Improving Student Success, Supporting Coloradans with Disabilities, and Saving Coloradans Money BILL SIGNING TOUR - DAY 11 On Thursday, I signed legislation investing in Colorado’s schools, improving student success, supporting Coloradans with disabilities, increasing access to higher education, increasing affordable housing and saving Coloradans money. These bills will support Coloradans in our daily lives and make a difference on the issues we all discuss around the kitchen tables. My administration is committed to continuing to save people money and make Colorado the best place to live, learn, and teach. IMPROVING STUDENT SUCCESS CREATING EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES I started the day at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities to sign three new laws that will increase career and higher education opportunities for Coloradans. First I signed SB22-008 which supports Colorado’s foster youth by helping them pay for tuition, providing education mentoring, and creating specific, on-campus points of contact for foster youth at Colorado’s higher education institutions. Next up was SB22-192 to create more opportunities for Coloradans to get the skills they need while simultaneously meeting the needs of businesses and in-demand industries such as healthcare, education, childcare and more. Then I signed SB22-127 which supports students receiving special education services and increases the amount distributed to students with learning disabilities. I also signed SB22-011 to create the America 250 - Colorado 150 Commission to plan for the official observance of these historic milestones and reflect on our history and share the stories of Black communities, Indigenous communities, communities of color, women, and people with disabilities. In Denver, I signed the Public School Finance Act (HB22-1390). The Public School Finance Act will increase the base per pupil funding rate by $253 to $7,478, and provide an additional $1 million to the Mill Levy Equalization Fund. I also signed SB22-202, creating a state match for mill levy override revenue and HB22-1220 which creates the student educator stipend program. This new law saves future educators money and removes barriers to becoming a teacher by awarding stipend money for required student teaching and expanding Educator Loan Forgiveness with millions more dollars. INCREASING ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION Later in the afternoon I visited the Community College of Denver to sign two new laws increasing access to higher education. HB22-1155 makes undocumented students eligible for in-state tuition in the same way that other students would be. HB22-1107 creates the inclusive higher education grant program to provide grants to state institutions of higher education to establish new or expand existing, inclusive higher education programs for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I signed four additional laws creating safer environments in our schools, increasing access for students with disabilities, and empowering students to apply for financial aid. SB22-171 provides additional privacy protections to educators. HB22-1294 allows charter schools to better assume the full legal responsibilities of educating students with disabilities in an effort to increase access and better serve students with disabilities. HB22-1376 initiates a stakeholder process to standardize how we report data about chronic absenteeism, bullying, and school discipline incidents and the actions taken by schools to address them. HB22-1366 will give students and families the support they need when it comes to filling out financial aid applications. I also signed HB22-1320 which lets Coloradans with disabilities and their families keep more of the hard-earned money they’ve saved by expanding the use of ABLE savings accounts so people with disabilities and their families can save money free of federal and state income tax to pay for disability-related expenses without impacting the individual with disability’s Medicaid or Social Security benefits. INVESTING IN COLORADO CREATING MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, IMPROVING COLORADO INFRASTRUCTURE Later in the afternoon I signed SB22-159 which creates the affordable housing revolving loan fund program in the Department of Local Affairs, investing $150 million to support flexible, low-interest and below-market rate loan funding for the construction of more affordable housing units. I also signed HB22-1051 which injects a record $420 million into the state’s affordable housing tax credit program over 15 years. While at the Community College of Denver, I signed two bills to invest in infrastructure and our economy. SB22-130 creates a new Public-Private Partnership Office to support innovation and transfers $15 million from the General Fund to the State Unused Property Fund for the purpose of renovating public child care centers. HB22-1350 creates the Regional Talent Development Collaborative Grant Program, designed to scale proven approaches to economic development, workforce and community partnerships. These investments leverage federal funds to support our businesses, our communities, postsecondary institutions, K-12 and our workforce program. EXPANDING TRANSPORTATION ACCESS At Denver’s historic Union Station I unveiled the Colorado Department of Transportation’s new Pegasus shuttle. Pegasus will depart year-round from Denver’s Union Station, with stops at the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood, Idaho Springs, Frisco, Vail, and Avon. While at Union Station I also signed SB22-180 which will provide $28 million for free transit fares during the summer. This funding is available to both RTD and transit agencies across the State and will provide at least a month of free transit fares for all Coloradans during this summer and the next — saving Coloradans money and increasing access to transit. FOLLOW ALONG FOR THE BILL SIGNING TOUR! I have 30 days to sign or veto all the bills the legislature passed. I will be traveling to every corner of our state during the bill signing tour to celebrate the incredible work we have done this legislative session. 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