Bill Tracker

Codifies the recent action by the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) to combine the Children’s Home and Community-Based Services (CHCBS) waiver and the Children with Life Limiting Illness (CLLI) waiver – into the Children with Complex Health Needs waiver program.

Health & Human Services

Kevin Neimond

Approved by the Transportation Legislation Review Committee, the bill aims to enhance paratransit services for individuals with disabilities in Colorado. The bill introduces specific duties for transit agencies and establishes a task force to study and recommend best practices for paratransit services.

By January 1, 2026, transit agencies are required to collaborate with local emergency service providers to develop a plan for communicating information and delivering paratransit services during emergencies. Transit agencies must ensure that the fare collection technology used for paratransit services is comparable to that of regular or fixed-route services, promoting equity and ease of use for all passengers. Before reducing any paratransit service areas, transit agencies are mandated to consult with affected community members and conduct an impact analysis. This analysis should assess the number of users affected, alternative transit options, funding sustainability, and the suitability of different vehicles for various passenger needs. Finally, the bill establishes a 16-member task force within the Department of Transportation. This task force is charged with studying and making recommendations on standardizing and implementing best practices for paratransit services across the state. A report summarizing their findings and recommendations is to be submitted to the Transportation Legislation Review Committee by October 15, 2025.

Transportation & Telecommunications

Meghan MacKillop

Extends the time frame for construction of a well outside the boundaries of a designated groundwater basin to 2 years (rather than 1 year) after receiving a permit. Also removes the requirement that the commission or state engineer mail a certified letter to the permit holder prior to expiration and allows these entities to reinstate an expired permit if the applicant can show the well was completed in a timely manner and pays a $30 fee. The bill also divides the division engineers’ decennial water rights report into two batches, extends certain timeframes related to the well permitting process, and eliminates final permitting requirements for non-Denver Basin bedrock aquifer wells in designated basins.

A fact sheet is available here: 

https://shorturl.at/Eg7dw

Land Use & Natural Resources

Reagan Shane

Requires public and governmental entities to administer case management-based services and activities in the most integrated setting appropriate to the needs of a qualified individual with a disability. Additionally, requires public and governmental entities to provide community-based services, including Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) to a qualified individual with a disability if the services are deemed appropriate by a treating professional, the individual agrees to receive them, and the services can be reasonably provided based on available resources and the needs of others with disabilities. A public or governmental entity is not required to comply with these requirements if doing so would require a fundamental alteration of the entity's program.

Health & Human Services

Kevin Neimond

A county with Sangre de Cristo land grant lands may opt in to require applications for certain large fencing projects on or after July 1, 2025. If it opts in, the county must review applications based on specified criteria (height, material, wildlife crossings, etc.) and may waive the requirement if no significant environmental impacts are found. Applications must be approved or rejected within 60 days of receipt.

This bill is meant to address current tensions in the Sangre de Cristo land grant lands.

Land Use & Natural Resources

Reagan Shane

Current law grants a municipality police power over land that it acquires outside its municipal limits for use as parks, parkways, boulevards, or roads. The bill extends this authority to land that a municipality acquires for open space and natural areas, regardless of whether such areas are open or closed to the public.

The bill was amended to remove implications for water and eminent domain.

Land Use & Natural Resources

Reagan Shane

Effective January 1, 2026, the bill mandates that local governments adopting or substantially amending their building codes ensure these codes meet or exceed the accessibility standards outlined in the International Building Code (IBC). This requirement extends to the Division of Fire Prevention and Control within the Department of Public Safety, particularly concerning building codes for public schools and health facilities. Additionally, the State Housing Board must ensure that construction and maintenance standards for hotels, motels, and multiple dwellings in areas without local building codes align with or surpass IBC accessibility standards.

General Government

Meghan MacKillop

Creates a civil cause of action for a peace officer if the peace officer reports or discloses conduct that is in violation of, or the peace officer reasonably believes is in violation of, any law or policy and the report or disclosure is a contributing factor in the employer of the peace officer's decision to take adverse employment action against the peace officer. Additionally, creates an affirmative defense to the action if the peace officer's employer would have taken the action that forms the basis of the suit against the peace officer, based on a legitimate nonretaliatory basis.

Justice & Public Safety

Kevin Neimond

The bill would have (1) Created a regional homelessness response district, formed by counties and municipalities to reduce and prevent homelessness; and (2) Allowed a county clerk and recorder to designate money collected from documentary filing fees to be transferred to a housing agency for the purpose of developing, preserving, or acquiring affordable housing aligned with demonstrated community needs for homeless individuals. The bill would also have formalized the Governor’s interagency council on homelessness and directed the Office of Homeless Initiatives to convene the continuum of care organizations more frequently.

CCI had concerns that the filing fee component would create the appearance of a funding source when, in reality, the fee is too small to make a meaningful impact. CCI also had concerns about fiscal impacts of the legislation.

Land Use & Natural Resources

Reagan Shane

Allows local collaborative management programs (CMPs) to enter into agreements with Medicaid managed care entities. Additionally, specifies that courts may access relevant CMP records.

Health & Human Services

Kevin Neimond

The statutory definition of “clean energy” determines which energy projects are eligible for clean energy project financing at the county and city and county level. The statutory definition of “clean energy resource” determines which energy resources may be used by a qualifying utility to meet the 2050 clean energy target. The bill updates these two definitions to include nuclear energy.

Land Use & Natural Resources

Reagan Shane

Requires facilities with custody of persons committed, imprisoned, or arrested to allow certain incoming communications with attorneys, subject to all reasonable administrative and operational procedures and in the manner as determined by the facility administration.

Justice & Public Safety

Kevin Neimond

Exempts a county from the requirement to operate a county jail if it has entered into an intergovernmental agreement with another county to operate a multijurisdictional county jail.

Justice & Public Safety

Kevin Neimond

The bill mandates that local governments in Colorado must approve or deny applications for collocation projects within 90 days, or 150 days for new wireless service facility applications. If no decision is made within these timelines, and after required public notices and notification to the local government that the deadline has passed, the application is deemed approved. Local governments may toll the review deadline once for up to 45 days to gather additional required information (with written notice to the applicant), and both parties can agree in writing to further extensions. Applicants must also wait for any required traffic-control or safety permits before beginning work, and local governments cannot demand new permits for routine, non-substantial equipment replacements provided they are notified. Safety, zoning, and building rules still apply.

Transportation & Telecommunications

Meghan MacKillop

Allows a local government to impose installation/operational requirements for electronic fence detection systems within the local government’s adopted process for the permitting of alarm systems. Also allows a local government to require a permit for the installation of such a system that is not in addition to permits required for installation of other alarm systems.

Land Use & Natural Resource

Reagan Shane

The bill creates the Community Schoolyards Grant Program in the Division of Local Government (DLG) counties and school districts to partner to create park-like environments at schools that provide hands-on programming to students, enhance well-being of students and community members, and address inequities in underserved communities, specifically those affected by minerals and mineral fuels subject to severance tax. Grant recipients are awarded up to $150,000 for planning and design of a community schoolyard and up to $850,000 for the construction of these schoolyards.

$4 million is appropriated from the Local Government Severance Tax Fund for the program. The transfer must come from the portion of the Local Government Severance Tax Fund that is distributed to local governments impacted by mineral fuels and severance taxes. The money is appropriated through FY28-29. DOLA is requesting that $500,000 be appropriated to the department for implementation.

General Government

Meghan MacKillop

Requires a court to sentence an offender convicted of a class 4 felony sexual assault on a child or sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust to an indeterminate term of incarceration that can range from the presumptive range minimum of 2 years to a maximum of the offender's natural life. Also, requires a court to sentence an offender convicted of a class 3 felony sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust when the child is less than 15 years of age to an indeterminate term of incarceration that can range from the presumptive range minimum of 4 years to a maximum of the offender's natural life. Finally, prohibits a court from sentencing these types of offenders to probation.

