A Bill for an Act
Page 1, Line 101Concerning requirements for money appropriated to the
Page 1, Line 102department of higher education, and, in connection
Page 1, Line 103therewith, making adjustments to appropriations made
Page 1, Line 104in the annual general appropriation act for the 2025-26
Page 1, Line 105state fiscal year and making an 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.)
Joint Budget Committee. The bill imposes requirements related to money appropriated to the department of higher education to be used by the Auraria higher education center in the 2025-26 state fiscal year. Money appropriated for operational costs must be used as agreed upon by the constituent institutions in baseline service level agreements. Any service or performance level agreement that the Auraria higher education center enters into using money appropriated for the 2025-26 state fiscal year must:
- Be executed by all contracting parties no later than September 1, 2025;
- Clearly describe the services, service and staffing levels, and performance expectations that are contracted for; and
- Provide that, if costs for services exceed the prices provided for in the contract, those excessive costs will not be assumed or incurred until an additional contract is executed or the original contract is amended.
- A review of all plans and studies conducted in the past 15 years regarding the mission, vision, and development of the Auraria campus;
- An evaluation of the statutory design and mission of the Auraria campus;
- An evaluation of the current governance model of the Auraria campus;
- An evaluation of the operations and management structures under the current governance model of the Auraria campus;
- A comparison of the current governance model to alternative governance models which may yield greater efficiencies in service delivery; and
- An evaluation of the financial supports and structures of Auraria campus governance and operations.
In the 2025-26 state fiscal year, the Auraria higher education center shall manage all resources related to baseline service level agreements and goals and shall present quarterly updates to the constituent institutions regarding baseline service level agreements and goals. For other services for the 2025-26 state fiscal year that are not already contracted for in the baseline service level agreements, the Auraria higher education center shall establish fee structures, and the constituent institutions shall enter into agreements with the Auraria higher education center for the provision of those services.
The bill requires the constituent organizations to contract with an independent third-party entity that shall conduct the Auraria comprehensive study (study). The constituent institutions and the Auraria higher education center shall agree upon which independent third-party entity will conduct the study before executing a contract to select the independent third-party entity. If the constituent institutions and the Auraria higher education center do not agree upon an independent third-party entity by August 1, 2025, the Colorado commission on higher education shall, no later than December 31, 2025, select the independent third-party entity from options proposed by the constituent institutions.
The study must examine the operations of the Auraria campus and the services provided to students by the constituent institutions and by the Auraria board of directors through the Auraria higher education center. The independent third-party entity shall present a report on the findings of the study.
The study must include the following:
The constituent institutions shall enter into a cost-sharing agreement to pay for the study using gifts, grants, and donations.
The bill reduces the general fund appropriation made in the annual general appropriation act for the 2025-26 state fiscal year to the department of higher education for the college opportunity fund program for fee-for-service contracts with state institutions by $31,435,042. The bill appropriates $31,435,042 from the general fund to the department of higher education for use by the Auraria higher education center.
Page 3, Line 1Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
Page 3, Line 2SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 23-70-118 and 23-70-119 as follows:
Page 3, Line 323-70-118. Requirements for money that is appropriated to
Page 3, Line 4the department of higher education for use by the Auraria higher
Page 3, Line 5education center in the 2025-26 state fiscal year - repeal. (1) Any
Page 3, Line 6money that the general assembly appropriates to the
Page 3, Line 7department of higher education for the Auraria higher
Page 3, Line 8education center to use for operational costs in the 2025-26
Page 3, Line 9state fiscal year must be used as agreed upon by the constituent
Page 3, Line 10institutions in baseline service level agreements, including operational costs associated with:
Page 3, Line 11(a) Building operations and maintenance;
(b) Custodial or janitorial services;
Page 3, Line 12(c) The Auraria campus police department;
Page 3, Line 13(d) Business services;
(e) Campus planning;
Page 4, Line 1(f) Events management in support of university- and student-led activities;
Page 4, Line 2(g) Communications; and
(h) Public relations.
Page 4, Line 3(2) Any baseline service level agreement that the
Page 4, Line 4Auraria higher education center enters into using money
Page 4, Line 5appropriated by the general assembly for the 2025-26 state fiscal year must:
Page 4, Line 6(a) Be executed by the contracting parties no later than
Page 4, Line 7September 1, 2025, until which time Auraria higher education
Page 4, Line 8center and the constituent institutions shall operate according to existing service level agreements;
Page 4, Line 9(b) Clearly describe the services, service and staffing
Page 4, Line 10levels, and performance expectations that are contracted for; and
Page 4, Line 11(c) Provide that, if costs for services exceed the prices
Page 4, Line 12provided for in the baseline service level agreements, those
Page 4, Line 13excessive costs will not be assumed or incurred until an
Page 4, Line 14additional agreement that addresses the excessive costs is
Page 4, Line 15executed or until the original baseline service level agreement is amended.
