Senate Bill 25-163, concerning the establishment of battery stewardship programs for the disposal of certain batteries, created the 'Battery Stewardship Act', which requires the establishment of battery stewardship organizations and the submittal of battery stewardship plans to the executive director of the department of public health and environment (executive director) for the collection, transportation, processing, and recycling of certain batteries. The act expands the scope of the 'Battery Stewardship Act' to cover the end-of-life management of propulsion batteries, which are batteries that are primarily used to supply power to an electric or hybrid vehicle, and establishes requirements concerning propulsion batteries that differ from the requirements for the batteries currently contemplated by the 'Battery Stewardship Act'. On or before July 1, 2027, a person selling, offering for sale, or distributing propulsion batteries or vehicles containing a propulsion battery in or into the state (propulsion battery provider) is required to register with the department of public health and environment (department). On or before January 2, 2029, a propulsion battery provider or group of propulsion battery providers must submit to the executive director an education and outreach plan that contains certain information about the management of propulsion batteries. On and after July 1, 2029, the act prohibits a propulsion battery provider from selling, making available for sale, or distributing a propulsion battery in or into the state unless the propulsion battery provider has submitted an education and outreach plan that meets the requirements of the act. The act also requires a propulsion battery provider to develop and maintain at least one website that, among other things, includes the information in the propulsion battery provider's education and outreach plan. The act requires propulsion battery providers to collect certain unwanted propulsion batteries and ensure the responsible management of the unwanted propulsion batteries collected. In addition, the act requires a propulsion battery provider to, on and after July 1, 2029, label a propulsion battery and specifies the information that must be included on the label. On or before June 1, 2030, and on or before each June 1 thereafter, a propulsion battery provider is directed to submit an annual report to the executive director covering the preceding calendar year of the responsible management of the propulsion batteries collected by the propulsion battery provider. A propulsion battery provider is required to pay a program initiation fee to the department. The amount of the program initiation fee for each propulsion battery provider is based on each propulsion battery provider's percentage of all propulsion battery vehicles registered in the state. On or before July 1, 2030, and on or before each July 1 thereafter, a propulsion battery provider is also required to pay an annual fee to cover the department's cost of implementing, administering, and enforcing the act. The solid and hazardous waste commission is directed to establish the annual fee amount by rule on or before July 1, 2029. The act specifies how the department is required to implement, administer, and enforce the act. For example, the department is required to assess annual reports submitted by propulsion battery providers, compile a list of entities registered with the department, provide a digital registration form that an entity can use to register, and conduct an email survey with registered entities to request feedback on the functioning of the propulsion battery management program. The act also sets forth requirements for persons that remanufacture a propulsion battery; persons that use a propulsion battery for a different use than the use for which the propulsion battery was originally designed; commercial entities that take possession of a propulsion battery for the purpose of selling, dispositioning, repairing, reusing, or recycling the propulsion battery; and entities that conduct propulsion battery recycling. On and after July 1, 2029, the disposal of propulsion batteries at a solid waste disposal site and facility is prohibited.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Rep. Matt Martinez
Sponsored bills
Existing law authorizes the general assembly to set compensation levels for employees of the state. Accordingly, the act clarifies that, for the purposes of laws concerning local minimum wages, the term 'employer' means a corporation, a proprietorship, a partnership, a joint venture, a limited liability company, a trust, an association, a political subdivision of the state, an individual, or any other entity that employs an employee. However, 'employer' does not include the state of Colorado to the extent that a state employer has a collective bargaining agreement as to employee wages. Current law states that the governing bodies of municipalities have the power to license, regulate, and tax any lawful occupation, business place, amusement, or place of amusements (occupation or business place) and to fix the amount, terms, and manner of issuing and revoking licenses issued to an occupation or business place. The act clarifies that the state of Colorado is not an occupation or business place subject to such tax. The act requires the office of state planning and budgeting to submit to the joint budget committee, on or before January 4, 2027, a supplemental budget request concerning compensation of state employees during the 2026-27 state fiscal year.