Justice & Public Safety

Kevin Neimond

The bill allows counties, special districts, and school districts to provide incentive payments or credits to communication service providers that expand a facility in an unserved or underserved area within their jurisdiction. Incentive payments or credits may not exceed the amount of property taxes levied by the local government on the real or personal property located within the facility for the current property tax year. Qualified facilities include communication service property facilities, infrastructure, equipment, or other real or personal property used to provide wireless telephone services and fixed broadband or mobile broadband internet access. Equipment includes items such as mode switches, routers, servers, multiplexers, fiber optics, macro cell towers, micro cell towers, and other equipment. Unserved areas are defined as areas where broadband internet access service does not meet the minimum broadband benchmarks established by the Federal Communications Commission. Underserved areas are defined as areas where broadband internet access service is not available from more than one provider at speeds meeting or exceeding the same minimum broadband benchmarks. To offset lost revenue from the tax incentives, counties and special districts may adjust their tax levies by the amount of the total annual incentive payments and credits.

Transportation & Telecommunications

Meghan MacKillop

In current law, if a service member's driver's license expires while they are serving on active duty outside of Colorado, the driver's license expiration date is extended for 3 years or until 90 days after the service member returns to the state. This bill designates the service member's dependents as also subject to the extension of their driver's license expiration date.

Transportation & Telecommunications

Meghan MacKillop

Makes changes to public hospital boards of trustees by allowing appointed public officials to serve on public hospital boards, requiring public hospital boards to meet annually (instead of each January), and removing the requirement that a hospital board trustee must examine hospitals twice per month. Additionally, moves the deadline for hospital boards to certify to a board of county commissioners the amount that is necessary to maintain the hospital for the next year from October 1st to December 1st.

Health & Human Services

Kevin Neimond

In 1975, the General Assembly enacted the original "Interstate Compact on Placement of Children". In 2024, the General Assembly enacted an updated version of the compact. The bill clarifies that the original compact remains in effect until the updated compact is enacted into law by 35 states.

Health & Human Services

Kevin Neimond

Allows a political subdivision or an ambulance service providing ambulance services on behalf of the political subdivision to submit to the Division of Insurance the established rates for the ambulance services, if the rates meet specified conditions. Additionally, establishes reimbursement rates for ambulance services that are out of network.

Justice & Public Safety

Kevin Neimond

Current law prevents local governments from implementing anti-growth laws that explicitly limit the population/housing growth except under certain circumstances. The bill adds that an anti-growth law includes a regulation that, in census urban areas, explicitly decreases the permitted residential density or residential uses of land relative to those allows on July 1, 2025, without ensuring a corresponding increase in density or uses elsewhere in the jurisdiction. The bill also allows municipalities to seek a judicial determination as to the legality of a proposed land use ordinance that restricts or limits development prior to an election.

The bill came forward in response to a development disagreement and legal challenge in Lakewood.

Land Use & Natural Resources

Reagan Shane

The bill requires that a petitioner or their agent must comply with the uniform standards of professional appraisal practice (USPAP) when appealing to the BAA, district court, or arbitration. These are the same standards that licensed appraisers must comply with. This bill applies only to appeals of taxes for property that is nonresidential real property and that is not agricultural property. The bill also adds to the required disclosures that a petitioner must provide to the county for an appeal to the BAA concerning rent-producing commercial real property. In these cases, the petitioner must provide additional disclosures.  

1. full copies of all leases that are in place as of the date of the valuation of the property, and  

2. any market data that the petitioner has relied on to determine the value they are requesting for their property instead of the valuation that's been set by the county assessor.

Taxation & Finance

Dylan Peper

The bill has been significantly amended to remove the original mandate in the bill. Now, the bill exclusively implements fixes to the SolarAPP grant program, extending the timeline during which a local government may use a grant for up to three years after the grantee implements the software.

Land Use & Natural Resources

Reagan Shane

Requires county departments of human services to develop placement transition plans for a child any time a decision has been made by the county or the courts to move the child to a new placement, outside of emergency placements. The Colorado Department of Human Services must create training on the importance of transition planning and county child welfare case workers must complete the training.

Health & Human Services

Kevin Neimond

Would have required the Water Quality Control Commission to issue written guidance specific to the development of the daily maximum amount of a pollutant from all sources that is allowed to enter state waters so that an applicable water quality standard is met (total daily maximum load, or TMDL). Also would have required TMDLs to be set using “credible data,” including data that has been collected within the last five years and relevant historical data.

The bill was postponed indefinitely because the fiscal note could not be eliminated.

Land Use & Natural Resources

Reagan Shane

The bill establishes new cost-sharing rules for maintaining existing railroad crossings, impacting counties and other local governments. Under the bill, if the road authority responsible for a crossing is not a local government, maintenance costs must be shared equally between the railroad entity and the applicable road authority. The PUC rule will clarify that a county is only responsible for maintaining the portion of a railroad crossing that is outside of the railroad ties, while railroads maintain the track areas.

Transportation & Telecommunications

Meghan MacKillop

The bill modifies property tax exemptions for certain homeowners, starting with reassessment cycles on or after January 1, 2025. It changes the exemption for qualifying seniors, disabled veterans, and eligible surviving spouses from 50% of the first $200,000 of a home's value to 50% of 50% of the estimated state median home value. If the median home value declines, the exemption remains based on the prior cycle's value. Additionally, if voters approve a constitutional amendment in the 2026 general election, the bill would allow seniors and surviving spouses who previously qualified for the exemption (since 2016) to apply it to a new residence without meeting the 10-year ownership requirement.

Taxation & Finance

Dylan Peper

Under current law, local governments are prohibited from allowing the installation of nonfunctional turf, artificial turf, or invasive plant species in new developments or redevelopments on commercial, institutional, and industrial properties, as well as rights-of-way, parking lots, medians, and transportation corridors. Local governments have the authority to define “functional turf” - that is, what kinds of grass areas are used regularly for civic, community, or recreational purposes – as appropriate for their communities.

HB25-1113 expands the definition of “applicable property” to include multifamily residential housing property with more than 12 dwelling units. For all other residential real property, the bill requires local governments to enact ordinances, resolutions, or regulations for new development and redevelopment projects to regulate the installation of nonfunctional turf beginning January 1, 2028. The mechanism for regulating installation is up to the local government.

Land Use & Natural Resources

Reagan Shane

Would have established the Septic-System Replacement Enterprise to provide interest-free or low-interest loans to low-income households for replacement of failing septic systems. The enterprise would be a Type 1 entity funded by a fee on septic system permits and governed by a 7-member board (including one rural county commissioner, one rural county board of health member, and one member representing an association of Colorado counties). The fee structure was as follows: $10 if the permit is <$500; $50 if the permit is $500 - $999; $100 if the permit is $1,000-$1,399; and $200 if the permit is $1,400+.

CCI was concerned about increasing the cost of septic permits, especially given the existing affordability challenges for housing and rural septic systems, and the general fiscal impact of the bill.

Land Use & Natural Resources

Reagan Shane

Under current law, certain public projects and energy sector public works projects must meet apprenticeship utilization and prevailing wage requirements, depending on the type of project, the entity contracting for the project, and the type of construction. The bill allows state agencies to utilize a project labor agreement that includes certain provisions, including dispute resolution procedures, guarantees against strikes or lockouts, and ensuring a reliable source of skilled labor.

General Government

Meghan MacKillop

The bill repeals the retail delivery fee established in SB 21-260. These fees are distributed to several funds and enterprises created by the 2021 legislation, including the Multimodal Mitigation Options Fund and the HUTF.  

