[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6278776,"mediaKeyId","2634110-6c83446d42d1c2e38b9a59a6572e84cd","parentId",2634110,"title","Committee approves measure to send safe-storage notification requirement to committee of the whole","audioSeconds",5878,"startMs",16961000,"endMs",22839000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2634110-6c83446d42d1c2e38b9a59a6572e84cd&start=16961&end=22839","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2634110-6c83446d42d1c2e38b9a59a6572e84cd/thumbnail_16961000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6278776/Colorado/Committee-approves-measure-to-send-safe-storage-notification-requirement-to-committee-of-the-whole","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6278776-6922cad56a9082ea27bc322158529ae3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770973103&Signature=VyunTmnZ8hXahZfkcPRhI2AwAKTT~6LoJIWMtW7XxILrG4n48aZ~u5n2~GiYkr3BdnKMLfihX~bZVbdch132asiP2ccXcSdy-YviR4LKkmADPIKK2IE9chLtVROK7Zq5QlCdW~YWFV1YmUA1zUh563R4MN7Vpv-f9GeZuFO~pigjH3zNJ7sOl9xsAH0Ygakpx3teiL~OXZ8~kLoYUlWL88XTnp2bAnQML3Dj5lFPzPqZWFRsbvJAYj4cl6aCOfcWdpCPerb31va7Q7-7INuVrIcPK~MS6NUBcA-PDLxnR-9n-PKpV0zwHiy1Ji9sVPVv7iWUZs8dDnUFmcezcVsUxA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Colorado State Legislature","date","2025-03-06T00:00:00Z","article","The House Education Committee voted 7-5 to advance House Bill 1250, a measure that would require school districts to provide parents and guardians of k–12 students a notice about Colorado’s secure firearm storage law and to publish links to state-approved safe-storage materials on district websites.

Representative Cathy Hamrick, the bill sponsor, said the measure seeks to give families practical information that reduces unintentional injuries and suicides involving firearms. Testimony came from dozens of witnesses: students, school staff and administrators, pediatricians, emergency nurses, nonprofit advocates and representatives of community groups urged the panel to pass a low-cost notification requirement to increase awareness of the 2021 Colorado secure storage law and local safe-storage options (for example, gun storage at ranges or firearm retailers, and links to resources maintained by the Office of Gun Violence Prevention and the CU Anschutz Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative).

Supporters said the measure is a narrow, nonpunitive step that can be implemented at little or no cost and help prevent tragedies — citing state and national statistics showing a large share of child firearm injuries occur in the home and that access to a family firearm increases the risk of suicide. Several medical witnesses and public-health organizations urged adoption, pointing to international and domestic studies linking secure storage to lower rates of accidental shootings and youth suicide.

David Valentine of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners offered a dissenting view, arguing the bill could encourage children to report parents and undermine parental authority. Other opponents raised concerns about schools’ role in distributing safety messages and the potential for messaging to stigmatize lawful gun owners. Sponsors adopted a small technical amendment to clarify content and distribution mechanics after stakeholder feedback; that amendment passed 9-3 in committee.

Representative Hamrick moved the bill to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation; the motion passed 7-5. Supporters said the next step is committee of the whole review and, if passed by the House, the measure would be available for final legislative action and, as written, would require school districts to supply notices at the start of each school year and post safe-storage links online.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Education [Mar 06, 2025]","oneSentenceSummary","The House Education Committee voted 7-5 to advance a bill that would require school districts to provide parents information about Colorado secure-storage law and local safe-storage resources, following hours of testimony from students, parents, teachers, medical professionals and advocacy groups.","taxTitle","Education, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative, Colorado","taxId",43263,"location","Colorado","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6278781,"Panel advances bill requiring financial-literacy instruction for graduation, with opt-outs for FAFSA submission",6667,5699000,12366000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2634110-6c83446d42d1c2e38b9a59a6572e84cd&start=5699&end=12366","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2634110-6c83446d42d1c2e38b9a59a6572e84cd/thumbnail_5699000.jpg","/articles/6278781/Colorado/Panel-advances-bill-requiring-financial-literacy-instruction-for-graduation-with-opt-outs-for-FAFSA-submission","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6278781-6f321452dfe467df132c565815bc60a0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770973103&Signature=a0lkzoTtaBirUUMWfjrKX5gB2lg3gNzYYfOgGK3J6egrpx7xMoOYB1U380IA3ZxD9J3jVZL-MWKyqQI5SQA0lZ3FFYr2VOFpkUED8ToKiba9mDm4ZKkL2apZW9mrBOa5Wx29nG8Io6xBietXEW0qrEsyLLbXC6l2jmIcAFgAIGcc3bUKKYcnAwX-TRBbahreREP~qOPHMHZRQr4ZJEzIkMceC-nvrFrXTqDR5cNYqf-cCJCyxVZK4QDWa~kXKrE~Z6Br3Be65yNtrwQY2r61U6tS1NA-hrM5-iGfvbMw0JUYiv-8I1X-wa8a6ORcaWieE88sLQ1Y06bZ6hy7RWuFMw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Education Committee voted 8-5 to advance House Bill 1192 as amended, which would require Colorado students to complete a dedicated financial-literacy course as a condition of high school graduation.

Sponsors Rep. Brett Bacon and Rep. Kristi Hartzook framed the measure as an equity initiative: testimony from recent graduates and students across the state described how lack of personal finance instruction contributed to costly borrowing decisions and limited postsecondary choices. The Department of Higher Education told the committee Colorado ranks low in FAFSA completion and that Colorado students leave roughly $30 million a year in federal aid unused; sponsors argued that integrating practical financial instruction and assisted FAFSA practice into the existing ICAP framework could raise those rates.

