The act encourages the state forest service, the department of natural resources, the department of personnel, and the department of transportation (covered agency) to prioritize the use of ecoregionally specific plant material that supports pollinator habitats when certain conditions are met. In planning and executing a vegetation project, each covered agency is required to satisfy certain requirements. To the extent practicable, each covered agency shall coordinate with the other covered agencies with regard to purchasing. Each covered agency, subject to available funding, shall establish a training program for relevant staff that includes certain minimum components. On and after January 1, 2028, to the extent practicable, each covered agency shall integrate mowing and grazing based on recommendations included in the 2022 study commissioned by the department of natural resources pursuant to Senate Bill 22-199. The act requires the office of the state architect to support and encourage the development and renovation of sustainable sites to maximize pollinator health on properties within the state capitol complex, other state buildings, and, where applicable, on leased property. The act requires the Colorado state university cooperative extension service (extension) to perform a Colorado native plant availability study (study) in consultation with certain parties. On or before August 1, 2031, the extension shall issue a report summarizing the results of the study. The extension shall make the report publicly available on its website and provide copies of the report to the governor and specified legislative committees of reference. The extension may seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, and donations for the purpose of implementing the act. The extension is not required to perform the study or issue a report unless and until the extension acquires sufficient gifts, grants, and donations to pay for the performance of such duties.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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The act adds kidney function screening services as mandated preventive health-care services for which insurance policies or contracts in the state must provide total-cost coverage. Coverage for kidney function screening services will be implemented for all large employer health benefit policies or contracts issued or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2027, and coverage will be implemented for all individual and small group health benefit plans issued or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2028, as long as the state is not required to defray the cost of the coverage of the kidney function screening services. The act permits the exclusion of the 'State Employees Group Benefits Act' from this mandate and exempts certain high deductible plans from having to provide total-cost coverage for such services.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a joint committee of five legislators to inform the Governor that the current legislative session is about to end. The committee, composed of three House members and two Senate members, will also ask the Governor if he has any final messages for the assembly. Although the bill was introduced in 2026, it was ultimately not passed as the Senate laid it on the table. Its primary function is a procedural step to ensure proper communication between the legislature and the executive branch at the conclusion of a session.
Under current law, if a defendant is found incompetent to proceed and the defendant will not be restored to competency in the foreseeable future, the court is required to dismiss charges against the defendant and the defendant, in limited circumstances, may be referred for certification for short-term treatment through a civil court process. The act maintains the requirement for the court to dismiss the charges against a defendant if the defendant's highest charged offense is among certain misdemeanor offenses, and the act maintains certification for short-term treatment as an option for the defendant. However, if the defendant is unrestorable or the defendant has reached the statutory maximum time permitted to be restored, the act authorizes the district attorney or county attorney (prosecution) to notify the court that the prosecution seeks civil commitment or an enhanced protective placement of a defendant if the prosecution can prove by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant:Has a mental disability or developmental disability;Committed an act that, in the absence of any mental disability or developmental disability, would constitute homicide, a crime of violence, or a felony that constitutes unlawful sexual behavior, and the act is or was charged in a criminal case in Colorado in which competency was raised; and Poses a substantial risk of serious harm to others. If the prosecution seeks civil commitment or an enhanced protective placement, the court is required to stay the order dismissing the defendant's case, set a trial within 91 days after the date the written notice was filed, and order the department of human services (CDHS) to identify an appropriate provider and placement for the defendant in the event a civil commitment or enhanced protective placement is granted. The defendant may stipulate that the court order a civil commitment or enhanced protective placement. If the court finds the prosecution has not met its burden, the court is required to deny the prosecution's request to civilly commit the defendant or order an enhanced protective placement of the defendant; except that the court may consider whether to order other civil proceedings. If the court finds the prosecution has met its burden, the court is required to order the civil commitment or enhanced protective placement of the defendant, place the defendant and issue any related orders, transfer jurisdiction of the civil commitment or enhanced protective placement to an appropriate civil court with jurisdiction, and dismiss the defendant's criminal case. When the court orders the civil commitment or enhanced protective placement, the court shall make a finding of the defendant's primary diagnosis that constitutes the mental disability or developmental disability. The court shall order the defendant civilly committed to the legal custody of CDHS unless the defendant's primary diagnosis is an intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) or