Transportation & Telecommuncations

Meaghan MacKillop

Increases the number of “emergency detention beds” available under the statewide juvenile detention bed cap from 22 to 39 (increases the total number of detention beds to 254) and allows more flexibility on when the emergency beds may be used. Additionally, requires the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) to publish report monthly on the number of youths in detention and who are awaiting mitigating services. Finally, the bill creates the Deflection and Community Investment Grant Program in the Division of Criminal Justice in the Colorado Department of Public Safety to provide competitive grants for three years to implement a mixed-delivery system of trauma-informed health and development deflection programs for youth. 

Health & Human Services

Kevin Neimond

Aligns sentencing and penalties for municipal offenses to state offenses, establishes that exceptions to livestreaming are case- and fact-specific, and prohibits courts from adopting blanket rules for any categories of cases or types of proceedings, and clarifies and sets additional requirements regarding court-appointed council in municipal court.

Justice & Public Safety

Kevin Neimond

Under current law, a candidate affiliated with a political party may only designate watchers for the primary election. This bill allows candidates to select watchers for general and congressional vacancy elections, and for any recount for the office of United States senator, representative in congress, and any state office or district office of state concern. If a candidate selects watchers for the central counting facility, the political party associated with that candidate cannot send different or additional watchers to the central counting facility. The political party can still send watchers to voting centers and polling locations, as well as to monitor the signature verification process in accordance with current law.

General Government

Meghan MacKillop

Implements the legislative recommendations of the Colorado Child Support Commission by updating the child support guidelines schedule, updating the monthly incomes eligible for a reduced low-income adjustment, and replacing the current parenting time credit with a formula that provides parents credit for all overnights spent with that parent.

Health & Human Services

Kevin Neimond

Requires the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing to streamline Medicaid reenrollment for individuals with stable incomes and to simplify the medical documentation process for assessing long-term care needs.

Health & Human Services

Kevin Neimond

The bill removes local government authority to regulate open or concealed carry of handguns, including regulations by special districts and governing boards of higher education institutions. The bill also allows individuals 18 years and older, who are legally permitted to possess a handgun under federal and state law, to carry a concealed handgun without a permit. The bill changes the validity of concealed carry permits from five years to a lifetime, automatically converting existing permits (excluding temporary emergency permits) into lifetime permits. 

General Government

Meghan MacKillop

Beginning December 31, 2026, would have required jurisdictions with populations >2,000 to allow a residential development to be constructed on a qualifying property (<5 acres owned by a faith-based organization or educational institution), subject to an administrative approval process. Subject jurisdictions would have been prohibited from imposing standards that are more restrictive than those in the underlying or contiguous zoning requirements. Jurisdictions would also be required to allow childcare and the provision of recreational, social, or educational services as uses in such residential developments, but they could condition these uses on occupying no more than 15% of the development. Exempt parcels included those with inadequate water and sewage infrastructure and/or septic and parcels where residential use is limited by state regulation, federal regulation, or deed restriction. The bill was amended to clarify that counties may still impose short-term rental regulations on the property and to include affordability requirements.

Land Use & Natural Resources

Reagan Shane

Changes the child relinquishment requirements for a parent in cases where the parent is a victim of sexual assault that resulted in the conception of the child to be relinquished. Additionally, requires the State Court Administrator to develop or modify an existing, standardized form for a petitioner to file to terminate another person's parent-child legal relationship because the child was conceived as a result of sexual assault.

Health & Human Services

Kevin Neimond

Specifies that child abuse or neglect must not be based solely upon a parent's or child's indigence, unavailability of accessible services, unhoused status, or disability. Additionally, updates requirements for mandatory reporters of child abuse or neglect, as well as employers of mandatory reporters.

Health & Human Services

Kevin Neimond

House Bill 25-1191 eliminates the vacancy committee process for filling county commissioner vacancies in Colorado. Instead, it mandates a vacancy election, with timing based on proximity to regularly scheduled elections. Candidates must meet eligibility requirements, pay a $500 filing fee, and be registered with the same party as the vacating commissioner (if applicable). Only registered voters in the commissioner’s district, affiliated with the same party or unaffiliated, can vote.

General Government

Meghan MacKillop

Allows a peace officer, firefighter, volunteer firefighter, emergency medical service provider, or other individual who responds to a public safety emergency to request that their address be kept confidential in voter registration records. 

Justice & Public Safety

Kevin Neimond

Establishes the Regional Planning Roundtable Commission within the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) to, at a local government’s request, provide support for certain planning efforts. The commission is a Type 2 entity with 21 members, including representatives from CML, CCI, SDA, a regional council of governments, and four members representing distinct regions of the state.

The bill was amended to clarify that the commission meets ONLY at a local government’s request and to expand its membership to include key groups like the Department of Agriculture.

Land Use & Natural Resources

Reagan Shane

The bill introduces a four-installment payment option for property taxes starting in the 2025 tax year. Currently, property taxes must be paid in full by April 30 or in two equal installments (February and June). Under the new option, eligible taxpayers—those owing more than $25 on residential or certain improved commercial properties and not paying through a mortgage escrow—can pay in four equal installments: February 28 April 30 July 15 September 15 However, at least half of the total tax must be paid by April 30 to remain eligible for the installment plan. Taxpayers can also choose to pay in full at any time before a tax lien sale.  If a taxpayer misses the July 15 installment, interest accrues at 1% per month starting July 16. If the September 15 installment is missed, interest accrues at 1% per month from September 16. Additionally, the bill extends the deadline for tax lien sale notices from September 1 to October 15 to accommodate the new installment schedule. County treasurers must include information about this option with tax statements.

Taxation & Finance

Dylan Peper

Reorganizes and updates statutes pertaining to the duties of the Office of the Child Protection Ombudsman. Specifically, the bill creates a new provision that pertains to the Office's access to information necessary to conduct an independent review of a complaint, clarifies when the Office may receive and conduct an independent and impartial investigation of complaints, and provides the Office access to facilities operated by the Colorado Department of Human Services.

Health & Human Services

Kevin Neimond

Codifies the federal "Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978" into state law as the "Colorado Indian Child Welfare Act" (CO-ICWA) and provides additional protections for Indian children and children known to be Indian children under state law.

Health & Human Services

Kevin Neimond

The bill states that on and after January 1, 2026, a local government that has enacted a code or an ordinance imposing a minimum wage that exceeds the state minimum wage: may increase the amount of the tip offset associated with the local minimum wage; except that a local government shall not impose a tip offset in an amount that allows a tipped employee to earn less than the state minimum wage minus $3.02.

Taxation & Finance

Dylan Peper

The bill makes a series of regulatory changes aimed at modernizing Colorado’s marijuana laws and reducing administrative burdens on both the industry and the state. The bill authorizes the use of digital employee ID cards and streamlines the process for criminal background checks, helping to simplify employment onboarding in licensed marijuana businesses. It also adjusts surveillance requirements to reduce compliance costs for licensees and updates record-keeping standards to improve efficiency. It also creates a new regulatory framework for licensed marijuana research and development facilities, enabling innovation under proper oversight. To help cover administrative expenses, regulators are now authorized to charge fees for providing copies of licensing documents. Finally, the bill includes a small reduction in state appropriations related to marijuana oversight, reflecting the expectation that these streamlined processes will generate long-term cost savings. Unless a referendum petition is filed, the law will take effect on August 6, 2025.

General Government

Meghan MacKillop

Makes several changes to administrative, eligibility, billing, and review requirements of the state’s Medicaid program under the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing.

Health & Human Services

Kevin Neimond

The bill strengthens transparency for metropolitan districts by requiring mailed or emailed notices for annual public meetings, hard copies of nomination forms at in-person meetings, and expanded information on district websites, including board contacts, meeting schedules, and service details. It also mandates a contact system for residents’ inquiries when staff is unavailable. Property sellers in districts formed after January 1, 2000, must provide specific disclosures and an explanation of district operations, regardless of whether the property is newly constructed.

