Sen. Tom Sullivan

Maddy summaryHJR 1017 is a joint resolution urging the federal government to fulfill its obligations under the 1986 Colorado Ute Indian Water Rights Settlement Agreement. It specifically calls for action to address infrastructure gaps affecting two tribes: the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute Tribes, who have settled water rights but cannot access or use them due to missing pipelines (e.g., from Lake Nighthorse) and deteriorating irrigation systems (like the PRIIP, requiring $126 million in repairs). The resolution highlights federal failures to fund operations, maintain infrastructure, and enable tribes to utilize their legally secured water for agriculture, municipal use, and economic development. As a procedural resolution, it does not create new law but formally requests federal action to resolve these longstanding barriers.

March 31 is currently known as 'Cesar Chavez Day' and may be voluntarily observed as a state legal holiday. The act repeals 'Cesar Chavez Day' and changes this voluntary legal holiday for March 31, 2026, and March 31, 2027, to instead be known as 'Farm Workers Day'.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act prohibits the discharge of plastic pellets and other preproduction plastic materials through land application or into state waters, wastewater, storm water runoff, or other runoff by a facility that makes, uses, packages, or transports plastic pellets or other preproduction plastic materials in the state.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act prohibits sterilization of a person with an intellectual and developmental disability without the person's informed consent if the person has decision-making capacity. The act prohibits sterilization of a person with an intellectual and developmental disability without the person's informed consent if the person does not have decision-making capacity, except in accordance with processes in existing law that allow another person with legal authority to make medical decisions for the person to consent on the person's behalf.     The act repeals provisions that:Explain what happens when there is a disagreement about whether an adult with an intellectual and developmental disability is capable of consenting to sterilization;Set forth a process for a person to petition a court for, and a court to order, sterilization of a person with an intellectual and developmental disability who either cannot consent or is a minor; andRequire all records, hearings, and proceedings related to a decision to sterilize a person with an intellectual and developmental disability to remain confidential.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act amends the law and adds new provisions to law relating to access to vaccines as follows:     For the cervical cancer vaccine: (Sections 3 and 14)Updates insurance coverage statutes to refer to the vaccine as the human papillomavirus vaccine, rather than the cervical cancer vaccine; Recognizes coverage for both women and men;Authorizes the commissioner of insurance to adopt coverage rules for the vaccine if the advisory committee on immunization practices to the centers for disease control in the federal department of health and human services (ACIP) no longer recommends the vaccine; andUpdates language in the cervical cancer immunization program to define the cervical cancer vaccine as the human papillomavirus vaccine and to refer in the program to underinsured minors, rather than just uninsured female minors, since both male and female minors receive the vaccine;     Under Colorado law, a naturopathic doctor must provide a parent or legal guardian with a copy of the most recent schedule of immunizations recommended by the ACIP. The act removes references to ACIP and requires a naturopathic doctor to refer patients to a schedule of immunizations established by rule of the state board of health (board of health) (Sections 4 and 5);     The act authorizes pharmacists to exercise independent prescriptive authority for vaccines and requires the state board of pharmacy to review and repeal record-keeping rules for vaccines (Sections 6 and 7);     In the context of vaccines required for school entry, updates vaccine-related liability limitation provisions to limit liability for injuries if the vaccine was administered to a child of any age according to the schedule of immunizations established by the board of health or to ACIP's schedule referenced in Colorado law (Section 8);     The act also does the following:Directs the board of health, in adopting rules addressing which vaccines are to be administered to infants, to consider the recommendations of ACIP, as well as the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics and other similar entities (Section 9);Removes the prohibition on the use of state money for infant immunization programs if the state does not receive federal money for the infant immunization programs, and requires any additional general fund money for the programs to be appropriated through the annual state budget process or emergency supplemental process (Section 10);For claims brought on or before January 30, 2029, adds pharmacies, manufacturers, and wholesalers to liability limitation provisions for hospitals, clinics, and other providers relating to the handling, storage, and distribution of vaccines for infants. Manufacturer and wholesaler liability limitation provisions are removed from the law for claims brought on or after January 31, 2029 (Section 11).Authorizes the department of public health and environment to consider vaccines adopted by the board of health by rule, recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics and other similar entities, in addition to ACIP, in recommending the purchase of vaccines, sending notifications concerning overdue vaccines and vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks, and when considering equivalent vaccines (Section 12).     The act creates the 'Adult Immunization Act' (act), which applies to individuals at least eighteen years old. A person that administers a vaccine or other immunizing agent to an adult is not liable for civil damages for injury or death of an adult caused by a vaccine or immunizing agent if:The vaccine or immunizing agent was administered according to the schedule of immunizations establish by the board of health by rule, after considering recommendations from ACIP, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and other similar entities;There were no medical contraindications; and The vaccine or immunizing agent was administered in accordance with generally accepted clinical methods.     For claims brought on or before January 30, 2029, against a hospital, clinic, pharmacy, manufacturer, wholesaler, or provider arising from injuries resulting from the handling, storage, or distribution of vaccines, there is no liability unless the injuries are the result of the negligent failure of an employee of the hospital, clinic, pharmacy, or manufacturer, wholesaler, or provider to conform to recognized standards to protect public health. Manufacturer and wholesaler liability protections are removed from the law for claims brought on or after January 31, 2029 (Section 15).     The act authorizes the department of health care policy and financing to purchase for the children's basic health plan vaccines that are recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other similar entities, in addition to those recommended by ACIP (Section 16).(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Maddy summaryThis bill is a House Joint Resolution that formally recognizes Latino/a Advocacy Day in Colorado, an annual event celebrating two decades of Latino/a community engagement in state policy-making. The resolution honors the contributions of Latinas and Latinos to Colorado's political history and acknowledges participants who travel to the state capitol to advocate for equitable treatment of Latino/a communities. It directs copies of the resolution to the organizations that convene the event, the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights and Voces Unidas de las Montanas. The measure does not create new laws or policies but serves as a ceremonial acknowledgment of the Latino/a community's role in Colorado's democracy.

