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HB26-1094 • 2026

Proposed Guidance Policies Developed by Colorado Department of Education

The bill creates the Colorado school district superintendents council (council) in the department of education (department) to coordinate with school districts regarding proposed guidance policies dev

Education Labor
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Rep. E. Hamrick, Sen. J. Marchman
Last action
2026-02-26
Official status
House Committee on Education Postpone Indefinitely
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on how the council will operate or its funding, leaving these aspects uncertain.

Colorado School District Superintendents Council

This bill creates a council made up of school district superintendents to review and give advice on proposed guidance policies from the Department of Education.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates the Colorado School District Superintendents Council within the Department of Education.
  • Requires the Department of Education to send all proposed guidance policies to the council for review.
  • Gives the council 45 days to review and vote on these policies after receiving them.
  • Ensures that proposed guidance policies do not take effect until the council has voted on them.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Department of Education
  • School district superintendents in Colorado

Terms To Know

Council
A group of school district superintendents who review guidance policies.
Guidance Policies
Policies developed by the Department of Education that provide direction for schools but are not legally binding rules.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if the council disagrees on a policy.
  • It is unclear how the council will be funded and operate in practice.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

L.001

HOU Education

Passed [*]

Plain English: The amendment adds a new section to Colorado Revised Statutes that requires the Department of Education to send proposed guidance policies to local education provider employees and allows these employees to provide feedback within two weeks.

  • Adds a new statute requiring the Department of Education to email proposed guidance policies to at least one employee designated by each local education provider.
  • Specifies that the receiving employee must have an opportunity to give feedback on the proposed policy and send it back to the department and State Board of Education within two weeks.
  • Clarifies that providing feedback is optional for local education providers.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens if a local education provider chooses not to provide feedback.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-26 House

    House Committee on Education Postpone Indefinitely

  2. 2026-02-03 House

    Introduced In House - Assigned to Education

Official Summary Text

The bill creates the Colorado school district superintendents council (council) in the department of education (department) to coordinate with school districts regarding proposed guidance policies developed by the department and to cooperate with and secure the assistance of school districts in formulating, coordinating, and recommending guidance policies to the department.

