Dependent Care Expenses Bill Passes Senate State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Committee

April 8, 2019

Denver, CO – The Senate State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee today voted 3-to-2 to pass SB19-229, Campaign Contributions Dependent Care Expenses, a bill sponsored by Senators Faith Winter (D-Westminster) and Mike Foote (D-Lafayette) to reimburse candidates for dependent care costs shouldered during their campaigns. The bill now heads to the Committee of the Whole for consideration.

“We know that our democracy works best when we have a diversity of views and backgrounds at the table,” said Senator Winter. “I have spent 14 years recruiting women to run for office, and oftentimes the first question asked is 'Can I have a family and do this?' This bill makes it easier for parents to run for office.”

“Colorado is better off when those who are suited for office can run regardless of circumstance,” said Senator Foote. “By mitigating the burden of dependent care expenses on the campaign trail, we can encourage more parents to run for office. Parents understand the issues facing families and can help find solutions to improve the lives of Coloradans across this state.”

SB19-229 would allow a candidate committee to spend money received during the campaign to reimburse a candidate who spent necessary funds caring for their children while on the campaign trail. The funds being reimbursed must have been directly connected to campaign activities. Campaign expenses linked to dependent care must be disclosed by a candidate committee along with their other expenditures.

“As parents, we understand the difficulty of raising young children and running for office, and we know this bill will make a real difference,” said the Senate sponsors.For more information on SB19-229, please visit https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb19-229.

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