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.
This Unofficial Version Includes Committee
Amendments Not Yet Adopted on Second Reading
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 effectiveness 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) Information reported pursuant to subsections (1) and
Page 5, Line 13(2) of this section must be reported through the county financial
Page 5, Line 14management system, to the extent possible, and through the
Page 5, Line 15standardized reporting process and structures developed pursuant to subsections (1) and (2) of this section.
Page 5, Line 16(5) No later than October 1, 2025, the state department
Page 5, Line 17shall submit a report to the joint budget committee that
Page 5, Line 18includes a description of the standardized process and
Page 5, Line 19recommendations developed pursuant to subsections (1)(a) and
Page 5, Line 20(2)(a) of this section, including an overview of the input and
Page 5, Line 21feedback received from interested stakeholders.
Page 6, Line 1(6) Beginning January 1, 2026, and each January
Page 6, Line 2thereafter, the state department shall submit a report to the
Page 6, Line 3joint budget committee that includes the information collected
Page 6, Line 4and reported pursuant to subsection (1)(a) of this section and
Page 6, Line 5the total dollar amount of Colorado's TANF allocation that
Page 6, Line 6is redistributed through the state budget or other programs and services.
Page 6, Line 7(7) Beginning January 1, 2026, and each month thereafter,
Page 6, Line 8the state department shall publish on the state department's
Page 6, Line 9website in a publicly accessible format the information
Page 6, Line 10accurately collected and reported pursuant to subsection (1)(a)
Page 6, Line 11of this section and the total dollar amount of Colorado's TANF
Page 6, Line 12allocation that is redistributed through the state budget or other programs and services.
Page 6, Line 13(8) Beginning January 1, 2026, and each January
Page 6, Line 14thereafter, the state department shall submit the information
Page 6, Line 15collected and reported pursuant to subsection (1)(a) of this
Page 6, Line 16section to the works allocation committee for review and
Page 6, Line 17identification of examples and best practices related to services funded with Colorado's TANF allocation.
Page 6, Line 18(9) Each county department shall provide the information
Page 6, Line 19required pursuant to subsections (1)(a) and (2)(a) of this section
Page 6, Line 20to the state department.The state department shall provide
Page 6, Line 21technical assistance to counties that provide the information required pursuant to subsections (1)(a) and (2)(a) of this section.
Page 6, Line 22SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 26-2-709, add (1)(f)
Page 6, Line 23as follows:
Page 7, Line 126-2-709. Benefits - cash assistance - programs - rules - repeal.
Page 7, Line 2(1) Standard of need - basic cash assistance grant. (f) No later than
Page 7, Line 3July 1, 2026, the state department shall submit a report to the
Page 7, Line 4joint budget committee that includes the following information
Page 7, Line 5related to the standard of need for eligibility for basic cash assistance:
Page 7, Line 6(I) How Colorado's current eligibility for basic cash assistance compares to other states;
Page 7, Line 7(II) The amount of money other states invest in their TANF program;
Page 7, Line 8(III) A list of states that exemplify how to determine
Page 7, Line 9whether to update eligibility for basic cash assistance and how to do so;
Page 7, Line 10(IV) A proposed updated standard of need that reduces
Page 7, Line 11extreme child poverty, promotes economic mobility and
Page 7, Line 12self-sufficiency, and reflects the state's current economic conditions;
Page 7, Line 13(V) The number of additional families that would have
Page 7, Line 14access to basic cash assistance based on the proposed updated
Page 7, Line 15standard of need created in subsection (1)(f)(IV) of this section; and
Page 7, Line 16(VI) The estimated cost of the proposed updated standard of need.
Page 7, Line 17SECTION 3. Appropriation. For the 2025-26 state fiscal year,
Page 7, Line 18$151,645 is appropriated to the department of human services for use by
Page 7, Line 19the office of economic security. This appropriation is from federal
Page 7, Line 20temporary assistance for needy families block grant funds and is based on
Page 8, Line 1an assumption that the office will require an additional 0.8 FTE. To
Page 8, Line 2implement this act, the office may use the appropriation for works program evaluation.
Page 8, Line 3SECTION 4. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act
Page 8, Line 4takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
Page 8, Line 5ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except
Page 8, Line 6that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V
Page 8, Line 7of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this
Page 8, Line 8act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take
Page 8, Line 9effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in
Page 8, Line 10November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.