House Education [Mar 25, 2026 - Upon Adjournment]

To order, Mr. Beck, please call the roll.

Here. Flannell. Excused. Garcia-Sander. Present. Gilchrist. Hamrick.

Here. Johnson.

Excused. Stewart-K.

Here. Martinez. Here. Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, committee members. Very excited to present for you today House Bill 1317. I first want to thank my co-prime sponsor, Representative Taggart, a real champion in the higher education and workforce space, and delighted that we are bringing this bill forward together. I also want to give a shout out to Senator Bridges and Frizzell and the departments that have been integral in the development of both this vision and idea, CDLE, CDHE, Oedit, CDE, and of course the governor's team. This bill really builds upon years and years of work, work that this body has been a part of, work to invest in Colorado's talent pipeline. Our workforce is diverse, dynamic, and constantly evolving. Throughout my time in the legislature, we've leaned in to answer one very critical question. How can we best support every Coloradan on their way to live their Colorado dream from their earliest days as a learner in universal preschool to the moment they step into that high-paying career of their dreams? Holding this as our North Star, the legislature has accomplished a lot. And I want to, because it matters, I want to quickly walk through some of the legislation we have passed that brings us to this moment here today. In 2022, we passed House Bill 1215, which created the secondary, post-secondary, and work-based learning integration task force, which developed recommendations to support the statewide expansion and alignment of the many programs the state offers in that big blur space. In 24, we brought forward House Bill 1364. This was the foundation of legislation which streamlined career pathways for high school graduates, helping young people move more easily from learning to earning. We then brought 1350, which was the Regional Talent Development Initiative, or what we now call Opportunity Now grants. These grants have helped fuel job opportunities for more than 8,200 individuals in Colorado by providing business and higher education partnerships in the places where we live across this great state. Really delighted with the outcomes of that program. And in 22, we also brought forward Senate Bill 2026, sorry, 226, the Care Forward Colorado, which provided a free credential in our community college system to over 10,000 health care professionals. These were CNAs and emergency medical techs and medical assistants individuals who are now in health care providing services to Coloradans And we brought forward those dollars and that program at a time when we needed it most right on the heels of the pandemic We made significant investments in funding higher education, and we've pushed to make a college degree more affordable. In 2024, we brought 1340, the Colorado Promise Act, establishing a refundable income tax credit to cover the cost of two years of higher education for every family making less than $90,000. I also want to lift up the apprenticeship work that's gone on by members of this committee. In 2019, we established the Apprenticeship Resource Directory, which allows Coloradans to view a list of registered apprenticeships in the state. This work led to the creation of the statewide Apprentice Agency in 2021. That group is now the primary point of contact with the U.S. Department of Labor, and they work to accelerate new apprenticeship programs and their growth. And in 2023, we invested in a two-year apprenticeship navigator pilot program, also with the idea of expanding the opportunities in the apprenticeship space. We have been busy at work as a body trying to make sure again that every individual in Colorado, regardless of age or background, has the opportunity to live their Colorado dream. But there is more work to be done. Today, more than 20 divisions, offices, and units across seven state entities deliver 110 programs and initiatives to help Coloradans access post-secondary education, training, and employment. And for too long, this has created silos, silos that are not working together as effectively as we would like for them to. This is not a commentary on our amazing leaders in those different agencies. It really is a commentary on how we have divided and splintered this work. Coloradans looking to find a career of their dreams paying a living wage deserve to have a one-stop shop, one door where they can go to access education, labor opportunities, meet with business, workforce centers, and apprenticeships in a more unified government structure. This bill creates the Transition Advisory Committee, a group that will be tasked with creating a transition plan for helping us imagine a brand new agency, as outlined in Governor Polis' Executive Order D, for a unified department that addresses both the wonderful opportunities that exist in higher education and all those represented in our workforce and talent programs. The TAC will be appointed by the governor and all four legislative leaders, has members from state agencies, our higher ed institutions, apprenticeship programs, organized labor, local workforce centers, nonprofits, and the business community. They will be required to do extensive stakeholding. We have built that into the bill with the constituencies they represent and a broader group to make sure that all voices are heard. The TAC, very similar to what we did when we created the Colorado Department of Early Childhood. We'll be talking about some amendments today that address the feedback we have received from groups, but I will pause there, turn it over to the wonderful Representative Taggart and again ask for your support of House Bill 1317. Okay, and just noting for the record that Rep. Flannell, AML Bacon, and Rep. Phillips

Questions for our bill sponsors?

Speaker McCluskey. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, Representative. Really appreciate this question. You will see, starting on page 8 and then continuing on pages 9, 10, and 11, several sections where we talk about our expectations for stakeholding. We want employees of the departments to be involved. We want employees of our workforce centers, of higher education. And we want voices more broadly than just leadership because we do believe in, you know, this idea reimagining how the Department of Higher Education could be more inclusive of workforce and talent pipeline programs. programs, the folks on the ground are the ones who are going to be able to share with us where they get tripped up, right? Why, if somebody's looking to improve their training or their skill set, is a college degree the next step or is it some form of post-secondary training, right, a credential? And so what does that look like and can we go to one place where we sort that out? So I hope by what you see in the bill, we'll be bringing an amendment here shortly where we have added additional language to emphasize some of the groups we want to be sure are included. Thank you. Amy L. Bacon. Amy Bacon- Thank you, and thank you both. And Madam Speaker, I did kind of ask, I think, this question ahead of time and to some of the stakeholders who came to talk to me. I'm curious if you could help articulate where you see the legislature's role and legislators' role in understanding this transition. For context, for those who are listening because I'm riveting, I asked could there be a legislator as a part of this task force with the hope and or concern that we need to transfer institutional knowledge. so when this process is done, the reports will be brought to us in SMART, but how do you see legislators understanding what it is they would then vote for and authorize throughout this process? So I'm wondering if you can expand a little bit. Speaker McCluskey. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Assistant Majority Leader, for that question. You know, in my time in the legislature, we have helped create working groups or committees that have tackled some pretty challenging or thorny policy issues, our school finance formula, as an example, or the Colorado River Drought Task Force. And in those examples, I found it to be more effective not to have legislators as a part of those groups, but to have them be the group that receives the report. In part, and I say this with love for all of you, because this is not meant to be demeaning of who we are or how we engage, but to try and keep the politics out of the conversations and to try to help the departments that will be working on this transition advisory committee really get into the nuts and bolts of what the operations currently are. I think the recommendations that we are asking for and the transition plan that would be delivered next November, that is the moment for the legislature to engage, to certainly receive that report and those recommendations, be able to discuss with members of the TAC what their work was, but to allow that work to happen without any of our influence through the process. And that is not to diminish our voice. It is simply to create a space that doesn't include legislators. Amel Bacon. Thank you. I'm like, I guess I can appreciate it. No, I'm kidding. Sorry. I see the report is due this November, November 2026. Can you help just share, even though we'll be getting these reports, can you help share any insights, though, that might be able to help prepare us on how to receive that as well as what you can kind of imagine in regards to the work that might need to be done between November and January to give us a head start and a heads up to be able to not only receive the report but figure out how we can make any recommendations legislatively. Speaker McCluskey. Thank you, Madam Chair. I just, I want to offer that I think in the spirit of that robust stakeholding, there will be opportunities for us to listen and learn along the way without actually being participants in a 26, it will be a 27 person working group. And I'm happy to continue to kind of consider that partnership AML-Bacon and how we can keep people abreast of the conversations and what's occurring. There's certainly value in bringing people along as the process moves forward.

