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HOUSE BILL 26-1136
BY REPRESENT ATIVE(S) Lukens and Martinez, Duran, Hamrick, Lieder,
Lindsay, Nguyen, Paschal, Phillips, Rutinel, Stewart K., Story, McCluskie;
also SENATOR(S) Lindstedt and Wallace, Amabile, Cutter, Exum,
Gonzales J., Hinrichsen, Kipp, Kolker, Roberts, Snyder, Sullivan,
Weissman, Coleman.
CONCERNING THE CREATION OF THE PATHWAYS TO PUBLIC SERVICE
PROGRAM IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
SECTION 1. Legislative declaration. The general assembly finds
and declares that the state government, as Colorado's largest employer and
in furtherance of its skills-based hiring program, would benefit from
creating a work-based pathways to public service program to encourage
public service among graduates of Colorado's secondary and postsecondary
schools. The general assembly further finds and declares that the
department of personnel is the appropriate state agency to establish these
partnerships and to facilitate the transformation of educational and
workforce readiness experiences into opportunities for state employment.
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add part 24 to article
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material added to existing law; dashes
through words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law and such material is not part of
the act.
30 of title 24 as follows:
PART24
PATHWAYS TO PUBLIC SERVICE PROGRAM
24-30-2401. Definitions.
As USED IN THIS PART 24, UNLESS THE CONTEXT OTHERWISE
REQUIRES:
(1) "DEPARTMENT" MEANS THE DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL.
(2) "POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTION" MEANS:
(a) AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION, AS DEFINED IN SECTION
23-18-102 (7);
(b) A BRANCH CAMPUS OF AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION;
( c) A LOCAL DISTRICT COLLEGE, AS DEFINED IN SECTION 23-71-102
(1); OR
( d) AN AREA TECHNICAL COLLEGE, AS DEFINED IN SECTION
23-60-103 (1 ).
(3) "SECONDARY SCHOOL" MEANS ANY SCHOOL IN THE STATE THAT
INCLUDES GRADE NINE, TEN, ELEVEN, OR TWELVE.
( 4) "SKILLS-BASED HIRING" HAS THE MEANING SET FORTH IN SECTION
8-83-601 (12).
(5) "WORK-BASED LEARNING" HAS THE MEANING SET FORTH IN
SECTION 8-83-601 (15).
24-30-2402. Pathways to public service program - creation -
purpose -duties of the department.
( 1) THE PATHWAYS TO PUBLIC SERVICE PROGRAM IS CREA TED IN THE
DEPARTMENT. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADMINISTER THE PATHWAYS TO
PUBLIC SERVICE PROGRAM USING EXISTING RESOURCES. SECONDARY
SCHOOLS AND POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTIONS MAY ELECT, BUT ARE NOT
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REQUIRED, TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PATHWAYS TO PUBLIC SERVICE PROGRAM.
