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.)
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The act authorizes the state treasurer to invest up to $50 million of state money in bonds, which may have below-market interest rates, that are issued by a quasi-governmental authority to create or finance new affordable, income-restricted for-sale housing that would not be made available at similar rates and terms without the state's investment. The housing must remain affordable long-term and be available to borrowers earning no more than 140% of the statewide area median income. The bonds may have a term of up to 45 years and must have at least 2 credit ratings at or above A- or A3 or its equivalent from nationally recognized rating organizations. Money from principal proceeds of such bonds must be reinvested by the state treasurer for the same purpose once the state treasurer has received repayment of 50% of the principal amount invested. The quasi-governmental authority issuing the bonds shall provide an annual report to the treasurer and the general assembly that includes specified information about the affordable housing created with bond proceeds. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act authorizes the Colorado water conservation board (board) to administer a water supply measurement and forecasting program to collect and disseminate data on snowpack levels, investigate technological advances in snowpack measurement and water supply forecasting, and collect other data that the board determines will assist in those efforts. For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, $104,608 is appropriated to the department of natural resources (department) from the Colorado water conservation board construction fund for the department to implement the act. Of the money appropriated, $15,960 is reappropriated to the office of the governor for use by the office of information technology to provide information technology services for the department. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates a permit that is issued by the department of transportation (department). The permit authorizes the holder to, for a fee, install or remove tire chains or alternate traction devices at a location designated in the permit. The department may place conditions on the permit concerning the safe and orderly movement of traffic. The department is instructed to avoid issuing permits in a manner that creates a monopoly-type situation for a permit holder at a specific location. The department may charge a fee to issue a permit to an applicant. The fee must be set in an amount to offset the direct and indirect costs of issuing these permits. The department will adopt rules to implement the act. The rules must include: The procedures for issuing a permit, the procedures for revoking a permit, and the qualifications to be issued a permit; and A requirement that the individuals installing tire chains or alternate traction devices wear reflective clothing and use appropriate signs and traffic control devices. A rental car company is required to notify its car renters of the requirements of and penalties for violating the chain law. Colorado law already authorizes the department to close roads during winter weather conditions unless a motor vehicle meets traction equipment requirements. The act also authorizes a 4-wheel-drive vehicle with tires that are imprinted by a manufacturer with a mountain-snowflake, "M&S", "M+S", or "M/S" symbol or that are all-weather rated by the manufacturer to travel on roads that the department restricts for winter weather conditions. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires all commercial vehicles to have a muffler. The muffler must be located so that it may be visually inspected to ensure it is present, intact, and functioning properly; except that a muffler need not be visible for inspection if certain documentation is present in the commercial vehicle and available for inspection by a peace officer. Standards are set for the necessary documentation. The act increases the fine for a violation from $500 to $1,000. The fine is not imposed if the owner or operator can show that a muffler was installed before the citation was issued and that the muffler complied with the manufacturing noise standards for the model year of the commercial vehicle. The fine is decreased by 50% if a muffler is installed within 30 days after the citation is written. The act applies to commercial vehicles with an internal combustion engine and does not apply to farm vehicles. State agencies must include language in construction contracts stating that a contractor's or subcontractor's commercial vehicle that enters a public project site is required to comply with the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires hospitals, freestanding emergency departments, and licensed health-care facilities that hold themselves out to the public as providing emergency care (facility) to provide emergency medical services to a person who presents to the facility when the person requests or a request is made on the person's behalf for emergency medical services. For each person who presents to a facility and requests emergency medical services or for each request made on the person's behalf for emergency medical services, the act requires the facility to input into a central log whether the person refused treatment or was denied treatment; whether no treatment was required; or whether the person was transferred, admitted and treated, stabilized and transferred, or discharged. The act prohibits a facility from: Denying or discriminating in providing emergency medical services to a patient for a discriminatory or unlawful reason; Penalizing or taking adverse action against a health-care provider for refusing to transfer a patient with an emergency medical condition that has not been stabilized; Delaying providing emergency medical services to a person in order to inquire about the person's ability to pay for