House Bill 26-1029 Introduced

A Bill for an Act

• Page 1, Line 101Concerning enhancing representation in higher education by

• Page 1, Line 102altering the membership of certain entities involved in

• Page 1, Line 103higher education policy development in the state.

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.)

The bill enhances student representation in higher education by expanding the Colorado commission on higher education (commission) from 11 to 13 voting members by adding 2 student members who are enrolled at a state-supported institution of higher education (student members). The bill adds:

• One student member from a graduate research university or a 4-year institution of higher education; and
• One student member from a community college, local district college, or area technical college.

The bill shrinks the advisory committee to the commission from 13 to 12 members by removing the advisory committee member designated to represent the students of the state.

• Page 2, Line 1Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:

• Page 2, Line 2SECTION 1.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 23-1-102, amend (3)

• Page 2, Line 3and (4); and add (3.5) and (9) as follows:

• Page 2, Line 423-1-102.  Commission established - terms of office - definition.

• Page 2, Line 5(3) (a)  The commission consists of the following members,

• Page 2, Line 6appointed by the governor with the consent of the senate:

• Page 2, Line 7(I)  One member from each congressional district in the state; and

• Page 2, Line 8(II)  Three members from the state at large;

• Page 2, Line 9(III)  One student member who, at the time of appointment,

• Page 2, Line 10is enrolled as a student at a state-supported graduate research

• Page 2, Line 11university or a state-supported four-year institution of higher

• Page 2, Line 12education; and

• Page 2, Line 13(IV)  One student member who, at the time of appointment,

• Page 2, Line 14is enrolled as a student at a state-supported community

• Page 2, Line 15college, local district college, or area technical college.

• Page 2, Line 16(b)  The governor shall select the members of the commission on

• Page 2, Line 17the basis of their knowledge of and interest in higher education. At least

• Page 2, Line 18one member of the commission who is not a student member must

• Page 2, Line 19reside west of the continental divide. No more than a minimum majority

• Page 2, Line 20of the members of the commission, excluding the student members,

• Page 2, Line 21may be affiliated with the same political party at any time. To the

• Page 2, Line 22extent practicable, the commission membership must include

• Page 3, Line 1persons with disabilities and reflect the racial and ethnic

• Page 3, Line 2diversity of the state.

• Page 3, Line 3(c)  The term of each non-student member is four years, and

• Page 3, Line 4the term of a student member is two years; except that the terms

• Page 3, Line 5shall be are staggered so that no more than a minimum majority of

• Page 3, Line 6members' terms expire in the same year. No member of the commission

• Page 3, Line 7may serve more than two consecutive full four-year terms. A student

• Page 3, Line 8member who graduates from the student's state-supported

• Page 3, Line 9institution of higher education during the student's term may

• Page 3, Line 10continue to serve on the commission through the natural

• Page 3, Line 11expiration date of the student member's term.

• Page 3, Line 12(3.5) (a)  On or before July 1, 2027, the governor shall make

• Page 3, Line 13the initial appointments of student members.

• Page 3, Line 14(b)  If a student member appointed pursuant to subsection

• Page 3, Line 15(3)(a)(III) of this section withdraws from either a state-supported

• Page 3, Line 16graduate research university or a state-supported four-year

• Page 3, Line 17institution of higher education and does not immediately

• Page 3, Line 18re-enroll as a student at a different state-supported graduate

• Page 3, Line 19research university or state-supported four-year institution of

• Page 3, Line 20higher education, then a vacancy is created. If a student member

• Page 3, Line 21appointed pursuant to subsection (3)(a)(IV) of this section

• Page 3, Line 22withdraws from a state-supported community college, local

• Page 3, Line 23district college, or area technical college and does not

• Page 3, Line 24immediately re-enroll as a student at a different

• Page 3, Line 25state-supported community college, local district college, or

• Page 3, Line 26area technical college, then a vacancy is created. The governor

• Page 3, Line 27shall fill a vacancy created pursuant to this subsection (3.5)(b)

• Page 4, Line 1by appointing a new student member for the remainder of the

• Page 4, Line 2unexpired term.

