Sen. Faith Winter

Colorado statute states that a marriage is valid only if it is between one man and one woman. That provision has been unenforceable since the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges , 576 U.S. 644 (2015), in which the Court ruled that same-sex couples have a fundamental right to marry. The act repeals the provision.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Current law authorizes public hospitals with fewer than 50 beds to enter into collaborative agreements with other hospitals or hospital affiliates to engage in activities to increase access to health care. The act changes the law to allow public and private, nonprofit hospitals that are not owned by or affiliated with a health system that is comprised of 3 or more hospitals to enter into collaborative agreements. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act changes the definition of "operating costs" for purposes of reporting cost efficiency metrics by the regional transportation district from including depreciation and excluding costs incurred in long-term planning and development of mass transportation and rapid transit infrastructures and the costs incurred as a result of providing transportation services mandated by the federal "Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990" to instead include all operating expenditures, excluding depreciation. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Maddy summarySJR 25-008 designates March 3, 2025, as "Buy Colorado Day" (also called "303 Day") and March 3-10, 2025, as "Buy Colorado Week" to encourage Coloradans to support local businesses. The resolution urges residents to spend money at homegrown Colorado brands and enterprises, highlighting the state's diverse business community including restaurants, breweries, agricultural producers, and retailers. This symbolic measure has no legal force and serves as a recognition of Colorado's economic contributions, not a new policy or requirement. It directly affects all Coloradans by promoting a voluntary shift in consumer behavior toward local spending.

Maddy summarySJR 25-018 recognizes April 2025 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month and designates April 30, 2025, as Colorado Denim Day. The resolution symbolically supports the annual Denim Day observance, which began in Colorado in 2013, to raise awareness about sexual violence and honor the work of organizations like the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CCASA). It highlights ongoing challenges such as evidence kit backlogs and the need for survivor support services, without creating new laws or funding. This is a ceremonial resolution, not a policy change, aligning Colorado with the global Denim Day movement that uses wearing jeans to protest attitudes condoning sexual assault.

Maddy summaryThis symbolic resolution designates March 21 as "Single Parent Day in Colorado" to recognize single parents' efforts in raising children. It directly honors single parents across the state, referencing U.S. Census data showing over 10 million single-parent households nationwide. The resolution continues Colorado's recognition of the day, aligning with President Reagan's 1984 national declaration. It has no policy or funding provisions - it is purely a commemorative gesture without legal or financial impact.

The bill prohibits a peace officer from asking a driver or passenger if they know the reason for the traffic stop, and requires the peace officer to inform the driver of the reason for the traffic stop unless it is unreasonable under the totality of the circumstances. A peace officer's failure to comply with the bill is not grounds for exclusion of evidence or dismissal of a charge.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 25-008 designates March 31 of each year as "Transgender Day of Visibility" in Colorado. The resolution commits the Colorado Senate to defending transgender rights in health care, education, employment, housing, and civic participation while acknowledging Colorado's historical role in providing gender-affirming care. It also expresses solidarity with transgender people and other marginalized groups facing rights challenges. This symbolic resolution does not create new laws or funding but serves as a formal public affirmation of support for transgender Coloradans.

Section 20 of article X of the state constitution (TABOR) requires the maximum annual percentage change in state fiscal year spending to equal inflation plus the percentage change in state population in the prior calendar year adjusted for revenue changes approved by voters. Although TABOR does not specify how the state shall determine the percentage change in state population (population growth), the TABOR implementing statutes do. For years in which there is not a decennial census, the TABOR implementing statutes required the state to calculate population growth by determining the percentage change between: The federal census bureau's estimate of state population (census estimate) for the previous calendar year, as of December in the current calendar year; and The census estimate for the current calendar year, as of December in the current calendar year. This method for calculating population growth can lead to either double-counting or under-counting of population changes in census estimates. If the federal census bureau revises a census estimate upward for a given year, population growth will be understated and the fiscal year spending limit will be lower. The opposite is true if the federal census bureau revises a census estimate downward. In either case, under this method for calculating population growth, population growth would be measured inaccurately. The act adjusts the method of calculating population growth. Under the act, population growth is calculated by determining the percentage change between: The census estimate, as of December in the previous calendar year, for the previous calendar year; and The census estimate, as of December in the current calendar year, for the current calendar year. This approach prevents double-counting or under-counting population changes as a result of revised census estimates and results in a more accurate measurement of population growth. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act expands the definition of an anti-growth law, which local governmental entities are generally prohibited from enacting or enforcing, to include a generally applicable land use law that, in census urban areas as defined by the United States census bureau, explicitly decreases the permitted residential density or residential uses of land to a lower residential density or fewer residential uses than were allowed by the land's usage and zoning as of July 1, 2025, without ensuring a corresponding increase of residential density or residential uses elsewhere in the jurisdiction. The act provides that certain limitations on anti-growth laws do not apply to land that contains or is directly adjacent to a wildlife crossing structure. The act also permits a municipality to seek a judicial determination as to the legality of a proposed municipal initiative for a land use ordinance that restricts or limits the development or use of land that is submitted to the legislative body of the municipality, allows the owners of a property that is specifically subject to the proposed ordinance and persons designated as representing the petition proponents to intervene in the proceeding, and tolls the period within which the municipality is required to adopt the proposed initiated ordinance or call an election during the pendency of the judicial determination. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)