The act creates the 'Transit Investment Area Act' to facilitate the financing of transit and rail station infrastructure. Specifically, the act:Allows a local government and a transit agency to jointly undertake a transit investment project. To finance the project, the local government may apply to the Colorado economic development commission (commission) to designate a transit investment area and an approved financing entity;Authorizes the approved financing entity, which may be a newly created transit investment authority, a county revitalization authority, a metropolitan district, or an urban renewal authority, to receive state sales tax increment revenue. This revenue consists of the state sales tax collected in the designated area above a base amount, plus an additional 20% to account for out-of-area deliveries.Permits the financing entity to issue bonds and use the state sales tax increment revenue to finance eligible improvements related to the transit project;Prohibits the financing entity from using the state sales tax increment revenue to acquire property through eminent domain;Requires projects to comply with specified hiring, apprenticeship, and workforce standards;Caps the commission's approval authority at no more than 3 transit investment projects in any calendar year and no more than 6 in total and caps the total state sales tax increment revenue dedicated to all projects at $75 million per fiscal year; andAuthorizes the commission to revoke project approval if substantial work does not commence within 5 years and requires financing entities to submit annual reports and independent financial audits. The act requires the Colorado office of economic development, in consultation with the department of local affairs and the department of transportation, to publish a transit and housing investment zone map on or before October 30, 2026. The act creates the Colorado affordable housing in transit and housing investment zones tax credit (tax credit). The tax credit is administered in the same manner as the Colorado affordable housing in transit-oriented communities income tax credit; except that the tax credit is awarded in connection with housing projects in transit and housing zones. The act authorizes the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority to allocate up to $8,333,333 in tax credits each calendar year beginning in the 2027 calendar year through the 2033 calendar year. For the 2026-27 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $213,349 to the office of the governor for use by economic development programs.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act increases the penalties for improperly passing a vehicle in a no-passing zone and clarifies that no-passing zones are indicated by a solid yellow line or line pavement markings. The act requires the Colorado department of transportation to prioritize installing signage on roadways with increased incidents of crashes resulting from illegal overtaking on the left. The act increases the points assessed for multiple speeding violations within a one-year, 2-year, or 5-year period for driving 20 miles per hour or more in excess of the reasonable and prudent speed or driving in excess of a 75 miles per hour speed limit and requires drivers driving a vehicle 100 miles per hour or greater be assessed 4 additional points. The act requires that drivers who have multiple speeding violations within a one-year, 2-year, or 5-year period receive a summons and complaint upon committing their violation instead of a penalty assessment notice. The act increases the fine for violating regulations regarding transporting hazardous materials by motor vehicle to $500 and increases the fine range for a second or subsequent violation to $500 to $1,000. The act appropriates $30,943 to the Colorado department of revenue from the Colorado DRIVES vehicle services account.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires the division of parks and wildlife (division) in the department of natural resources to expand the division's capacity for outdoor recreation coordination, planning, and management and take a leading role in state-level coordination, strategic planning, and implementation of Colorado's outdoors strategy. The division is directed to, among other things, engage with relevant partners, stakeholders, tribal governments, and agencies to coordinate and incorporate wildlife, conservation, recreation, and climate-resilience considerations across agency planning and decision-making processes. In addition, the division is required to support, in consultation with relevant entities, the planning, development, and maintenance of outdoor recreation infrastructure to enhance outdoor recreation opportunities while protecting private property rights, wildlife, and natural resources. The division is directed to coordinate and consult with local governments to identify potential impacts to services and infrastructure associated with outdoor recreation use. The act also requires the division to create, and update at least annually, integrated regional outdoor recreation and conservation planning reports to inform division awareness and operational decision-making. In 2027 and 2028, the division is required to include an update on the outdoor recreation coordination, planning, and management efforts required by the act during its 'SMART Act' hearing. For the 2026-27 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $436,025 to the department of natural resources from the parks and outdoor recreation cash fund to be used for state park operations.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act allows for a county, a landowner in the town, or a registered elector in the town to apply to the secretary of state (secretary) to determine a town is abandoned when a town:Has no board of trustees or town clerk;Is unable to hold an election; andOwns or operates infrastructure critical for the treatment or delivery of water to residents. The act authorizes the department of public health and environment to transfer up to $100,000 from the small communities water and wastewater grant fund to the department of public safety to cover the cost of operation and maintenance of a town's water system if an application for abandonment of the town has been filed with the secretary and the town has a water system that is failing or is likely to fail.