Speaker McCluskey. Thank you, Madam Chair, and I certainly welcome Representative Taggart's thoughts on this as well. This is really building the roadmap for what this new department would look like, and I think the question you just asked is something that they should grapple with, right? How will we know that we have created the right department that is achieving the goals that we are envisioning, right? How do we make sure that people find us to be a one-stop shop in upskilling, reskilling, next-skilling, getting another college degree, whatever it might be, plugging into an apprenticeship program. I really believe that this part, this phase of this process, is critical to setting ourselves up for success where we can achieve ultimately the outcomes we want, an easier path for people to find that great paying job or career of their dreams. And I think establishing, taking the time to build the process and go through that process helps us identify what will we be looking for as a return on our investment with this change. What is it that we ultimately want to see as the outcome?

Okay, Rep. Hartzook. And then we're going to go Story, Garcia-Ceander, Flannell, and then we're going to move on. Oh, I'm sorry, Rep. Taggart. Go ahead, Rep. Taggart.

Baker McCluskey. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, Rep, for the question. We received some of that feedback and shifted the bill, actually, so that there weren't any specific prescribed outcomes. We are asking for them to develop recommendations. Now, this is a moment where we have a change in administration. We obviously will have a change in the General Assembly, and it will be up to future leaders to decide if those recommendations are ultimately embraced and moved forward in future legislation. We moved the sunsetting of the Transition Advisory Committee from the completion of their work next November through June 30th of 27, just knowing that there may be additional conversation or new things to explore, and we wanted to make sure that the committee was still in statute should they need to reconvene or if their work is not done and unable to bring forward a plan. We also felt it important to set a target date. You know, this is trying to lay out a framework for that work, for the process, trying to bind it in time so that the transition advisory committee has a goal to submit recommendations by November 30th of 2026. But I think also for that plan to have an expected timeline, there's value in doing that. Beyond that I certainly hope that the group itself will feel the freedom to be as creative and thoughtful as they can and how we unify these 110 programs within the Department of Higher Ed how that new department looks And certainly I think the efforts that we've been bringing forward this many years, it really points to a need for this reimagining of what we could do in this space. And I hope this group is up to that task. Great questions, though, for you to maybe ask some of our witnesses today.

Speaker McCluskey. Thank you, Madam Chair. What I would point to, Representative Flannell, is that the report and recommendations will be presented to the Joint Budget Committee, to this committee, to the Committee of Business and Labor, as it's currently defined in the House. We want a very public and robust discussion once this work is completed. And then, of course, if this group makes recommendations and those recommendations are supported by future members of the General Assembly, I hope they will bring forward legislation that will then go through the full process on the redesign, the unification of the department. Bradfield.

Good afternoon, and thank you, Chair Lukens, Vice Chair Martinez, and esteemed members of the House Education Committee. My name is Eve Lieberman. I'm the Executive Director of the Office of Economic Development and International Trade. I appreciate the opportunity to be here today in support of HB 26-13-17, which takes an important step forward, ensuring that Coloradans are competitive for Colorado jobs and Colorado business has the talent it needs to be successful. OEDA is focused on maintaining Colorado's competitive edge and ensuring economic growth of Colorado's economy. As part of this mission, OEDA administers Opportunity Now Colorado grant program and has awarded nearly $90 million to support innovative education training and employer partnerships across health care, education, infrastructure, and construction. while also supporting Colorado's growing leadership in advanced industries such as quantum, semiconductors, clean tech, and advanced manufacturing. Through this work, we know that Colorado's economy needs every type of talent. We need the educator, the electrician, the welder, and the rocket scientist. There's a role for all of these jobs now and in the future. We need high-quality apprenticeships, short-term training providers, and institutions of higher education to work together to meet the demands of our industry and the needs of Coloradans. According to the Colorado Business Roundtable, labor shortages and workforce issues remain a top challenge for businesses with an insufficient supply of skilled talent, impact their workforce planning. Last year, Oedit, in partnership with the Colorado Workforce Development Council, held seven Opportunity Now regional summits across the state. These summits engaged more than 500 industry leaders across eight sectors, and we heard firsthand how disparate efforts lead to insufficient use of resources, unclear entry points, and employer fatigue. Oedit brought the insights and strategies from these summits to the interagency working group that informed the report to reimagine Colorado's post-secondary talent development system. Thank you. Thank you. And I meant to say Director Lieberman, excuse me,

Thank you. And we will go online to Mr. Wheeler Berliner. You have two minutes. Welcome.

Thank you. Thank you. OK, questions for this panel of witnesses, and we'll only be doing 10 minutes for this panel.

