KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Colorado

HB26-1093 • 2026

College Opportunity Fund Working Group

The bill creates a working group to make findings and recommendations concerning how to implement the college opportunity fund for persons who are incarcerated in Colorado, including whether fee-for-s

Education
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Rep. M. Martinez
Last action
2026-03-04
Official status
House Committee on Education Postpone Indefinitely
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details about the composition of the working group or how it will be funded.

Working Group to Study College Opportunity Fund for Incarcerated People

The bill creates a working group to study how the college opportunity fund can be used by incarcerated individuals in Colorado and report their findings.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates a working group to study how the college opportunity fund can help incarcerated individuals in Colorado, including whether fee-for-service contracts for participating institutions of higher education need to be modified.
  • Requires the working group to meet at least three times before December 1, 2026.
  • Asks the working group to report their findings and recommendations to education committees by December 1, 2026.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who are incarcerated in Colorado
  • Educational institutions and experts involved with higher education

Terms To Know

College Opportunity Fund
A program that helps pay for college tuition.
Working Group
A group of people brought together to study a specific issue and make recommendations.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the working group will be funded.
  • It is unclear what changes, if any, will come from the working group's report.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-04 House

    House Committee on Education Postpone Indefinitely

  2. 2026-02-19 House

    House Committee on Education Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only

  3. 2026-02-03 House

    Introduced In House - Assigned to Education

Official Summary Text

The bill creates a working group to make findings and recommendations concerning how to implement the college opportunity fund for persons who are incarcerated in Colorado, including whether fee-for-service contracts for participating institutions of higher education need to be modified. The bill requires the working group to report its findings and recommendations to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate on or before December 1, 2026.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Second Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
INTRODUCED

LLS NO. 26-0478.02 Lindy Schaible x4215 HOUSE BILL 26-1093
House Committees Senate Committees
Education
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING THE CREATION OF A WORKING GROUP TO DETERMINE101
HOW TO IMPLEMENT THE CO LLEGE OPPORTUNITY FUND FOR102
PERSONS WHO ARE INCARCERATED IN COLORADO.103
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
http://leg.colorado.gov.)
The bill creates a working group to make findings and
recommendations concerning how to implement the college opportunity
fund for persons who are incarcerated in Colorado, including whether
fee-for-service contracts for participating institutions of higher education
need to be modified. The bill requires the working group to report its
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Martinez,
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
(None),
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.
findings and recommendations to the education committees of the house
of representatives and the senate on or before December 1, 2026.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 23-5-151 as2
follows:3
23-5-151. Implementing the college opportunity fund for4
persons incarcerated in Colorado working group - creation -5
members - duties - report - repeal.6
(1) T HE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER7
EDUCATION, OR THEIR DESIGNEE, SHALL CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO8
STUDY HOW TO IMPLEMENT THE COLLEGE OPPORTUNITY FUND, CREATED9
IN SECTION 23-18-202, FOR PERSONS INCARCERATED IN COLORADO.10
(2) (a) T HE WORKING GROUP CONSISTS OF THE FOLLOWING11
MEMBERS:12
(I) T HE PRESIDENT OF ADAMS STATE UNIVERSITY OR THEIR13
DESIGNEE;14
(II) T HE PRESIDENT OF TRINIDAD STATE COLLEGE OR THEIR15
DESIGNEE;16
(III) T WO ADAMS STATE UNIVERSITY REPRESENTATIVES ,17
APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT OF ADAMS STATE UNIVERSITY OR THE18
PRESIDENT'S DESIGNEE;19
(IV) THE PRESIDENT OF PUEBLO COMMUNITY COLLEGE OR THEIR20
DESIGNEE;21
(V) T HE CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT22
DENVER OR THEIR DESIGNEE;23
(VI) TWO EXPERTS FROM THE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES UNIT OF THE24
COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, APPOINTED BY THE EXECUTIVE25
HB26-1093-2-
DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS OR THEIR DESIGNEE;1
(VII) O NE FINANCIAL AID REPRESENTATIVE WITH EXPERTISE IN2
SECOND CHANCE PELL GRANTS, APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT OF ADAMS3
STATE UNIVERSITY OR THEIR DESIGNEE; AND4
(VIII) O NE COLORADO COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM5
REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE SYSTEM OFFICE , APPOINTED BY THE6
CHANCELLOR OF THE COLORADO COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM OR THEIR7
DESIGNEE.8
(b) T HE APPOINTING AUTHORITIES SHALL MAKE THEIR9
APPOINTMENTS TO THE WORKING GROUP NO LATER THAN JULY 1, 2026.10
(c) WORKING GROUP MEMBERS SERVE AT THE PLEASURE OF THEIR11
RESPECTIVE APPOINTING AUTHORITIES . IF A WORKING GROUP VACANCY12
OCCURS, THE APPROPRIATE APPOINTING AUTHORITY SHALL , WITHIN13
FOURTEEN DAYS AFTER THE VACANCY , APPOINT A NEW MEMBER WHO14
SATISFIES THE MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENT OF THE VACATED SEAT.15
(d) WORKING GROUP MEMBERS DO NOT RECEIVE COMPENSATION16
OR REIMBURSEMENT FOR EXPENSES.17
(3) (a) THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER18
EDUCATION, OR THEIR DESIGNEE , SHALL FACILITATE THE WORK OF THE19
WORKING GROUP . THE WORKING GROUP SHALL ALLOW FOR REMOTE20
PARTICIPATION AT EACH MEETING OF THE WORKING GROUP.21
(b) T HE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER22
EDUCATION, OR THEIR DESIGNEE, SHALL CONVENE THE FIRST MEETING OF23
THE WORKING GROUP NO LATER THAN JULY 31, 2026. THE WORKING24
GROUP SHALL MEET AT LEAST THREE TIMES AND SHALL COMPLETE ITS25
DUTIES NO LATER THAN DECEMBER 1, 2026.26
(4) T HE WORKING GROUP SHALL MAKE FINDINGS AND27
HB26-1093-3-
RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING HOW TO IMPLEMENT THE COLLEGE1
OPPORTUNITY FUND FOR PERSONS WHO ARE INCARCERATED IN COLORADO,2
INCLUDING WHETHER FEE-FOR-SERVICE CONTRACTS FOR PARTICIPATING3
INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION NEED TO BE MODIFIED.4
(5) THE WORKING GROUP MAY COLLABORATE WITH ANY PERSON5
OR ENTITY THAT THE WORKING GROUP DEEMS APPROPRIATE TO ASSIST THE6
WORKING GROUP IN PERFORMING ITS DUTIES PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.7
A STATE ENTITY THAT IS REQUESTED TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO THE8
WORKING GROUP SHALL ASSIST THE WORKING GROUP, TO THE EXTENT THE9
ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY THE STATE ENTITY IS CONSISTENT WITH THE10
STATE ENTITY'S DUTIES AND THE LAW.11
(6) O N OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1, 2026, THE WORKING GROUP12
SHALL SUBMIT A REPORT THAT INCLUDES ITS FINDINGS AND13
RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE EDUCATION COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE OF14
REPRESENTATIVES AND THE SENATE, OR ANY SUCCESSOR COMMITTEES.15
(7) THIS SECTION IS REPEALED, EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2027.16
SECTION 2. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,17
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate18
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for19
the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state20
institutions.21
HB26-1093-4-