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HB26-1352 • 2026

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

The act 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.

Budget Education
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Rep. K. Brown, Rep. R. Taggart, Sen. J. Bridges, Sen. B. Kirkmeyer, Rep. E. Sirota, Sen. J. Amabile, Rep. T. Story, Sen. C. Kolker, Sen. J. Marchman
Last action
2026-06-01
Official status
Governor Signed
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text confirms all claims in the candidate explanation, including the specific budget reduction amount and conditions.

Changing How Often Colorado Reading Programs Are Reviewed

This law changes the rule for independent reviews of reading program funds from once a year to once every two years starting in the 2026-27 school year.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the requirement for an outside review of READ Act money use from annual to biennial beginning in the 2026-27 school year.
  • Requires local education providers to keep sending their reading data and program information to the state every year.
  • Adds a rule that the Colorado Department of Education must post a yearly report on its website summarizing this data and any input on proposed changes.
  • Reduces the budget for these outside evaluations by $750,000 in the 2026-27 state fiscal year if funds were originally set aside.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Colorado Department of Education
  • Local education providers such as schools and districts using READ Act money
  • Independent evaluators hired to review the reading programs

Terms To Know

READ Act
The Colorado Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act, which provides funding for early literacy and reading instruction.
Biennially
Happening once every two years instead of once a year.
Independent Evaluator
An outside group hired to check how well the reading programs are working without being part of the school system.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The budget cut only happens if money was already planned for these evaluations in the 2026-27 state fiscal year.
  • The law does not specify an exact effective date beyond stating it takes effect upon passage or when the appropriation act becomes law.

Bill History

  1. 2026-06-01 Governor

    Governor Signed

  2. 2026-05-22 Governor

    Sent to the Governor

  3. 2026-05-22 Senate

    Signed by the President of the Senate

  4. 2026-05-22 House

    Signed by the Speaker of the House

  5. 2026-04-16 Senate

    Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments

  6. 2026-04-15 Senate

    Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments

  7. 2026-04-14 Senate

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

  8. 2026-04-13 Senate

    Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Appropriations

  9. 2026-04-11 House

    House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments

  10. 2026-04-09 House

    House Third Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments

  11. 2026-04-08 House

    House Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments

  12. 2026-04-06 House

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

  13. 2026-04-02 House

    Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations

Official Summary Text

The act 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 act adds a requirement that the Colorado department of education post an annual report on its website that summarizes data from local education providers on their reading curricula; programs, services, and supports; and student progress and includes any department input on proposed program changes.
The act 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 by $750,000.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HOUSE BILL 26-1352
BY REPRESENTATIVE(S) Brown and Taggart, Sirota, Story;
also SENATOR(S) Bridges and Kirkmeyer, Amabile, Kolker, Marchman.
CONCERNING REDUCING THE FREQUENCY OF "COLORADO READING TO
ENSURE ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT ACT" INDEPENDENT
EVALUATIONS, AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, REDUCING AN
APPROPRIATION.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-7-1209, amend
(8)(a) and (8)(e) as follows:
22-7-1209. State board - rules - department - duties -
independent evaluations.
(8) (a) (I) By Oetobc1 1, 2019, The department shall issue a 1cqucst
f-o1 prnposals to contract with an entity to act as an independent evaluator
to provide independent evaluations of the use of per-pupil intervention
money and money received through the early literacy grant program by local
education providers and to conduct a multi-year evaluation to determine
whether the student outcomes achieved by local education providers in
implementing this part 12 meet the goals of this part 12 as described in
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.
section22-7-1202 (2) and(3)(a). BEGINNINGINTHE2026-27SCHOOL YEAR,
THE INDEPENDENT EVALUATIONS MUST OCCUR BIENNIALLY.
(II) LOCAL EDUCATION PROVIDERS SHALL CONTINUE TO ANNUALLY
SUBMIT TO THE DEPARTMENT THE INFORMATION REQUIRED BY SECTION
22-7-1208 (8)(a).
(111) IN ADDITION TO POSTING THE INFORMATION AS REQUIRED BY
SUBSECTION (9) OF THIS SECTION, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ANNUALLY POST
A REPORT ON ITS WEBSITE THAT SUMMARIZES THE DATA FROM THE LOCAL
EDUCATION PROVIDERS AND INCLUDES ANY DEPARTMENT INPUT ON
PROPOSED PROGRAM CHANGES.
( e) The independent e'\I aluator contracted pm suant to this subsection
(8) shall complete the evaluation of the implementation of this part 12 as
described in subsection (8)(c) of this section by July 1, 2021. The
department shall include a report of the evaluation in the hearing before the
joint education committee held pmsuant to section 2-7-203 in No'\lember or
December 2021. BEGINNING IN THE 2026-27 SCHOOL YEAR, AND
BIENNIALL y THEREAFTER, the independent evaluator shall continue
evaluations of EVALUATE the growth in reading achieved by local education
providers' use of per-pupil intervention money and money received through
the early literacy grant program.
SECTION 2. Appropriation - adjustments to 2026 long bill.
(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, to implement this
act, the cash funds appropriation from the state education fund created in
section 17 (4)(a) of article IX of the state constitution made in the annual
general appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year to the department
of education for use by student learning for the early literacy program
external evaluation is decreased by $750,000.
(2) Subsection (1) of this section does not require a reduction of an
appropriation in the annual general appropriation act for the 2026-27 state
fiscal year if:
(a) The amount of the cash fund appropriation from the state
education fund made in the annual general appropriation act for the 2026-27
state fiscal year to the department of education for use by student learning
for the early literacy program external evaluation is less than the amount of
PAGE 2-HOUSE BILL 26-1352
the adjustment required in subsection ( 1) of this section; or
(b) The annual general appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal
year does not include an appropriation from the state education fund to the
department of education for use by student learning for the early literacy
program external evaluation.
SECTION 3. Effective date. This act takes effect upon passage;
except that section 2 of this act takes effect only if the annual general
appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year becomes law, in which
case section 2 takes effect upon the effective date of this act or of the annual
general appropriation act for state fiscal year 2026-27, whichever is later.
SECTION 4. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for
PAGE 3-HOUSE BILL 26-1352
the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state
institutions.
J~
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES
v~~
Vanessa Reilly
CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES
~ Rashad Coleman, Sr.
PRESIDENT OF
THE SENATE
Esther van Mourik
SECRETARY OF
THE SENATE
APPROVED a\l'I VY) v\l\cA Ol'1 JL-hL is-i u2-~ "'+ l l : 0 0~
(Date and Time)
J
ST A TE OF COLORADO
PAGE 4-HOUSE BILL 26-1352