(2) THE PURPOSES OF THE PATHWAYS TO PUBLIC SERVICE PROGRAM
ARE TO:
(a) DEMONSTRATE THE VALUE OF A WORK-BASED GOVERNMENT
INDUSTRY LEARNING EXPERIENCE ESTABLISHED THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS
BETWEEN STATE GOVERNMENT AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS, POSTSECONDARY
INSTITUTIONS, AND WORKFORCE CENTERS THAT CHOOSE TO PARTICIPATE IN
THE PROGRAM, BY ALIGNING SKILLS-BASED HIRING CRITERIA WITH
CURRICULA AND AGENCY-DEFINED WORK-BASED NEEDS, AND OFFERING
EDUCATIONAL CREDIT FOR WORK PROJECTS PERFORMED UNDER THE
SUPERVISION OF A QUALIFIED SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT WITHIN COLORADO
STATE GOVERNMENT;
(b) ENCOURAGE STATE GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES TO WORK WITH
SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTIONS TO IDENTIFY
SPECIFIC SECONDARY AND POSTSECONDARY COURSES AND CREDENTIALS
THAT MAY QUALIFY SECONDARY AND POSTSECONDARY STUDENTS FOR
SPECIFIC ENTRY-LEVEL PUBLIC SERVICE ROLES THAT ARE PERFORMED BY
EMPLOYEES IN THE STATE PERSONNEL SYSTEM;
( C) ENCOURAGE STATE GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES TO WORK WITH
COLORADO CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN THE COLORADO
COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM TO IDENTIFY A PATHWAY TO STATE
GOVERNMENT EMPLOYMENT WITH SPECIFIC COURSES THAT MAY QUALIFY
PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS FOR CERTAIN PUBLIC SERVICE ROLES THAT ARE
PERFORMED BY EMPLOYEES IN THE ST ATE PERSONNEL SYSTEM;
( d) CREA TE POSITIVE AND AFFIRMATIVE CONNECTIONS THAT FOSTER
UNDERSTANDING AND TRUST BETWEEN COLORADO RESIDENTS AND STATE
AGENCIES; AND
( e) REDUCE VACANCIES AND IMPROVE RETENTION IN ST A TE
GOVERNMENT EMPLOYMENT BY ESTABLISHING A RELIABLE RECRUITMENT
POOL OF CANDIDA TES AS WELL AS A CLEAR, ACCESSIBLE, AND DESIRABLE
CAREER PATH IN PUBLIC SERVICE.
(3) IN FURTHERANCE OF THE PURPOSES OF THE PATHWAYS TO PUBLIC
SERVICE PROGRAM SPECIFIED IN SUBSECTION (2) OF THIS SECTION, THE
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DEPARTMENT SHALL:
(a) WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION,
COLORADO COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM, COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF
HIGHER EDUCATION, COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT,
AND COLORADO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL TO FACILITATE
ALIGNMENT OF STATEWIDE WORK-BASED LEARNING STRATEGIES;
(b) IDENTIFY AND DEVELOP TARGETED POSITIONS WITHIN ST A TE
AGENCIES AS OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PATHWAYS TO PUBLIC SERVICE
PROGRAM, ENSURING THAT GRADUATES WHO MEET CURRICULAR
REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED THROUGH FORMAL INTERAGENCY
PARTNERSHIPS ARE PREPARED FOR PUBLIC SERVICE ROLES THAT ARE
PERFORMED BY EMPLOYEES IN THE STATE PERSONNEL SYSTEM;
(c) ADOPT HIRING POLICIES THAT RECOGNIZE WORK-BASED
LEARNING EXPERIENCES AS VALID QUALIFICATIONS; AND
( d) COLLECT DAT A ON INDIVIDUALS HIRED INTO ST A TE GOVERNMENT
POSITIONS THROUGH PATHWAYS IDENTIFIED AND SUPPORTED BY THE
PATHWAYS TO PUBLIC SERVICE PROGRAM, INCLUDING DEMOGRAPHIC
INFORMATION, THE EDUCATIONAL OR TRAINING PATHWAY AS SOCIA TED WITH
THE HIRE, AND RETENTION DATA. THE DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION
IS NOT REQUIRED TO COLLECT ADDITIONAL DATA RELATED TO THIS SECTION.
THE DEPARTMENT SHALL SUBMIT THE DAT A COLLECTED PURSUANT TO THIS
SUBSECTION (3 )( d) TO THE COLORADO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
BY JUNE 30, 2027, AND BY JUNE 30 EACH YEAR THEREAFTER TO SUPPORT
INCLUSION IN THE COLORADO TALENT PIPELINE REPORT.
SECTION 3. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act
takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August
12, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13, 2026); except that, if a
referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the state
constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act within
such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect unless
PAGE 4-HOUSE BILL 26-1136
approved by the people at the general election to be held in November 2026
and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of
the vote thereon by the governor.
Jul~
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES
Vanessa Reilly
CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES
James Rashad Coleman, Sr.
PRESIDENT OF
THE SENATE
&1~~
Esther van Mourik
SECRETARY OF
THE SENATE
APPROVED OV' W\oV\ o\~ :BylA\ \"~1""' 204 o-..4-l t Am
(Date and Time)
STATE OF COLORADO
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