Colorado State Legislature 101
The Colorado General Assembly is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate has 35 members, the House has 65 members.
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Members of the House are elected every two years and may serve 4 terms or 8 years. Members of the Senate are elected every 4 years and may serve 2 terms or 8 years.
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The General Assembly meets annually from January to May. From June to December, legislators meet with the community and stakeholders, work on legislation to introduce in the next session, respond to constituents and participate in tours and conferences to grown their expertise. Special sessions may be convened by either the Governor or by written request of at least two-thirds of the members of each chamber.
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Every legislative session, each legislator is allowed to introduce 5 bills on any topic. Each bill is guaranteed a public hearing via committee and formal action (an up or down vote). Bills that come over from the opposite chamber do not count against a member's 5 bill limit. Additional bills must be approved by the Majoirty Leadership team.
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Jenny's Committee Assignments & Legislation
During the 75th General Assembly, Jenny was appointed by the Speaker of the House to serve as Chair of the State, Civic, Military and Veteran's Affairs Committee; as a member of the Legislative Audit Committee and as a member of the Energy and Environment Committee.
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Jenny is a tremendously effective advocate for Northglenn and Thornton. Read on to learn about about the bills she's passed! Note that the title of each bill is hyperlinked in case you'd like to learn more.
2025
Special Session
August 2025
In August, the Legislature was called into and Extraordinary Session in an effort to blunt the impacts of the Congressional Republicans’ big tax bill that let corporations dodge nearly $1 billion in taxes that they owe Colorado to help pay for essentials like health care, schools and roads. Laws passed during this special session closed corporate tax loopholes and preservde access to services.
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In addition to the financial impacts of H.R.1, the federal legislation also removed Planned Parenthood from the federal Medicaid program, forcing Planned Parenthood providers to cancel thousands of appointments. I was proud to sponsor SB25B-002, which authorizes state-funded reimbursements for Medicaid patients to Planned Parenthood for certain services, including cancer screenings, birth control consultations and STI checks.
2025
General Session
January - May 2025
This session was incredibly tough. Not only did we have to make significant budget cuts while protecting our investments in K-12 education, Medicaid and public safety - but I personally took on heavy and important policies related to sexual assault and dna testing; increasing safety for riders and drivers who use apps like Uber and Lyft and empowering workers injured on the job.
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Here is the legislation I sponsored this session:
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HB25-1024 Medical-Aesthetic Services Delegation Disclosures
Requires clear disclosure to patients when medical-aesthetic services are delegated to ensure transparency and protect consumer safety.
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HB25-1185 Child Conceived from Sex Assault Court Proceedings
Streamlines and strengthens court procedures to protect children conceived through sexual assault and the rights of the survivor parent.
HB25-1209 Marijuana Regulation Streamline
Modernizes and simplifies Colorado’s marijuana regulations to improve efficiency, compliance, and industry oversight.
HB25-1269 Building Decarbonization Measures
Advances Colorado’s climate goals by updating building codes and programs to cut pollution and accelerate building decarbonization.
HB25-1291 Transportation Network Company Consumer Protection
Strengthens consumer protections and safety standards for rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft.
** VETOED by Governor Polis**
HB25-1300 Workers' Compensation Benefits Proof of Entitlement
Allows an injured worker to choose a qualified physician to provide treatment and improves the worker's compensation process.
SB25-304 Measures to Address Sexual Assault Kit Backlog
Helps eliminate Colorado’s backlog of sexual assault evidence kits by improving processes, oversight and timelines for testing.
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SB25-164 Opioid Antagonist Availability & State Board of Health
Expands statewide access to lifesaving opioid antagonists and empowers the Board of Health to ensure effective distribution.
SB25-144 Change Paid Family Medical Leave Insurance Program
Makes targeted improvements to Colorado’s Paid Family and Medical Leave program to ensure smoother implementation and expands the amount of time families with children in the NICU are provided.
SB25-063 Library Resource Decision Standards for Public Schools
Empowers school districts to develop clear standards and processes for requests to remove library resources in public schools, establishes guidelines to protect library staff against retaliation and supports student learning and intellectual freedom.
SB25-004 Regulating Child Care Center Fees
Provides transparency and fairness in child-care center fees to protect families from unexpected or predatory charges.​
2024
Special Session
August 2024
During the 2024 Extraordinary Legislative Session, I stepped up with my colleagues to avoid steep property tax hikes while leading a multi-year effort to deliver meaningful relief while protecting critical funding for schools and local services. For context, in May, SB24-233 passed on a vote of 92-8 to responsibly reduce statewide local taxes by more than $1 billion and protect Coloradans against future spikes in property taxes. Click here to learn more about how recent legislation may impact you.
2024
General Session
January - May 2024
This session, we passed 525 bills that will save you money, create safer and healthier communities, and prepare our students for success, helping EVERY Coloradan thrive! We passed long-term property tax reductions, invested millions into increased transportation options across the state, and made significant progress in achieving our air quality and climate goals.
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Here is the legislation I sponsored that was signed into law:
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HB24-1081 Repeal & Reenact Earned Income Tax Credit Increase
Increased the earned income tax credit to 50% of the federal EITC for 2023 only.
