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Second Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REREVISED
This Version Includes All Amendments
Adopted in the Second House
LLS NO. 26-0855.03 Lindy Schaible x4215 HOUSE BILL 26-1373
House Committees Senate Committees
Appropriations Appropriations
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING REDUCING MONTHL Y SUBSIDY REIMBURSEMENT101
PERCENTAGES FOR CHILD WELFARE SERVICES PROVIDER102
CONTRACTS, 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 specifies monthly subsidy
payment reimbursement limits for the adoption assistance program and
the relative guardianship assistance program that apply to contracts that
SENATE
3rd Reading Unamended
April 16, 2026
SENATE
Amended 2nd Reading
April 15, 2026
HOUSE
3rd Reading Unamended
April 11, 2026
HOUSE
2nd Reading Unamended
April 9, 2026
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Brown and Sirota, Taggart,
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.
take effect July 1, 2026, or later.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 26-5-104, amend2
(1)(b) as follows:3
26-5-104. Funding of child welfare services provider contracts4
- funding mechanism review - fund - report - rules - definitions.5
(1) Reimbursement.6
(b) (I) The state department shall reimburse the county7
departments ninety percent of the amounts expended by county8
departments for adoption and relative guardianship assistance and is9
authorized to make an expenditure in excess of appropriations pursuant10
to section 24-75-109 (1)(b). The adoption and relative guardianship11
assistance programs are exempt from the close-out process described in12
subsection (7) of this section and the capped allocation described in13
subsection (3) of this section. N OTWITHSTANDING THIS SUBSECTION14
(1)(b)(I), THE REIMBURSEMENT RATES SET FORTH IN SUBSECTIONS15
(1)(b)(II) AND (1)(b)(III) OF THIS SECTION APPLY TO NEGOTIATIONS AND16
CONTRACTS THAT TAKE EFFECT JULY 1, 2026, OR LATER.17
(II) FOR THE ADOPTION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, MONTHLY SUBSIDY18
PAYMENTS MUST NOT EXCEED:19
(A) FIFTY PERCENT OF FOSTER CARE RATES FOR YOUTH WHO ARE20
UNDER NINE YEARS OLD;21
(B) FIFTY-FIVE PERCENT OF FOSTER CARE RATES FOR YOUTH WHO22
ARE NINE YEARS OLD OR OLDER BUT UNDER FOURTEEN YEARS OLD; AND23
(C) SIXTY PERCENT OF FOSTER CARE RATES FOR YOUTH WHO ARE24
FOURTEEN YEARS OLD OR OLDER.25
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(III) F OR THE RELATIVE GUARDIANSHIP ASSISTANCE PROGRAM ,1
MONTHLY SUBSIDY PAYMENTS MUST NOT EXCEED:2
(A) SIXTY PERCENT OF FOSTER CARE RATES FOR YOUTH WHO ARE3
UNDER NINE YEARS OLD;4
(B) SIXTY-FIVE PERCENT OF FOSTER CARE RATES FOR YOUTH WHO5
ARE NINE YEARS OLD OR OLDER BUT UNDER FOURTEEN YEARS OLD; AND6
(C) SEVENTY PERCENT OF FOSTER CARE RATES FOR YOUTH WHO7
ARE FOURTEEN YEARS OLD OR OLDER.8
(IV) (A) E FFECTIVE JULY 1, 2026, SERVICES , AS DEFINED IN9
SECTION 26-7-102 (10), ARE NOT REIMBURSABLE EXCEPT FOR10
NONRECURRING ADOPTION EXPENSES DESCRIBED IN SECTION 26-7-10611
(2)(c).12
(B) CONTRACTS MUST NOT BE RENEGOTIATED SOLELY BECAUSE OF13
THE REIMBURSEMENT CHANGE IN SUBSECTION (1)(b)(IV)(A) OF THIS14
SECTION.15
(C) T HE STATE DEPARTMENT SHALL CREATE A STANDARDIZED16
NOTICE FOR FAMILIES CURRENTLY RECEIVING SERVICES , AS DEFINED IN17
SECTION 26-7-102 (10), THAT DESCRIBES THE REIMBURSEMENT CHANGE18
IN SUBSECTION (1)(b)(IV)(A) OF THIS SECTION . THE STANDARDIZED19
NOTICE MUST ALLOW A COUNTY TO ADD INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO THEIR20
JURISDICTION. EACH COUNTY DEPARTMENT SHALL PROVIDE THE NOTICE,21
NO LATER THAN JUNE 15, 2026, TO ALL FAMILIES CURRENTLY RECEIVING22
SERVICES, AS DEFINED IN SECTION 26-7-102 (10).23
SECTION 2. Appropriation - adjustments to 2026 long bill.24
(1) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, to implement this25
act, the general fund appropriation made in the annual general26
appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year to the department of27
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human services for adoption and relative guardianship assistance is1
decreased by $2,199,750.2
(2) The cash funds appropriation made in the annual general3
appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year to the department of4
human services for adoption and relative guardianship assistance is5
decreased by $407,295. This appropriation is from local funds and is6
subject to the "(I)" notation as defined in the annual general appropriation7
act for the same fiscal year.8
(3) The federal funds anticipated to be received for the 2026-279
state fiscal year by the department of human services for adoption and10
relative guardianship will decrease by $1,339,336. This figure is subject11
to the "(I)" notation as defined in the general appropriation act for the12
same fiscal year.13
(4) Subsection (1) of this section does not require a reduction of14
an appropriation in the annual general appropriation act for the 2026-2715
state fiscal year if:16
(a) The amount of the general fund appropriation made in the17
annual general appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year to the18
department of human services for adoption and relative guardianship19
assistance is less than the amount of the adjustment required in subsection20
(1) of this section; or21
(b) The annual general appropriation act for the 2026-27 state22
fiscal year does not include an appropriation to the department of human23
services for adoption and relative guardianship assistance.24
SECTION 3. Effective date. This act takes effect upon passage;25
except that section 2 of this act takes effect only if the annual general26
appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year becomes law, in which27
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case section 2 takes effect upon the effective date of this act or of the1
annual general appropriation act for state fiscal year 2026-27, whichever2
is later.3
SECTION 4. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,4
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate5
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for6
the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state7
institutions.8
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