Rep. Eliza Hamrick

Maddy summaryHJR 1002 is a commemorative resolution honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It does not create new laws or policies. The resolution recognizes Dr. King's legacy through historical context about his civil rights leadership, his "I Have a Dream" speech, and his role in key legislation like the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It specifically acknowledges Colorado's history of observing MLK Jr. Day, noting that Colorado became the 50th state to recognize the holiday in 2000. The resolution serves only to formally commemorate Dr. King's life and work, with no direct effect on citizens or new government requirements.

Maddy summaryHouse Resolution 1001 appoints specific staff members to roles within the Colorado House of Representatives for the 75th General Assembly's Second Regular Session. It names individuals to positions including Chief Clerk, Assistant Chief Clerk, Journal Clerk, sergeants-at-arms, and leadership support staff for both majority and minority parties, plus student interns from Arrupe Jesuit High School. The resolution was approved without amendments on January 20, 2026, and serves as routine staffing for legislative operations. This procedural resolution does not create new laws or affect public policy.

Maddy summarySJR 3 is a procedural resolution scheduling a joint meeting of Colorado's Senate and House of Representatives on January 16, 2026, to hear a message from representatives of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Council and Southern Ute Tribal Council. It directs the appointment of a six-member committee (three from each chamber) to escort tribal representatives to the session. The resolution recognizes the tribes' historical and cultural contributions to Colorado but does not create new laws or policies. This is a formal procedural step to facilitate the tribal message, not a substantive legislative change.

