Concerning the creation of the my Colorado card pilot program, and, in connection therewith, providing youth in grades six through twelve with access to cultural, arts, recreational, or extracurricular facilities throughout Colorado.
HB26-1055 creates the “My Colorado Card” pilot program in the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to expand access for youth in grades 6 through 12 to cultural, arts, recreational, and extracurricular facilities. The bill is built around the idea that many communities function as “opportunity deserts,” where young people face barriers tied to geography, transportation, economics, and systems that limit access to enrichment opportunities. The department would develop a physical or digital card for participating youth and work with selected pilot communities and community-led organizations to identify participants, connect them to facilities, and collect nonidentifying participation data.
The pilot must include a limited number of communities chosen by December 30, 2026, and those communities must collectively represent urban, rural, and rural reservation communities. The bill requires annual evaluation of participation, geographic reach, youth engagement and well-being, and barriers to access, with reports due each December 1 beginning in 2027. The program is temporary and is set to repeal on September 1, 2031, subject to sunset review. The department may also seek gifts, grants, and donations to support the program.
The bill adds a new section to the Colorado Revised Statutes creating a state-administered pilot program and also amends the state’s sunset statute to schedule the program for repeal and review in 2031. It directs the Department of Public Health and Environment to coordinate with local communities, schools, community organizations, and other public entities, but it does not require facilities to participate or mandate fee waivers, transportation, or changes to existing programming. The bill also establishes privacy limits on data collection, barring the use of collected data for law enforcement, immigration enforcement, or disciplinary purposes, and restricts the data to nonidentifying participation information.
The bill’s stated purpose and structure suggest generally supportive sentiment around expanding youth opportunity, mental health supports, and equitable access to enrichment activities. The legislative declaration frames the measure as a response to youth mental health concerns and unequal access across zip codes, and the pilot design emphasizes collaboration with community-led organizations and local partners. The available voting history shows the bill was laid over unamended in House Appropriations, with amendment(s) failing, indicating the measure advanced with some procedural or policy friction but without recorded floor vote opposition in the provided materials.
The main points of contention appear to center on implementation rather than the underlying goal. The bill leaves participation voluntary for facilities and communities, which may reflect concern about imposing costs, operational burdens, or capacity changes on museums, libraries, recreation centers, and similar entities. Transportation is another likely issue: the bill encourages transportation strategies and shared-use agreements but explicitly does not require selected communities to provide transportation or create new services. Privacy and use of data are also sensitive areas, and the bill responds by limiting data to nonidentifying information and prohibiting use for law enforcement, immigration enforcement, or discipline.