Sen. Tom Sullivan

During the 2024 general election, Colorado voters approved Amendment 79, which: Repealed the state constitutional amendment prohibiting the use of public funds to pay for abortions; and Added a state constitutional amendment recognizing the right to an abortion and prohibiting Colorado state and local governments from denying, impeding, or discriminating against the exercise of that right, including prohibiting health insurance companies from excluding coverage for abortion. The act makes conforming changes to state law relating to abortion care as a result of Amendment 79. Current law requires the executive director of the department of health care policy and financing to authorize medicaid reimbursement for family-planning-related services. The act expands the definition of "family-planning-related services" to include abortion care. The act requires the medical services board to include abortion care in the schedule of health-care services available for pregnant persons enrolled in the children's basic health plan. $2,928,800 is appropriated to the department of health care policy and financing from the general fund for other medical services, including abortion care. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Maddy summarySenate Joint Resolution 25-017 designates the North Academy Bridge spanning Interstate 25 in Colorado Springs as the "Naval Aviation Pilot and Aviation Machinist Mate Petty Officer First Class Daniel T. Griffin Bridge." This resolution honors Daniel T. Griffin, recognized as the first Coloradan killed during the attack on Pearl Harbor. It also allows the Colorado Department of Transportation to explore a cooperative agreement with the Colorado Springs City Council for the maintenance of the bridge's signs.

The act: Prohibits a person from offering, displaying, or advertising pricing information for a good, service, or property unless the person clearly and conspicuously discloses the maximum total (total price) of all amounts that a person may pay for the good, service, or property, not including a government charge or shipping charge unless voluntarily included (total price disclosure requirement); Prohibits a person from misrepresenting the nature and purpose of pricing information for a good, service, or property; Requires a person to clearly and conspicuously disclose the nature and purpose of pricing information for a good, service, or property that is not part of the total price; and Prohibits a landlord from requiring a tenant to pay certain fees, charges, or amounts or including in a written rental agreement a provision that requires the tenant to pay a fee, charge, or amount that is prohibited by the act. A person complies with the disclosure requirements if the person does not use deceptive, unfair, and unconscionable acts or practices related to the pricing of goods, services, or property and if the person: Is a food and beverage service establishment that includes a disclosure in the total price for a good or service the amount of any mandatory service charge and how the mandatory service charge is distributed; Can demonstrate that the total price of services the person offers is indeterminate at the time of the offer and clearly and conspicuously discloses the factors that determine the total price, any mandatory fees associated with the transaction, and that the total price may vary; Can demonstrate that the person is governed by and compliant with applicable federal law, rule, or regulation regarding pricing transparency for the particular transaction at issue; Can demonstrate that any fees, costs, or amounts in addition to the total price are associated with real estate settlement services and are not broker commissions or fees; Can demonstrate that the person is providing broadband internet access service or is a cable operator or broadcast satellite provider and is compliant with specified federal law; or Is a delivery network company that clearly and conspicuously discloses that an additional flat fee, variable fee, or percentage fee is charged, any mandatory fees associated with the transaction, and that the total price for the services may vary and complies with other requirements related to disclosure of the additional fee. A landlord or landlord's agent is not required to include, in the required disclosure, the actual amount charged for utility services provided to a tenant's dwelling unit. Additionally, a person is exempt from the act if the person is governed by federal law that preempts state law. A violation of the act constitutes a deceptive, unfair, and unconscionable act or practice and is subject to penalties under the "Colorado Consumer Protection Act". In addition to any other remedies available by law or in equity, in a dispute regarding property, a person aggrieved by a violation may send a written demand to the alleged violator: For reimbursement of any fee, charge, or amount unlawfully imposed and for any actual damages suffered; or To notify the alleged violator of their refusal to pay a prohibited fee, charge, or amount unlawfully imposed. If an alleged violator declines to make full legal tender of all fees, charges, amounts, or damages demanded or refuses to cease charging the aggrieved person within 14 days after receiving the written demand, the person is liable for actual damages plus 18% interest, compounded annually. The attorney general may adopt rules to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act makes the following changes to current law regarding individuals to whom the department of labor and employment (department) provides vocational rehabilitation services (services): Eliminates the requirement that an individual with a disability requires financial assistance to participate; Allows the department to consider financial need before providing services during a period of cost containment to prevent or manage a wait list for services due to insufficient financial resources; Eliminates the requirement that an individual with a disability, or the individual's legally and financially responsible relative, must contribute toward the cost of their services to the extent that they are financially able; and To align Colorado law with federal law, eliminates the requirement that the department provide services only to individuals who are present in the state at the time of filing an application for the services and can satisfactorily achieve rehabilitation.