General Government

Meghan MacKillop

The act prohibits any person, acting under color of law or otherwise, from intimidating, threatening, coercing, or attempting to do any of those things to an individual for voting, attempting to vote, urging or aiding a person to vote or attempt to vote, exercising powers or duties to administer elections, or their status as a past or present participation in election administration. The act creates a presumption of intimidation by carrying a visible firearm, imitation firearm, or toy firearm. The presumption does not apply to law enforcement officers acting in the scope of their official duties or security guards acting within the scope of their authority. A plaintiff must allege more than the possession of a holstered firearm by a law enforcement officer or security, but their possession of a firearm may be considered. The attorney general, an aggrieved individual, election official, or the secretary of state can enforce the act. An aggrieved individual can recover attorney fees and costs. As part of the relief provided, a court can enjoin a person from carrying a firearm in certain government areas and near polling places, count facilities, and ballot drop boxes. Effective: May 12, 2025.

General Government

Meghan MacKillop

The bill modifies CDOT design-build contract criteria, prioritizing long-term sustainability, lifecycle costs, environmental impact, and community benefits. The bill also encourages projects that minimize community disruption and address climate resilience, impacting county-level transportation planning and budgeting.

Transportation & Telecommunications

Meghan MacKillop

Under current law, elected county officials in certain counties may elect to receive a salary that is 50% lower than the salary amount for that county official as set by law. This election must be set forth and recorded with the office of a county's clerk and recorder during the month of November. The bill allows elected county officials in any county, including district attorneys, to opt for a reduced salary or no salary at all, with an annual election submitted to the county treasurer. It also reclassifies Mesa County from category I-D to I-A, increasing elected officials' salaries starting January 1, 2029. This change offers flexibility for officials in managing their compensation while adjusting Mesa County’s pay scale to align with larger counties.

General Government

Meghan MacKillop

Transportation & Telecommunications

Meghan MacKillop

Current law prohibits a person licensed to sell alcohol beverages at the retail level from selling, serving, or distributing alcohol between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. The bill allows these establishments to allow customers to consume alcohol from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. on the licensed premises if they stop selling no later than 2:30 am and stop serving alcohol at 3:00 am. The bill only applies where a local government opts in. 

General Government

Meghan MacKillop

The bill modifies the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act by consolidating and expanding remedies for individuals facing discrimination, particularly those with disabilities. Specifically, it:

• permits all protected classes to seek attorney’s fees and costs, actual monetary damages, noneconomic damages of up to $50,000, and fines of $5,000 per violation;
• reduces noneconomic damages by 50 percent if a defendant corrects the violation within 120 days; and
• conforms adjudication standards with the federal American Disabilities Act.

The bill also extends the deadline for filing a charge with the Colorado civil rights commission alleging discrimination in places of public accommodation or discriminatory advertising from 60 days to one year after the alleged discriminatory act occurred.

General Government

Meghan MacKillop

House Bill 25-1242 revises Colorado’s transparency laws, including the Open Meetings Law, CORA, and CCJRA. It broadens access to peace officer records, mandates public release of internal investigation records within 21 days, and extends CORA response times from 3 to 5 business days. Fees for records retrieval are capped, and additional guidance is provided for records request processes. Public employee communications, including emails, are made more accessible, impacting county governments' records management and response obligations.

General Government

Meghan MacKillop

Increased Lodging Tax Rate: The bill increases the maximum allowable county lodging tax rate from 2% to 6%, subject to local voter approval.

Expanded Use of Revenue: The current law allows lodging tax revenue to be used for: Advertising and marketing local tourism. Housing and childcare for the tourism-related workforce. Facilitating and enhancing visitor experiences. The bill expands the allowable uses to include:

• Public infrastructure maintenance and improvements.
• Enhancing public safety, including funding for local law enforcement, fire departments, and emergency medical services.

Protection of Voter-Approved Allocations: If a county received voter approval before January 1, 2025, to allocate lodging tax revenue to specific purposes, those allocations remain preserved. Any new revenue from a tax rate increase may be allocated to additional allowable uses as permitted under this bill. Voter Approval Requirements: Any proposal to increase the tax rate or expand the use of revenue must be approved by local voters in a general or special election.

Taxation & Finance

Dylan Peper

Under current law, counties with populations of 70,000 or more can have a board of county commissioners consisting of either 3 or 5 members. If the board has 3 commissioners, they are elected from 3 districts by voters countywide. If the board has 5 commissioners, the county can be divided into 3 or 5 districts, and commissioners can be elected by district, at-large, or through a combination of both methods. This bill changes the rules for counties with populations of 250,000 or more, requiring them to have 5 commissioners representing 5 districts. These counties must select one of the following three election methods:5 commissioners residing in 5 districts, each elected solely by voters within their district; 3 commissioners residing in 3 districts elected only by voters within those districts, and 2 commissioners elected at large; and 5 commissioners elected at large using the single transferable vote method

General Government

Meghan MacKillop

The bill updates energy use benchmarking and performance standard requirements for covered building owners (buildings of 50,000 square feet or more that are not public buildings). This includes a requirement to meet 2040 performance standards, as adopted by the Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC), authorizing an alternative compliance mechanism for certain performance standards, and aligning civil penalties for a violation with civil penalties for other air quality violations.

The bill also creates a building decarbonization enterprise to provide financial, technical, and programmatic assistance to covered building owners to implement various building decarbonization measures. The enterprise will be funded through an annual fee on covered building owners.

Additionally, the bill clarifies that adoption of a wildfire resiliency code does not trigger energy code adoption requirements.

The bill was amended to require the AQCC to, when adopting 2040 performance standards, take into account the capital planning periods for covered buildings, feasibility for building owners, and the practical and financial feasibility of meeting the targets.

Land Use & Natural Resources

Reagan Shane

Beginning July 1, 2027, a county department of human services must continually determine whether children and youth in foster care may be eligible for federal survivor benefits administered by the Railroad Retirement Board, Social Security Administration, or Veterans Administration. If eligibility is identified, the county must apply for those benefits on behalf of the child. The county must also continually review a foster child’s representative payee or fiduciary for federal benefits. If no payee or fiduciary is available, the county must assume the role but cannot use any of the federal benefits to pay for county costs related to providing support to the foster child.

Health & Human Services

Kevin Neimond

Creates the Multifamily Construction Incentive Program, which allows developers to access certain construction defect liability reforms if they meet certain criteria, including implementing a series of third-party inspections for the development, successfully repairing or resolving any instance of noncompliant design/construction identified during an inspection, and providing a warranty that covers any defect and damage at no cost for identified timelines. For developments in this program, a construction defect claim must have resulted in certain types of actual damage or unreasonable risk of bodily injury, death, or threat to life/health/safety.

Land Use & Natural Resources

Reagan Shane

The bill requires municipalities with a population of 100,000 or more that is served by an accredited fire protection district or department to, by December 1, 2027, adopt or amend a building code to allow up to five stories of a multifamily residential building to be served by a single exit. Such buildings must meet certain safety standards related to construction material, travel distance, sprinkler systems, etc. This requirement only applies to the area within a subject jurisdiction that is served by a single fire protection district or department.

Land Use & Natural Resources

Reagan Shane

Allows a court to issue a monetary bond for certain low-level offenses when a person fails to appear in court two to three times in the same case.

Justice & Public Safety

Kevin Neimond

Requires the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) to develop a standardized process for counties to report certain information about the Colorado Works Program by October 1, 2025. This includes counties providing information on TANF spending, supportive services, impacts of state policy changes on TANF caseload, and the number of denied program applications. CDHS must also develop recommendations on a standardized outcome measure for contracted services funded by TANF.

Health & Human Services

Kevin Neimond

The bill requires employers, including local governments, to implement protections for workers who are exposed to extreme hot and cold temperatures at the worksite, including temperature mitigation measures, rest breaks, and temperature-related injury and illness prevention plans.

