Source: L. 2002: Entire section added, p. 1781, � 46, effective June 7.
Editor's note: Subsection (5) provided for the repeal of this section, effective January 1, 2003. (See L. 2002, p. 1781.)
22-2-127. Financial literacy - resource bank - technical assistance - definitions - appropriation. (1) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) Colorado application for state financial aid or CASFA means the application to determine student financial need and eligibility for state financial aid programs using federal FAFSA methodology, or any successor form.
(b) Financial literacy means knowledge of personal finances that is sufficient to enable a person to manage savings, investment, and checking accounts; to design and maintain a household budget; to manage personal debt; to understand consumer credit and finance; to manage personal credit options; to assess the affordability of and how to budget for postsecondary education; to understand the purpose of and how to access and complete the FAFSA or CASFA to access student financial aid; to understand the home buying process, including home loans and managing mortgage debt; and to understand and select from short-term and long-term investment options.
(c) Free application for federal student aid or FAFSA means the federal application used to determine student financial need and eligibility for federal student aid programs, or any successor form.
(2) The state board shall create and maintain a resource bank of materials pertaining to financial literacy. At a minimum, the resource bank shall include national model standards for financial literacy, model programs of instruction for financial literacy, model financial literacy curricula, and model materials for professional educator development in teaching financial literacy. The resource bank shall also include a list of the available mathematics and economics textbooks that contain substantive provisions on personal finance, including personal budgeting, credit, debt management, and similar personal finance topics. The state board shall ensure that the materials included in the resource bank represent the best practices in the teaching of financial literacy. The materials in the resource bank shall be available to school districts not later than March 15, 2005.
(2.5) In addition to the materials included in the resource bank pursuant to subsection (2) of this section, the resource bank must also include information concerning financial aid planning for postsecondary education expenses; information concerning the benefits of completing and submitting the FAFSA, or, for students who are not eligible for financial aid pursuant to Title IV, Part B of the federal Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, the CASFA; and electronic links to the FAFSA and CASFA and instructions for completing the FAFSA and CASFA.
(3) Upon the request of a school district or a charter school, the department shall provide technical assistance to the school district or charter school in designing a curriculum of financial literacy.
(4) The department shall implement the provisions of this section to the fullest degree possible within existing resources. The department shall contract with one or more entities for the implementation of this section.
(5) The general assembly hereby finds and declares that, for purposes of section 17 of article IX of the state constitution, creation of a resource bank of materials pertaining to financial literacy is an important element of an accountable program to meet state academic standards and may therefore receive funding from the state education fund created in section 17 (4) of article IX of the state constitution.
(6) The department is authorized to accept and expend any gifts, grants, or donations that may be available from any private or public sources for the implementation of this section. All private and public funds received through gifts, grants, or donations pursuant to this subsection (6) shall be transmitted to the state treasurer, who shall credit the same to the financial literacy cash fund, which fund is hereby created and referred to in this subsection (6) as the fund. The moneys in the fund shall be subject to annual appropriation by the general assembly for the direct and indirect costs associated with the implementation of this section. Any moneys in the fund not expended for the purposes of this section may be invested by the state treasurer as provided by law. All interest and income derived from the investment and deposit of moneys in the fund shall be credited to the fund. Any unexpended and unencumbered moneys remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall remain in the fund and shall not be credited or transferred to the general fund or another fund.
(7) Repealed.
Source: L. 2004: Entire section added, p. 1773, � 1, effective June 4. L. 2011: (6) amended, (SB 11-218), ch. 151, p. 525, � 2, effective May 5. L. 2015: (6) amended, (SB 15-264), ch. 259, p. 953, � 44, effective August 5. L. 2021: (1) amended and (2.5) added, (HB 21-1200), ch. 284, p. 1686, � 3, effective September 7. L. 2022: (7) added, (HB 22-1366), ch. 244, p. 1814, � 4, effective May 26.
Editor's note: Subsection (7)(c) provided for the repeal of subsection (7), effective July 1, 2025. (See L. 2022, p. 1814.)
Cross references: For the legislative declaration in HB 21-1200, see section 1 of chapter 284, Session Laws of Colorado 2021. For the legislative declaration in HB 22-1366, see section 1 of chapter 244, Session Laws of Colorado 2022.
22-2-127.1. Stipends for financial aid training - definitions - appropriation - repeal. (Repealed)
Source: L. 2022: Entire section added, (HB 22-1366), ch. 244, p. 1814, � 5, effective May 26.
