SB 157: Determination of Town Abandonment - Colorado

Rerevised → Final Act · 5 edits · May 20, 2026

MODERATE

This bill was finalized to address the abandonment of towns with failing water infrastructure. It establishes a specific legal procedure for declaring a town abandoned when it lacks leadership, cannot hold elections, and owns critical water systems. The act authorizes a $100,000 state grant to temporarily fund the operation and maintenance of that water system until the town is officially dissolved, ensuring residents do not lose access to water during the transition.

Scope change

The bill's scope is specific to towns meeting all three criteria: failure to elect officers for five years, lack of a board of trustees or town clerk, and ownership of critical water infrastructure.

ELIGIBILITY

Added a new specific condition for town abandonment: the town must lack a board of trustees or town clerk, be unable to hold elections, and own critical water infrastructure.

FISCAL

Created a mechanism to transfer up to $100,000 from the Small Communities Water and Wastewater Grant Fund to the Department of Public Safety.

REQUIREMENT

Restricted the use of the emergency funding strictly to routine operation and maintenance (like chlorine testing) and prohibited using it for system improvements.

TIMELINE

Set a temporary six-month window for the state to use the funds after the final abandonment determination is made, with a total sunset date of July 1, 2028.

DEFINITION

Clarified that the county is not liable for the town's water debts upon abandonment and that the state is not responsible for the water system itself.

Revised → Rerevised · 5 edits · May 9, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was re-revised to incorporate additional House sponsors and update the legislative status to reflect third reading. Substantive policy content regarding town abandonment procedures was partially removed, eliminating specific requirements for public notice publication and the Secretary of State's role in hearing applications, while retaining the core authority for the Secretary to declare towns abandoned and file determinations with county clerks.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding the town abandonment process was narrowed by removing procedural steps for public notice and the Secretary of State's hearing duties, though the final authority to declare abandonment remains.

ELIGIBILITY

Added five new House sponsors (Bacon, Boesenecker, Caldwell, Carter, Duran, Flanell, Keltie, Lindsay, Marshall, Mauro, McCluskie, Nguyen, Phillips, Ricks, Sirota, Soper, Titone) to the bill's sponsorship list.

TIMELINE

Updated the legislative status header to indicate the bill is now 'REREVISED' and includes amendments adopted in the Second House, with a specific third reading date of May 9, 2026.

REQUIREMENT

Removed the requirement for the Secretary of State to publish a public notice specifying the date, time, and place where town abandonment applications would be heard.

Removed the requirement that the Secretary of State must hold a hearing to receive evidence before determining if a town has been abandoned.

Removed the specific mandate that the Secretary of State must file the abandonment determination with the county clerk and recorder within a set timeframe after the hearing.

Reengrossed → Revised · 4 edits · May 7, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was renumbered and its status updated from 'Reengrossed' to 'Revised' to reflect amendments adopted during the second reading in the Senate. The committee assignments were expanded to include Transportation and Housing alongside Local Government. Significant substantive content regarding the grant program for abandoned towns with failing water systems was removed from this version, leaving only the bill's title and introductory sections.

Scope change

The bill's scope was significantly reduced in this version; specific statutory amendments and grant provisions related to abandoned towns were deleted, while committee oversight was broadened to include transportation and housing.

FISCAL

Deleted the section establishing a grant program to transfer up to $100,000 from a public water system fund to the Department of Public Safety for towns with failing water infrastructure.

REQUIREMENT

Removed the requirement to add a new subsection to the Colorado Revised Statutes regarding the use of funds for abandoned towns.

TECHNICAL

Changed the bill status header from 'Reengrossed' to 'Revised' and updated the legislative session details.

SCOPE

Added 'Transportation, Housing & Local Government' to the list of Senate committees reviewing the bill.

Engrossed → Reengrossed · 3 edits · Apr 29, 2026

MINOR

The bill was reengrossed to include additional Senate sponsors and updated the bill summary to reflect that it is now in its third reading unamended version. A significant substantive change involves the funding mechanism for water treatment infrastructure, where the Department of Public Safety's authority to transfer funds was clarified to strictly cover only routine operation and maintenance of existing infrastructure, removing broader operational language.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding fund usage was narrowed to explicitly limit transfers to routine operation and maintenance of existing water treatment infrastructure.

FISCAL

The authority to transfer funds from the fund to the Department of Public Safety was modified to strictly limit usage to contracting for the routine operation and maintenance of existing water treatment infrastructure, replacing broader language about operation and maintenance.

TECHNICAL

Additional Senate sponsors (Bridges, Carson, Catlin, Coleman, Gonzales J., Kipp, Liston, Marchman) were added to the bill sponsorship list.

The bill summary was updated to indicate the bill is in its third reading unamended version and to note that a new summary for the reengrossed version will be available later.

Introduced → Engrossed · 4 edits · Apr 28, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was reclassified from 'Introduced' to 'Engrossed' to reflect that it has passed its second reading in the House with amendments. The substantive policy changes expand the criteria for declaring a town abandoned, allowing for immediate action if a town lacks a board of trustees or clerk, rather than waiting five years. Additionally, the bill broadens the definition of critical water infrastructure to include both treatment and delivery systems, and clarifies that county funds can only be used for routine maintenance of existing systems, not for improvements.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include towns that lack a board of trustees or town clerk, in addition to towns that have failed to hold elections for five years.

ELIGIBILITY

Added a new pathway to declare a town abandoned if it does not have a board of trustees or town clerk, is unable to hold an election, and owns or operates a water system.

DEFINITION

Expanded the definition of critical water infrastructure to explicitly include both water treatment and water delivery systems.

REQUIREMENT

Clarified that funds transferred to the Department of Public Safety can only be used for the routine operation and maintenance of existing water treatment infrastructure, prohibiting use for improvements or new projects.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill status from 'Introduced' to 'Engrossed' and added a new Senate sponsor to the House sponsorship list.

Determination of Town Abandonment

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