The act clarifies when a teacher may conclude that an early elementary school student has a significant reading deficiency requiring remediation through a specialized approach to instruction (READ plan) based on a body of evidence that includes information in addition to the student's scores on a reading assessment. Current law requires certain parental communications in connection with a student's READ plan. The act requires the addition of specific information regarding characteristics of dyslexia, if applicable, to the parental communications. Beginning no later than the 2027-28 school year, a local education provider must either develop its own screening process for identifying early elementary school students with characteristics of dyslexia or implement a universal dyslexia screener that conforms to certain new requirements. A local education provider that implements a screener may include the screener in an interim reading assessment or administer the screener separately from the interim assessment. Either way, the screener must accurately and reliably identify students at risk of reading difficulties. If an interim reading assessment includes a screener, the assessment must meet standards for validity and reliability, encourage data-driven instructional decision making, and promote efficient administration and effective follow-up. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Sponsored bills
The act: Amends the definition of "employer" for purposes of wage and hour laws to include an individual who owns or controls at least 25% of the ownership interest in an employer; Prohibits an employer from making a payroll deduction below a worker's applicable minimum wage; Allows the director of the division of labor standards and statistics (division) to waive the penalty for an employer's failure to pay claimed wages or compensation within 14 days after a written demand if certain specified conditions are met; and Requires a court to find that an employee pursued a wage claim that lacked substantial justification before awarding an employer reasonable costs and attorney fees in a civil action for unpaid wages or compensation. In such an action, the court may pursue all equitable relief to deter future violations and prevent unjust enrichment. Current law limits the ability of the director of the division to adjudicate claims for nonpayment of wages or compensation to $7,500 or less. The act increases this threshold over the years by increasing the maximum amount to $13,000 for claims filed from July 1, 2026, through December 31, 2027, and in an amount specified by the director of the division to adjust for inflation beginning January 1, 2028. The act also requires the division, in adjudicating wage claims, to determine whether a violation is willful. For each violation: The director shall publish on the division's website the names of all employers found to be in violation and whether the violation was willful; and If the violation was willful and is not remedied within 60 days after the division's finding that there was a violation, the division must notify all government bodies with the authority to deny, withdraw, or otherwise limit or impose remedial conditions on the employer's license, permit, registration, or other credential of the unremedied willful violation. Additionally, the division may report an employer found to have violated a law related to wages and hours to any government body with authority to deny, withdraw, or otherwise limit or impose remedial conditions on the employer's license, permit, registration, or other credential. The act also repeals language requiring the division to issue a determination on a wage complaint within 90 days and clarifies that a city or county may enact and enforce wage laws within the city or county's jurisdiction. An employer found to have misclassified an employee as a nonemployee must pay a fine in the following amounts, in addition to any other relief ordered: For a willful violation, $5,000; For a violation not remedied within 60 days after the division's finding, $10,000; For a second or subsequent willful violation within 5 years, $25,000; or For a second or subsequent willful violation not remedied within 60 days after the division's finding, $50,000. The director of the division must adjust these fine amounts for inflation by January 1, 2028, and every other year thereafter. The act also decreases the amount of time the division must wait before paying an employee out of the wage theft enforcement fund from 6 months to 120 days. Current law prohibits an employer from discriminating or retaliating against an employee for taking protection under wage and hour laws or the law related to the employment of minors. The act expands this provision to specify additional protected behavior and expands the prohibition to include other persons in addition to employers. The act also: Requires a fact finder to consider the time between an individual's exercise of a protected activity and an employer's adverse action when determining whether an employer has retaliated against the employee or worker; Specifies that it is a violation to use an individual's immigration status to discriminate or retaliate against an employee or worker who has engaged in protected activity; and Allows the division to order reasonable attorney fees and costs after investigating a discrimination or retaliation claim. Between August 1, 2027, and October 1, 2027, the division must report to the joint budget committee on its progress in implementing the act. In state fiscal year 2025-26, $328,210 is appropriated to the department of labor and employment for use by the division to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act directs the Colorado disability opportunity office to develop a comprehensive community integration plan (plan) for implementing its obligation to provide qualified individuals with disabilities with opportunities to live, work, and be served in the least restrictive settings possible. The act requires the plan to include specified elements and that the plan must be reviewed and updated every 3 years. The act establishes that public and governmental entities (entities) shall administer services, programs, and activities in the most integrated setting that is appropriate to the needs of individuals with disabilities. The act establishes when entities are required to provide home- and community-based services (services) to qualified individuals with disabilities. If an entity cuts services, the act requires the entity to assess whether the service cut increases the risk of institutionalization for qualified individuals with a disability receiving services. An entity is not required to comply with the provisions of the act if it can establish that doing so would require a fundamental alteration of its program. The act does not create a new private right of action for entities that fail to comply with it and does not create a standard different than federal law. The bill appropriates $658,410 from the disability support fund to the department of labor and employment for the Colorado disability opportunity office to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
