SB 25-053: Protect Wild Bison - Colorado

PA1 (03/21/2025) → PA2 (04/11/2025) · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill was amended to clarify that bison are classified as wildlife unless specifically designated as livestock, and to add funding for wildlife operations. The Senate version expanded the bill's language to explicitly include an appropriation and clarified the classification framework for bison management.

Scope change

The bill now explicitly classifies bison as wildlife by default unless they are classified as livestock, expanding the scope of wildlife protection to include bison under this default classification.

DEFINITION

The title was amended to clarify that bison are classified as wildlife unless classified as livestock, making the default classification clearer.

The definition of 'bison' was retained and clarified to refer to American bison (Bos bison or Bison bison) classified as wildlife.

FISCAL

A new appropriation of $75,000 was added for the 2025-26 fiscal year to fund wildlife operations by the division of parks and wildlife.

ELIGIBILITY

Exemptions for privately owned cattle and bison, as well as bison owned by Indian tribes, remain unchanged, maintaining existing protections for tribal bison.

Revised (04/25/2025) → PA1 (03/21/2025) · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill was amended to clarify that bison are classified as wildlife rather than livestock, with specific protections for tribal bison and privately owned bison. The revision reorganized the legislative text and added detailed definitions to ensure bison are protected as wildlife while maintaining exceptions for certain privately owned and tribal bison. This change strengthens protections for indigenous cultural practices and addresses historical injustices related to bison eradication.

Scope change

The bill's scope was refined to explicitly classify bison as wildlife with specific exemptions for tribal bison and privately owned bison that have been lawfully reduced to captivity or escaped lawful captivity.

DEFINITION

Added detailed definitions for 'BISON' and 'WILDLIFE' to clarify that bison are wildlife unless they are privately owned cattle or legally reduced to captivity.

ELIGIBILITY

Added specific provisions protecting bison owned by or lawfully reduced to captivity by Indian Tribes from being classified as wildlife.

REQUIREMENT

Added historical context about the impact of bison eradication on American Indians and Tribal Nations, including the forced relocation of plains peoples and restrictions on the Ute people.

TECHNICAL

Reorganized the bill text to include committee amendments not yet adopted on second reading, changing the document status from 'Revised' to 'PREAMENDED'.

Rerevised (04/28/2025) → Revised (04/25/2025) · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill text was updated from a Rerevised version to a Revised version, reflecting amendments adopted during the second reading in the Second House. The primary change is the removal of House sponsors Joseph and Velasco, Duran, Brown, Jackson, Lindsay, Rutinel, and Valdez from the House Sponsorship list, indicating these sponsors may have withdrawn their support or the bill no longer requires their signatures. The document also updates the reading status from '3rd Reading Unamended' to 'Revised' with a new date of April 25, 2025, showing the bill's legislative progress.

TECHNICAL

Removed multiple House sponsors (Joseph and Velasco, Duran, Brown, Jackson, Lindsay, Rutinel, Valdez) from the House Sponsorship list, likely indicating they withdrew support or the bill was amended to require fewer sponsors.

Updated the document header from 'REREVISED' to 'REVISED' and changed the reading status from '3rd Reading Unamended' to 'Revised' with a new date of April 25, 2025, reflecting the bill's current legislative status.

Final Act (05/06/2025) → Rerevised (04/28/2025) · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was reorganized and reformatted during its legislative journey, moving from a final act version to a rerevised version that includes all amendments adopted in the second house. The core policy content regarding bison classification remains substantially the same, though the formatting, page numbering, and some explanatory text were updated to reflect the bill's progression through the legislative process.

Scope change

The bill's substantive scope regarding bison classification as wildlife versus livestock remains unchanged; only the document structure and presentation were modified.

TECHNICAL

The bill header and introductory text were reorganized to show the bill as 'Rerevised' with all amendments included, replacing the 'Final Act' version that included signature notes and legislative history references.

Formatting was updated to include reading dates (April 17, 25, and 28, 2025) and committee assignments for both Senate and House, indicating the bill's progress through legislative readings.

