Department of Public Health & Environment Supplemental
Sponsored By: Emily Sirota (Democratic), Jeff Bridges (Democratic)
Signed by Governor
Your PRIA Score
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
16 provisions identified: 16 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
More food help for families and caregivers
Beginning July 1, 2025, the state funds $88.1 million for WIC, mostly from federal money, and staffs 16.9 positions. It also funds $27.9 million for the Child and Adult Care Food Program and staffs 7.8 positions. These dollars keep healthy food benefits and meals flowing to eligible parents, kids, and adults in day care.
Public health department budget and operations
Beginning July 1, 2025, total public health and environment funding is $865,843,328, with some amounts marked as General Fund Exempt or informational. DPHE gets $19,033,020 to pay IT bills to the Office of Information Technology and $9,137,216 plus $43,498 for leased space. The state also funds $30,796,376 for employee health, life, and dental, $141,074 for short‑term disability, and $906,904 for paid family and medical leave insurance. These dollars keep core public health operations, staff benefits, and facilities running.
HIV, STI care and harm reduction
Starting July 1, 2025, the state funds $27,646,875 for Ryan White HIV services, including $10,643,710 from the Drug Assistance Program Fund and $15,552,100 federal money. It provides $4,099,723 and 5.1 staff for HIV, viral hepatitis, and STI work. It also gives $1,800,000 for harm reduction grants and $1,755,247 for program operations from the program cash fund. This expands treatment support and harm reduction services.
Mental health, injury, and substance prevention
Starting July 1, 2025, the state funds $1,596,254 for suicide prevention, $3,679,900 for injury prevention, and $6,245,512 for substance abuse prevention grants. These grants help providers expand prevention programs in communities across the state.
Stronger emergency medical care and poison help
Starting July 1, 2025, the state provides $1.785 million to regional EMS councils and $8.379 million for EMS provider grants. EMS grant funds stay available until all grantees are paid or the end of FY 2026–27. The state also funds $1.595 million for poison control, including $60,100 from marijuana tax revenue. This keeps emergency response and the poison hotline ready statewide.
Support for primary and family health care
Beginning July 1, 2025, the state gives $8,524,856 to the Primary Care Office and transfers $400,000 to the Health Service Corps. It funds $10,126,068 and 9.9 staff for reproductive health services. It provides $6,490,559 and 13.9 staff for maternal and child health from the federal block grant. It also funds $5,110,049 to start, expand, and operate school-based health centers. Some funds come from the Health Services Corps and Marijuana Tax Cash funds.
Hazardous waste cleanup and legal support
Beginning July 1, 2025, the state funds hazardous materials administration ($2,487,397 and 13.7 staff), indirect costs ($2,826,016), and hazardous waste program staffing ($4,224,323 and 16.2 staff). It provides $14,787,381 for operating and maintaining contaminated sites; parts of this money stay available until projects finish or FY 2026–27 ends. It also funds $250,000 for brownfields cleanup with similar availability. Finally, $822,215 is transferred to the Department of Law for CERCLA legal work, funding 2.5 staff. These funds support cleanup, enforcement, and long‑term care of contaminated sites.
Funding to keep health facilities certified
Beginning July 1, 2025, the state funds $11,356,972 and 67.5 staff for Medicaid and Medicare certification work, with some money transferred from Medicaid. It also funds $3,330,759 and 28.9 staff to run the Health Facilities and EMS Division. Another $7,883,269 and 41.5 staff support health facility inspections and surveys. This keeps hospitals and clinics compliant so patients can get covered services.
Tobacco and chronic disease prevention grants
Beginning July 1, 2025, the state funds $41,436,973 for tobacco education, prevention, and quitting programs, mostly from the Tobacco Education Programs Fund. It funds $7,140,879 for chronic disease and cancer prevention grants and $6,269,495 for breast and cervical cancer screening. It also funds $3,384,063 and 6.2 staff for prevention division administration. Tobacco fund spending is noted as not counting toward TABOR limits.