Editor's note: Subsection (4) provided for the repeal of this section, effective July 1, 2025. (See L. 2022, p. 1814.)
22-2-127.3. Holocaust and genocide studies - resource bank - technical assistance - definitions. (1) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) Genocide has the same meaning as set forth in section 22-1-104.7 (1)(a).
(b) Holocaust has the same meaning as set forth in section 22-1-104.7 (1)(b).
(c) Holocaust and genocide studies has the same meaning as set forth in section 22-1-104.7 (1)(c).
(2) (a) The department shall create and maintain a publicly available resource bank of materials pertaining to Holocaust and genocide courses and programs. At a minimum, the resource bank must include:
(I) Sample academic content standards for Holocaust and genocide studies;
(II) Sample programs of instruction for Holocaust and genocide studies;
(III) Samples of Holocaust and genocide studies learning resources, including first-person testimony;
(IV) Sample materials for professional educator development in teaching Holocaust and genocide studies; and
(V) Case studies on the Holocaust and genocides, including but not limited to the Armenian Genocide.
(b) The department shall ensure that the materials included in the resource bank represent the best practices in teaching Holocaust and genocide studies, and the department shall seek input from experts in the area of Holocaust and genocide studies in compiling the materials.
(c) The department shall ensure that the resource bank is available for access by school districts, charter schools, boards of cooperative services, and the public by July 1, 2021.
(3) To the extent such resources and tools are readily available to the department, the resource bank may also:
(a) Identify existing resources and tools that provide opportunities for experts in Holocaust and genocide studies to be paired with a teacher in the classroom to co-teach courses in Holocaust and genocide studies; and
(b) Include a listing of schools and school districts that are interested in finding experts who wish to volunteer to co-teach courses in Holocaust and genocide studies and a listing of experts who are interested in volunteering to co-teach such courses.
(4) The department may seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations from private or public sources for the purposes of this section.
Source: L. 2020: Entire section added, (HB 20-1336), ch. 252, p. 1228, � 3, effective July 8.
22-2-127.4. Black historical and cultural studies - advisory committee - resource bank - technical assistance - definitions. (1) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) Black historical and cultural studies means an interdisciplinary program of elementary through secondary academic study that:
(I) Represents Black historical experiences through truthful, inclusive, complex narratives that connect with contemporary realities; and
(II) Highlights the innovations and cultural contributions of Black people in Colorado, America, and the world.
(b) Committee means the Black historical and cultural studies advisory committee created pursuant to subsection (2) of this section.
(c) Local education provider means:
(I) A school district;
(II) A charter school authorized by a school district pursuant to part 1 of article 30.5 of this title 22;
(III) A charter school authorized by the state charter school institute pursuant to part 5 of article 30.5 of this title 22;
(IV) The state charter school institute created pursuant to section 22-30.5-503; or
(V) A board of cooperative services created and operating pursuant to article 5 of this title 22 that operates one or more public schools.
(2) The Black historical and cultural studies advisory committee is created in the department. The purpose of the committee is to make recommendations to the state board and department to be implemented in conjunction with the regular six-year review of the state's education standards and programs pursuant to section 22-7-1005 and to recommend resources and provide technical assistance pursuant to subsection (6) of this section.
(3) (a) The Black historical and cultural studies advisory committee consists of seventeen members appointed by the designated appointing officials as follows:
(I) The governor shall appoint, through the office of boards and commissions, the following members of the committee:
(A) One member who is an academic expert in Black history and culture;
(B) One member who is a historian with expertise in the history of Black Coloradans;
(C) One member who is a teacher in a rural school district or a small rural school district, as defined in section 22-7-1211, and holds an initial or professional teacher's license pursuant to article 60.5 of this title 22;
(D) One member who is a teacher in a school district that is not a rural school district or a small rural school district, as defined in section 22-7-1211, and holds an initial or professional teacher's license pursuant to article 60.5 of this title 22;
(E) One member who is a librarian with expertise in Black arts and culture and who is a member of a professional association of librarians;
(F) Two members who are curriculum specialists, one of whom has expertise in elementary education, one of whom has expertise in secondary education, and both of whom are members of a professional association;
(G) One member who is a parent or legal guardian of a student who attends a public school and is a member of a parent organization;
(H) Two members who each represent a nonprofit organization with expertise in civil rights and racial justice with an emphasis on comprehensive Black historical and cultural education in public schools;
(I) One member who represents a nonprofit organization with expertise in Black arts and culture; and
(J) Two members from the community whose leadership in literary, artistic, military, business, science, technology, media, or civic life contributes valuable lived experience and cultural competency to the work of the committee;
(II) The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint one member;
(III) The president of the senate shall appoint one member; and
(IV) The commissioner shall appoint two members from the department, who are nonvoting members.