The act requires an organization, defined in the act as a battery stewardship organization, to, no later than July 1, 2027, and every 5 years thereafter, submit to the executive director of the department of public health and environment (executive director) a battery stewardship plan (plan), which is a plan for the collection, transportation, processing, and recycling of certain batteries. On and after August 1, 2027, a producer selling, making available for sale, or distributing certain batteries or battery-containing products in or into the state must participate in and finance a battery stewardship organization that has submitted a plan to the executive director. On and after July 1, 2029, a retailer is prohibited from selling, offering for sale, distributing, or otherwise making available for sale certain batteries or battery-containing products in the state unless the producer of the batteries or battery-containing products is participating in a battery stewardship organization that has an approved plan. A retailer is prohibited from charging a point-of-sale fee to consumers to cover the costs of a battery stewardship organization. The act specifies what a plan must contain to be approved by the executive director, including, among other things, contact information for participating producers, performance goals, and methods to promote participation in the plan and increase public awareness of the battery stewardship program (program) that will be implemented by the battery stewardship organization pursuant to the plan. In addition, a plan must detail how the battery stewardship organization will arrange for the collection of certain batteries by establishing collection sites that are available free of charge to any person. A battery stewardship organization implementing an approved plan is required to develop and administer a system to collect charges from participating producers to cover the costs of implementing the program. In addition, a battery stewardship organization, in consultation with the department of public health and environment (department) and interested stakeholders, must complete an assessment of the opportunities and challenges associated with the end-of-life management of certain batteries, which assessment must be submitted by the department to the general assembly on or before March 1, 2028. On or before June 1, 2029, and on or before each June 1 thereafter, a battery stewardship organization with an approved plan must submit an annual report to the executive director, which report must include certain information about the preceding year of plan implementation. The act also requires a battery stewardship organization to carry out promotional activities to increase public awareness of the program. Battery stewardship organizations with approved plans must coordinate to conduct a survey of public awareness of the programs and share the results of the survey with the executive director as part of the annual reports. A battery stewardship organization is required to pay a one-time fee of $50,000 at the time of submittal of a plan to the executive director. If the executive director approves the plan, the battery stewardship organization is required to pay an additional fee of $86,000. Within 12 months after a plan is approved, and on or before each July 1 thereafter, a battery stewardship organization must pay to the department an annual fee to cover the department's cost of implementing, administering, and enforcing the act's requirements. The solid and hazardous waste commission establishes the amount of the annual fee by rule. On and after January 1, 2028, the act prohibits a producer or retailer from selling, offering for sale, or distributing in or into the state certain batteries unless the batteries are marked with labels that: Identify the producer of the batteries; and Include certain information to ensure the proper collection and recycling of the batteries. Beginning January 1, 2030, a person is required to manage certain unwanted batteries through delivery to a collection site, program, or event established by the program. A person is prohibited from disposing of certain batteries in a landfill. The department will enforce violations of the act's requirements pursuant to the enforcement process for the state hazardous waste management program. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The state allows a student pursuing higher education who satisfies statutorily specified eligibility criteria to claim an income tax incentive for amounts paid for tuition and fees for qualifying academic semesters or terms that the student completes. The act clarifies the statute that provides for the income tax incentive to improve the administration, including data tracking and reporting, of the incentive. For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, $135,446 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of revenue for use by the taxation business group to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act repeals obsolete references to the teacher residency expansion program (program), which was repealed in 2023. Current law continues to reference the definition for "paraprofessional" as it appeared in the program. The act recreates the definition of "paraprofessional" for the current statutory uses of the term. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act modifies the schedule and amounts of annual transfers from the general fund to the state highway fund as follows: The $100 million transfer to the state highway fund scheduled for July 1, 2025, is reduced to $32.2 million; The $100 million transfer to the state highway fund scheduled for July 1, 2026, is reduced to $50.5 million; The $82.5 million transfers to the state highway fund scheduled for each July 1 from July 1, 2029, through July 1, 2031, are increased to $100 million; A new $64.8 million transfer to the state highway fund is scheduled for July 1, 2032; and The $7 million transfers to the state highway fund for the purpose of providing additional funding for the revitalizing main streets program scheduled for each July 1 from July 1, 2025, through July 1, 2031, are eliminated.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act prohibits residential rental agreements, in relation to a tenant's death, from requiring acceleration of rent beyond the end of the month or more than 10 business days after the dwelling unit is vacated after notice to the landlord of the tenant's death, whichever is later. Further, the act prohibits the enforcement of terms in rental agreements that authorize liquidated damages or other penalties if the rental agreement is terminated before the end of its term due to the death of a tenant. The act authorizes a landlord to take possession of the dwelling unit without filing an eviction action or otherwise obtaining a court order if the personal representative of the tenant's estate notifies the landlord of the surrender of the premises or,30 days after the death of the tenant, rent remains unpaid or substantially all of the tenant's property has been removed. In addition, a landlord may retain a security or damages deposit sufficient to cover costs of damages caused by the death of the tenant. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The department of public health and environment (department) is required to conduct a study of capital needs for rural and frontier hospitals throughout the state (study). The rural and frontier hospital capital needs study task force (task force) is created and is required to oversee the study. The study must measure the number of studied facilities that are not compliant with current and relevant design and building code standards for health-care facilities, identify the age of core facilities and any additions to those facilities, and estimate the costs for renovating or replacing facilities identified as having capital needs. No later than 18 months after the first meeting of the task force, the department is required to complete the study and compile the results of the study into a report. The department is required to present the report to the respective health and human services committees of the senate and house of representatives. The task force is made up of the following 7 members who must be appointed no later than 2 months after sufficient funding has been secured for the implementation of the act: 3 members who work in rural or frontier hospitals; One member who is an architect professional; One member who is a construction contractor professional; One member who represents hospitals; and One member of the general public who lives in a rural area or frontier area. In addition to overseeing the study, the task force is responsible for developing and approving the parameters of the study and overseeing the department's report. The task force may also facilitate contracting with a private sector consulting company to assist with data compilation, research, and outreach to rural and frontier hospitals. The task force is required to hold its first meeting within 2 months of all appointments being made to the task force and meet at least quarterly after the first meeting until the study and the report are complete. The requirements imposed on the department, the task force, and any third party in connection with the study are contingent upon money being available through gifts, grants, or donations for the purpose of conducting the study. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act creates an exception to the requirement that a member of the Colorado state patrol be bonded by a surety company or insured with third-party crime insurance if the Colorado state patrol is self-insured with the Colorado state office of risk management and is eligible to be compensated from the state self-insured property fund. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)