Senate Approves Bipartisan Bills to Save Students Money, Connect Coloradans to Good-Paying Jobs

DENVER, CO – The Senate today passed two bills to support students and Colorado’s workforce. 

HB26-1317, sponsored by Senator Jeff Bridges, D-Arapahoe County, would better connect students and workers with the resources they need to secure good-paying jobs.

“The programs we’ve built to help people find jobs just don’t connect the way they should. This fragmentation makes them less effective for the very people they’re supposed to serve,” Bridges said. “This bill starts to fix that by reworking how we think about post-secondary pathways so more Coloradans can find real opportunities, contribute in their communities, and earn wages that actually pay the bills.”

The bill, which is cosponsored by Senator Lisa Frizell, R-Castle Rock, would lay the foundation for a new, unified system and department for post-secondary education development. With a focus on a thoughtful, inclusive stakeholder process, this bill would establish a Transition Advisory Committee (TAC) of 27 members, including representatives from state agencies, institutions of higher education, apprenticeship programs, organized labor, local workforce centers, local government, non-profit associations and the business community. The TAC’s recommendations will serve as the structural outline for the new department.

This bill would also begin the process to unite several programs, including the Divisions of Employment and Training, Regional Talent Summit Initiatives, Plans and Opportunity Now Grants and Adult Education and Literacy Programs, among others, under one new agency. Last year, Governor Polis shared a new report outlining a robust roadmap to streamline and strengthen the way Coloradans access education, training and career support. 

Research shows that in the next six years, nearly three in four job openings will require some type of post-secondary credential. However, there is an attainment gap between the need for credentials and the number of Coloradans earning these skills, which is a challenge for Colorado’s economy and workforce. HB26-1317 would begin the process to streamline more than 20 divisions, offices and units across seven state entities that deliver more than 100 programs and initiatives to create a one-stop-shop for Coloradans’ access to post-secondary education, training and employment.

HB26-1078, sponsored by Senator Janice Marchman, D-Loveland, would expand access to low- and no-cost college-level courses for high school students. 

“Concurrent enrollment classes accelerate student learning and prepare them for future careers, whether it be public service, private sector jobs, or technical training,” Marchman said. “I’m proud to sponsor this legislation that would expand these effective and low-cost programs and create more opportunities for Colorado students to excel.”

Cosponsored by Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer, R-Weld County, HB26-1078 would extend concurrent enrollment in Colorado to include off-campus courses offered by higher education institutions. Concurrent enrollment allows high school students to take college-level courses, saving them money and time while accelerating their degree completion. Students can typically earn high school and college credits simultaneously for certain courses.

Under current law, most off-campus courses are excluded from concurrent enrollment programs. This often means only those provided in high school classrooms or on a college campus meet the concurrent enrollment course requirements. This bill would modify the narrow requirement by allowing higher education institutions to offer off-campus courses that qualify as concurrent enrollment courses provided the courses meet state and federal requirements and accreditation guidelines. 

This bill also applies to post-secondary technical and career education courses offered through area technical colleges, which are non-traditional, hands-on courses such as workshops, certificate classes, and skilled trades. 

Both HB26-1317 and HB26-1078 now move back to the House for consideration of amendments.