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act changes the boundaries of the front range passenger rail district (district) to include certain listed municipalities, any municipality whose governing body and, if necessary, electors, consent for the municipality to be included in the district, certain listed metropolitan districts, and any metropolitan district that is not within a municipality, whose governing body consents for the metropolitan district to be included in the district, and that is identified for inclusion in the district by a district board (board) resolution. The act requires that directors of the board appointed on or after July 1, 2026, reside within the district, unless that director is already serving on the board. The act allows the board to create subdistricts within the district. The only voting members of a subdistrict board must be directors appointed by an entity that includes territory within the subdistrict and directors who reside within the subdistrict. The act requires that any action by a subdistrict to establish or increase a tax or create a multiple-fiscal year debt must be submitted to a vote of the registered electors of the subdistrict. Before submitting a tax question to the voters, the district or subdistrict must certify that it has made every reasonable effort to secure federal, state, or special purpose authority funding. Lastly, the act changes the method for determining the distribution of the costs of a district or subdistrict election. Under the new method, the costs of such an election are reimbursed in the same method and manner as state primary, coordinated, general, congressional vacancy, special legislative, or recall elections conducted after July 1, 2024. The act also requires that any constitutionally required notice for a district or subdistrict election be included in the ballot information booklet.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act directs the division of brand inspection (division) in the department of agriculture and the state board of stock inspection commissioners in the department of agriculture to receive reports of lost or stolen livestock. On or before December 31, 2026, the division shall implement procedures that:Facilitate efficient coordination with law enforcement, including procedures to ensure that reports of stolen livestock are provided to relevant law enforcement within 24 hours after the division receives a report of stolen livestock; andEnsure that the public is notified of lost or stolen livestock. The procedures implemented by the division may vary by geographic region depending on the needs of the region.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act changes requirements for the regional transportation district (RTD) relating to paratransit and accessible transportation, the composition of the board of directors, coordination with the subregional service councils, and reporting requirements. Paratransit and accessible transportation. On or before December 31, 2026, RTD is required to contract with an independent third-party entity for a comprehensive paratransit service study (study) that includes:A needs assessment of the population, needs, and service gaps for riders with disabilities in the district;A cost-benefit assessment;A definition of measurable performance metrics related to access, reliability, equity, and cost-effectiveness;An assessment of opportunities for RTD to collaborate with local and regional partners to address service gaps; Engagement with paratransit users, riders with disabilities, service providers, and other key stakeholders;An assessment of system performance; andAn assessment of barriers for paratransit riders and riders with disabilities to access a low-income fare discount. The study must be completed by June 30, 2027. On or before December 31, 2027, RTD is required to complete, adopt, and begin implementing an accessible transportation service plan that is informed by the study. Composition of RTD board of directors. The act ends the terms of the current 15 elected members of the RTD board of directors (board) on January 1, 2029, and replaces the board with 5 members elected from director districts and 4 at-large appointed members. 5 members constitute a quorum for the new board. Board members serve 4-year terms; except that the new member terms are staggered such that, on January 1, 2031, 4 of the 9 members' terms expire. At the November 2028 general election, 5 new members are elected, 2 of which are elected to 2-year terms. At every general election in an even-numbered year thereafter, the number of members to be elected at the election equals the number of member terms expiring on January 1 of the following year. On or before the day of the November 2028 general election, the governor shall appoint 4 new board members. On or before the day of the November general election in every even-numbered year thereafter, the governor shall appoint 2 new board members to replace the members whose terms will expire the following year. Members may serve up to 2 4-year terms, and any term that lasts for fewer than 2 years does not count towards the member's 2-term limit. On or before September 15, 2027, the office of legislative legal services and the legislative council staff are required to apportion the composition of the board so that the 5 elected directors will represent, to the extent practical, the people of the district on the basis of population. After the federal census in 2030, and after each federal census thereafter, the independent legislative redistricting commission is required to apportion the composition of the board so that the 5 elected directors will represent, to the extent practical, the people of the district on the basis of population. The 4 appointed board members are appointed by the governor with the consent of the senate. Of the 4 members:One member is appointed from a list of at least 3 nominees provided by the Denver regional council of governments;One member must be a current or former member of the union that represents the largest collective bargaining unit of RTD employees; and2 members are appointed at the governor's discretion. The 4 appointed members must represent diverse geographic areas of the district and are collectively required to possess expertise related to public finance, land use and multimodal transportation planning, transit operations, and transit agency programs serving disproportionately impacted communities. The governor may remove an appointed member for malfeasance in office, neglect of duty, failure to regularly attend meetings, or any other cause that renders the member incapable or unfit to discharge the duties of the board. A member to be appointed