# Colorado HB26-1259: Department of Early Childhood Clean-Up Colorado HB26-1259, Department of Early Childhood Clean-Up, is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Emily Sirota (Democratic), Janice Marchman (Democratic), Jeff Bridges (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-05-05 (Governor Signed); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1259-2026A - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Colorado HB26-1259 - State: Colorado - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Department of Early Childhood Clean-Up - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-02-19 - Last action: 2026-05-05, Governor Signed - Sponsors: Emily Sirota (Democratic), Janice Marchman (Democratic), Jeff Bridges (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 45 - Subjects: Education & School Finance (Pre & K-12) - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 7 (211 yes, 65 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 8 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Stronger privacy for children's care records: benefit, low. Universal preschool providers, state-licensed child care facilities, and the Department of Early Childhood must keep identifying family records confidential. This covers identifying details about children and their relatives. They cannot release identifying child-level data except to the legally de… - Abuse protections cover more care facilities: benefit, low. Colorado's institutional abuse definition now includes any facility licensed under the state's Part 3 child care rules. It previously referred only to family child care homes licensed under those rules. This brings more licensed facilities within the definition used for institutional abuse. - Coordinated early childhood help for families: benefit, low. Colorado's Early Childhood Leadership Commission must plan and track a coordinated system of early childhood supports. It must work with state and local agencies that provide early childhood or human services. The system must include family support, including help for families to improve their fina… - Tribal oversight replaces state licensing rules: benefit, low. Child care facilities approved, certified, or licensed by a tribal government agency are exempt from the state's Part 3 requirements. The tribal agency must have operating standards and inspect or monitor the facility. This exemption recognizes qualifying tribal oversight; it does not create a hous… - More curriculum choices for preschool grants: benefit, low. Early childhood programs seeking social-emotional learning grants have more curriculum choices. Curricula must still be proven, research-based, support healthy youth development, and have been used successfully by early childhood providers. They no longer need University of Colorado identification… - Child mental health program ends younger: cost, low. Colorado's early childhood mental health consultation program now covers the period before birth through age six, rather than age eight. Children ages seven and eight are no longer within this program's age range. The same narrower range applies to the program's model guidance and related professio… - Child care help with income limits: mixed, medium. Counties must provide child care assistance when families leave the Works Program, without a separate application. This automatic transition excludes families leaving for work whose income exceeds 85% of state median income for their family size. Counties must check eligibility again within 12 mont… - Preschool funds follow school-based funding rules: mixed, low. Colorado can fund universal preschool through its General Fund or State Education Fund. Beginning in fiscal year 2026–27, annual baseline funding equals each district's 2022–23 three-year-old enrollment times its 2022–23 per-student funding rate, added statewide. The department distributes this mon… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Emily Sirota (Democratic), House - Sponsor: Janice Marchman (Democratic), Senate - Sponsor: Jeff Bridges (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Andrew Boesenecker (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Alex Valdez (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Jennifer Bacon (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Jamie Jackson (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Junie Joseph (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Javier Mabrey (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Julie McCluskie (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Jacque Phillips (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Jenny Willford (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Kyle Brown (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Kenny Nguyen (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Lorena Garcia (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Lindsay Gilchrist (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Lori Goldstein (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Michael Carter (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Monica Duran (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Meg Froelich (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Mandy Lindsay (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Meghan Lukens (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Rick Taggart (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Sean Camacho (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Sheila Lieder (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Tammy Story (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Yara Zokaie (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Sen. A. Benavidez - Cosponsor: Barbara Kirkmeyer (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Cathy Kipp (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Chris Kolker (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Dylan Roberts (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Iman Jodeh (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Judy Amabile (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: James Coleman (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Julie Gonzales (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Kyle Mullica (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Katie Wallace (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Lisa Cutter (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Lindsey Daugherty (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Matt Ball (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Marc Snyder (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Mike Weissman (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Nick Hinrichsen (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Scott Bright (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Tony Exum (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Tom Sullivan (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: William Lindstedt (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-04-02 | House | Senate amendments: Repass | pass | 44 | 19 | | | 2026-04-02 | House | Senate amendments: Concur | pass | 45 | 18 | | | 2026-04-01 | Senate | Third reading: Amend (l.009) | pass | 35 | 0 | | | 2026-04-01 | Senate | Third reading: Bill | pass | 32 | 3 | | | 2026-03-25 | Senate | Refer House Bill 26-1259, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. | pass | 4 | 3 | | | 2026-03-13 | House | Third reading: Bill | pass | 44 | 18 | | | 2026-03-11 | House | Refer House Bill 26-1259 to the Committee of the Whole. | pass | 7 | 4 | | ## Actions (14) - 2026-05-05: Governor Signed (House) - 2026-04-28: Signed by the Speaker of the House (House) - 2026-04-28: Signed by the President of the Senate (Senate) - 2026-04-28: Sent to the Governor (House) - 2026-04-02: House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass (House) - 2026-04-01: Senate Third Reading Passed with Amendments - Floor (Senate) - 2026-03-31: Senate Third Reading Laid Over to 04/01/2026 - No Amendments (Senate) - 2026-03-30: Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Committee (Senate) - 2026-03-25: Senate Committee on Education Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole (Senate) - 2026-03-18: Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Education (Senate) - 2026-03-13: House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments (House) - 2026-03-12: House Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments (House) - 2026-03-11: House Committee on Education Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole (House) - 2026-02-19: Introduced In House - Assigned to Education (House) ## Bill text - Engrossed: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/113212/download) - Final Act: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115185/download) - Introduced: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/112325/download) - Reengrossed: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/113267/download) - Rerevised: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/113926/download) - Revised: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/113853/download) - Senate Education Preamend: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/113733/download) - Signed Act: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115967/download) ## Related bills - HB26-1250: Procedures Related to Civil Asset Forfeiture (signed) - HB26-1298: Background Checks for Child Welfare Placements (signed) - HB26-1414: Medical Record Requests (signed) - SB26-155: Increase Access Homeowner's Insurance Enterprise (signed) - HB26-1429: County Administration Public Assistance Programs (signed) - HB26-1430: Transportation Funding Adjustments (signed) ## Sources - [Engrossed (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/113212/download) - [Final Act (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115185/download) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/112325/download) - [Reengrossed (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/113267/download) - [Rerevised (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/113926/download) - [Revised (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/113853/download) - [Senate Education Preamend (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/113733/download) - [Signed Act (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115967/download) ## Related - [HB26-1250: Procedures Related to Civil Asset Forfeiture](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1250-2026A) - [HB26-1298: Background Checks for Child Welfare Placements](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1298-2026A) - [HB26-1414: Medical Record Requests](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1414-2026A) - [SB26-155: Increase Access Homeowner's Insurance Enterprise](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-SB26-155-2026A) - [HB26-1429: County Administration Public Assistance Programs](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1429-2026A) - [HB26-1430: Transportation Funding Adjustments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1430-2026A) - [Colorado bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/colorado/bills) - [Colorado state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/colorado) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1259-2026A (as of 2026-10-16).