Rep. Rebekah Stewart

The act limits the benefits pregnant women and children with a certain family household income and citizen or immigration status are eligible for under the state medical assistance program and the medical assistance program.     Eligible pregnant women and children are subject to the following limitations on benefits:Beginning July 1, 2026, there is an annual cap on dental services in the amount of $1,100;Beginning January 1, 2027, behavioral health services offered must be provided on a fee-for-service basis only;Beginning January 1, 2027, services offered through the accountable care collaborative are no longer covered; andBeginning January 1, 2027, managed care services through the medical assistance program are no longer covered.     Beginning January 1, 2027, children under 19 years old whose family household income does not exceed 260% of the federal poverty line, adjusted for family size, and who are not eligible for the medical assistance program due to their immigration status, are not eligible for home- and community-based services, community first choice, long-term home health, private duty nursing, hospice care, and nursing home care unless those children already receive those services on or before December 31, 2026.     Beginning January 1, 2027, the act caps enrollment of children in the state medical assistance program at 25,000 children if either enrollment exceeds 25,000 or the expenditures for a fiscal quarter exceeds one-quarter of the appropriation for state medical assistance plus 5% to account for seasonality fluctuations. If one of the conditions is met, the enrollment cap begins on the first day of the month following 60 days after the department of health care policy and financing (state department) determines that the condition was met.     The act repeals provisions requiring the state department to develop an outreach and enrollment strategy for enrolling eligible groups into new coverage options and repeals the state children's basic health plan.     The act appropriates $3,378,166 from the general fund to the state department to implement the act and reduces appropriations to the state department by $14,202,723 if certain conditions are met.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act exempts Colorado courts' e-filing system from the requirement that users certify that they will not disclose personal identifying information obtained from the system for federal immigration enforcement.     The act authorizes a public health agency to inspect or examine a facility that houses or detains individuals who are noncitizens for purposes of civil immigration proceedings.     Under current law, the department of public health and environment is authorized to inspect facilities that house or detain individuals who are noncitizens for purposes of civil immigration proceedings. The act expands the inspection authority, including the frequency of inspections and things that are subject to inspection. A facility that refuses to allow the inspection is subject to a civil penalty. The department of public health and environment is authorized to set fees for inspections and deposit the money from the fees in the immigration facility inspection and detention cash fund, which is created in the state treasury.     The act authorizes the department of public health and environment to require facilities that house or detain individuals who are noncitizens for purposes of civil immigration proceedings to comply with requirements, including health and safety standards and reporting requirements. A facility that fails to comply is subject to a civil penalty. The act requires the department of public health and environment to submit an annual report to the attorney general concerning facilities' compliance with these new requirements and make the report publicly available on its website.     The act requires the P.O.S.T. board to establish training standards related to peace officer compliance with current laws concerning civil immigration detainers. P.O.S.T.-certified peace officers must complete the training before December 31, 2027.     The act requires the attorney general to develop and make publicly available a policy regarding current laws concerning the protection of personal identifying information.     The act appropriates $107,283 to the department of public health and environment from the immigration facility inspection and detention cash fund.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires the division of administration in the department of public health and environment (division), no later than July 2029, to propose a final rule (rule) establishing certain limits on the emission of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide (emission limits) from an electric generating unit (unit) that is owned or operated by an electric utility; is located in the state; and emitted 200 tons or more of nitrogen oxides, or sulfur dioxide, or both in calendar year 2024 (covered unit). The rule must require compliance with the emission limits as soon as practicable after December 31, 2034, and must not cover units that, before December 31, 2029, have ceased operations; burn natural gas, fuel oil, or both only; or have certain systems installed. A unit that operates after December 31, 2034, must install certain pollution controls and comply with the emission limits on or before December 31, 2034.     An owner or operator of a unit is required to provide quarterly emission reports showing compliance with the rule to the division. On August 1, 2029, the air quality control commission in the department of public health and environment (AQCC) must submit to the general assembly a list of any units that are subject to a federal order. If there are any units subject to a federal order, the AQCC must also submit to the general assembly recommendations on whether to amend the requirements for units subject to federal order.     An investor-owned utility or wholesale electric cooperative that is the owner or operator of a unit is required, beginning 150 days after the issuance of a federal order requiring the unit to remain operating after the unit was scheduled to retire (order) and continuing every 90 days until the order is no longer in effect, to file a report with the public utilities commission (commission) that contains certain information about the costs to operate the unit and the amount of electricity generated by the unit. The commission must make these reports publicly available. An investor-owned utility is also permitted to submit an application for a financing order to recover the costs of complying with an order.     Any decision by the commission approving or modifying a portfolio in an electric resource plan of an investor-owned utility serving more than 500,000 customers must approve an amount of accredited capacity that allows the investor-owned utility to reliably achieve certain retirement and carbon dioxide emission reduction requirements. This requirement applies to an investor-owned utility serving more than 500,000 customers until the division determines that the investor-owned utility has achieved certain carbon dioxide emission reductions or until the investor-owned utility has retired all covered units, whichever is later.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Maddy summaryHR 1007 is a commemorative resolution honoring Colorado's 150th anniversary of statehood in 2026. The bill directly affects the people of Colorado and various government officials by formally recognizing the state's history, culture, and achievements. Its key provisions call on citizens to celebrate this milestone with gratitude and dedication to liberty while committing to preserve natural resources, promote civic education, and strengthen infrastructure. The resolution does not create new laws or funding but serves as a symbolic acknowledgment of the state's legacy and future goals.