the services; and Transferring or discharging a patient with an emergency medical condition unless certain conditions are met. A facility or health-care provider does not violate the act's requirements if certain conditions are met. The act authorizes the department of public health and environment to investigate a facility that negligently violates the requirements of the act. A physician who negligently violates the act engages in unprofessional conduct and is subject to professional discipline. If a civil monetary penalty is imposed, the act requires the maximum civil monetary penalty to be reduced by any civil monetary penalty imposed pursuant to the federal "Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act" for the same violation. The act appropriates $82,768 from the health facilities general licensure cash fund to the department of public health and environment for use by the health facilities and emergency medical services division. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act makes the following changes for the purpose of improving the performance of the regional transportation district (RTD): Authorizes RTD to enter into a service partnership agreement with a local government, institution of higher education, business or housing entity, or special district to expand services within RTD's service territory or beyond the boundaries of RTD as authorized by law; Requires RTD, in discharging its responsibilities, to: Align with statewide greenhouse gas reduction targets, "Transportation Vision 2035" goals, and mode choice targets; Create worker retention goals; Adhere to the requirements of "General Directive 24-1: Required Actions Regarding Assaults on Transit Workers", issued on September 25, 2024, by the federal transit administration of the United States department of transportation; and Develop performance measures to evaluate its progress in aligning with state climate goals and achieving its worker retention goals; Requires RTD to report to the transportation legislation review committee (TLRC) on or before December 15, 2025, on RTD's 5-year financial forecast, debt capacity, and use of agency reserve accounts; Requires RTD, in coordination with the department of transportation, the Denver regional council of governments, and local governments within RTD's service territory, to create a 10-year strategic plan no later than September 30, 2026, and a comprehensive operational analysis no less frequently than every 5 years beginning on April 10, 2026, and to report quarterly to the RTD board of directors regarding the plan and analysis. RTD is also required to annually report to the TLRC on its progress in delivering the projects identified in the 10-year strategic plan and the comprehensive operational analysis. Requires RTD, in conjunction with the creation of its 10-year strategic plan, to study or contract with a third party to study and identify opportunities to increase funding to achieve the goals, measures, and targets identified in the 10-year strategic plan; Requires RTD to create, maintain, and publish on its website information and dashboards related to capital projects, ridership and service information, planned service changes, workforce statistics, and transit safety; Requires RTD to update its service policies and standards, its equitable transit-oriented development policy, and its service buy-up policy, to create specific communication protocols, and to implement parking and transportation demand management strategies and policies; Requires RTD to report to the governor, general assembly, the TLRC, and the RTD board by December 2025 on its work to achieve the transportation expansion routes identified in the transportation expansion plan, including the north lines. If RTD has not completed and begun service by January 1, 2029, on the fixed guideway mass transit system proposed in the transportation expansion plan, RTD is required to report to the governor and the transportation committees of the general assembly every 6 months until service begins. Requires RTD to periodically notify the Denver regional council of governments and the department of local affairs of any known infrastructure gaps that exist within a transit center of a transit-oriented community within RTD's service territory; Requires RTD to modernize, advertise, and conduct outreach about its EcoPass programs and to report to the transportation committees of the general assembly about its efforts; Clarifies the powers and duties of the RTD board of directors; and Prohibits write-in candidates for the RTD board of directors. The act also requires other entities to analyze opportunities for the improvement of transit services by: Requiring certain residential and mixed-use developments to survey their residents about their interest in having the development provide annual pre-paid RTD transit passes via the EcoPass program, if the development does not already provide bulk-purchased EcoPasses. If a majority of residents express interest in bulk-purchased EcoPasses, the development is required to enroll in the EcoPass program for its residents. Requiring the transportation commission, on or before March 31, 2026, to develop and publish best practices and technical assistance materials concerning the creation of regional transportation authorities to increase funding for transit and to provide additional transit services within the state; and Creating an RTD accountability committee within the Colorado energy office that consists of 15 appointed members, including 14 voting members and one ex officio nonvoting member, whose work is intended to build upon the work of the previous RTD accountability committee created in 2020. On or before January 30, 2026, the committee is required to provide recommendations to the transportation committees of the general assembly concerning: The governance structure and compensation of the RTD board and executive leadership; Paratransit services within RTD; The representation of local governments and state agencies within RTD; and RTD's labor and workforce standards and workforce retention. The act also makes changes to the information that an eligible entity is required to provide to the clean transit enterprise after being awarded money from the local transit operations cash fund. For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, $146,720 is appropriated from the general fund to the office of the governor for use by the Colorado energy office for program administration. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act defines a subject jurisdiction as a municipality with a population of 100,000 or more that is served by a fire protection district, fire authority, or fire department that is or was accredited by a specified organization. The act only applies to a subject jurisdiction and only to the area within a subject jurisdiction that is served by a single fire protection district or fire department. On or before December 1, 2027, the act requires the governing body of a subject jurisdiction to adopt a building code, or amend an existing building code, to allow up to 5 stories of a multifamily residential building that satisfies certain conditions to be served by a single exit. The act requires a subject jurisdiction to provide notice of the adopting or amending of the subject jurisdiction's building code to the local International Association of Fire Fighter's affiliate and the Colorado Professional Fire Fighters Association. In connection with multifamily residential buildings served by a single exit, the act requires: A subject jurisdiction to coordinate with a fire protection district, fire department, or fire authority concerning aerial apparatus access to these buildings and the site design of these buildings; These buildings to maintain their legal occupancy status, even if they would otherwise lose that status under future building codes; A subject jurisdiction to allow, with certain limitations, the reconstruction of these buildings according to the standards under which they were originally built after the buildings are damaged or destroyed; and A landlord, manager, or owner of one of these buildings to conduct inspections of the dwelling units of such a building. The act also requires a subject jurisdiction, beginning December 1, 2028, to report to the state demography office in the department of local affairs on the number of multifamily residential buildings served by a single exit and on certain qualities of those buildings. Similarly, in January 2032, the act requires the department of local affairs to report on the implementation of this act as part of the department's "SMART Act" hearing. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires the department of transportation (department), no later than July 1, 2026, and in coordination with local governments and transit agencies, to create a transit and active transportation project inventory that identifies gaps in transit, bicycle, and pedestrian infrastructure and access on state highways and rights-of-way that are controlled and maintained by the department. No later than July 1, 2026, metropolitan planning organizations must create a transit and active transportation project inventory that identifies gaps in transit, bicycle, and pedestrian infrastructure and access within the network of regionally significant roadways and rights-of-way that are typically subject to planning and programming by the metropolitan planning organization. No later than October 31, 2026, the department and the metropolitan planning organizations must present a report to the transportation legislation review committee on the transit and active transportation project inventories (inventories) created, including an assessment of existing and potential funding sources for the projects listed in the inventories. The department and metropolitan planning organizations must update the inventories as part of the planning processes for the regional and statewide transportation plans and must use the inventories to inform those plans, other transit service plans, and transportation improvement programs. No later than July 1, 2026, the department must develop clear definitions for roadway capacity investments and state-of-good-repair investments. No later than December 31, 2025, a local government with a population of 5,000 or more that is within a metropolitan planning organization must submit to its metropolitan planning organization all planned transit, bicycle, and pedestrian projects included in any transportation, capital, or other plan. The act also allows a local government to: Adopt goals for the share of total trips within a specified geographic area completed using certain transportation methods; Submit local transportation demand management strategies to its metropolitan planning organization; and Collaborate with the department, its metropolitan planning organization, and transit agencies to identify unfinished transit, bicycle, and pedestrian projects in certain transit areas and to prioritize such projects based on each project's potential to increase transportation mode choice, project vulnerable road users, reduce vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions, and improve access to nondriving transportation options in disproportionately impacted communities. The act also clarifies that the Moffat tunnel improvement district is controlled and managed by the department of transportation rather than the department of local affairs. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates the Colorado Voting Rights Act (state voting rights act) and modifies certain election-related statutes in the following areas: Tribal voting; Ensuring voter access to methods of selecting candidates for the general election; Restrictions on electioneering and election-related activity near voting locations; Election and voting notices in facilities serving individuals with disabilities; Recounts; Election-related language access; and Election-related data collection. Creation of the state voting rights act. The act creates the state voting rights act, which prohibits political subdivisions from: Engaging in voter suppression by taking any action that results in, will result in, or is intended to result in a material disparity between electors who are members of a protected race, color, or language minority group or other minority reporting group (protected class members) and other eligible electors in regard to voter participation, access to voting opportunities, or the opportunity or ability to participate in the political process; Engaging in voter dilution by enacting or employing any method of election that has the effect of, or is motivated in part by the intention of, disparately impairing the opportunity or ability of protected class members to elect the candidates of their choice or otherwise influence the outcome of elections as a result of diluting the vote of protected class members ; Implementing, imposing, or enforcing a voting qualification or another prerequisite to voting based on an individual's actual or perceived gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation; or Implementing, imposing, or enforcing an additional voting qualification or another prerequisite to voting based on an individual's confinement to a local jail, other than those eligibility qualifications that already exist. An aggrieved individual or organization (aggrieved person) may file a civil suit alleging voter suppression; voter dilution; an unlawful voting prerequisite based on gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation; or an unlawful voting prerequisite based on confinement to a local jail. The attorney general may investigate potential violations of the act and may file suit to enforce the act or may intervene in an aggrieved individual's or organization's civil suit. Except under specific circumstances, before filing suit, an aggrieved person or the attorney general must send a notification letter describing the alleged violation of the act to the political subdivision. The political subdivision is given 60 or 180 days to adopt a resolution providing for a solution to the alleged violation. Tribal voting. The act clarifies that an identification card, which need not contain a photograph, that is issued by the federal bureau of Indian affairs, Indian health service, or any other federal agency that issues identification certifying tribal membership and that includes an address in Colorado constitutes a valid identification for registration purposes and, upon request of a tribal council, requires a county to establish a drop box, rather than a drop-off location as was previously the case, within the boundaries of a federal reservation. Ensuring voter access to methods of selecting candidates for a general election. The act requires each major political party to ensure that any future alternative process by which a party may select candidates for a general election allows voters not able to attend in person to participate to the same extent as those voting in person, including requiring a process for individuals to vote that does not require in-person voting. Restrictions on electioneering and election-related activity near voting locations. The act clarifies that the restrictions on electioneering and election-related activity conducted within 100 feet of a polling location or drop-off location also apply to drop boxes. Election and voting notices in facilities serving individuals with disabilities. The act imposes a requirement on specified care facilities that provide services primarily to individuals with disabilities to publicly display, in each building in which they serve clients, notices related to voting during the 30 days preceding a general or coordinated election. Recounts. Before a recount, a canvass board has been required to test at least one ballot scanner with a group of 10 test ballots marked by at least 2 canvass board members of different party affiliations. The act changes this process so that each canvass board member, other than the clerk, must separately mark their own group of 10 test ballots. The act also clarifies the duties of a canvass board and a county clerk and recorder in conducting a recount. Election-related language access. The act expands existing requirements for the creation of multilingual ballots from only applying to qualifying counties to also applying to qualifying municipalities. The county clerk and recorder for a county that meets certain requirements for the population or percentage of the voting-age population within the relevant jurisdiction who are minority language speakers and who speak English less than very well has been required to provide multilingual ballots. The act requires a municipal clerk to provide multilingual ballot access if the municipality has a population of at least 3,000 and the municipality exists partially or wholly within a county covered by the existing multilingual ballot requirements. Election-related data collection. The act requires the secretary of state to collect, maintain, and make publicly available data related to elections, including demographics, election results, and voting information. After each election, political subdivisions are required to submit election-related information to the secretary of state. The department of local affairs is also required to annually provide certain demographic information to the secretary of state. The act also changes current law from allowing a custodian of records to deny the right of inspection of certain records and information maintained by the department of revenue to requiring the denial of such inspection. For the 2025-26 fiscal year, $75,432 is appropriated from the department of state cash fund to the department of state for use by the elections division for implementation of the act. The act applies to elections and election-related activities occurring on or after January 1, 2026. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)