Director Lieberman. Thank you, Representative, for the question, and it's a good one. At Oedit, we very much track the ROI of our programs. So when we're looking at a lot of our Opportunity Now grants and then our tax credits, we're looking and they're evaluated by the DU lab to make sure that they have job placements, average annual wage growth, or internship placement. We are looking for consistent data-backed evidence that shows, that demonstrates that these employers are delivering outcomes that we want to see. So to your question about why isn't this being done throughout the state, every single state agency has a different way of approaching ROI, and I think we want to make sure that we're delivering that performance and outcomes for our learners.

Director Hilston. I can get you one. I don't have one offhand. I will say that apprenticeships are, as our internships, are increasingly part of the conversation in education in higher ed as well So moving forward in as coordinated and coherent a way as we can is critical and I think this bill helps us to do that to a greater degree But the particular status of that bill I can get back to you on.

Can you talk to us about how that's going and what their other state mechanisms look like? Director Holston. Thank you, Chair Lukens, and thanks for the question, Representative Hamrick. There are a number of states that are at different phases of this process. They range from Virginia, Missouri, Oregon. Some are considered red states. Some are blue. Some are purple. But I think all of them are motivated by the same kind of market signals, for lack of a better term, and kind of confused constituencies where they're trying to help people sort through the morass in a more effective and efficient way. Where they are in that journey varies a lot by state. There are states like Missouri that have actually done this years ago. and so are well down the path of being quite coordinated across these areas. In fact, my equivalent over there used to work here, so we have talked fairly frequently about that journey. But we're all also talking to each other about the best ways to do this moving forward. And as I mentioned in my testimony, there's consensus that this is going to be the pretty common approach in all states going forward. Thanks for the question.

Thank you, Chair Lukens, and thanks for the question, Representative Garcia-Sander. The answer to both is – the answer to the second is yes. There's been quite a bit of work done once the executive order was issued. All of the involved departments started working together to have open discussions about how to do what we do better and how to work more closely, et cetera. And since then, both the governor's staff and then also the departments have continued to think through and start to specify in a lot more detail, in particular what the work is that's required. So there is a very detailed list of things that need to get addressed. In terms of whether four months is enough, as a former dean at a university, I can concur at the pace of change. But frankly, from my point of view, I think that's one of the benefits of a deadline, because I think that deadline will allow the appropriate period for engagement, but also is a bit of a forcing function for everyone to come to some decisions. Thanks for the question.

Director Holston Yes thanks Chair Lukens And thanks for the question Representative Bradfield I think that one of the fundamental motivations for doing this because right now we got a whole lot of those and it is really hard to keep them all current Even more, it's hard to make them scale, you know, because people don't know they're out there. They don't know where to go to get what information they need in order to make the decisions they need to make. I think the vision here in part is to say, look, it can be a lot simpler for people, for calling out. For one place. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. If I can speak to this and the previous question briefly. From the Department of Labor perspective, a number of those technology systems have been updated and relaunched and modernized in the last year or in the process of being made new right now. So the timing is right to ensure those are continuously available in the right place. To AML Bacon's question, I would say that we've learned over the past eight and 12 years how to function together and how to align programs from separate agencies. And the conversations that will come through the Transition Advisory Committee are really to create the roadmap to say exactly what functions need to reside in this new department, how do they need to be structured, and which are the models that need to be brought in from specific departments to ensure that we have the best possible goal structure moving forward, the right incentive structure to motivate and support staff, and to really translate good strategy into incredible execution and action. And so I think part of the report from the committee will be that roadmap to highlight exactly what is most important and get a new department set up correctly.

Rep. Story. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thanks for being here. I'm just curious, again, I asked the co-prime sponsor about, you know, the transition advisory committee that's being formed, and you've said a number of things about it and what they're hoping to accomplish or you're hoping they accomplish, you're together hoping to accomplish some of those goals. so that sounds like you know there is a plan to meet certain goals even before that the group is convened. But then also, you know, far out into the future, a couple years out into the future, there's a plan to implement whatever comes out of this into the Department of Higher Ed and change its name and, you know, some of its focus. It just sounds like it's all preconceived and already planned out, And I'm just wondering why we are going to this extent on paper when it sounds like there's already a predisposed outcome that you're shooting for.

Okay. Our 10 minutes is up for this panel. So thank you so much. We greatly appreciate your testimony. We will transition to the next panel. I will call up Sage Chapin, Adrian Martinez, Nestor Daris, Jade Kelly, and Madison Knapp. Welcome to the Education Committee. We will start with the people that are here in person. Each of you will have two minutes. Please start by stating your name and who you represent, and we'll start at my left and move down. Welcome. And you'll have to press the plug, the button near the plug. It's a tiny, there you go. The one that says my button.

My name is Adrienne Martinez. I am here on behalf of MSU Denver, and I serve as the Associate Vice President of the Classroom 2 Career Hub. I'm here to support HB 26-13-17. This bill represents an important step toward better aligning Colorado's higher education systems with our workforce and talent development goals. At MSU Denver, this work is already underway and we've seen firsthand how impactful this is for our students. Today Colorado's education and workforce systems are spread across, as has been mentioned, across 20 divisions and seven state entities administering more than 100 programs and learners are expected to navigate these systems that often feel disjointed and difficult to navigate. The majority of our students are already working because they must. Their life circumstances require it. They are not waiting until graduation to think about work or their careers or their long-term livelihood. They are building and refining their aspirations in real time alongside their academic pursuits. Colorado has the opportunity to be a leader and help ease this fragmentation for learners. The C2 Hub is a forward-thinking and transformative approach to a more systemic connected learning and more systemic approach to connecting learning with career outcomes for students and the C2 hub modeled our industry partnerships team to be responsive and in alignment to the Colorado talent pipeline report On our team we have 12 staff members dedicated to industry responsiveness leading initiatives to help students understand the in demand career paths aligned to Colorado's workforce and economic trends. Our students, many of whom are first generation, majority of whom are first generation and from diverse backgrounds deserve a system that reflects this reality. Aligning higher education and workforce efforts under one department helps ensure students are learning in alignment to their career aspirations and that their pro-secondary success is not treated as a separate goal, but rather as a cohesive and coordinated pathway. Thank you.

