The 2024 session of the Colorado General Assembly began on January 10. Below are summaries of the bills we have been supporting this year.
Don't forget to visit our Advocacy Action Center to see active alerts for federal issues.
For a summary of our work in the last session, view our 2023 Legislative Report.
HB 24-1075 - Analysis of Universal Health Care Payment System (Reps. McCormick, Boesenecker)
Bill text: https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb24-1075
Status: Passed House Health & Human Services, awaiting hearing in House Appropriations
This bill would provide a detailed study of the feasibility of creating a publicly-financed, privately-delivered universal health care payment system in Colorado. The study would analyze possible costs, impacts on the health care workforce, impacts on community health, and ways to address current gaps in the system. The ELCA Social Statement "Caring for Health" asserts that "health is central to our well-being, vital to relationships, and helps us live out our vocations in family, work, and community. Caring for one’s own health is a matter of human necessity and good stewardship. Caring for the health of others expresses both love for our neighbor and responsibility for a just society. As a personal and social responsibility, health care is a shared endeavor." We believe an analysis of the potential benefits and costs of such a 'shared endeavor' is a worthy investment in this critical area of our life together.
The bill carries a fiscal note.
HB 24-1098 - Cause Required for Eviction of Tenant (Reps. Mabrey, Duran)
Bill text: https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb24-1098
Status: Passed
The bill prohibits a landlord from evicting a residential tenant unless the landlord has cause for eviction. Cause exists only when:
- A tenant or lessee is guilty of an unlawful detention of real property under certain circumstances described in existing law, as amended by the bill;
or - A tenant has engaged in conduct that creates a nuisance or disturbance that interferes with the quiet enjoyment of the landlord or other tenants at the property or where the tenant is negligently damaging the property; or
- Conditions exist constituting grounds for a "no-fault eviction".
HB 24-1099 - Defendant Filing Fees in Evictions (Reps. Lindsay, Soper)
Bill text: https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb24-1099
Status: Introduced, assigned to House Transportation, Housing & Local Government Committee
This bill would eliminate the fee to file an answer to an eviction. Currently, the fee is around $80, which can be a prohibitive amount for low-income tenants. Tenants have the right to file an answer, and eliminating the fee would make it more likely that tenants file an answer. It also would make landlords more likely to receive back rent (rather than the money being paid for a filing fee), and would eliminate administrative burden on the Colorado Judicial Department to review waiver applications. In 2022, the state received a mere $160,000 in filing fees, a pittance whose cost may be fully recompensed by reduced staff time reviewing and processing fee waivers.
HB 24-1133 - Criminal Record Sealing & Expungement Changes (Reps. Mabrey, Soper)
Bill text: https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb24-1133
Status: Passed House Judiciary, awaiting hearing in House Appropriations
The bill allows the defendant in a mistaken identity case to petition for an expungement order if the arresting agency does not file a petition. The defendant is not subject to any fees or costs associated with expunging the record. It also clarifies procedures for automatic record sealing under previously passed legislation.
HB 24-1134 - Adjustments to Tax Expenditures to Reduce Burden (Reps. Weissman, Rutinel)
Bill text: https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb24-1134
Status: Passed House Finance, awaiting hearing in House Appropriations
The bill makes changes to the state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). In particular, it increases the amount of the state EITC that can be claimed by an individual as a percentage of the individual's federal EITC amount up to 50% (from current levels of 38% for the 24-25 fiscal year, 25% in 25-26, and 20% in 26-27).
HB 24-1175 - Local Governments Rights to Property for Affordable Housing (Reps. Boesenecker, Sirota)
Bill text: https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb24-1175
Status: Passed House Transportation & Local Government, awaiting hearing on House Floor
The bill gives a local government right of first refusal or offer to purchase qualifying multifamily property for the purpose of providing long-term affordable housing or mixed-income development. The right of first offer is temporary and terminates on December 31, 2029.
HB 24-1286 - Equal Justice Fund Authority (Reps. Joseph, Lindsay)
Bill text: https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb24-1286
Status: Passed House Transportation & Local Government, awaiting hearing on House Floor
The bill creates the equal justice fund authority as a special purpose authority to administer the equal justice fund for the purpose of providing monetary support to local organizations that provide legal representation and legal advice to low-income individuals. The bill requires certain court filings to incur an additional $20 filing fee that must be annually deposited into the equal justice fund.
SB 24-053 - Racial Equity Study (Sen. Coleman)
Bill text: https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb24-053
Status: Passed Senate; awaiting hearing in House Finance
The bill establishes the Black Coloradan Racial Equity Commission to conduct a study to determine, and make recommendations about, any historical and ongoing effects of slavery and subsequent systemic racism on Black Coloradans that may be attributed to Colorado state practices, systems, and policies, and to identify measures that are consistent with the constitution to address those effects. The study includes historical research conducted by History Colorado and an economic analysis.
SB 24-174 - Sustainable Affordable Housing Assistance (Sens. Kirkmeyer, Zenzinger)
Bill text: https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb24-174
Status: Passed Senate Local Govt & Housing; awaiting hearing in Senate Finance
The bill requires the executive director of the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) to develop reasonable methodologies for conducting statewide, regional, and local housing needs assessments and reasonable guidance for a local government to identify areas at elevated risk of displacement.