ColoradoHB25-12742025 Regular SessionHouseWALLET

Healthy School Meals for All Program

Sponsored By: Dafna Michaelson Jenet (Democratic), Katie Wallace (Democratic), Lorena Garcia (Democratic)

Signed by Governor

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

7 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 1 costs, 2 mixed.

High earners face tighter tax deductions

The law applies Colorado deduction addbacks to taxpayers with federal adjusted gross income of at least $300,000 for 2023–2025. Beginning January 1, 2026, approval of the November 2025 revenue measure limits deductions to $1,000 for single returns and $2,000 for joint returns. These replace $12,000 and $16,000 limits; deductions above the new limits increase Colorado taxable income, not tax dollar-for-dollar. If voters reject both measures, alternate limits above $12,000 and $16,000 apply, with exact amounts tied to revenue calculations. The post-2025 rules stop for tax years starting after the meal program or its successor is repealed; the temporary subsection expires December 31, 2028.

Meal-worker grants must fund worker pay

School food authorities must spend 100% of wage grants on raises or stipends for employees directly preparing and serving meals. They must provide the pay increase during the budget year they receive the grant and submit required records. Reserve-based amounts replace the old grant formula: the greater of $3,000 or 12 cents per qualifying lunch. The law does not set each worker’s share.

Taxpayer refunds depend on meal vote

Rejection of the November 2025 revenue-retention measure triggers $12.430388 million in refunds by June 30, 2026. The Department of Revenue must choose a reasonable way to divide the money. That method must include Proposition FF taxpayers with federal adjusted gross income of at least $300,000. The law does not specify each household’s payment.

Dedicated funding keeps school meals running

The law removes Part 3’s July 1, 2026 sunset and creates an account supporting local food purchases and meal-worker pay. Starting July 1, 2026, annual State Education Fund transfers match estimated meal-program revenue; the first transfer also includes the prior fiscal year. Account spending requires annual legislative approval. Beginning in 2023–24, required meal funding matches specified deduction-addback revenue, calculated without the temporary tax-rate reduction. Approval of the revenue measure adds required funding beginning in 2026–27; rejection of both measures instead caps required funding at full program costs.

Schools get flexible meal advisory committees

Participating school food authorities qualify for local-food grants by committing to an advisory committee and meeting the program’s other statutory requirements. Authorities serving one million or fewer lunches in 2023–24 can share committees with state education department approval. Committees can gather student feedback, suggest local ingredients, hold taste tests, reduce waste, and support cooking from scratch. Authorities can hire an outside nonprofit to organize and guide the committee. The grants encourage local purchases, especially from small and medium-sized farms and ranches.

Local school-food aid favors smaller providers

Subject to annual funding approval, Colorado must spend $1 million yearly on local school-food reimbursements and technical-assistance grants. Providers generally qualify only below 2,150,000 lunches, with preference below 1,250,000, measured two school years before the application year. The department can select providers outside the limit if awards can reach the greater of $1,000 or 5 cents per lunch. Each October after October 2024 when reimbursements are issued, providers receive the amount set by the program’s distribution rules.

School grants rise with cash reserves

Reserve-based awards replace the old local-food grant formula of $5,000 or 25 cents per lunch, whichever was greater. Below 10% reserves, local-food awards target the estimated account balance, wage awards equal the greater of $3,000 or 6 cents per lunch, and technical grants total $250,000. At 10%–under 25%, food awards are 10–12.5 cents per lunch, wages are 6 cents with a $3,000 minimum, and technical grants total $2.5 million; at 25%–under 40%, those amounts are 16–18.75 cents, 9 cents with the same minimum, and $3.75 million. For fiscal years beginning July 1, 2029 or later, 40%–under 50% reserves provide 25 cents for food, 12 cents for wages with the same minimum, and $5 million for technical grants; awards must rise above those levels at 50% or more. Counts use lunches from two school years earlier, specified awards generally cannot fall year-to-year except under stated exceptions, and technical grants can support more work developing and using local foods.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Cosponsors