Maddy summaryThis bill officially designates a specific section of Arapahoe Road in Boulder County, Colorado, as the "Road of Remembrance" to honor local World War I veterans. It authorizes the Colorado Department of Transportation to accept donations for placing commemorative signs along the road and to explore agreements with Boulder County for maintaining those signs. The legislation also acknowledges the historical significance of the nearby stone pillars, known as the Gateway, which were originally built in 1928 to mark the entrance to a planned memorial roadway that was never fully completed.

The act repeals the existing requirement that a paper certificate of title be used for specific vehicle transactions, thereby allowing the use of a certificate of title in an electronic format in all circumstances. Any party to a vehicle transaction may request either a paper or electronic version of a certificate of title.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act authorizes landlords to use a ratio utility billing system to allocate utility charges for a residential premises to individual tenants. The landlord may charge tenants a utility bill using a ratio utility billing system if the landlord meets certain requirements, such as:The aggregate amount billed to all tenants does not exceed the amount charged by the utility provider for service to the entire residential premises;The landlord does not apply a fee or other charge to the tenant in addition to the actual charges from the utility;The utility costs for common areas or shared facilities are excluded from the charges to the tenant; andThe landlord clearly discloses the method of allocation for the dwelling unit in the tenant's rental agreement.     For residential premises constructed with permits applied for on or after July 1, 2027, utility service must be metered directly by the utility provider or by a submeter.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The executive committee of the legislative council (executive committee) is authorized to adopt policies regarding the ability of members of the general assembly to remotely participate in interim committee meetings and in legislative proceedings during a disaster emergency. The act expands the executive committee's authority to adopt policies to allow remote participation in meetings of any joint committees comprised of members from both chambers that are held at any time of the year.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)