The committee adopted a series of amendments after stakeholder feedback. Key changes narrowed the bill’s initial, broader mandates: the required course was made flexible (districts may meet the standard by providing a course, integrated instruction, or equivalent); the bill’s earliest compliance date was moved to the 2026-27 school year; and a contentious original requirement that students submit a Federal Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as a graduation condition was revised — the final language requires students to practice or be exposed to FAFSA/CASFA as part of ICAP but allows opt-outs and removes a firm submittal requirement. Sponsors also stripped several high-burden reporting and fiscal items to reduce the bill’s fiscal note.

Supporters included student advocates, the nonprofit Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF), business groups and higher-education advocates who said the course would reduce student borrowing and increase access to postsecondary funding. Opponents — including the Colorado Education Association, district superintendents’ associations, the Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB) and school counselors’ organizations — argued the measure is an unfunded mandate that would add scheduling and staffing burdens for districts already facing budget uncertainty; they also urged keeping decisions about diploma requirements at the local level.

Committee debate focused on trade-offs between statewide equity goals and local control, school capacity and the department fiscal estimate. Sponsors said they would work with districts on implementation and teacher training; the committee approved the bill as amended and referred it to the Appropriations Committee for further fiscal review (8-5).","After extensive testimony from students, educators and stakeholders, the House Education Committee voted 8-5 to forward a bill that would require Colorado high school students to complete a financial-literacy course before graduation; several sponsor amendments narrowed the scope and delayed implementation to 2026.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6278785,"Education panel backs measure to send 2025 ballot measures on Healthy School Meals for All to finance committee",5349,121000,5470000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2634110-6c83446d42d1c2e38b9a59a6572e84cd&start=121&end=5470","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2634110-6c83446d42d1c2e38b9a59a6572e84cd/thumbnail_121000.jpg","/articles/6278785/Colorado/Education-panel-backs-measure-to-send-2025-ballot-measures-on-Healthy-School-Meals-for-All-to-finance-committee","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6278785-5b21cbb9d09eb7e40424a3dc3296082e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770973103&Signature=fSJgtcuyJXXXJVockYXU28kEzOWMX9rxrlhuGKVr3sML0auroQM-dN4bOi7dqPzeOmFPh8x1dfWcRi73vB~DhlWDkykqtN0WZPy77RqkqgTL29W5iZPfn8I4aGYw7R~EBVU1N5Syqv23yvWu6xgtQcfW~s1CQq2znR0Th5V5ug3GZCGP0RwLZ7-iJMsq7~TqO8Xv~4l7VXyqPePucXXyN0Nj5YOPemJtBGbSln7j7qmLOeG5LMmQwmjORU58Ys0W2pOHe-3w3KW8HQFruc7WVEbdigKc77JX2Wd~9Lutx-D4KjNUNoc-hUDwotwc8oEtD9TLjjlFOJLTplTM~jm1CA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Colorado House Education Committee voted 7-5 to advance House Bill 1274 as amended, a bill that would send two ballot measures to voters in 2025 aimed at preserving and expanding the Healthy School Meals for All program created by Proposition FF in 2022.

Representative Serena Garcia Sander, the bill sponsor, told the committee the program has provided millions of meals and saved families roughly $1,300 per child per year, but that changing federal reimbursement rates, faster-than-expected district opt-ins and high food inflation have created a funding shortfall that threatens the full implementation of Prop FF. The bill would: (1) ask voters to retain state funds originally tapped for Prop FF; and (2) ask voters to authorize an additional revenue measure that could raise up to $95 million by adjusting itemized deduction limits for higher-income taxpayers, with no change for taxpayers earning under $300,000, Garcia Sander said.

Supporters who testified included school nutrition directors, the American Heart Association, Hunger Free Colorado, farmers and labor representatives. They said universal school meals reduce hunger and stigma, boost attendance and test scores, increase demand for local food procurement and place excessive new workload and wage pressure on often low-paid school nutrition workers. Dan Sharp, a school nutrition director from Mesa County, said his district has seen a 40% increase in meals served since the program began, and Hardy Provisions CEO Roberto Meza said local sourcing returned substantial revenue to Colorado farmers.

Opponents and cautious observers raised concerns about cost, program design and waste. Testimony also included requests from nutrition directors that any wage support be structured as stipends rather than direct mandation, and that meal service continue while grant programs are phased in. The sponsor introduced and the committee adopted an amendment (L1) correcting refund projections to 12.4 percent and moving certain timing details, and adopted a technical amendment that adjusted the ballot-timing language and funding mechanics in response to drafting and JBC feedback.

Committee members debated fiscal and implementation trade-offs. Supporters stressed long-term stability and a reserve fund that would be created if voters approve the second measure, while some members urged caution because of broader state revenue pressures. Representative Bacon moved the bill to the Finance Committee with a favorable recommendation; the motion passed 7-5.

The bill advances the question of whether Coloradans will be asked to sustain and expand universal school meals through voter approval of retention and additional revenue measures later in 2025.","The House Education Committee voted 7-5 to advance Rep. Serena Garcia Sander’s bill to refer two ballot measures that would retain and raise Prop FF funds to sustain and expand Healthy School Meals for All, after hours of testimony from nutrition advocates, school officials and farmers.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee approves measure to send safe-storage notification requirement to committee of the whole

Panel advances bill requiring financial-literacy instruction for graduation, with opt-outs for FAFSA submission

Education panel backs measure to send 2025 ballot measures on Healthy School Meals for All to finance committee