This has been a memorable legislative session. The world is obviously in a place it has never been before and the reaction of the legislators here in Colorado has been wonderful in many ways. However, there is always more work to do. I am very grateful for the Voices for Justice (VFJ) volunteers that dedicated hours of their time to track legislation on behalf of the Colorado Council of Churches. In addition to our weekly conversations, many of us were able to physically be at the capitol during hearings and meetings that were creating the language and eventually law that would best benefit the citizens of Colorado. Not only did the VFJ volunteers dedicate their time, they are passionate about the areas they track and participate in community events and church gatherings that support the work of the legislators. The following summaries will reflect the passion, concern, and love for justice that our VFJ volunteers do every day, not just during the legislative session. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have additional questions, comments, and/or concerns. Many of us are looking forward to working together next session. We always welcome new volunteers as well.
–Rev. Marcia Meier, Voices for Justice Coordinator
Affordable Housing
Submitted by Diane Ritzdorf
The Colorado Council of Churches supports legislation to provide, build and create affordable housing, especially for low-income persons. Several bills in the 2025 session which addressed housing issues were passed and have been signed by the governor.
In terms of creating new housing, a new law allows the state treasurer to invest at below market rates to raise funds for low-income housing.
The other bills that passed create new regulations regarding relationships between homeowners or tenants and construction companies or landlords. One modifies HOA enforcements procedures attempting to give delinquent owners notice of upcoming procedures. Another modifies tenant and landlord agreements to protect tenants who receive subsidies. A third successful bill specifies time limits and criteria for filing construction defect claims in middle market housing.
All successful bills have relatively modest impacts on the state budget.
2025 Criminal and Restorative Justice Report for Voices for Justice
Submitted by David C. Taussig
In Matthew 25:36 Jesus reminds us to care for and visit those in prison. One bill Voices for Justice supported this year establishes social visitation as a “legal right” for people who are confined in a correctional facility. This bill, HB25-1013, was needed because some correctional facilities would withhold visitation as a punishment. Facilitating the ability of our brothers and sisters who are incarcerated, to communicate with their attorneys and families, HB25-1049 expands the rights of incarcerated people to have incoming communication with their attorneys including virtual communications and SB25-208 will increase the Department of Corrections (DOC) coverage of inmate phone calls from 35% to 75% in 2025, and 100% in 2026.
Two bills that VFJ supported will help to integrate our neighbors back into society. SB25-190 provides for the ability of inmates to get parole earlier if they have not been convicted of serious crimes but who are getting older and are seriously ill. HB25-1129 adds peer support behavioral health services to help offender’s transition into the community.
There is still work to be done. Unfortunately, two bills that VFJ supported – and passed both chambers of the legislature – were vetoed by the Governor. HB25-1147 would have created consistency in sentencing in municipal courts to that of county courts for petty offenses. The veto was because of a “local control” concern for each city being able to address crime as they saw fit. HB25-1026 would have prohibited the DOC from charging co-pay as well as fees for missed appointments. It was vetoed because the Governor felt it was micromanaging the DOC.
Health Care
Submitted by Marcia Meier
Six of the seven health bills we were tracking have been signed by the Governor. Areas of interest included disabilities, Early Childhood care, behavioral health, diabetes, and health care coverage. The following summary for SB25-290 is found on the CHA (Colorado Hospital Association) website* and addresses a huge concern we all share.
“Medicaid Enrollment/Safety Net – Declines in Medicaid coverage are putting Colorado’s patients and health care safety net at risk. To bolster the statewide safety net, CHA – as part of the Save Our Safety Net coalition – championed SB 25-290 that creates a fund combining state dollars, contributions from Colorado hospitals and other corporate donors, as well as federal matching money. These funds will be available to support safety net providers beginning this year.” The Governor signed SB25-290 on 5/28/2025.
