Effective January 1, 2028, the act repeals a requirement that requires motor-vehicle license plates to be retired and reissued in certain circumstances and authorizes the owner to transfer the plates to a new motor vehicle. The act requires the department of revenue (department) to develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive contingency plan to ensure continuity of operations and the protection of critical services in the event of a disruption in vehicle licensing operations. Standards are set for the contingency plan. The governor's office of information technology must provide the appropriate network and equipment support to the department. To implement this act, $18,170 is appropriated to the department from the Colorado DRIVES vehicle services account in the highway users tax fund.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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The act changes terminology related to child prostitution to commercial sexual activity with a child in the crimes of soliciting for child prostitution, pandering of a child, keeping a place of child prostitution, pimping a child, inducement of child prostitution, and patronizing a prostituted child, including changing the name of the offenses for soliciting for child prostitution, keeping a place of child prostitution, inducement of child prostitution, and patronizing a prostituted child. A court is required to sentence an offender convicted of one of the listed offenses, other than soliciting for commercial sexual activity with a child, to at least the minimum of the presumptive range for the level of offense associated with the crime. For an offense of soliciting for commercial sexual activity with a child, if the court sentences the person to probation, the court shall order as a condition of probation that the person serve 364 days in the county jail. In the crime of soliciting for commercial sexual activity with a child, the act adds knowingly soliciting a child for commercial sexual activity as a means of committing the offense and requires that when arranging or offering to arrange a meeting, the offender must know that meeting will facilitate commercial sexual activity with a child. The act removes the spousal exception from the crime of engaging in commercial sexual activity with a child. The act makes the penalty for internet luring of a child a class 3 felony when the offense is committed with the intent to meet for the purpose of engaging in commercial sexual activity. In this circumstance, a court is required to sentence the offender to at least the minimum of the presumptive range for the class 3 felony.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates the 'Colorado Mandatory Lethality Assessment Act', which requires peace officers to conduct a lethality assessment when responding to a domestic violence incident and include the completed lethality assessment in the incident report. A peace officer is not required to administer a lethality assessment if a victim is unavailable, not at the scene, incapacitated, or if circumstances otherwise make the administration of the lethality assessment impossible or impracticable. If the lethality assessment indicates that an individual is a high-risk victim, or if the lethality assessment does not indicate a victim is high-risk but a peace officer determines an individual is a high-risk victim based on the totality of the circumstances, the peace officer is required to immediately contact a community-based victim's advocate either by phone or in person and provide the high-risk victim the opportunity to speak with the advocate. The act requires the attorney general's office, in consultation with a Colorado-based coalition that advocates for survivors of domestic violence, to develop a mandatory training for peace officers to learn how to administer the lethality assessment and provide victim referrals. No later than June 1, 2027, the attorney general is required to make the training available and offer assistance to law enforcement agencies in providing the training. Beginning July 1, 2027, the act requires each law enforcement agency to ensure that each peace officer employed by the agency has completed the mandatory training; except that a law enforcement agency that has provided training on the administration of lethality assessments prior to July 1, 2027, is not required to provide additional training. Beginning January 2028, and each January thereafter, the act requires the attorney general's office to report to the general assembly certain information related to lethality assessments conducted in the previous calendar year. No later than January 31, 2030, the domestic violence fatality review board shall evaluate the effectiveness of mandatory lethality assessments and referrals to resources and submit the evaluation to the general assembly. The act does not impose criminal, administrative, or civil liability on any person for an act or omission made in good faith related to administering a lethality assessment.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
For purposes of the 'Victim Rights Act', the act prohibits a defendant or alleged offender in the underlying case from being the 'lawful representative' of a victim or the victim's designee if the victim is a child or an at-risk adult. The act creates new rights for a victim under the 'Victim Rights Act', including the right to:Be notified by the district attorney if the district attorney receives a notice that a crime laboratory employee engaged in a wrongful action that includes a crime against the victim and a notice that an evidentiary hearing on post-conviction petition for relief is held;Request to be referred to by an abbreviation, pseudonym, initials, or another preferred name during hearings; andBe heard at a restitution assessment hearing.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
