My 2026 Sponsored Legislation:

SB26-023: School Finance Act

The 2026 School Finance Act increases per-pupil funding and directs new resources to schools serving students with the greatest needs, building on prior reforms to Colorado's school funding formula.

• Increases per-pupil funding by $449, to $12,325.

• Directs most of the $195 million year-over-year increase to schools serving students with the greatest needs.

• Boosts free pre-K funding by $14 million.

• Allocates $38 million to protect free school meals under Proposition MM.

• Builds on prior changes, including elimination of the budget stabilization factor and the first update to the funding formula in 30 years.

• Maintains or increases funding for every district, with significant gains for rural communities.

SB26-135: State Public K-12 Education Funding

Asks you, the voters, to decide whether Colorado should retain and invest excess state revenue directly into public schools.

• Would increase K-12 funding by up to 2% annually for 10 years if approved.

• Directs funds toward raising teacher pay, improving retention, reducing class sizes and expanding career and technical education access.

SB26-126: Licensure for Experienced Out-of-State Teachers

This law cuts red tape for experienced out-of-state teachers seeking a Colorado license, helping schools fill vacancies faster. 

HB26-1136: Create Department of Personnel Program Pathways to Public Service

We created a Pathways to Public Service program connecting schools and training programs with entry-level state jobs, helping Coloradans build careers in public service. 

SB26-080: Cradle to Career Grant Program Creation

This law establishes a donor-funded grant program connecting children and families with education, health care and community services from birth through adulthood. 

HB26-1299: Reducing Regulatory Burden on Education Providers

We reduced the administrative burdens on schools, freeing up smaller districts to focus more on students and less on compliance. 

SB26-103: At-Risk Public School Program and Public School Accountability

This law ensures vulnerable students get the extra support they need through expanded tutoring, after-school programs and community-based learning. 

My 2025 Sponsored Legislation:

HB25-1320, School Finance Act

2025’s School Finance Act represents our unwavering commitment to Colorado’s children and their educational journey. Every child deserves access to quality education in well-resourced classrooms with dedicated teachers, and this legislation helps keep that vision a reality.

• After eliminating the Budget Stabilization Factor last year, this law provides tools to ensure it does not return.

• Total K-12 appropriation for FY 2025-26 would be $10,035,615,918, or a $256 million increase over FY 2024-25.

HB25-1135, Limiting Cell Phone Use in Schools

This bipartisan law has school districts set their own rules about phones in classrooms to help students focus and protect their mental health — something nearly all teachers support since they see first hand how phones distract from learning.

HB25-1210, Limit Data Reporting Burdens for Rural Schools

This bipartisan law focuses on efficiency and compliance with state needs. It will assess reporting time and seek improvements. Schools with improvement plans may submit them in preferred formats if they meet legal requirements. This law was requested by our rural schools.

HB25-1278, Education Accountability System

This bipartisan law makes changes to state assessments and school accountability laws, and implements all of the concurrent recommendations of the Accountability, Accreditation, Student Performance, and Resource Inequity Task Force.

HB25-1186, Worked-Based Learning

This bipartisan law creates a faculty-driven, worked-based learning program in higher education institutions for on-the-job apprenticeships, which will connect academic learning with real-work applications.

My 2024 Sponsored Legislation:

SB24-188: The School Finance Act 2024

The 2024 School Finance Act eliminated the Budget Stabilization Factor (BSF), which had restricted funding for Colorado's K-12 public schools for more than a decade. Additionally, this year’s school finance act increased the total funding for public schools by more than $500 million which raises per-pupil funding by $736, bringing the total to $11,406 per student.

HB24-1096: School Psychologist Compact

Similar to the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact, legislation I passed in 2024, this law supports and uplifts high-quality school psychologists who are trying to move to Colorado, by removing the barrier of re-licensure.

HB24-1320: Educator Safety Task Force

This law established the Educator Safety Task Force, a coalition of education professionals dedicated to enhancing the safety of public school students and staff.

SB24-132: Evaluation Protections & Educators

This law extends the privacy of our educators by balancing an educator’s accountability with their right to personal privacy.

HB24-1448: New School Funding Formula

We updated the public school finance formula to a student-centered formula that increases money to rural schools.

My 2023 Sponsored Legislation:

SB23-287: School Finance Act 2023

The 2023 School Finance act was the largest commitment to public education in Colorado history. It reduces the Budget Stabilization Factor by $180 million, invests $30 million into rural schools, and commits lawmakers to fully fund public schools in the 2024-2025 school year. Additionally, it raises the statewide average of per-pupil funding to $10,614.

HB23-1064: Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact

This law addresses the teacher shortage by making it easier for teachers to move from out-of-state.

SB23-094: School Transportation Task Force

We created a task force to compile a report with findings and recommendations to improve public school transportation services.

HB23-1198: Teacher Externship Program For S.T.E.M Disciplines

We established a teacher externship program for teachers to participate in external opportunities in S.T.E.M.