Committee advances higher‑education funding‑formula rewrite (HB 13‑45) with technical amendment

Sponsors told the Senate Education Committee that House Bill 13‑45 is the product of a multi‑stakeholder review and would modernize Colorado's higher‑education funding formula. The bill renames and restructures formula elements, requires consistent data sources and best practices, and changes outcome metrics to include part‑time students and qualifying transfers.

Dr. Tricia Johnson, deputy executive director and chief operating officer at the Colorado Department of Higher Education, testified that the formula redesign was ‘‘thoughtful, intentional, iterative and transparent’’ and reflected input from institutions, the Colorado Commission on Higher Education and a stakeholder working group. John Walmart, chair of CCHE, described broad agreement on the recommendations and urged the committee to support the bill.

The committee considered and approved a technical amendment, L001, which directs the commission to implement a prior legislative decision about distributing financial aid to public institutions for the 2026‑27 budget year. After final remarks from sponsors and the minority leader, the committee voted unanimously to advance HB 13‑45 to the committee of the whole and recommended placement on the consent calendar.

Sponsors emphasized that HB 13‑45 contains no general‑fund appropriation and that the principal policy changes aim to avoid penalizing institutions for student pathways such as part‑time attendance and transfers.

The committee took no further amendments on the floor; the bill will proceed according to the chamber calendar.