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law requires that, before an individual is permitted to act as a transportation network company (TNC) driver through the use of a TNC's digital network, the individual shall obtain a criminal history record check. The act requires that the TNC:If the TNC has at least 20,000 rides occurring monthly (large-scale TNC) on its digital network, pay for the required criminal history record check for an individual before the individual is permitted to act as a driver;Procure a privately administered criminal history record check for a driver at least once every 6 months after the initial criminal history record check;Share the results of each criminal history record check with the driver who is the subject of the record check; andProcure a privately administered criminal history record check if a person files a complaint against a driver with the TNC or the public utilities commission (commission) regarding specified allegations. The TNC shall pay the costs of the privately administered criminal history record checks. A TNC shall create a deactivation and suspension policy to initiate a review of a driver for deactivation within 7 business days if the TNC is notified through a complaint filed with the TNC or the commission or is contacted by the attorney general's office, a district attorney's office, or a law enforcement agency regarding certain allegations against the driver. A driver who has been deactivated may challenge the deactivation through the TNC's deactivation and suspension policy. The act requires the commission to create a process by rule for sharing information between TNCs regarding the deactivation of drivers. A TNC's deactivation and suspension policy must include meaningful human review of the permanent deactivation of a driver. The act requires a TNC to provide regular safety training to each driver and rider in accordance with rules adopted by the commission. If a person files a complaint against a TNC or a driver, the TNC shall respond to a subpoena or search warrant for information related to the complaint from a court, the attorney general's office, a district attorney's office, the commission, or a law enforcement agency no later than 72 hours after the request is made, unless the subpoenaing party agrees to a different deadline. The act requires the commission to adopt rules on or before June 1, 2028, establishing requirements for a TNC to ensure that a driver or rider may opt in to audio and video recording of each prearranged ride and integrate audio and video recording into the TNC's digital platform. A large-scale TNC shall not charge a fee or increase the cost of a prearranged ride solely on the basis of a rider opting in to audio and video recording of the prearranged ride. The commission shall also adopt rules regarding access to, ownership of, storage of, notification about, and deadlines for the implementation of the audio and video recordings, including different requirements for large-scale and small-scale TNCs. A provision in a contract between a TNC and a driver or rider is declared void as against public policy if the provision attempts or purports to waive specified rights. The act requires that, on or before February 1, 2027, and on or before February 1 each year thereafter, a TNC shall submit specified data related to incidents involving safety and discrimination to the commission, the attorney general, and each member of the general assembly. The act requires a TNC to develop policies to:Prevent imposter drivers, account sharing, and account renting;Prevent sexual assault, physical assault, and homicide against or committed by the TNC's drivers;Prohibit the transportation of an unaccompanied youth who is under 15 years old unless the youth is part of a duly authorized family account;Allow a driver to refuse a prearranged ride to an individual who is not authorized to use the account requesting the prearranged ride;Notify and train drivers and riders of any updates to TNC safety policies;Prohibit drivers from offering, selling, or providing food or beverages that are not factory-sealed to riders;Require drivers to report information regarding a conviction of or a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to specified offenses; andPrevent crimes committed against drivers by riders. A TNC is prohibited from:Altering the rating a rider assigned to a driver or the rating a driver assigned to a rider on a TNC's digital platform;Assigning an automatic or default driver rating that the rider did not assign; orAssigning an automatic or default rider rating that the driver did not assign. A TNC may delete ratings or reviews that are plausibly motivated by fraud or bias. A TNC shall not consider negative ratings or reviews that are motivated by fraud or bias in a review of a driver for deactivation or an internal deactivation reconsideration. A TNC is prohibited from collecting biometric data or biometric identifiers from a driver or rider without first obtaining the consent of the driver or rider. If a TNC collects biometric data or biometric identifiers from a driver or rider, the TNC shall comply with specified provisions of the 'Colorado Privacy Act' regarding biometric data and biometric identifiers. A TNC that violates the act may be assessed a civil penalty of not more than $1,500 per violation.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act creates the 'Colorado Artist Company Act', which authorizes a person in the state to create a limited liability company with a stated artistic mission (artist company), which artist company is subject to state law applicable to limited liability companies except where specified in the act. An artist company must state its artistic mission in its articles of organization or operating agreement and be formed and owned by one or more individuals that create works of authorship or artistic expression comprising written, oral, visual, graphic, literary, musical, audiovisual, digital, or performing art in any medium (artists). Artists must own not less than 51% of all voting securities of the artist company at all times (required ownership percentage). A limited liability company that meets the required ownership percentage may elect to become an artist company by amending its articles of organization or its operating agreement to state its artistic mission and by complying with certain other requirements. A person may form an artist company by filing with the Colorado secretary of state articles of organization. The articles of organization may specify certain ownership, governance, artistic work distribution, tax treatment, and dissolution structures. An artist company may accept capital in any form and its members and managers have certain duties specified in the artist company's articles of organization or operating agreement along with the duties imposed by state law applicable to limited liability companies. Members of an artist company may assign or exclusively license intellectual property to an artist company as an in-kind capital contribution. An artist company's articles of organization or operating agreement may require artist-members to assign or exclusively license to the artist company artistic work created during membership that relates to the artistic mission of the artist company. An artist company's articles of organization or operating agreement may provide for certain procedures and terms regarding the admission and departure of members. An artist company may elect at formation, or at the time of election to become an artist company, to be a public benefit artist company (public benefit artist company) by stating in its articles of organization or operating agreement, if any, that it is a public benefit artist company and setting forth in its articles of organization or operating agreement, if any, one or more specific public benefits to be promoted by the artist company. The members and managers of a public benefit artist company are subject to certain additional duties. A public benefit artist company must provide its members and donors with an annual statement specifying certain information as to the public benefits and artistic mission of the public benefit artist company. Upon the dissolution of an artist company or public benefit artist company, artistic work assigned or licensed by artist-members to the artist company or created by artist-members of the artist company reverts to the artist-member, except as specified in the articles of organization or operating agreement and subject to certain security interests, licenses, and obligations. After giving effect to artistic work reversionary rights, the assets of the artist company must be distributed in accordance with the articles of organization or operating agreement or, if not specified in the articles of organization or operating agreement, pro rata to members based on ownership percentages. $93,878 is appropriated from the department of state cash fund to the department of state. To implement this act, the department of state may use the appropriation as follows:$5,478 for use by the business and licensing division for personal services; and$88,400 for use by the information technology division for personal services.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Surveillance data is defined in the act as data that is obtained through observation, inference, or surveillance of consumers or workers and that is related to personal characteristics, online behaviors, or biometrics of an individual or group, band, class, or tier to which the individual belongs. The definition of 'worker' in the act excludes federal and state employees and employees of public entities. The act prohibits discrimination against a consumer or worker resulting from the use of a price or wage setting algorithm (PWSA) that uses statistical modeling, data analytics, artificial intelligence, or other data processing techniques to analyze surveillance data, the output of which is a substantial factor in:Individualized price setting used to determine the amount charged to a consumer; orIndividualized wage setting used to determine the wage offered to a worker. The act specifies activities that are not individualized price or wage setting, as well as exemptions from the prohibition on price or wage setting. A person has not engaged in individualized price setting if the person can demonstrate, as described in the act, that differential prices are:Based on differences in the cost in providing a good or service to different consumers, such as delivery distance or temporal differences, such as ride or delivery time;Based on publicly disclosed eligibility criteria to all persons that meet the criteria, such as consumers purchasing in volume, or to all members of a broadly defined group of consumers, such as teachers;Afforded on equal terms to all participants in a loyalty, membership, or rewards program or are offered in response to a consumer complaint, service disruption, request for account cancellation, or similar reason;Offered pursuant to a specified needs-based discount program for reduced pricing related to income or financial need, such as hospital discounted care;Based on a subscription or other continuous agreement that includes a monthly or other recurring price that was not informed by a PWSA; orBased on a refusal to extend credit on specific terms or to enter into a financial transaction based on a consumer's data in a consumer report or data required as part of the application for the financial transaction. A person has not engaged in individualized wage setting if the person can demonstrate, as described in the act, that the person offers individualized wages based solely on data specific to an individual worker that is directly related to worker seniority or the tasks the worker was required to perform, and the person discloses to the worker before hiring, and to all workers whose wages are set in whole or in part by a PWSA, what data is considered and how the PWSA considers the data. A person that uses a PWSA shall develop and publish reasonable procedures to ensure the accuracy of all data considered by the PWSA, for workers to request and receive information about what data is collected, and to correct or challenge data considered by a PWSA. A violation of the prohibition against individualized price or wage setting is a deceptive trade practice under the 'Colorado Consumer Protection Act' and is subject to the enforcement provisions and remedies provided in that act.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law provides for a diploma endorsement of biliteracy by completing certain educational requirements in English in addition to a second language. The act changes the educational requirements for the biliteracy program and creates a diploma endorsement for bilingualism for graduating high school students. The act allows high school students in local education providers that do not offer the biliteracy or the bilingualism program to access the program through other local education providers or a state institution of higher education. If the student's local education provider does not offer and chooses not to establish a program that offers the endorsement that the student is seeking, the student's local education provider may enter into an agreement with another local education provider or state institution of higher education that offers the endorsement that the student is seeking. A local education provider or state institution of higher education may charge a fee to provide the diploma endorsement program. The fee must reflect the actual and indirect costs of running the diploma endorsement program. The enrolled student's local education provider must pay the fee on behalf of the student.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
