My Legislations
Listed below are the the details of details & summaries regarding all 19 bills passed and signed by the Governor in the 2023 legislative session, organized by issue. More information about my work in 2024 is forthcoming - to keep the most up to date with the status of my bills, please check out my General Assembly website.
Committee Assignments
Finance Committee - Vice Chair
Finance is the foundation of the state. The House Finance Committee generally considers matters related to a broad range of public finance proposals including legislation that affects the state's revenue and tax structure. I am honored to serve as the Vice Chair of such a vital committee that serves an essential role to our legislature.
Child Welfare System Interim Study Committee - Member
Child Welfare is an area that deeply impacts so many Coloradans lives in direct and meaningful ways. This interim committee will be taking a holistic look at Colorado's child welfare system to address the major factors facing the system to better serve the state's children and families. The responsibility of examining a system that is designed to promote the well-being of our most vulnerable community members is one I do not take lightly.
Aerospace and Defense Caucus Co-Chair
The Caucus consists of state legislators who advocates for the massive impact that the space and defense industries have on the state's economy within the state.
Energy & Environment:
The House Energy & Environment Committee generally considers matters concerning energy and environment. In addition, the committee also has legislative oversight responsibility for divisions of the Department of Natural Resources and Department of Public Health and Environment, the Public Utilities Commission, and the Colorado Energy Office.
Serving as Vice Chair on the Finance Committee
2023 Legislation
Listed below are details & summaries regarding all 19 bills passed and signed by the Governor in the 2023 legislative session, organized by issue.
Courts and Judicial
During this session, I passed bills to support workers and organizations in the criminal justice system.
Licensed Legal Paraprofessionals
Session: 2024 | Status: PASSED ✅|
Sponsors: Representative English, Representative Joseph, Senator Roberts, Senator Gardner
Summary: This bill approved the licensure of of legal paraprofessionals to represent clients and perform certain types of legal services related to domestic matters.
To read more, click here
Rep. Sharbini and I presenting HB23-1033 to the
House Judiciary Committee.
HB24-1289
Workload Standards for Office of State Public Defender
Session: 2024 | Status: UNDER CONSIDERATION |
Sponsors: Representative Vigil, Representative Joseph, Senator Michaelson Jenet, Senator Roberts
Summary: This bill requires the office of state public defender to implement workload standards for determining when a deputy public defender's workload is excessive pursuant to the federal and state constitutions and the Colorado rules of professional conduct.
To read more, click here
Session : 2024 | Status: UNDER CONSIDERATION | Sponsors: Representative Joseph, Representative Lindsay, Senator Roberts, Senator Priola
Summary: This bill creates the equal justice fund authority as a special purpose authority to administer the equal justice fund for the purpose of providing monetary support to local organizations that provide legal representation and legal advice to low-income individuals. The bill requires certain court filings to incur an additional $20 filing fee that must be annually deposited into the equal justice fund. The bill prohibits a judge from requiring indigent parties to pay the docket fee for a civil action.
To read more, click here
Governor Polis signing HB23-1280 into law.
Chidren and Domestic Matters
I passed two bills that focused on keeping children in school, especially those with disabilities.
Bilingual Childcare Licensing Resources
Session: 2024 | Status: UNDER CONSIDERATION | Sponsors: Representative McLachlan, Representative Joseph, Senator Ginal, Senator Rich
Summary: This bill requires the Department of Early Childhood to provide education in plain languages and prevalent languages to provide individuals with the complete paperwork required to meet childcare licensing requirements.
The bill will additionally require the department to offer services in prevalent languages for those wishing to work in childcare services.
To read more, see here
Lt. Governor Primavera signing HB23-1168 into law.
Rights for Youth Division of Youth Services Facilities
Session: 2024 | Status: PASSED ✅ |
Sponsors: Representative Joseph, Representative Ortiz, Senator Gonzalez, Senator Michaelson
Summary: This bill establishes a detailed bill of rights for the youth under the responsibility of the Department of human services, even if youths fall under different circumstances.
To read more, see here.
Rep. Gonzales-Gutierrez and I with testifiers for
HB23-1291 after the House Education Committee hearing.
Fiscal Policy and Taxes
Probate, Trust, and Fiduciaries
Housing is a major issue impacting Coloradans. During the session, I passed two bills to protect those facing eviction and help provide more middle income housing.
Lodged Wills
Session: 2024 | Status: UNDER CONSIDERATION | Sponsors: Representative Joseph, Representative
Summary: The bill requires a landlord and residential tenant to participate in mandatory mediation prior to commencing an eviction action if the residential tenant receives supplemental security income, federal social security disability insurance, or cash assistance through the Colorado works program, barring certain exceptions. Failure to comply with mandatory mediation is an affirmative defense.
