HB 1100: Guardianship for Incapacitated Adults - Colorado

Rerevised → Final Act · 6 edits · May 28, 2026

MODERATE

This bill establishes a formal 'Bill of Rights' for adults under guardianship, guaranteeing their dignity, privacy, and right to participate in decisions about their care and property. It also mandates that courts must restrict guardianship powers to only those specific areas where the ward cannot make their own decisions, rather than removing all rights at once. Additionally, it requires the State Court Administrator to report on the bill's fiscal impact to the legislature in 2027 and 2028.

Scope change

The bill expands the legal protections for incapacitated adults by codifying specific rights they retain and by limiting the scope of authority a guardian can exercise.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new section (15-14-103) listing specific rights for wards, including dignity, freedom from abuse, privacy, and the right to vote and change marital status unless explicitly restricted by the court.

Added a requirement that courts must limit a guardian's authority to only the specific rights the ward cannot exercise, rather than granting blanket authority over all aspects of the ward's life.

Added a duty for guardians to notify the court at least 30 days before moving a ward to a facility that restricts their freedom or visitors, unless the move is part of an approved plan.

TIMELINE

Added a requirement for the State Court Administrator to submit fiscal impact reports to the legislature in November 2027 and November 2028.

TECHNICAL

Removed the 'Bill Summary' and explanatory notes that were present in the earlier version but are not part of the final enacted law.

Updated the header and sponsorship lists to reflect the final version of the bill with all amendments included.

Revised → Rerevised · 4 edits · May 11, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was re-revised to incorporate additional Senate amendments, updating the list of Senate sponsors to include five new members. The text of the bill itself remains substantively unchanged in this version, as the visible edits are limited to formatting and the addition of a reading date stamp.

TECHNICAL

Added five new names to the Senate sponsorship list (Ball, Exum, Gonzales J., Jodeh, Kipp, Marchman, Wallace), reflecting changes in legislative support.

Added a stamp indicating the bill was amended at 3rd Reading on May 11, 2026, in the Senate.

Removed the 'REVISED' header and replaced it with 'REREVISED' to indicate a new version of the document.

Removed the specific text regarding the court's authority to authorize a guardian to make decisions for a ward's social environment and personal life, though this appears to be a display artifact of the markup rather than a substantive deletion.

Reengrossed → Revised · 3 edits · May 8, 2026

MINOR

The bill was renumbered and its title updated to reflect amendments adopted during the second reading. The substantive text was significantly reorganized, removing specific examples of rights a guardian can manage (such as filing lawsuits and making gifts) and replacing them with a more streamlined list. The changes appear to be structural reformatting and a reduction in the detailed enumeration of specific rights rather than a fundamental shift in policy.

TECHNICAL

The bill header was changed from 'REENGROSSED' to 'REVISED' and the effective date was updated to May 8, 2026.

The document underwent extensive reformatting, including the removal of line numbers and the consolidation of previously separate sections into a continuous list.

REQUIREMENT

The list of rights a guardian may be authorized to manage was shortened; specific items like filing lawsuits, making contracts, and making gifts were removed from the detailed list.

Engrossed → Reengrossed · 3 edits · May 6, 2026

MINOR

The bill was reengrossed to include additional co-sponsors in the House and updated the legislative history note to reflect that amendments were adopted during the third reading. The substantive text regarding guardianship restrictions remains unchanged in this version.

Scope change

No change in the bill's scope, applicability, or legal requirements; only sponsorship and procedural metadata were updated.

TECHNICAL

Added five new co-sponsors to the House sponsorship list (Bacon, Boesenecker, Brown, Clifford, Duran, English, Froelich, Lieder, Lindsay, McCluskie, Nguyen, Ricks, Rutinel, Stewart K., Zokaie).

Updated the legislative history note to indicate the bill summary applies to the reengrossed version after third reading.

Changed the header from 'ENGROSSED' to 'REENGROSSED' to reflect the current legislative status.

Introduced → Engrossed · 4 edits · May 5, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was reclassified from 'Introduced' to 'Engrossed,' indicating it has passed initial readings and includes all amendments. The substantive text now establishes a comprehensive 'Guardianship Bill of Rights' for wards, ensuring they retain specific rights to dignity, privacy, and participation in decisions. It also clarifies that certain critical rights, such as voting and reproductive health, cannot be restricted unless explicitly authorized by a court order.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a general update to include a specific new section (15-14-103) detailing the rights of wards and the limited circumstances under which a guardian can make decisions on their behalf.

DEFINITION

Added a new section defining the 'Guardianship Bill of Rights,' which grants wards rights to dignity, freedom from abuse, independence, and participation in decisions.

Removed the previous definition of 'ADULT' from the definitions section, as the new text now focuses on rights rather than redefining basic terms.

REQUIREMENT

Added explicit requirements that wards retain the right to vote, maintain reproductive health, and change marital status unless a court specifically restricts these rights in the guardianship order.

Added a list of specific rights (such as managing money and filing lawsuits) that a guardian or conservator is authorized to make decisions on behalf of the ward.

Guardianship for Incapacitated Adults

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