is required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest prior to confirmation and any conflicts that arise during the member's term to the board. Failure to disclose a conflict, or taking action on a matter in which the member has an undisclosed conflict of interest, constitutes cause for removal by the governor. The board may elect one member as chairperson of the board, one member as chairperson pro tempore of the board, and one or more individuals as secretary and treasurer of the board. The annual salary for an elected or appointed member whose term begins on or after January 1, 2029, is increased from $12,000 to $36,000, and the salary for the board chairperson is 150% of the salary of the other board members. Subregional service council coordination. Beginning in 2027, RTD is required to provide dedicated staff to co-chair and support each subregional service council (council) and must work with council members to identify a local leader to also co-chair each council. Beginning in 2028, the councils are required to make recommendations to the RTD board on:Aligning RTD transit services with local and regional plans;Implementing joint projects to address service gaps;Leveraging existing intergovernmental agreements and projects for expanded service delivery;Identifying strategies to expand funding; andConsiderations of equity, ridership, demand, and long-term regional growth. The RTD board is required to meet at least twice a year to receive recommendations from the councils. Reporting requirements. RTD is required to report to the house of representatives transportation, housing, and local government committee and the senate transportation and energy committee, or their successor committees, on the following:On or before December 31, 2027, progress toward the recommendations made to RTD by the 2025-2026 RTD accountability committee created in Senate Bill 25-161. RTD is also required to submit this report to the governor.On or before January 31, 2027, and on or before each January 31 thereafter: RTD's budget and financial performance;Ridership;The implementation of Senate Bill 25-161, including RTD's progress on delivering the projects identified in its 10-year strategic plan and its comprehensive operational analysis;Aligning with state climate goals; andThe implementation of this act, including RTD's progress on implementing the accessible transportation service plan;On or before January 31, 2028, the study and accessible transportation plan; and Annually beginning in 2028, the recommendations from the councils and RTD's responses to the recommendations. RTD is also required to report this information to the transportation legislation review committee.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law requires a local government or a tribal government desiring to receive funding from the statewide affordable housing fund to have filed with the division of housing of the department of local affairs (division) a commitment specifying how, within a 3-year cycle, affordable housing units within the local or tribal government's territorial boundaries will be increased by 3% each year over the baseline number of affordable housing units (baseline number). The baseline number resets every 3 years for the next cycle. To be eligible for funding from the statewide affordable housing fund, a local or tribal government is required to file a commitment with the division and achieve the 3% increase over the baseline number each year during the 3-year cycle. The act changes the requirements for the 3-year cycle beginning on January 1, 2027, and each 3-year cycle thereafter. A local government desiring to receive funding from the statewide affordable housing fund is no longer required to increase affordable housing units by 3% above the baseline each year, but is instead required to meet the target increase number of affordable housing units (target increase number). The target increase number equals the average annual number of permits for new housing units or functional equivalents of permits for new housing units that have been issued over the past 3 years within the jurisdiction of the local government, multiplied by the number of years of the upcoming 3-year cycle to which the local government is committing, multiplied by:0.10 if the average annual job growth rate in the county in which the local government is located is significantly lower than the statewide median annual job growth rate over the past 3 years, as determined by the division;0.15 if the average annual job growth rate in the county in which the local government is located is close to the statewide median annual job growth rate over the past 3 years, as determined by the division; or0.20 if the average annual job growth rate in the county in which the local government is located is significantly higher than the statewide median annual job growth rate over the past 3 years, as determined by the division. The act requires the division to establish specific numerical ranges for the job growth rate thresholds. The act permits a local government that desires to be eligible for funding from the statewide affordable housing fund but is unable to achieve the 3% annual increase in affordable housing units for the 3-year cycle beginning on January 1, 2024, to file a good faith effort waiver with the division. To be eligible, the local government must have achieved at least 65% of the targeted annual increase. The division may, in its discretion, grant a good faith effort waiver to a local government that filed for a waiver on or after June 15, 2026, but before November 1, 2026, and complied with other requirements of the act. The act permits a government that desires to be eligible for funding from the statewide affordable housing fund but is unable to meet the target increase number in affordable housing units for the 3-year cycle beginning on January 1, 2027, to file an adjustment waiver with the division. The adjustment waiver must be supported by verifiable data and propose a revised annual increase of at least one unit per year. The division may, in its discretion, grant an adjustment waiver to a government that filed for a waiver and complied with other requirements of the act. To determine whether a local government has achieved the target increase number for the 3-year cycle beginning on January 1, 2027, and for each 3-year cycle thereafter, an affordable housing unit that satisfies the following criteria counts for one affordable housing unit plus the following corresponding additional unit amount:Unless