a neurocognitive disorder, in which case, the court shall order an enhanced protective placement and legal custody of the defendant to the department of health care policy and financing (HCPF). If CDHS proposes placing the defendant into inpatient care, the court shall order, without further court review, that the defendant be placed into inpatient care at the discretion of CDHS if the court ordered a civil commitment or that the defendant be placed into inpatient care at the discretion of HCPF if the court ordered an enhanced protective placement. If CDHS has not identified an appropriate provider that is willing to accept placement of the defendant, the court shall set a review hearing within 35 days after the order for civil commitment or enhanced protective placement and order CDHS, in consultation with the behavioral health administration (BHA), to identify at least one appropriate provider. Upon receiving jurisdiction of a civil commitment or enhanced protective placement, the act requires the civil court to supervise the civil commitment or enhanced protective placement by notifying the county attorney, appointing an attorney to represent the respondent, and setting a review hearing. At the hearing, the respondent has the right to request modification of the terms of the civil commitment or enhanced protective placement and the right to periodic review, including whether the respondent qualifies for termination of the civil commitment or enhanced protective placement. The court is required to ensure the respondent is placed in the least-restrictive setting adequate to protect the victims and community. If the respondent is not placed into inpatient care at the discretion of CDHS, or if CDHS proposes to move the respondent into or out of inpatient care, the court shall, prior to modifying the civil commitment or enhanced protective placement to change the respondent's provider or placement, review the appropriateness of the proposed provider or placement. The provider charged with the physical care and custody of the respondent is required to submit a report to the court and the parties annually by the date the respondent was civilly committed or ordered into enhanced protective placement unless a substantially similar examination was ordered by the court within the previous 12 months. The act requires the court to terminate the respondent's civil commitment or enhanced protective placement if the respondent no longer poses a substantial risk of serious harm to others or the respondent does not have the applicable disorder or disability that is likely to cause the respondent to be a danger to the respondent's self or a danger to others and the respondent has demonstrated sufficient capacity and willingness to conform their conduct to the requirements of the law. If the respondent does not meet the criteria for termination, the respondent is not entitled to another termination trial within one year after the conclusion of the previous trial. The court shall convert a civil commitment to an enhanced protective placement if the respondent does not meet the criteria for termination but the respondent has a mental health disorder that is an IDD or a neurocognitive disorder, without having any other mental health disorder that is not an IDD or a neurocognitive disorder and that substantially contributes to whether the respondent is a danger to the respondent's self or a danger to others, or is gravely disabled. If the defendant does not meet the criteria for termination and has co-occurring mental health disorders that include an IDD or a neurocognitive disorder, the court may, upon the recommendation of CDHS, convert the civil commitment to an enhanced protective placement. The court shall convert an enhanced protective placement to a civil commitment if the respondent does not meet the criteria for termination and the respondent no longer has an IDD or a neurocognitive disorder that substantially contributes to whether the respondent is a danger to the respondent's self or a danger to others, or is gravely disabled. If the defendant does not meet the criteria for termination and has co-occurring mental health disorders that do not include an IDD or a neurocognitive disorder, the court may, upon the recommendation of CDHS, convert the enhanced protective placement to a civil commitment. Under current law, an emergency mental health hold (M1 hold) may be initiated against a person for not more than 72 hours if the person appears to have a mental health disorder and, as a result of the mental health disorder, appears to be a danger to the person's self or others, or appears to be gravely disabled. A person detained for an M1 hold and transported to an emergency medical services facility or facility designated by the commissioner (facility) of the BHA is required to receive an evaluation as soon as possible after the person presents to the facility. The act authorizes a person who has an M1 hold initiated against them while in confinement to receive an evaluation at the person's place of confinement rather than being transported to a facility. If the person is released from confinement while under an M1 hold, the person responsible for the confinement is required to coordinate with the BHA to transfer the person to a facility. Under current law, if a person under an M1 hold meets the criteria for certification for short-term treatment, the person may be certified for not more than 3 months. Rather than requiring an M1 hold as a prerequisite to short-term certification or certification for long-term care and treatment, the act authorizes a person to be certified if the person:Has been advised of the availability of, but has not accepted, voluntary treatment or with consideration of all reasonably available information, is believed will not remain in voluntary treatment; and By clear and convincing evidence, has a mental health disorder and, as a result of the mental health disorder, the person is a danger to the person's self, a danger to others, or gravely disabled. A person may not be certified for short-term treatment or long-term care and treatment if the person has an IDD or neurocognitive disorder without any other mental health disorder that is not an IDD or neurocognitive disorder and that substantially contributes to whether the respondent is a danger to the respondent's self or a danger to others, or is gravely disabled. If a