Denver Metro Chamber Of Commerce: How Will The 2021 Legislative Session Affect The Business Community?

Press release from Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce:

Kelly Brough

June 21, 2021

We couldn’t do this work without you, or without the leadership of our board, Legislative Policy Committee, Legal Advisory Council, the lobbying team of Brandeberry McKenna and the team here at the Chamber. Thank you to everyone who dedicates their time to ensure the impacts of policy are understood.

here Employment and business regulations: Senate Bill 176

We also worked for more than a year on Senate Bill 190, a bill that regulates the collection, process and use of Coloradans’ personal data. Together with the Colorado Competitive Council and members of our Legal Advisory Council, we were able to obtain key amendments to the opt-out process and more. We’ll have information coming to you about what it means to your business moving forward.

Senate Bill 190 Colorado Competitive Council Senate Bill 197 Health care: Senate Bill 175 House Bill 1232

Transportation: If you joined us for the State of the State last week, you heard that after years and years of work a transportation package passed at the legislature. We supported Senate Bill 260, which will result in $5.3 billion in funds over the next 10 years for transportation investment. It wasn’t the perfect package, but it was a compromise crafted in a reality that recognized the multitude of stakeholders involved in this work. We think it will have a meaningful impact on our ability to move people and goods in Colorado.

Transportation: State of the State Senate Bill 260 Stimulus and budget: 1262 1263 1264 1271 203 204 229 236 252 Taxes & fiscal policy: 1311 1312

On a more positive note, a bill championed by the Chamber, House Bill 1327 passed through the legislature. This tax code change will allow pass-through business entities to pay state income taxes at the entity level rather than the individual level so that they may recognize savings on their federal returns, a change that will net from $100 million to $500 million in savings for our small to mid-sized businesses. Our policy and lobby team delivered this bill for the business community in the 11th hour, and we owe a special thank you to Jenifer Brandeberry and Julie McKenna for their long hours and dedication to this issue.

House Bill 1327 Energy: Senate Bill 264 Housing: 1028 1134 1271

Education: Pressure from the pandemic required legislators to address Colorado’s growing shortage of skilled workers. This session, the General Assembly started initiatives to upskill or reskill Coloradans to fit industry needs through bills like House Bill 1264 and Senate Bill 232. We also saw significant interest from the legislature to expand access to apprenticeship programs and nontraditional avenues for post-secondary education. We supported House Bill 1306, Senate Bill 106 and Senate Bill 119 and the legislature’s commitment to partnering with the business community as we work to help fill gaps in our workforce. Senate Bill 236 – which creates four new grant programs to increase capacity for early childhood care and education, encourage employer-based child care facilities, and improve recruitment and retention rates and salaries for early childhood educators – helps address one of these gaps, but we will continue to work alongside the legislature to ensure child care isn’t a barrier for our workers.

Education: House Bill 1264 Senate Bill 232 House Bill 1306 Senate Bill 106 Senate Bill 119 Senate Bill 236

This press release was produced by the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. The views expressed here are the author’s own.