Rep. Eliza Hamrick

The act requires each institution of higher education (institution) in Colorado to create and adopt a policy and a process to support the ability of an admitted or enrolled student with a disability (student) to voluntarily self-disclose the student's disability and to engage in an interactive process with the institution to receive an academic adjustment. The adopted policy must, at a minimum, include information that: Describes the institution's process to determine whether a student is eligible for an academic adjustment; Outlines documentation that the institution may request to determine whether a student is eligible for an academic adjustment; Provides information on the available disability resources and academic adjustments provided to students with disabilities; and Describes an appeals process for academic adjustment decisions that focuses on documentary review. Each institution shall publish the policy on the institution's website in an accessible format. The act describes the type of documentation that an institution may request to determine whether a student is eligible for an academic adjustment. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act creates an additional framework for insurance rebate law to allow usage of insurance rebates and related practices in a manner that meets specified criteria to maintain consumer protections. In provisions regarding unfair and deceptive trade practices in insurance, the act identifies, as an additional practice that shall not be construed as falling within the definition of discrimination or rebates, the practice of offering or providing a value-added product or service not specified in the insurance policy, at no cost or at a reduced cost, if the product or service: Relates to the insurance coverage; and Is primarily aimed to: Provide loss mitigation or loss control; Reduce claim costs or claim settlement costs; Provide education about liability risk or risk of loss to individuals or property; Monitor or assess risk, identify sources of risk, or develop strategies for eliminating or reducing risk; Enhance health; Promote financial wellness through items such as educational or financial planning services; Provide post-loss services; Encourage behavioral changes to improve the health or reduce the risk of death or disability of a customer; or Assist in the administration of employee or retiree benefit insurance coverage. The act implements additional provisions governing the usage of insurance rebates, including requirements to offer such rebates at a reasonable cost and in a manner that is not unfairly discriminatory and that provides certain other customer protections. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires the department of public health and environment (department), to the extent that funding is available as part of the department's green business network, to: Provide annual training that includes food waste prevention and reduction strategies; Develop a food waste reduction guidance document (document); Place the document on the department's public website; and Update the document at least annually. The act suggests means by which retail food establishments may donate or resell safe food. The act states that, on and after January 1, 2026, grocery stores are encouraged to: Clearly display the ingredients of items of prepared food; and Use "best if used or frozen by" dates rather than "sell by" dates upon prepared items of food. Current law provides civil and criminal immunity to a farmer, retail food establishment, correctional facility, school district, hospital, or processor, distributor, wholesaler, or retailer of food that donates items of food to a nonprofit organization for use or distribution in providing assistance to individuals in need. The act extends this immunity to apply to: Faith-based organizations that donate food; and Food donations to faith-based organizations and individuals. The act also clarifies that the immunity from liability applies regardless of whether the donated food is alleged to have caused illness or death. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act clarifies that the child of an inbound active duty military member (member) who has an existing individualized education program (IEP) or existing section 504 plan is eligible for open enrollment, remote enrollment, and guaranteed matriculation. The act requires the school district, district charter school, or an institute charter school (local education provider) where the child enrolls to ensure the student receives the appropriate services and accommodations, consistent with the child's existing IEP or section 504 plan, without unreasonable delay upon enrollment. The act requires each local education provider to take reasonable steps to notify members and their families of their rights, including providing information on special education services to prevent inadvertent exclusion and to ensure members and their families are fully informed of available supports. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Beginning on January 1, 2026, any political subdivision of the state, public entity, or nonprofit corporation that provides paratransit services in the state (paratransit provider) is required to establish, in coordination with local public entities providing emergency services, a plan to communicate information and provide paratransit services during emergencies. The communication plan must include information on the number of riders who use paratransit services and the resource capacity of the paratransit provider, including the number of drivers and the number of vehicles used to provide paratransit services. Paratransit providers and public entities providing emergency services are also required to submit a report to the transportation legislation review committee on or before September 1, 2026, about the implementation of the communication and emergency services plan. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Maddy summarySenate Joint Resolution 25-016 is a commemorative resolution from the Colorado General Assembly expressing strong support for strengthening the sister-state relationship between Colorado and Taiwan. It reaffirms the 42-year relationship and advocates for enhanced trade relations and academic exchanges between the two entities. The resolution also calls for the signing of a U.S.-Taiwan agreement on avoiding double taxation to promote bilateral investment. Additionally, it supports Taiwan's meaningful inclusion in various international organizations.

Maddy summarySJR 25-010 designates March 17, 2025, as "Colorado Aerospace Day" to recognize the state's leadership in the aerospace industry. The resolution highlights Colorado's status as the nation's top aerospace employment hub (with 33,000 direct jobs and 240,000 supporting jobs), home to major companies like Lockheed Martin and Boeing, and key military space operations. It does not create new laws but serves as a symbolic declaration urging federal support for space exploration and celebrating the industry's economic and educational contributions. This resolution is addressed to state and federal officials, educational institutions, and aerospace organizations.

Maddy summaryThis resolution authorizes Colorado's General Assembly to file a lawsuit challenging whether the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR), specifically Section 20 of Article X in the state constitution, violates the guarantee of a "republican form of government" under the state constitution and U.S. Constitution. It directs the Committee on Legal Services to hire legal counsel (excluding those involved in prior TABOR litigation) to sue in state district court, seeking a court determination on TABOR's constitutionality regarding legislative authority over taxes and spending. The suit focuses solely on whether TABOR undermines the General Assembly's role as a representative legislative body.

The act requires the division of criminal justice (division) in the department of public safety to apply for and accept and expend federal or other available grant money to improve the state's response to mass shootings, including grant money to support services for victims of mass shootings. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act amends various statutes governing the operations of the department of public health and environment (department) regarding disease control. Specifically, sections 1 through 9 of the act: Repeal the governor's expert emergency epidemic response committee (GEEERC); Direct the state board of health to review and amend, as necessary, the department's emergency response and recovery plan every 3 years; and Require the executive director of the department or, if the executive director is not the chief medical officer, the chief medical officer to convene a group of subject matter experts to develop crisis standards of care to be used in responding to a public health emergency. Sections 10 through 18 modify school immunization provisions as follows to: Allow the records of a physician assistant to be used to create an official certificate of immunization for a student; Extend the period within which a student whose certificate of immunization is not up to date to comply with immunization requirements to attend school from 14 days after notice of noncompliance is received to 30 days after receipt of the noncompliance notice; Extend from February 15 to April 15 the deadline for a school to distribute the annual letter to parents specifying the school's aggregate immunization rates and the immunization requirements applicable for the next school year; Direct the state board of health, in adopting rules establishing immunization requirements, to take into consideration, as appropriate and in addition to the recommendations of the advisory committee on immunization practices, the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American College of Physicians; For purposes of out-of-state campers attending a licensed children's residential camp, allow the camp to maintain an out-of-state immunization record for an out-of-state camper, rather than the state's official certificate of immunization; Remove gendered pronouns and replace them with gender-neutral language; and Repeal the requirement for schools to notify the department and the local public health agency when a student is suspended or expelled from school for noncompliance with immunization requirements. Section 19 extends from July 15 to September 15 the date by which the department is required to submit to the general assembly an annual report summarizing health-care-associated infections data received from health facilities in the state. Section 20 repeals the requirement for certain health-care providers to offer a hepatitis C screening test to individuals born between 1945 and 1965 and instead directs the state board of health to adopt standards, consistent with recommendations from the federal centers for disease control and prevention, for hepatitis C screening tests. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)