Pair of Bipartisan Bills to Save Parents Money on Child Care, Support Rural Colorado Win Committee Approval

Legislation will use Economic Recovery and Relief Cash Funds to bolster Colorado’s economy

DENVER, CO - A pair of bipartisan bills to save Coloradans money on child care and increase access to lifesaving health care in rural Colorado were both approved by the Senate Health & Human Services Committee yesterday.

SB22-213, sponsored by Sen. Rhonda Fields, D-Aurora, and Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg, R-Sterling, will boost Colorado’s economy and make it easier for families to access child care by increasing capacity across the state and better developing workforce to help Coloradans get the training they need to provide that care.

“The pandemic exposed glaring gaps in our state’s child care system, and it’s hurting Colorado’s families and our economy,” Fields said. “That’s why I am proud to sponsor this bipartisan bill that will increase our state’s child care capacity and help more folks train for and land jobs in the child care field. This bill will help us provide critical support for working families across Colorado who have been doing their best to make sure their children have a safe place to learn and grow during the workday.”

The $50 million bill will help boost child care capacity by providing $16 million in grant funding to open a new child care center or expand capacity at an existing licensed childcare facility. It will also invest $10 million to support the employer-based child care facility grant program, which will help business owners and other employers provide convenient, high-quality child care on-site while parents are at work.

SB22-213 also adds $15 million to a successful workforce recruitment and retention grant program, and provides $7.5 million to support and train license-exempt informal caregivers working with young children in their communities.

SB22-200, sponsored by Sen. Joann Ginal, D-Fort Collins, Sen. Bob Rankin, R- Carbondale, will create a $10 million Rural Provider Access and Affordability Stimulus Grant Program to provide grants to rural hospitals aimed at increasing access to, and improving the affordability of, the lifesaving care rural Coloradans depend upon.

“Every Coloradan deserves quality and affordable health care, but that care is too often hard to come by, especially in the rural and underserved parts of our state,” Ginal said. “That’s why I’m proud to support this bill to better support Colorado’s rural hospitals and give them the tools and resources they need to reach even more patients. By increasing access and driving down costs, we can get more Coloradans the lifesaving care they need to thrive.”

SB22-200 will provide millions to improve affordability by expanding access to telehealth services, supporting coordination and referral mechanisms between providers, and enabling coordinated and shared care management between rural providers.

The bill also provides millions to improve access through extended hours for primary care and behavioral health settings, dual track emergency department management, telemedicine, and the replacement of unused inpatient hospital beds with in-demand inpatient services such as long-term care, skilled nursing facility recovery days, and behavioral healthcare.

Both bills will now move to the Senate Appropriations Committee for further consideration. Track SB22-200's progress HERE, and SB22-213's progress HERE.