Thank you. My name is Nestor Deras. I am a former apprentice in insurance operations with Pinnacle Assurance and CareerWise Colorado. I am here to tell you a little bit about my experience with the apprenticeship program. I was a high school student trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. And this program, the apprenticeship, opened the doors for me as a launch pad to pursue my career. I knew that I wanted to do meaningful work, but I did not know where to start. in insurance operations, I was able to take hands-on experience in different projects that will make a good impact in the organization. And I will develop skills that will serve me for lifelong learning. And all of these projects became an amazing experience because it helped me understand myself and how my natural leadership skills come along, not my natural passions for people and helping others became true to myself as well. I believe that apprenticeship programs help us identify what we're good at, what careers are out there to explore, and it goes along with education always. I am supporting this bill because right now, after I completed my apprenticeship, I discovered that I wanted to study industrial organizational psychology and pursue a higher ed education, but I am able right now, because of my apprenticeship, I was able to get a full-time job in a company, become a manager, and execute all of the skills that I've built throughout that program. That's all.

Hi, my name is Sage Chapin and I represent ESSEC and CCDS students. All right, so good afternoon, Madam Chair and members of the committee. My name is Sage Chapin and I'm a student at Red Rocks Community College and chair of the State Student Advisory Council representing more than 130,000 community college students across Colorado. Colorado. I'm here today in support of House Bill 1317 because as a student, I know how complicated it can be to navigate the system that connects education, training, and careers. Like many students, I balance school, work, and planning for my future. What we need most are clear, flexible pathways to in-demand careers so we can move forward with confidence. Right now, that system can feel overwhelming. Students are navigating multiple programs and agencies that don't always connect, which makes it harder to find the right path. Through ESSEC we hear directly from students across the state and one of the most consistent challenges is that many students are struggling with basic needs like food housing and financial stability while trying to stay in school Because of that, students tell us three things matter most. Clear career pathways and job connections before they graduate, strong advising and support to navigate their options, and direct connections to real career opportunities, including paid work-based learning. When those pieces are in place, students can move efficiently from learning to earning. That's why this bill matters. It helps create a more connected system so students can more easily find programs, connected training and access good paying jobs. For students, this isn't about structure, it's about opportunity. On behalf of the State Student Advisory Council and community college students across Colorado, I urge you to support this bill. Thank you for your time and I'm happy to answer any questions.

Thank you, Madam Chair. My name is Jade Kelly and I'm president of CWA Local 7799, representing thousands of public workers across Colorado in healthcare, public libraries, county workers, public defenders, and higher education, including faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate workers at CU and CSU. And I'll be honest with you, we came into this bill very skeptical. In 2026, we are exhausted and have spent an enormous amount of energy fighting back against what happened at the federal level when the Department of Higher Education was merged with the Department of Labor. A rollout that has been so chaotic, it has left thousands of student workers here in Colorado without jobs, often some of them paying back their compensation to the university, cut funding streams mid-semester for essential life-saving research, and erased entire degree pathways that won't result in high-paying careers, but that our society so desperately needs, like early childhood educators that need a master's degree, musicians, and political scientists. So as public workers who are organizing to protect the public good, we were cautious, hesitant, but I want to take a moment to recognize that Speaker McCluskey did something that too often gets skipped in drafting legislation. She brought in workers who actually keep our public higher education institutions running at the very beginning of the conversation. Faculty, staff, and student workers weren't included as some performative stakeholder later down. We were at the table. That matters because of that engagement, and I'm confident that this bill doesn't carry the same risks we have experienced at the federal level. Instead, it opens the door carefully and deliberately to create something here in Colorado for workers, for students, and everyone who access public services in a better light. Because let's be clear where we are as a state. Public higher education in Colorado is running on fumes. We have instructors sleeping in their cars at CU, living off of 30K a year. At CU Boulder, over half the people relying on the basic needs centers for groceries are university staff like myself. Starvation wages have become a policy choice, and in the absence of public investment, we've filled the gap with skyrocketing tuition for students and donation from corporations, which as many of you know too well, that might include $30K cash. Good bill, vote yes, and I'm open to questions.

Have you seen any of these programs in the other states and how they sort of were rolled out?

Yeah, no, I really appreciate the question, Representative. We have not seen it gone in a state level. I know there's a similar piece of legislation being introduced in Indiana at the moment. I think the reason why we are optimistic about this potential is particularly because the current situation in higher education in our state isn functioning as it should And I think this transition committee can really have an opportunity to restructure on what that looks like for students for workers and really do that And I'm confident that there has been the correct voices at the table to really come up with a plan to really put us in the right direction. I'm not going to pretend that this is like a silver bullet, but it really can be a first step to creating something better. At the federal level, it has been a disaster, but there really wasn't that stakeholder engagement with not only labor unions, but not even higher education institutions, faculty. It was largely, you know, I think some intended negative consequences, but a lot of unintended negative consequences, things like stipends, things like research that have just had devastating impacts throughout higher education, but will continue to have ripple effects throughout our society this year and the next and throughout the next decade.

Great question. I think one of the. Oh, apologies. Thank you. Thank you for the question, representative. I think one of the biggest things we need is a massive increase in public investment into higher education just in general. Right now we are running on fumes in higher education and really is a lot of administrators doing their best to try and piecemeal, you know, higher education together. We have classes with sizes that with 1300 students, they're laying off, you know, graduate assistants who have been grading folks and replacing them with AI grading bots. I don't think any of those people are malicious, but they are doing their best to sort of keep the system going under this current situation. What we really need is a massive investment of public higher education. I think what we've seen is from a lot of those corporations who do donate to the university, those strings often come with attached. And often we often see those corporations turn around and lobby the state legislator and the federal Congress for reduction of that public funding and a reduction of taxes that we really need to invest into our shared prosperity as a state. So that's what I see as like an end all goal. I think we can come up with like a better structure of how to access these services. But at the end of the day, we need a massive investment, a public investment into higher education.

You just turned it off. There you go.

