(The Center Square) – The Colorado House Appropriations Committee met Tuesday to discuss supplemental appropriations for many state departments.
Most notably, the committee approved Senate Bill 25-113, which provides an additional $64.1 million for school funding.
Of that, an adjustment of $38.5 million was due to an increase in the number of students by approximately 3,100.
“The general assembly recognizes that for the 2024-25 budget year the actual funded pupil count is higher than anticipated when the appropriation was established in the 2024 legislative session,” said the bill.
It also addresses lower property tax revenues at the local level, leading to the state covering a $25.6 million gap.
Another significant supplemental bill was Senate Bill 25-93, which adjusted healthcare funding for the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing. The bill covers additional costs caused by both increased utilization of Medicaid programs and higher costs per patient.
“There is an adjustment to release a restriction related to $223.7 million in over-expenditures that occurred in fiscal year 24-25,” explained Rep. Shannon Bird, vice chair of the House Appropriations Committee. “Healthcare expenditures under the Medicaid program are an entitlement, so the state is responsible to honor its obligation to cover these expenses.”
The bill also funds another $324.2 million net increase related to medical services, premiums, and changes.
“Most of these are all primarily attributable to higher than expected costs per person,” Bird said.
Of the 28 bills considered by the committee, almost all were passed with no discussion or amendment.
This was not the case with Senate Bill 25-105, which addressed funding to the Department of Public Safety, specifically allocated for the Colorado Bureau of Investigations.
The bill adds a footnote to clarify the CBI has the spending authority to use funds to accelerate testing of the current backlog of sexual assault kits, which stands at 1,407 kits, with a current average wait time of 529 days for results.
The committee voted to approve the bill, after hearing from expert witnesses.
“This supplemental is needed to ensure that resources available within CBI can be allocated to address the urgent crisis of this backlog,” said Elizabeth Newman, public policy director for the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault.
Upon consideration of the bill last week, the state Senate added an amendment allowing the current allocated funds to roll-forward to the upcoming fiscal year.
While Joel Malecka, legislative director for the Department of Public Safety, argued the roll-forward was needed to address the backlog, many committee members expressed concerns.
“We need to be sure that what is happening within CBI is corrected, and that we can feel confident that when we appropriate funds, that the law will be followed, that the needs of victims will be met and will be met in a timely manner,” said Rep. Emily Sirota, chair of the House Appropriations Committee.
The House committee voted to remove the Senate’s amendment granting roll-forward authority, while stating it would quickly move to address the additional funding necessary to deal with the backlog in the coming fiscal year.