The department is required to send the council proposed guidance policies, and the council shall review, discuss, and vote on the proposed guidance policies within 45 days after receiving the policies. The proposed guidance policies must not go into effect until the council has taken formal action by a majority vote on the policies. The department is required to consider and incorporate the council's recommendations involving department guidance policies that impact local control.
(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. 26-0302.01 Shelby Ross x4510 HOUSE BILL 26-1094
House Committees Senate Committees
Education
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING PROPOSED GUIDANCE POLICIES DEVELOPED BY THE101
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH,102
CREATING THE COLORADO SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS103
COUNCIL.104
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 w ill be av ailable at
http://leg.colorado.gov.)
The bill creates the Colorado school district superintendents
council (council) in the department of education (department) to
coordinate with school districts regarding proposed guidance policies
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Hamrick,
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Marchman,
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.
developed by the department and to cooperate with and secure the
assistance of school districts in formulating, coordinating, and
recommending guidance policies to the department.
The department is required to send the council proposed guidance
policies, and the council shall review, discuss, and vote on the proposed
guidance policies within 45 days after receiving the policies. The
proposed guidance policies must not go into effect until the council has
taken formal action by a majority vote on the policies. The department is
required to consider and incorporate the council's recommendations
involving department guidance policies that impact local control.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 22-1-151 as2
follows:3
22-1-151. Colorado school district superintendents council -4
creation - duties and powers - membership - definitions.5
(1) AS USED IN THIS SECTION , UNLESS THE CONTEXT OTHERWISE6
REQUIRES:7
(a) "C OUNCIL" MEANS THE COLORADO SCHOOL DISTRICT8
SUPERINTENDENTS COUNCIL CREATED IN SUBSECTION (2) OF THIS SECTION.9
(b) "DEPARTMENT" MEANS THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.10
(c) "S CHOOL DISTRICT" HAS THE SAME MEANING SET FORTH IN11
SECTION 22-30-103.12
(d) "S UPERINTENDENT" MEANS THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER13
EMPLOYED TO ADMINISTER THE AFFAIRS AND THE PROGRAMS OF A SCHOOL14
DISTRICT PURSUANT TO SECTION 22-32-110 (1)(g).15
(2) THE COLORADO SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS COUNCIL16
IS CREATED IN THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION . THE COUNCIL SHALL17
COORDINATE WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS REGARDING PROPOSED GUIDANCE18
POLICIES DEVELOPED BY THE DEPARTMENT AND COOPERATE WITH AND19
SECURE THE ASSISTANCE OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN FORMULATING ,20
HB26-1094-2-
COORDINATING, AND RECOMMENDING GUIDANCE POLICIES TO THE1
DEPARTMENT.2
(3) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL SEND THE COUNCIL ALL PROPOSED3
GUIDANCE POLICIES, INCLUDING REVISED GUIDANCE POLICIES , AND THE4
COUNCIL SHALL REVIEW, DISCUSS, AND VOTE ON THE PROPOSED GUIDANCE5
POLICIES WITHIN FORTY-FIVE DAYS AFTER RECEIVING THE POLICIES FROM6
THE DEPARTMENT. THE PROPOSED GUIDANCE POLICIES MUST NOT GO INTO7
EFFECT UNTIL THE COUNCIL HAS TAKEN FORMAL ACTION BY A MAJORITY8
VOTE ON THE POLICIES . THE DEPARTMENT SHALL CONSIDER AND9
INCORPORATE THE COUNCIL 'S RECOMMENDATIONS INVOLVING10
DEPARTMENT GUIDANCE POLICIES THAT IMPACT LOCAL CONTROL.11
(4) THE COUNCIL HAS THE FOLLOWING POWERS:12
(a) TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOR13
FUNDING NEEDED TO COMPLY WITH THE COUNCIL 'S PURPOSE AND TO14
EXPEND MONEY IN COMPLIANCE WITH STATE REGULATIONS;15
(b) T O SEEK , ACCEPT , AND EXPEND GIFTS , GRANTS , AND16
DONATIONS FOR USE IN FURTHERING THE COUNCIL'S PURPOSE;17
(c) T O MAKE LEGISLATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE STATE18
BOARD OF EDUCATION AND THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY;19
(d) T O MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE DEPARTMENT20
REGARDING ESTABLISHED DEPARTMENT GUIDANCE POLICIES AND21
PROPOSED GUIDANCE POLICIES PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (3) OF THIS22
SECTION;23
(e) T O FORM COMMITTEES , AS NEEDED , TO RESPOND TO AND24
ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS; AND25
(f) T O SUBMIT COUNCIL RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE HOUSE OF26
REPRESENTATIVES EDUCATION COMMITTEE AND THE SENATE EDUCATION27
HB26-1094-3-
COMMITTEE, OR THEIR SUCCESSOR COMMITTEES , BY DECEMBER 31 OF1
EACH YEAR, IF APPLICABLE.2
(5) (a) THE COUNCIL CONSISTS OF THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS:3
(I) F IVE SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS , OR THE4
SUPERINTENDENT'S DESIGNEE, WHO SERVE FEWER THAN SIX THOUSAND5
STUDENTS, APPOINTED BY A STATEWIDE ENTITY THAT REPRESENTS SCHOOL6
DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS;7
(II) F IVE SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS , OR THE8
SUPERINTENDENT'S DESIGNEE, WHO SERVE SIX THOUSAND STUDENTS OR9
MORE, APPOINTED BY A STATEWIDE ENTITY THAT REPRESENTS SCHOOL10
DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS; AND11
(III) O NE REPRESENTATIVE FROM A STATEWIDE ENTITY THAT12
REPRESENTS SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS , APPOINTED BY THE13
GOVERNOR.14
(b) THE COUNCIL MAY APPOINT THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS, AS THE15
COUNCIL DEEMS APPROPRIATE , IN ORDER TO RESPOND TO SCHOOL16
DISTRICTS:17
(I) R EPRESENTATIVES OF FEDERAL , STATE , OR LOCAL18
GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES, WHO ARE NONVOTING MEMBERS; AND19
(II) R EPRESENTATIVES OF NONGOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES THAT20
HANDLE ISSUES FACING SCHOOL DISTRICTS , WHO ARE NONVOTING21
ADVISORY MEMBERS.22
(c) THE COUNCIL MAY CONSULT WITH OTHER INDIVIDUALS AS THE23
COUNCIL DEEMS APPROPRIATE, INCLUDING REPRESENTATIVES OF OTHER24
PRINCIPAL DEPARTMENTS OF STATE GOVERNMENT , POLITICAL25
SUBDIVISIONS OF THE STATE , ORGANIZATIONS WITH EXPERIENCE IN26
SCHOOL DISTRICT MATTERS, OR OTHER SIMILAR ENTITIES.27
HB26-1094-4-
(6) (a) THE COUNCIL SHALL SELECT A CHAIR AND THE CHAIR SHALL1
CALL THE FIRST MEETING OF THE COUNCIL. THE COUNCIL SHALL MEET AT2
LEAST QUARTERLY AND AT ANY OTHER TIME THE COUNCIL DEEMS3
NECESSARY. A MEETING MAY BE CALLED BY THE COUNCIL CHAIR OR BY A4
PETITION SIGNED BY A MAJORITY OF THE VOTING MEMBERS OF THE5
COUNCIL. THE MEMBER WHO PROVIDES NOTICE OF THE MEETING SHALL6
PROVIDE MEMBERS WITH AT LEAST TEN DAYS' WRITTEN NOTICE PRIOR TO7
THE MEETING DATE.8
(b) A MEETING MUST NOT CONVENE UNTIL A QUORUM IS PRESENT9
CONSISTING OF A SIMPLE MAJORITY OF THE VOTING MEMBERS. A MEMBER10
OF THE COMMITTEE SHALL NOT VOTE BY PROXY.11
SECTION 2. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act12
takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the13
ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August14
12, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13, 2026); except that, if a15
referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the16
state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act17
within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect18
unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in19
November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the20
official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.21
HB26-1094-5-