I'm Char Robert, representing myself. I have worked on a number of adult education bills, K-12 level education, but for adults. My most profound realization in my first year of working on workforce issues was that those adults who most needed skills training were often ineligible because they lacked a high school diploma or they had literacy or numeracy skills that were below a ninth grade level. In 2014, Colorado became the last state to create an adult ed and literacy program with House Bill 1085. We anticipated the passage of WIOA by funding adult ed programs who partnered with post-secondary education and training and job placement organizations in a workforce partnership. Funded at less than $1 million a year, this program has been the only ongoing support of state funding for adult education. In 2020, Senate Bill 9 expanded the eligibility to include partnerships between adult education and the K-12 system to serve adults working towards basic literacy and English fluency. In 2023, Senate Bill 7 increased ongoing funding to $3 million a year and permitted community colleges to grant high school diplomas directly. And we added digital literacy to the list of basic skills adult ed programs could teach. About 91% of Colorado jobs definitely or likely require digital skills. So House Bill 1317 makes brief mention of adult ed on page 10 as we owe as Title II. On page 11, line 6, it mentions adult ed including the two federal program and the state program, but only to charge the committee with making recommendations on how the programs will transition to the new department. I understand there is an amendment on the way. There are 9% of Coloradoans between 25 and 65 lacking a high school degree, and such learners should have a voice on the committee. Thank you.

Good afternoon, Madam Chair and esteemed members of the committee. My name is Jody Kammerzell, and I'm the director of the Adams County Workforce and Business Center and a member of the Rocky Mountain Workforce Development Association, known as RMWDA. I appreciate the opportunity to testify today regarding House Bill 26-13-17. While Adams County is currently in an amend position, we are briefing our commissioners on the positive progress being made, and RMWDA is likely to move to a position of support following our meeting next week. We appreciate Speaker McCluskey's leadership in offering amendments that recognize a fundamental truth. Local communities are best positioned to develop solutions that reflect their unique strengths. Our workforce centers operate under a model that is business-led, data-driven, and community-focused, and these amendments help preserve that foundation with a unified approach. Specifically, we support the suggested amendments for three key areas to ensure community voice remains central to decision-making. balance representation we support the addition of accounting commissioner to be to the transit transition advisory committee because this group will shape the workforce landscape for a decade to come it must include those who govern and implement these services daily including RMWDA representatives and local board chairs service continuity we must ensure that our most vulnerable neighbors including dislocated workers individuals with disabilities and justice-involved individuals maintain seamless access to services. These residents require tailored support that a one-size-fit-all model cannot provide. Therefore, the transition plan must include a realistic strategy and cost assessment to prevent them from falling through the cracks. Operational insights, stakeholder engagement must explicitly include local workforce leadership and employees. Their unique expertise is essential to ensuring that state policy aligns with the practical realities of our local labor markets Thank you Welcome Thank you Chair and members of the committee My name is Charles Brennan. I'm the Director of Income and Housing Policy for the Colorado Center on Law and Policy, an anti-poverty organization advancing the rights of every Coloradan. At CCLP, we work at the intersection of income support programs and workforce development. While we advocate for Coloradans who rely on SNAP, Medicaid, and TANF, we also see firsthand how often these are the same individuals who are being served by our state's workforce system, which allows them to gain skill and employment opportunities that they need to improve their economic security. We are excited to see Colorado undertake this effort to unify higher education and workforce development into a single department. While we are in an amend position on House Bill 26, 13, 17, we are grateful to Speaker McCluskey, Representative Taggart, and their Senate sponsors for being open to our feedback. The amendments being introduced today, as we understand, will address many of our concerns, and we are thankful of the sponsors for their willingness us to incorporate our suggestions. We remain in an amend position because we hope the bill can go further in directing the Transition Advisory Committee to develop recommendations on the new department's role in helping Coloradans connect to employment or training opportunities that will allow them to fulfill work requirements for public benefit programs. This matters now more than ever due to HR1, which significantly expanded existing SNAP work requirements and created an entirely new set of work requirements for Medicaid. While CDHS administers SNAP employment and training, which connects SNAP clients subject to work requirements to job training and employment supports, there is no equivalent program for Medicaid. Coloradans who must meet Medicaid work requirements to keep their health coverage have few places to turn except for a state workforce center. In counties where SNAP ENT is unavailable, SNAP clients face the same reality. The bill's legislative declaration calls for connecting all Coloradans, including underserved populations, to education, training, and employment. These are the people who are most impacted by HR1's work requirement. This bill currently says the Transition Committee may consider whether SNAP and TANF align with the new department. We hope to see this evolve. In our vision, this department would not just receive referrals. It would actually actively coordinate with CDHS and HICPF to reduce barriers and ensure that meeting a work requirement is a genuine opportunity to build a skill in economic security, not an administrative obstacle that costs somebody their benefits. Thank you.

Madam Chair, members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today regarding House Bill 1317. My name is Emily Tapia, Workforce Administrator for Arapahoe Douglas Works. We appreciate Speaker McCluskey's engagement with us and the willingness of the Speaker to take our amendments that ensure, as Colorado Works toward a more streamlined talent development system, the transition recognizes workforce system expertise, continuity for job seekers and employers, and the full spectrum of education and workforce needs. Local communities are where workforce policy become practice, employers engage, Coloradans access services, and the impact of state decisions is felt first. If local voice is not meaningfully at the table, the state risks building a transition process that reflects structure on paper, but not the realities of local communities and labor markets. That's why we're asking for these three amendments. First, the Transition Committee needs stronger workforce and local government representation to include those who not only understand strategy but also govern and implement workforce services. As drafted, the committee includes only two local workforce area directors. As this bill will significantly restructure workforce program oversight, the committee should include a local workforce development board chair, a county commissioner, and or a representative from the Rocky Mountain Workforce Development Association Second stakeholder engagement should explicitly include local workforce center employees and leadership as well as county elected officials These stakeholders are central to workforce development, service delivery, local accountability, and implementation. Third, the bill should clarify the population scope that the new department must serve. Local workforce areas serve Coloradans at all phases of life, not limited to post-secondary talent development. We want to ensure that all populations served are represented. These amendments strengthen the bill without changing its intent. They will improve the process by making it more inclusive, grounded, and successful. I respectfully urge you to adopt these amendments to ensure workforce expertise, local implementation experience, and county leadership are fully represented and have a meaningful seat at the table. Thank you.

