[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-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],{"_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",6050017,"mediaKeyId","3506301-423156524a396b89b45d7175516ee942","parentId",3506301,"title","Committee advances bill to create trauma‑informed school‑safety drill work group after debate on scope and membership","audioSeconds",6600,"startMs",1808000,"endMs",8408000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3506301-423156524a396b89b45d7175516ee942&start=1808&end=8408","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3506301-423156524a396b89b45d7175516ee942/thumbnail_1808000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6050017/Colorado/Committee-advances-bill-to-create-traumainformed-schoolsafety-drill-work-group-after-debate-on-scope-and-membership","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6050017-05bc9d7cb525ae5a2f2ad910f95d64cd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770886363&Signature=AO1aPMI9KoBX6N9CljgwEl5Kig5eaQ4QoXJxGhLc4SB2Hbv6X~T4Vh701RPF1tPrq-Z7l20phPg7wtk3AW3cfPK8ixfqiFW4KtTgwkqI9nQkG-aWSX~yA3ufZj1A8-zFI~tYiTbi7EJLqfmQ7Xm8w8SV8gegNGrqfumbXbBwGrNayI0POOHRh5USpO-7ba3nVuR1Iuq8LtY~EVK~9N1C18k~c-UPIIi4vON7rUg6sS-buylCX~PIxDf9RbF~Lo4WSYE7MOLe2rMhXgxXCvqvQuKwUDKyPQDe9~TOR0KHvdymx5UyAUHQ3xplUKKrO2587WocARxmrragkOw9Hh~HSA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Colorado State Legislature","date","2025-04-24T00:00:00Z","article","The House Education Committee advanced Senate Bill 27, a proposal to establish a work group under the Office of School Safety to create best practices for “trauma‑informed” school safety drills and related personnel training.

Sponsor Representatives Joseph and Ryan Gonzales told the panel the group would bring together education leaders, mental‑health specialists, school‑safety experts, law enforcement and community stakeholders to develop uniform guidance that protects students’ emotional and mental health while maintaining emergency preparedness. The bill as described by sponsors would be funded by gifts, grants and donations, not state general fund dollars; a fiscal estimate discussed during the hearing projected fundraising needs “anywhere from $50,000 to $70,000.”

Proponents said the bill would reduce harm tied to current drills. \"Drills are a necessary part of our education system but we don't want to retraumatize our kids,\" Representative Joseph said. Evie Hudak, testifying for Colorado PTA, said the association “strongly supports Senate Bill 27,” urging notice to parents and trauma‑informed approaches for younger children.

Committee members pressed sponsors on several topics. Representative Phillips said school systems already run fire and weather drills and asked what problem the bill solves; sponsors answered the bill creates a formal, statewide working group where none exists now. Several members pointed to materials already posted on the Office of School Safety website and noted that a recently expanded advisory board (House Bill 25‑1173 was mentioned in committee discussion) addresses related topics; Representative Johnson raised duplication concerns and asked whether the bill would supplant local control. Sponsors replied the work group would produce non‑binding recommendations and not remove local authority.

Lawmakers also questioned the work group’s composition and appointment process. Representative Story and others said the draft appointed many members via legislative leaders and contained too few listed trauma specialists. Sponsors agreed to revisit appointment language and add targeted specialist seats, including a special‑education representative. Representatives also pressed for clearer rural representation in the panel; sponsors said they would redraft those provisions.

Two technical amendments carried earlier in the Senate were approved in committee: L7 (a drafting fix) and L8 (replacing the previously proposed emergency clause with a petition clause). At the end of the session members voted to send the bill to the Finance Committee with a favorable recommendation, as amended; the motion carried 8‑5. The committee directed sponsors to return with revised appointment language and other clarifications before final action.

What the bill would do and limits

Senate Bill 27 creates a working group under the Office of School Safety to identify best practices for trauma‑informed school safety drills, including recommended training frequency for personnel and guidance on parent notice. The bill, as amended in committee, would produce nonbinding recommendations and rely on gifts, grants and donations (committee testimony named the Colorado Health Institute as doing funding research).

Opponents and skeptical members urged caution. Representative Hartzick said many school districts already notify parents and run drills; Representative Hartsook and others warned against adding a statewide bureaucratic layer. Representative Johnson and Representative Story pressed for more trauma‑specialist seats and for limiting appointments made directly by legislative leaders.