Grants to improve nursing homes
Starting July 1, 2025, the state provides $6,000,000 in grants to nursing homes, funded from the Nursing Home Penalty Cash Fund. These grants support facility operations and improvements for residents.
Higher pay and retirement funding at DPHE
Beginning July 1, 2025, the state boosts DPHE pay and benefits. It funds $12,669,192 for administration staff (91.3 FTE). It adds $5,546,041 for salary survey adjustments and $524,200 for step increases. It pays $3,727,321 as a PERA direct distribution and $20,153,419 toward pension liabilities. It also provides $1,293,323 for leave payouts for cash‑ and federally funded employees.
Support for gun violence prevention and victims
Beginning July 1, 2025, the state funds gun violence prevention and victim services. The Office of Gun Violence Prevention receives $3,054,907 and 4.0 FTE for operations. The Community Crime Victims Grant Program receives $2,145,237 ($895,237 General Fund; $1,250,000 cash funds). Those grant funds stay available until grantees are reimbursed or the end of FY 2026‑27.
Environmental justice help and local grants
Starting July 1, 2025, the state funds $178,966 and 1.2 staff for an Environmental Justice Ombudsperson. It also provides $1,968,535 from the Community Impact Cash Fund for environmental justice grants to local groups. These dollars support outreach, casework, and local cleanup or remediation projects.
More funding for environmental health and recycling
Beginning July 1, 2025, the state funds several DPHE environmental health programs. $2,348,412 supports radiation management staff (20.7 FTE). The Division gets $1,101,570 for administration, $3,992,788 for environmental health, $805,047 for sustainability, and $582,770 for animal feeding operations. $5,419,212 funds recycling projects, $569,222 supports a household medication take‑back program, and $160,000 supports asbestos and lead paint abatement in rural housing.
Health equity and sickle cell outreach funding
Starting July 1, 2025, the state funds $2,207,554 and 17.6 staff for the Office of Health Equity and Environmental Justice. It provides $6,335,459 for Health Disparities Grants, including $4.7 million from the General Fund. It transfers $2,336,696 to the Health Disparities Grant Fund and allows an increase if Amendment 35 tobacco tax revenue is higher. It also gives $200,000 and 0.2 staff for sickle cell outreach.
Support for local and environmental health
Beginning July 1, 2025, local public health agencies get $2,044,273 for environmental health services, with $222,622 from the Marijuana Tax Cash Fund. The Toxicology and Environmental Epidemiology Unit gets $2,755,709 and 17 staff, with some money from environmental control cash funds. This strengthens local health protections and environmental monitoring.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
Emily Sirota
Democratic • House
Jeff Bridges
Democratic • Senate
Cosponsors
Junie Joseph
Democratic • House
Julie McCluskie
Democratic • House
Monica Duran
Democratic • House
Sheila Lieder
Democratic • House
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
Actions Timeline
Governor Signed
3/12/2026HouseSigned by the Speaker of the House
3/11/2026HouseSigned by the President of the Senate
3/11/2026SenateSent to the Governor
3/11/2026HouseSenate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
2/20/2026SenateSenate Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments
2/19/2026SenateSenate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
2/18/2026SenateIntroduced In Senate - Assigned to Appropriations
2/17/2026SenateHouse Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
2/12/2026HouseHouse Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee
2/11/2026HouseHouse Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
2/10/2026HouseIntroduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations
2/6/2026House
Bill Text
Engrossed
Final Act
Introduced
Reengrossed
Rerevised
Revised
Signed Act
Related Bills
HB26-1133 — Traveling Animal Protection Act Environmental Education Program
SB26-021 — Clean Fleet Enterprise Replace Aging Diesel Trucks
SB26-110 — Revised Public Assistance Final Disposition Expense Terms
SB26-126 — Licensure for Experienced Out-of-State Teachers
SB26-031 — Use of Prescription Product with Controlled Substance
SB26-077 — Epilepsy-Related Mortality Awareness