General Government

Meghan MacKillop

Current law allows a property tax exemption for portions of real property leased by a public entity, such as the state, a local government, or a public university, if the property is used for public purposes. Public entities must submit a copy of the lease to the county assessor to claim this exemption.

HB-1289 Changes: Requires metropolitan districts (a type of local government) to submit additional information to the county assessor when they lease property for public use. The district must file a statement detailing: How the property is being used for the district’s purposes. The district’s authority to use the property for these purposes. Any private use of the leased property. Any conflicts of interest disclosed by members of the district’s board regarding the leased property. Review Process If a board member discloses a conflict of interest related to the lease, the assessor must forward this information to the district’s governing body. The governing body must issue a decision within 180 days on whether the property is being used for a public purpose. If the governing body determines the property is not used for a public purpose, it loses its tax-exempt status. This decision is final, meaning it cannot be appealed or challenged in court.

Additionally, the bill clarifies that if a private owner leases property to a public entity but then subleases it back for private use, the property remains taxable to the private owner.

Taxation & Finance

Dylan Peper

The bill makes it third degree assault (a class 1 misdemeanor) to: intend to harass, annoy, threaten, or alarm a transit worker by causing the transit worker to come into contact with bodily fluids or hazardous materials; or intend to prevent a transit worker from performing a lawful duty and that action causes bodily injury to the transit worker. The bill also makes the Regional Transportation District eligible to receive funds from Proposition 130, a ballot initiative passed in 2024 that provided additional state funding to law enforcement agencies and personnel. 

Transportation & Telecommunications

Meghan MacKillop

The bill requires the Department of Transportation (CDOT) to provide transmission developers the best available information on potential future state highway development projects that could impact the placement of a high voltage line within a state highway right-of-way. If CDOT and the transmission developer agree that a site may be suitable for a high voltage line, CDOT must develop a preconstruction plan review schedule, and, upon approval of the requirements in the preconstruction plan, the developer must provide a report on mitigation strategies needed to avoid potential impacts to certain communities. CDOT must approve this report before it issues the developer a permit for the use of a state highway right-of-way. Transmission developers must consider development sites in the following order of priority: existing utility corridors, then state highway rights-of-way, and then new utility corridors. By January 1, 2027, CDOT must update its rules concerning access to state highway rights-of way to accommodate high voltage lines.

Transportation & Telecommunications

Meghan MacKillop

The bill establishes fire safety permit reciprocity across jurisdictions if the original issuing jurisdiction adopted the most recent international fire code, and after completion of an inspection. The bill also establishes a reciprocal food safety license between Denver and other local governments (for the latter, this is already standard practice). A food truck owner or operator must provide a copy of their Denver/state food safety license or of their fire safety permit to the jurisdiction at least 14 days before operating. Notably, nothing in the bill prevents a local government from enacting and enforcing ordinances, zoning regulations, local fire codes, etc. that apply to food truck operations.

The bill was amended to remove previous prohibitions on adopting an ordinance, resolution, regulation, zoning code, or other code that limits the operation of food trucks as it relates to operating location and number of days of operation.

Land Use & Natural Resources

Reagan Shane

The bill makes the following tax credit, exemption, and revenue changes, with a net positive impact on General Fund revenue starting in FY 2025-26:
Enterprise Zone Investment Tax Credit:
New cap: Limits lifetime claims to $2 million per taxpayer beginning in tax year 2026 (waivers possible via EDC).
Industry exclusions: Oil/gas extraction, hard rock mining, aviation, fuel retail, and wireless infrastructure ineligible.
Fiscal impact: Increases revenue by $10.5 million/year starting in FY 2026-27.
Interstate Telecommunication Services:
Now included in the state sales tax base.
Offers a credit if also taxed by another state.
Fiscal impact: Adds ~$2.4 million/year in new General Fund revenue.
Child Care Center Investment Tax Credit:
Extended through tax year 2028 (previously expired after 2025).
Fiscal impact: Costs ~$200,000/year starting in FY 2026-27.
Business Personal Property Tax Credit:
Repealed beginning tax year 2026.
Fiscal impact: Saves ~$178,600/year by FY 2027-28.
Care Worker Tax Credit (FFN workers):
Expanded to include those providing care outside their own home.
Fiscal impact: Reduces revenue by ~$1.6 million/year starting FY 2026-27.
Fertilizer and Spray Adjuvants (Cannabis):
Now exempt from sales and use tax for marijuana cultivation (previously excluded).
Fiscal impact: Reduces revenue by ~$0.5 million/year starting FY 2026-27.
Medical Marijuana for Indigent Patients:
Easier documentation process using an EBT card instead of tax return.
Fiscal impact: Reduces sales tax revenue by ~$0.5 million/year by FY 2027-28.
Medical Marijuana Registry Fee Waiver:
Allows use of federal (uncertified) tax returns to qualify.
Minimal fiscal impact due to offsetting fee adjustments.
Preservation of Historic Structures Credit:
Removes disaster-area bonus (5% extra credit).
No net impact to state revenue due to existing caps.
Alternative Transportation Options Credit:
Expanded to include counties (previously local governments excluded counties).
Minimal fiscal impact.
Overtime Pay Addition to Income:
Adds federal overtime exclusions (if ever enacted) back into Colorado taxable income.
No current impact (federal law does not exclude overtime pay yet).
Withholding Tax Authority:
DOR can require withholding on non-wage compensation.
Administrative flexibility, no fiscal impact listed.
Insurance Reporting of Exempt Entities:
Insurers must report total premiums collected from tax-exempt entities.
No revenue impact but enhances transparency.

Taxation & Finance

Dylan Peper

This bill requires that an employer or the employer’s insurer use CDLE's utilization standards when responding to a request for authorization from a treating physician. If the employer or insurer fails to act in accordance with the standards, the division may deem the physician’s services as reasonable and necessary, and require payment for the services by the employer or the employer’s insurer. Additionally the bill requires an employer or insurer to bear the burden of proving that medical treatment recommended by an authorized physician is not reasonable, necessary, or related to the industry, rather than the burden being on the claimant. The bill also repeals the requirement that an employer provide a list of health care providers from which an injured worker may select to attend to an injury, and repeals the related provisions
with respect to geographic location of providers and requirements when the employer is a health care provider that could treat the injury “in house.” Instead, this bill requires that, within seven days of being notified of a workplace injury, an employer or insurer notify the injured employee of the employee’s right to designate a treating physician and where to access the list of Level I and Level II accredited physicians maintained by the CDLE. If the employee fails to designate a primary physician, the employer or insurer may select from the list of accredited physicians.

General Government

Meghan MacKillop

The bill creates the Crash Prevention Enterprise to provide funding for transportation system infrastructure improvements that reduce the number of collisions between motor vehicles and vulnerable road users or wildlife. The Transportation Commission serves as the board for the enterprise. Beginning January 1, 2026, the enterprise imposes a crash prevention fee on the policyholder of each automobile insurance policy issued in the state, to be collected by the insurer and remitted to the enterprise. The bill sets the fee at $1.75 through June 30 of 2026, $3.50 for FY 2026-27, and adjusts the fee for inflation in subsequent fiscal years. The Division of Insurance will notify any insurers that fail to collect fees from policyholders of the fee requirement, and may institute an enforcement proceeding and seek civil penalties if an insurer fails to pay their fees within 15 days of receiving a notice. The enterprise may spend up to 80 percent of its funds on grants to eligible entities—including local governments, tribes, and other public or private entities—for eligible projects that reduce collisions between vehicles and vulnerable road users. It may spend up to 20 percent on grants for projects that reduce wildlife collisions while facilitating wildlife migration and movement. Grant must be at least $250,000 and may be used as matching money for federal funds or in combination with other state sources of transportation infrastructure funding. The bill outlines how the enterprise should prioritize awarding grants and what the enterprise must take into consideration.