In current law, a person who is a member of the Colorado National Guard who is accepted for enrollment at a designated institution of higher education (member) has all their tuition costs waived. All tuition waiver costs are currently funded by the state from money in the Colorado National Guard tuition fund. The act changes the funding mechanism of the Colorado National Guard tuition waiver program by requiring each designated institution of higher education to waive the remaining balance of a member's tuition cost in excess of the amount of any private, state, or federal financial assistance received. The act requires the department of military and veterans affairs to reimburse each institution for 50% of the cost of tuition waived by the institution and requires the general assembly to appropriate money to the Colorado National Guard tuition fund to cover the reimbursement.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act allows an injured person to bring a cause of action for claims of injury caused by sexual orientation or gender identity change efforts (efforts) against a licensed mental health professional and allows the cause of action to be commenced at any time without limitation. Specifically, the act applies to a civil cause of action brought against a licensed mental health professional who seeks to direct a patient toward a predetermined sexual orientation or gender identity outcome or eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of a particular sex or gender. The act permits the injured individual, or the individual's personal representative or estate if the individual is deceased, to recover economic, noneconomic, and exemplary damages, and any other damages deemed appropriate by the court. A cause of action may be brought as a survival action within 5 years after the death of the person who underwent efforts.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act extends the availability of the conservation easement tax credit from income tax year 2031 through income tax year 2036. The act also prohibits the division of conservation from issuing any additional credit certificates or amending previously issued credit certificates as a result of the additional authority granted by the act for a donation made prior to the effective date of the act.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Beginning July 1, 2026, act requires the county treasurer to provide notice of delinquent property taxes on a mobile home written in English and Spanish, and to include a statement explaining how and where a mobile home owner may obtain language translation or interpretation services. The county treasurer is required to provide the multilingual notice by mail and by personal service to the mobile home owner at the mobile home. The act modifies the process for collection of delinquent property taxes on a mobile home by allowing a county treasurer, at their discretion, to sell a tax lien on a mobile home, strike off a tax lien to the county, or determine the taxes to be uncollectible and recommend cancellation to the board of county commissioners. A tax lien must be sold in accordance with the provisions for tax lien sales on real property. The act extends the redemption period for mobile home owners whose property is subject to a tax lien to any time within 3 years from the date of the tax lien sale, or at any time before the execution of a certificate of ownership to the mobile home. Like a real property owner, an individual who both owns a mobile home and is a person with a legal disability at the time a certificate of ownership to the mobile home is issued is also allowed an extended redemption period of up to 9 years from the issuance of a certificate of ownership to their mobile home. If the mobile home owner has not exercised the right of redemption at least 3 years from the date of the tax lien sale, the purchaser or lawful holder of the certificate of purchase may apply for public auction of a certificate of option for treasurer's certificate of ownership to the mobile home, using the same procedures used for issuance of a treasurer's deed to real property. Any surplus resulting from the public auction that is deemed overbid proceeds must be disbursed to the persons entitled to receive them by law. The act specifies that if a mobile home that is subject to a tax lien or stricken off to the county is located on real property that is not owned by the mobile home owner, then the underlying landowner has a right of first refusal to pay the delinquent taxes owed on the mobile home and all other fees, costs, and expenses incurred by the county treasurer in connection with the tax lien sale process and obtain a certificate of purchase for a tax lien on the mobile home; except that an owner of a mobile home park does not have a right of first refusal unless the owner is an association of mobile home owners. If an underlying landowner exercises this right, no tax lien will be sold or stricken off to the county. When a tax lien is stricken off to the county under certain circumstances, the act allows the most recent mobile home owner to redeem the mobile home after 1 year but no later than 3 years from the date of strike off by paying the amount of delinquent taxes plus interest, fees, and costs. If a mobile home is not redeemed, and after notice to the last-known owner and any lienholder of record, the treasurer or county assessor may declare the mobile home abandoned, remove the mobile home from the county tax roll, and authorize the removal and disposal of the mobile home; except that, if an occupant of a mobile home establishes proof of ownership, the most recent mobile home owner has only a 1 year redemption period, after which the treasurer may issue the occupant a certificate of ownership for the mobile home.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)