Senate Advances FY 2022-2023 Supplemental Budget Package to Mitigate Wildfires, Bolster Aid for Renters

Package also includes measures to enable local economic development for chip manufacturing, improve behavioral health care for children and provide urgently-needed support to Denver Health

DENVER, CO – The Colorado Senate today voted to advance the FY 2022-2023 Budget Supplemental Package. The suite of bills includes measures to mitigate wildfires in Colorado, bolster emergency aid for renters, improve behavioral health care and nutritional assistance for children, provide urgently-needed support for Denver Health, and spur economic development and local chip manufacturing.

“Colorado communities face challenges both big and small, and we’ve worked hard to address those issues and provide critical support to our state through this supplemental budget package,” said JBC Chair Rachel Zenzinger, D-Arvada. “Among other priorities these bills will help mitigate and defend against increasingly destructive wildfires, provide urgently-needed support for our health care system, and boost our economy so that Colorado students, families, and communities can continue to thrive.”

“The budget is a moral document, and we work hard at the JBC to craft a bipartisan budget that reflects Colorado’s values,” said JBC member Jeff Bridges, D-Greenwood Village. “Today, with the passage of this year’s supplemental budget package, we’re making important investments in education, healthcare, and jobs.”

SB23-126 COSWAP Fire Mitigation
Colorado Democrats are committed to reducing the frequency of devastating wildfires and protecting people, homes, and property. This bill will allow for further wildfire mitigation work through the Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action Plan (COSWAP) and appropriates $10 million to the Wildfire Mitigation Capacity Development Fund to boost our capabilities and mitigate increasingly dangerous wildfires. 

SB23-124 Emergency Rental Assistance Funding
Everyone deserves a safe, affordable place to call home. Lingering effects of the pandemic and rising rents have caused eviction filings to climb above pre-pandemic levels. As part of an effort to provide ongoing support to Coloradans facing eviction, this bill provides $8 million to the Colorado Emergency Rental Assistance Program to provide immediate relief.

SB23-115 Healthy Meals for All Public School Students 
No student should be hungry at school. This bill appropriates nearly $200,000 to help jumpstart implementation of the voter-approved Colorado Proposition FF by funding staffing for the Department of Education to develop program rules and processes, provide outreach and training, and make related changes to IT systems.

SB23-138 Financing for Denver Health 
Denver Health is a critical part of our health care system and is facing unique financial challenges. This bill provides $5 million in addition to $1.4 million appropriated through SB23-117 for a total of $6.4 million in support for Denver Health, which as a safety net provider serves a higher share of Medicaid and uninsured patients than any other urban hospital and is critical in maintaining the health and wellbeing of Coloradans.

SB23-116 Support for Local Manufacturing and Economic Development
Colorado is rapidly emerging as one of the country’s top tech hubs. This $5 million investment will ensure the state remains competitive in drawing down its share of funding available to states through the federal CHIPS and Science Act, helping cement Colorado’s place as a leader in the semiconductor industry. Funding will be used to support and invest in the growth of institutions, manufacturers and their supply chains within the semiconductor industry currently based in or looking to operate in Colorado, with a particular focus on rural, underserved, and non-Denver metro communities.

SB23-119 Children’s Behavioral Health Services
Colorado Democrats have fought tirelessly to increase access to behavioral health care for all Coloradans. The bill includes $3 million for the Children and Youth Mental Health Treatment Act (CYMHTA) to combat the program’s growing caseload. CYMHTA allows families to access mental health treatment services for their children and acts as an alternative to child welfare involvement when a dependency and neglect action isn't warranted.