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HB26-1352 • 2026

Reducing Frequency of Colorado Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act Independent Evaluations

Joint Budget Committee. The bill changes the requirement for an independent evaluation of the use of 'Colorado Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act' (READ Act) money from an annual requirement t

Budget Education
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Rep. K. Brown, Rep. R. Taggart, Sen. J. Bridges, Sen. B. Kirkmeyer, Rep. E. Sirota, Sen. J. Amabile, Rep. T. Story
Last action
2026-04-14
Official status
Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details about the reduction in funding and its conditions. The official text mentions a potential reduction but with caveats that are not fully detailed.

Reducing Frequency of Colorado Reading Act Evaluations

This bill changes how often independent evaluations are done for money used under the Colorado Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act (READ Act) from annually to every two years.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the requirement for an independent evaluation of READ Act funds from once a year to every two years.
  • Keeps the rule that local schools must report student data related to the READ Act to the Colorado Department of Education yearly.
  • Adds a new rule requiring the department to publish an annual summary report on the data received from local schools and any suggestions for program changes.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Local education providers who receive READ Act funds.
  • The Colorado Department of Education which oversees and reports on these programs.

Terms To Know

READ Act
Colorado Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act, a law aimed at improving reading skills among students in the state.
Biennially
Every two years.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill's effectiveness depends on whether it is included in the annual general appropriation act for fiscal year 2026-27.
  • It does not specify what happens if the required funding reduction cannot be made due to budget constraints.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-14 Senate

    Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole

  2. 2026-04-13 Senate

    Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Appropriations

  3. 2026-04-11 House

    House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments

  4. 2026-04-09 House

    House Third Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments

  5. 2026-04-08 House

    House Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments

  6. 2026-04-06 House

    House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole

  7. 2026-04-02 House

    Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations

Official Summary Text

Joint Budget Committee.
The bill changes the requirement for an independent evaluation of the use of 'Colorado Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act' (READ Act) money from an annual requirement to a biennial requirement. The bill maintains the requirement that local education providers report READ Act student data to the Colorado department of education (department) every year. The bill adds a requirement that the department issue an annual report that summarizes data from the local education providers and includes any department input on proposed program changes.
The bill reduces the appropriation made in the annual general appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year to the department of education from the state education fund for the early literacy program external evaluation.
(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Second Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REENGROSSED
This Version Includes All Amendments
Adopted in the House of Introduction
LLS NO. 26-0880.01 Lindy Schaible x4215 HOUSE BILL 26-1352
House Committees Senate Committees
Appropriations
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING REDUCING THE FREQUENCY OF "COLORADO READING101
TO ENSURE ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT ACT" INDEPENDENT102
EVALUATIONS, AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, REDUCING AN103
APPROPRIATION.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/.)
Joint Budget Committee. The bill changes the requirement for an
independent evaluation of the use of "Colorado Reading to Ensure
Academic Development Act" (READ Act) money from an annual
HOUSE
3rd Reading Unamended
April 11, 2026
HOUSE
2nd Reading Unamended
April 8, 2026
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Brown and Taggart, Sirota, Story
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Bridges and Kirkmeyer, Amabile
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.
requirement to a biennial requirement. The bill maintains the requirement
that local education providers report READ Act student data to the
Colorado department of education (department) every year. The bill adds
a requirement that the department issue an annual report that summarizes
data from the local education providers and includes any department input
on proposed program changes.
The bill reduces the appropriation made in the annual general
appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year to the department of
education from the state education fund for the early literacy program
external evaluation.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-7-1209, amend2
(8)(a) and (8)(e) as follows:3
22-7-1209. State board - rules - department - duties -4
independent evaluations.5
(8) (a) (I) By October 1, 2019, The department shall issue a6
request for proposals to contract with an entity to act as an independent7
evaluator to provide independent evaluations of the use of per-pupil8
intervention money and money received through the early literacy grant9
program by local education providers and to conduct a multi-year10
evaluation to determine whether the student outcomes achieved by local11
education providers in implementing this part 12 meet the goals of this12
part 12 as described in section 22-7-1202 (2) and (3)(a). B EGINNING IN13
THE 2026-27 SCHOOL YEAR , THE INDEPENDENT EVALUATIONS MUST14
OCCUR BIENNIALLY.15
(II) LOCAL EDUCATION PROVIDERS SHALL CONTINUE TO ANNUALLY16
SUBMIT TO THE DEPARTMENT THE INFORMATION REQUIRED BY SECTION17
22-7-1208 (8)(a).18
(III) IN ADDITION TO POSTING THE INFORMATION AS REQUIRED BY19
SUBSECTION (9) OF THIS SECTION , THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ANNUALLY20
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POST A REPORT ON ITS WEBSITE THAT SUMMARIZES THE DATA FROM THE1
LOCAL EDUCATION PROVIDERS AND INCLUDES ANY DEPARTMENT INPUT ON2
PROPOSED PROGRAM CHANGES.3
(e) The independent evaluator contracted pursuant to this4
subsection (8) shall complete the evaluation of the implementation of this5
part 12 as described in subsection (8)(c) of this section by July 1, 2021.6
The department shall include a report of the evaluation in the hearing7
before the joint education committee held pursuant to section 2-7-203 in8
November or December 2021. BEGINNING IN THE 2026-27 SCHOOL YEAR,9
AND BIENNIALLY THEREAFTER, the independent evaluator shall continue10
evaluations of EVALUATE the growth in reading achieved by local11
education providers' use of per-pupil intervention money and money12
received through the early literacy grant program.13
SECTION 2. Appropriation - adjustments to 2026 long bill.14
(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, to implement this15
act, the cash funds appropriation from the state education fund created in16
section 17 (4)(a) of article IX of the state constitution made in the annual17
general appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year to the18
department of education for use by student learning for the early literacy19
program external evaluation is decreased by $750,000.20
(2) Subsection (1) of this section does not require a reduction of21
an appropriation in the annual general appropriation act for the 2026-2722
state fiscal year if:23
(a) The amount of the cash fund appropriation from the state24
education fund made in the annual gene ral appropriation act for the25
2026-27 state fiscal year to the department of education for use by student26
learning for the early literacy program external evaluation is less than the27
1352-3-
amount of the adjustment required in subsection (1) of this section; or1
(b) The annual general appropriation act for the 2026-27 state2
fiscal year does not include an appropriation from the state education3
fund to the department of education for use by student learning for the4
early literacy program external evaluation.5
SECTION 3. Effective date. This act takes effect upon passage;6
except that section 2 of this act takes effect only if the annual general7
appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year becomes law, in which8
case section 2 takes effect upon the effective date of this act or of the9
annual general appropriation act for state fiscal year 2026-27, whichever10
is later.11
SECTION 4. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,12
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate13
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for14
the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state15
institutions.16
1352-4-