The court is now in session! And that means…. Lots of pieces
of legislation are being introduced, discussed, and voted on. One such piece of
legislation that’s incredibly relevant to our members at The Gathering Place is
House Bill 1386: The Necessary Documents Program.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that obtaining a new
ID is one of the most annoying, aggravating processes; now imagine what that
process is like if you don’t have an address to put on the ID. Or imagine
trying to get a new social security card when you don’t have a birth certificate
to prove your citizenship. Now imagine trying to get paid at a new job so you
can pay your rent when you don’t have any identification. All of these are more
than hypotheticals; they are very real challenges that many of our members face
every day. Thankfully, The Gathering Place has had a partnership with Metro
Caring Denver that has helped many of our members get their IDs. This has been
thanks to the Necessary Documents Program which requires that select nonprofits
receive state funding for necessary document assistance.
The Necessary Documents Program expired and now House Bill
1386 seeks to re-new that program. The Board of Directors at the Gathering
Place has voted and they will be supporting this piece of legislation as it
moves through the House and Senate. As of right now, the bill has passed the
House Finance Committee and was referred to Appropriations.
They are called necessary documents for a reason, so
we’re hoping that this bill will get passed!
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