What your Weld County representatives accomplished during the 2022 Colorado legislative session: Barbara Kirkmeyer edition

Written By Kelly Ragan

By Kelly Ragan

What have your Weld County representatives done for you lately? With the 2022 Colorado legislative session done for the season and an election on the horizon, it’s important to take stock of what our representatives accomplished this year.

Don’t worry, we’ve done most of the hard work for you.

We’ve looked at the bills each of our Weld County representatives were named prime sponsors of and show you what they got passed and what they didn’t. We’ll show you who the other prime sponsors were so you can get a sense of how bipartisan your representatives were this year.

Here we have Barbara Kirkmeyer, a Weld County Republican representing Senate District 23 (think Broomfield, Larimer and Weld counties). Kirkmeyer, a former Weld County Commissioner, also recently secured a victory as the Republican candidate for Colorado’s new 8th Congressional District. 

Bills passed 

Administration Organization Act Modernization, SB22-162: This bill essentially simplified some complex language in the 1968 Administration Organization Act, making the statute clearer and easier to read. It did not substantially change the original bill. 

Signed into law: June 8, 2022

Other prime sponsors: 

Update Common Provision Term Regulator Title 12, SB22-143: This bill essentially updated some terminology in an existing law. It did not substantially change any rules or regulations, but it did update Article 30 of Title 12 Colorado Revised Statutes – now that law refers to “regulators” instead of “boards.” 

Signed into law: April 15, 2022

Other prime sponsors: 

Nonsubstantive Changes to Title 43, SB22-141: This bill makes some corrections and clarifications to state statute but does not make substantive changes.

Signed into law: April 7, 2022

Other prime sponsors: 

Special Education Funding, SB22-127: This bill increased funding for special education – to the tune of $80 million for the 2022-23 fiscal year. It added another nearly $80 million to the budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year. That money will trickle down to schools in per pupil funding in two tiers. Tier A students, who, before the bill, were funded by an additional $1,250, will be funded now at an additional $1,750, and will adjust by inflation. Tier B students, who were funded at an additional $3,392, will be funded at an additional $4,530 per student. The also requires the Special Education Fiscal Advisory Committee to report on special education funding in the state. 

Signed into law: May 26, 2022

Other prime sponsors: 

Transparency out-of-home Placements for Developmentally Disabled Youth and Children, SB22-102: The Colorado Department of Human Services contracts with providers to put children and youth with intellectual disabilities requiring out-of-home placement in a residential facility. With the passage of this bill, the department must create new rules for the program – the most significant being that children and youth who are determined to be ineligible for the program or who are removed from the program must have access to an independent, interdisciplinary appeals review panel. The bill also establishes new reporting requirements. 

Signed into law: March 17, 2022 

Other prime sponsors: 

Recommend Community School for Turnaround Plan, SB22-054: Before this bill passed, whenever an accredited public school with a turnaround plan failed to make substantial improvement, or has been on performance watch for five years, the Commissioner of Education was required to assign a panel to evaluate the performance of the school and recommend action, such as closing the school or converting it into an innovation school. This bill gives the panel another option. Now, the panel can recommend converting the school into a community school if the district is found not to be making progress in improving the situation. To be considered a community school, a school needs: 

  • an annual community and school needs assessment that engages at least 75% of families, students, and educators in the community 

  • a strategic plan that includes teams dedicated to continuous school improvement, and uses available assets to meet specific student needs and achieve better results 

  • a process to engage partners who bring expertise to implement the school’s goals 

  • a school coordinator to bring together stakeholders to solve problems and identify needs

Signed into law: March 24, 2022

Other prime sponsors: 

Oil and Gas Operator Property Tax Procedures, SB22-026: This bill specifics that oil and gas fractional interest owners (aka not well or unit operators) are *not* entitled to receive separate notifications, valuations, reviews, audits, etc. The bill essentially designates the wellsite operator, or if there is no operator, the person who filed the statement as the person who needs to know things. The idea here is to streamline the communication process. 

Signed into law: March 30, 2022

Other prime sponsors: 

Bills failed 

State Agency Emergency Procurement Modification, SB-112: This bill would have changed the requirements for the state emergency procurement (think unexpected purchase of goods or services) process. Essentially, it would have required additional bids to be considered for emergency procurement contracts. 

Other prime sponsors: 


Prior Authorization Exemption Health-care Provider, SB22-078: This bill would have required health-care providers to be offered at least one alternative to prior authorization by insurance carriers. Prior authorization is a process by which a health insurance carrier reviews a request for health care services or drugs before consenting to cover the proposed treatment. 

Other prime sponsors: 

Funding for Educational Opportunities, SB22-039: This bill would have repealed the budget stabilization factor (*affectionately known* by many educators as the BS factor), is a mechanism the state legislature adopted in 2010 that functionally reduces state funding for education. Without the application of that factor, the state would be on the hook for an additional $503 million in education funding. The bill also would have established a scholarship program for students enrolled in homeschool or private school.  

Other prime sponsors: 

Kelly Ragan
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