Andrew Boesenecker
Democratic • House
Amy Paschal
Democratic • House
Brianna Titone
Democratic • House
Chad Clifford
Democratic • House
Eliza Hamrick
Democratic • House
Emily Sirota
Democratic • House
Elizabeth Velasco
Democratic • House
Jennifer Bacon
Democratic • House
Jamie Jackson
Democratic • House
Javier Mabrey
Democratic • House
Jacque Phillips
Democratic • House
Jenny Willford
Democratic • House
Kyle Brown
Democratic • House
Karen McCormick
Democratic • House
Katie Stewart
Democratic • House
Lindsay Gilchrist
Democratic • House
Michael Carter
Democratic • House
Monica Duran
Democratic • House
Meg Froelich
Democratic • House
Mandy Lindsay
Democratic • House
Matthew Martinez
Democratic • House
Manny Rutinel
Democratic • House
Naquetta Ricks
Democratic • House
Regina English
Democratic • House
Sean Camacho
Democratic • House
Sheila Lieder
Democratic • House
Steven Woodrow
Democratic • House
Tammy Story
Democratic • House
William Lindstedt
Democratic • Senate
Yara Zokaie
Democratic • House
Cathy Kipp
Democratic • Senate
Dylan Roberts
Democratic • Senate
Sen. F. Winter
Affiliation unavailable
Iman Jodeh
Democratic • Senate
Judy Amabile
Democratic • Senate
Jeff Bridges
Democratic • Senate
James Coleman
Democratic • Senate
Julie Gonzales
Democratic • Senate
Janice Marchman
Democratic • Senate
Kyle Mullica
Democratic • Senate
Lisa Cutter
Democratic • Senate
Lindsey Daugherty
Democratic • Senate
Mike Weissman
Democratic • Senate
Nick Hinrichsen
Democratic • Senate
Robert Rodriguez
Democratic • Senate
Tony Exum
Democratic • Senate
Tom Sullivan
Democratic • Senate

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 180 • No: 97

House vote • 5/7/2025

Senate amendments: Concur

Yes: 42 • No: 22

House vote • 5/7/2025

Senate amendments: Repass

Yes: 42 • No: 22

Senate vote • 5/6/2025

Third reading: Bill

Yes: 24 • No: 11

Senate vote • 4/30/2025

Refer House Bill 25-1274 to the Committee of the Whole.

Yes: 4 • No: 3

Senate vote • 4/24/2025

Refer House Bill 25-1274 to the Committee on Appropriations.

Yes: 6 • No: 3

House vote • 4/21/2025

Third reading: Bill

Yes: 40 • No: 22

House vote • 4/11/2025

Refer House Bill 25-1274 to the Committee of the Whole.

Yes: 8 • No: 3

House vote • 3/10/2025

Refer House Bill 25-1274, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations.

Yes: 7 • No: 6

House vote • 3/6/2025

Refer House Bill 25-1274, as amended, to the Committee on Finance.

Yes: 7 • No: 5

Actions Timeline

Governor Signed
6/3/2025House
Signed by the President of the Senate
5/16/2025Senate
Signed by the Speaker of the House
5/16/2025House
Sent to the Governor
5/16/2025House
House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
5/7/2025House
Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
5/6/2025Senate
House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily
5/6/2025House
Senate Third Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
5/5/2025Senate
Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Floor
5/2/2025Senate
Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
4/30/2025Senate
Senate Committee on Finance Refer Unamended to Appropriations
4/24/2025Senate
Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance
4/22/2025Senate
House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
4/21/2025House
House Third Reading Laid Over to 04/21/2025 - No Amendments
4/17/2025House
House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee
4/16/2025House
House Second Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
4/15/2025House
House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
4/11/2025House
House Committee on Finance Refer Amended to Appropriations
3/10/2025House
House Committee on Education Refer Amended to Finance
3/6/2025House
Introduced In House - Assigned to Education
2/19/2025House

Bill Text

Engrossed
PDF
Final Act
PDF
House Education Preamend
PDF
House Finance Preamend
PDF
Introduced
PDF
Reengrossed
PDF
Rerevised
PDF
Revised
PDF
Signed Act
PDF

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