You're still on mute. My apologies. Thank you for your patience. Members of the committee, thanks for the opportunity to speak today. I am Laura Ware and I'm a coordinator for the Skills to Compete Coalition Colorado. Skills to Compete is the Colorado affiliate of the National Skills Coalition based in Washington, D.C. Our coalition is comprised of members from employment and training organizations, adult learning programs, libraries, public agencies, and advocacy groups. Our primary goal is to advocate for innovative training and employment strategies and the removal of systemic barriers that may arise for low-income individuals and learners of all ages. It is the belief of skills to compete in its members that support services that focus specifically on assisting a student or job seeker pursue and complete a career goal are a very integral part of the workforce development infrastructure. The state's WIOA plan refers to the need for supportive services. However, the current lack of adequate funding makes it difficult for workforce centers to implement a full vision of providing these services. Everyone needs workforce supportive services to achieve career success. They may come from family, friends, public agencies, or community organizations. For low-income Coloradans, they often need to come from public resources. Having the resources available to acquire a computer, cover daily transportation expenses, and those kinds of things are directly related to the workforce development process. And they're not really social services as much as the need, whether needed to be successful. The importance of supportive services was very highlighted when we were going through the pandemic. And we used that as an example. We are very appreciative of the amendments that have been made to the current bill language and support the need for a unified system. Additionally, we would like to recommend that the transition team articulate how services can be provided to students and job seekers. Thank you.

Thank you so much. Good afternoon, Madam Chair and members of the committee. My name is Fiona Boomer, and I'm here on behalf of AFT Colorado. We are here in an amend position on House Bill 1317. First I want to start by thanking the speaker and Representative Taggart for working with us in good faith This is a complex and far proposal to restructure how Colorado approaches post education and workforce development We appreciate the time and attention that has gone into engaging stakeholders, especially labor unions that represent state employees and higher education members as this bill has evolved. We also want to specifically acknowledge the amendments before you today. These changes meaningfully improve the bill and reflect conversations we have had with the sponsors. In particular, we appreciate the inclusion of a faculty member whose primary role is teaching on the Transition Advisory Committee. That matters. Faculty are on the front lines of delivering education and training, and their perspective is essential if this system is going to work for students and workers alike. We are also grateful to see labor organizations and employees of public higher education explicitly included in the stakeholder process. This is a critical improvement. If this effort is truly about aligning education, training, and employment systems, then workers, the people who deliver these programs every day, must have a real seat at the table. Additionally, the amendment strengthened the bill's focus on program quality and transparency, which we strongly support. If Colorado is going to reimagine its workforce system, we must ensure that programs are not only aligned, but high quality, accountable, and delivering real outcomes for learners. This bill proposes a significant consolidation of authority, bringing together higher education and workforce programs into a unified system. Done right, that could create clearer pathways for students and workers. But done poorly, it could risk losing the expertise, relationships, and worker voice that currently exist across these systems. Any reimagined system must center students, workers, and the educators who support them. That means continued meaningful labor engagement. Thanks.

Thank you, Madam Chair. My question is for Jody from Adams County, so I represent South Thornton, obviously Adams County. And so I've been having conversations with the commissioners and with Lisa from ACREP, because ACREP was also formerly in an opposed position. And I just wanted to make sure that now that you've seen the amendments, and I don't expect you to speak for everybody and all the different Adams County organizations, but at least for you, my understanding is that you said that with the amendments, you're now in a position of support. Is that accurate?

So it talks about the transition committee may consider how the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and other programs administered by the Office of Economic Security in the Department of Health and Human Services are aligned with the Department of Higher Ed's mission. Can you kind of let us know what that looks like in your mind?

Thank you for that explanation because I do see amendment language, and I was curious if we meant to identify specifically two areas that were recently addressed by federal law or generally when we talk about changes to federal law as well as programming that may be outside of the Health and Human Services divisions or departments or scope. And, you know, on the one hand, I don't want to hope for anything else to come down the line, but in the event things do come down the line that impact that, would you consider or how would we articulate that issue that perhaps we're not just limited to the health and human services programming? And then if I may, Madam Chair, I think my question for counties as well. I see that there's an appointment by a county commissioner, but there isn't language necessarily or a designee of one, particularly who might run these job force centers, and I was just curious if that was considered.

Great. Thank you, Madam Chair, Thank you, Representative Bacon, for that question. If I understood your question correctly, it was sort of around, you know, what happens if more things start coming down the line that require work requirements as a condition of eligibility? And I think that's a very wise thing to be thinking about now. We just saw recently introduced a new work requirement or proposal for new work requirements in programs provided by the Department of Health or Department of Housing and Urban Development. So things like public housing authority supported programs, Section 8 vouchers, et cetera. And so while currently in that proposed rule, those are optional, in the future they may be required. And so I think it would be wise, as work requirements are an element of eligibility in more of our public benefit programs, to ensure that there is that flexibility to expand that coordination, not just with human services programs that are provided by CDHS, but you know not only HICPF but other departments as well and maybe leave open that possibility of a broader sort of you know way of Helping individuals, you know meet those work requirements and whatever public benefit programs those might be Okay

Representative, we would hope that the commissioner that is appointed to the TAC does have knowledge of the workforce system and is actively engaged. Thank you.