Section 20 of article X of the state constitution (TABOR) imposes a limitation on the amount of state fiscal year spending. If state fiscal year spending exceeds that limitation, the state is required to refund the amount of state fiscal year spending in excess of that limitation (TABOR refund). Under current law, if the state issues a TABOR refund for a state fiscal year, and the amount of that TABOR refund is greater than the amount of state fiscal year spending in excess of the limitation of state fiscal year spending for the state fiscal year (over-refund), the state reduces the amount of the next available TABOR refund by the amount of the over-refund.     Changes in federal tax policy in 2025 reduced the amount of state tax revenue for the 2025 tax year. Due to when this change in federal tax policy was signed into law, it was not reflected in the amount of state fiscal year 2024-25 spending, even though the change impacted the 2025 tax year. Accordingly, if the state controller certifies in September 2026 that state revenues for state fiscal year 2025-26 did not exceed the limitation on the amount of state fiscal year spending for that state fiscal year, the act directs the office of the state controller, in consultation with the office of state planning and budgeting and the department of revenue, to determine the amount of the over-refund for state fiscal year 2024-25, taking into account the impact on state revenues from the federal tax policy change. No more than one-half of this over-refund can offset future TABOR refunds for any single state fiscal year beginning with the 2026-27 state fiscal year.     $18,021 is appropriated from the general fund to the legislative department for use by the office of the state auditor to implement the act.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires the department of health care policy and financing (state department) to establish a statewide database to provide accurate information about certain individual residential services and supports settings and their associated service provider agencies. The database will be used by the state department, the department of public health and environment, and service provider agencies. Information from the database may only be shared with the public upon determination by the state department and consistent with state and federal privacy and confidentiality laws.     The act requires service provider agencies to submit the required information to the state department beginning July 1, 2026, and quarterly thereafter, and requires the state department to update the database within one month after receiving the required information from the service provider agencies.     The act clarifies that individual residential services and supports settings must be treated as residential properties in the application of local regulations, including zoning, land use development, fire and life safety, sanitation, and building codes. The act prohibits local governing authorities from imposing additional regulations on individual residential services and supports settings that do not apply to other residential properties.     The act appropriates $20,000 to the state department from the general fund to implement the act.     It is anticipated that the state department will receive $60,000 in federal funds for the executive director's office to implement the act.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act prohibits individuals lawfully permitted to provide psychotherapy services in the state (regulated professionals) from allowing an artificial intelligence system (AI system) to interact with clients in any form of therapeutic communication without synchronous, real-time interaction between the regulated professional, the AI system, and the client, or generate therapeutic recommendations or treatment plans without review and approval by the regulated professional.     Except for educational, administrative, simulation, or training purposes or as part of a research program, a regulated professional shall not use an AI system to provide, direct, or guide psychotherapy, clinical intervention, counseling, diagnosis, treatment planning, or other activity that constitutes the practice of psychotherapy with an individual or group unless the use satisfies the conditions specified in the act. At initial client contact, a regulated professional shall inform clients of the prohibitions regarding use of AI systems in the practice of psychotherapy. Regulated professionals may be disciplined by the appropriate licensing board in the department of regulatory agencies for violations of this act.     The act allows regulated professionals to use an AI system to assist in providing administrative support or supplementary support, as these terms are defined in the act, for psychotherapy services if the regulated professional maintains responsibility for reviewing any outputs of the AI system used to provide administrative support or supplementary support. If a client's therapeutic session will be recorded or transcribed through the use of an AI system, the regulated professional must disclose in advance the use of an AI system and the purposes for its use, and obtain written, informed consent from the client.     The act does not prohibit a regulated professional from using an AI system within accredited or approved educational, instructional, or professional training programs, so long as the AI system is used solely for educational, administrative, simulation, or training purposes and is not deployed, marketed, or represented as a tool for use with clients, patients, or the public. Further, a regulated professional may be involved in the development, testing, or evaluation of an AI system solely for research purposes under the oversight of a federally registered institutional review board, so long as the AI system is not offered to consumers or used outside of the research setting.     The act does not apply to regulated professionals who use or recommend the use of technology in the state that does not diagnose or treat mental health disorders, clearly discloses that the technology is not a substitute for clinical care, and:Provides self-help, therapeutic homework, coaching, patient navigation, guided meditation, journaling, or other tools specified in the act; orIs regulated by the federal food and drug administration.     