In the 2024 regular legislative session, the general assembly enacted Senate Bill 24-005, concerning the conservation of water in the state through the prohibition of certain landscaping practices, which: Prohibits a local entity, on and after January 1, 2026, from installing, planting, or placing, or allowing any person to install, plant, or place, any nonfunctional turf, nonfunctional artificial turf, or invasive plant species, as part of a new development project or redevelopment project, on applicable property within the local entity's jurisdiction; and Requires a local entity, on or before January 1, 2026, to enact or amend its laws regulating new development projects and redevelopment projects on applicable property in accordance with the new requirements. The act expands the definition of "applicable property" to include a multifamily residential housing premises property that includes more than 12 dwelling units (applicable residential real property). The act prohibits a local entity, on and after January 1, 2028, from installing, planting, or placing, or allowing a person to install, plant, or place, any nonfunctional turf, nonfunctional artificial turf, or invasive plant species, as part of a new development project or redevelopment project, on applicable properties that include multifamily residential housing premises property. The act also requires each local entity with land use planning and zoning authority to enact or amend, on or before January 1, 2028, its laws regulating new development projects and redevelopment projects to regulate the installation of nonfunctional turf and include consideration of applicable residential real property. The act also requires each local entity with land use planning and zoning authority to enact or amend, on or before January 1, 2028, its laws regulating new development projects and redevelopment projects within the local entity's jurisdiction to regulate the installation of turf to reduce irrigation water demand for all residential real property that is not applicable residential real property. Local entities must also regulate the installation of turf when enacting or amending its laws on and after January 1, 2028, to reduce irrigation water demand for all residential real property that is not applicable residential real property. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act establishes a definition of "mobile food establishment" to mean a retail food establishment that is operated from a vehicle, can change location, and is intended to operate from a commissary kitchen. The act establishes a reciprocal food safety license between the city and county of Denver (Denver) and other local governments throughout the state. The department of public health and environment (CDPHE) issues a statewide health department license (state license) based on the state health code to mobile food establishments that is valid in all local government jurisdictions throughout the state except for Denver. Denver issues a Denver-specific retail food license (Denver license) to mobile food establishments that is based on Denver's health code and that is only valid within Denver's jurisdiction. The act establishes reciprocity between these two licenses so that the state license is valid in Denver and the Denver license is valid across the state. The act requires the owner or operator of a mobile food establishment that wishes to take advantage of this reciprocity to provide a copy of either their Denver license or the state license to the local government in which they intend to operate or to Denver at least 14 days in advance of when they intend to operate. When a mobile food establishment is operating in a local government jurisdiction, including Denver's jurisdiction, the mobile food establishment must comply with all laws of the local government and is subject to inspection and enforcement by the local government. For a mobile food establishment with a state license that intends to operate in Denver, the mobile food establishment must submit certain documentation including, if requested, a summary of any violations within the previous calendar year related to the license or the operation of the mobile food establishment. The act also establishes that a fire safety permit that has been issued to a mobile food establishment by a local government is valid in any other local government jurisdiction if the fire safety permit was issued: By a local government that has adopted the most recent international fire code or a fire code that has incorporated the minimum standards for mobile food establishments developed by the division of fire prevention and control; and After completing an inspection by a certified fire inspector. The act requires that a mobile food establishment send a copy of the fire safety permit to the local government in which they intend to operate at least 14 days in advance of operation. While operating in a local government's jurisdiction, the mobile food establishment must comply with that local government's fire safety code and is subject to inspection and enforcement by the local government. The act authorizes the division of fire prevention and control to adopt minimum codes and standards for the operation of mobile retail food establishments for use by local governments. The act takes effect January 1, 2026. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act continues the department of agriculture's (department) oversight of the "Commodity Handler and Farm Products Act" for 7 years, until 2032. The act also increases the limit for qualifying as a "small-volume dealer" from $20,000 of farm products or commodities purchased per year to $45,000. The act permits the commissioner of agriculture (commissioner) to periodically adjust the small volume dealer limit. The act explicitly excludes marijuana from the definition of "commodity" under the "Commodity Handler and Farm Products Act". Under current law, civil penalties collected by the department are deposited into the inspection and consumer services cash fund (fund). The act requires those civil penalties to be transferred to the general fund rather than the department's fund. Under current law, a dealer or commodity handler must file a bond or irrevocable letter of credit (bond or credit) with the commissioner. The bond or credit is intended to cover any claims of injury submitted by a producer or owner against the dealer or commodity handler. The act prohibits a producer or owner from submitting a claim and collecting reimbursement from the bond or credit if the producer or owner is also the owner of at least 5% of the voting shares of the dealer or commodity handler or the dealer's or commodity handler's parent company. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act extends the availability of the advanced industry investment tax credit (credit), which can be claimed by a qualified investor that makes a qualified investment in a qualified small business that is in an advanced industry, from December 31, 2026, through December 31, 2031. The act expands the definition of "qualified investment" by eliminating prohibitions against a qualified investor having more than 30% of the voting power in a qualified small business before the investor makes a qualified investment in the qualified small business and more than 49% of the voting power in a qualified small business after making a qualified investment in the qualified small business. The act changes the definition of "qualified investor" by clarifying that an entity subject to income tax may qualify as an investor; except that a C corporation, including any limited liability or other legal entity treated as a C corporation for federal and state income tax purposes, is not a qualified investor. A qualified investor may include a partner, shareholder, or beneficiary that is allocated a credit, but does not include: A person that had control of a qualified small business for 6 months preceding or following the date of the investment in the qualified small business; A founder, employee, or contractor or a spouse of a founder, employee, or contractor of a qualified small business; A person that has invested more than $50,000 in the qualified small business or owns more than 10% of the qualified small business on a fully diluted basis. The act authorizes the Colorado office of economic development (office), which administers the credit, to certify a small business as a qualified small business through October 1, 2031. A small business certified as a qualified small business must report to the office as requested to confirm the certified small business's status as a qualified small business. The office may require a qualified small business to provide information to confirm that a qualified investment has been made in the qualified small business, the intended use of the qualified investment, and the expected number of new employees that will be hired by the qualified small business as a result of the qualified investment. A qualified small business that receives a qualified investment is required to report data relevant to the impact of the credit and development of the qualified small business annually to the office for 5 years following a qualified investment. The office may assess a penalty against a qualified small business that does not meet this reporting requirement. The office may issue $4 million in credits per calendar year for the years through the 2026 calendar year for which the credit is currently available. The act decreases the cap to $2.5 million per calendar year beginning with the 2027 calendar year through the 2031 calendar year. If the qualified investor receiving a credit is a trust, the qualified investor may allocate the credit between the trust and its beneficiaries in any manner determined by the trust. The office shall issue a credit certificate to a trust beneficiary and a trust beneficiary may claim the amount indicated on the credit certificate. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law requires a party petitioning the court for dissolution of marriage or legal separation (petition) to disclose to the court the existence of any prior temporary or permanent restraining orders and civil protection orders, any mandatory restraining orders and protection orders, and any emergency protection orders entered against either party within 2 years prior to the filing of the petition. The act extends the time frame for the disclosure of any orders entered to within 5 years prior to the filing of the petition. In a proceeding for spousal maintenance, current law requires the court to consider a list of relevant factors. The act adds to the list of factors whether a spouse has engaged in domestic violence, coercive control, economic abuse, litigation abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, or unlawful sexual behavior against the other spouse. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act eliminates the requirement for a second election to negotiate a union security agreement clause in the collective bargaining process. VETOED by Governor 5/16/2025(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act amends the "Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Act" and the "Colorado Land Reclamation Act for the Extraction of Construction Materials" to: Contemplate the expedited issuance of reclamation-only permits to persons desiring to conduct reclamation-only operations after September 1, 2025, on less than 5 acres; and Update restrictions and requirements concerning the posting and forfeiture of financial warranties relating to mine reclamation projects. The act prohibits the office of mined land reclamation from issuing a reclamation-only permit to a mining operation at which: Toxic or acidic chemicals used in extractive metallurgical processing are present on site; Acid- or toxic-forming materials will be exposed or disturbed as a result of mining operations; or Uranium is developed or extracted, either by in situ leach mining or by conventional underground or open mining techniques. The act also enacts the "Interstate Mining Compact" and ratifies Colorado's membership in the associated Interstate Mining Commission. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)