Page 4, Line 16(3) In the 2025-26 state fiscal year, the Auraria higher
Page 4, Line 17education center shall manage all resources related to
Page 4, Line 18baseline service level agreements and goals and shall present
Page 4, Line 19quarterly updates regarding baseline service level agreements
Page 4, Line 20and goals to the constituent institutions.
Page 5, Line 1(4) The Auraria higher education center shall establish
Page 5, Line 2fee structures for the 2025-26 state fiscal year for all services
Page 5, Line 3that are not already provided for in the baseline service level
Page 5, Line 4agreements. The constituent institutions may enter into
Page 5, Line 5additional agreements with the Auraria higher education
Page 5, Line 6center for services that are not provided for in the baseline
Page 5, Line 7service level agreements, in which case the Auraria higher
Page 5, Line 8education center shall explain why the additional contracted
Page 5, Line 9services do not fall within the baseline service level
Page 5, Line 10agreements. The fee structures established pursuant to this subsection (4) must:
Page 5, Line 11(a) Clearly describe the services for which each fee structure is established; and
Page 5, Line 12(b) Apply each fee structure consistently to each constituent institution.
Page 5, Line 13(5) This section is repealed, effective July 1, 2026.
Page 5, Line 1423-70-119. Auraria comprehensive study. (1) The
Page 5, Line 15constituent institutions and the Auraria higher education
Page 5, Line 16center shall contract with an independent third-party
Page 5, Line 17entity that shall conduct a study, referred to in this section as
Page 5, Line 18the "Auraria comprehensive study". The constituent institutions
Page 5, Line 19and the Auraria higher education center shall agree upon which
Page 5, Line 20independent third-party entity will conduct the Auraria
Page 5, Line 21comprehensive study before executing a contract to select the
Page 5, Line 22independent third-party entity. If the constituent institutions
Page 5, Line 23and the Auraria higher education center do not agree upon an
Page 5, Line 24independent third-party entity by August 1, 2025, the Colorado
Page 6, Line 1commission on higher education shall, no later than August 31,
Page 6, Line 22025, select the independent third-party entity from options proposed by the constituent institutions.
Page 6, Line 3(2) The Auraria comprehensive study must examine:
Page 6, Line 4(a) The money that the general assembly appropriates to
Page 6, Line 5the department of higher education that is used in connection
Page 6, Line 6with the Auraria higher education center; the accounting of
Page 6, Line 7such money, and any appropriations or transfers of such money,
Page 6, Line 8in accordance with section 20 of article X of the state
Page 6, Line 9constitution; and recommendations for future appropriations
Page 6, Line 10that will be used in connection with the Auraria higher education center;
Page 6, Line 11(b) The operations of the Auraria campus; and
Page 6, Line 12(c) The services provided to students by the constituent
Page 6, Line 13institutions and by the Auraria board of directors through the Auraria higher education center.
Page 6, Line 14(3) The independent third-party entity shall present the
Page 6, Line 15findings of the Auraria comprehensive study in a report
Page 6, Line 16addressed to the constituent institutions, the Auraria higher
Page 6, Line 17education center, the joint budget committee, the office of state
Page 6, Line 18planning and budgeting, and the Colorado commission on higher
Page 6, Line 19education by December 31, 2025; except that, if the independent
Page 6, Line 20third-party entity cannot complete the report by December 31,
Page 6, Line 212025, due to unforeseen circumstances, the independent
Page 6, Line 22third-party entity shall notify the constituent institutions and
Page 6, Line 23the Auraria higher education center and shall present the
Page 6, Line 24report no later than January 30, 2026. The report must include:
Page 7, Line 1(a) Findings related to the statutory design, governance,
Page 7, Line 2operations, and financial structure of the current shared Auraria campus;
Page 7, Line 3(b) Recommendations of any statutory or operational
Page 7, Line 4changes that the independent third-party entity believes would
Page 7, Line 5yield more efficient, mission-aligned services for the Auraria
Page 7, Line 6higher education center, the constituent institutions, and the students attending the constituent institutions;
Page 7, Line 7(c) Estimates of the financial impacts that the
Page 7, Line 8recommendations would have on the state and the constituent institutions; and
Page 7, Line 9(d) Feedback from each constituent institution and the
Page 7, Line 10Auraria higher education center relating to the recommendations.
