HB26-1358 • 2026

Reduce Academic Accelerator Grant Program Appropriation

Joint Budget Committee. The bill reduces an appropriation for the Colorado academic accelerator grant program. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the

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. Amabile, Sen. B. Kirkmeyer, Rep. E. Sirota, Sen. J. Bridges
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 official source material does not provide specific details on changes regarding when remaining funds must be returned or updates to rules for grant usage over multiple years.

Reduce Funding for Colorado Academic Accelerator Grants

This bill reduces funding for a program that provides grants to help students advance in their education faster than usual.

What This Bill Does

Reduces the amount of money available for the Colorado academic accelerator grant program from $24.5 million to $19.3 million.

Who It Names or Affects

Students who receive or apply for academic accelerator grants in Colorado.
Schools and educational programs that benefit from these grants.

Terms To Know

Academic Accelerator Grant Program: A program funded by the state of Colorado to help students advance more quickly through their education with financial support.

Limits and Unknowns

It is not clear how this reduction in funding will affect individual students or schools.
The bill does not specify what happens to existing grants that have already been awarded but are still active when the new rules take effect.

Bill History

2026-04-14 Senate
Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole
2026-04-13 Senate
Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Appropriations
2026-04-11 House
House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
2026-04-10 House
House Third Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
2026-04-09 House
House Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments
2026-04-08 House
House Second Reading Special Order - Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
2026-04-06 House
House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
2026-04-02 House
Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations

Official Summary Text

Joint Budget Committee.
The bill reduces an appropriation for the Colorado academic accelerator grant program.
(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. 26-0887.02 Conrad Imel x2313 HOUSE BILL 26-1358
House Committees Senate Committees
Appropriations
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING REDUCING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE COLORADO101
ACADEMIC ACCELERATOR GRANT PROGRAM.102
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/.)
Joint Budget Committee. The bill reduces an appropriation for the
Colorado academic accelerator grant program.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
HOUSE
3rd Reading Unamended
April 11, 2026
HOUSE
2nd Reading Unamended
April 9, 2026
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Brown and Taggart, Sirota,
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Amabile and Kirkmeyer, Bridges
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.
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-2-146.6, amend1
(9) as follows:2
22-2-146.6. Colorado academic accelerator grant program -3
report - rules - definitions - repeal.4
(9) (a) For the 2023-24 budget year, the general assembly shall5
appropriate twenty-four million five hundred thousand dollars to the6
department. The department shall have HAS the authority to spend funds7
APPROPRIATED FOR THE 2023-24 BUDGET YEAR continuously through the8
2026-27 budget year for the purposes of this section. Any unexpended9
funds that remain at the end of the 2026-27 budget year revert back to the10
general fund.11
(b) THIS SUBSECTION (9) IS REPEALED, EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 31,12
2027.13
SECTION 2. In Session Laws of Colorado 2023, amend section14
15 introductory portion and section 15(b) of chapter 190 (HB 23-1231) as15
follows:16
Section 15. Appropriation. For the 2023-24 state fiscal year,17
$26,694,530 $21,494,530 is appropriated to the department of education.18
This appropriation is from the general fund. To implement this act, the19
department may use this appropriation as follows:20
(b) $24,500,000 $19,300,000 for the Colorado academic21
accelerator grant program, which amount is based on an assumption that22
the department will require an additional 2.6 FTE; and23
SECTION 3. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,24
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate25
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for26
1358-2-
the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state1
institutions.2
1358-3-