HB26-1397 • 2026

Multiple Employer Health Trust Funding

Joint Budget Committee. Current law requires the state treasurer to transfer $2.5 million to the firefighter benefits cash fund from the general fund on July 1, 2028, and on each July 1 thereafter, su

Budget Labor

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Rep. E. Sirota, Rep. R. Taggart, Sen. J. Amabile, Sen. J. Bridges, Rep. K. Brown, Sen. B. Kirkmeyer
Last action: 2026-04-14
Official status: Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on the adjustments made to the annual general appropriation act for the 2026-27 fiscal year.

Repeal of Funding Requirements for Firefighter Benefits and Peace Officer Screenings

This bill repeals funding requirements that mandate annual transfers from the general fund to support firefighter benefits and peace officer health screenings.

What This Bill Does

Repeals a requirement that $2.5 million be transferred annually starting July 1, 2028, to reimburse employers for providing certain benefits to firefighters and volunteer firefighters.
Eliminates the need for annual appropriations from the general fund to reduce employer contributions to a multiple employer health trust for volunteer and part-time firefighters in 2026 and 2027.

Who It Names or Affects

The state treasurer who would no longer be required to transfer funds.
Employers contributing to a multiple employer health trust for firefighters and peace officers.
Firefighters, volunteer firefighters, part-time firefighters, and peace officers receiving benefits or screenings from the trust.

Terms To Know

Multiple Employer Health Trust: A fund that pools resources from multiple employers to provide health benefits for employees.
General Fund: The main account used by the state government to pay for various programs and services.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what will happen with the funds that were previously required to be transferred or appropriated.
It is unclear how the changes will affect the overall funding of firefighter benefits and peace officer health screenings in future years.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

L.002

SEN Appropriations

Passed [*]

Plain English: The amendment changes how much money is transferred from the general fund to the firefighter benefits cash fund and adds new requirements for annual appropriations.

Changes the amount of money transferred on July 1, 2028, and each year after to be 'sufficient funds' instead of a fixed $2.5 million.
Adds new provisions requiring the general assembly to appropriate specific amounts of money from the general fund for the division of criminal justice in the department of public safety starting from fiscal year 2027.

The exact amount of 'sufficient funds' is not specified and will depend on annual appropriations.
Some parts of the amendment text are technical and may be hard to understand without additional context.

L.001

Second Reading

Passed [**]

Plain English: The amendment changes the timing and amount of a state treasurer's transfer to the firefighter benefits fund.

Removes the requirement for the state treasurer to transfer $2.5 million on July 1, 2028, and each year after that.
Adjusts the language related to transfers made in previous years.

The amendment text is technical and does not provide a clear summary of all changes, so some details are unclear.

Bill History

2026-04-14 Senate
Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended 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 with Amendments - Floor
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.
Current law requires the state treasurer to transfer $2.5 million to the firefighter benefits cash fund from the general fund on July 1, 2028, and on each July 1 thereafter, sufficient funds, subject to annual appropriation, to reimburse employers for the direct costs of providing certain benefits to firefighters and volunteer firefighters. Current law also requires the general assembly to appropriate $650,000 from the general fund to the department of local affairs (department) on July 1, 2026, $1 million from the general fund to the department on July 1, 2027, to reduce participating employer contributions to a multiple employer health trust (trust) for volunteer firefighters and part-time firefighters. The bill repeals the required transfers and required appropriations.
Current law requires the general assembly to appropriate money from the general fund to the division of criminal justice in the department of public safety for the purpose of reimbursing a multiple employer health trust for the direct costs of providing cardiac and other health screenings for peace officers as follows:
$350,000 for the state fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026;
$500,000 for the state fiscal year beginning July 1, 2027;
$1 million for the state fiscal year beginning July 1, 2028; and
On each July 1 thereafter, sufficient funds.
The bill repeals these required appropriations.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