I am here in support of 1317. I want to thank the governor's office as well as the speaker and the amount of work that they've put together to get us to a point where we were not opposed to this particular bill. We spent a tremendous amount of time making sure that apprenticeship was looked at, the sheer amount of work that we put in for end users, for long-term learners in apprenticeship, earn while you learn models. We wanted to make sure that the efforts that were put in to build the state apprenticeship agency were maintained, and we were really proud to be able to get to a point where we were able to support the bill. So in the end, we always believe that the end users need to be able to have opportunity. And I think that as we build along, we have been very successful with State Apprenticeship Agency, where David and I both sit, and we work hard to make sure end users have an opportunity to make a good living, to support their families. We also think that we can be a model to support any kind of failures or end successes in any other parts of the super committee, I think you called it. So I think that we are in a good place. We're going to work hard on this thing and make sure that apprenticeships and users, our partners and contractors, have opportunity to make this thing work for everybody. So thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair and members of the committee. Thank you for your time today. My name is Roger Lowe, and I'm the founder and CEO of the Colorado Equitable Economic Mobility Initiative, or CME. CME unlocks public dollars and public data for post-secondary and workforce programs that, based on rigorous evidence, move Colorado learners into good jobs with good wages. We're here in support of House Bill 261317. Colorado has a lot to be proud of in the workforce development and post-secondary space. And we also have a fragmented system across multiple agencies' funding streams and governance structures. Too many Colorado earners and learners, as you've been hearing today, experience that fragmentation directly. It's hard to navigate, hard to compare options, and hard to know what works. 13-17 is a thoughtful, bipartisan step toward addressing that, and I really want to thank the speaker and Rep Taggart for bringing it. Earlier this month, CME helped lead a coalition letter signed by over 60 organizations and leaders across higher education, workforce, business, and community partners, supporting the core recommendations behind this bill. That coalition reflects growing alignment across sectors that we need a more coherent, outcomes-oriented system. The bill moves Colorado toward a more unified structure across higher education and workforce development, reducing duplication, improving coordination, and making it easier for both learners and employers to engage. Just as important, and this is where CIMI is really especially encouraged, the bill does lay some important initial groundwork for better alignment around a more cohesive, unified outcomes measurement. That is an essential precondition to enable Colorado learners at many different points in their lives and careers to assess the expected earnings trajectory of different post-secondary and training pathways via apples-to-apples projected earnings metrics. Today, those outcomes are too often difficult to compare across programs and systems. We have an opportunity in Colorado to lead the country in building a more transparent, cohesive, evidence-driven system, one that supports providers doing strong work and helps learners make more informed choices. 1317 doesn't solve everything overnight, but it's a really meaningful step forward toward that vision. Good bill, vote yes. We appreciate the bipartisan sponsors, and we hope you support it.

Good afternoon. Thank you. Good afternoon Madam Chair Thank you very much for the time David Scott President of IUC Rocky Mountain and independent electrical contractors Rocky Mountain We represent 300 electrical contractors Merit Shop electrical contractors, 3,000 apprentices throughout IEC. We're in support of House Bill 26, 13, 17. The reason why I'm here today is because I reached out to Representative McCluskey, and she emailed me back and asked if I'd be here. So I asked to be on that committee. I'm not going to talk about the silos or the fragmentation. You've heard that. But I want you to know that businesses want to be strong partners in building Colorado's workforce. When programs are scattered across industries, it can be challenging for employees and future apprentices to navigate the system effectively. So House Bill 26-13-17 takes the important step of addressing the challenge by beginning a thoughtful process to better align Colorado's post-secondary education and workforce development efforts. For employers, that alignment matters. Companies across industries depend on strong partnerships with education and providers to build skilled workforce for our economy. We support the efforts like this because the more coordinated system is going to make it easier for employers to engage, workers to navigate the career pathways, and ultimately a stronger Colorado economy with fewer meetings to accomplish the same shared goal. At the end of the day, this bill is about creating workforce systems to clearly navigate, easier to partner with, and better aligned with skills Colorado employers need for future growth and success in the economy. We are due to your support. Thank you.

Thank you. Madam Chair and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Debbie Brown, and I'm president of the Colorado Business Roundtable. We have a coalition of employers here in the state who are very interested in this bill. Colorado's competitiveness depends on a seamless connection between higher ed, training providers, and employers, a true one-stop talent system that helps learners move from classroom to career with speed and clarity. When business and employers are at the table alongside our colleges, universities, and talent creators, We can align programs with real labor market demand signals and deliver a clear ROI for not only students and workers, but also for employers as well. Today's education and workforce systems are fragmented. You've heard a lot about that today, making it difficult for employers also to engage, for students to navigate pathways to career. So we're solving lots of problems, I think, if we streamline this system. Employers continue to face these workforce shortages and skills misalignment, while too many Coloradans struggle to access or complete the training needed to fill in-demand roles, and more importantly, the roles of the future. HB 1317 takes an important first step to create thoughtful, inclusive transition processes to better align the post-secondary system and workforce system through a coordinated structure and advisory committee, and I'm glad to see that employers will be involved in that system as well and in the task force. We appreciate the bipartisan leadership behind the proposal. Workforce development is an important imperative, I would say one of the key imperatives that we're facing, especially with the AI changes that are coming. And we need to ensure Colorado remains competitive and that we have a workforce system that delivers the choices in the agency for Coloradans. Thank you for your time and consideration. We support HB 1317.

Good afternoon and good afternoon esteemed committee members My name is Randy Johnson I the Executive Director of Emily Griffith Technical College I here in support of HB 261317 and the creation of a unified system of post-secondary talent development and the crucial first step, the creation of a representative transition committee that will develop a transition plan. Let this important bill and this important work move forward. As the leader of the largest public technical college in the state, I've worked endlessly to impress upon the greater system that all education is ultimately career education. What we see frequently in our students seeking a technical college education is that they either were never exposed to the opportunities, the value available in pursuing a career that is anchored in a credential where the demonstration of skills is paramount or that culminates through a registered apprenticeship, or they come to us having lost their job, confused by the systems that they've been going through, and they desperately are in need of a place that will actually help them begin training for a new career. So in addition to system clarity and alignment, I believe this important bill will ultimately take steps to correct misunderstanding and misinformation that occurs about the value of having workforce outcomes attached to the process and purpose of learning, regardless of the level of learning. For too long, we've bifurcated the message of college and career as an either-or proposition, implying to students from the earliest ages that these are different paths and that one is better than the other, but they're not. It's all the same path. It's all career education. We perpetuate this bias to the detriment of not only students, but our state in general. There is no such thing as a lesser career choice, just as there's no such thing as a lesser life. Education culminates most clearly when learners know how to seek meaningful outcomes and make positive contributions, whatever their career choice is. Please support this bill in moving forward and let the process begin to unify post-secondary talent development. Thank you.

