Published: May 18, 2017

Gov. John Hickenlooper signs bill with people looking on.

Front: Gov. John Hickenlooper. Back (left to right):ÌýFrances Draper,ÌýTanya Kelly-Bowry, Dr. Kim Hunter Reed, Kachina Weaver, Heather Retzko.Ìý(Photo by Casey A. Cass/University of Colorado Boulder)

State higher education performance and funding are at the core of Colorado , which Gov. John Hickenlooper signed today on campus.

The University of Colorado was involved in the stakeholder process of the bill, working with the bill's sponsors, the state's Joint Budget Committee, Department of Higher Education and other higher education institutions, to "make sure the bill worked for everyone,"Ìýsays Jia Meeks, ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Boulder legislative liaison.

The bill, known as "Revising Higher Education Performance Requirements,"Ìýrepeals prior statutes on performance-based funding and contracts for Colorado's higher education institutions. It also realigns the performance goals of Colorado's higher education institutions more efficiently with current funding formula objectives.

A group photo is taken at a bill signing ceremony on the ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Boulder campus.

Left to right:ÌýRep. KC Becker, Tanya Kelly-Bowry, Frances Draper, Kachina Weaver, Rep. Mike Foote, Rep. Jovan Melton, Rep. Edie Hooton, Jia Meeks, Sen. Steve Fenberg, Dr. Kim Hunter Reed, Heather Retzko. (Photo by Casey A. Cass/University of Colorado Boulder)

The goal of the bill is to help ensure the Commission of Higher Education, in collaboration with ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ and the state's other higher education institutions, can effectively implement and achieve the statewide master plan goals.

At the ceremony, Hickenlooper also signed Senate bill 305 (SB17-305), House bill 1266 (HB17-1266) and House bill 1354 (HB17-1354). The last time Hickenlooper signed legislation on the ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Boulder campus was in 2014—a bill funding an energy "collaboratory."

¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Boulder's Office of Government Relations is a full-time resource on campus, helping build partnerships between the university and external stakeholders. The office can assist campus community members with inviting state or federal officials to campus,Ìýmeeting with legislators,Ìýfulfilling requests from elected officials,Ìýpreparing for legislative testimonies and more.

Contact Meeks at jia.meeks@colorado.edu or at 303-492-5526.