*https://cha.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025-Legislative-Report_Final.pdf
Criminal and Restorative Justice
Submitted by David C. Taussig
In Matthew 25:36 Jesus reminds us to care for and visit those in prison. One bill Voices for Justice supported this year establishes social visitation as a “legal right” for people who are confined in a correctional facility. This bill, HB25-1013, was needed because some correctional facilities would withhold visitation as a punishment. Facilitating the ability of our brothers and sisters who are incarcerated, to communicate with their attorneys and families, HB25-1049 expands the rights of incarcerated people to have incoming communication with their attorneys including virtual communications and SB25-208 will increase the Department of Corrections (DOC) coverage of inmate phone calls from 35% to 75% in 2025, and 100% in 2026.
Two bills that VFJ supported will help to integrate our neighbors back into society. SB25-190 provides for the ability of inmates to get parole earlier if they have not been convicted of serious crimes but who are getting older and are seriously ill. HB25-1129 adds peer support behavioral health services to help offender’s transition into the community.
There is still work to be done. Unfortunately, two bills that VFJ supported – and passed both chambers of the legislature – were vetoed by the Governor. HB25-1147 would have created consistency in sentencing in municipal courts to that of county courts for petty offenses. The veto was because of a “local control” concern for each city being able to address crime as they saw fit. HB25-1026 would have prohibited the DOC from charging co-pay as well as fees for missed appointments. It was vetoed because the Governor felt it was micromanaging the DOC.
Immigration
Submitted by Jean Demmler
The Colorado Council of Churches (CCC) advocates legislation and policy that approaches immigration issues with compassion and respect toward all people. Given this CCC policy statement, Voices For Justice was busy during the 2025 Colorado Assembly Session addressing several bills related to how immigrants are welcomed in the State of Colorado. Bills were introduced from approaches that could be considered both less compassionate and respectful of newcomers and more compassionate and respectful of newcomers. The two different approaches toward changing state immigration-related law led to Voices For Justice advocacy for two specific bills — speaking against one bill (SB25-047) and supporting a second bill (SB25-276).
SB25-047, “Concerning reversing certain actions by the general assembly related to measures intended to limit enforcement of federal immigration law” would have allowed state and local law enforcement to assist in immigration law enforcement. This bill, sponsored by Sen. Mark Baisley, sought a reversal of prior state policy. SB25-047 would have allowed additional for-profit detention centers to be located in Colorado and would have allowed local governments to contract with private entities for detention services. This bill also would have repealed protections that prevent individuals from being arrested at state courthouses. After much testimony and debate in the hearing of the Senate State, Veterans and Military Affairs committee, this bill was postponed indefinitely by a vote of 3-2, along party lines.
One month before the end of the 2025 Session, four Democrat legislators (Sen. Gonzales, Sen. Weissman, Rep. Velasco, and Rep. Garcia) introduced SB25-276,“Protect Civil Rights Immigration Status.” The sponsors of this bill had been negotiating with Governor Polis to bring a bill expanding protections for undocumented immigrants that he would support. Indeed, the bill passed both houses of the Assembly, primarily along party lines, and the Governor signed the bill on May 23. Voices For Justice supported this bill throughout its process of becoming Colorado law by being present at hearings and advocating with legislators. The new law prohibits local governments from sharing private data about residents with immigration authorities, including ICE agents, unless they have a warrant to gather such data. It also would limit federal immigration authorities from entering private areas of childcare facilities, schools (including higher education), medical facilities and publicly financed libraries. There are numerous other items in the law that help ensure the civil rights of immigrants and all Colorado residents.
Education
Submitted by Mary Ann Panarelli, Ed.D.
During the 2025 legislative session a number of bills were passed to initiate or continue funding for behavioral health services for students (SB25-027, SB25-168, SB-25-178) and to ensure continuity of special education services for military connected youth (SB25-073). Bills also passed which require school divisions to develop clear policies on the use of cell phones at school and procedures for challenging books used in class or available in school libraries. Bills were also passed to require schools to provide training and parental notification if restraint or seclusion are used; provide parents of K-12 students with information about gun safety and violence prevention; and to strengthen student financial literacy by requiring (by school year 2027-28) students to take a course which includes topics related to financial aid and completion of the FAFSA or Colorado Financial Aid Application during their graduation year. All of these bills passed with bi-partisan support.
