A Bill for an Act
Page 1, Line 101Concerning collecting state-level data for the Colorado
Page 1, Line 102works program, and, in connection therewith, making
Page 1, Line 103an appropriation.
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.)
No later than January 1, 2026, the bill requires the department of human services (state department), in consultation with the works allocation committee, to:
- Develop a standardized process for each county to collect and report to the state department on a monthly basis certain information about the Colorado works program;
- Develop recommendations that include standardized outcome measures for third-party contracted services and required levels of evidence for third-party contracted services funded with Colorado's temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) allocation; and
- Submit a report to the joint budget committee (JBC) that includes a description of the standardized process and recommendations.
Beginning July 1, 2026, and each July thereafter, the bill requires the state department to submit a report to the JBC that includes the information collected and reported through the standardized process and the total dollar amount of Colorado's TANF allocation that is redistributed through the state budget or other programs and services and publish the information on a monthly basis on the state department's website in a publicly accessible format.
No later than July 1, 2026, the bill requires the state department to submit a report to the JBC that includes certain information related to the standard of need for eligibility for basic cash assistance.
Page 2, Line 1Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
Page 2, Line 2SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 26-2-727 as follows:
Page 2, Line 326-2-727. Improving state-level data for the works program
Page 2, Line 4- annual report. (1) (a) No later than October 1, 2025, the state
Page 2, Line 5department, in consultation with the works allocation
Page 2, Line 6committee, shall develop a standardized process for each
Page 2, Line 7county to collect and report to the state department on a monthly basis the following information:
Page 2, Line 8(I) The total dollar amount of Colorado's TANF allocation that is spent by the county on:
Page 2, Line 9(A) Basic cash assistance;
(B) Diversion payments;
Page 2, Line 10(C) Supportive service payments;
Page 3, Line 2(D) Administrative costs for participant-facing Colorado
Page 3, Line 3works program staff, including administrative costs incurred through third-party contracts;
Page 3, Line 4(E) Administrative costs for Colorado works program
Page 3, Line 5staff who are not participant facing, including administrative costs incurred through third-party contracts;
Page 3, Line 6(F) Administrative costs for programs or services that
Page 3, Line 7are not part of the Colorado works program or any portion of
Page 3, Line 8which is for programs or services that are not part of the
Page 3, Line 9Colorado works program, including administrative costs incurred through third-party contracts; and
Page 3, Line 10(G) Transfers or any other form of spending on programs
Page 3, Line 11and services other than the Colorado works program, including
Page 3, Line 12the Colorado child care assistance program, part 1 of article 4
Page 3, Line 13of title 26.5, and the social services block grant authorized
Page 3, Line 14pursuant to the federal "Social Security Act", 42 U.S.C. sec. 1397;
Page 3, Line 15(II) The total dollar amount of Colorado's TANF allocation that is spent by the county on:
Page 3, Line 16(A) Third-party contracted services for participants who receive basic cash assistance; and
Page 3, Line 17(B) Third-party contracted services for participants who do not receive basic cash assistance.
Page 3, Line 18(III) An annual report of the impact the following policy
Page 3, Line 19changes have on the TANF caseload, churning, and a
Page 3, Line 20participant's average duration in the program:
Page 4, Line 2(A) Changes to sanction and re-engagement policies and processes adopted through state department rules;
Page 4, Line 3(B) Extending the enrollment period beyond the
Page 4, Line 4sixty-month lifetime limit under certain circumstances, as enacted in House Bill 22-1259;
Page 4, Line 5(C) Exemptions from work requirements under certain circumstances, as enacted in House Bill 22-1259; and
Page 4, Line 6(D) Changes to income disregards, as enacted in House Bill 22-1259; and
Page 4, Line 7(IV) The number of applications for the Colorado works
Page 4, Line 8program denied due to ineligibility and the percentage of total applications represented by this number.
Page 4, Line 9(b) The state department shall seek input from interested
Page 4, Line 10stakeholders in developing the standardized process required
Page 4, Line 11pursuant to subsection (1)(a) of this section, including the family voice council within the state department.
Page 4, Line 12(c) Notwithstanding the requirement to report the
Page 4, Line 13information described in subsection (1)(a) of this section on a
Page 4, Line 14monthly basis, any category of information that is in addition
Page 4, Line 15to what is currently reported to the state department by each
Page 4, Line 16county that cannot be reported through existing structures
Page 4, Line 17and processes may be reported on a quarterly basis until a
Page 4, Line 18reporting structure and process is established for that specific category of information.