Next steps

Senate Bill 27 was laid over for action only earlier in the hearing while sponsors continued stakeholder discussions. After amendments and follow‑up, the committee voted 8‑5 to move the measure to the Finance Committee with a favorable recommendation and instructed sponsors to return with revised language clarifying membership, rural representation and other details.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Education [Apr 24, 2025]","oneSentenceSummary","The House Education Committee advanced Senate Bill 27, a proposal to create a work group under the Office of School Safety to develop trauma‑informed best practices for school safety drills, during a committee hearing where members debated duplication, funding and the group's membership.","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},6050012,"Committee backs bill to let public‑school permanent fund invest in teacher homeownership program; moves to appropriations 11‑1",4412,3632000,8044000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3506301-423156524a396b89b45d7175516ee942&start=3632&end=8044","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3506301-423156524a396b89b45d7175516ee942/thumbnail_3632000.jpg","/articles/6050012/Colorado/Committee-backs-bill-to-let-publicschool-permanent-fund-invest-in-teacher-homeownership-program-moves-to-appropriations-111","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6050012-55365c661d394168fee7dae2f3c9243a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770886363&Signature=hW1kRO7MMsI~5H6eacnHLB1OeE0m1cJSon5yQAqTo4UuP70QSjnwlSlA632pSvZvHoutmZLoV0RaF63~i6VefsPywBN3cuHc-IMLWVgwRQ7e9sKHb5lMqKhMwS5PhgrhAzi02kjOfhN3LF5sQQAI7QfoSuoOi6bdY36tjKDk8TFgq8GAIf0UkQUFn8PFaY2BJ7bPwIvZrNFGu7sD1r~GcpVaaz7vTrO5oIz54eK9k251UmYwmidNM5UoFugGNIjMn2u~kBBFfNzsGXwIieVcxvZYyAGc~dk7F8pQm4hyefsaRC7FWeLDl7hBOKOmPtg3tvljXQatWhpviE~azxRyWQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Education Committee voted 11‑1 to send Senate Bill 167 to the Appropriations Committee with a favorable recommendation after extensive testimony about teacher housing and investment risk.

Senate Bill 167 authorizes a “Community Investment Portfolio” within the Public School Permanent Fund (PSPF) and directs the permanent fund investment board to make eligible community investments that benefit Colorado public schools and school employees. Sponsors said the bill aims to invest more of the fund’s existing assets in Colorado rather than in national mortgage products, and to use investment returns to support schools and education programs while helping educators access market‑rate housing.

Representative Byrd, the bill sponsor, said the legislation will create an \"educator first homeownership\" program: a shared‑equity down‑payment product that pairs CHFA first‑mortgage loans with a second, no‑interest down‑payment loan that is repaid at resale with a proportional share of home price appreciation. Sponsors estimated an illustrative benefit of roughly $1,000 less per month on a $500,000 home for participating buyers and said the Public School Permanent Fund could expect an average annual return of about 7% from the program — higher than a recent realized gain the fund reported.

Witnesses from the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) and education organizations supported the bill. Jerilyn Francis of CHFA described how the authority would serve as program fund manager through its participating lender network and said CHFA’s existing portfolio has a low foreclosure rate (under 1%) and requires homebuyer education for participants. Advocacy groups and teacher organizations said expanded access to homeownership should help districts recruit and retain educators in high‑cost areas.

Officials from the State Treasury and other cautious voices advised guardrails. Leah Marvin Riley, policy director for the Colorado Department of Treasury, said the department was neutral on the bill and urged that investment decisions remain flexible to guard against market volatility; the Treasury helped negotiate amendments intended to preserve the investment board’s discretion. Committee members asked how the proposal would affect existing streams of education funding (BEST grants, state education fund) and whether new investments could create realized losses; sponsors and witnesses said the proposal uses income from the PSPF and not general fund dollars, and that the corpus itself remains intact.

Key program details discussed

- Administration: CHFA would operate the shared‑equity down‑payment assistance program through its participating‑lender network and handle borrower outreach, underwriting and homebuyer education.
- Repayment: The down‑payment assistance would be repaid on sale or refinance; the sponsor described a shared‑appreciation structure that returns principal plus a proportionate share of appreciation to the fund at close.
- Eligibility and limits: Sponsors said the program is intended for first‑time buyers who will use homes as primary residences; CHFA told the committee that program rules will align with its existing AMI limits and loan products (committee testimony referenced an AMI threshold in discussion but final income limits and underwriting rules will be set in program design).
- Rural allocation: The bill includes a provision to set aside 25% of the community investments for rural and underserved communities, per sponsor comments.

Committee action and votes

After witness testimony and questions, the committee voted 11‑1 to advance SB 167 to Appropriations with a favorable recommendation. Representatives on the record supported the bill for its potential to help educators remain in their communities and to invest PSPF assets in Colorado; Representative Johnson was the lone no vote, citing remaining concerns about market risk and long‑term effects on other housing programs.

Next steps

Senate Bill 167 will move to the Appropriations Committee. Sponsors and witnesses said they will continue to refine program details, guardrails and AMI/eligibility limits as the bill proceeds.","Senate Bill 167 would permit the Public School Permanent Fund to invest in community investments including an \"educator first\" shared‑equity down‑payment program administered by CHFA, intended to expand homeownership for public‑school employees while keeping investment returns in Colorado.","actionData","errors"]

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Committee advances bill to create trauma‑informed school‑safety drill work group after debate on scope and membership

Committee backs bill to let public‑school permanent fund invest in teacher homeownership program; moves to appropriations 11‑1