Colorado Bills

in committee · Colorado · House Mar 3, 2025

HB 25-1190: Expanding Colorado Cottage Foods Act

The "Colorado Cottage Foods Act" (act) allows for the sale and consumption of a limited range of homemade foods that do not require refrigeration. The bill expands the act by allowing for the sale and consumption of homemade foods that require refrigeration. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

in committee · Colorado · House Mar 3, 2025

HB 25-1246: Limit Peace Officer Partisan Political Activities

The bill designates a category of peace officers as covered peace officers. A covered peace officer is an individual who is both: A public official or employed by a political subdivision of the state; and Required to be certified by the P.O.S.T. board. The bill prohibits a covered peace officer from: Using or authorizing the use of public resources for the purpose of campaigning for or against the nomination or election of a candidate; and Engaging in partisan political activity while wearing a uniform required by a political subdivision of the state. The bill includes a penalty for violating these prohibitions of up to $1,000 and potential dismissal from employment as a covered peace officer. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

in committee · Colorado · House Mar 3, 2025

HB 25-1265: Modification of County Commissioner Elections

Currently, in a county with a population of 70,000 or more, the board of county commissioners (board) may consist of 3 commissioners from 3 districts, with one commissioner elected from each district by voters of the whole county. Alternatively, the board may consist of 5 commissioners, in which case the county may be divided into 3 or 5 districts, and the commissioners may be elected pursuant to numerous methods, including by district or at large or by some combination of both methods. The bill modifies this discretionary system for any county with a population of 250,000 or more by requiring each such county to have 5 commissioners and 5 districts and to choose one of the following 3 methods for their election: 5 commissioners resident in 5 districts elected only by voters resident in those districts; 3 commissioners resident in 3 districts elected only by voters resident in those districts and 2 commissioners elected at large; or 5 commissioners elected at large using the proportional ranked voting method known as the single transferable vote method. The bill makes conforming amendments to statutory provisions concerning commissioner district and election petition statutes. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

in committee · Colorado · House Mar 3, 2025

HB 25-1193: Vote Transparency Protocol Act

The bill creates new processes for vote verification, voter verification, and audit transparency. For vote verification, the bill requires ballots to be assigned vote tracking numbers and voters to be assigned voter identifier numbers. Voters are given both of these numbers and the secretary of state (secretary) publishes these numbers on a publicly accessible vetting transparency ledger and a publicly accessible ballot transparency ledger, respectively. The number of vote tracking numbers on the vetting transparency ledger must equal the number of voter identifier numbers on the ballot transparency ledger. After a ballot is cast, the secretary publishes the information on the ballot on a cast vote transparency ledger along with the corresponding vote tracking number. A voter may challenge the entry on the cast vote transparency ledger associated with their vote tracking number. The secretary shall maintain a challenged vote ledger and shall publish the status to challenges of entries on the cast vote transparency ledger on the challenged vote ledger. For voter verification, the bill requires voters to provide the secretary with the following no less than one month before an election in order to receive a mail ballot for that election: The voter's mailing address; A copy of the voter's relevant identification; Verification that the voter satisfies the necessary qualifications to register as a voter; A request to receive a mail ballot; Acknowledgment of the penalties for committing fraud in connection with casting a vote; and Verification that the voter is a human. A voter can provide this information either on the secretary's website or in connection with the payment of a utility bill. Further, the bill: Prohibits the distribution of mail ballots more than 2 weeks before the relevant election; Requires the secretary, within 30 days after the effective date of the bill, to withdraw the state from participation in the electronic registration information system; and Requires the secretary to annually remove all registration information from the the statewide voter registration system and for that removal to be verified by an entity that is not a state agency. For audit transparency, the bill requires the secretary to generate for every election a number of randomly generated and assigned audit numbers (RAANs) equal to the amount of electors who voted in the previous election plus one percent. The secretary shall enter each RAAN it generates into a RAAN tracking database. The secretary must randomly assign and attach each RAAN to a ballot. After a ballot is cast: A voter may keep a copy of the RAAN associated with their ballot; The secretary shall enter the first 12 digits of a ballot's RAAN (partial RAAN) in the RAAN tracking database to ensure that the ballot's RAAN was one of the RAANs that the secretary generated for the election; The secretary shall scan the ballot; and The secretary shall enter the ballot's partial RAAN, along with the votes cast with that ballot, in a downloadable, searchable, and publicly accessible cast vote record database. After inputting information for a ballot into the cast vote record database, the secretary shall verify that information against the scan of the ballot. An individual can challenge the information in the cast vote record database associated with a partial RAAN by presenting the complete RAAN to the secretary. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

in committee · Colorado · House Mar 3, 2025

HB 25-1095: Petitioner Requirements in Certain Property Tax Appeals

The bill requires that, for protests to the county assessor and at hearings for property tax appeals concerning nonresidential real property that is not agricultural property, the requested valuation that is set forth by a petitioner or a petitioner's agent or representative for that property be made in compliance with the uniform standards of professional appraisal practice. Current law requires that any petitioner appealing either a valuation of rent-producing commercial real property to the board of assessment appeals or a denial of an abatement of taxes provide certain documentation and data regarding the property. The bill requires that, in addition to these existing requirements, the petitioner also provide full copies of all leases that are in place as of the date of valuation and any market data that the petitioner has relied on in determining the valuation that the petitioner is requesting in their appeal. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