Page 7, Line 11(4) The Auraria higher education center and the
Page 7, Line 12constituent institutions shall participate in the Auraria
Page 7, Line 13comprehensive study and engage in and respond to any inquiries
Page 7, Line 14from the independent third-party entity, including inquiries
Page 7, Line 15related to personnel, business documentation, financial data,
Page 7, Line 16the coordination of the provision of student services, and
Page 7, Line 17internal records related to the facility, operations, and
Page 7, Line 18development of the Auraria campus. The constituent
Page 7, Line 19institutions and the Auraria higher education center shall
Page 7, Line 20convene to receive updates related to the Auraria
Page 7, Line 21comprehensive study from the independent third-party entity at
Page 7, Line 22least twice during the period of the Auraria comprehensive
Page 7, Line 23study.
Page 8, Line 1(5) The Auraria comprehensive study must include the following:
Page 8, Line 2(a) A review of all plans and studies conducted in the past
Page 8, Line 3fifteen years regarding the mission, vision, and development of
Page 8, Line 4the Auraria campus, plus a review of plans and studies that are
Page 8, Line 5older than fifteen years if deemed relevant by the independent third-party entity;
Page 8, Line 6(b) An evaluation of the statutory design and mission of the Auraria campus, including:
Page 8, Line 7(I) An analysis of the statutory requirements and powers
Page 8, Line 8of the Auraria higher education center and the constituent
Page 8, Line 9institutions to identify whether current activities align with
Page 8, Line 10provisions in the Colorado Revised Statutes and to what extent
Page 8, Line 11those provisions result in cost and operational efficiencies for the constituent institutions;
Page 8, Line 12(II) A description and assessment of the current state of
Page 8, Line 13the Auraria higher education center, including the context of
Page 8, Line 14the center's scope, capabilities, resources, performance, culture,
Page 8, Line 15dependencies, infrastructure, personnel, external influences, and other relevant elements;
Page 8, Line 16(III) To what extent the Auraria higher education center's
Page 8, Line 17current disposition, as described in subsection (5)(b)(II) of this
Page 8, Line 18section, facilitates or inhibits the center's statutory mission alignment and operational efficiencies;
Page 8, Line 19(IV) A description and assessment of each constituent
Page 8, Line 20institution, including the institutions' educational footprint on
Page 8, Line 21the campus, the footprint of and access to institution-owned
Page 9, Line 1facilities, and other coordination among the constituent institutions in delivering services to students;
Page 9, Line 2(V) An evaluation of the impact on and service of
Page 9, Line 3displaced Aurarians, done in consultation with a designee of the Auraria board of directors; and
Page 9, Line 4(VI) Recommendations of possible statutory changes that
Page 9, Line 5would more clearly define the mission of the Auraria campus
Page 9, Line 6and delineate the duties and responsibilities of each entity in supporting the mission;
Page 9, Line 7(c) An evaluation of the current governance model of the Auraria campus, including:
Page 9, Line 8(I) An analysis of the composition of the Auraria board of
Page 9, Line 9directors, including the board's ability to fulfill its statutory
Page 9, Line 10purposes, mitigate conflicts of interest, and arbitrate campus disputes; and
Page 9, Line 11(II) An analysis of the extent to which a model of
Page 9, Line 12governance shared by the constituent institutions, as opposed
Page 9, Line 13to governance by the Auraria board of directors, would be
Page 9, Line 14practicable and the extent to which a shared governance model
Page 9, Line 15might yield greater mission alignment and more efficient delivery of services to students;
Page 9, Line 16(d) An evaluation of the operations and management
Page 9, Line 17structures under the current governance model of the Auraria campus, including:
Page 9, Line 18(I) An analysis of the timeliness and cost of current service delivery and functions; and
Page 9, Line 19(II) A review of the operational control and fiscal
Page 10, Line 1responsibility of all Auraria campus facilities, including the
Page 10, Line 2extent to which current operations fulfill the mission of the campus and yield the most cost effective results for all parties;
Page 10, Line 3(e) A comparison of the current governance model of the
Page 10, Line 4Auraria campus to alternative governance models which may yield greater efficiencies in service delivery, including:
Page 10, Line 5(I) Whether efficiency could be improved by transferring
Page 10, Line 6existing functions such as campus security and policing,
Page 10, Line 7facilities management, parking management, library services,
Page 10, Line 8food services, human resources, information technology,
Page 10, Line 9procurement, events management, nonacademic student
Page 10, Line 10services, and risk management between constituent institutions or the Auraria higher education center;
Page 10, Line 11(II) Whether efficiency could be improved by
