Colorado Bills

signed · Colorado · Senate May 19, 2025

SB 25-116: Spousal Maintenance Guidelines

Current law requires a party petitioning the court for dissolution of marriage or legal separation (petition) to disclose to the court the existence of any prior temporary or permanent restraining orders and civil protection orders, any mandatory restraining orders and protection orders, and any emergency protection orders entered against either party within 2 years prior to the filing of the petition. The act extends the time frame for the disclosure of any orders entered to within 5 years prior to the filing of the petition. In a proceeding for spousal maintenance, current law requires the court to consider a list of relevant factors. The act adds to the list of factors whether a spouse has engaged in domestic violence, coercive control, economic abuse, litigation abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, or unlawful sexual behavior against the other spouse. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Marc Snyder (D) Monica Duran (D) Ryan Armagost (R) Lisa Frizell (R) · 20 co-sponsors

signed · Colorado · House May 19, 2025

HB 25-1177: Utility Economic Development Rate Tariff Adjustments

Under current law, an investor-owned electric utility (utility) may apply to the public utilities commission (commission) for approval to charge certain commercial or industrial customers of the utility an economic development rate (economic development rate), which is a reduced rate offered to a commercial or industrial customer that locates or expands their operations in Colorado, that adds at least 3 megawatts of new load at a single location within the utility's service territory, and that demonstrates certain other requirements to the satisfaction of the utility (qualifying commercial or industrial customer). The act makes adjustments to the requirements for an economic development rate by: Requiring that an approved economic development rate not increase costs of electric service for other customers; Clarifying that an approved economic development rate does not relieve a utility of its obligation to achieve compliance with greenhouse gas emission reduction requirements; Authorizing a utility to apply to the commission for an expansion of the maximum duration of the economic development rate from 10 years to 25 years; Expanding the maximum load at a single location of a qualifying commercial or industrial customer for an individual project that does not require commission approval from 20 megawatts to 40 megawatts; and Updating the application process required for seeking approval of an economic development rate by requiring that the commission: Approve or deny an application within 120 days after a notice period of 14 business days after the application was filed; except that, if the load is more than 150 megawatts, the commission shall approve or deny the application within 210 days after the notice period; and Consider the broader economic benefits associated with the application for other classes of utility customers and for the surrounding community.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

signed · Colorado · Senate May 19, 2025

SB 25-008: Adjust Necessary Document Program

Beginning on July 1, 2027, the act adjusts aspects of the necessary document program (program) administered by the office of health equity (office) in the department of public health and environment, which program assists certain populations of Colorado residents with paying the fees to acquire necessary documents related to an individual's identity, citizenship, or other vital statistics. The act clarifies that an individual who is eligible under the program may obtain necessary documents without charge at participating division of motor vehicles locations, participating vital statistics offices, or participating mobile units or from authorized representatives that offer driver's licenses, identification card services, or vital statistics certificates and reports. The act establishes that an individual may self-attest to the individual's eligibility under the program. The act does not change the identity verification requirements that may be required to obtain a necessary document. The act also specifies that, subject to available appropriations, an individual who is eligible for the program is not subject to the fees charged by the department of revenue for driver's licenses or identification cards. The act authorizes the office to seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, and donations to support the program. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Topics ✓ Immigration

vetoed · Colorado · Senate May 16, 2025

SB 25-005: Worker Protection Collective Bargaining

The act eliminates the requirement for a second election to negotiate a union security agreement clause in the collective bargaining process. VETOED by Governor 5/16/2025(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

vetoed · Colorado · House May 16, 2025

HB 25-1147: Fairness & Transparency in Municipal Court

The act caps the maximum incarceration sentence for a municipal violation that has a comparable state law crime at the same length as the state-level offense. If a comparable state-level offense does not exist, the maximum period of incarceration is capped at the maximum for a state-level petty offense. Mandatory minimums and increased penalties based on prior convictions are prohibited unless the person is convicted of a municipal offense for which there is a comparable state offense or of an infraction that allows imposition of the same mandatory minimum or increased penalties based on prior convictions. The act also caps a consecutive municipal sentence at 2 times the highest charge in the case. The act clarifies that municipal court defendants have a right to counsel and that municipal defense counsel have the same notice, case information, and opportunity to meet with their clients as do state-level defense counsel. Current law prohibits paying indigent municipal defense counsel on a fixed or flat-fee payment structure if the municipality prosecutes domestic violence cases. The act applies the prohibition to all municipalities. All municipal court proceedings are required to be open to public observation. Virtual observation is required for all in-custody proceedings, and prompt resolution of municipal cases is required. VETOED by Governor 5/16/2025(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