in committee · Colorado · House Feb 28, 2025

HB 25-1216: State Agencies Implement Zero-Based Budgeting

In state fiscal year 2026-27, the bill requires the department of revenue, the department of education, and the department of transportation to implement a budgeting method in which all expenses, both existing and new, must be justified for the fiscal year and every function is analyzed for its needs and costs (zero-based budgeting) when submitting a budget request. In state fiscal year 2027-28 and each state fiscal year thereafter, the bill requires all state agencies in all principal departments to implement zero-based budgeting when submitting a budget request. In state fiscal year 2026-27 and each state fiscal year thereafter, the office of state planning and budgeting is required to develop and digitally distribute to state agencies information related to zero-based budgeting training and to provide virtual sessions for the purpose of training state agencies to implement zero-based budgeting. In state fiscal year 2027-28 and each state fiscal year thereafter, the office of state planning and budgeting is required to submit to the general assembly an annual report detailing the effectiveness of zero-based budgeting. All budget requests that implement zero-based budgeting must be publicly accessible on the general assembly's website, and the state auditor is required to conduct periodic financial audits to ensure state agencies' compliance with zero-based budgeting requirements. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

in committee · Colorado · House Feb 28, 2025

HB 25-1125: State Agency Budget Transparency

Under current law, every department, commission, council, board, bureau, committee, agency, or other governmental unit of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of state government (state agency) is required to submit a budget request to the joint budget committee on or before November 1 of every year. The bill clarifies what each state agency must include in its budget request beginning with the 2027-28 state fiscal year. The bill requires a state agency, as part of the state agency's budget request, to submit the following to the joint budget committee and relevant committee of reference: An ideal budget that identifies the least critical 10% in the budget and any duplicative programs administered by the state agency; and A budget that is at least 5% less than the current year's appropriations for the state agency. The bill requires a state agency to submit a budget request to the joint budget committee and relevant committee of reference every 10 years that justifies and explains every expense of the state agency. Lastly, the bill expands an existing reporting requirement and requires all principal departments, as part of the principal department's "State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act" hearing, to report all grants made to the state agency during the immediately preceding state fiscal year. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

in committee · Colorado · House Feb 27, 2025

HB 25-1020: Earned-Wage Access Service Provider

The bill prohibits an entity from providing earned-wage access services without a license on and after January 1, 2026. Earned-wage access services are services that: Deliver consumer access to earned but unpaid income; and Provide consumer access to earned but unpaid income that is based on employment, income, or attendance data obtained directly or indirectly from an employer or an employer's payroll service provider.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Colorado · House Feb 27, 2025

HB 25-1119: Require Disclosures of Climate Emissions

The bill requires each entity that does business in Colorado and has total revenues exceeding $1 billion in the preceding calendar year (reporting entity) to publicly disclose its total greenhouse gas emissions during the preceding calendar year. For scope 1 and scope 2 emissions, the reporting requirements begin January 1, 2028. For scope 3 emissions, the initial reporting requirements begin January 1, 2029, and are updated on January 1 each year thereafter. A reporting entity must have each of its disclosures independently verified by a third-party auditor. A district attorney or the attorney general may bring a civil action against a reporting entity for failing to comply with the disclosure requirements. A court may require a noncompliant reporting entity to pay a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed $100,000 for each day of noncompliance. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Topics ✓ Energy ✓ Environment

passed both · Colorado · House Feb 27, 2025

HJR 25-1018: Latino & Latina Veterans

HJR 25-1018 is a Colorado legislative resolution recognizing the service of Latina and Latino veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. It formally commends their contributions across military conflicts from the Revolutionary War through modern operations, highlighting historical units like the "Borinqueneers" and the American GI Forum. The resolution does not create new policies, benefits, or legal obligations - instead, it serves as a symbolic gesture of appreciation. A copy will be sent to the American GI Forum of Colorado, as specified in the resolution.

passed both · Colorado · House Feb 27, 2025

HJR 25-1017: Tenth Mountain Division

This House Joint Resolution (HJR 25-1017) is a ceremonial resolution honoring the historical legacy of the 10th Mountain Division, a U.S. Army unit that trained at Camp Hale in Colorado during World War II. It recognizes the division’s combat service in the Italian Alps, its postwar conservation efforts by veterans through the 10th Mountain Division Hut Association, and President Biden’s 2022 designation of Camp Hale as a national monument. The resolution expresses the Colorado General Assembly’s appreciation for the division’s bravery and its enduring connection to Colorado’s history and landscape. As a symbolic gesture, it does not create new laws or obligations but serves to memorialize the unit’s contributions.

signed · Colorado · House Feb 27, 2025

HJR 25-1004: Water Project Eligibility Lists

HJR 25-1004 is a procedural resolution approving specific additions to Colorado's Drinking Water Project Eligibility List and Water Pollution Control Project Eligibility List. It directly affects water providers like Allenspark Water and Sanitation District, East Boulder County Water District, and Grizzly Peak Water Sales and Distribution LLC, enabling them to qualify for funding from the state's Drinking Water Revolving Fund (DWRF) and Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund (WPCRF). The resolution formally adopts the Water Quality Control Commission's approved project additions, modifications, and deletions for these lists. This allows eligible water and wastewater infrastructure projects to access state financial assistance for facilities such as treatment plants, distribution systems, and storage.

Topics ✓ Environment

Bill results