HB26-1384 • 2026

Direct Transfers for Colorado Department of Labor & Employment School-to-Work Programs

Joint Budget Committee. Currently, a school district (district) may request that the department of education pay the state's share of the district's total program for the budget year in 12 monthly pay

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. L. Feret
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

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Direct Transfers for School-to-Work Programs

This bill allows school districts to direct a portion of their monthly payments from the state public school fund directly to the Department of Labor and Employment for costs related to school-to-work alliance programs, without counting this transfer as part of the state's fiscal year spending.

What This Bill Does

Allows school districts to instruct the State Board of Education to transfer a portion of their monthly payments from the state public school fund directly to the Department of Labor and Employment.
Requires the State Board of Education to certify to the State Treasurer the amount payable to each district and any amount to be transferred to the Department of Labor and Employment.
Clarifies that these transfers are not considered part of the state's fiscal year spending for constitutional purposes.

Who It Names or Affects

School districts
The Department of Education
The State Board of Education
The Department of Labor and Employment

Terms To Know

State public school fund: A fund that provides financial support for Colorado's public schools.
School-to-work alliance programs: Programs designed to connect high school students with work experiences and career guidance.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify the exact amount or percentage of monthly payments that can be transferred.
It is unclear how this change will affect overall state spending on education.

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.
Currently, a school district (district) may request that the department of education pay the state's share of the district's total program for the budget year in 12 monthly payments. A district may further direct, by written instruction to the state board of education (board), that a specified portion of its monthly payment be paid instead to the department of labor and employment to cover the district's costs for participation in school-to-work alliance programs. The board is required to certify to the state treasurer on a monthly basis the amount payable to each district and the amount, if any, to be transferred directly to the department of labor and employment instead of paid to the district.
The bill clarifies that the amount of money transferred from the state public school fund directly to the department of labor and employment for school-to-work alliance program costs instead of paid to a district is not state fiscal year spending for purposes of section 20 of article X of the state constitution.
(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. 26-0956.01 Alison Killen x4350 HOUSE BILL 26-1384
House Committees Senate Committees
Appropriations
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING THE CLASSIFICATION OF SCHOOL -TO-WORK ALLIANCE101
PROGRAM COST PAYMENTS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND102
EMPLOYMENT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.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. Currently, a school district (district)
may request that the department of education pay the state's share of the
district's total program for the budget year in 12 monthly payments. A
district may further direct, by written instruction to the state board of
education (board), that a specified portion of its monthly payment be paid
HOUSE
3rd Reading Unamended
April 11, 2026
HOUSE
2nd Reading Unamended
April 9, 2026
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Brown and Taggart, Sirota, Feret
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.
instead to the department of labor and employment to cover the district's
costs for participation in school-to-work alliance programs. The board is
required to certify to the state treasurer on a monthly basis the amount
payable to each district and the amount, if any, to be transferred directly
to the department of labor and employment instead of paid to the district.
The bill clarifies that the amount of money transferred from the
state public school fund directly to the department of labor and
employment for school-to-work alliance program costs instead of paid to
a district is not state fiscal year spending for purposes of section 20 of
article X of the state constitution.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-54-115, amend2
(1.5) as follows:3
22-54-115. Distribution from state public school fund.4
(1.5) Any school district may give written instructions to the state5
board directing that a specified portion of a monthly payment or monthly6
payments that the district is otherwise entitled to receive pursuant to this7
section shall be transferred to the department of labor and employment for8
the district's cost of participating in school-to-work alliance programs.9
These written instructions shall specify the amount to be transferred to the10
department of labor and employment from the district's payment for a11
specified month or months. The written instructions shall be given to the12
state board no later than the fifth day of the first month in which such13
amount is to be transferred to the department of labor and employment.14
THE TRANSFER OF THE SPECIFIED PORTION OF A DISTRICT 'S MONTHLY15
PAYMENT OR MONTHLY PAYMENTS THAT THE DISTRICT INSTRUCTS SHOULD16
NOT BE PAID BUT INSTEAD TRANSFERRED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR17
AND EMPLOYMENT IS NOT STATE FISCAL YEAR SPENDING FOR PURPOSES OF18
SECTION 20 OF ARTICLE X OF THE STATE CONSTITUTION.19
SECTION 2. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,20
1384-2-
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate1
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for2
the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state3
institutions.4
1384-3-