The Healthy School Meals for All legislation, supported by CCC last year, has been more costly than expected and exceeded the amount projected in the information provided when voters approved Proposition FF last year. As a result, HB25-1274 Health School Meals for All Program, was introduced and passed this year. The new bill refers two ballot issues to voters in the November, 2025 election. Passage of the first measure would allow the state to retain $12.5 million collected from individuals who made over $300,000 and had itemized deductions greater than $12,000 ($16,000 for couple filing jointly) and would leave in place the federal income tax adjustment. Failure of the ballot measure would result in the $12.5 million being returned, and the federal income tax adjustment would be raised. The second measure would increase revenue by reducing standard income tax deductions from current levels to $1000 per individual, $2000 for joint filers making over $300,000 per year with federal deductions in excess of $12,000 ($16,000 for joint). The bill also makes provisional adjustments to the amount of funds provided to schools to implement the Program, dependent on failure or passage of the two ballot issues. This will be an area to watch during the fall, and CCC may wish to consider ways to support passage of the two ballot measures.
Given the $1.8 billion budget gap at the beginning of the session, the most critical debates during the session revolved around school funding and the implementation of the new funding formula and planned increase of $500 million in funding for schools over the next 10 years, passed last year. After hours of testimony and long debate, HB25-1320 passed with broad bi-partisan support. It included the establishment of a new Kids Matter Fund, where $230 million in existing state revenue would be placed, and in future years 0.00065% of income tax revenue would go into the fund. The purpose of this fund is to shield schools from cuts in future years, as additional budget deficits are anticipated and federal funding is in question. In this way, the legislature held true to the commitment to “fully fund” schools for the current budget cycle and coming years. This bill uses the new funding formula to distribute the $10 million increased educational funding for 2025-2026 and guarantees that all schools will receive at least as much funding as they received last year, but rural schools and schools with higher numbers of low income and special education students will receive increased funding. Bipartisan passage of this bill reaffirms the commitment to undo the damage to school budgets done by the Budget Stabilization Factor, which had previously allowed the legislature to transfer constitutionally mandated school funding to the general fund to fill budget shortfalls in other areas.
Environment
Submitted by Mark Meeks
The Governor has just signed the Protect Wild Bison Bill, SB25-053, a bill that gives wild bison protection like those for moose and elk. Of course, this differs from privately owned bison and opens the way for more wild bison to be in the state with strong protections. Previously, any bison entering Colorado as wild animals were endangered, but now they are protected like other wildlife. This is one of several positive steps taken forward in environmental care during this recently concluded legislative session.
The legislature passed a means for Automated Permits for Clean Energy Technology that expedites the process of gaining clean energy in our communities. The process enables permits for these advances hopefully making the movement into clean energy enhanced.
Two big steps were taken to address food waste with one law impacting communities and one the handling of food in schools. How we manage our waste will only grow as a concern with our growing human impacts on the environment, so hopefully these two laws will aid greater care regarding such waste.
A law governing state lands will strive to enhance their management for the sake of community recreation and protection of their natural vitality. While these lands require management enabling revenue, this legislation will seek to increase recreation and provide ongoing protection of the land consistent with the revenue needs. A process is put in place to create good guidance for such efforts that aids the state board, governor, and various committees of the general assembly to be well informed regarding such management that protects the land while supporting recreation.
Dealing with the challenges of wildfire and disaster emergencies was addressed in two bills. One allows mitigation efforts to protect from wildfires on private property, and the other makes more readily available critical resources needed to deal with an emergency. Both will help to strengthen community capacity for protecting the public from harm.