Page 10, Line 12consolidating existing functions such as campus security and
Page 10, Line 13policing, facilities management, parking management, library
Page 10, Line 14services, human resources, information technology,
Page 10, Line 15procurement, events management, nonacademic student
Page 10, Line 16services, and risk management within constituent institutions or the Auraria higher education center;
Page 10, Line 17(III) Whether operational control and fiscal
Page 10, Line 18responsibility could be improved for the collective or individual
Page 10, Line 19constituent institutions by restructuring fiscal management of some or all responsibilities; and
Page 10, Line 20(IV) Whether certain services would best be governed and
Page 10, Line 21delivered under a centralized, decentralized, or hybrid
Page 10, Line 22governance model; and
Page 11, Line 1(f) An evaluation of the financial supports and
Page 11, Line 2structures of Auraria campus governance and operations, including:
Page 11, Line 3(I) An analysis of the appropriate level of baseline
Page 11, Line 4funding for services delivered on the Auraria campus,
Page 11, Line 5accounting for inflation and other drivers of costs such as insurance;
Page 11, Line 6(II) An analysis of any public-private developments
Page 11, Line 7pursuant to section 23-70-105.5 and whether and the extent to
Page 11, Line 8which the developments support the sustainability and mission of the Auraria campus;
Page 11, Line 9(III) A review of the Auraria higher education center's
Page 11, Line 10revenue streams and the extent to which additional revenue
Page 11, Line 11streams, such as auxiliary services revenue and fee revenue, should support the delivery of services;
Page 11, Line 12(IV) An analysis of fiscal restraints on the constituent
Page 11, Line 13institutions and the Auraria higher education center regarding
Page 11, Line 14the provision of services, such as revenue generation and expense characteristics;
Page 11, Line 15(V) An analysis of the fiscal impacts of proposed changes to the Colorado state budget; and
Page 11, Line 16(VI) An analysis of impacts related to Colorado's
Page 11, Line 17demographic changes, increased competition, and changes to the
Page 11, Line 18higher education market, including the changes in student
Page 11, Line 19educational modality and the distribution of in-person, hybrid, and online students.
Page 11, Line 20(6) The constituent institutions may seek, accept, and
Page 12, Line 1expend gifts, grants, or donations from private or public sources
Page 12, Line 2for the purpose of funding the Auraria comprehensive study. The
Page 12, Line 3constituent institutions shall enter into a cost-sharing
Page 12, Line 4agreement to pay for the Auraria comprehensive study using gifts, grants, and donations.
Page 12, Line 5SECTION 2. Appropriation - adjustments to 2025 long bill.
Page 12, Line 6(1) To implement this act, appropriations made in the annual general
Page 12, Line 7appropriation act for the 2025-26 state fiscal year to the department of higher education are adjusted as follows:
Page 12, Line 8(a) The general fund appropriation for the college opportunity
Page 12, Line 9fund program for fee-for-service contracts with state institutions pursuant to section 23-18-303.5, C.R.S., is decreased by $31,435,042;
Page 12, Line 10(b) The reappropriated funds appropriations from fee-for-service
Page 12, Line 11contracts with state institutions pursuant to section 23-18-303.5, C.R.S., under subsection (1)(a) of this section are decreased as follows:
Page 12, Line 12Governing Boards
trustees of Metropolitan state university of Denver -$15,623,129
Page 12, Line 13regents of the university of Colorado -$11,739,171
state board for community colleges and occupational
Page 12, Line 14education state system community colleges -$4,072,742
Page 12, Line 15(c) The reappropriated funds appropriation for Auraria higher
Page 12, Line 16education center administration is decreased by $31,435,042. This amount
Page 12, Line 17originates from the appropriations in the general appropriations act to the
Page 12, Line 18governing boards for the state board for community colleges and
Page 12, Line 19occupational education state system community colleges, the trustees of
Page 12, Line 20Metropolitan state university of Denver, and the regents of the university
Page 12, Line 21of Colorado.
Page 13, Line 1SECTION 3. Appropriation. (1) For the 2025-26 state fiscal
Page 13, Line 2year, $31,435,042 is appropriated to the department of higher education
Page 13, Line 3for use by the Auraria higher education center. This appropriation is from
Page 13, Line 4the general fund. To implement this act, the department may use this appropriation as follows:
Page 13, Line 5(a) $29,545,253 for operational costs; and
(b) $1,889,789 for deferred maintenance projects.
Page 13, Line 6SECTION 4. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,
Page 13, Line 7determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate
Page 13, Line 8preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for
Page 13, Line 9the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state institutions.