A Bill for an Act
Page 1, Line 101Concerning collecting state-level data for the Colorado
Page 1, Line 102works program.
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 January 1, 2026, 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 services provided by eligibility technicians;
Page 2, Line 11(D) Supportive services provided by case managers;
Page 3, Line 1(E) Supportive services provided by third-party contractors;
Page 3, Line 2(F) Third-party contracted services for participants who receive basic cash assistance;
Page 3, Line 3(G) Third-party contracted services for participants who do not receive basic cash assistance;
Page 3, Line 4(H) Administrative costs for participant-facing Colorado
Page 3, Line 5works program staff, including administrative costs incurred through third-party contracts;
Page 3, Line 6(I) Administrative costs for Colorado works program
Page 3, Line 7staff who are not participant facing, including administrative costs incurred through third-party contracts;
Page 3, Line 8(J) Administrative costs for programs or services that are
Page 3, Line 9not part of the Colorado works program or any portion of
Page 3, Line 10which is for programs or services that are not part of the
Page 3, Line 11Colorado works program, including administrative costs incurred through third-party contracts; and
Page 3, Line 12(K) Transfers or any other form of spending on programs and services other than the Colorado works program;
Page 3, Line 13(II) The impact the following policy changes have on the
Page 3, Line 14TANF caseload, churning, and a participant's average duration in the program:
Page 3, Line 15(A) Full pass-through for child support payments, as enacted in Senate Bill 15-012;
Page 3, Line 16(B) Changes to sanction and re-engagement policies and processes adopted through state department rules;
Page 3, Line 17(C) Extending the enrollment period beyond the
Page 4, Line 1sixty-month lifetime limit under certain circumstances, as enacted in House Bill 22-1259;
Page 4, Line 2(D) Exemptions from work requirements under certain circumstances, as enacted in House Bill 22-1259; and
Page 4, Line 3(E) Changes to income disregards, as enacted in House Bill 22-1259; and
Page 4, Line 4(III) The number of applications for the Colorado works
Page 4, Line 5program denied due to ineligibility and the percentage of total applications represented by this number.
Page 4, Line 6(b) The state department shall seek input from interested
Page 4, Line 7stakeholders in developing the standardized process required pursuant to subsection (1)(a) of this section.
Page 4, Line 8(2) (a) No later than January 1, 2026, the state
Page 4, Line 9department, in consultation with the works allocation committee, shall develop recommendations that include:
Page 4, Line 10(I) Standardized outcome measures for third-party
Page 4, Line 11contracted services funded with Colorado's TANF allocation; and
Page 4, Line 12(II) Required levels of evidence for third-party contracted services funded with Colorado's TANF allocation.
Page 4, Line 13(b) The state department shall seek input from interested
Page 4, Line 14stakeholders and the works allocation committee in developing
Page 4, Line 15the recommendations required pursuant to subsection (2)(a) of this section.
Page 4, Line 16(3) No later than January 1, 2026, the state department
Page 4, Line 17shall submit a report to the joint budget committee that
Page 4, Line 18includes a description of the standardized process and
Page 5, Line 1recommendations developed pursuant to subsections (1)(a) and
Page 5, Line 2(2)(a) of this section, including an overview of the input and feedback received from interested stakeholders.
Page 5, Line 3(4) Beginning July 1, 2026, and each July thereafter, the
Page 5, Line 4state department shall submit a report to the joint budget
Page 5, Line 5committee that includes the information collected and
Page 5, Line 6reported pursuant to subsection (1)(a) of this section and the
Page 5, Line 7total dollar amount of Colorado's TANF allocation that is
Page 5, Line 8redistributed through the state budget or other programs and services.
Page 5, Line 9(5) Beginning July 1, 2026, and each month thereafter, the
Page 5, Line 10state department shall publish on the state department's
Page 5, Line 11website in a publicly accessible format the information
Page 5, Line 12collected and reported pursuant to subsection (1)(a) of this
Page 5, Line 13section and the total dollar amount of Colorado's TANF
Page 5, Line 14allocation that is redistributed through the state budget or other programs and services.
Page 5, Line 15(6) Each county department shall provide the information
Page 5, Line 16required pursuant to subsections (1)(a) and (2)(a) of this section to the state department.
Page 5, Line 17SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 26-2-709, add (1)(f) as follows:
Page 5, Line 1826-2-709. Benefits - cash assistance - programs - rules - repeal.
Page 5, Line 19(1) Standard of need - basic cash assistance grant. (f) No later than
Page 5, Line 20July 1, 2026, the state department shall submit a report to the
Page 5, Line 21joint budget committee that includes the following information
Page 5, Line 22related to the standard of need for eligibility for basic cash assistance:
Page 6, Line 1(I) How Colorado's current eligibility for basic cash assistance compares to other states;
Page 6, Line 2(II) The amount of money other states invest in their TANF program;
Page 6, Line 3(III) A list of states that exemplify how to determine
Page 6, Line 4whether to update eligibility for basic cash assistance and how to do so;
Page 6, Line 5(IV) A proposed updated standard of need that reduces
Page 6, Line 6extreme child poverty, promotes economic mobility and
Page 6, Line 7self-sufficiency, and reflects the state's current economic conditions;
Page 6, Line 8(V) The number of additional families that would have
Page 6, Line 9access to basic cash assistance based on the proposed updated
Page 6, Line 10standard of need created in subsection (1)(f)(IV) of this section; and
Page 6, Line 11(VI) The estimated cost of the proposed updated standard of need.
Page 6, Line 12SECTION 3. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act
Page 6, Line 13takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
Page 6, Line 14ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except
Page 6, Line 15that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V
Page 6, Line 16of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this
Page 6, Line 17act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take
Page 6, Line 18effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in
Page 6, Line 19November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the
Page 6, Line 20official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.