Transportation & Telecommunications

Meghan MacKillop

Under current law, sports betting operators are allowed to deduct free bets placed by players when calculating their net sports betting proceeds, the amount on which the sports betting tax is assessed. The amount of free bets that may be deducted is capped under current law at:  2.25 percent of all bets during FY 2024-25;  2.00 percent of all bets during FY 2025-26; and  1.75 percent of all bets beginning in FY 2026-27. On January 1, 2026, the bill reduces the deduction for free bets placed by players to 1 percent of all bets. Beginning in FY 2026-27, the bill ends the deduction for free bets placed by players.

Taxation & Finance

Dylan Peper

House Bill 25-1315, as amended, changes how legislative vacancies in the Colorado General Assembly are filled and alters the structure and operation of political party vacancy committees. The bill expands the number of precinct committeepersons elected during caucuses from two to four. However, newly appointed precinct committeepersons must wait at least ninety-one days before they can participate in filling a legislative vacancy, limiting last-minute appointments meant to influence vacancy decisions.

The bill requires that if a vacancy occurs in the state House or Senate, and the respective central committee fails to appoint a vacancy committee, the default vacancy committee must now include not only the central committee members but also any county commissioners residing in the district who are members of the same political party. This expansion significantly increases the role of county officials in the political appointment process.

General Government

Meghan MacKillop

The bill creates a new type of vacancy election for county commissioner vacancies that occur in a county with a population of at least 50,000 and the commissioner is affiliated with a major political party. If a vacancy occurs after July 31 of an even-numbered year, and before July 31 of an odd-numbered year, a vacancy committee selects a candidate to serve until the next odd-year November election. A vacancy election is then held as a part of the district’s odd-year November coordinated election. Only unaffiliated voters and voters affiliated with the vacating commissioner’s political party may vote in the vacancy election, unless the political party votes to open the election to all voters. Candidates for the vacancy election are required to submit a nominating statement and signed petition to their county clerk. The winner of the vacancy election serves until the next November General Election. Candidates in vacancy election are subject to campaign finance limitations and required election disclosures.

General Government

Meghan MacKillop

Seeks to clarify that the Division of Parks & Wildlife (CPW) is the lead among the state agencies for coordinating recreation infrastructure, safety, planning, etc., and to provide capacity for CPW to better uplift regional goals balancing conservation with outdoor recreation. The bill directs CPW to continue collaborating with stakeholders through regional partnerships, to establish its trails program in statute, and to create a river recreation program for the state.

This was meant to be a companion to the Colorado Outdoor Strategy, set to come out later this month. The bill has been postponed indefinitely with the expectation that the Department of Natural Resources will reconvene and, should they choose to bring the bill back, host much more extensive stakeholder meetings over the interim.

Tourism, Resorts, & Economic Development

Reagan Shane

The State Board of Land Commissioners serves as the trustee for lands granted to the state in public trust for the support of public schools. The State Land Board (SLB) is constitutionally required to manage state trust lands for the benefit of public schools and other beneficiaries and to comply with all local land use regulations. The bill requires the Executive Director of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to convene a state trust lands conservation and recreation work group to study opportunities to advance conservation and recreation activities on state trust lands as part of the SLB’s long-term stewardship of such lands, while maintaining its fiduciary responsibilities. By July 1, 2026, the work group must make recommendations to the SLB, Governor, General Assembly, and Executive Director of DNR based on the study. By December 15, 2026, the SLB is required to consider the work group’s recommendations and to adopt an administrative policy or rules to establish a process for SLB implementation of conservation leases.

CCI pursued and secured amendments to add a third agriculture representative and an affordable housing representative to the work group.

Agriculture, Wildlife, & Rural Affairs

Reagan Shane

The bill would have limited the ability of certain special districts to use dominant eminent domain to take property owned by the state or by a home rule local government.

The bill was postponed indefinitely due to concerns from organizations – particularly water districts – about the potential for unintended consequences. It is likely there will be additional conversation over the interim among key parties.

Land Use & Natural Resources

Reagan Shane

SB25-001 implements provisions of the Federal Voting Rights Act at the state level and adds substantial new components, prohibiting actions that create or intend to create disparities in voter participation, access, or political engagement for protected classes. It bans election methods (including the structure of offices, qualifications for office, and voting methods) that dilute these groups' influence and bars voting qualifications based on gender identity or expression. The bill allows individuals or organizations to file civil suits alleging voter suppression or discrimination, with the Attorney General empowered to investigate or intervene. It requires state-funded disability service providers to display voting notices before elections, mandates multilingual ballots for counties and municipalities, and establishes a statewide election database to collect and maintain election-related data, requiring municipalities and counties to submit post-election information.

General Government

Meghan MacKillop

Directs the State Housing Board and the associated Technical Advisory Committee to promulgate rules outlining regional building codes accounting for local climatic and geographic conditions for the construction and installation of factory-built structures (modular) by July 1, 2026. Allows local governments to be certified by the Division of Housing (DOH) to perform modular inspections on behalf of DOH, and allows DOH to contract for third-party review and approval of design plans for such structures. Clarifies that after rules are adopted across structures under the Housing Board’s jurisdiction, the State Plumbing Board, State Electrical Board, and State Fire Suppression Administrator do not have jurisdiction and their rules do not apply. Lastly, prohibits a county from imposing MORE restrictive standards on factory-built structures than on site-built homes in the same residential zones.

A flowchart on SB-002 is available here: https://shorturl.at/y8jOe

Current county authority over modular housing is limited to specific requirements meant to address local climate and geographic conditions. CCI has sought and secured the following amendments: increase local government representation on the TAC; explicitly prioritize public safety in the development of codes; clarify that the “highest common denominator” of existing local requirements will be adopted; require a report on the draft recommendations before the General Assembly prior to consideration by the State Housing Board; remove references treating manufactured and modular housing the same; and remove the study (the study has been replaced with a report on coordination).

Land Use & Natural Resources

Reagan Shane

Prohibits the manufacture, distribution, transfer, sale, or purchase of certain semiautomatic firearms, with certain exceptions, including for persons who have completed qualifying firearm-related courses.

Justice & Public Safety

Kevin Neimond

The bill authorizes the State Treasurer to invest up to $50 million in bonds issued by quasi-governmental agencies in order to create or finance new affordable, income-restricted, for-sale housing in the state that, without such investment, would not otherwise be available at similar rates and terms. The terms of the investment may be up to 45 years, and the treasurer must reinvest principal proceeds. The housing created with proceeds of the bonds must remain affordable long-term, and be available to borrowers earning no more than 140 percent of the statewide area median income. The bill allows these investments to be made at a below-market rate of interest, and allows the treasurer to reinvest money received from redemption of any investment.

Taxation & Finance

Dylan Peper

Requires the Wildfire Information and Resource Center website to include hyperlinks to websites that display emergency information and wildfire updates for each county in Colorado and requires the Division of Fire Prevention and Control to coordinate with county governments in order to provide the hyperlinks.

Justice & Public Safety

Kevin Neimond

The bill directs the Department of Revenue (DOR) to allow a sales and use tax license and a sales and use tax exemption certificate to be searchable by the name and identification number of the sales and use tax licensee or the sales and use tax exemption certificate holder.

Taxation & Finance

Dylan Peper

The bill allows the use of either the most recent version, or a prior version, of the National Geodetic Survey’s state plane coordinate system to state geographic positions or locations within Colorado. The bill does not prohibit use of the Colorado coordinate system of 1927 or 1983.

Transportation & Telecommunications

Meghan MacKillop

The bill gives authority to the Colorado Attorney General’s Office and Department of Law to enforce tenant protection laws and sue landlords over violations of certain state housing laws. The bill similarly empowers cities and counties to enforce tenant-landlord laws, a change from the current law, in which tenants generally must fight court battles on their own when they face substandard living conditions or other violations of state housing laws.

