SB 181

NOTE: This bill has been prepared for the signatures of the appropriate legislative
officers and the Governor. To determine whether the Governor has signed the bill
or taken other action on it, please consult the legislative status sheet, the legislative
history, or the Session Laws.
     SENATE BILL 26-181
     BY SENATOR(S) Amabile and Kirkmeyer, Bridges, Bright, Kipp, Mullica,
     Pelton B., Pelton R., Rich, Simpson, Coleman;
     also REPRESENTATIVE(S) Brown and Taggart, Sirota, Clifford, Duran,
     Froelich, Lindsay, Rutinel, McCluskie.
     CONCERNING MODIFYING THE COLORADO WORKS PROGRAM.
     Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
            SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 26-2-706.5, amend (4)
     introductory portion and (4)(a) as follows:
             26-2-706.5. Restrictions on length of participation - rules.
          (4) No later than July 1, 2023, The state board shall promulgate
     ADOPT rules:
             (a) Establishing statewide standards and procedures that require
     PERMIT counties to offer extensions beyond the sixty-month lifetime
     maximum for all households that demonstrate good cause, which includes,
     but is not limited to, an applicant or participant who is
     ________
     Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material added to existing law; dashes
     through words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law and such material is not part of
     the act.
        (I) A child-only case;
      (II) the head of a single parent household unit and has a child under
one year of age; or LESS THAN ONE YEAR OLD; AND
       (III) Experiencing hardship, as defined in rules promulgated by the
state board; and
       SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 26-2-709, amend
(1)(b)(I); repeal (1)(b)(III)(B), (1)(b)(III)(C), and (1)(b)(IV); and add
(1)(b)(I.5) as follows:
       26-2-709. Benefits - cash assistance - programs - rules -
legislative intent - repeal.
        (1) Standard of need - basic cash assistance grant.
        (b) (I) In establishing the calculation for determining the amount of
an eligible applicant's or participant's basic cash assistance grant, the state
department shall ensure that the amount of the basic cash assistance grant
that a participant or applicant receives for the state fiscal year commencing
July 1, 2022, is equal to or exceeds one hundred percent of the amount of
basic cash assistance in 2021, plus ten percent. For the state fiscal year
commencing July 1, 2024 JULY 1, 2028, and each state fiscal year thereafter,
the amount of basic cash assistance must be equal to or exceed the amount
of basic cash assistance for the previous state fiscal year plus a two percent
cost of living adjustment or a cost of living adjustment that is equal to the
average of the federal social security administration's cost of living
adjustment for that fiscal year plus the previous two fiscal years, whichever
is greater.
      (I.5) (A) FOR THE STATE FISCAL YEARS COMMENCING JULY 1, 2026,
AND JULY 1, 2027, A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT IS NOT APPLIED TO AN
APPLICANT'S OR PARTICIPANT'S BASIC CASH ASSISTANCE GRANT.
        (B) THIS SUBSECTION (1)(b)(I.5) IS REPEALED, EFFECTIVE JULY 31,
2028.
        (III) (B) If the total statewide county TANF reserve falls below
fifteen percent of the county block grant amount, the general assembly shall
PAGE 2-SENATE BILL 26-181
appropriate money from the Colorado long-term works reserve to the county
block grant until the balance of the total statewide county TANF reserve
exceeds fifteen percent of the county block grant amount or until the
Colorado long-term works reserve falls below twenty-five percent of the
state block grant amount.
        (C) If the Colorado long-term works reserve falls below twenty-five
percent of the state block grant amount and the total statewide county
TANF reserve exceeds fifteen percent of the county block grant amount, the
counties shall fund the TANF program from available TANF funds until the
total statewide county TANF reserve falls below fifteen percent of the
county block grant amount. Counties are only required to spend available
TANF money, including county TANF reserves and the maintenance of
effort, for the Colorado works program.
        (IV) Beginning January 2023, and each January thereafter, the joint
budget committee shall at least annually review the balance of the Colorado
long-term works reserve and the total statewide county TANF reserve, and,
if the joint budget committee determines that the balance of the Colorado
long-term works reserve will fall below twenty-five percent of the state
block grant amount and the balance of the total statewide county TANF
reserve will fall below fifteen percent of the county block grant amount in
the current or next state fiscal year, the general assembly shall appropriate
money from the state general fund or the unclaimed property trust fund to
cover any increase in basic cash assistance above the amount of basic cash
assistance in state fiscal year 2021-22 until the balance of the Colorado
long-term works reserve exceeds twenty-five percent of the state block
grant amount and the total statewide county TANF reserve exceeds fifteen
percent of the county block grant amount.
        SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 26-2-709.5, repeal (2)
as follows:
       26-2-709.5. Exit interviews and follow-up interviews of
participants - reporting.
        (2) If the state department, in consultation with counties, identifies
additional need for funding to administer the works program, the state
department is strongly encouraged to request state general fund money or,
if the balance of the state TANF reserve is greater than the mandatory floor,
PAGE 3-SENATE BILL 26-181
appropriate additional state TANF money to fund counties' administration
of the works program.
        SECTION 4. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 26-2-714, repeal (11)
as follows:
       26-2-714. County block grants formula - use of money - rules.
       (11) The works allocation committee shall:
        (a) Review, at least quarterly, the balance of the Colorado long-term
works reserve, the balance of the total statewide county TANF reserve, and
the amount of basic cash assistance grants provided to participants to
monitor whether the balance of the Colorado long-term works reserve will
fall below twenty-five percent of the state block grant amount and whether
the balance of the total statewide county TANF reserve will fall below
fifteen percent of the county block grant amount;
       (b) Submit a written report to the joint budget committee detailing
the current Colorado long-term works reserve level, the total statewide
county TANF reserve level as a whole and by county, and any projections
regarding deficits in the reserves; and
        (c) Establish a mitigation fund for counties whose TANF reserves
fall below fifteen percent of the county's block grant amount.
       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
PAGE 4-SENATE BILL 26-181
the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state
institutions.
____________________________        ____________________________
James Rashad Coleman, Sr.  Julie McCluskie
PRESIDENT OF  SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
THE SENATE  OF REPRESENTATIVES
____________________________        ____________________________
Esther van Mourik  Vanessa Reilly
SECRETARY OF  CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE
THE SENATE  OF REPRESENTATIVES
       APPROVED________________________________________
                          (Date and Time)
                 _________________________________________
                Jared S. Polis
                GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF COLORADO
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