Except as provided in the act, the act also makes it an unfair or deceptive trade practice under the 'Colorado Consumer Protection Act' for an individual, corporation, or entity (person) to use any term, letter, or phrase in the use of an AI system in a manner that:Indicates or implies that the AI system's outputs are provided by, endorsed by, or equivalent to services provided by a regulated professional;Represents that the AI system provides psychotherapy services; orRepresents that a user's data is confidential in a manner that would lead a reasonable user to believe that the privacy of their data is protected in a manner similar to therapist-client confidentiality.      The act does not impose liability on a regulated professional for defects in or failures of an AI system that are attributable to the developer or deployer of the AI system.     Further, under conditions specified in the act, nothing in the act prohibits a person from developing, testing, or evaluating an AI system solely for research purposes or using an AI system in educational, instructional, or training programs. In addition, it is not an unfair or deceptive trade practice for a person to use a technology that does not diagnose or treat mental health disorders, clearly discloses that the technology is not a substitute for clinical care, and:Provides self-help, therapeutic homework, coaching, patient navigation, guided meditation, journaling, or other tools specified in the act; orIs regulated by the federal food and drug administration.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act implements the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies in its 2025 sunset review and report by:Continuing the fire suppression programs of the division of fire prevention and control (division) for 11 years until September 1, 2037, pursuant to the provisions of the sunset law; andModifying certain provisions of the fire suppression programs of the division to replace gender-specific terminology with gender-neutral terminology.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Senate Bill 25-163, concerning the establishment of battery stewardship programs for the disposal of certain batteries, created the 'Battery Stewardship Act', which requires the establishment of battery stewardship organizations and the submittal of battery stewardship plans to the executive director of the department of public health and environment (executive director) for the collection, transportation, processing, and recycling of certain batteries.     The act expands the scope of the 'Battery Stewardship Act' to cover the end-of-life management of propulsion batteries, which are batteries that are primarily used to supply power to an electric or hybrid vehicle, and establishes requirements concerning propulsion batteries that differ from the requirements for the batteries currently contemplated by the 'Battery Stewardship Act'.     On or before July 1, 2027, a person selling, offering for sale, or distributing propulsion batteries or vehicles containing a propulsion battery in or into the state (propulsion battery provider) is required to register with the department of public health and environment (department).     On or before January 2, 2029, a propulsion battery provider or group of propulsion battery providers must submit to the executive director an education and outreach plan that contains certain information about the management of propulsion batteries. On and after July 1, 2029, the act prohibits a propulsion battery provider from selling, making available for sale, or distributing a propulsion battery in or into the state unless the propulsion battery provider has submitted an education and outreach plan that meets the requirements of the act. The act also requires a propulsion battery provider to develop and maintain at least one website that, among other things, includes the information in the propulsion battery provider's education and outreach plan.     The act requires propulsion battery providers to collect certain unwanted propulsion batteries and ensure the responsible management of the unwanted propulsion batteries collected. In addition, the act requires a propulsion battery provider to, on and after July 1, 2029, label a propulsion battery and specifies the information that must be included on the label. On or before June 1, 2030, and on or before each June 1 thereafter, a propulsion battery provider is directed to submit an annual report to the executive director covering the preceding calendar year of the responsible management of the propulsion batteries collected by the propulsion battery provider.     A propulsion battery provider is required to pay a program initiation fee to the department. The amount of the program initiation fee for each propulsion battery provider is based on each propulsion battery provider's percentage of all propulsion battery vehicles registered in the state. On or before July 1, 2030, and on or before each July 1 thereafter, a propulsion battery provider is also required to pay an annual fee to cover the department's cost of implementing, administering, and enforcing the act. The solid and hazardous waste commission is directed to establish the annual fee amount by rule on or before July 1, 2029.     The act specifies how the department is required to implement, administer, and enforce the act. For example, the department is required to assess annual reports submitted by propulsion battery providers, compile a list of entities registered with the department, provide a digital registration form that an entity can use to register, and conduct an email survey with registered entities to request feedback on the functioning of the propulsion battery management program.     The act also sets forth requirements for persons that remanufacture a propulsion battery; persons that use a propulsion battery for a different use than the use for which the propulsion battery was originally designed; commercial entities that take possession of a propulsion battery for the purpose of selling, dispositioning, repairing, reusing, or recycling the propulsion battery; and entities that conduct propulsion battery recycling.     On and after July 1, 2029, the disposal of propulsion batteries at a solid waste disposal site and facility is prohibited.(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.)