Colorado 2026 Regular Session Status: Passed Senate Bipartisan · 11 R · 10 D cosponsors

SB 45 — Nuclear Workforce Development & Education Program

Last action — House Committee on Appropriations Postpone Indefinitely

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has passed the Senate. Introduced January 27, 2026. It now moves to the second chamber.

Next likely step: consideration and a floor vote in the House.

Odds of enactment

Moderate chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a moderate chance of becoming law.

Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.

A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 74% · high confidence

  • Passed Senate

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 23 sponsors

    18 primary, 5 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (11 R · 10 D) — cross-party backing.

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 7 recorded votes so far.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

Summary

The bill creates the Colorado nuclear workforce development and education council (council) in the Colorado school of mines to help meet growing workforce demand in the nuclear energy sector. The bill establishes a related grant program (grant program) to provide grants to institutions of higher education for the development or expansion of nuclear engineering degree or certificate programs or course offerings. The council shall convene advisory sessions with stakeholders from the nuclear, educational, and workforce development sectors; implement the grant program; and contract with one or more third-party entities for staffing and operational assistance.     The council may seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, and donations for council-related purposes. The state treasurer shall credit the gifts, grants, and donations to the Colorado nuclear workforce development and education cash fund (cash fund), which is created in the bill. The general assembly shall not appropriate general fund money to implement or maintain council operations or grant awards. The council shall convene and begin awarding grants only after the balance of the cash fund reaches or exceeds $500,000 (threshold) .     The bill imposes requirements to report to the Colorado commission on higher education and the general assembly about the council's funding sources, grant program implementation, and other uses of the grant program money. If the cash fund balance does not reach the threshold on or before September 1, 2027, the council is repealed and the money in the cash fund is refunded to the grantors or donors. Otherwise, the bill repeals the council, effective September 1, 2033, unless the council is extended following a sunset review.(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

24 added · 19 removed

Plain-language change summary

The updated version of Bill SB 45 has clarified its structure and content, highlighting the establishment of the Colorado Nuclear Workforce Development and Education Council. This council will focus on enhancing nuclear engineering education through a grant program that supports higher education institutions in developing or expanding relevant degree and certificate programs. These changes emphasize the importance of preparing a skilled workforce in the nuclear sector, which could help meet future energy demands.

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Second Regular Session Seventy-fifth General Assembly STATE OF COLORADO ENGROSSED This Version Includes All Amendments Adopted on Second Reading in the House of Introduction LLS NO.
Second Regular Session Seventy-fifth General Assembly STATE OF COLORADO REENGROSSED This Version Includes All Amendments Adopted in the House of Introduction LLS NO.
26-0449.01 Anna Petrini x5497 SENATE BILL 26-045 SENATE SPONSORSHIP Liston and Mullica, Baisley, Bright, Carson, Catlin, Frizell, Hinrichsen, Kirkmeyer, Lindstedt, Pelton B., Pelton R., Rich, Roberts, Simpson, Snyder HOUSE SPONSORSHIP Paschal and Winter T., Senate Committees House Committees Education Appropriations A BILL FOR AN ACT C ONCERNING PROMOTING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN C OLORADO 'S NUCLEAR SECTOR .
26-0449.01 Anna Petrini x5497 SENATE BILL 26-045 SENATE SPONSORSHIP Liston and Mullica, Baisley, Bright, Carson, Catlin, Frizell, Hinrichsen, Kirkmeyer, Lindstedt,PeltonB.,PeltonR.,Rich,Roberts,Simpson,Snyder,Ball,Coleman,Exum,Jodeh, Marchman HOUSE SPONSORSHIP Paschal and Winter T., Senate Committees House Committees Education Appropriations A BILL FOR AN ACT C ONCERNING PROMOTING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN C OLORADO 'S NUCLEAR SECTOR .
This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does notreflectanyamendmentsthatmaybesubsequentlyadopted.Ifthisbill passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at http://leg.colorado.gov.) ThebillcreatestheColoradonuclearworkforcedevelopmentand education council (council) in theColoradoschoolof minestohelpmeet growing workforce demand in the nuclear energy sector.
This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does notreflectanyamendmentsthatmaybesubsequentlyadopted.Ifthisbill e n passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that m 2 applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at T n 2 A U 9 http://leg.colorado.gov.) E i i S a p ThebillcreatestheColoradonuclearworkforcedevelopmentand R A r education council (council) in theColoradoschoolof minestohelpmeet 3 growing workforce demand in the nuclear energy sector.
The bill establishes a related grant program (grant program) to provide grants to g institutions of higher education for the development or expansion of d nuclear engineering degree or certificate programs or course offerings.
The bill establishes a related grant program (grant program) to provide grants to g institutions of higher education for the development or expansion of i a 6 nuclear engineering degree or certificate programs or course offerings.
e 2 T R 2 A 2 8 Shading denotes HOUSE amendment.
E R 0 A n , N 2 2 Shading denotes HOUSE amendment.
E d i Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
S e r Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.n Ap Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.
e A The council shall convene advisory sessions with stakeholders from the nuclear,educational,andworkforcedevelopmentsectors;implementthe grant program;
e A A The council shall convene advisory sessions with stakeholders from the nuclear,educational,andworkforcedevelopmentsectors;implementthe grant program;
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Action History

  1. House Committee on Appropriations Postpone Indefinitely

  2. House Committee on Finance Refer Unamended to Appropriations

  3. House Committee on Education Refer Amended to Finance

  4. Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments

  5. Introduced In House - Assigned to Education

  6. Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole

  7. Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee

  8. Senate Committee on Education Refer Amended to Appropriations

  9. Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Education

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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18 sponsors · 5 co-sponsors · 78 not signed on · 7 voted No

Sponsors (18)

Co-sponsors (5)

Not signed on (78)

78 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 78 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Postpone Senate Bill 26-045 indefinitely using a reversal of the previous roll call. There was no objection to the use of the reverse roll call, therefore, the bill was postponed indefinitely.

Passed 7 Yea · 4 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democrat 7100
Republican 0300
Total 7400
% of votes cast 64%36%0%0%
How each member voted (11)
Member Party Vote
Andrew Boesenecker Democrat Yea
Brianna Titone Democrat Nay
Elizabeth Velasco Democrat Yea
Emily Sirota Democrat Yea
Junie Joseph Democrat Yea
Karen McCormick Democrat Yea
Kyle Brown Democrat Yea
Yara Zokaie Democrat Yea
Matt Soper Republican Nay
Rick Taggart Republican Nay
Scott Bottoms Republican Nay

Official roll call →

Refer Senate Bill 26-045 to the Committee on Appropriations.

Passed 9 Yea · 2 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 3100
Democrat 6100
Total 9200
% of votes cast 82%18%0%0%
How each member voted (11)
Member Party Vote
Bob Marshall Democrat Yea
Brianna Titone Democrat Yea
Lorena Garcia Democrat Yea
Rebekah Stewart Democrat Yea
Sean Camacho Democrat Yea
Steven Woodrow Democrat Yea
Yara Zokaie Democrat Nay
Anthony Hartsook Republican Yea
Max Brooks Republican Nay
Ryan Gonzalez Republican Yea
Ty Winter Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Refer Senate Bill 26-045, as amended, to the Committee on Finance.

Passed 11 Yea · 1 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democrat 6101
Republican 4000
Unaffiliated 1000
Total 11101
% of votes cast 85%8%0%8%
How each member voted (13)
Member Party Vote
Garcia Sander — Yea
Eliza Hamrick Democrat Yea
Jacque Phillips Democrat Yea
Jennifer Bacon Democrat Not Voting
Katie Stewart Democrat Yea
Lindsay Gilchrist Democrat Yea
Matthew Martinez Democrat Yea
Meghan Lukens Democrat Yea
Tammy Story Democrat Nay
Anthony Hartsook Republican Yea
Ava Flanell Republican Yea
Dusty Johnson Republican Yea
Mary Bradfield Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

labor education energy
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does SB 45 do?
The bill creates the Colorado nuclear workforce development and education council (council) in the Colorado school of mines to help meet growing workforce demand in the nuclear energy sector. The bill establishes a related grant program (grant program) to provide grants to institutions of higher education for the development or expansion of nuclear engineering degree or certificate programs or course offerings. The council shall convene advisory sessions with stakeholders from the nuclear, educational, and workforce development sectors; implement the grant program; and contract with one or more third-party entities for staffing and operational assistance.     The council may seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, and donations for council-related purposes. The state treasurer shall credit the gifts, grants, and donations to the Colorado nuclear workforce development and education cash fund (cash fund), which is created in the bill. The general assembly shall not appropriate general fund money to implement or maintain council operations or grant awards. The council shall convene and begin awarding grants only after the balance of the cash fund reaches or exceeds $500,000 (threshold) .     The bill imposes requirements to report to the Colorado commission on higher education and the general assembly about the council's funding sources, grant program implementation, and other uses of the grant program money. If the cash fund balance does not reach the threshold on or before September 1, 2027, the council is repealed and the money in the cash fund is refunded to the grantors or donors. Otherwise, the bill repeals the council, effective September 1, 2033, unless the council is extended following a sunset review.(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Who sponsors SB 45?
SB 45 is sponsored by Larry Liston (Republican), Kyle Mullica (Democrat), Mark Baisley (Republican), Scott Bright (Republican), John Carson (Republican), Marc Catlin (Republican), Nick Hinrichsen (Democrat), Barbara Kirkmeyer (Republican), William Lindstedt (Democrat), Byron Pelton (Republican), Rod Pelton (Republican), Janice Rich (Republican), Dylan Roberts (Democrat), Cleave Simpson (Republican), Marc Snyder (Democrat), Matt Ball (Democrat), James Coleman (Democrat), Tony Exum (Democrat), Iman Jodeh (Democrat), Janice Marchman (Democrat), T. Winter, A. Paschal, and Lisa Frizell (Republican).
What is the current status of SB 45?
This bill has passed the Senate. Introduced January 27, 2026. It now moves to the second chamber.
Where can I track SB 45?
Track SB 45 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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