General Government

Meghan MacKillop

Under current law, all local governments must conduct an audit of financial statements each fiscal year. However, a local government with revenues or expenditures under $100,000 may apply to be exempted from such an audit, and local governments with revenues or expenditures between $100,000 and $750,000 may apply for an exemption if the application is prepared by an independent accountant with knowledge of government accounting. For any fiscal year beginning on or after January 1, 2025, the bill increases the thresholds from $100,000 to $200,000 and from $750,000 to $1 million.

Taxation & Finance

Dylan Peper

Increases the number of district court judges and county court judges in numerous districts and counties. Additionally, the number of judges serving on the court of appeals. Finally, allows the district court judges assigned to Arapahoe county to maintain offices outside of the county seat.

Justice & Public Safety

Kevin Neimond

The bill directs CDOT and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) to expand transportation options by boosting mode choice targets—the share of trips made by walking, biking, transit, carpooling, or single-occupancy vehicles. By December 31, 2025, local governments over 5,000 people within MPOs must submit planned transit, bike, and pedestrian projects to their MPOs. They may also adopt mode choice targets, submit demand management strategies, and prioritize projects that increase transportation access and reduce emissions. By July 1, 2026, CDOT and MPOs must create inventories of infrastructure gaps on their respective roadways, informed by local input and cost estimates. These inventories will shape future transportation plans and must be reported to the Transportation Legislation Review Committee by October 31, 2026.

Transportation & Telecommunications

Meghan MacKillop

Specifies requirements for issuing emergency alerts, including the requirement that alerts be made in predominant minority languages, beginning July 1, 2027. The existing 911 Services Enterprise may offer grants to counties and municipalities to offset their costs in complying with the new requirements.

Justice & Public Safety

Kevin Neimond

Requires the executive director of the Department of Labor & Employment to annually expend money credited to the local government severance tax fund in the following manner: (1) for the loss of property tax revenue resulting from the deduction of severance taxes paid in the valuation for assessment of producing mines, or incurred by coal transition communities created due to the closure of coal-fires power plants; (2) for grants to communities socially or economically impacted by development of minerals subject to severance taxation and used for public facilities and public services; and (3) for annual distribution based on community needs, as determined in consultation with local government associations.

Currently, 70% of the money credited to the local government severance tax fund must be distributed to political subdivisions that are socially or economically impacted by the development, processing, or energy conversion of minerals and mineral fuels subject to taxation and used for the planning, construction, and maintenance of public facilities and for the provision of public services, and to compensate political subdivisions for loss of property tax revenue resulting from the deduction of severance taxes paid in the determination of the valuation for assessment of producing mines. 

Taxation & Finance

Dylan Peper

Senate Bill 25-040 establishes a task force to study the future of severance taxes and water funding in Colorado amid declining severance tax revenue. A third party will conduct the study, and the task force will review and contribute to the findings. A final report with recommendations is due by July 2026 and will be presented during the legislative interim. 

Taxation & Finance

Dylan Peper

Clarifies what courts must consider when setting bail for a defendant declared incompetent to proceed and allows the defendant to receive inpatient services from the Colorado Department of Human Services for additional time after charges are dropped.

Health & Human Services

Kevin Neimond

Makes various changes regarding justice-involved youths, including to the Youthful Offender System, the juvenile competency process, presentence credits, and creates a new grant program to implement a mixed-delivery system of trauma-informed health and development deflection programs for youth.

Justice & Public Safety

Kevin Neimond

Senate Bill 25-046 establishes uniform confidentiality standards for taxpayer information during local sales and use tax investigations conducted by third-party auditors. It restricts unauthorized disclosure of taxpayer data, with specific exceptions such as providing information to authorized officials or the taxpayer. Violations result in penalties. The bill also clarifies the Colorado Department of Revenue's authority to share taxpayer information with local governments to facilitate coordination and dispute resolution.

Taxation & Finance

Dylan Peper

Allows a police officer, local official, or local government employee to cooperate federal officials regarding the immigration status of a person within the state. Additionally, allows a peace officer who has probable cause to believe that a person is not legally present in the United States to report the person to the federal immigration and customs enforcement office. Finally, repeals the law that State and local governmental entities are barred from contracting with a private entity for immigration detention services or entering into agreements for immigration detention services.

Justice & Public Safety

Kevin Neimond

Effective September 1, 2025, the bill requires a form issued by the state or a local government that requests that the individual completing the form disclose the individual's race or ethnicity to include, in addition to spaces for any other racial or ethnic categories required by the federal office of management and budget, a space to indicate if the individual's race or ethnicity is Middle Eastern, North African, or South Asian.

General Government

Meghan MacKillop

The bill proposes expanding the definition of obstructing government operations to include the repeated, unjustifiable contacting of public safety emergency call centers or entities after a warning has been issued. This expansion aims to address the misuse of emergency services, ensuring that resources are available for genuine emergencies.

General Government

Meghan MacKillop

Current Colorado laws do not always expressly provide whether the laws apply to the Southern Ute Indian Tribe (Tribe). The bill creates a rule of construction that a law does not apply to the Tribe unless the law clearly and expressly states that the law applies to the Tribe. The bill further clarifies that:

• If the general assembly enacts a new or materially amends an existing law that is silent as to its application to the Tribe or to tribally controlled entities; purports to apply statewide; or grants a governmental agency or entity civil, criminal, or regulatory authority, it is presumed that the law does not apply within the exterior boundaries of the reservation to the Tribe, its officials and employees acting in their official capacity, a tribally controlled entity, or to tribal lands; and

• The civil and criminal laws of the state are presumed to apply within a municipality to Indians and persons other than Indians; except that the bill does not limit the concurrent jurisdiction of the Tribe over the conduct of Indians within a municipality.

The bill reinforces these rules of construction do not preclude or limit the authority of the Tribe’s governing bodies from requesting inclusion in legislation pending before the General Assembly, abrogate the sovereign immunity of the state or the Tribe, or affect the rights of the state or the Tribe to pursue legal remedies.

General Government

Meghan MacKillop

The bill amends the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) by excluding assistive communication records from the definition of a "public record" and extending response times for most requests from 3 to 5 working days, with possible extensions up to 10 days. It requires public entities to post CORA-related policies and procedures and mandates that custodians provide available records within the response period when the responsible party is unavailable. The bill also allows custodians to flag and charge for requests made for business solicitation, strengthens protections for student information, clarifies fee prepayment requirements, and ensures electronic payment options for public records requests. Additionally, it permits combining similar requests within 14 days for fee calculations.

General Government

Meghan MacKillop

Establishes the Building Urgent Infrastructure and Leveraging Dollars (BUILD) Authority and creates a public financing mechanism to fund the development, construction, repair, improvement, operation, maintenance, decommissioning, or ownership of infrastructure projects. Lists county courthouse construction projects as infrastructure projects eligible for BUILD financing and establishes a county official seat on the BUILD Authority Board.

Justice & Public Safety

Kevin Neimond

Requires the Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) to provide administrative access to the unified application for preschool providers and administrative units to allow them to assist families in completing the Universal Preschool Program application and maintaining enrollment in the program without the assistance of a local coordinating organization or CDEC.

Health & Human Services

Kevin Neimond

Drafted by the Uniform Law Commission, the bill repeals the "Uniform Guardianship and Protective Proceedings Act" and enacts the "Uniform Guardianship, Conservatorship, and Other Protective Arrangements Act"

Health & Human Services

Kevin Neimond

Extends the deadline for a governing body to adopt local building codes based on those developed by the Wildfire Resiliency Board from three months to nine months after the Board adopts an initial set of statewide building codes and standards to reduce the wildfire risk to people and property by July 1, 2025. Additionally, authorizes the governing body adopting local codes to enforce those either in accord with the governing body’s rules and regulations, or through a cooperative agreement.