Rep Hartzog. Thanks, Madam Chair. You're talking nice music there. So my question is going to be for the two of you. I'm sure you can pay RepTaggert. He'll pay you later for your plug there. That was great. So we've got labor. We've got business. Talk about an ROI. So if this system goes through and is implemented, I'd like to know from both of your perspectives, just what exactly do you see that it will benefit in all the folks that you represent and how that will adapt over time? Because I don't want to see this as a one-time fix. I want to see it adjust whatever happens out there. So can you walk me through what you expect to see? I would like to start. Mr. Scott.

Ms. Brown.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I don't know if I'm supposed to respond, but I sure am happy we did that work. That was a lot of fun. We did a lot of good stuff for apprentices. We did a lot of good stuff for people that didn't really know about apprenticeship. We were getting into communities that didn't really have that touch. So the work that we did collectively was really worth it. And I think that we can expand on that through this process. So I'm looking forward to the work we're going to do.

Speaker McCluskey. Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, we have two amendments. Happy to explain however you'd like to proceed. L-001 and 2. Vice Chair Martinez will start us off.

Second.

Speaker McCluskey. Thank you, Madam Chair. Let me briefly walk through the amendment. Happy to answer any questions. Certainly we heard the need to strengthen our intentions around adult education being a part of the new and unified department. so you will see that reflected more clearly in our ledge deck alongside adult learners, trainees, and job seekers. Additionally, this amendment does clarify that we are looking for a faculty member whose primary duties include teaching or direct instruction of students and not that as our presidents, for example, of our institutions of higher education are also considered faculty, but we are looking for folks with on-the-ground experience. On page six, you'll see that we are adding a 27th position to the TAC, and that's for a county commissioner that delivers workforce development programs. Really want to thank our workforce centers for their advocacy here and happy to include that particular voice. And then we also strengthened our communication around workforce center not only leaders but employees as well as part of the stakeholder process On page eight you will see that employees of public institutions of higher ed, that is now explained in more detail. And that's part of our, again, robust stakeholder intentions. We wanted to be sure that was in statute. We talk a bit more about quality and measuring key outcomes of the programs and outcomes to be more transparent for prospective participants on page 13, and then protect the type 1 entities of both our Office of New Americans and CEDU. That is everything that we have included in Amendment 1. Thank you.

Vice Chair Martinez. I move Amendment L2 to House Bill 1317.

Seconded by Rep. Johnson.

Amel Bacon.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I really appreciate this note and was here when you asked the question, AML Bacon. I'd be happy to explore how we ensure that the work of this group is thoughtful and inclusive and how can we be nimble should additional workforce requirements come along, whether it's housing or maybe other state-provided services or programs. So happy to keep talking about that.

Rep Taggart. Thank you, Madam Chair. I would add to that all of us are familiar with our own local public health agencies, and our local public health agencies touch on departments above health and human services. And I know it was my local public health organization as well as the workforce center that said, Rick, the more you can help us integrate between ourselves, the more helpful. Please don't do anything that separates us, but rather gets us closer and closer together. And so, as you know, the local public health not only do work with our Health and Human Services group, they also work with CDPHE and, for sure, with HCFA on the Medicaid side of things. So I truly believe that this amendment helps that a great deal.

Okay, any other questions on L2? Are there any objections to L2? Seeing none, L2 is adopted. Bill sponsors, do you have any other amendments? No, Madam Chair. Committee members, do you have any amendments? Seeing none, the amendment phase is closed. Wrap up.

Rep Taggart. Thank you, Madam Chair. I'd like to just dedicate my closing comments to Representative Story's question because I think it's a very important question. Please don't anybody else get insulted that your questions were important. But we thread a very delicate needle when it comes to task force and committees. And I know from experience leading a global company for many years that one of the lessons that I learned was when we were about to endeavor into a major new area, whether it be a product area or a service area, When we named that global committee to evaluate, to develop that plan, one of the first things I learned is they were always looking for the vision from me. if you don't establish the vision up front of where this possibly can go, committees flounder because they don't know where they're headed. And so when I say you thread a very important needle, you need to make sure you communicate that vision carefully, which the speaker has done wonderfully, but then you need to step back and let them do what they're really good at in terms of creating a plan that can be implemented, the details. And I think this bill does that. It establishes a vision. It establishes an outline, a platform, so to speak. But it doesn't go so far as to say this is the way it has to be. And the right people are around the table. to do that for us. And I'm confident that it can be done. And I'm also confident that the vision is a very good vision.

Oh, okay.

Seconded by Rep. Johnson.

Rep. Johnson. I apologize, Madam Chair. I didn't realize my button was on. But speaking of the amendments, sponsors, perfect segue. Thank you so much for your diligence and open communications with all the stakeholders. I wanted to make sure I put that on the record. And I've had many of my folks reach out and want to make sure I said thank you to you all for that continued communication. This is a fine needle. Thank you so much for picking this up. It would not be a battle I'd want to pick up because of all the fine tuning, so I'm glad we have both your expertise on this to do that and appreciate the work that you've done. So I'll be a yes today.

Rep. Stewart. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, bill sponsors. I really appreciate your work on this. I think a conversation that's been had in the education space for quite some time is the lack of homegrown talent and importing our talent from other states, not just for a couple of years but for decades. And how do we work to solve for that? So having this North Star, you know, I think is a wonderful first step. And I think to Amel Bacon point how do we build a bridge back to the K space and the CTE in high school And so I look forward to seeing this unfold and these continuing conversations. Thank you.

Brett Phillips. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for bringing the bill. And I especially want to thank you for working with my constituents regarding those amendments. Thank you.

Representatives. Aiken?

Bradfield?

Flannell?

Garcia-Sander?

Gilchrist?

Hamrick?

Hartsook?

Johnson?

Phillips?

Stuart Kaye?

Story?

Martinez?

Madam Chair?