Policy & Advocacy

Championing local public health at state government

CALPHO 2024 report and positions on Colorado legislation

CALPHO's Policy Committee meets every two weeks during legislative sessions to deliberate on bills with significant impact in its member-selected priority areas. The committee meets monthly outside of the legislative session. See the list of CALPHO's bill positions for 2024 , and read CALPHO's 2024 Post-Session Legislative Report for additional details on CALPHO's positions, member-selected policy priorities, and further analyses.

Signing of SB16-94, 2016

Lobbying at the Colorado General Assembly

CALPHO is the state’s leading champion for local governmental public health with Colorado’s state and county governments. CALPHO actively lobbies at the state legislature on member-selected priorities, with a focus on creating the conditions that allow LPHAs to protect their community members and promote their communities' health priorities.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated chronic underfunding and workforce gaps that limit LPHAs' capacity to succeed. Recognizing this, CALPHO revamped its advocacy strategy in 2022 to prioritize funding levels & funding flexibility, organizational infrastructure, and workforce retention as long-term objectives. Additionally, members determine more specific legislative priorities on an annual basis. ​CALPHO is represented at the Capitol by Eliza Schultz of Schultz Public Affairs, LLC

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CALPHO's member-driven advocacy process

Our policy committee is comprised of public health professionals from across the state. They typically represent different levels of leadership and the various public health specialties, such as environmental health and emergency preparedness. Committee members:

• meet regularly during the legislative session to determine CALPHO’s official legislative positions
• provide additional direction for our Policy Director and lobbying team 
• provide or arrange for expert testimony on bills
• identify advocacy partners and facilitate relationship building

Session Stats - January 10 to May 8

For more information on CALPHO's policy and advocacy work, contact CALPHO Policy Director Allie Morgan.