Colorado Bills

The bill requires the safe2tell program (safe2tell) to provide a handle-with-care notice to a school when a student has had an adverse childhood experience beginning with the 2026-27 school year, for students enrolled in a school in a small rural school district; beginning with the 2027-28 school year, for students enrolled in a small rural school district or a large rural school district; and beginning with the 2028-29 school year, for students enrolled in any school statewide. A peace officer who responds to an incident that is an adverse childhood experience shall may report to safe2tell the name and age of the child involved in the incident or provide information to the child's parent or guardian about how to inform the school through safe2tell . Upon receipt of a report, safe2tell shall send a handle-with-care notice to the child's school that includes only the child's name and the phrase "handle with care". A school shall only share the notice with school staff who need to know about the notice. Other than notifying school staff, a school is not required to take any action with respect to the notice. The bill expressly includes personal data as a "material" for the purposes of safe2tell. (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 act makes the following changes for the purpose of improving the performance of the regional transportation district (RTD): Authorizes RTD to enter into a service partnership agreement with a local government, institution of higher education, business or housing entity, or special district to expand services within RTD's service territory or beyond the boundaries of RTD as authorized by law; Requires RTD, in discharging its responsibilities, to: Align with statewide greenhouse gas reduction targets, "Transportation Vision 2035" goals, and mode choice targets; Create worker retention goals; Adhere to the requirements of "General Directive 24-1: Required Actions Regarding Assaults on Transit Workers", issued on September 25, 2024, by the federal transit administration of the United States department of transportation; and Develop performance measures to evaluate its progress in aligning with state climate goals and achieving its worker retention goals; Requires RTD to report to the transportation legislation review committee (TLRC) on or before December 15, 2025, on RTD's 5-year financial forecast, debt capacity, and use of agency reserve accounts; Requires RTD, in coordination with the department of transportation, the Denver regional council of governments, and local governments within RTD's service territory, to create a 10-year strategic plan no later than September 30, 2026, and a comprehensive operational analysis no less frequently than every 5 years beginning on April 10, 2026, and to report quarterly to the RTD board of directors regarding the plan and analysis. RTD is also required to annually report to the TLRC on its progress in delivering the projects identified in the 10-year strategic plan and the comprehensive operational analysis. Requires RTD, in conjunction with the creation of its 10-year strategic plan, to study or contract with a third party to study and identify opportunities to increase funding to achieve the goals, measures, and targets identified in the 10-year strategic plan; Requires RTD to create, maintain, and publish on its website information and dashboards related to capital projects, ridership and service information, planned service changes, workforce statistics, and transit safety; Requires RTD to update its service policies and standards, its equitable transit-oriented development policy, and its service buy-up policy, to create specific communication protocols, and to implement parking and transportation demand management strategies and policies; Requires RTD to report to the governor, general assembly, the TLRC, and the RTD board by December 2025 on its work to achieve the transportation expansion routes identified in the transportation expansion plan, including the north lines. If RTD has not completed and begun service by January 1, 2029, on the fixed guideway mass transit system proposed in the transportation expansion plan, RTD is required to report to the governor and the transportation committees of the general assembly every 6 months until service begins. Requires RTD to periodically notify the Denver regional council of governments and the department of local affairs of any known infrastructure gaps that exist within a transit center of a transit-oriented community within RTD's service territory; Requires RTD to modernize, advertise, and conduct outreach about its EcoPass programs and to report to the transportation committees of the general assembly about its efforts; Clarifies the powers and duties of the RTD board of directors; and Prohibits write-in candidates for the RTD board of directors. The act also requires other entities to analyze opportunities for the improvement of transit services by: Requiring certain residential and mixed-use developments to survey their residents about their interest in having the development provide annual pre-paid RTD transit passes via the EcoPass program, if the development does not already provide bulk-purchased EcoPasses. If a majority of residents express interest in bulk-purchased EcoPasses, the development is required to enroll in the EcoPass program for its residents. Requiring the transportation commission, on or before March 31, 2026, to develop and publish best practices and technical assistance materials concerning the creation of regional transportation authorities to increase funding for transit and to provide additional transit services within the state; and Creating an RTD accountability committee within the Colorado energy office that consists of 15 appointed members, including 14 voting members and one ex officio nonvoting member, whose work is intended to build upon the work of the previous RTD accountability committee created in 2020. On or before January 30, 2026, the committee is required to provide recommendations to the transportation committees of the general assembly concerning: The governance structure and compensation of the RTD board and executive leadership; Paratransit services within RTD; The representation of local governments and state agencies within RTD; and RTD's labor and workforce standards and workforce retention. The act also makes changes to the information that an eligible entity is required to provide to the clean transit enterprise after being awarded money from the local transit operations cash fund. For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, $146,720 is appropriated from the general fund to the office of the governor for use by the Colorado energy office for program administration. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Subject to local voter approval, the act increases the maximum allowed rate of a county lodging tax levied on the purchase price paid or charged to persons for rooms or accommodations from 2% to 6% and expands the allowed uses of lodging tax revenue to include: Public infrastructure maintenance or improvements; or Enhancing public safety measures by funding local law enforcement, fire protection services, and emergency medical services. If a county received voter approval before January 1, 2025, to specifically allocate portions of revenue from the lodging tax to allowed uses for designated purposes, the act clarifies how those previously approved allocations are preserved and how revenue attributable to an increase in the tax rate may be allocated by the county. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The state board of land commissioners (state board) serves as the trustee for lands granted to the state in public trust for the support of public schools (state trust lands). The state board is responsible for the management and protection of the state trust lands, including by protecting and enhancing the natural features, open space, and wildlife habitat of the state trust lands. The act requires various appointing authorities to appoint members to a state trust lands conservation and recreation work group (work group) to study opportunities to advance conservation and recreation activities on state trust lands as part of the state board's long-term stewardship of the state trust lands while maintaining the state board's fiduciary responsibilities regarding its management of the state trust lands. On or before September 1, 2026, the work group is required to make recommendations to the state board, the governor, the committees of the general assembly with jurisdiction over natural resources matters, and the executive director of the department of natural resources (department) based on the study. On or before February 15, 2027, the state board must take into consideration the work group's recommendations and adopt an administrative policy or rules to establish: A process governing the implementation of conservation leases and related instruments on state trust lands; A process to substantiate how the state board balances revenue generation with conserving the long-term value of state trust lands; A schedule to review and update by December 2028, if necessary, all existing stewardship trust management plans or other applicable plans; and Any other policies or rules the state board deems necessary to implement section 10 of article IX of the state constitution. For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $393,506 from the state land board trust administration fund to the department for use by the state board. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The bill increases the membership of the public utilities commission from 3 to 5, with 2 of the commissioners representing the state at large and 3 representing one district each. The 3 districts are defined to include named counties, with one consisting of the Denver metro area, one of the western region of the state, and one of the eastern region of the state.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill creates the Colorado interagency council on homelessness (council) within the governor's office. The council's powers and duties include: Facilitating and coordinating homelessness response, resources, and best practices between state and local partners; Setting statewide strategy for homelessness resolution and prevention; Developing an outreach and education campaign to understand and respond to issues related to homelessness; Increasing access to supportive resources for homeless individuals, including income benefits, food benefits, healthcare coverage, and support related to mental health and substance use; Identifying and maximizing housing resources provided by state agencies; Improving cross-system policies and procedures for state agencies and homelessness service providers; and Organizing other homelessness response measures as the council sees fit. The council is required to meet at least once a month and submit and present an annual report providing a summary of the council's activities and recommendations for legislative action to the general assembly no later than January 26 of each year. The council's membership consists of the directors, or the directors' designees, of the following state agencies: The department of local affairs; The department of education; The department of corrections; The department of health care policy and financing; The behavioral health administration; The department of human services; The department of public health and environment; and The department of public safety. The governor may appoint to the council the directors, or the directors' designees, of other state agencies or individuals to represent political subdivisions as the governor sees fit. The bill creates an advisory council to the council consisting of members who have experience working on the resolution and prevention of homelessness and with homeless individuals, including the following 11 members appointed by the governor: The director, or the director's designee, of a nonprofit organization with a mission related to homelessness; The leader of a faith-based organization that is primarily focused on homelessness resolution and prevention; A homelessness service provider primarily focused on specialized populations; The director, or the director's designee, of a philanthropic organization that supports homelessness service providers; A representative from a continuum of care organization that provides services in an urban area; A representative from a continuum of care organization that provides services in a rural area; An elected local government representative; An individual with lived experience of homelessness; An individual with lived experience navigating affordable housing and housing resources; An owner or operator of permanent supportive housing; and A housing navigator or representative from an organization that administers housing vouchers. The advisory council shall meet at least once a month, shall develop and implement a plan to receive public feedback on statewide strategy related to homelessness prevention and resolution, and shall recommend funding