local governments have a written agreement otherwise, a unit developed with money from multiple local governments may be counted by each local government as a percentage of one unit proportional to the percentage of funding it provided;A unit that is developed on land donated by the local government qualifies for an additional 0.10 of a unit. The 0.10 of a unit qualifies for the local government that donated the land.An affordable housing unit that is developed with money provided by multiple local governments qualifies for an additional 0.10 of a unit for each local government that provided money;A unit that is developed to be for-sale housing and that meets certain affordability requirements qualifies for an additional 0.20 of a unit; andA unit that is restricted to be rented or sold to a household with an annual income of at or below 40% of the area median income, including a supportive housing unit, qualifies for an additional 0.20 of a unit. If affordable housing is developed and qualifies for a property tax exemption, thereby reducing property tax revenue to the county in which the affordable housing is located, and the county did not provide any money to develop the affordable housing, the division may, in its discretion, allow each such affordable housing unit to count as up to 1.15 affordable housing units for the county at the time of vertical construction. Beginning in 2027, to be eligible for direct funding, or for affordable housing projects within a tribal government's territorial boundaries to be eligible for funding, tribal governments are required to implement a system to expedite the development approval process for affordable housing projects and required to submit evidence of such satisfaction to the division.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates the pesticide product disposal and container recycling enterprise (enterprise) in the department of agriculture (department). The board of directors of the enterprise (board) consists of the members of the state agricultural commission. The enterprise is tasked with developing and administering a program for the disposal of pesticide products not identified as exempt from the program by the board (eligible pesticide products) and with coordinating the recycling of pesticide product containers (program). Along with providing these business services, the program must:Organize eligible pesticide product disposal events for commercial applicators and private applicators across the state;Provide outreach and education to commercial applicators and private applicators on proper and safe disposal of eligible pesticide products and the recycling of their containers and the services provided by the program; andProvide certain business services to an applicant that registers an eligible pesticide product with the commissioner of agriculture for sale or distribution in the state (applicant). The enterprise operates as a government-owned business imposing:A pesticide product disposal fee for each eligible pesticide product that is disposed of through the program; andA pesticide registration product disposal fee on each applicant, which fee must be no more than $50 per eligible pesticide product. The fees are credited to the pesticide product disposal and container recycling enterprise cash fund (fund) for use by the enterprise to carry out the program. Money credited to the fund is continuously appropriated to the enterprise for the purposes set forth in the act. Commencing in 2028, the enterprise must annually report to the legislative committees with jurisdiction over agricultural matters the following information for the previous 12 months: the amount of fees collected, the total revenue generated by the fees, the location and times of disposal events held, a summary of the amount and types of products disposed of, and a description of education and outreach activities conducted. $19,875 is appropriated from the legal services cash fund to the department of law to provide legal services for the department in implementing the act. The appropriation is from revenue received from the department that is continuously appropriated to the department from the fund.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires a person seeking certification or recertification from the peace officers standards and training board to undergo training on various missing person alerts active within the state. The department of public safety is required to create a missing person alert training program for persons seeking certification or recertification of their peace officer status. The act requires an institution of higher education (institution) to either conduct a preliminary wellness assessment for no longer than 6 hours or immediately contact a law enforcement agency if a student is reported missing. If the student is not found within the 6-hour period, or if there is evidence of a credible risk to the student's safety, the institution shall notify the institution's police department or the nearest law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the student's current local address on file with the institution or the student's permanent address on file with the institution if the institution does not have its own police department. An institution is required to adopt and publish a preliminary wellness assessment policy. The preliminary wellness assessment must consist of at least the following steps: A digital contact attempt, a residential verification, and an academic and social inquiry. An institution that conducts a preliminary wellness assessment is immune from civil liability if the institution acted in good faith. An institution is required to maintain contemporaneous written documentation regarding the steps the institution took to complete the preliminary wellness assessment. The records are subject to certain disclosure requirements.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act allows an applicant for licensure as a marriage and family therapist (LMFT) whose master's or doctoral degree program did not include an internship or practicum to also be registered as an LMFT candidate but requires these candidates to complete an additional 700 supervised clinical hours to become an LMFT.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires a minor who is under 18 years old to have written permission of the minor's parent or legal guardian to obtain an instruction permit to drive a motorcycle. The act does not apply to emancipated minors.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
