Legislation
HB22-1295
Department of Early Childhood & Universal Preschool Program
HB22-1295 formed a new state Department of Early Childhood and established the Colorado Universal Preschool Program, which will provide at least 10 hours of free preschool per week to any Colorado family who wants it for their 4-year-old.
HB22-1370
Coverage Requirements for Healthcare Products
HB22-1370 set new requirements with health insurance companies for step therapy, prescription drug rebates and midyear cost increases to protect consumers and ensure you are benefiting from the cost-savings, not big insurance.
Adjust Tax Expenditures for State Education Fund
While Colorado was experiencing a catastrophic budget crisis at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic fallout, Emily passed HB-1420 to remove certain tax loopholes for wealth individuals and corporations in order to fund public education and ultimately increase the Earned Income Tax Credit for families she knew would struggle coming out of the pandemic.
HB20-1336
Holocaust & Genocide Education Required in Colorado K12 Curriculum
HB20-1336 requires Holocaust & Genocide education as a requirement for high school graduation. Local districts will implement their own curriculum and courses, in line with state standards established by the state board of education.
ENVIRONMENT
As the consequences of climate change continue to affect Colorado's weather, air quality, public health, and economic growth, Representative Sirota understands why we need to take action to preserve our environment and our Colorado way of life.
Emily serves on the House Energy & Environment Committee, where she has supported landmark legislation over the past four years to regulate the oil & gas industry with health and safety standards, establish Colorado's GHG emission reduction goals, create statewide recycling infrastructure, ban the use of PFAS in many products, and establish an environmental justice framework in Colorado environmental policy.
In 2019, she passed HB19-1188 to give legislators the tools they need to evaluate greenhouse gas pollution for bills that may have an impact on GHG pollution. Emily is also a strong believer in local control, and she will fight for new laws that will empower local Colorado communities to more stringently regulate oil and gas development within their midst.
GUN REFORM
As a legislator, Emily has advocated for new laws such as the Extreme Risk Protection Orders and bans on gun sales to people convicted on domestic violence charges and others who should not have access to firearms.
She will continue to advance legislation to protect Coloradans from gun violence. No parent should have to send their child to school in fear of a school shooting. People should be able to grocery shop without fear. Active shooter drills should not be the norm for our children. Emily will work to stop efforts by the NRA, the Rocky Mountain Gun Owners organization, and Colorado Republicans to rollback our existing gun safety laws.
HEALTHCARE
Emily is a strong supporter of creating a single-payer Medicare-for-All system in Colorado. That's why she passed HB19-1176 - the Heath Care Cost Savings Act of 2019, which commissioned a task force to determine how much Colorado pays for care and how much Colorado could save by transitioning to health care for all systems. The taskforce produced a report that showed a universal, single payer system can cover more people for less money than our current system.
In 2022, Emily passed legislation to lower prescription drug prices in Colorado and to prevent insurance companies from interfering in the doctor - patient relationship for step therapy.
Prior to her appointment to the Joint Budget Committee, Emily served as Vice Chair of the House Public & Behavioral Health and Human Services Committee and served on the Health & Insurance Committee.
WORKER RIGHTS
Emily fought for new laws giving workers paid sick and family leave and to crack down on wage theft. She also supports legislation that is designed to strengthen the collective bargaining rights of public and private sector workers, and that will prevent persecution against workers who form unions.
Because of her pro-worker agenda, Emily has been endorsed by the Colorado AFL-CIO, the Communications Workers of America, SEIU Local 105, and Colorado WINS.