HB 19-1052 Summary

• Creates a new "Early Childhood Development Service District" as a special district type under Colorado law to provide early care, education, health, mental health, and developmental services to children from birth through age eight.

• Establishes a streamlined approval process for these districts that exempts them from certain standard special district requirements, including exclusion of property requests and county planning commission review.

• Grants districts authority to levy property taxes and sales and use taxes (except on cigarettes) upon voter approval, with revenues supplementing rather than replacing county and state/federal funding.

• Requires service plans to include descriptions of proposed services, quality assurance measures, financial plans, facility descriptions, and information establishing compliance with organizational criteria.

• Districts must obtain approval from the relevant county board of commissioners or municipality governing body, with organizational petitions requiring signatures from at least 30 percent or 200 eligible electors, whichever is smaller.