Partnership efforts include providing research studies and expert testimony, evaluating the effectiveness of models, and supporting the successful implementation of newly approved efforts:

• SB21-194 – Maternal Health Equity: Aligns data and systems to promote equity in maternal health with a focus on racial and ethnic disparities.
• SB21-137 – Perinatal Substance Use: Requires the use of data from multiple state-administered sources (see graphic) when examining issues related to pregnant and postpartum persons with substance use disorders and their infants to advance well-being.
• HB21-1248 – Child Maltreatment: Updates the Colorado Children’s Trust Fund Act (now called Colorado Child Abuse Prevention Trust Fund Act) to promote prevention programs designed to decrease incidences of child abuse.
• HB21-1304 – Early Childhood System: Creates a new state department of early childhood to unify and strengthen Colorado’s early childhood system.
• SB21-236 – Early Childhood Care & Education: Improve recruitment and retention for early childhood educators; partner agency: CDHS Office of Early Childhood.
• SB21-185 – Pre-K-12 & Higher Education: Expand career pathway to enter the teaching profession and strengthen educator recruitment and retention; partner agency: Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) Office of Early Childhood.
• SB21-138 – Criminal Justice System: Approves a pilot program to study whether a comprehensive brain injury program improves outcomes for offenders with a brain injury.
• SB21-118 – At-Risk Adults: Makes Colorado the first state to pilot an alternative-response model for adult protective services with the goal of providing client-centered and family-driven responses to allegations of adult mistreatment; partner agency: CDHS Office of Adult, Aging, and Disability Services.

To learn more about support provided by the Colorado Lab to the Colorado General Assembly this legislative session, contact Dr. Courtney Everson.