The act consolidates damages provisions for individuals with disabilities who experience discrimination in places of public accommodation or a violation of their civil rights with the general protections under the "Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act" (CADA) for all protected classes. With the consolidation of these provisions, the allowable remedies under CADA are a court order requiring compliance with the applicable section of CADA, attorney fees and costs, and either actual monetary damages and damages for noneconomic loss or injury or a statutory fine of $5,000 that is payable to each plaintiff for each violation. An award of damages for noneconomic loss or injury is capped at $50,000, and a defendant is entitled to a 50% reduction of the cap on a noneconomic loss or injury award if the defendant corrects the violation within 30 days of the complaint being filed and did not knowingly or intentionally make or cause to be made the violation. A defendant that cannot correct the violation in 30 days but shows good faith effort to correct the violation may be allowed up to 3 additional 30-day periods to correct the violation and be entitled to the 50% reduction of the cap on a noneconomic loss or injury award. Additionally, for discriminatory advertising in violation of CADA and as an alternative to seeking redress from the Colorado civil rights commission, a person aggrieved by such violation may bring a civil action and, upon a finding of a violation, is entitled to a court order requiring compliance with the section of CADA prohibiting discriminatory advertising, attorney fees and costs, and either actual monetary damages and damages for noneconomic loss or injury or a statutory fine of $5,000 that is payable to each plaintiff for each violation. An award of damages for noneconomic loss or injury is capped at $50,000, and if a defendant is a small business, it is entitled to a 50% reduction of the cap on a noneconomic loss or injury award if it corrects the violation within 30 days of the complaint being filed and did not knowingly or intentionally make or cause to be made the violation. The act adds the provision of a recommendation letter signed by an individual's treating medical professional recommending testing accommodations as a method for an individual with a disability to demonstrate the need for a testing accommodation on a licensing exam. The act appropriates $100,305 from the legal services cash fund to the department of law to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Sponsored bills
In the 2024 regular legislative session, the general assembly enacted Senate Bill 24-005, concerning the conservation of water in the state through the prohibition of certain landscaping practices, which: Prohibits a local entity, on and after January 1, 2026, from installing, planting, or placing, or allowing any person to install, plant, or place, any nonfunctional turf, nonfunctional artificial turf, or invasive plant species, as part of a new development project or redevelopment project, on applicable property within the local entity's jurisdiction; and Requires a local entity, on or before January 1, 2026, to enact or amend its laws regulating new development projects and redevelopment projects on applicable property in accordance with the new requirements. The act expands the definition of "applicable property" to include a multifamily residential housing premises property that includes more than 12 dwelling units (applicable residential real property). The act prohibits a local entity, on and after January 1, 2028, from installing, planting, or placing, or allowing a person to install, plant, or place, any nonfunctional turf, nonfunctional artificial turf, or invasive plant species, as part of a new development project or redevelopment project, on applicable properties that include multifamily residential housing premises property. The act also requires each local entity with land use planning and zoning authority to enact or amend, on or before January 1, 2028, its laws regulating new development projects and redevelopment projects to regulate the installation of nonfunctional turf and include consideration of applicable residential real property. The act also requires each local entity with land use planning and zoning authority to enact or amend, on or before January 1, 2028, its laws regulating new development projects and redevelopment projects within the local entity's jurisdiction to regulate the installation of turf to reduce irrigation water demand for all residential real property that is not applicable residential real property. Local entities must also regulate the installation of turf when enacting or amending its laws on and after January 1, 2028, to reduce irrigation water demand for all residential real property that is not applicable residential real property. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act establishes a definition of "mobile food establishment" to mean a retail food establishment that is operated from a vehicle, can change location, and is intended to operate from a commissary kitchen. The act establishes a reciprocal food safety license between the city and county of Denver (Denver) and other local governments throughout the state. The department of public health and environment (CDPHE) issues a statewide health department license (state license) based on the state health code to mobile food establishments that is valid in all local government jurisdictions throughout the state except for Denver. Denver issues a Denver-specific retail food license (Denver license) to mobile food establishments that is based on Denver's health code and that is only valid within Denver's jurisdiction. The act establishes reciprocity between these two licenses so that the state license is valid in Denver and the Denver license is valid across the state. The act requires the owner or operator of a mobile food establishment that wishes to take advantage of this reciprocity to provide a copy of either their Denver license or the state license to the local government in which they intend to operate or to Denver at least 14 days in advance of when they intend to operate. When a mobile food establishment is operating in a local government jurisdiction, including Denver's jurisdiction, the mobile food establishment must comply with all laws of the local government and is subject to inspection and enforcement by the local government. For a mobile food establishment with a state license that intends to operate in Denver, the mobile food establishment must submit certain documentation including, if requested, a summary of any violations within the previous calendar year related to the license or the operation of the mobile food establishment. The act also establishes that a fire safety permit that has been issued to a mobile food establishment by a local government is valid in any other local government jurisdiction if the fire safety permit was issued: By a local government that has adopted the most recent international fire code or a fire code that has incorporated the minimum standards for mobile food establishments developed by the division of fire prevention and control; and After completing an inspection by a certified fire inspector. The act requires that a mobile food establishment send a copy of the fire safety permit to the local government in which they intend to operate at least 14 days in advance of operation. While operating in a local government's jurisdiction, the mobile food establishment must comply with that local government's fire safety code and is subject to inspection and enforcement by the local government. The act authorizes the division of fire prevention and control to adopt minimum codes and standards for the operation of mobile retail food establishments for use by local governments. The act takes effect January 1, 2026. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act extends the availability of the advanced industry investment tax credit (credit), which can be claimed by a qualified investor that makes a qualified investment in a qualified small business that is in an advanced industry, from December 31, 2026, through December 31, 2031. The act expands the definition of "qualified investment" by eliminating prohibitions against a qualified investor having more than 30% of the voting power in a qualified small business before the investor makes a qualified investment in the qualified small business and more than 49% of the voting power in a qualified small business after making a qualified investment in the qualified small business. The act changes the definition of "qualified investor" by clarifying that an entity subject to income tax may qualify as an investor; except that a C corporation, including any limited liability or other legal entity treated as a C corporation for federal and state income tax purposes, is not a qualified investor. A qualified investor may include a partner, shareholder, or beneficiary that is allocated a credit, but does not include: A person that had control of a qualified small business for 6 months preceding or following the date of the investment in the qualified small business; A founder, employee, or contractor or a spouse of a founder, employee, or contractor of a qualified small business; A person that has invested more than $50,000 in the qualified small business or owns more than 10% of the qualified small business on a fully diluted basis. The act authorizes the Colorado office of economic development (office), which administers the credit, to certify a small business as a qualified small business through October 1, 2031. A small business certified as a qualified small business must report to the office as requested to confirm the certified small business's status as a qualified small business. The office may require a qualified small business to provide information to confirm that a qualified investment has been made in the qualified small business, the intended use of the qualified investment, and the expected number of new employees that will be hired by the qualified small business as a result of the qualified investment. A qualified small business that receives a qualified investment is required to report data relevant to the impact of the credit and development of the qualified small business annually to the office for 5 years following a qualified investment. The office may assess a penalty against a qualified small business that does not meet this reporting requirement. The office may issue $4 million in credits per calendar year for the years through the 2026 calendar year for which the credit is currently available. The act decreases the cap to $2.5 million per calendar year beginning with the 2027 calendar year through the 2031 calendar year. If the qualified investor receiving a credit is a trust, the qualified investor may allocate the credit between the trust and its beneficiaries in any manner determined by the trust. The office shall issue a credit certificate to a trust beneficiary and a trust beneficiary may claim the amount indicated on the credit certificate. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act allows, but does not require, an eligible patient to request from a manufacturer the manufacturer's individualized investigational drug, biological product, or device, which is a drug, biological product, or device that is unique and produced exclusively for use by an individual patient based on the patient's own genetic profile. The manufacturer must be operating within an institution that operates under federal rules for the protection of human subjects. An eligible patient is an individual who has: A life-threatening or severely debilitating illness, as attested to by the patient's treating physician; Considered all other treatment options currently approved by the United States food and drug administration; Received a recommendation from the patient's treating physician; Given written, informed consent for the use of the individualized investigational drug, biological product, or device; and Documentation from the treating physician that the individual meets the definition of "eligible patient". The act authorizes, but does not require, a manufacturer to make the individualized investigational drug, biological product, or device available to an eligible patient at no charge, but the manufacturer may require payment to cover the cost. If any harm is caused to the eligible patient resulting from the use of the individualized investigational drug, biological product, or device, a private right of action cannot be brought against the manufacturer or against any other individual or entity involved in the care of the eligible patient with regard to the eligible patient's use of the individualized investigational drug, biological product, or device, so long as the manufacturer, individual, or entity complied with the law and exercised reasonable care. The act prohibits disciplinary action against a health-care provider's license based on the health-care provider's recommendations regarding the use of the individualized investigational drug, biological product, or device. The act does not affect a health-care insurer's obligation under current law relating to coverage for an insured's participation in a clinical trial. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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.)
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.)
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.)
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.)
The act appropriates $4 million from the "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act" cash fund (fund) to the office of the governor (office) for state fiscal year 2025-26, with roll-forward authority in state fiscal year 2026-27 for any money remaining in the fund after state fiscal year 2025-26. The act authorizes the office to accept gifts, grants, or donations for crediting to the fund to implement the act. The act authorizes the office, in the governor's discretion, to hire and employ personnel or retain contractors for purposes related to federal government actions that impact federal disbursements, grants, contracts, or money received by or transferred to the state. The office may also reimburse the department of law for costs associated with special assistant attorneys general who are contracted for the purposes of providing legal services: To state officers or employees related to legal proceedings, inquiries, hearings, or investigations initiated, pursued, or threatened by the federal government; or For the criminal defense of state officers or employees in legal actions arising out of their official acts or decisions. The office may also incur other expenditures covered by the fund that are consistent with the purposes of the act, as determined by the governor, including expenditures to preserve and protect state sovereignty or federal funding streams that benefit the state. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)