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Second Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REENGROSSED
This Version Includes All Amendments
Adopted in the House of Introduction
LLS NO. 26-0891.01 Shelby Ross x4510 HOUSE BILL 26-1375
House Committees Senate Committees
Appropriations
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING REPEALING THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION OF101
ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS FUNDING MODEL, AND, IN CONNECTION102
THEREWITH, REDUCING AN APPROPRIATION.103
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. Under current law, the department of
human services (department) was required to enter into an agreement with
an outside entity no later than January 2, 2024, to develop a county
administration of public and medical assistance programs funding model
(funding model) to determine the amount of money necessary to fund the
HOUSE
3rd Reading Unamended
April 11, 2026
HOUSE
2nd Reading Unamended
April 9, 2026
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Sirota and Taggart, Brown,
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.
administration of public and medical assistance programs in each county.
The department is required to enter into an agreement with an outside
entity to annually update and modify the funding model. Before
November 1 of each year, the department is required to submit the results
of the funding model to the joint budget committee, the department of
health care policy and financing, and the county departments of human or
social services (county departments).
The bill repeals the funding model and the requirement to annually
update and submit the results of the funding model to the joint budget
committee, the department of health care policy and financing, and county
departments.
The bill reduces the appropriations made to the department of
human services and the department of health care policy and financing in
the annual general appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, repeal 26-1-121.5.2
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 25.5-8-111, repeal3
(3) as follows:4
25.5-8-111. Department - administration - outsourcing.5
(3) If the state department uses county departments of human or6
social services to perform functions relating to the administration of the7
children's basic health plan pursuant to subsection (1)(a)(II) of this8
section and allocates money to a county for that purpose, the state9
department shall make the allocation in accordance with the results of the10
public assistance programs funding model described in section11
26-1-121.5.12
SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 26-1-121, repeal13
(2)(b) as follows:14
26-1-121. Appropriations - food distribution programs.15
(2) (b) Beginning with fiscal year 2025-26, before making the16
appropriation described in subsection (2)(a) of this section, the general17
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assembly shall consider, but is not required to appropriate amounts1
included in, the results of the public assistance programs funding model2
described in section 26-1-121.5.3
SECTION 4. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 26-1-122, amend4
(2)(a) as follows:5
26-1-122. County appropriations and expenditures -6
advancements - procedures.7
(2) (a) The county boards, in accordance with the rules of the state8
department, shall file requests with the state department for advancement9
of funds for the program costs of assistance payments, food stamps10
(except the value of food stamp coupons), and social services and for the11
administrative costs of each. The state department shall determine the12
requirements of each county for program costs AND ADMINISTRATIVE13
COSTS, taking into consideration available funds and all pertinent facts14
and circumstances, and administrative costs, in accordance with the15
funding model described in section 26-1-121.5, and shall certify by16
voucher to the controller the amounts to be paid to each county. The17
amounts so certified must be paid from the state treasury upon voucher18
of the state department and warrant of the controller and must be credited19
by the county treasurer to the county social services fund in accordance20
with the law and rules of the state department.21
SECTION 5. Appropriation - adjustments to 2026 long bill.22
(1) Except as provided in subsection (5) of this section, to implement this23
act, appropriations made in the annual general appropriation act for the24
2026-27 state fiscal year to the department of human services for use by25
the office of economic security for administration are adjusted as follows:26
(a) The general fund appropriation is decreased by $180,000; and27
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(b) The reappropriated funds appropriation received from the1
department of health care policy and financing is decreased by $240,000.2
(2) The decrease of the appropriations in subsection (1) of this3
section is based on the assumption that the anticipated amount of federal4
funds received for the 2026-27 state fiscal year by the department of5
human services for use by the office of economic security for6
administration will decrease by $180,000.7
(3) Except as provided in subsection (6) of this section, to8
implement this act, appropriations made in the annual general9
appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year to the department of10
health care policy and financing for use by transfers to other state11
department medicaid-funded programs for administration related to the12
office of economic security are adjusted as follows:13
(a) The general fund appropriation is decreased by $72,180, which14
amount is subject to the "(M)" notation as defined in the general15
appropriation act for the same fiscal year; and16
(b) The cash funds appropriation from the healthcare affordability17
and sustainability hospital provider fee cash fund created in section18
25.5-4-402.4 (5)(a), C.R.S., is decreased by $47,820.19
(4) The decrease of the appropriations in subsection (3) of this20
section is based on the assumption that the anticipated amount of federal21
funds received for the 2026-27 state fiscal year by the department of22
health care policy and financing for use by transfers to other state23
department medicaid-funded programs for administration related to the24
office of economic security will decrease by $120,000.25
(5) Subsection (1) of this section does not require a reduction of26
an appropriation in the annual general appropriation act for the 2026-2727
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state fiscal year if:1
(a) The amount of the general fund appropriation made in the2
annual general appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year to the3
department of human services for use by the office of economic security4
for administration is less than the amount of the adjustment required in5
subsection (1)(a) of this section; or6
(b) The amount of the reappropriated funds appropriation received7
from the department of health care policy and financing made in the8
annual general appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year to the9
department of human services for use by the office of economic security10
for administration is less than the amount of the adjustment required in11
subsection (1)(b) of this section; or12
(c) The annual general appropriation act for the 2026-27 state13
fiscal year does not include an appropriation to the department of human14
services for use by the office of economic security for administration.15
(6) Subsection (3) of this section does not require a reduction of16
an appropriation in the annual general appropriation act for the 2026-2717
state fiscal year if:18
(a) The amount of the general fund appropriation made in the19
annual general appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year to the20
department of health care policy and financing for use by transfers to21
other state department medicaid-funded programs for administration22
related to the office of economic security is less than the amount of the23
adjustment required in subsection (3)(a) of this section; or24
(b) The amount of the cash funds a ppropriation from the25
healthcare affordability and sustainability hospital provider fee cash fund26
created in section 25.5-4-402.4 (5)(a), C.R.S., in the annual general27
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appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year to the department of1
health care policy and financing for use by transfers to other state2
department medicaid-funded programs for administration related to the3
office of economic security is less than the amount of the adjustment4
required in subsection (3)(b) of this section; or5
(c) The annual general appropriation act for the 2026-27 state6
fiscal year does not include an appropriation to the department of health7
care policy and financing for use by transfers to other state department8
medicaid-funded programs for administration related to the office of9
economic security.10
SECTION 6. Effective date. This act takes effect upon passage;11
except that section 5 of this act takes effect only if the annual general12
appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year becomes law, in which13
case section 5 takes effect upon the effective date of this act or of the14
annual general appropriation act for state fiscal year 2026-27, whichever15
is later.16
SECTION 7. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,17
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate18
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for19
the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state20
institutions.21
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