The bill prohibits a developer that has trained a foundation artificial intelligence model (foundation model) from preventing a worker from, or retaliating against a worker for, disclosing or threatening to disclose information to the developer, the attorney general, or appropriate state or federal authorities if the worker has reasonable cause to believe the information indicates one of the following: The developer is out of compliance with law applicable to public safety or security; The developer's activities pose a substantial risk to public safety or security, even if the developer is not out of compliance with any law; or The developer has made false or misleading statements concerning public safety or security or concerning the developer's management of risks to public safety or security. A developer must provide notice to all workers working on a foundation model of the workers' rights and responsibilities under the bill. The bill requires a developer to create and provide an internal process through which a worker may anonymously disclose information to the developer regarding a risk to public safety or security enabled by the developer's foundation model. The developer shall provide a monthly update to the worker who made the disclosure regarding the status of the developer's investigation of the disclosure and the actions taken by the developer in response to the disclosure. An aggrieved worker may commence a civil action in district court against a developer for a violation of the bill. A court may order relief against a developer that is found to have violated the bill, including: Reinstatement or rehiring of a worker, with or without back pay; The greater of either $10,000 or any lost pay resulting from the violation; Punitive damages; and Reasonable attorney fees to an aggrieved worker.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
This bill, SB 25-318, aims to establish consumer protections in interactions with artificial intelligence (AI) systems in Colorado. It defines "algorithmic discrimination" as unlawful differential treatment by AI systems based on protected characteristics such as age, race, or disability. The bill specifies "consequential decisions" as those made by AI that significantly impact a consumer's access to or terms of education, employment, financial services, healthcare, housing, and other essential services. It also defines the responsibilities of "deployers" (users) and "developers" of high-risk AI systems that make these consequential decisions, outlining when certain AI systems are not considered high-risk.
The act includes a performance metric related to workplace violence in determining quality incentive payments made to hospitals. No later than September 1, 2025, the act requires the department of health care policy and financing (state department) and the quality incentives payments subcommittee of the Colorado healthcare affordability and sustainability enterprise board (board) to consult with a group of named stakeholders to develop recommended workplace violence metrics, determine whether any federal or private funds are available to assist hospitals in lowering the number of incidents of workplace violence, and develop legislative recommendations. The act requires the state department to include a progress report on developing workplace violence metrics during its 2026 "SMART Act" hearing. The act requires the board to include legislative recommendations it develops as part of its January 2027 report to the general assembly, the governor, and the medical services board. Beginning July 1, 2026, and each July thereafter, the act requires the state department to assess whether each hospital has adopted a formal policy to address workplace violence and submitted the reporting requirements to the department of public health and environment for the next federal fiscal year. The act exempts hospitals with fewer than 100 beds from the reporting requirements. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Based on the findings and recommendations of the committee on legal services, the act extends all state agency rules that were adopted or amended on or after November 1, 2023, and before November 1, 2024, with the exception of certain rules of the state board of education, the division of labor standards and statistics in the department of labor and employment, the division of fire prevention and control in the department of public safety, and the state board of nursing in the department of regulatory agencies, as specified in the act. The specified rules will expire as scheduled in the "State Administrative Procedure Act" on May 15, 2025, on the grounds that the rules conflict with statute. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law requires a person or entity that acquires an automated external defibrillator (AED) to develop written plans for the placement, use, and maintenance of the AED (written plans). The act eliminates the requirements that the written plans: Identify personnel authorized to use the AED; and Be reviewed and approved by a licensed physician. The act imposes requirements for cardiac emergency preparedness for public and nonpublic schools. Beginning on or before January 1, 2026, a local education provider shall require each public school that acquires or has acquired an AED to place and maintain the AED in accordance with nationally recognized, evidence-based standards for emergency cardiovascular care, and the governing authority of a nonpublic school shall require each nonpublic school that acquires or has acquired an AED to place and maintain the AED in accordance with the same standards. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Senate Joint Resolution 25-015 designates a specific portion of Colorado State Highway 58 as the "Officer Evan A. Dunn Memorial Highway." This action honors Officer Evan A. Dunn, a Golden Police Department officer who died in the line of duty. The bill authorizes the Colorado Department of Transportation to accept donations for the initial placement of memorial signs and to explore a cooperative agreement with the City of Golden for their maintenance.
SR 25-009 is a Senate Resolution that affirms the Colorado Senate's strong support for the principle of school choice. It encourages continued policy efforts to expand access to high-quality educational options for all children and calls on the state to prioritize funding models that reward success and promote innovation in education.
