Section 2 of the act prohibits a person that is licensed by the Colorado limited gaming control commission (commission) to operate an internet sports betting operation (internet sports betting operator) from:Accepting more than 6 separate deposits from an individual in a gaming day; orInitiating or sending mobile device push notifications or text messages to account holders in the state soliciting bets or deposits. Section 3:Prohibits a sports betting operation or its marketing affiliate from targeting, or creating advertising content that is clearly meant for, persons under 21 years old or from advertising on media for which the majority of the demographic audience is reasonably expected to be under 21 years old; andRequires an internet sports betting operator, on an annual basis, to provide to the division of gaming in the department of revenue (division) data and metrics related to the operator's sports betting operation for the preceding calendar year. The division must compile the data into a public report every 3 years starting on January 1, 2029. Section 4 prohibits an internet sports betting operator from accepting deposits using a credit card in connection with the acceptance of a sports bet (prohibition). A violation of the prohibition constitutes a class 2 misdemeanor. Section 5 allows the commission to assess a maximum penalty of $25,000 against a violator of the prohibition. Section 6 requires that the amount of money annually transferred from the sports betting fund (fund) to the water plan implementation cash fund is no less than the amount transferred to the water plan implementation cash fund in the previous state fiscal year. $124,623 is appropriated from the legal services cash fund to the department of law to provide legal services to the department of revenue in implementing the act. The appropriation is from revenue received from the department of revenue that is continuously appropriated to the department of revenue from the fund.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
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The act allows off-campus courses to be included in concurrent enrollment programs when the off-campus courses meet the requirements for concurrent enrollment programs and the requirements of an accrediting agency recognized by the United States department of education. The act provides that additional concurrent enrollment courses shall not be approved after July 1, 2028 unless the general assembly indicates in a footnote in the general appropriations act that the department of education (department) has sufficient funding for course and audit oversight requirements to allow approval of additional concurrent enrollment courses. For the 2026-27 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $66,056 from the general fund to the department and reduces the general fund appropriation for the college opportunity fund program by $80,178 with a corresponding decrease in reappropriated funds for the regents of the university of Colorado.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires each local law enforcement agency, on or before September 1, 2026, to register for the United States bureau of alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and explosives national electronic tracing system and transmit to the electronic tracing system information about each firearm it recovers or confiscates within 90 days after recovery or confiscation of a firearm, subject to certain exceptions.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Current law states that a child or youth named in a petition related to dependency and neglect proceedings is a party to the proceedings and has a right to attend and fully participate in all hearings related to the case. The act affirms that as a party to the proceedings, the child or youth has legal standing regarding all matters related to the child's or youth's interests and the right to have the child's or youth's interests fully represented by the guardian ad litem or counsel for youth throughout the proceedings, including appeals. If a county department of human or social services (county department) seeks dismissal of a petition prior to the adjudicatory hearing and the child or youth, through the child's or youth's guardian ad litem or counsel for youth, objects to the dismissal and articulates a basis upon which the child is abused or neglected, the court shall set a hearing to determine whether or not the county department has a reasonable basis to dismiss the case. If the court determines that the county department shows a reasonable basis for dismissal, the court shall dismiss the case. If the county department does not show a reasonable basis to dismiss the case, the court must allow the case to proceed.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act redirects a portion of certain vehicle registration fees to increase the amount of revenue that is directed to the Colorado DRIVES vehicle services account (DRIVES account) created in the highway users tax fund (HUTF). Beginning on July 1, 2026, the act redirects fees for special vehicle registrations for personalized license plates from the HUTF to the DRIVES account; except that, consistent with current law, $2 of each fee is remitted to the county general fund. Beginning on July 1, 2027, the act redirects $2 of each late vehicle registration fee from the HUTF to the DRIVES account and, consistent with current law, credits the remainder of the fees to the HUTF.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
