With a Large Roster of Bills in Play, the State Legislature Marches Toward Another Busy Week

Bills on greenhouse gas reductions, building the educator workforce, behavioral health, cultural equity, and reducing recidivism all head to committees this week

DENVER, CO - As the legislative season continues, there are many priority bills that are hoping to score in committee this week. Highlights include:

SB21-185: Supporting Educator Workforce In Colorado, sponsored by Senators Zenzinger & Rankin.

• Colorado is facing a teacher shortage. Additionally, shortages of school psychologists, school physical therapists, school social workers and school speech-language pathologists are all too common across the state. This bill seeks to address the teacher shortage in Colorado, empower local leaders in recruiting subject matter experts into the educator workforce, develop a workforce that more closely reflects the diversity of Colorado’s students, elevate the teaching profession, expand pathways into the profession and raise the profile of all pathways into the education workforce.

This bill will be heard by the Senate Education Committee upon adjournment of morning floor work on Wednesday, March 31st in Senate Committee Room 357.

SB21-137: Behavioral Health Recovery Act, sponsored by Senator Pettersen.

• The pandemic has exacerbated many issues, but particularly behavioral health problems, as both our minds and bodies have been significantly burdened over the last year. Overdose deaths and suicides have skyrocketed because of the lack of access to services and a disconnection to people. This bill seeks to rectify these issues by creating various behavioral health grant programs to assist local governments and rural municipalities address substance abuse, maternal & child health, & other behavioral health prevention and treatment programs around the state.

This bill will be heard by the Senate Health & Human Services Committee at 1:30PM on Wednesday, March 31st in Senate Committee Room 352.

SB21-116: Prohibit American Indian Mascots, sponsored by Senator Danielson.

• Though we have made great strides in equity, diversity, and inclusion, we still have a long way to go. This bill is a common sense proposal that prohibits the use of Native Americans as mascots--because no one’s culture or ancestral history should be a tokenized costume.

This bill will be heard by the Senate Education Committee at 1:30PM on Thursday, April 1st in Senate Committee Room 357.

SB21-146: Improve Prison Release Outcomes, sponsored by Senator Lee.

• In Colorado we must do a better job of providing former inmates with the tools necessary to reintegrate back into normal life and find pathways to seek education, employment, and ultimately, success. SB21-146 will help provide those pathways. This bill will require the Colorado Department of Corrections to develop a recommended parole plan for every inmate prior to release from prison, as well as procedures for special needs parole -- a more carefully crafted parole plan with additional support and resources for inmates with severe physical, mental, or behavioral health issues. This will not only decrease the likelihood of recidivism, but will help continue the work on the long road ahead of untangling mental health support systems and correctional facilities.

This bill will be heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee at 1:30PM on Thursday, April 1st in Senate Committee Room 352.

HB21-1106: Safe Storage Of Firearms, sponsored by Senators Bridges & Hansen.

• Every year, thousands of gun deaths nationwide and hundreds of gun deaths in Colorado occur because of improperly and unsafely stored firearms. Additionally, people who live in homes with guns stored in an unsafe manner are more likely to commit suicide. This bill seeks to reduce gun deaths by requiring that firearms be securely stored when not in use, and requiring licensed gun dealers to provide a storage device with the purchase of firearms.

This bill will be heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee at 1:30PM on Thursday, April 1st in Senate Committee Room 352.

In addition to the bills above, SB21:176: Protecting Opportunities And Workers' Rights Act & SB21-181: Equity Strategic Plan Address Health Disparities, which were originally on the calendar last week have been rescheduled for committees this week.

To listen to committee hearings, visit leg.colorado.gov/watch-listen. The full Senate calendar for the week can be found at http://leg.colorado.gov/session-schedule?type=senate