: HB22-1009 Continue Workforce Diploma Pilot Program: Concerning continuing the workforce diploma pilot program as the workforce diploma program. This bill was referred to House Appropriations but never scheduled.

FAILED: HB22-1258 Essential Services For Youth Special Districts: Concerning the creation of an essential services for youth special district in each judicial district in the state. This bill did not pass on Third Reading in the House.

FAILED: HB22-1293 Medical Record Requests By Attorneys: Concerning the provision of medical records in the custody of a health-care facility.This bill was failed on Second Reading in the House and did not advance to the Senate

The red font indicates a new bill or a change in status. For a full list of active bills, visit rachelforcolorado.com/capitol or the Colorado General Assembly's website.

SB22-008 Higher Education Support For Foster Youth: Concerning postsecondary education support for certain students who have been in out-of-home placement.

SB22-017 Fluid Milk Products Not Divisible Load: Concerning the determination that a load of fluid milk products hauled by a vehicle is not a divisible load under the vehicle weight limits permitted by law.

SB22-011 America 250 - Colorado 150 Commission: Concerning the establishment of the America 250 - Colorado 150 commission.

SB22-054 Recommend Community School for Turnaround Plan: Concerning the addition of a recommendation that a district public school be converted to a community school if the district public school fails to make substantial progress under its turnaround plan.

SB22-064 Neighborhood Youth Organizations: Concerning requirements for neighborhood youth organizations that provide services designed for the development of youth.

SB22-121 Tuition Revenue Pledged by Institution Higher Education: Concerning increasing the amount of tuition revenues pledged by an institution of higher education.

SB22-127 Special Education Funding: Concerning funding for special education services.

SB22-137 Transition Back to Standard K-12 Accountability: Concerning measures related to the transitional return to standard education.

SB22-142 Repeal Municipal Bond Supervision Advisory Board: Concerning the repeal of the municipal bond supervision advisory board.

SB22-144 Public And Nonprofit Entities Rideshare Cotracts: Concerning the provision of transportation services by a transportation network company not in connection with a business operated for profit.

SB22-146 Middle Income Access Program Expansion: Concerning the expansion of the Colorado housing and finance authority's middle income access program.

SB22-162 Administration Organization Act Modernization: Concerning the modernization of the terminology used in the Colorado Revised Statutes relating to the organization of Colorado state governmental agencies without altering the status of the powers assigned to those agencies pursuant to the "Administrative Organization Act of 1968".

HB22-1031 Consumer Right To Repair Powered Wheelchairs: Concerning a requirement that a powered wheelchair manufacturer facilitate the repair of its powered wheelchairs by providing certain other persons with the resources needed to repair the manufacturer's powered wheelchairs.

HB22-1057 Public Employees' Retirement Association Employment After Teacher Retirement: Concerning public employees' retirement association employment after retirement limitations.

HB22-1093 Updates to Bingo and Raffles Law: Concerning the conduct of charitable gaming activity, and, in connection therewith, modernizing the "Bingo and Raffles Law" to accommodate the use of improved electronic aids and devices in the conduct of games of chance and making an appropriation.

HB22-1099 Online Marketplaces and Third-party Sellers: Concerning mandatory disclosures of third-part sellers selling through online marketplace.

HB22-1101 Public Employees’ Retirement Association Service Retiree Employment in Rural Schools: Concerning the expansion of a program that allows a public employees’ retirement association service retiree to work full-time without any reduction in the service retiree’s retirement for benefits for a rural school district that has a critical shortage of qualified individuals with specific experience, skills, or qualifications that the service retiree has.

HB22-1162 Motor Vehicle Digital Number Plates: Concerning authorization to use digital number plates in lieu of metal number plates on a vehicle.

HB22-1202 At-risk Student Measure For School Finance: Concerning the creation of a new measure in the public school funding formula for identifying at-risk students, and, in connection therewith, creating a working group in the department of education to implement the new measure in a future budget year.

HB22-1245 Foster Youth in Transition Program Clarifications: Concerning clarifications related to the foster youth in transition program.

HB22-1250 Nonsubstantive Changes to Title 7 of Colorado Revised Statutes: Statutes: Concerning nonsubstantive changes to title 7 of the Colorado revised statutes.

HB22-1255 Improve Higher Education for Students With a Disability: Concerning measures to improve postsecondary education outcomes for students with a disability.

HB22-1294 Special Education Services In Charter Schools: Concerning additional pathways to provide special education services to children with disabilities in charter schools.

HB22-1331 Supplemental Funding for Facility Schools: Concerning supplemental funding for facility schools, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation. 

HB22-1333 Increase Minimum Wage for Nursing Home Workers: Concerning an increase in the minimum wage for nursing facility employees, and, in connection therewith making an appropriation. 

HB22-1334 Food Distribution Program Administrative Fee: Concerning the collection of an administrative fee from an agency that receives commodities through a food distribution program.

HB22-1336 Streamline Processing of Judicial Department Collections: Concerning the streamlining of the processing of certain money collected by the judicial department. 

HB22-1339 Merge Department of Revenue Division of Motor Vehicles Cash Funds: Concerning the Colorado DRIVES vehicle services account of the highway users tax fund, and, in connection therewith, merging the licensing services cash fund into the account and requiring account investment earnings to be credited to the account. 

HB22-1340 Capital-related Transfers of Money: Concerning capital-related transfers of money.

HB22-1341 Marijuana Tax Cash Fund: Concerning measures to ensure that the marijuana tax cash fund is in balance.