Rep. Ortiz and I with testifiers for HB23-1120 after the
House Judiciary Committee Hearing.
SB23-035: Middle-income Housing Authority Act
Session: 2023 | Status: SIGNED ✅ | Sponsors: Senator Bridges, Senator Moreno, Representative Herod, Representative Joseph
Summary: Under current law, the Middle-income Housing Authority has the power to make and enter into contracts or agreements with public or private entities to facilitate public-private partnerships. The bill clarifies this power of the authority to enter into public-private partnerships.
Improving Quality of Life for All Coloradans
There are three bills that I passed that focus on worker benefits, gun safety, and healthcare
SB23-017: Additional Uses Paid Sick Leave
Session: 2023 | Status: SIGNED ✅ | Sponsors: Senator Winter, Representative Willford, Representative Joseph
Summary: The bill expands the use of paid sick leave. It allows an employee to use accrued paid sick leave when the employee needs to care for a family member whose school or place of care has been closed due to inclement weather, loss of power, loss of heating, loss of water, or other unexpected occurrence or event that results in the closure of the family member's school or place of care.
Sick leave can be used to grieve, attend funeral services or a memorial, or deal with financial and legal matters that arise after the death of a family member.
The bill also expands sick leave to cover the evacuation of the employee's place of residence due to inclement weather, loss of power, loss of heating, loss of water, or other unexpected occurrence or event that results in the need to evacuate the employee's residence.
Rep. Willford and I presenting SB23-017 to the House Committee on Business Affairs & Labor
SB23-279: Unserialized Firearms And Firearm Components
Session: 2023 | Status: SIGNED ✅ | Sponsors: Senator Fields, Senator Hansen, Representative Boesenecker, Representative Joseph
Summary: This bill prohibits knowingly possessing or transporting an unfinished firearm frame or receiver, unless it has been imprinted with a serial number as required by federal law.
Under this bill, a person cannot knowingly sell, offer to sell, or transfer a firearm or frame or receiver of a firearm that is not imprinted with a serial number. Finally, the bill prohibits manufacturing or causing to be manufactured a firearm, or frame or receiver of a firearm; unless the manufacturer is a federally licensed firearm manufacturer.
Governor Polis signing SB23-279 into law.
SB23-288: Coverage for Doula Services
Session: 2023 | Status: SIGNED ✅ | Sponsors: Senator Rhonda Fields, Senator Janet Buckner, Representative English, Representative Joseph
Summary: The bill requires the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing to initiate a stakeholder process to promote the expansion and utilization of doula services for pregnant and postpartum medicaid recipients. The bill requires the department to seek federal authorization for medicaid providers to provide doula services for pregnant and postpartum people.
The bill creates a doula scholarship program to provide financial support to eligible individuals to pursue doula training and certification. To be eligible for a scholarship, individuals must agree to enroll as a doula provider and provide doula services to recipients.
Lt. Governor Primavera signing HB23-1168 into law.
Helping Children and Families
Child support and custody were major focuses of mine during this session.
HB23-1027: Parent And Child Family Time
Session: 2023 | Status: SIGNED ✅ | Sponsors: Representative Joseph, Representative Weissman, Senator Winter
Summary: The bill defines "family time", changes the term "visitation" to "family time" in various places in statute, creates new requirements for determinations in dependency and neglect court proceedings, and requires the task force on high-quality family time to commission and evaluate a state study.
Myself and the mothers who came out to testify for HB23-1027 to the House Judiciary Committee.
HB23-1157: Uniform Unregulated Child Custody Transfer Act
Session: 2023 | Status: SIGNED ✅ | Sponsors: Representative Joseph, Representative Weinberg, Senator Exum, Senator Gardner
Summary: The bill prohibits transferring custody of a child by means other than a legal adoption or guardianship proceeding, a judicial award of custody, other judicial or tribal action, or Colorado's safe haven law; and soliciting or advertising to transfer custody of or locate a child in a manner that violates the requirements of the act or to facilitate such a transfer.
The bill requires child placement agencies facilitating the adoption to provide prospective adoptive parents with general information about adopting children with health or behavioral issues, specific information on the physical and psychological health of the prospective adoptee, and guidance and instruction on dealing with the potential challenges that may arise in raising the adoptee. The bill also requires the agencies provide information on accessing certain post-placement and post-adoption financial assistance and supportive services to the adoptee and parent to help preserve the adoption.
SB23-173: Colorado Child Support Commission Recommendations
Session: 2023 | Status: SIGNED ✅ | Sponsors: Senator Felds, Senator Liston, Representative Bradley, Representative Joseph
Summary: The bill enacts recommendations from the state Child Support Commission.
After SB23-173 passed unanimously in the Public & Behavioral Health & Human Services Committee