No later than July 1, 2026, the department of health care policy and financing (HCPF) shall convene a steering committee (steering committee) to support the transition of services provided in qualified residential treatment programs (QRTP) and psychiatric residential treatment facilities (PRTF) to the managed care system for members in the care and custody of a county department of human or social services (county department). No later than April 1, 2027, HCPF, in collaboration with the steering committee, shall develop policies and recommendations to support the transition of QRTP and PRTF to the managed care system for members in the care and custody of a county department. No later than July 1, 2027, HCPF shall implement or initiate the transition of services provided in QRTP and PRTF to the managed care system for members in the care and custody of a county department according to the policies and recommendations developed by HCPF in collaboration with the steering committee. HCPF shall submit quarterly reports to the joint budget committee with information about the steering committee's monthly meetings.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Existing law authorizes the general assembly to set compensation levels for employees of the state. Accordingly, the act clarifies that, for the purposes of laws concerning local minimum wages, the term 'employer' means a corporation, a proprietorship, a partnership, a joint venture, a limited liability company, a trust, an association, a political subdivision of the state, an individual, or any other entity that employs an employee. However, 'employer' does not include the state of Colorado to the extent that a state employer has a collective bargaining agreement as to employee wages. Current law states that the governing bodies of municipalities have the power to license, regulate, and tax any lawful occupation, business place, amusement, or place of amusements (occupation or business place) and to fix the amount, terms, and manner of issuing and revoking licenses issued to an occupation or business place. The act clarifies that the state of Colorado is not an occupation or business place subject to such tax. The act requires the office of state planning and budgeting to submit to the joint budget committee, on or before January 4, 2027, a supplemental budget request concerning compensation of state employees during the 2026-27 state fiscal year.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Beginning in state fiscal year 2027-28, the act requires the department of public safety (department) to submit a budget request for community corrections and to include in its budget request information regarding projected community corrections program needs, including certain data points and analysis related to residential and nonresidential bed capacity, the per diem reimbursement rate for each bed type, and other guideposts related to community corrections appropriations. The department must include information on the budget request in its yearly 'SMART Act' hearing.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act:Authorizes the health insurance affordability enterprise (enterprise), on or after January 1, 2027, to issue revenue bonds of up to $100 million to fund enterprise programs, secured by the enterprise's revenues, and require the enterprise to pay bond obligations before allocating revenues for enterprise programs;Allows the enterprise to invest specified money in the health insurance affordability cash fund (cash fund) without regard to otherwise applicable requirements for such investments and to contract with private professional fund managers to advise on investment strategies;Modifies the allocation of enterprise revenue among authorized purposes and allows the enterprise to reallocate unexpended amounts for specified purposes;Directs the enterprise to require qualified individuals who are enrolled in state-subsidized individual health coverage plans eligible for subsidies from the enterprise to pay premiums established in rules adopted by the commissioner, in consultation with the health insurance affordability board (board);Requires the enterprise to adjust the statewide average premium reduction under the reinsurance program to 18% and to reduce the amount of bonds issued to account for the reduced costs for the reinsurance program;Directs the board, in recommending parameters for implementing subsidies for state-subsidized individual health coverage plans, to recommend coverage that prioritizes enrollment stability and customer predictability; when seeking input on its recommendations regarding plans, coverage, and the number of eligible slots, to enable feedback in at least English and Spanish and in other languages upon request; and to indicate how it incorporated such feedback into its final recommendations;Directs the enterprise to conduct or contract a third party to conduct a study to evaluate the feasibility of restructuring the enterprise programs to increase health insurance affordability and maximize enrollment in health insurance plans;Requires the enterprise to submit 3 written reports and make one in-person presentation to the joint budget committee each year regarding the status of the cash fund and, as part of its in-person presentation in January 2027, to provide an analysis of the effects of changing the statewide average premium reduction under the reinsurance program to 15% and of creating a tiered, income-based, structure for premium assistance for individuals who purchase insurance on the Colorado health benefit exchange (exchange);Repeals the tax credit for contributions to the exchange and replaces it with a tax credit for contributions to the enterprise; andDirects the state treasurer to transfer $40 million from the marijuana tax cash fund to the cash fund by June 30, 2026, reduces to $60 million the designation of money in the marijuana tax cash fund as the state emergency reserve for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 state fiscal years, and increases by $40 million the value of the capitol annex building for purposes of the state emergency reserve for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 state fiscal years.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
On January 20, 2026, as part of its reporting duties pursuant to the 'State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act', or 'SMART Act', the department of law (DOL) submitted to the house of representatives and senate judiciary committees a report entitled 'Department of Law: 2026 Legislative Priorities' (DOL report). The DOL report recommended that the general assembly make various changes to laws concerning the powers and duties of the attorney general and the DOL. The act implements recommendations from the DOL report as follows: Recommendation 1 of the report is to allow the DOL to enter into interagency agreements with certain state agencies to improve data sharing and coordination. Section 14 of the act implements this recommendation. Recommendation 2 is to amend the 'Colorado Consumer Protection Act' (CCPA) to allow the DOL to enforce as an unfair or deceptive trade practice the knowing or reckless practice of a profession or occupation despite failing to attain the qualifications required by law. Section 9 implements this recommendation. Recommendation 3 is to require the DOL to regularly review its administrative rules to ensure they are meeting certain objectives. Section 95 implements this recommendation. Recommendation 4 is to amend the DOL's subpoena authority in pattern-and-practice investigations of government authorities so that it aligns with the DOL's subpoena authority in investigating alleged violations of the CCPA. Section 96 implements this recommendation. Recommendation 6 is to allow the DOL to notify the joint budget committee if an introduced bill poses a new or increased risk of litigation that may result in a significant impact to the state budget and to enter into an executive session with the joint budget committee to discuss the matter. Sections 1, 94, and 95 implement this recommendation. Recommendation 7 is to provide sunset reviews of existing title and degree protections under the CCPA. Sections 19 and 97 implement this recommendation. Recommendation 9 is to codify certain principles of a recent settlement of litigation involving the National Association of Realtors in order to maintain transparency and prevent anticompetitive practices in the real estate market. Sections 87 and 88 implement this recommendation. Recommendation 10 is to establish certain advisory councils within the DOL. Sections 2, 6, 15, and 34 implement this recommendation. Recommendation 11 is to clarify that the scope of a recently enacted cap on medical debt interest applies only to direct medical costs. Section 5 addresses this recommendation. Recommendation 12 is to consolidate overlapping violations within the CCPA. Sections 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 26, 27, 88, 90 through 92, 99, 100, 102, 104, and 105 implement this recommendation. Recommendation 13 is to make certain changes to the membership and reporting duties of the state substance abuse trend and response task force. Section 93 implements this recommendation. Recommendation 14 is to strengthen disclosure requirements concerning developer contract cancellation clauses in real estate purchase contracts by requiring a broker to advise a consumer to seek legal advice before executing a purchase contract if the broker is representing a consumer in a transaction for which a principal to the transaction, including a home builder, a bank, or a buyer, requires the consumer to use a purchase contract created by the principal. Section 89 implements this recommendation. Recommendation 15 is to make nonsubstantive and nontechnical updates to statutory provisions involving the DOL's performance of its duties, including updates to gendered language. Sections 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 24 through 27, 29 through 33, 35 through 86, and 101 implement this recommendation. Recommendation 16 is to authorize the DOL to recover and reinvest costs associated with the enforcement of the 'Colorado Medicaid False Claims Act'. Sections 98 and 103 implement this recommendation. The final recommendation is to establish a new procurement framework for the DOL to allow it to meet its demands and fulfill its statutory duties. Section 95 implements this recommendation.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates the Colorado behavior analyst licensing board (board) under the direction and supervision of the division of professions and occupations in the department of regulatory agencies. On and after July 1, 2028, an individual is prohibited from engaging in or offering the practice of applied behavior analysis unless the individual is licensed by the board. The board is authorized to license behavior analysts and assistant behavior analysts if they meet the requirements specified by the act and the rules adopted by the board pursuant to the act. An individual who seeks to practice as a behavior analyst or assistant behavior analyst must meet the following requirements:File an application for a license;Have a valid certification in good standing with a certifying entity;Complete a fingerprint-based criminal history record check;Carry professional liability insurance in an amount determined by the board by rule unless working as a public employee covered under governmental immunity; andIf the individual seeks to practice as an assistant behavior analyst, be supervised by a licensed behavior analyst and practice within the scope of practice established by rules of the board. The board may deny or refuse to renew a license, suspend or revoke a license, impose probationary conditions on a license, or issue a cease-and-desist letter or seek injunctive relief against a licensee or an applicant for licensure who has engaged in specified grounds for discipline or unprofessional conduct. The board may also send a licensee a letter of admonition or a confidential letter of concern under certain circumstances. The act exempts specified individuals from the licensing requirements established by the act. An individual who practices or offers or attempts to practice as a behavior analyst or assistant behavior analyst without being licensed pursuant to the act and who is not exempted from licensure commits a class 2 misdemeanor. The board may adopt rules as necessary to implement the act. The regulation of behavior analysts and assistant behavior analysts is scheduled for repeal on September 1, 2031. Before the repeal, the functions of the board in regulating applied behavior analysis are scheduled for review in accordance with the sunset law. The act requires the department of health care policy and financing (state department) to reimburse an applied behavior analysis provider for applied behavior analysis services provided by a behavior technician certified by a certifying entity to a medicaid member with autism spectrum disorder or other conditions for which coverage may be available under state department policies. Subject to federal approval, the state department shall reimburse the applicable applied behavior analysis provider for applied behavior analysis services provided by a behavior technician who is required by the state department to be certified by a certifying entity, but is not certified at the time of services, for services provided during one temporary period of not less than 45 days while the behavior technician is pursuing the certification if specified conditions are met. The department of human services (department) is required to prescribe and publish standards for the licensing and regulation of applied behavior analysis clinics (clinics). The department is authorized to adopt rules concerning specific subjects related to standards for clinics. Clinics are required to comply with specified requirements regarding local government zoning regulations, licensing fees, and qualifications for employees of the clinics. The act changes the definition of 'day treatment center' to 'day treatment facility' and requires that facilities that were not subject to the definition before the effective date of the act but that meet the amended definition submit an application for licensure by the department on or before August 1, 2026 , and become licensed before August 1, 2027.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)