HB 24-1009 Summary

• Requires the Department of Early Childhood to provide child care licensing resources and services in the two most prevalent languages spoken in Colorado, as identified by the latest American Community Survey from the federal Census Bureau.

• Mandates the department update its mobile licensing application to provide essential information in prevalent languages and review existing English-language resources to ensure they are written in plain language before translation.

• Creates a bilingual licensing unit within the Department of Early Childhood to facilitate compliance with the language access requirements and support prospective child care providers who speak languages other than English.

• Appropriates $280,928 for the 2024-25 fiscal year (based on 2.7 additional FTE), plus $235,000 annually thereafter to the Department of Early Childhood for the bilingual licensing unit and related services.

• Requires the department to submit a report to the Joint Budget Committee and relevant legislative committees by March 30, 2026, on barriers faced by non-English speaking individuals in becoming licensed child care providers.