# Colorado SB26-019: Early Childhood Local System Consolidation Colorado SB26-019, Early Childhood Local System Consolidation, is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Emily Sirota (Democratic), Matt Ball (Democratic), Ryan Gonzalez (Republican) and 1 others; 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-SB26-019-2026A - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Colorado SB26-019 - State: Colorado - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Early Childhood Local System Consolidation - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-01-14 - Last action: 2026-05-05, Governor Signed - Sponsors: Emily Sirota (Democratic), Matt Ball (Democratic), Ryan Gonzalez (Republican), Scott Bright (Republican) - Cosponsors: 28 - Subjects: Children & Domestic Matters, Education & School Finance (Pre & K-12) - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 4 (93 yes, 23 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 7 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Councils can submit families’ childcare applications: benefit, low. An early childhood council may accept your family’s Colorado Child Care Assistance Program application and send it to the county. This gives families another route to apply for childcare help. The law does not change who qualifies or the amount of assistance. - Local plans guide help for families: benefit, low. By July 1, 2026, each council’s community plan must cover early childhood and family support services in its area. Plans must explain help with referrals, resources, applications, enrollment, and coordinated outreach. They must cover provider recruitment and coordination to support family choice, p… - New councils coordinate early childhood services: benefit, low. The law creates a statewide early childhood council system led by Colorado’s Department of Early Childhood, with other state agencies’ support. Beginning July 1, 2026, it replaces the old local coordinating system and takes over its service duties. Former organizations that are not councils retain… - Childhood councils face reviews and audits: mixed, low. The Department must sign council agreements defining duties, work plans, performance measures, and any overhead payments, subject to available funding. First agreements last three years; later agreements last three to five years and are exempt from Colorado’s Procurement Code. By July 1, 2026, coun… - Council projects get waivers, narrower funding: mixed, low. Councils may seek waivers of rules that block projects in their approved community plans. The executive director grants a waiver upon the Department’s recommendation. For rules outside its authority, the Department assigns a liaison to consult the responsible state agency. Required application rule… - Extra transition time, but one-time funding: mixed, low. The Department may grant one extra transition period when transferred duties need consolidation, reassignment, or major changes. It must end by July 1, 2029, and cannot be extended again. During that period, the Department may keep separate contracts with councils and former-system organizations wh… - Later preschool funding schedule protects services: mixed, low. The law moves the specified preschool funding schedule’s start from budget year 2023–24 to 2026–27, continuing each year afterward. The Department works with councils under their agreements to distribute money using per-child rates and special-purpose amounts. Initial payments use community plan es… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Emily Sirota (Democratic), House - Sponsor: Matt Ball (Democratic), Senate - Sponsor: Ryan Gonzalez (Republican), House - Sponsor: Scott Bright (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Andrew Boesenecker (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Julie McCluskie (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Kyle Brown (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Kenny Nguyen (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Katie Stewart (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Lorena Garcia (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Lesley Smith (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Monica Duran (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Mandy Lindsay (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Matthew Martinez (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Manny Rutinel (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Sheila Lieder (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Tammy Story (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Yara Zokaie (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Barbara Kirkmeyer (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Cathy Kipp (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Cleave Simpson (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Dafna Michaelson Jenet (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Iman Jodeh (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Judy Amabile (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Jeff Bridges (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: James Coleman (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Julie Gonzales (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Janice Marchman (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Katie Wallace (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Lisa Cutter (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Robert Rodriguez (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Tony Exum (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-04-21 | House | Third reading: Bill | pass | 45 | 18 | | | 2026-04-16 | House | Refer Senate Bill 26-019 to the Committee of the Whole. | pass | 11 | 2 | | | 2026-02-12 | Senate | Third reading: Bill | pass | 31 | 3 | | | 2026-02-02 | Senate | Refer Senate Bill 26-019, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. | pass | 6 | 0 | | ## Actions (16) - 2026-05-05: Governor Signed (House) - 2026-04-27: Signed by the President of the Senate (Senate) - 2026-04-27: Signed by the Speaker of the House (House) - 2026-04-27: Sent to the Governor (House) - 2026-04-21: House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments (House) - 2026-04-20: House Third Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments (House) - 2026-04-17: House Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments (House) - 2026-04-16: House Committee on Education Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole (House) - 2026-02-12: Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments (Senate) - 2026-02-12: Introduced In House - Assigned to Education (House) - 2026-02-11: Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor (Senate) - 2026-02-09: Senate Second Reading Laid Over to 02/11/2026 - No Amendments (Senate) - 2026-02-06: Senate Second Reading Laid Over to 02/09/2026 - No Amendments (Senate) - 2026-02-05: Senate Second Reading Laid Over to 02/06/2026 - No Amendments (Senate) - 2026-02-02: Senate Committee on Education Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole (Senate) - 2026-01-14: Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Education (Senate) ## Bill text - Engrossed: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/111719/download) - Final Act: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115230/download) - Introduced: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/110721/download) - Reengrossed: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/111850/download) - Rerevised: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115022/download) - Revised: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/114859/download) - Senate Education Preamend: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/111168/download) - Signed Act: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115892/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/111719/download) - [Final Act (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115230/download) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/110721/download) - [Reengrossed (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/111850/download) - [Rerevised (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115022/download) - [Revised (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/114859/download) - [Senate Education Preamend (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/111168/download) - [Signed Act (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115892/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-SB26-019-2026A (as of 2026-10-16).