This bill makes several procedural and structural updates to how capital construction projects are reviewed, approved, and reported across Colorado’s government and higher education institutions. It primarily affects the Capital Development Committee (CDC) and related bodies, such as the Colorado Commission on Higher Education, the Office of State Planning and Budgeting, and state agencies managing construction and infrastructure.
Leadership of the Capital Development Committee (Section 1)
Requires the CDC to elect a chair and vice-chair annually, rather than every two years.
The chair and vice-chair alternate annually between members of the House and Senate:
Even-numbered years: Chair from Senate, Vice-Chair from House
Odd-numbered years: Chair from House, Vice-Chair from Senate
Oversight of Highway Projects (Section 2)
Makes submission of highway project requests by the Transportation Commission optional instead of mandatory.
Clarifies the CDC’s role in:
Reviewing only those projects submitted
Ensuring projects are funded in priority order
Adds local government to the name of the House committee receiving updates
Strengthens procedures for replacing or amending project lists if changes are needed (e.g., funding becomes unavailable or construction becomes infeasible)
Higher Education Capital Projects and Reporting (Section 3)
Allows the Commission on Higher Education to review project projections at its next meeting, rather than through a prescribed process.
Clarifies thresholds for project reviews:
Over $2M for new property or construction
Over $10M for renovations or upgrades
Streamlines approval process:
If a project was approved by the CDC within the past two calendar years, it doesn’t need additional review.
Ensures CDC hears requests within a deadline (30–45 days depending on legislative session status)
Repeals outdated provisions for projects approved before 2010
Requires annual CDC approval of facility classification guidelines (academic vs. auxiliary)
Change to Bond Reporting Timeline (Section 4)
Shifts due date for the Higher Education Revenue Bond Intercept Program report:
From September 1 each year
To March 1 starting in 2026, aligning with fiscal and planning cycles
Contracting Rules (Section 5)
Amends statutory contracting rules for professional services:
Clarifies which exemptions apply
Removes obsolete or redundant subsections
Adds new criteria for accountability and execution of contracts under state law
Summary of Key Impacts
Area
What Changes
Capital Development Committee
Annual leadership rotation; new clarity on project approvals and scheduling
Transportation Projects
CDC only acts on requests if submitted; enforces funding order
Higher Ed Projects
Simplifies cash-funded project approval; strengthens deadlines and oversight
Bond Reporting
Changes annual reporting date from Sept 1 → March 1 (starting 2026)
Contracting
Updates to contract execution rules and exemption structure
Summary
HB25-1313 updates how Colorado reviews and approves infrastructure spending, especially for transportation and higher education capital projects. It makes processes more flexible, improves timeline alignment, increases accountability, and reflects current practices in budgeting and contracting across state agencies.
Summary
Capital Development Committee.Section 1 of the bill modifies
procedures for election of a chair and a vice-chair of the capital development committee (CDC) to require that the chair and the vice-chair be elected annually at the CDC's first December meeting. Additionally, the bill clarifies how the role of chair and vice-chair are served. In even-numbered years, the chair is a member from the senate and the vice-chair is a member from the house of representatives and in odd-numbered years the chair is a member from the house of representatives and the vice-chair is a member from the senate. Section 2 removes the requirement that the transportation
commission annually submit capital requests to the CDC.
Current law requires the Colorado commission on higher education
(commission) to request annually from the governing board of each state institution of higher education (institution) a 2-year projection of certain capital construction projects to be undertaken by an institution which is then submitted to the CDC for review and approval. Section 3 adjusts law to align with current practice by:
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Requiring that projections be reviewed at the commission's next available meeting;
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Repealing the requirement that an institution amend the projection prior to commencing a project if the project is not in the institution's most recent projection;
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Repealing the requirement that the commission annually prepare a unified, 2-year report for capital construction or capital renewal projects acquired or constructed and operated and maintained solely using cash funds held by an institution that are not for new acquisitions of real property or new construction and are estimated to require total project expenditures exceeding $10 million;
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Repealing the requirement that the commission annually prepare a unified, 2-year report for capital construction projects for new acquisitions of real property or for new construction that are estimated to require total project expenditures exceeding $2 million;
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Clarifying deadlines for the CDC to hold a hearing to review projections;
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Repealing the requirement that the CDC hold a hearing regarding projections whenever a projection is amended; and
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Repealing the requirement that the CDC review and approve guidelines prepared by the office of the state architect regarding the classification of facilities as academic facilities or auxiliary facilities. Section 4 extends the deadline for the state treasurer's office to
submit to the CDC and other agencies its annual report on the fiscal health of institutions from September 1 to March 1 of each year, beginning with the report that is due for the 2025-26 fiscal year. Section 5 specifies November 1 of each year as a date certain by
which agencies and institutions must encumber money for their capital construction projects. Under current law, if an agency or institution will not encumber money for its capital construction project within the period specified, it may request that the CDC recommend to the controller that the deadline be waived for that project. Section 5 modifies this allowance so that an agency or institution may request that the CDC recommend that the deadline be extended for a 6-month period. Section 6 adjusts law to align with current practice by changing
the date from January 1, which is always a holiday, to January 2 for the office of state planning and budgeting to submit to the CDC its updates to its recommended priority of funding for capital construction projects as part of the November 1 budget package. Section 7 clarifies that any capital construction project that the
CDC, in consultation with the council on creative industries, agrees does not meet the original purpose of the art in public places program may be exempt from the requirements of the program. Section 8 clarifies that when a capital construction project receives
a supplemental appropriation, it is available for the remainder of the state fiscal year for which the supplemental appropriation act was enacted and for the next 2 subsequent state fiscal years.