(b) The membership of the committee must reflect a deep collective understanding of Black history and culture, with demonstrated expertise in Black history, social equity, and civil rights. A majority of the committee members must have either classroom experience or experience in developing education content standards.
(c) The appointing officials shall make the initial appointments to the committee no later than January 1, 2026.
(d) The term of appointment is four years. The appointing officials shall fill any vacancies on the committee for the remainder of any unexpired term.
(4) Members of the committee serve without compensation and without reimbursement for expenses.
(5) (a) The committee shall elect a chair from among the committee's members to serve for a term not to exceed two years, as determined by the committee.
(b) The committee shall meet at least twice annually. The chair may call such additional meetings as are necessary for the committee to complete its duties.
(6) The committee shall:
(a) Make recommendations to the state board and the department regarding standards that identify the knowledge and skills that elementary through secondary education students should acquire related to Black historical and cultural studies pursuant to section 22-7-1005 (2.9) and develop recommendations for the state board to integrate during its six-year review of the state's education standards;
(b) Identify and recommend materials and resources for inclusion in the resource bank created pursuant to subsection (8) of this section; and
(c) At the request of a local education provider, collaborate with the department to provide technical assistance to the local education provider in designing age-appropriate curricula pertaining to Black historical and cultural studies.
(7) (a) In making recommendations pursuant to subsection (6)(a) of this section, the committee shall coordinate with the history, culture, social contributions, and civil government in education commission established pursuant to section 22-1-104.3 and may consider the findings of the Black Coloradan racial equity study pursuant to section 2-2-2307 (1)(d).
(b) The recommendations must advance developmentally appropriate but comprehensive instruction that:
(I) Includes a diversity of opinions and narratives within the Black experience;
(II) Features factual accounts of the struggles and contributions of Black Americans in all fields of endeavor;
(III) Reflects Black agency and resistance against oppression;
(IV) Fosters cross-cultural understanding and empowers all students;
(V) Features a diverse range of Black achievements in artistic, scientific, civic, and business endeavors; and
(VI) Includes the study of early African civilizations, the global migrations of African people throughout the African Diaspora, the slave trade and enslavement in America, abolition, reconstruction, the civil rights movement, as well as Black history in Colorado and local Black histories within the state.
(c) In making recommendations pursuant to subsection (6)(a) of this section, the committee shall:
(I) Evaluate the most recent revisions to the state's history and civics standards that reflect the recommendations provided by the history, culture, social contributions, and civil government in education commission established in section 22-1-104.3; and
(II) Include recommendations for any updates necessary to make the state's history and civics standards current, accurate, comprehensive, and aligned with the committee's other recommendations.
(8) (a) The department shall create and maintain a resource bank of existing research-based scholarly articles and promising program materials and curricula pertaining to Black historical and cultural studies. The materials and curricula may be used in elementary and secondary schools in the state. At a minimum, the resource bank must include the materials and resources that the committee recommends pursuant to subsection (6)(b) of this section. To the extent possible, the resource bank materials, scholarly articles, and curricula must be youth-friendly, culturally sensitive, and available in both English and Spanish.
(b) On and after July 1, 2026, the department shall make the materials in the resource bank available without charge to local education providers, professional educators, parents or guardians of youth, and students. A local education provider is not required to adopt or implement any material or curricula from the resource bank. At the request of a local education provider and subject to available resources, the department shall provide technical assistance to the local education provider in designing age-appropriate curricula pertaining to Black historical and cultural studies.
(c) Local education providers are encouraged to report to the department on the effectiveness of the resource bank materials and curricula and to recommend changes to improve the materials and curricula. The department is encouraged to update the resource bank materials and curricula based on recommendations from local education providers, professional educators, parents or guardians of youth, and students.
(9) The department may seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations from private or public sources for the purposes of this section.
Source: L. 2025: Entire section added, (HB 25-1149), ch. 394, p. 2220, � 3, effective June 3.