respondent is certified, the court shall order CDHS to provide care coordination and make diligent efforts to find a provider for the respondent that is willing to hold the certification. The respondent may be certified for long-term care and treatment if the respondent continues to meet the criteria and standards for certification for short-term treatment. The certification terminates when the professional person in charge of the respondent's treatment and the BHA determine the respondent no longer meets the criteria for certification. To terminate a short-term treatment certification less than 30 days after the initial certification, two professional persons are required to individually consult and review the respondent's case and agree that the respondent no longer meets the criteria for certification. A court may order the short-term or long-term protective placement of a person:Who, by clear and convincing evidence, has a neurocognitive disorder;When reasonable grounds exist to believe that the person will not remain in a voluntary treatment program; andWho, by clear and convincing evidence, is a danger to the person's self, a danger to others. The act aligns the provisions for short-term and long-term protective placement with certifications for short-term treatment and long-term care and treatment. No later than October 1, 2027, the act requires CDHS to construct and operate an outpatient treatment facility for adults with behavioral health needs, including adults who are found incompetent to proceed and unlikely to be restored to competency. To implement the act, for the 2025-26 state fiscal year, the act appropriates to CDHS $535,934 from the general fund and $4,777,898 from the capital construction fund. To implement the act, the act makes the following appropriations for state fiscal year 2026-27:$17,802,360 to CDHS from the general fund, of which $242,323 is reappropriated to the department of law and $52,644 to the office of information technology;To the judicial department, $26,296 from the judicial department information technology cash fund and $5,401,437 from the general fund, of which $1,719,409 is for use by the office of state public defender and specified independent agencies;$842,808 to HCPF from the general fund; and$150,000 to the department of law from the general fund.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law requires that the automated protection order notification system (notification system) include information about whether a restrained person completed and submitted a firearm purchase or transfer application that indicated the restrained person was ineligible to possess a firearm pursuant to state or federal law. The act repeals this provision. Current law requires the Colorado bureau of investigation to make the information in the notification system available to the division of criminal justice (division) for the purpose of providing the information to a protected person. The act requires the Colorado integrated criminal justice information system program to also make the information available to the division.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act renames the Representative Hugh McKean Colorado youth advisory council review committee as the Representative Hugh McKean and Senator Faith Winter Colorado youth advisory council review committee.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires a licensee, nurse, or certified midwife who performs a medical forensic examination to inform the victim-survivor about how to determine when the testing related to the examination is complete and how to obtain the results and records. The act subjects a cause of action against a person arising from any protected statement by a victim-survivor to a special motion to dismiss unless the court determines that the plaintiff has established that there is a reasonable likelihood that the plaintiff will prevail on the claim. The act makes a predispute arbitration agreement and predispute joint-action waiver void and unenforceable upon request of an individual who alleges conduct that results in a sexual harassment dispute or a sexual misconduct dispute or upon request of a named representative of a joint action, class action, or collective action that results in a sexual harassment dispute or a sexual misconduct dispute. The act requires a judge to allow a forensic scientist to testify remotely in a criminal proceeding if a party requests and both parties consent to the remote testimony. The act authorizes the court to order that the testimony of a victim-survivor of domestic violence, unlawful sexual behavior, stalking, human trafficking for involuntary servitude, or human trafficking for sexual servitude be taken in a room other than the courtroom and be televised by closed-circuit television in the courtroom under certain circumstances. The act requires peace officer annual in-service training programs to include a 2-hour training to improve a peace officer's understanding of the impact of trauma on victim-survivors of crimes and the optimal way for a peace officer to respond to victim-survivors who are experiencing trauma and includes trauma-informed investigation and response training as a permissible use of peace officer training and support fund money. The act renames the Colorado sexual assault forensic medical evidence review board as the Colorado sexual assault response review board and adds 4 members to the board.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law requires an individual to be at least 18 years old in order to obtain a marriage license; except that a minor who is 16 or 17 years old may obtain a marriage license with judicial approval. The bill repeals this exception, therefore requiring that an individual be at least 18 years old to obtain a marriage license.