The final two weeks (and three days) of session are usually pretty hectic, but this year seems to be more hectic than usual. That's because we have an unusually high number of bills still making their way through the process. Out of the 618 bills introduced, 102 bills have been voted down and 117 have been signed into law, which means there are 399 bills still in the mix.

While it's possible for a bill to be introduced, assigned to committee, pass out of committee, referred to Appropriations, pass out of Appropriations, and come up for Second Reading debate all in one day, it still takes one more day to pass the bill on Third Reading. That means the quickest possible timeline for a bill to pass through both chambers of the legislature is three days.

Thankfully, the majority of my Senate bills have already made their way onto the House. Of my remaining Senate bills, I have four that are still at the beginning of the process in the Senate:

Also, I have sent (or am about to send) a fair number of bills to the House that are still awaiting action. Those bills include:

Never have I had so many bills still making their way through the process this late in the session. Add to that the bills other than my own that are also still up for debate. If we work every day including weekends, we have 17 days to wrap up business. That means the next few weeks will be very intense. While we will continue providing constituent services and responding to email/phone calls, please be patient with me and my staff as we work through this high volume of bills. Lastly, please mark your calendar now for our end of session wrap-up on May 21. See details below!

Chalkbeat Colorado: Lawmakers propose matching fund to help property-poor Colorado school districts

The Denver Channel: 'Stackable credentials' could be future of higher education in Colorado

Channel 4 News: They’re Your Medical Records. So, Why Do You Have To Pay So Much For Them?

Bus and Motorcoach News: Colorado Senate approves $5.5M to improve school bus safety

For a full list of this week's press and videos visit rachelforcolorado.com/news.

Please join us on Saturday, May 21 from 10:30 am - 12:00 pm for a virtual legislative town hall meeting. The legislative session will end on May 11, so we will provide a legislative wrap-up of the session. In addition, we will host several reporters who cover the Capitol to get their perspective. For more details, click HERE.

NEW! SB22-210 License Supplemental Health-care Staffing Agencies: Concerning the regulation of supplemental health-care staffing agencies by the department of public health and environment. This bill will be heard in the Senate Health & Human Services Committee on Wednesday, April 27 at 1:30 pm.

NEW! SB22-215 Infrastructure Investment And Jobs Act Cash Fund: Concerning the creation of the "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act" cash fund to be used for nonfederal match funding requirements for infrastructure projects eligible to receive federal funding under the federal "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act". This bill passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee and will be heard on the Senate floor on Monday, April 25.

NEW! SB22-216 Reallocation Of Limited Gaming Revenues: Concerning the reallocation of the limited gaming tax revenues for fiscal years following a significant decrease in the revenues, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation. This bill will be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, April 26 at 8:30 am.

NEW! SB22-217 Programs That Benefit Persons With Disabilities: Concerning motor vehicle related programs that benefit persons with disabilities, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation. This bill will be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, April 26 at 8:30 am.

NEW! SB22-225 Ambulance Service Sustainability And State Licensing: Concerning emergency medical services in the state, and, in connection therewith, creating an emergency medical services system sustainability task force and requiring ambulance services to obtain a state license from the department of public health and environment. This bill was introduced and assigned to the Senate Health & Human Services Committee.

NEW! HB22-1220 Removing Barriers To Educator Preparation: Concerning removing barriers in educator preparation to support educator candidates entering the educator workforce. This bill was introduced and assigned to Senate Education Committee.

NEW! HB22-1390 Public School Finance: Concerning the financing of public schools, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation. The bill is in the House and will be referred to the Senate next week.

NEW! HB22-1395 Transportation Innovation Grant Program: Concerning creating the competitive transportation innovation grant program to address the public school transportation shortage. The bill was introduced and assigned to the House Education Committee.

SB22-202 State Match for Mill Levy Override Revenue: Concerning providing state matching money for property tax revenue collected by school districts. The bill passed out of the Senate Education Committee and referred to Senate Appropriations on Tuesday, April 26 at 8:30 am.

SB22-159 Revolving Loan Fund Invest Affordable Housing: Concerning the creation of a revolving loan fund within the division of housing in the department of local affairs to make investments in transformational affordable housing. The bill passed on Second Reading in the Senate.

SB22-192 Opportunities for Credential Attainment: Concerning the creation of opportunities for credential attainment, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation. The bill passed on Second Reading in the Senate.