On or before December 31, 2027, the act requires the department of higher education (department) to establish thriving institution designations and, on or before January 1, 2027, to establish an advisory committee to provide input to the department on the outcome and recognition standards and continuous improvements set by the department to identify institutions of higher education (institutions) that meet the requirements for one or more thriving institution designations. The act requires the department, with input from the advisory committee, to:Identify institutions that meet the outcome and recognition standards to be designated as a thriving institution;Notify each institution that meets the outcome standards to be designated as a thriving institution and request the institution to respond within 10 calendar days with the institution's decision of whether to be recognized as a thriving institution;Post on the department's website the names of the institutions that earn a thriving institution designation and agree to be listed as a thriving institution; andNotify the general assembly of the names of the institutions that are recognized as thriving institutions.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act requires the executive director of the Colorado department of early childhood (CDEC) to adopt rules concerning the requirements for licensed child care facilities to maintain up-to-date employee records in the professional development information system currently administered by CDEC. The act requires CDEC, on or before July 1, 2026, to begin phasing out its reliance on third parties to investigate and inspect facilities applying for certain types of child care licenses where feasible and to prioritize the use of CDEC personnel to conduct the investigations and inspections instead. The act exempts certain health and sanitation inspections from the phase-out. CDEC must establish standardized training, protocols, and supervision for CDEC personnel and authorized or contracted third parties. A local governing authority that imposes requirements related to the inspection, permitting, licensing, or approval of a child care center or family child care home beyond the state-level licensing standards (local approval process) shall limit associated fees and prioritize concluding a local approval process that has been delayed or disputed. The act creates the child care licensure task force (task force) to study and report on recommendations for a streamlined child care licensure system in the state. On or before January 1, 2027, the task force must report on its recommendations to the health and human services and education committees of the house of representatives and the senate, the governor, and CDEC. The performance of the task force's work is dependent upon the receipt of sufficient gifts, grants, and donations.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
When the prison bed vacancy rate in correctional facilities and state-funded private contract prisons falls below 3% for 30 consecutive days, current law requires the department of corrections (department) to notify certain individuals and entities (notification) and implement prison population management measures. The act increases the threshold prison bed vacancy rate to 4% before the prison population management measures to go into effect. The act includes additional individuals and entities that are required to receive the notification and requires the notification to occur within 48 hours of the vacancy rate falling below 4% for 30 consecutive days. The act requires the individuals and entities that receive the notification to acknowledge receipt of the notification and confirm compliance with the prison population management measures. The act requires additional prison population management measures, including requiring the department to request expanding community corrections capacity and make referrals to the parole board, and requiring notified individuals and entities to consider alternatives to prison sentences for certain offenders. The act appropriates $303,812 to the department to implement the act. The act decreases the appropriation for the 2026-27 state fiscal year to the department for inmate daily rate payments to local jails by $478,778.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Under current law, a member of the public employees' retirement association (PERA) earns service credit for each year worked during which the member makes contributions to PERA. A member may purchase additional years of service credit for any previous period of public or private employment during which the member was not making contributions to PERA, subject to certain conditions. The act allows a member of PERA to also purchase service credit for previous periods of unemployment during which the member was 21 years old or older, subject to certain conditions. The act requires PERA's voluntary investment program to include options for an employee to make tax-deferred voluntary contributions and Roth voluntary contributions. The act requires PERA employers to affiliate with PERA's deferred compensation plan and requires PERA employers to offer the deferred compensation plan to employees. The deferred compensation plan must include options for an employee to make pre-tax voluntary contributions and Roth voluntary contributions.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
The act extends the repeal date of the open educational resources grant program and the Colorado open educational resources council (council) to November 1, 2031. The act increases representation from public institutions of higher education on the council from 12 to 15 members. The act extends the requirement for the department of higher education (department) to prepare and submit an annual report regarding open educational resources to December 31, 2031. The act appropriates $275,000 to the department for use by the Colorado commission on higher education and higher education special purpose programs.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)