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Under current law, if a person engages in conduct that creates a grave risk to human life with an extreme indifference to the value of human life and causes the death of another person, the person commits first degree murder. The bill requires that the person:Cause the death of more than one person;Cause the death of one person and cause serious bodily injury to 2 or more persons by means of a deadly weapon;Cause the death of a child who is under 12 years old; orCause the death of a peace officer, emergency medical service provider, emergency medical care provider, or firefighter engaged in the performance of their duties. The bill creates a new charge of murder in the second degree if a person engages in conduct that creates a grave risk to human life with an extreme indifference to the value of human life and causes the death of only one other person. The bill expands the conduct by which a person can commit criminally negligent homicide to include proximately causing the death of another person while operating or driving a motor vehicle with criminal negligence. The bill creates the offense of aggravated vehicular homicide by operating a motor vehicle in a reckless manner or while under the influence of or impaired by alcohol or other drugs and causing the death of another person when the person also:Has been convicted twice of driving under the influence or driving while ability impaired;Has been convicted of vehicular homicide or vehicular assault;Commits the offense while eluding or attempting to elude law enforcement;Commits the offense while in flight from the commission of another felony offense, not including a traffic offense; orCommits the offense while driving at a high rate of speed, creating an imminent risk of death or serious bodily injury to another person. The bill creates the new offense of negligent vehicular homicide if a person drives a motor vehicle with criminal negligence and causes the death of another person. Negligent vehicular homicide is a class 5 felony.(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.)
Recent changes to the federal income tax code significantly increased the amount of business-related expenses that may be deducted for federal income tax purposes as follows:Expanded the business interest deduction limitation pursuant to section 163 (j) of the internal revenue code (IRC) by adding back depreciation, amortization, and depletion for calculation of adjusted taxable income and determination of the deduction base, resulting in many taxpayers, especially capital intensive businesses, being able to deduct a larger portion of their business interest expense; Expanded the bonus depreciation deduction pursuant to section 168 (k) of the IRC by permanently restoring the 100% first-year bonus depreciation deduction for 'qualified property' acquired and placed in service on or after January 20, 2025;Created an elective 100% depreciation deduction in section 168 (n) of the IRC for 'qualified production property', which is property largely tied to manufacturing, production, or refining facilities and that would not otherwise qualify for section 168 (k) bonus depreciation; andCreated a new section 174A of the IRC that allows taxpayers to immediately deduct domestic research and experimental expenditures paid or incurred during the taxable year, rather than requiring such costs to be capitalized and amortized over time. Because the state income tax is imposed on federal taxable income, these changes to the definition of federal income also exclude these business-related expenses from state income taxation. The bill reverses these changes to the federal tax code for purposes of the state income tax code and creates a new tax credit using the resulting revenue. Sections 2 and 4 of the bill provide, for income tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2027, that individual and corporate state income taxpayers must add the following to their federal taxable income for purposes of applying the state income tax: An amount equal to the federal deduction claimed by the taxpayer for business interest pursuant to the limitation in section 163 (j) of the IRC to the extent the amount exceeds the amount the taxpayer would have been allowed to claim before the limitation was changed as described above;An amount equal to the federal deduction claimed by the taxpayer for qualified property depreciation pursuant to section 168 (k) of the IRC to the extent the amount claimed exceeds the amount the taxpayer would have been allowed to claim under section 168 (k) prior to the change described above; except that, the taxpayer may reduce the amount required to be added back by the amount of depreciation the taxpayer would have been allowed to claim for the taxable year with respect to the same property pursuant to any section other than section 168 (k) of the IRC prior to the recent federal changes;An amount equal to the federal deduction claimed by the taxpayer for qualified production property depreciation pursuant to section 168 (n) of the IRC; except that, the taxpayer may reduce the amount required to be added back by the amount of depreciation the taxpayer would have been allowed to claim for the taxable year with respect to the same property pursuant to any section other than section 168 (k) of the IRC prior to the recent federal change; andAn amount equal to the federal deduction claimed by the taxpayer for the income tax year for domestic research and experimental expenditures pursuant to section 174A of the IRC; except that, the taxpayer may reduce the amount required to be added back by the amount of the deduction the taxpayer would have been allowed to claim for the taxable year with respect to the same research and experimental expenditures pursuant to section 174 of the IRC prior to the recent federal changes. Sections 2 and 4 allow taxpayers who are required to make additions to their federal taxable income pursuant to the new provisions to subtract the amounts of their disallowed federal deductions over time, starting in income tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2028, using time periods that reflect how the property or expense would have been treated prior to the recent changes to the federal tax code. If the amount of the allowed subtraction exceeds the taxpayer's federal taxable income, the excess amount not subtracted may be carried forward for up to 10 years. Section 3 creates a new tax credit. The new tax credit allows taxpayers to claim a refundable tax credit, in addition to the child tax credit and the family affordability tax credit, in an amount determined by the amount and age of the taxpayer's children and the taxpayer's income. The total amount of the new tax credit is adjusted annually based on legislative council staff projections, such that the total amount of the new tax credit claimed in an income tax year is projected to be the same as the amount of revenue raised in sections 2 and 4.(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.)