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. 26-0921.01 Jed Franklin x5484 HOUSE BILL 26-1397
House Committees Senate Committees
Appropriations
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING THE USE OF GENERAL FUND MONEY TO SUPPORT101
BENEFITS PROVIDED TO CERTAIN PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL102
THROUGH A MULTIPLE EMPLOYER HEALTH TRUST , AND , IN103
CONNECTION THEREWITH, REDUCING AN 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. Current law requires the state treasurer
to transfer $2.5 million to the firefighter benefits cash fund from the
general fund on July 1, 2028, a nd on each July 1 ther eafter, sufficient
HOUSE
3rd Reading Unamended
April 11, 2026
HOUSE
Amended 2nd Reading
April 9, 2026
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Sirota and Taggart, Brown,
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Amabile and Bridges, Kirkmeyer
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.
funds, subject to annual appropriation, to reimburse employers for the
direct costs of providing certain benefits to firefighters and volunteer
firefighters. Current law also requires the general assembly to appropriate
$650,000 from the general fund to the department of local affairs
(department) on July 1, 2026, $1 million from the general fund to the
department on July 1, 2027, to reduce participating employer
contributions to a multiple employer health trust (trust) for volunteer
firefighters and part-time firefighters. The bill repeals the required
transfers and required appropriations.
Current law requires the general assembly to appropriate money
from the general fund to the division of criminal justice in the department
of public safety for the purpose of reimbursing a multiple employer health
trust for the direct costs of providing cardiac and other health screenings
for peace officers as follows:
! $350,000 for the state fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026;
! $500,000 for the state fiscal year beginning July 1, 2027;
! $1 million for the state fiscal year beginning July 1, 2028;
and
! On each July 1 thereafter, sufficient funds.
The bill repeals these required appropriations.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 29-5-302, amend2
(11)(a)(II) and (11)(a)(III) as follows:3
29-5-302. Required benefits - conditions of receiving benefits4
- repeal.5
6
(11) (a) (II) The general assembly shall appropriate three hundred7
thousand dollars for the state fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2024, 8
five hundred thousand dollars for the state fiscal year beginning on July9
1, 2025, six hundred fifty thousand dollars for the state fiscal year10
beginning on July 1, 2026, and one million dollars for the state fiscal year11
beginning on July 1, 2027, from the general fund to the department of12
local affairs to reduce participating employer contributions for volunteer13
firefighters and part-time firefighters. Money appropriated pursuant to14
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this subsection (11)(a)(II) shall be first used to reduce participating1
employer contributions for volunteer firefighters and the remainder shall2
be first used for part-time firefighters and any remaining amounts may3
then be used for full-time firefighters.4
(III) Subsection (11)(a)(II) of this section is repealed, effective5
July 1, 2028.6
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 29-5-604, amend7
(3)(a)(I)(A); and repeal (3)(a)(I)(C) as follows:8
29-5-604. Employer participation in health trust required -9
cardiovascular screening for peace officers - repeal.10
(3) (a) (I) The general assembly shall appropriate money from the11
general fund or any other authorized source to the division of criminal12
justice within the department of public safety for the purpose of13
reimbursing a multiple employer health trust for the direct costs of14
providing a program as required by this part 6 as follows:15
(A) For the state fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2024, the general16
assembly shall appropriate two hundred thousand dollars from the general17
fund to the division of criminal justice in the department of public safety18
to be used for the purpose set forth in this subsection (3)(a)(I); 19
(C) For the state fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2026, the general20
assembly shall appropriate three hundred fifty thousand dollars from the21
general fund to the division of criminal justice in the department of public22
safety to be used for the purpose set forth in this subsection (3)(a)(I);23
24
SECTION 3. Appropriation - adjustments to 2026 long bill.25
(1) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, to implement this26
act, appropriations made in the annual general appropriation act for the27
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2026-27 state fiscal year to the department of local affairs for use by the1
division of local government are adjusted as follows:2
(a) The general fund appropriation for firefighter heart and3
circulatory malfunction benefits is decreased by $150,000; and4
(b) The reappropriated funds appropriation from the firefighter5
benefits cash fund created in section 29-5-302 (11)(a), C.R.S., for6
firefighter heart and circulatory malfunction benefits is decreased by7
$150,000.8
(2) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, to9
implement this act, the general fund appropriation made in the annual10
general appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year to the11
department of public safety for use by the division of criminal justice for12
first responder employer health benefit trusts is decreased by $100,000.13
(3) 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 local affairs for use by the division of local government for19
firefighter heart and circulatory malfunction benefits is less than the20
amount of the adjustment required in subsection (1)(a) of this section;21
(b) The amount of the reappropriated funds appropriation from the22
firefighter benefits cash fund created in section 29-5-302 (11)(a), C.R.S.,23
made in the annual general appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal24
year to the department of local affairs for use by the division of local25
government for firefighter heart and circulatory malfunction benefits, is26
less than the amount of the adjustment required in subsection (1)(b) of27
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this section; or1
(c) The annual general appropriation act for the 2026-27 state2
fiscal year does not include an appropriation to the department of local3
affairs for use by the division of local government for firefighter heart4
and circulatory malfunction benefits.5
(4) Subsection (2) of this section does not require a reduction of6
an appropriation in the annual general appropriation act for the 2026-277
state fiscal year if:8
(a) The amount of the general fund appropriation made in the9
annual general appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year to the10
department of public safety for use by the division of criminal justice for11
first responder employer health benefit trusts is less than the amount of12
the adjustment required in subsection (2) of this section; or13
(b) The annual general appropriation act for the 2026-27 state14
fiscal year does not include an appropriation to the department of public15
safety for use by the division of criminal justice for first responder16
employer health benefit trusts.17
SECTION 4. Effective date. This act takes effect upon passage;18
except that section 3 of this act takes effect only if the annual general19
appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year becomes law, in which20
case section 3 takes effect upon the effective date of this act or of the21
annual general appropriation act for state fiscal year 2026-27, whichever22
is later.23
SECTION 5. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,24
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate25
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preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for1
the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state2
institutions.3
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