The act creates the 'Transit Investment Area Act' to facilitate the financing of transit and rail station infrastructure. Specifically, the act:Allows a local government and a transit agency to jointly undertake a transit investment project. To finance the project, the local government may apply to the Colorado economic development commission (commission) to designate a transit investment area and an approved financing entity;Authorizes the approved financing entity, which may be a newly created transit investment authority, a county revitalization authority, a metropolitan district, or an urban renewal authority, to receive state sales tax increment revenue. This revenue consists of the state sales tax collected in the designated area above a base amount, plus an additional 20% to account for out-of-area deliveries.Permits the financing entity to issue bonds and use the state sales tax increment revenue to finance eligible improvements related to the transit project;Prohibits the financing entity from using the state sales tax increment revenue to acquire property through eminent domain;Requires projects to comply with specified hiring, apprenticeship, and workforce standards;Caps the commission's approval authority at no more than 3 transit investment projects in any calendar year and no more than 6 in total and caps the total state sales tax increment revenue dedicated to all projects at $75 million per fiscal year; andAuthorizes the commission to revoke project approval if substantial work does not commence within 5 years and requires financing entities to submit annual reports and independent financial audits. The act requires the Colorado office of economic development, in consultation with the department of local affairs and the department of transportation, to publish a transit and housing investment zone map on or before October 30, 2026. The act creates the Colorado affordable housing in transit and housing investment zones tax credit (tax credit). The tax credit is administered in the same manner as the Colorado affordable housing in transit-oriented communities income tax credit; except that the tax credit is awarded in connection with housing projects in transit and housing zones. The act authorizes the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority to allocate up to $8,333,333 in tax credits each calendar year beginning in the 2027 calendar year through the 2033 calendar year. For the 2026-27 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $213,349 to the office of the governor for use by economic development programs.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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The act requires the division of parks and wildlife (division) in the department of natural resources to expand the division's capacity for outdoor recreation coordination, planning, and management and take a leading role in state-level coordination, strategic planning, and implementation of Colorado's outdoors strategy. The division is directed to, among other things, engage with relevant partners, stakeholders, tribal governments, and agencies to coordinate and incorporate wildlife, conservation, recreation, and climate-resilience considerations across agency planning and decision-making processes. In addition, the division is required to support, in consultation with relevant entities, the planning, development, and maintenance of outdoor recreation infrastructure to enhance outdoor recreation opportunities while protecting private property rights, wildlife, and natural resources. The division is directed to coordinate and consult with local governments to identify potential impacts to services and infrastructure associated with outdoor recreation use. The act also requires the division to create, and update at least annually, integrated regional outdoor recreation and conservation planning reports to inform division awareness and operational decision-making. In 2027 and 2028, the division is required to include an update on the outdoor recreation coordination, planning, and management efforts required by the act during its 'SMART Act' hearing. For the 2026-27 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $436,025 to the department of natural resources from the parks and outdoor recreation cash fund to be used for state park operations.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act changes the boundaries of the front range passenger rail district (district) to include certain listed municipalities, any municipality whose governing body and, if necessary, electors, consent for the municipality to be included in the district, certain listed metropolitan districts, and any metropolitan district that is not within a municipality, whose governing body consents for the metropolitan district to be included in the district, and that is identified for inclusion in the district by a district board (board) resolution. The act requires that directors of the board appointed on or after July 1, 2026, reside within the district, unless that director is already serving on the board. The act allows the board to create subdistricts within the district. The only voting members of a subdistrict board must be directors appointed by an entity that includes territory within the subdistrict and directors who reside within the subdistrict. The act requires that any action by a subdistrict to establish or increase a tax or create a multiple-fiscal year debt must be submitted to a vote of the registered electors of the subdistrict. Before submitting a tax question to the voters, the district or subdistrict must certify that it has made every reasonable effort to secure federal, state, or special purpose authority funding. Lastly, the act changes the method for determining the distribution of the costs of a district or subdistrict election. Under the new method, the costs of such an election are reimbursed in the same method and manner as state primary, coordinated, general, congressional vacancy, special legislative, or recall elections conducted after July 1, 2024. The act also requires that any constitutionally required notice for a district or subdistrict election be included in the ballot information booklet.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires a person seeking certification or recertification from the peace officers standards and training board to undergo training on various missing person alerts active within the state. The department of public safety is required to create a missing person alert training program for persons seeking certification or recertification of their peace officer status. The act requires an institution of higher education (institution) to either conduct a preliminary wellness assessment for no longer than 6 hours or immediately contact a law enforcement agency if a student is reported missing. If the student is not found within the 6-hour period, or if there is evidence of a credible risk to the student's safety, the institution shall notify the institution's police department or the nearest law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the student's current local address on file with the institution or the student's permanent address on file with the institution if the institution does not have its own police department. An institution is required to adopt and publish a preliminary wellness assessment policy. The preliminary wellness assessment must consist of at least the following steps: A digital contact attempt, a residential verification, and an academic and social inquiry. An institution that conducts a preliminary wellness assessment is immune from civil liability if the institution acted in good faith. An institution is required to maintain contemporaneous written documentation regarding the steps the institution took to complete the preliminary wellness assessment. The records are subject to certain disclosure requirements.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act allows an applicant for licensure as a marriage and family therapist (LMFT) whose master's or doctoral degree program did not include an internship or practicum to also be registered as an LMFT candidate but requires these candidates to complete an additional 700 supervised clinical hours to become an LMFT.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires a minor who is under 18 years old to have written permission of the minor's parent or legal guardian to obtain an instruction permit to drive a motorcycle. The act does not apply to emancipated minors.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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.)
The act creates the 'Adults' Security and Safeguards from Exploitation in Transactions Act' or the 'ASSET Act'. The act requires or authorizes a qualified individual at a bank or credit union (financial institution) to do the following when the individual reasonably and in good faith suspects that a vulnerable adult is the victim of financial exploitation:The qualified individual must notify appropriate local law enforcement or the county agency handling adult protective services; andThe qualified individual may notify a third party previously designated by or reasonably associated with the vulnerable adult. A financial institution or qualified individual may delay a disbursement from an account if the financial institution or qualified individual:Reasonably believes that the vulnerable adult is subject to financial exploitation;Provides written notification of the delay and the reason for the delay to all parties authorized to transact business on the account within 2 business days after the requested disbursement; except that a party who is reasonably believed to have engaged in financial exploitation of the vulnerable adult need not be notified; andContinues its internal review of the suspected or attempted financial exploitation. The delay may continue until:The financial institution or qualified individual reasonably believes that the vulnerable adult is not subject to financial exploitation;Local law enforcement or the county agency handling adult protective services concludes its investigation; orA court orders that the delay be removed. A financial institution or qualified individual must make a determination within 90 days after beginning the delay of a disbursement or, if waiting on the investigation of local law enforcement or a county agency handling adult protective services, within 180 days. The disbursement must be made or refused based on the conclusions of the investigation or the expiration of the time. A financial institution and qualified individual are immune from liability arising from the actions or from failing to take the actions authorized in the act if the act or failure to act was made in good faith and exercising reasonable care. A financial institution must provide access to or copies of records that are relevant to the suspected or attempted financial exploitation of an vulnerable adult to agencies charged with administering state adult protective services laws and to law enforcement. The records made available to agencies are not public records, as defined in the 'Colorado Open Records Act'.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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.