Committee backs bill to help schools access federal funds for HVAC upgrades

The House Finance Committee voted unanimously to send House Bill 12‑45, an HVAC improvements in schools measure, to the Committee of the Whole. Sponsors said the bill is intended to help school districts, particularly rural and disadvantaged districts, access federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act funds and to streamline matching and receipt of those federal dollars.

Representative Leader, prime sponsor, said Colorado school infrastructure averages about 40 years old and that aging HVAC and building systems create health risks and add operating costs for districts. Co‑prime Rep. Hamrick told the committee the bill opens the state’s IIJA cash fund to receive federal grant money across relevant federal programs instead of creating a separate cash fund, and the bill narrows the state’s role to enabling access rather than mandating local projects.

Witnesses from labor and the HVAC industry testified in support. Chaz Tedesco of Sheet Metal Workers Local 9 said HB12‑45 would improve school capacity to secure matching funds and to deliver certified contractor services. Joshua Unkefer, an HVAC professional, and Sarah Vaughn, a middle‑school teacher with the Colorado Education Association, gave first‑hand examples of hot classrooms, extreme indoor heat incidents and the educational harms that poor HVAC creates.

Sponsors said the bill does not create an immediate appropriation and that the most recent fiscal note shows no current year appropriation required for the state; the legislation instead enables access and distribution of federal funds and matching. The committee discussed labor, contractor certification and whether the bill’s labor standards could restrict competition; sponsors said the bill includes waivers for rural schools.

After testimony, sponsors asked for a favorable recommendation. The committee approved HB12‑45 without amendment and moved it to the Committee of the Whole with a unanimous vote.

Supporters emphasized student health, teacher retention and equity for smaller and rural districts that struggle to secure matching funds and certified contractors. The bill’s backers said it would allow more districts to tap federal resources and create local jobs as projects proceed.

The measure advances without a committee fiscal appropriation but will require districts choosing to participate to secure matching funds for federal grant programs if they wish to use the IIJA cash fund mechanism.