House Bill 25-1149

BY REPRESENTATIVE(S) English, Bacon, Bird, Boesenecker, Brown, Camacho, Clifford, Duran, Garcia, Gilchrist, Hamrick, Jackson, Joseph, Lieder, Lindsay, Lukens, Mabrey, Marshall, Martinez, Mauro, Paschal, Phillips, Ricks, Rutinel, Sirota, Stewart K., Story, Titone, Velasco, Valdez, McCluskie;

also SENATOR(S) Exum, Amabile, Ball, Cutter, Danielson, Daugherty, Gonzales J., Hinrichsen, Jodeh, Kipp, Kolker, Marchman, Michaelson Jenet, Mullica, Roberts, Rodriguez, Snyder, Sullivan, Wallace, Weissman, Winter F., Coleman.

Concerning comprehensive socio-cultural Black history education in public schools, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:

SECTION 1.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 22-1-104.9 as follows:

22-1-104.9.  Teaching of Black historical and cultural studies - definitions. (1)  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:

(a)  "Black historical and cultural studies" means an interdisciplinary program of elementary through secondary academic study that:

(I)  Represents Black historical experiences through truthful, inclusive, complex narratives that connect with contemporary realities; and

(II)  Highlights the innovations and cultural contributions of Black people in Colorado, America, and the world.

(b)  "Local education provider" means:

(I)  A school district;

(II)  A charter school authorized by a school district pursuant to part 1 of article 30.5 of this title 22;

(III)  A charter school authorized by the state charter school institute pursuant to part 5 of article 30.5 of this title 22;

(IV)  The state charter school institute created pursuant to section 22-30.5-503; or

(V)  A board of cooperative services created and operating pursuant to article 5 of this title 22 that operates one or more public schools.

(2)  No later than two years after the state board adopts the standards on Black historical and cultural studies pursuant to section 22-7-1005 (2.9), each local education provider shall incorporate the standards into courses for elementary through secondary education students.

(3)  The state board of education shall integrate the recommendations of the Black historical and cultural studies advisory committee established in section 22-2-127.4 when performing its six-year review of the state's education standards pursuant to section 22-7-1005 (6).

SECTION 2.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-7-1005, add (2.9) as follows:

22-7-1005.  Preschool through elementary and secondary education - aligned standards - adoption - revisions. (2.9) (a)  Pursuant to the standards schedule described in subsection (6) of this section, the state board shall adopt standards that identify the knowledge and skills that elementary through secondary education students should acquire related to Black historical and cultural studies, as defined in section 22-1-104.9.

(b)  In creating the standards described in subsection (2.9)(a) of this section, the department of education shall implement the recommendations of the Black historical and cultural studies advisory committee established in section 22-2-127.4.

SECTION 3.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 22-2-127.4 as follows:

22-2-127.4.  Black historical and cultural studies - advisory committee - resource bank - technical assistance - definitions. (1)  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:

(a)  "Black historical and cultural studies" means an interdisciplinary program of elementary through secondary academic study that:

(I)  Represents Black historical experiences through truthful, inclusive, complex narratives that connect with contemporary realities; and

(II)  Highlights the innovations and cultural contributions of Black people in Colorado, America, and the world.

(b)  "Committee" means the Black historical and cultural studies advisory committee created pursuant to subsection (2) of this section.

(c)  "Local education provider" means:

(I)  A school district;

(II)  A charter school authorized by a school district pursuant to part 1 of article 30.5 of this title 22;

(III)  A charter school authorized by the state charter school institute pursuant to part 5 of article 30.5 of this title 22;

(IV)  The state charter school institute created pursuant to section 22-30.5-503; or

(V)  A board of cooperative services created and operating pursuant to article 5 of this title 22 that operates one or more public schools.

(2)  The Black historical and cultural studies advisory committee is created in the department. The purpose of the committee is to make recommendations to the state board and department to be implemented in conjunction with the regular six-year review of the state's education standards and programs pursuant to section 22-7-1005 and to recommend resources and provide technical assistance pursuant to subsection (6) of this section.

(3) (a)  The Black historical and cultural studies advisory committee consists of seventeen members appointed by the designated appointing officials as follows:

(I)  The governor shall appoint, through the office of boards and commissions, the following members of the committee:

(A)  One member who is an academic expert in Black history and culture;

(B)  One member who is a historian with expertise in the history of Black Coloradans;

(C)  One member who is a teacher in a rural school district or a small rural school district, as defined in section 22-7-1211, and holds an initial or professional teacher's license pursuant to article 60.5 of this title 22;

(D)  One member who is a teacher in a school district that is not a rural school district or a small rural school district, as defined in section 22-7-1211, and holds an initial or professional teacher's license pursuant to article 60.5 of this title 22;

(E)  One member who is a librarian with expertise in Black arts and culture and who is a member of a professional association of librarians;

(F)  Two members who are curriculum specialists, one of whom has expertise in elementary education, one of whom has expertise in secondary education, and both of whom are members of a professional association;

(G)  One member who is a parent or legal guardian of a student who attends a public school and is a member of a parent organization;

(H)  Two members who each represent a nonprofit organization with expertise in civil rights and racial justice with an emphasis on comprehensive Black historical and cultural education in public schools;

(I)  One member who represents a nonprofit organization with expertise in Black arts and culture; and

(J)  Two members from the community whose leadership in literary, artistic, military, business, science, technology, media, or civic life contributes valuable lived experience and cultural competency to the work of the committee;

(II)  The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint one member;

(III)  The president of the senate shall appoint one member; and

(IV)  The commissioner shall appoint two members from the department, who are nonvoting members.

