Lobbyist: Colorado budget moving, School Finance Act and accountability bill advancing; session ends May 7

Missy Mayakwood, the district’s legislative lobbyist, updated the Board on the 2025 Colorado legislative session during the April 16 meeting and answered board questions about several pending bills.

Key points from the lobbyist: - The 2025 session ends May 7. The state budget has passed both chambers and is in conference committee; Mayakwood said the committee will reconcile House and Senate amendments and expects the budget to be completed and on the governor’s desk within about a week. - The School Finance Act was heard in House Education and had district testimony earlier in the week. Mayakwood said she expects the bill to finish House work this week and move to the Senate, with final action likely by April 30. The bill continues to use four-year averaging with 15% implementation of the new formula, she said. - An accountability bill drafted by a two‑year task force is moving but carries a large fiscal note; she said implementation details will probably be reduced to lower the bill’s cost but that a slimmed‑down version still has a high chance of passage.

Board members subsequently asked for updates on specific bills not covered in Mayakwood’s opening remarks, and Mayakwood and staff discussed several measures the Board wanted monitored: - HB 25‑1297 (health care contribution adjustment): Board members asked whether the bill would raise employer costs; Mayakwood said districts had not yet taken positions and she would research the bill’s impact on district healthcare costs. - SB 25‑284 (youth service organizations on campuses): The bill would require districts and charter schools to adopt a policy allowing service organizations to present on campus; Mayakwood said she was seeking clarification from legislative council about whether the bill mandates permitting organizations during instructional time or only requires a policy. - HB 25‑1312 (legal protections for transgender individuals): Mayakwood said the bill had passed the House and moved to the Senate and that the board should ask legal counsel to review potential district impacts, particularly related to mandatory reporter duties for counselors and parental‑rights implications. Board members asked staff to request a legal review and to report back quickly because the bill could be considered in the remaining weeks of the session.

Mayakwood recommended that community advocates call state legislators, send succinct emails, or schedule meetings with local representatives to influence debate. She offered to continue updating the Board as bills move through the final weeks of session.