Colorado Bills

Joint Budget Committee. The bill repeals the provision that created the kidney disease prevention and education task force.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

The act defines a "specified semiautomatic firearm" as a semiautomatic rifle or semiautomatic shotgun with a detachable magazine or a gas-operated semiautomatic handgun with a detachable magazine. The act excludes certain types of firearms and specified models of firearms from the definition of "specified semiautomatic firearm". The act prohibits knowingly manufacturing, distributing, transferring, selling, or purchasing a specified semiautomatic firearm on or after August 1, 2026; except that a person may transfer a specified semiautomatic firearm to an individual residing in another state or a federally licensed firearm dealer. The act exempts certain manufacture, transfers, sales, and purchases from the prohibition, including specified transactions involving law enforcement agencies and peace officers, the department of corrections, armored vehicle businesses, military forces, gunsmiths, educational programs, and historical societies and museums; transfers that occur by operation of law or because of the death of a person; and conduct involving firearms for use solely as a prop for a film. Additionally, the prohibition does not apply to the transfer or sale of a specified semiautomatic firearm to, and receipt or purchase of a specified semiautomatic firearm by, a person who: Completed a hunter education course certified by the division of parks and wildlife (division) and, within 5 years before making the purchase, completed a basic firearms safety course; Within 5 years before making the purchase, completed an extended firearms safety course; or Completed an extended firearms safety course more than 5 years before making the purchase and completed a basic firearms safety course within 5 years before making the purchase. Unlawful manufacture, distribution, transfer, sale, or purchase of a specified semiautomatic firearm is a class 2 misdemeanor; except that a second or subsequent offense is a class 6 felony. The department of revenue shall revoke the state firearms dealer permit of a dealer who unlawfully manufactures, distributes, transfers, sells, or purchases a specified semiautomatic firearm. The Colorado bureau of investigation shall deny the transfer of a firearm to a person who was convicted of misdemeanor unlawful manufacture, distribution, transfer, sale, or purchase of a specified semiautomatic firearm within 5 years prior to the transfer. A person convicted of felony unlawful manufacture, distribution, transfer, sale, or purchase of a specified semiautomatic firearm is prohibited from possessing a firearm and certain other weapons. The act sets minimum requirements for the instruction included in, and length of, a basic firearms safety course and an extended firearms safety course. The act requires the division to establish the course requirements for a basic or extended firearms safety course. In order to enroll in a basic or extended firearms safety course, a person must hold a valid firearms safety course eligibility card (firearms course card) issued by a sheriff. The act sets the requirements to be issued a firearms course card, which includes completing a name-based background check, paying a processing fee set by the sheriff, and paying the firearms training and safety course record fee established by the division. A sheriff shall issue a firearms course card to an applicant; except that a sheriff shall deny an application if the applicant cannot lawfully possess a firearm under state or federal law or the sheriff cannot positively identify the applicant. A sheriff may deny an application for a firearms course card if the sheriff has a reasonable belief that documented previous behavior by the applicant makes it likely the applicant will present a danger to themself or others if the applicant holds a card. A sheriff shall revoke an issued firearms course card if the cardholder cannot lawfully possess a firearm under state or federal law and may revoke an issued card if the sheriff has a reasonable belief that documented previous behavior by the applicant makes it likely the applicant will present a danger to themself or others. The act sets forth the process for judicial review of the denial or revocation of a firearms course card. The act requires the division to develop and maintain a firearms training and safety course record system (system) that includes records of persons who hold a valid firearms course card and who have completed a hunter education course, a basic firearms safety course, or an extended firearms safety course. The system must allow: A sheriff to electronically enter information about each person who was issued a firearms course eligibility card; The instructor of a basic or extended firearms safety course to request and receive information about whether a person holds a valid firearms course card; The instructor of a hunter education course or a basic or extended firearms safety course to electronically enter into the system information about each student who completes a course; and A federal firearms licensee to electronically request and receive information about whether a person has completed the courses necessary to purchase a specified semiautomatic firearm. The act creates the firearms training and safety course cash fund, which consists of firearms training and safety course record fee remitted to the division by a sheriff and any other money that the general assembly may appropriate or transfer to the fund. Money in the fund is continuously appropriated to the division. The director of the division may report to the state treasurer an amount of money to transfer between the firearms training and safety course cash fund from the parks and outdoor recreation cash fund. Within 3 days after receiving a report, the state treasurer shall make the reported transfer. By June 30, 2030, the total amount of the transfers to the parks and outdoor recreation cash fund reported by the director of the division must be equal to the total amount transferred from the parks and outdoor recreation cash fund, plus fair market interest. On or before December 31 of each year, the division shall submit a report to the house of representatives and senate judiciary committees, or their successor committees, about the expenses incurred by the division to implement the act, and any additional resources the division needs to effectively implement the act. The act requires the division in the department of revenue responsible for issuing state firearms dealer permits to publish and make publicly available guidance about specific models of specified semiautomatic firearms to which the act applies. The act makes the unlawful sale, transfer, or possession of a large-capacity magazine a class 1 misdemeanor. Existing law prohibits possession of a dangerous weapon. The act defines "rapid-fire device" and classifies rapid-fire devices as dangerous weapons under Colorado law. The act repeals the definition of "machine gun conversion device" and removes machine gun conversion devices from the list of dangerous weapons. For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, the bill appropriates $100,000 to the office of the governor for use by the office of information technology from funds received from the department of natural resources from the firearms training and safety course cash fund. The general assembly appropriated money to the department of revenue to implement House Bill 24-1353, concerning requirements to engage in the business of dealing in firearms. The act further appropriates unspent money from that appropriation to the department of revenue for expenditure until the close of the 2025-26 state fiscal year. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act permits Emily Griffith technical college (college) to offer an associate of applied science degree program (degree program) with approval from the state board for community colleges and occupational education (board). The degree program must include a registered apprenticeship program and certain transferable general education courses. In considering the college's request to offer a degree program, the board shall consider student and workforce demand, alignment with registered apprenticeship programs, cost-effectiveness for students and the state, and accreditation and licensing requirements. An approved degree program is eligible to receive federal "Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act" funds. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