Page numbering and section headers were restructured to follow standard legislative markup conventions, with explanatory notes about how to interpret the bill's amendments.

The final act signature notes and legislative history references were removed as they are no longer relevant to the bill's current legislative status.

The bill summary was updated to reflect the current version of the bill, noting that it classifies bison as big game wildlife unless they are livestock, and that hunting or taking them remains illegal without commission authorization.

Signed Act (05/22/2025) → Final Act (05/06/2025) · 3 edits

MINOR

This bill clarifies the formatting and presentation of Senate Bill 25-053, which addresses the classification of bison as wildlife versus livestock. The changes are primarily technical, focusing on document formatting, spacing, and the addition of a note about legislative status rather than substantive policy modifications.

TECHNICAL

Added a note explaining that the bill has been prepared for signatures and directing readers to consult legislative status sheets for official action.

Adjusted spacing and formatting throughout the document, including the bill title, sponsor list, and section headers.

Corrected minor spacing inconsistencies in the legislative declaration section and fee schedule.

Reengrossed (04/17/2025) → Signed Act (05/22/2025) · 4 edits · May 22, 2025

MODERATE

This bill classifies bison as wildlife rather than livestock to protect their cultural significance to Indigenous peoples and to make hunting them illegal without a special license. The changes add a new definition for bison, create a specific wildlife license fee for them, and increase penalties for illegally possessing or taking bison.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to explicitly classify bison as wildlife, which changes how they are regulated compared to livestock and creates new protections and penalties for their possession or hunting.

DEFINITION

Added a new definition for 'BISON' in the statutes to clarify that it refers to the American bison species.

ELIGIBILITY

Added an exemption allowing bison owned by or lawfully reduced to captivity by an Indian tribe to not be classified as wildlife.

FISCAL

Added a new bison hunting license fee of $374.22 for residents and $2,756.74 for nonresidents.

ENFORCEMENT

Increased the fine for illegally taking bison from $1,000-$100,000 to a flat $10,000 per bison, and added bison to the list of animals with enhanced penalties.

Engrossed (04/15/2025) → Reengrossed (04/17/2025) · 3 edits · Apr 17, 2025

MINOR

The bill was reengrossed to include additional sponsors and updated the bill summary date to reflect amendments adopted in the House of Introduction. Substantive changes include removing definitions that excluded privately owned cattle and bison from wildlife protections, and deleting a section that added new license types and fees to the state statutes.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed by removing provisions that would have added bison and cattle to wildlife licensing requirements and fee structures.

DEFINITION

Removed exclusions that defined privately owned cattle and bison as not being wildlife, which would have expanded wildlife protections to include these animals.

REQUIREMENT

Deleted a section that would have required the state to issue new licenses and collect fees for bison and cattle under wildlife regulations.

TECHNICAL

Added additional sponsors to the bill and updated the bill summary to reflect amendments adopted during the House of Introduction process.

Introduced (01/15/2025) → Engrossed (04/15/2025) · 4 edits · Apr 17, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was amended to add a legislative declaration explaining the historical context of bison extermination and its impact on Indigenous peoples. It also modified the definition of wildlife to explicitly include bison as wildlife unless they are privately owned cattle or owned by an Indian tribe, and added an exemption for bison owned or lawfully reduced to captivity by an Indian tribe.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include a legislative declaration and specific exemptions for bison owned by Indian tribes, while maintaining the classification of bison as wildlife for hunting purposes.

DEFINITION

Added a legislative declaration section explaining the historical relationship between bison and Indigenous peoples, including the scorched-earth policy that decimated bison populations.

Modified the definition of 'wildlife' to include bison as wildlife, except for privately owned cattle and bison owned by Indian tribes.

ELIGIBILITY

Added an exemption for bison owned by or lawfully reduced to captivity by an Indian tribe from being classified as wildlife.

REQUIREMENT

Added language clarifying that determinations of domestic animals under this statute do not affect other statutes or court decisions regarding injury to persons or damage to property.

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