(b)  The membership of the committee must reflect a deep collective understanding of Black history and culture, with demonstrated expertise in Black history, social equity, and civil rights. A majority of the committee members must have either classroom experience or experience in developing education content standards.

(c)  The appointing officials shall make the initial appointments to the committee no later than January 1, 2026.

(d)  The term of appointment is four years. The appointing officials shall fill any vacancies on the committee for the remainder of any unexpired term.

(4)  Members of the committee serve without compensation and without reimbursement for expenses.

(5) (a)  The committee shall elect a chair from among the committee's members to serve for a term not to exceed two years, as determined by the committee.

(b)  The committee shall meet at least twice annually. The chair may call such additional meetings as are necessary for the committee to complete its duties.

(6)  The committee shall:

(a)  Make recommendations to the state board and the department regarding standards that identify the knowledge and skills that elementary through secondary education students should acquire related to Black historical and cultural studies pursuant to section 22-7-1005 (2.9) and develop recommendations for the state board to integrate during its six-year review of the state's education standards;

(b)  Identify and recommend materials and resources for inclusion in the resource bank created pursuant to subsection (8) of this section; and

(c)  At the request of a local education provider, collaborate with the department to provide technical assistance to the local education provider in designing age-appropriate curricula pertaining to Black historical and cultural studies.

(7) (a)  In making recommendations pursuant to subsection (6)(a) of this section, the committee shall coordinate with the history, culture, social contributions, and civil government in education commission established pursuant to section 22-1-104.3 and may consider the findings of the Black Coloradan racial equity study pursuant to section 2-2-2307 (1)(d).

(b)  The recommendations must advance developmentally appropriate but comprehensive instruction that:

(I)  Includes a diversity of opinions and narratives within the Black experience;

(II)  Features factual accounts of the struggles and contributions of Black Americans in all fields of endeavor;

(III)  Reflects black agency and resistance against oppression;

(IV)  Fosters cross-cultural understanding and empowers all students;

(V)  Features a diverse range of Black achievements in artistic, scientific, civic, and business endeavors; and

(VI)  Includes the study of early African civilizations, the global migrations of African people throughout the African Diaspora, the slave trade and enslavement in America, abolition, reconstruction, the civil rights movement, as well as Black history in Colorado and local Black histories within the state.

(c)  In making recommendations pursuant to subsection (6)(a) of this section, the committee shall:

(I)  Evaluate the most recent revisions to the state's history and civics standards that reflect the recommendations provided by the history, culture, social contributions, and civil government in education commission established in section 22-1-104.3; and

(II)  Include recommendations for any updates necessary to make the state's history and civics standards current, accurate, comprehensive, and aligned with the committee's other recommendations.

(8) (a)  The department shall create and maintain a resource bank of existing research-based scholarly articles and promising program materials and curricula pertaining to Black historical and cultural studies. The materials and curricula may be used in elementary and secondary schools in the state. At a minimum, the resource bank must include the materials and resources that the committee recommends pursuant to subsection (6)(b) of this section. To the extent possible, the resource bank materials, scholarly articles, and curricula must be youth-friendly, culturally sensitive, and available in both English and Spanish.

(b)  On and after July 1, 2026, the department shall make the materials in the resource bank available without charge to local education providers, professional educators, parents or guardians of youth, and students. A local education provider is not required to adopt or implement any material or curricula from the resource bank. At the request of a local education provider and subject to available resources, the department shall provide technical assistance to the local education provider in designing age-appropriate curricula pertaining to Black historical and cultural studies.

(c)  Local education providers are encouraged to report to the department on the effectiveness of the resource bank materials and curricula and to recommend changes to improve the materials and curricula. The department is encouraged to update the resource bank materials and curricula based on recommendations from local education providers, professional educators, parents or guardians of youth, and students.

(9)  The department may seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations from private or public sources for the purposes of this section.

SECTION 4.  Appropriation. For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, $19,225 appropriated to the department of education for use by student learning. This appropriation is from the general fund and is based on an assumption that the division will require an additional 0.2 FTE. To implement this act, the division may use this appropriation for content specialists.

SECTION 5.  Safety clause. The general assembly finds, determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state institutions.