On and after April 10, 2025, the act prohibits the state and local licensing authorities (licensing authorities) from issuing a new liquor-licensed drugstore license (license). Licensing authorities may continue to renew existing licenses. On and after April 10, 2025, a person holding a license (licensee) is prohibited from changing the location of, merging, selling, converting, or transferring a license; except that a licensee that holds a license that was issued to an independent pharmacy before January 1, 2025, may change the location of or sell or transfer the license to another licensee that is an independent pharmacy that holds a license or to a person that does not already have a license. The act defines an independent pharmacy as a prescription drug outlet privately owned by at least one licensed pharmacist with no ownership interest by or affiliation with a chain or publicly owned pharmacy. The act prohibits an owner, part owner, shareholder, or person interested directly or indirectly in a liquor-licensed drugstore from having an interest in more than 8 licenses. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires the division of fire prevention and control, which hosts the wildfire information and resource center website and provides information regarding active wildfires on the website, to include hyperlinks to websites that display emergency information and wildfire updates for each county in Colorado and to coordinate with county governments in order to provide the hyperlinks. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The Timothy Montoya task force (task force): Analyzed the root causes of why a child or youth runs away from an out-of-home placement; Developed consistent, prompt, and effective responses to recover a missing child or youth; Addressed the safety and well-being of a child or youth upon the child's or youth's return to the out-of-home placement; and Made recommendations. The act implements the task force recommendations that focus on preventing a child or youth from running away from a residential child care facility (facility). The act requires the office of the child protection ombudsman (office) to conduct a statewide inventory survey (survey) of facilities to address: The physical infrastructure currently in place to deter children and youth from running away; and The physical infrastructure needed to deter children and youth from running away. The office shall consult with the department of human services to develop the survey. On or before July 1, 2026, the office shall submit a report to the health and human services committees of the house of representatives and the senate, or their successor committees, that summarizes the results of the survey. The act requires each facility, on or before July 1, 2026, to develop an efficient, well-structured, and trauma-informed policy that outlines how the facility responds to a child or youth who threatens or attempts to run away from care. The policy must include whether the facility uses physical restraints. Each facility shall provide a copy of the policy to the child or youth and the child's or youth's parent, legal guardian, or custodian during the child's or youth's intake at the facility. When a facility discovers that a child or youth is missing from its care, the facility shall notify the child's or youth's parent, legal guardian, or custodian and the guardian ad litem or counsel for youth within 4 hours after the discovery of the missing child or youth. If the facility cannot make initial contact with the child's or youth's parent, legal guardian, or custodian, the facility must make repeated efforts to notify the child's or youth's parent, legal guardian, or custodian. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires the public utilities commission (commission) to adopt rules requiring that, unless the applicable road authority is a local government, the total costs to maintain an existing railroad crossing (total costs) are shared equally between the railroad, railroad corporation, rail fixed guideway, transit agency, or owner of the track (railroad) and the applicable road authority. If the applicable road authority is a local government, the commission must adopt rules that require the total costs to be apportioned as follows: The railroad is responsible for the costs to maintain the portion of the existing railroad crossing that is between the ends of the railroad ties; and The local government is responsible for the costs to maintain the portion of the existing railroad crossing that is outside of the ends of the railroad ties. The act applies to costs accrued on or after the effective date of the act unless the costs accrue pursuant to an agreement entered into by the parties before the effective date of the act, which agreement provides for the distribution of the costs to be shared between the parties. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Colorado Commission on Uniform State Laws. The bill repeals the "Uniform Guardianship and Protective Proceedings Act" and enacts the "Uniform Guardianship, Conservatorship, and Other Protective Arrangements Act", drafted by the uniform law commission. The bill provides guidance for guardians and conservators and clarifies how appointees must make decisions on behalf of a person under guardianship or conservatorship. The bill encourages the use of protective arrangements and less restrictive alternatives instead of conservatorship or guardianship if a person's needs can be met with support services and technology. The bill expands the procedural rights for respondents to ensure that guardianships and conservatorships are only imposed when necessary. The bill provides for expanded monitoring of guardians and conservators to ensure compliance with fiduciary duties and prevent exploitation. The bill provides for visitation and communication rights for individuals subject to guardianship or conservatorship. This includes a limitation on a guardian's ability to prevent communication, visitation, or interactions between a person subject to guardianship and a third party. The bill provides for protections to prevent exploitation of vulnerable individuals by allowing the court to restrict access to the respondent or the respondent's property by a specified person without imposing a guardianship or conservatorship. The bill prohibits courts from establishing full guardianship or conservatorship if a limited guardianship or conservatorship would meet the respondent's needs, requires a petitioner seeking full guardianship or conservatorship to provide support to justify full guardianship or conservatorship, and requires courts to provide findings to support the imposition of full guardianship or conservatorship. The bill updates provisions concerning minors subject to guardianship and provides for involvement of a minor in decisions that involve the minor. The bill provides guidance for property management for individuals subject to guardianship. The bill contains model forms for petitioners and respondents to use when filing petitions and notice with the court. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Joint Budget Committee. The bill repeals the behavioral health voucher program for rural and agricultural communities and reduces the appropriation to the behavioral health administration by $50,000.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