HB22-1031 Consumer Right to Repair Powered Wheelchairs: Concerning a requirement that a powered wheelchair manufacturer facilitate the repair of its powered wheelchairs by providing certain other person with the resources needed to repair the manufacturer's powered wheelchairs. The bill passed on Second Reading in the Senate.

HB22-1294 Special Education Services in Charter Schools: Concerning additional pathways to provide special education services to children with disabilities in charter schools. The bill passed unanimously out of the Senate.

The red font indicates a new bill or a change in status. For a full list of active bills, visit rachelforcolorado.com/capitol or the Colorado General Assembly's website.

SB22-017 Fluid Milk Products Not Divisible Load: Concerning the determination that a load of fluid milk products hauled by a vehicle is not a divisible load under the vehicle weight limits permitted by law.

SB22-054 Recommend Community School for Turnaround Plan: Concerning the addition of a recommendation that a district public school be converted to a community school if the district public school fails to make substantial progress under its turnaround plan.

SB22-064 Neighborhood Youth Organizations: Concerning requirements for neighborhood youth organizations that provide services designed for the development of youth.

SB22-121 Tuition Revenue Pledged by Institution Higher Education: Concerning increasing the amount of tuition revenues pledged by an institution of higher education.

SB22-137 Transition Back to Standard K-12 Accountability: Concerning measures related to the transitional return to standard education.

SB22-142 Repeal Municipal Bond Supervision Advisory Board: Concerning the repeal of the municipal bond supervision advisory board.

HB22-1057 Public Employees' Retirement Association Employment After Teacher Retirement: Concerning public employees' retirement association employment after retirement limitations.

HB22-1162 Motor Vehicle Digital Number Plates: Concerning authorization to use digital number plates in lieu of metal number plates on a vehicle.

HB22-1093 Updates to Bingo and Raffles Law: Concerning the conduct of charitable gaming activity, and, in connection therewith, modernizing the "Bingo and Raffles Law" to accommodate the use of improved electronic aids and devices in the conduct of games of chance and making an appropriation.

HB22-1099 Online Marketplaces and Third-party Sellers: Concerning mandatory disclosures of third-part sellers selling through online marketplace.

HB22-1101 Public Employees’ Retirement Association Service Retiree Employment in Rural Schools: Concerning the expansion of a program that allows a public employees’ retirement association service retiree to work full-time without any reduction in the service retiree’s retirement for benefits for a rural school district that has a critical shortage of qualified individuals with specific experience, skills, or qualifications that the service retiree has.

HB22-1162 Motor Vehicle Digital Number Plates: Concerning authorization to use digital number plates in lieu of metal number plates on a vehicle.

HB22-1202 At-risk Student Measure For School Finance: Concerning the creation of a new measure in the public school funding formula for identifying at-risk students, and, in connection therewith, creating a working group in the department of education to implement the new measure in a future budget year.

HB22-1245 Foster Youth in Transition Program Clarifications: Concerning clarifications related to the foster youth in transition program.

HB22-1250 Nonsubstantive Changes to Title 7 of Colorado Revised Statutes: Concerning nonsubstantive changes to title 7 of the Colorado revised statutes.

HB22-1255 Improve Higher Education for Students With a Disability: Concerning measures to improve postsecondary education outcomes for students with a disability.

HB22-1331 Supplemental Funding for Facility Schools: Concerning supplemental funding for facility schools, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation. 

HB22-1333 Increase Minimum Wage for Nursing Home Workers: Concerning an increase in the minimum wage for nursing facility employees, and, in connection therewith making an appropriation. 

HB22-1334 Food Distribution Program Administrative Fee: Concerning the collection of an administrative fee from an agency that receives commodities through a food distribution program.

HB22-1336 Streamline Processing of Judicial Department Collections: Concerning the streamlining of the processing of certain money collected by the judicial department. 

HB22-1339 Merge Department of Revenue Division of Motor Vehicles Cash Funds: Concerning the Colorado DRIVES vehicle services account of the highway users tax fund, and, in connection therewith, merging the licensing services cash fund into the account and requiring account investment earnings to be credited to the account. 

HB22-1340 Capital-related Transfers of Money: Concerning capital-related transfers of money.

HB22-1341 Marijuana Tax Cash Fund: Concerning measures to ensure that the marijuana tax cash fund is in balance.