CO HB1138

Allows members of the General Assembly to request poverty impact statements from legislative council staff for bills introduced in any legislative session beginning January 1, 2013, if the measure may affect child, individual, or family poverty.

Poverty impact statements must assess potential effects on household income and assets, early childhood development through postsecondary education, employment and workforce development, taxes and tax credits, and child care, housing, health care, nutrition, transportation, and utilities assistance.

Limits requests to no more than six poverty impact statements per legislative session, requiring prior approval on a first-come-first-served basis from the House Speaker, House Minority Leader, Senate President, and Senate Minority Leader.

Statements must include estimates of potential impacts and may include information about data sources and analysis used; statements are intended as brief narratives included within fiscal impact reviews released on the same timeline.

Legislative council staff must prepare statements within existing resources using poverty measures that may include the federal poverty line, self-sufficiency standard, supplemental poverty measures, or capability approach index.