The bill requires a child care center owned by an institutional investment entity to meet the following requirements: in order to receive state funding: The child care center may only charge a wait list fee of no more than $25; and The child care center shall post and update accurate child care pricing on the child care center's website; The bill allows the department to take disciplinary action against a child care center if the child care center does not comply with posting its pricing online. The bill requires an institutional investment entity to meet the following requirements: in order to receive state funding: Allow a child care center to maintain ownership of the property used to operate the child care center; and Upon acquisition of a child care center, provide Provide at least a 60-day notice to all child care center employees and families with children enrolled at the child care center if the institutional investment entity intends to lay off child care center employees or change enrollment or eligibility requirements for the child care center. The requirements of the bill apply only to institutional investment entities that own 5 or more child care centers and to child care centers that are owned by an institutional investment entity that owns 5 or more child care centers. The bills allows the department to require an institutional investment entity to annually submit information about the institutional investment entity's financial condition. (Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.) (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

The bill replaces existing statutes on public abatement and instead enacts provisions concerning criminal forfeiture. The bill: Limits forfeiture so it can occur only when a defendant is convicted of a crime of unlawful distribution, manufacturing, dispensing, or selling a controlled substance; Specifies that a forfeiture proceeding is not a separate civil proceeding but part of a defendant's criminal proceeding; Specifies when personal property may be seized with or without process; Establishes duties and procedures when property is seized; Establishes court procedures for various parties; Allows for the disposition of seized assets and proceeds consistent with prior law; and Establishes limitations on seizures involving the federal government.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Under current law, a court is required to release a person on a personal recognizance bond if the person was charged with an offense for a violation with a maximum penalty that does not exceed 6 months' imprisonment, and the court cannot require the person to give security of any kind for their appearance for trial other than their personal recognizance, unless certain conditions exist. The bill clarifies these provisions apply in both state and municipal courts. The bill adds to the conditions for which a person may be required to give security that the defendant previously failed to appear in court 2 or more times in the present case. Existing law prohibits a court from imposing a monetary condition of release for a defendant charged with a traffic offense, petty offense, or comparable municipal offense, or a municipal offense for which there is no comparable state misdemeanor offense, with specified exceptions. The bill adds exceptions for: A petty offense for theft, criminal mischief, or arson, or a comparable municipal offense, or a municipal offense involving threats of violence, injury, or property damage, if the defendant has previously failed to appear in court 2 or more times in the present case; and Any other petty offense, traffic offense, or a comparable municipal offense or a municipal offense for which there is no comparable state offense, if the defendant has previously failed to appear for a court proceeding 3 or more times in the present case and has another pending charge for the same offense in the same jurisdiction. The bill applies the exceptions involving previous instances of a defendant's failure to appear for a court proceeding only when, prior to issuing a warrant for the arrest of the defendant for the previous failure to appear, the court conducted a search to determine whether the defendant was being held in a correctional facility or county jail, and at the time of the previous failure to appear, the court had certain processes in place governing failures to appear. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)