Page 4, Line 19(2) (a) No later than October 1, 2025, the state
Page 4, Line 20department, in consultation with the works allocation committee, shall develop recommendations that include:
Page 5, Line 1(I) A menu of standardized outcome measures for
Page 5, Line 2third-party contracted services funded with Colorado's TANF allocation; and
Page 5, Line 3(II) Required levels of evidence for third-party contracted services funded with Colorado's TANF allocation.
Page 5, Line 4(b) The state department shall seek input from interested
Page 5, Line 5stakeholders and the works allocation committee in developing
Page 5, Line 6the recommendations required pursuant to subsection (2)(a) of
Page 5, Line 7this section, including the family voice council within the state department.
Page 5, Line 8(3) The requirement to report or develop
Page 5, Line 9recommendations related to third-party contracted services
Page 5, Line 10pursuant to subsections (1) and (2) of this section applies only to
Page 5, Line 11third-party contracted services that are new or renewed and does not apply to existing third-party contracted services.
Page 5, Line 12(4) No later than October 1, 2025, the state department
Page 5, Line 13shall submit a report to the joint budget committee that
Page 5, Line 14includes a description of the standardized process and
Page 5, Line 15recommendations developed pursuant to subsections (1)(a) and
Page 5, Line 16(2)(a) of this section, including an overview of the input and feedback received from interested stakeholders.
Page 5, Line 17(5) Beginning January 1, 2026, and each January
Page 5, Line 18thereafter, the state department shall submit a report to the
Page 5, Line 19joint budget committee that includes the information collected
Page 5, Line 20and reported pursuant to subsection (1)(a) of this section and
Page 5, Line 21the total dollar amount of Colorado's TANF allocation that
Page 6, Line 1is redistributed through the state budget or other programs and services.
Page 6, Line 2(6) Beginning January 1, 2026, and each month thereafter,
Page 6, Line 3the state department shall publish on the state department's
Page 6, Line 4website in a publicly accessible format the information
Page 6, Line 5accurately collected and reported pursuant to subsection (1)(a)
Page 6, Line 6of this section and the total dollar amount of Colorado's TANF
Page 6, Line 7allocation that is redistributed through the state budget or other programs and services.
Page 6, Line 8(7) Beginning January 1, 2026, and each January
Page 6, Line 9thereafter, the state department shall submit the information
Page 6, Line 10collected and reported pursuant to subsection (1)(a) of this
Page 6, Line 11section to the works allocation committee for review and
Page 6, Line 12identification of examples and best practices related to services funded with Colorado's TANF allocation.
Page 6, Line 13(8) Each county department shall provide the information
Page 6, Line 14required pursuant to subsections (1)(a) and (2)(a) of this section
Page 6, Line 15to the state department.The state department shall provide
Page 6, Line 16technical assistance to counties that provide the information required pursuant to subsections (1)(a) and (2)(a) of this section.
Page 6, Line 17SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 26-2-709, add (1)(f) as follows:
Page 6, Line 1826-2-709. Benefits - cash assistance - programs - rules - repeal.
Page 6, Line 19(1) Standard of need - basic cash assistance grant. (f) No later than
Page 6, Line 20July 1, 2026, the state department shall submit a report to the
Page 6, Line 21joint budget committee that includes the following information
Page 6, Line 22related to the standard of need for eligibility for basic cash assistance:
Page 7, Line 1(I) How Colorado's current eligibility for basic cash assistance compares to other states;
Page 7, Line 2(II) The amount of money other states invest in their TANF program;
Page 7, Line 3(III) A list of states that exemplify how to determine
Page 7, Line 4whether to update eligibility for basic cash assistance and how to do so;
Page 7, Line 5(IV) A proposed updated standard of need that reduces
Page 7, Line 6extreme child poverty, promotes economic mobility and
Page 7, Line 7self-sufficiency, and reflects the state's current economic conditions;
Page 7, Line 8(V) The number of additional families that would have
Page 7, Line 9access to basic cash assistance based on the proposed updated
Page 7, Line 10standard of need created in subsection (1)(f)(IV) of this section; and
Page 7, Line 11(VI) The estimated cost of the proposed updated standard of need.
Page 7, Line 12SECTION 3. Appropriation. For the 2025-26 state fiscal year,
Page 7, Line 13$151,645 is appropriated to the department of human services for use by
Page 7, Line 14the office of economic security. This appropriation is from federal
Page 7, Line 15temporary assistance for needy families block grant funds and is based on
Page 7, Line 16an assumption that the office will require an additional 0.8 FTE. To
Page 7, Line 17implement this act, the office may use the appropriation for works program evaluation.
Page 7, Line 18SECTION 4. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act
Page 7, Line 19takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
Page 8, Line 1ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except
Page 8, Line 2that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V
Page 8, Line 3of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this
Page 8, Line 4act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take
Page 8, Line 5effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in
Page 8, Line 6November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.