HB24-1153 Physician Continuing Education
Updates continuing-education requirements for physicians to strengthen professional competency and patient care.
HB24-1164 Free Menstrual Products to Students
Ensures students have free access to menstrual products in schools so no young person misses class due to basic health needs.
HB24-1223 Improved Access to the Child Care Assistance Program
Expands and streamlines access to CCAP to help more working families afford reliable child care.
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HB24-1283: Secretary of State Review of Municipal Campaign Finance Complaints
Improves accountability by allowing the Secretary of State to review and act on municipal campaign-finance complaints when there is a local conflict of interest.
HB24-1311 Family Affordability Tax Credit
Provides refundable tax credits to help Colorado families afford the rising costs of raising kids. Estimated to reduce childhood poverty in the state by 50%.
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HB24-1341 State Vehicle Idling Standard
Reduces air pollution by establishing a statewide standard that limits unnecessary vehicle idling.
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HB24-1370 Reduce Cost of Use of Natural Gas
Lowers energy costs for consumers by reforming natural-gas rate structures and improving transparency.​
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HB24-1439 Financial Incentives Expand Apprenticeship Programs
Grows Colorado’s skilled workforce by offering financial incentives for high-quality apprenticeship programs.
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SB24-229 Ozone Mitigation Measures
Strengthens Colorado’s response to ozone pollution through targeted emissions-reduction strategies and oversight.​
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SB24-134 Operation of Home-Based Businesses
Protects entrepreneurs by ensuring reasonable local regulations for home-based businesses.​
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SB24-113 Safer Youth Sports
Improves youth safety in sports by enhancing training, protocols, and safeguards for coaches and programs.
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SB24-040 State Funding for Senior Services
Increases state funding to support essential services that help older adults live with dignity and independence.
SB24-011 Online-Facilitated Misconduct & Remote Tracking
Modernizes criminal statutes to address misconduct via dating apps and the misuse of remote-tracking technologies.​​​
2023
Special Session
November 2023
With the need for urgent property tax cuts, more rental assistance, and tax relief for working families, Colorado Democrats delivered results during the 2023 Extraordinary Session of the 74th General Assembly to make Colorado more affordable for all. I was proud to partner with Rep. Mary Young to double the state's Earned Income Tax Credit for the 2023 tax year, targeting $185 million in tax relief for the Coloradans who need it the most.
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HB23B-1002 Increased Earned Income Tax Credit 2023
Increased the earned income tax credit for income tax year 2023 to 50% of the federal EITC for eligible individuals.
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2023
General Session
January - May 2023
This was my first session and I worked hard to be responsive to the most pressing needs in Colorado and I believe that we delivered results. This session focused on gun violence prevention, fully funding K-12 public schools, meeting our workforce demands, improving air quality and reducing the cost of housing, health care and prescription drugs.
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Here is the legislation I sponsored that was signed into law:
HB23-1005 New Energy Improvement Program Changes
Expands the New Energy Improvement Program to include resiliency and water-efficiency upgrades and streamlines district processes to help building owners to modernize buildings more efficiently.
HB23-1031 Mental Health Professionals Reporting Exemption
Exempts mental health professionals from requirements to report information about individuals with a sexually transmitted infection to public health entities.
HB23-1077 Informed Consent To Intimate Patient Examinations
Ensures patients’ bodily autonomy by requiring healthcare professionals receive explicit informed consent before performing intimate medical examinations - including under anesthesia.
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HB23-1158 Colorado Commodity Supplemental Food Grant Program
Creates a state grant program to strengthen food assistance for low-income older adults.
HB23-1161 Environmental Standards For Appliances
Reduces pollution and saves consumers money by setting energy- and water-efficiency standards for commonly used appliances.
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HB23-1228 Nursing Facility Reimbursement Rate Setting
Improves care in nursing facilities by updating how the state sets reimbursement rates and ensuring funds support high-quality services for residents.
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HB23-1245 Campaign Practices For Municipal Elections
Applies core Fair Campaign Practices Act requirements to municipal elections to strengthen transparency and accountability.
HB23-1294 Pollution Protection Measures
Enhances community protections from industrial pollution through stronger oversight, data collection, and enforcement tools.
SB23-017 Additional Uses Paid Sick Leave
Expands allowable uses of paid sick leave so workers can better care for themselves and their families.
SB23-058 Job Application Fairness Act
Promotes fair hiring by prohibiting employers from requiring age-related information on job applications.
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SB23-155 Sunset Continue Nursing Home Administrators
Continues the regulation of nursing home administrators to maintain high standards of care and safety for residents.
SB23-186 Oil And Gas Commission Study Methane Seepage Raton Basin
Directs the state to study methane seepage in the Raton Basin to better understand risks and inform environmental and public-health protections.
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SB23-260 Individual Access To Publicly Funded Vaccines
Insures individuals can access publicly funded vaccines regardless of insurance status.
SB23-261 Direct Care Workforce Stabilization Board
Creates a statewide board to develop policy recommendations that strengthen, stabilize and support Colorado’s direct-care workforce.