• Page 4, Line 3(4) (a)  At the time of appointment, no a member of the

• Page 4, Line 4commission shall must not have been an officer, employee, or member

• Page 4, Line 5of a governing board or an officer or employee of any a state-supported

• Page 4, Line 6institution of higher education in the state for a period of one year prior

• Page 4, Line 7to his or her the member's appointment. During his or her a member of

• Page 4, Line 8the commission's term of office, no the member of the commission

• Page 4, Line 9shall must not be a member of the general assembly or an officer,

• Page 4, Line 10employee, or member of a governing board or an officer or employee of

• Page 4, Line 11a state-supported institution of higher education.

• Page 4, Line 12(b)  The requirements in subsection (4)(a) of this section

• Page 4, Line 13regarding connections with a governing board or

• Page 4, Line 14state-supported institution of higher education do not apply to

• Page 4, Line 15a student member.

• Page 4, Line 16(9)  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise

• Page 4, Line 17requires, "student member" means a member of the commission

• Page 4, Line 18appointed pursuant to subsection (3)(a)(III), (3)(a)(IV), or (3.5) of

• Page 4, Line 19this section.

• Page 4, Line 20SECTION 2.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 23-1-103, amend (1)

• Page 4, Line 21introductory portion and (1)(b) as follows:

• Page 4, Line 2223-1-103.  Advisory committee to the Colorado commission on

• Page 4, Line 23higher education.

• Page 4, Line 24(1)  There is hereby established an advisory committee to the

• Page 4, Line 25commission for the purpose of suggesting solutions for the problems and

• Page 4, Line 26needs of higher education and maintaining liaison with the general

• Page 4, Line 27assembly and the governing boards for state-supported institutions of

• Page 5, Line 1higher education. The advisory committee shall consist consists of not

• Page 5, Line 2less than thirteen twelve members, to be designated as follows:

• Page 5, Line 3(b)  One member shall be selected and designated by the

• Page 5, Line 4commission to represent the faculty in the state and one member shall be

• Page 5, Line 5selected and designated by the commission to represent the students in the

• Page 5, Line 6state. On and after August 5, 2009, The commission shall select and

• Page 5, Line 7designate one member to represent the faculty in the state. The

• Page 5, Line 8commission shall select and designate one member who, at the time of

• Page 5, Line 9designation, is a parent of a student who is enrolled in a state-supported

• Page 5, Line 10institution of higher education in Colorado to represent the parents of

• Page 5, Line 11students.

• Page 5, Line 12SECTION 3.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 23-1-105.5, amend

• Page 5, Line 13(1)(a) as follows:

• Page 5, Line 1423-1-105.5.  Duties and powers of the commission with respect

• Page 5, Line 15to student fees - report on tuition and fees.

• Page 5, Line 16(1) (a)  The commission shall adopt policies concerning the

• Page 5, Line 17collection and use of student fees by the governing boards of the state

• Page 5, Line 18institutions of higher education, as defined in section 23-5-119.5. The

• Page 5, Line 19policies may address, but need not be limited to, the purposes for student

• Page 5, Line 20fees; categories of student fees; the distinctions between tuition revenue

• Page 5, Line 21and student fee revenue; accounting for student fee revenue; student fee

• Page 5, Line 22fund balances; the minimum level of student involvement in the processes

• Page 5, Line 23for establishing, reviewing, changing the amount of, and discontinuing

• Page 5, Line 24student fees; and student fees that apply to a student concurrently enrolled

• Page 5, Line 25pursuant to article 35 of title 22. In preparing the policies, the commission

• Page 5, Line 26shall seek input from the governing boards, the state institutions of higher

• Page 5, Line 27education, and the student representative to the advisory committee

• Page 6, Line 1created pursuant to section 23-1-103 and representatives of the student

• Page 6, Line 2governments at the state institutions of higher education.

• Page 6, Line 3SECTION 4.  Act subject to petition - effective date. This act

• Page 6, Line 4takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the

• Page 6, Line 5ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August

• Page 6, Line 612, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13, 2026); except that, if a

• Page 6, Line 7referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the

• Page 6, Line 8state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act

• Page 6, Line 9within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect

• Page 6, Line 10unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in

• Page 6, Line 11November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the

• Page 6, Line 12official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.