The act requires, on or before July 1, 2026, the Colorado school for the deaf and the blind, and each institute charter school, district charter school, and a local board of education for its schools that are not district charter schools, to adopt, implement, and post on its website a policy concerning student communication device possession and use during the school day. At a minimum, the policy must describe the prohibitions and exceptions, if any, regarding student communication device possession and use during the school day. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act expands the veterans mental health services program to provide grants to local nonprofit organizations to establish and expand community behavioral health programs that provide behavioral health services to service members, veterans, and family members of service members and veterans. The act reduces the reappropriated funds appropriation made in the long bill to the department of military and veterans affairs for use by the division of veterans affairs for veterans mental health services by $5,000,000; except that the reduction is not made if: The amount of reappropriated funds made in the long bill to the department of military and veterans affairs for use by the division of veterans affairs for veterans mental health is less than $5,000,000; or The long bill does not include an appropriation to the department of military and veterans affairs for use by the division of veterans affairs for veterans mental health.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act changes the tuition assistance program for eligible members of the Colorado National Guard (member) to a tuition waiver program (program). The act allows a member, upon being accepted for enrollment at a designated institution of higher education (institution), to pursue studies that lead to a postgraduate degree, a bachelor's degree, an associate degree, or a certificate of completion with all tuition waived. For a member, the tuition waiver must not exceed more than 65 credit hours at a designated 2-year institution of higher education and no more than 130 credit hours at a designated 4-year institution of higher education; except that the total credit hours for a member who attends both a 2-year institution and a 4-year institution must not exceed more than 145 credit hours. The department of military and veterans affairs (department) shall administer the program. In order to qualify for the program, a member must: Be accepted by an institution; Be in good standing with the Colorado National Guard; and Complete a Colorado application for state financial aid or a free application for federal student aid. Each institution shall determine if a member enrolled with the institution remains in satisfactory academic standing in accordance with the academic policies of the institution and is making progress toward the completion of the requirements of the education program in which the member is enrolled. If the institution finds that the member is not in satisfactory academic standing in accordance with the academic policies of the institution or is not making progress toward the completion of a degree, the member must reimburse the department for the amount of the tuition waived for that academic term. The act makes an appropriation of $562,787 to the department. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Under current law, a licensed manufacturer of spirituous liquor (manufacturer) may conduct tastings of the manufacturer's own spirituous liquors at the manufacturer's licensed premises or at one other approved sales room location. The bill authorizes the manufacturer to also conduct tastings: Of other alcohol beverages acquired from a wholesaler licensed in the state; and At up to 5 2 approved sales room locations. A manufacturer must apply for a permit from the state licensing authority to serve and sell alcohol beverages acquired from a wholesaler licensed in the state at the manufacturer's premises or a sales room location. A copy of the permit application must be posted for 30 days in a conspicuous place at the location that is the subject of the application and must be published in a local newspaper of general circulation. If the permit application is approved, the manufacturer must serve sandwiches and light snacks if selling and serving alcohol beverages acquired from a wholesaler licensed in the state and must not have the proceeds from the sale of alcohol beverages acquired from wholesalers account for more than 50% of the total proceeds for alcohol beverage sales. (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.)
Current law restricts construction defect negligence claims unless the negligence claim arises from a construction defect which results in actual damage to or loss of the use of real or personal property; bodily injury or wrongful death; or a risk of bodily injury or death to, or a threat to the life, health, or safety of, the occupants of the residential real property. Section 1 of the bill changes this restriction so that all construction defect claims are restricted unless the claim arises from a construction defect that causes: Actual damage to real or personal property caused by the violation of a building code, manufacturer's instructions, or industry standard; Actual loss of the use of real or personal property; Bodily injury or wrongful death; or An imminent and unreasonable risk of bodily injury or death to, or an imminent or unreasonable threat to the life, health, or safety of, the occupants of the residential real property. Sections 2 through 12 modify existing warranty of habitability laws by repealing recent updates and reenacting the laws as they were prior to the updates. The modifications include repealing certain procedures for both landlords and tenants when a warranty of habitability claim is alleged by the tenant; repealing a rebuttable presumption that a landlord failed to remedy an uninhabitable premises in certain conditions; modifying requirements regarding notice given to a landlord of an uninhabitable premises; and modifying other laws related to rental agreements, records, and procedures for remedying uninhabitable premises. Section 13 repeals law that allows the attorney general to independently initiate and bring actions to enforce laws relating to the warranty of habitability. Section 14 makes a conforming change to law governing county courts' jurisdiction over cases involving tenant's remedies in warranty of habitability cases and tenant's remedies in cases of unlawful removal. Section 15 modifies the statement included in a summons issued to a defendant in a court proceeding regarding an action for possession brought by a landlord. Sections 16 through 20 repeal provisions related to evictions of residential tenants, including repealing: Requirements that a landlord and residential tenant participate in mandatory mediation prior to commencing an eviction action if the residential tenant receives cash assistance; A prohibition on a law enforcement officer's ability to execute a writ of restitution until 30 days after the entry of judgment if the residential tenant receives cash assistance; Requirements that a written demand include a statement that a residential tenant who receives cash assistance has a right to mediation prior to the landlord filing an eviction complaint; Requirements that a written rental agreement include a statement that current law prohibits source of income discrimination and requires a nonexempt landlord to accept any lawful and verifiable source of money paid directly, indirectly, or on behalf of a person; and Requirements that prohibit a written rental agreement from including a waiver of mandatory mediation or a clause that allows a landlord to recoup any costs associated with mandatory mediation. Sections 21 and 22 require any provision of any energy code adopted by a county or municipality on or after January 1, 2026, to be cost effective. "Cost effective" means, using the existing energy efficiency standards and requirements as a base of comparison, that the economic benefits of the proposed energy efficiency standards and requirements will exceed the economic costs of those standards and requirements based upon an incremental multi-year analysis.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