and policies to support homelessness prevention and resolution to the council. The bill requires the office of homeless initiatives within the division of housing in the department of local affairs to, at least once every 4 months, convene the state continuum of care organizations for the purposes of implementing state strategies and identifying best practices to prevent and reduce homelessness in Colorado. The continuum of care organizations shall consider methods and practices to: Improve the implementation of the Homeless Management Information System and data reporting; Improve the implementation of the OneHome coordinated entry system; Coordinate with regional navigation campuses to determine best practices, identify gaps, and make referrals; and Improve data reporting within the regional navigation campuses. The continuum of care organizations are required to submit and present a report to the general assembly providing a summary of the council's activities from the prior year and recommendations for implementing the methods and practices the organizations considered. The bill creates a new type of special district, a regional homelessness response district (district), which is formed by counties and municipalities to reduce and prevent homelessness. The bill details specifics of organizing and dissolving a district, submitting a district service plan, voting in district elections, and the financial and taxing powers of a district. The bill allows a county clerk and recorder to designate money collected from documentary filing fees for granting or conveying real property to be transferred to a housing agency for the purpose of developing, preserving, or acquiring affordable housing aligned with demonstrated community needs and for homeless individuals. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill requires the executive director of the department of public health and environment (department) to establish a workforce advisory council (council) on or before August 1, 2025, for the purposes of: Discussing recommendations concerning the incorporation of workforce impact analyses into the rule-making procedures for rules that impact air quality; Recommending standard procedures for the department and the air quality control commission (commission) to follow when conducting workforce impact analyses for inclusion in rule-making procedures; and Determining if the establishment of a full-time workforce advocate position would add value to the air quality control rule-making process. The bill requires the department to report the council's recommendations to the general assembly on or before January 15, 2026. After January 15, 2026, the council is required to: Meet at least 4 times per year; Continue to advise the department on the impact of proposed air quality control rules on matters related to employment; and Make ongoing recommendations to the governor, the department, and the commission on legislative and regulatory air quality control policies that impact employment matters.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Sections 2 and 5 of the bill require a creditor, debt collector, or debt collection agency to cease collection of a debt or any disputed portion of a debt if a consumer notifies the creditor, debt collector, or collection agency in writing that the debt or a portion of the debt is the result of economic abuse or coerced debt and provides a written statement of coerced debt and sufficient documentation to the creditor, debt collector, or collection agency until the debt collector or collection agency obtains a decree, judgment, or court order finding the debt was not the result of economic abuse or coerced debt. Sections 3 and 4 prohibit a debt collector or debt collection agency from collecting or attempting to collect any debt that is the result of economic abuse or coerced debt unless the debt collector or debt collection agency first obtains a decree, judgment, or court order finding the debt was not the result of economic abuse or coerced debt. Current law requires a consumer reporting agency to reinvestigate a disputed item in the consumer's file free of charge. Sections 6 and 7 authorize a consumer reporting agency to reinvestigate an item that the consumer asserts is the result of economic abuse or coerced debt. Section 8 adds economic abuse and coerced debt to the definition of "coercion" as it relates to civil protection orders issued in cases of domestic violence.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill creates the Colorado nuclear workforce development and education program (program) in the department of higher education (department) council (council) in the Colorado school of mines to help meet growing workforce demand in the nuclear energy sector. The bill establishes a related grant program (grant program) to provide grants to institutions of higher education for the development or expansion of nuclear engineering degree or certificate programs or course offerings. The Colorado nuclear workforce development and education council shall advise and assist the department regarding the grant program's implementation and evaluation convene advisory sessions with stakeholders from the nuclear, educational, and workforce development sectors; implement the grant program; and contract with one or more third-party entities for staffing and operational assistance . The department may seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, and donations for program-related council-related purposes. The state treasurer shall credit the gifts, grants, and donations to the Colorado nuclear workforce development and education cash fund (cash fund) , which is created in the bill . The general assembly shall not appropriate general fund dollars to implement or maintain program council operations or grant awards. The department council shall convene and begin awarding grants only after the balance of the cash fund reaches or exceeds $500,000. The bill imposes requirements to report to the general assembly about the program's council's funding sources, grant program implementation , and use other uses of funds. The bill repeals the program council , effective September 1, 2032, unless the program council is extended pursuant to a sunset review. Conditional upon the receipt of sufficient gifts, grants, and donations, for the 2025-26 state fiscal year, the bill appropriates $500,000 from the cash fund to the department of higher education for use by the trustees of the Colorado school of mines. (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.)

