Colorado Bills

signed · Colorado · House Mar 26, 2026

HB 1013: Ratio Utility Billing Systems

The act authorizes landlords to use a ratio utility billing system to allocate utility charges for a residential premises to individual tenants. The landlord may charge tenants a utility bill using a ratio utility billing system if the landlord meets certain requirements, such as:The aggregate amount billed to all tenants does not exceed the amount charged by the utility provider for service to the entire residential premises;The landlord does not apply a fee or other charge to the tenant in addition to the actual charges from the utility;The utility costs for common areas or shared facilities are excluded from the charges to the tenant; andThe landlord clearly discloses the method of allocation for the dwelling unit in the tenant's rental agreement. For residential premises constructed with permits applied for on or after July 1, 2027, utility service must be metered directly by the utility provider or by a submeter.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Topics ✓ Housing

Lisa Cutter (D) Naquetta Ricks (D) Mike Weissman (D) Emily Sirota (D) Javier Mabrey (D) · 24 co-sponsors

signed · Colorado · Senate Mar 26, 2026

SB 46: Property Tax Administrative Procedures

The act makes multiple changes to procedural requirements for the administration of property tax in 2 broad categories: Deadlines and requirements for transmitting information. Modifications to deadlines. The act modifies property tax-related deadlines as follows:Aligns the regular and late application dates for the qualified-senior primary residence real property classification and the property tax exemption for qualifying veterans with disabilities and their spouses with those for the property tax exemption for qualifying seniors and their spouses. The regular application deadline is July 15, and late applications may be accepted until August 15.Increases from $10,000 to $20,000 the current threshold for a board of county commissioners (board) to recommend, or a county assessor with the approval of a board to settle, an abatement or refund of taxes. The threshold for the board being required to submit recommended abatement applications to the property tax administrator (administrator) for review is similarly increased from $10,000 to $20,000. The board is not required to submit an application to the administrator in the case of an abatement or refund caused by a valuation change made to ensure matching values within the same reassessment cycle.Clarifies the timeline for a petitioner to appeal a decision of the board of county equalization to the board of assessment appeals or submit the case to arbitration;Changes the real property protest deadline from June 8 to June 1;Changes the deadline from June 15 to July 15 for a county assessor to send a notice of valuation of personal property and changes the personal property protest deadline from June 30 to July 31 for a county that uses alternate protest and appeal procedures (alternate procedures) to determine objections and protests for taxable property;Clarifies that a county's use of alternate procedures may apply to real or personal property, or both; andAligns the protest deadline for personal property with the date that county assessors must conclude their hearings on such protests so that both the protest and hearing conclusion dates for personal property are June 30, or, for a county that uses alternate procedures, July 31. Modifications to requirements for transmitting information. The act modifies requirements for transmitting property tax information as follows:Clarifies that a county assessor or the board may transmit a required abstract of assessment, certification of taxes levied, or application for a recommended abatement or refund in excess of $20,000 to the administrator in a paper or electronic format;Reduces the number of copies of an application for a recommended abatement or refund in excess of $20,000 that the board must send to the administrator for review to one;Repeals the requirement that the administrator conduct a public hearing on proposed changes to property tax manuals, appraisal procedures, instructions, and guidelines, which are still required to be reviewed by the advisory committee to the administrator;Requires the administrator to prepare and publish standardized forms, including a letter of authorization, for all levels of property tax appeals;Reduces the number of copies of a notice of determination that an assessor must send to a taxpayer who has objected to the valuation of the taxpayer's property to one; andReduces the number of copies of an abstract of assessment that needs to be prepared to one.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

signed · Colorado · Senate Mar 26, 2026

SB 13: Exclude Cohabitation from Elements of Bigamy

SB 13 removes cohabitation (living together as a couple) from the legal definition of bigamy in Colorado. It changes the law so that merely living with someone else without a formal marriage or civil union no longer constitutes bigamy. The bill specifically amends Colorado's bigamy statute to delete "cohabits" as a potential element and repeals the definition of "cohabitation" in the law. This change directly affects individuals living together without marriage, ensuring they cannot be charged with bigamy solely based on their living arrangement.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

signed · Colorado · House Mar 26, 2026

HB 1035: Enactment of Colorado Revised Statutes 2025

The bill enacts the softbound volumes of the Colorado Revised Statutes 2025, the subsequent changes approved by the voters at the statewide election on November 4, 2025, and the 2025 Colorado First Extraordinary Session Supplement as the positive and statutory law of the state of Colorado and establishes the effective date of said publication.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

signed · Colorado · House Mar 26, 2026

HB 1020: Colorimetric Field Drug Tests in Drug Possessions

Under current law, a person may be arrested and detained for level 1 drug misdemeanor possession. The act requires that when a colorimetric field drug test was used to test for the presence of a controlled substance and a person is solely suspected of a level 1 drug misdemeanor for possession or solely suspected of a municipal drug possession charge, a peace officer shall not arrest the person and instead shall issue a summons. The act also requires that when a colorimetric field drug test was used, before accepting a plea from a person charged with a drug possession for level 4 drug felony possession and lower, the trial court is required to issue an advisement with specified language, including language stating that colorimetric field drug tests have known error rates and that the defendant has the right to enter a not guilty plea and to request drug testing from an accredited forensic laboratory.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice