Rep. Regina English

Maddy summaryHouse Joint Resolution 25-1027 designates a specific portion of Colorado State Highway 1 in Larimer County, from East County Road 60 to Interstate 25, as the "Commissioner Lew Gaiter III Memorial Highway." It authorizes the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to accept donations for the initial placement of signs and to explore a cooperative agreement with Larimer County for sign maintenance.

Maddy summaryHouse Joint Resolution 25-1030 expresses the State of Colorado's strong opposition to the use of forced labor in the production of goods. The resolution states that Colorado will use its purchasing power to support businesses that ethically source or manufacture products without forced labor. It also encourages state and local economic development offices to attract businesses that avoid these labor practices. This joint resolution aims to influence state and local government purchasing decisions and promote ethical business standards.

Maddy summaryHJR 25-1026 designates Colorado State Highway 402, from United States Highway 287 to Interstate 25, as the "Rep. Hugh McKean Memorial Highway." It also authorizes the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to accept donations for the initial placement of signs and to explore agreements with Larimer County for sign maintenance.

The bill affords a plaintiff and defendant the right to trial by jury to decide all issues of fact in any action brought for unlawful detention of real property; except that, an action brought against a defendant who is a tenant of public housing that is owned or operated by a public housing agency must be tried by the court. The bill requires at least one attempt on 3 2 separate days of personal service on the defendant in an action for unlawful detention of real property. The bill requires an affidavit of service to be filed with the court. The bill requires a defendant who demands a trial by jury to make the demand in accordance with the Colorado rules of civil procedure or file a separate jury demand with the defendant's answer. The bill requires the court to set the date for trial no sooner than 10 days after the answer is filed. The bill authorizes the court to continue the trial if a party demands a trial by jury. The bill authorizes the court, upon its own motion or the motion of either party, to strike a jury demand and set the action for a trial by the court if the court determines that the defendant's answer only asserts equitable defenses and there is no dispute as to any material fact regarding the plaintiff's claim for possession of the premises or damages. The bill authorizes the court to allow either party, counsel for either party, and any witness to appear remotely by phone or video at a jury trial as an accommodation for a person with a disability or upon adequate assurances that the remote participation will not cause unreasonable delay. If either party requests a delay in a trial longer than 14 days, the bill authorizes the court, in the court's discretion upon a showing of a party's substantial likelihood of suffering serious economic harm, to require either party to give bond or other security to the opposite party for the sum that the party may be harmed due to the delay. The party required to make payment to the court must be given at least 7 days after the court's order to make the payment. If the party fails to make payment within the time required, the bill authorizes the court to extend the time for compliance or reset the hearing or trial for the next available date, but the court is prohibited from entering a default against the party. Upon a showing of indigency by the party required to make payment, the bill requires the court to waive or reduce the bond or other security, provide additional time to make payment, and permit the party to make multiple partial payments. Current law prohibits a written rental agreement from including a waiver of the right to a jury trial, except when the parties agree to a waiver of a jury in a hearing to determine possession of a dwelling unit. The bill removes this exemption. (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.)

Maddy summarySenate 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.

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.)

Under current law, a parent who wants to relinquish their child must satisfy certain requirements. If the parent who wants to relinquish their child is a victim of sexual assault that resulted in the conception of the child to be relinquished, the act: Allows the relinquishment petitioner (petitioner) to provide the juvenile court with documentation concerning the sexual assault or conception, including a sworn affidavit; Exempts the petitioner from having to satisfy certain relinquishment requirements if the court finds that the petitioner is a victim of sexual assault that resulted in the conception of the child to be relinquished; and Exempts the petitioner of all legal obligations they may have with respect to the child if the court grants a final order of relinquishment. On or before January 1, 2026, the state court administrator shall develop a, or modify an existing, standardized form for a petitioner to file to terminate another person's parent-child legal relationship because the child was conceived as a result of sexual assault. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Under current law, common interest communities are encouraged to use mediation prior to filing a complaint with the court. The bill requires permits a dispute between a unit owner and a unit owners' association to go through an internal dispute resolution process participate in an informal negotiation and mediation to resolve the dispute before the parties can file a complaint with the court. If the parties are unable to reach a mediation agreement, the bill allows the parties to undergo arbitration or commence a legal proceeding. If the parties are unable to reach an agreement during the informal negotiation, either party may file a complaint with the court and the court must order the parties to participate in mediation, if mediation has not already taken place. (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.)

For school districts and the state charter school institute (institute), the act requires the department of education (department) to develop a streamlined format for a performance, improvement, priority improvement, or turnaround plan (plan) that consolidates various state, federal, and grant reporting requirements and allows a school district or the institute to attach a locally developed action portion of the plan that addresses action steps, resources, and any other plan components identified in state board of education (state board) rule. For schools of a school district or district charter schools (district public schools) or institute charter schools, the act requires the department to develop a streamlined format for a plan that consolidates various state, federal, and grant reporting requirements and allows a local school board for the district public school, or the institute if the public school is an institute charter school, to attach a locally developed action portion of the plan that addresses action steps, resources, and any other plan components identified in state board rule. The department shall maintain a centralized system for plan submissions so the department can conduct a statewide analysis in order to determine how to best distribute state resources and supports. On or before August 31, 2025, and regularly thereafter, the department must collect user feedback to assess the extent to which the streamlined format for plans is used, whether it is helpful, and how to use this feedback to improve the centralized system. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)