Legislative Oversight Committee Concerning the Treatment of Persons with Behavioral Health Disorders in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Systems. Under existing law, the behavioral health administration (BHA) in the department of human services administers the jail-based behavioral health services program (program). The bill requires the BHA to, as part of the program, provide funding to jails to administer services that complement a person's primary course of treatment for a behavioral health disorder (complementary behavioral health services) to persons in custody in the jail. A jail shall use the funding to train jail staff to administer complementary behavioral health services and to provide complementary behavioral health services to persons in custody in the jail at no cost to the person. The bill requires the general assembly to annually appropriate up to $50,000 for the administration of complementary behavioral health services as part of the program. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Joint Technology Committee. Section 1 of the bill authorizes the joint technology committee to conduct an annual review of all rates that the office of information technology (office) charges when billing users for the office's services. Section 2 requires that budget requests submitted to the joint technology committee include: Information and responses from a request for information for any budget request related to a major information technology project; and Formal market research for any budget request that is not related to a major information technology project. Section 3 provides that money in the information technology revolving fund, which the office expends to pay the costs of consolidation and information technology maintenance and upgrades, is no longer continuously appropriated to the office and instead is subject to annual appropriation by the general assembly. Section 4 repeals the office's ability to approve procurement contracts related to information technology resources on behalf of state agencies. The office may be a party to a procurement contract related to the procurement of information technology resources for a state agency if the state agency requests that the office be a party to the contract. Section 5 provides that state agencies are not required to obtain approval from the office before commencing work on a major information technology project or planning to make significant changes to the major information technology project or budget, and makes other conforming changes. Section 6 requires certain governmental bodies to issue a request for information prior to awarding a contract related to a major information technology project, and requires that the request for information be submitted to the joint technology committee as part of any budget request related to a major information technology project. Responses to a request for information related to a contract for a major information technology project must be presented to the joint technology committee if requested by the committee, and the committee shall meet in executive session to review the responses. Section 6 also requires certain governmental bodies to conduct market research prior to awarding a contract related to an information technology project that is not a major information technology project, and requires the market research to be submitted to the joint technology committee as part of any budget request related to the project.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill requires allows the division of fire prevention and control (division) in the department of public safety (department) , as needed, to establish public-private agreements with one or more issue a request for qualifications from private partners by which agreements the state may allocate responsibility or risk to one or more private partners to develop and operate wildfire detection components entities. The request for qualifications must seek proposals for a detection component that can be procured as a comprehensive service provided by a vendor. The division may establish vendor agreements with vendors that submit proposals. The bill specifies criteria that a detection component must satisfy. The bill also creates the front line innovation and response efficiency fire technology cash fund ( FIRE fund) in the state treasury. The money in the FIRE fund is annually appropriated to the department to be expended by the division for the purposes of the bill utilization of fire detection response and management technologies, deployment of detection components through vendor agreements, and utilization of technological tools that enable advancement in fire detection and mitigation practices. In current law, money in the unused state-owned real property fund is continuously appropriated to the department of personnel for several purposes, including paying for public-private agreements and associated costs. Of the money that is appropriated for this purpose, the bill requires the general assembly to transfer the following amounts to the FIRE fund: For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, up to $1,000,000; For the 2026-27 state fiscal year, $2,000,000; and For the 2027-28 state fiscal year, $3,000,000. The department is required to include information concerning the division's activities under the bill in the department's annual report to the legislative subject matter committees. (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.)