Justice & Public Safety

Kevin Neimond

This bill proposes several modifications to the management of the Public Employees' Retirement Association (PERA) by its Board of Trustees, including ensuring that board meetings are subject to Colorado open meetings laws establishing term limits for both elected and appointed board members, and creating financial transparency requirements.

General Government

Meghan MacKillop

The bill proposes several modifications to Colorado's campaign finance regulations under the "Fair Campaign Practices Act." Key provisions include: a year-round prohibition on registered lobbyists from contributing to political campaigns, an expansion of the definition of "electioneering communication", modifying disclosure and reporting requirements for political donations and contributions, and increased transparency for political action committees. 

General Government

Meghan MacKillop

Defines an equestrian zone as an area that a local government determines is suburban or urbans and allows a local government to identify such zones; also outlines suggested infrastructure and signage in such zones. The bill also allows local governments to organize public educational events and implements requirements for drivers of motor vehicles and for equestrian riders.

View the planned amendment here: https://shorturl.at/mqtTb

Tourism, Resorts, & Economic Development

Reagan Shane

Creates the Fostering Success Pilot Program in the Department of Human Services. The Program has two components. First, it creates the Supplemental Support for Foster Students Program which awards $2,000 scholarships annually to a foster care provider, kinship foster care provider, or a non-certified kinship care provider who cares for a youth in the legal custody of a county department of human or social services until the youth graduates from high school. Second, it creates the Milestone Incentives Program which awards $1,000 to a youth for successfully graduating from high school.

Health & Human Services

Kevin Neimond

Implements recommendations from the Timothy Montoya Task Force To Prevent Children From Running Away From Out-Of-Home Placement, including requiring the Child Protection Ombudsman to and conduct a survey of the physical infrastructure needed to deter children and youth from running away from residential child care facilities. Additionally, the bill requires a facility to notify the child’s or youth’s parent, legal guardian, or custodian within four hours after discovering the child or youth is missing from its care. 

Health & Human Services

Kevin Neimond

This bill aims to reduce state regulation in several state agencies. The bill prohibits state agencies from imposing personal qualification requirements for professions or occupations unless they can prove that such requirements are necessary and narrowly tailored to address a legitimate public health, safety, or welfare concern. By July 1, 2026, agencies must review and determine whether existing occupational regulations should be repealed or amended. The bill also repeals several energy and environment regulatory programs, including the industrial and manufacturing clean air grant program, cannabis resource optimization cash fund, community electric bicycle access program, and school bus electrification grant program. It also eliminates the Energy Code Board, model energy codes, and multiple grant programs created by House Bill 22-1362; repeals the Air Quality Enterprise, created by Senate Bill 20-204; ends certain air quality control penalties established by Senate Bill 20-218; and repeals air toxics fenceline and community-based monitoring requirements for covered facilities, established by House Bill 21-1189.

General Government

Meghan MacKillop

Senate Bill 25-161 proposes comprehensive reforms for Colorado’s Regional Transportation District (RTD), focusing on service expansion, climate goals, and operational transparency. Key provisions include authorizing RTD to form service partnerships with local governments and institutions, developing a 10-year strategic plan and regular operational analyses, increasing public access to service data, enhancing worker retention and safety, and aligning with statewide greenhouse gas reduction targets. It also creates an RTD Accountability Committee and adds nonvoting members to the RTD board.

Transportation & Telecommunications

Meghan MacKillop

Senate Bill 25-162 establishes the Office of Rail Safety within the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC), granting it exclusive jurisdiction over railroad safety inspections, investigations, and regulatory enforcement statewide. The bill requires railroads operating in Colorado to fund regulatory activities through fees and ensures that the PUC adopts and enforces federal and state railroad safety standards. The PUC is granted sole regulatory authority over railroad safety, preempting any conflicting local regulations and establishing a consistent statewide safety framework.  Railroads must immediately notify local emergency services and the PUC in the event of accidents, hazardous material spills, or other emergencies. The bill outlines detailed requirements for emergency response coordination. Railroad workers are provided civil liability immunity when acting in good faith during emergencies, such as assisting with evacuations or emergency response efforts. Railroads are required to cover the costs of safety inspections, investigations, and regulatory programs through fees assessed by the PUC, ensuring adequate funding for safety oversight Emphasis is placed on preventing and responding to hazardous material incidents, including regular inspections of railcars transporting such materials, emergency response planning, and environmental mitigation efforts.

Transportation & Telecommunications

Meghan MacKillop

Creates a battery stewardship program for battery producers and distributors in the state. Covered batteries include “a portable battery, a medium-format battery, or any battery sold loose or as an easily removable battery within a battery-containing product or motorized device” (but not including EV/car or built-in batteries). Beginning July 1, 2028, retailers must participate in a battery stewardship organization with an approved plan that details – among other things – how they will arrange for the collection of certain batteries by establishing collection sites. Beginning January 1, 2029, a person is required to manage certain batteries through delivery to a collection site rather than disposing of them in a landfill.

More information is available here: https://shorturl.at/xxeoK

Land Use & Natural Resources

Reagan Shane

The Just Transition Advisory Committee created the Draft Colorado Transition Plan and supports the Office of Just Transition; it includes county representatives. The committee is set to be repealed on September 1, 2025, according to the original sunset clause. This bill removes the sunset date and allows the committee to continue.

The bill has been amended to require the Office of Just Transition to “regularly consult with the” JTAC, and to “develop and implement plans to maximize the economic stability and prosperity of coal workers and communities through a variety of strategies,” with “strong consideration” given to JTAC strategy recommendations.

Tourism, Resorts, & Economic Development

Reagan Shane

This bill creates a new tax exemption aimed at supporting regional transportation authorities. It allows contractors and subcontractors to avoid paying sales tax when they buy construction or building materials that will be used to build, renovate, or repair facilities specifically meant to house employees or contractors working for a regional transportation authority. It also includes a use tax exemption for those same materials—meaning there’s no tax when the materials are stored, used, or consumed for these projects. Finally, the bill gives the transportation authority—or its board—the explicit ability to construct or modify these types of facilities to support their workforce.

Taxation & Finance

Dylan Peper

Adds political subdivisions to the list of entities prohibited from disclosing personal identifying information or requesting information related to an individual’s immigration status, unless required by federal or state law. Indicates that employees of a political subdivision are liable for up to $50,000 for violating this personal identifying information disclosure law.

Justice & Public Safety

Kevin Neimond

Increases the amount retail food establishments pay to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), a county health department, or a district board of health to cover the cost of required health and safety inspections. 

Health & Human Services

Kevin Neimond

Delays the change from the Medicaid fee-for-service structure to the Medicaid managed care structure until July 1, 2026 for children and youth who are in a qualified residential treatment program or a psychiatric residential treatment facility and in the care and custody of a county. Additionally, the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, in conjunction with stakeholders, must develop polices for this change by December 1, 2025 and implement the policies no later than July 1, 2026.

Health & Human Services

Kevin Neimond

Pursuant to the passage of Proposition 130, beginning on December 15, 2026, and annually thereafter, the Colorado Department of Public Safety is required to  distribute at least $15,000 from the Peace Officer Training and Support Fund to local law enforcement agencies, plus an amount subject to available appropriations and according to a formula calculated by the bill that identifies the total number of eligible peace officers who may receive additional funding. This additional funding cannot replace other funding that the law enforcement agency receives for another purpose. This additional funding may be used to recruit peace officers, provide initial and continuing education and training for peace officers, and compensate peace officers. Additionally, establishes a death benefit of $1 million to the surviving spouse, family member, or designee any first responder who died as a result of injuries or an occupational disease sustained while performing their job.

Justice & Public Safety

Kevin Neimond