signed · Colorado · House May 16, 2025

HB 25-1296: Tax Expenditure Adjustment

The act adjusts several state tax expenditures as follows: Section 2 of the act allows an individual to present a copy of their federal tax return to be exempted from the medical marijuana registry application fee; Section 3 requires insurance companies, when submitting certain filings with the division of insurance, to submit the total annual dollar amount of premiums collected or contracted for on policies or contracts of insurance covering property or risks in Colorado during the previous calendar year from entities that are exempt from taxation; Section 4 ensures that the valuation for assessment for qualified-senior primary residence real property is reduced for the property tax years commencing on January 1, 2025, and January 1, 2026; Section 6 adds the amount of any overtime compensation excluded or deducted from a taxpayer's federal gross income to that taxpayer's federal taxable income for purposes of determining the taxpayer's state taxable income; Section 7 expands the definition of local government to include counties for purposes of the alternative transportation options tax credit; Section 8 modifies the tax credit for qualified costs incurred in preservation of historic structures by removing the 5% increase in the percentage of rehabilitation expenses incurred in a rehabilitation in a disaster area for the rehabilitation of a commercial structure that are applicable for the tax credit; Section 9 extends the tax credit for monetary contributions to promote child care, so that the tax credit is available through income tax years commencing before January 1, 2030, rather than January 1, 2026; Section 10 limits the existing business personal property tax credit so that a taxpayer may only claim the tax deduction for income tax years commencing before January 1, 2026; Section 12 clarifies and modifies definitions for the qualified care worker tax credit; Section 13 allows the executive director of the department of revenue to direct employers who make payments of compensation other than wages to withhold an amount that approximates an employee's income tax due to the state from that employee's compensation; Section 14 expands the definition of agricultural commodities to include products regulated under article 10 of title 44 for purposes of the pesticides, fertilizers, and spray adjuvants wholesale sales tax exemption; Section 15 ensures that, beginning July 1, 2025, interstate telephone and telegraph services are subject to state sales tax; Section 16 exempts the sale of medical marijuana to an individual who presents a valid electronic benefits transfer card or certain other identification from sales tax; and Section 17 modifies the enterprise zone tax credit for income tax years beginning January 1, 2026, by limiting the total amount of the credit that may be claimed to $2 million, providing an exemption process for that limit, and prohibiting certain taxpayers from claiming that credit.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

signed · Colorado · Senate May 16, 2025

SB 25-054: Mining Reclamation & Interstate Compact

The act amends the "Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Act" and the "Colorado Land Reclamation Act for the Extraction of Construction Materials" to: Contemplate the expedited issuance of reclamation-only permits to persons desiring to conduct reclamation-only operations after September 1, 2025, on less than 5 acres; and Update restrictions and requirements concerning the posting and forfeiture of financial warranties relating to mine reclamation projects. The act prohibits the office of mined land reclamation from issuing a reclamation-only permit to a mining operation at which: Toxic or acidic chemicals used in extractive metallurgical processing are present on site; Acid- or toxic-forming materials will be exposed or disturbed as a result of mining operations; or Uranium is developed or extracted, either by in situ leach mining or by conventional underground or open mining techniques. The act also enacts the "Interstate Mining Compact" and ratifies Colorado's membership in the associated Interstate Mining Commission. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Topics ✓ Environment

vetoed · Colorado · House May 16, 2025

HB 25-1065: Jury Duty Opt-Out for Certain People

The act allows a person who is 72 years of age or older to choose to temporarily or permanently opt out of jury service. The judge or jury commissioner may require documentation in support of the opt-out of jury service. For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $10,066 from the general fund to the judicial department for use by the state courts to implement the act. VETOED by Governor May 16, 2025(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

signed · Colorado · House May 16, 2025

HB 25-1312: Legal Protections for Transgender Individuals

Section 1 of the act specifies that the short title of the Act is the "Kelly Loving Act". Sections 2 through 5 provide that, if at any point following the issuance of a license to marry or a civil union license, a party to the marriage or civil union presents the issuing county clerk and recorder with appropriate documentation of that party's name change and requests the issuance of a new license to marry or civil union license, the county clerk shall issue a new license to marry or civil union license that reflects the party's name change. After a new license to marry or civil union license is issued, the effective date of the marriage or civil union remains the date listed on the original license to marry or civil union license. Section 6 provides that, if a local education provider, an educator, or a contractor chooses to enact or enforce a policy related to names, that policy must be inclusive of all reasons that a student might adopt a name that differs from the student's legal name. Section 7 requires a dress code adopted by a school district board of education or by an institute charter school board for a charter school authorized by the charter school institute must allow each student to choose from any of the options provided in the dress code policy. Section 8 defines the term "chosen name" for purposes of the "Colorado Anti-discrimination Act" as a name that an individual requests to be known as in connection to the individual's disability, race, creed, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, familial status, national origin, or ancestry, so long as the name does not contain offensive language and the individual is not requesting the name for frivolous purposes. Section 8 also includes "chosen name and how the individual chooses to be expressed" as forms of gender expression for purposes of the "Colorado Anti-discrimination Act." Section 10 repeals a provision of law that limited the state registrar to amending a gender designation for an individual's birth certificate only 1 time upon the individual's request without the submission of a court order. Sections 11, 12 and 13 change the number of times that the department of revenue may amend a sex designation on an individual's driver's license, identification card, or identification document upon the individual's request from 1 to 3. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

signed · Colorado · Senate May 16, 2025

SB 25-204: Revision to Local Government Utility Relocation Statute

The act relocates the definition of "utility company betterment" within the statute on local government utility relocation arrangements to clarify that the definition applies to the entire statutory section. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

signed · Colorado · House May 16, 2025

HB 25-1306: Alphabetizing Plumbing Profession Definitions

The act reorganizes the plumbing profession definitions into alphabetical order, repeals certain relocated definition provisions, and makes conforming amendments in statutes referencing the relocated definition provisions. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

signed · Colorado · House May 16, 2025

HB 25-1305: Repeal Date Extension for Colorado Department of Early Childhood Report

The act extends the repeal date of the reporting section of the "Colorado Child Abuse Prevention Trust Fund Act", which is otherwise scheduled to repeal in full on July 1, 2027, from July 1, 2027, to July 1, 2030. The extension is to account for a prior legislative extension, from November 1, 2026, to November 1, 2029, of the deadline for the submission of a report on the evaluation of the trust fund that the department of early childhood is required to submit to the health and human services committees of the general assembly. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Bill results