A plan to make our transportation practices move towards less harmful impacts to our environment was put forward in the bill to Increase Transportation Choices to Reduce Emissions. The state governing entities are to work with local governments and transit agencies to assess choices for transportation, enhancing public transit and guiding towards plans that make transportation more consistent with a healthy environment. These efforts will inform the legislative body as to opportunities going forward for a better future.
Also in regards to waste, legislation was passed to guide battery stewardship for collection, transportation, processing, and recycling certain batteries, giving us better options for saving what can be reused and disposing properly what now is waste. Like care for food waste, dealing with spent batteries is a major challenge to be faced and best practices carefully sought.
Water will always be a matter of concern for us and for our future. Water management will be provided with more funds with legislation to support Water Conservation Board Projects and with enabling funds from Net Sports Betting Proceeds to increase funding for water conservation, the purpose determined for tax benefits from sports betting activity. The Mining Reclamation and Interstate Compact seeks to improve management of abandoned mines to protect our water from pollutants such as acid mine drainage. This improved regulation of mining in Colorado can further minimize the impacts from historic mining.
The Colorado Wildlife Habitat Stamp Program has been made permanent to sustain funding for protection of critical wildlife habitat and recreation related to wildlife. This program has successfully served in this way since 2006 and now is meant to be sustained into the future. Also serving the future is the bill allowing solar gardens on school property to be leased for any number of years rather than having the previous limited option.
An effort towards limiting more carbon in our atmosphere was sought by the Embodied Carbon Reduction bill that addresses carbon emissions from the production, construction, use, and end-of-life of those systems used to make buildings, roads, and other parts of our infrastructure. Reducing carbon pollution in all the ways we can is critically called for in this time.
Bringing more of our young people into engagement with environmental justice is sought in legislation that will place a young person between the ages of 14 to 21 on the environmental justice advisory board of the Department of Public Health and Environment. The Colorado Energy Office is directed to seek and post best practice information for clean energy options for our schools. These steps hopefully will increase awareness of best energy practices.
There were some positive steps proposed but not taken in this legislative season like a proposal to inform the public more regarding harm to our environment from fossil fuel use and a plan to make on-bill financing for energy improvements possible for more of the public thus to gain affordable access to better energy options. Recognizing nuclear energy as a clean energy source was made possible this year, but not all deem that a positive step.
In a time of limited financial resources still some positive actions have been taken which hopefully enables our state to improve care for our environment now and into our future.
Racism
Submitted by Adrian Miller
The only bill of note in this category is SB25-50 sponsored by Sen. Iman Jodeh and Rep. Yara Zokaie. The bill requires state and local government entities that collect population-level demographic data that is not individually identifiable to allow individuals to identify as Middle Eastern, North African, or South Asian or any other racial or ethnic category required by the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The bill exempts state and local agencies who are collecting data for the federal government from the requirement if the change will cause the federal government to reject the data.
Sexuality, Family and Abuse
Submitted by Sue Ricker
Most of the foster care and child care bills were signed into law. In all, ten bills were signed by the governor. A notable exception that modifies the requirements for deflection supports for justice-involved youthful offenders, a pilot program failed, with the sponsors indicating that they would try again in the future.
An interesting bill that passed is the Interstate Compact Placement of Children. The original bill was passed in 1975 and updated in 2024. It deals with safety issues of children across state lines. When 35 states pass it, the bill will become law. The governor’s signature makes Colorado one of those 35 states.
Veterans and Military
Submitted by Vicky Daub, Executive Director, Veteran Servant Corps Project, serving hundreds of thousands of military members/veterans and their families in the Rocky Mountain region.
Several veteran and military bills were introduced this legislative session. House Bill (“HB”) 25-1132 creates the military family behavioral health grant program to provide behavioral health services to service members, veterans, and their family members. This program is needed since 18 veterans/military members complete suicide daily. Governor Polis signed this bill May 1, 2025.