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires that ammunition sold at retail must be accessible to a purchaser or transferee only with the assistance of the vendor, and the act prohibits the retail sale of ammunition to a person who is younger than 21 years of age. The act includes exceptions for in-person sales to persons who are 18-20 years of age at shooting ranges, who are members of the military and veterans, who have a hunter education certification, who are protected by a protection order, or who were born on or before January 28, 2007; sales to on-duty peace officers; and sales of rimfire ammunition. Unlawful sale of ammunition by violating either requirement is a civil infraction; except that a second or subsequent violation is a class 1 misdemeanor. The act requires a retail ammunition vendor who is shipping ammunition to use a delivery service that verifies that the person receiving the ammunition is 21 years of age. The act requires a retail ammunition deliverer to comply with federal law regarding the labeling and packaging of ammunition. When delivering a package containing ammunition sold at retail, the act requires a retail ammunition deliverer to verify that the person receiving the delivery is 21 years of age or older and obtain written acknowledgment of receipt from the recipient. Notwithstanding the age verification requirement, a retail ammunition deliverer may verify and deliver ammunition to a person who was born on or before January 28, 2007. The age verification and written notification requirements do not apply to a retail ammunition deliverer who does not know that the package contains ammunition because the sender failed to notify the deliverer that the package contains ammunition. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires a gun show promoter to prepare a security plan and submit the security plan to each local law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the gun show. The act places certain requirements on a gun show promoter, including requiring the promoter to: Have liability insurance for the gun show; Implement security measures at the gun show, including monitoring all entrances and exits and providing video surveillance of the gun show parking area and main entrance and exit; Prohibit persons under 18 years of age from entering the gun show unless the person is accompanied by a parent, grandparent, or guardian; For each customer who leaves with a purchased firearm, verify that the firearm has been delivered in compliance with the required the 3-day waiting period; and Post certain notices at the gun show. Violating any of the above provisions is unlawful gun show management, which is a class 2 misdemeanor; except that a second or subsequent offense is a class 1 misdemeanor and, in addition to the criminal penalty, the promoter is prohibited from acting as a gun show promoter for 5 years. The act defines a "gun collectors show" as an event sponsored to facilitate the purchase, sale, offer for sale, or collection of only curios or relics or antique firearms, and not any other type of firearm. Gun collectors shows are not gun shows under the act. The act prohibits a person from participating in a gun show as a gun show vendor if the person is not a federal firearms licencee, does not hold a valid state firearms dealer permit, has been convicted of a second offense of unlawful gun show vendor activity as described in the act, or has not completed a gun show certification for the gun show promoter as required in the act. Unlawful participation in a gun show as a gun show vendor is a class 2 misdemeanor; except that a second or subsequent offense is a class 1 misdemeanor. Before participating in a gun show, a gun show vendor is required to certify to the gun show promoter that the vendor satisfies the requirements to be a gun show vendor and will comply with federal, state, and local laws while participating in the gun show. While participating in a gun show, a gun show vendor shall display copies of the vendor's federal firearms license and state firearms dealer permit, keep firearms unloaded and securely affixed to the vendor's countertop or wall, display ammunition in accordance with state and federal law, and include with each sold firearm written information describing secure storage and lost or stolen firearm reporting requirements. Violating any of these provisions is unlawful gun show vendor activity, which is a class 2 misdemeanor; except that a second or subsequent offense is a class 1 misdemeanor and the person is prohibited from participating as a vendor at a gun show. The act maintains the requirement in existing law that a gun show vendor conduct a background check for each firearm transfer at a gun show, but removes the maximum fee a licensed gun dealer may charge for each background check conducted at a gun show. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires each institution of higher education (institution) in Colorado to create and adopt a policy and a process to support the ability of an admitted or enrolled student with a disability (student) to voluntarily self-disclose the student's disability and to engage in an interactive process with the institution to receive an academic adjustment. The adopted policy must, at a minimum, include information that: Describes the institution's process to determine whether a student is eligible for an academic adjustment; Outlines documentation that the institution may request to determine whether a student is eligible for an academic adjustment; Provides information on the available disability resources and academic adjustments provided to students with disabilities; and Describes an appeals process for academic adjustment decisions that focuses on documentary review. Each institution shall publish the policy on the institution's website in an accessible format. The act describes the type of documentation that an institution may request to determine whether a student is eligible for an academic adjustment. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act clarifies that a special district may cancel an election in a director district if the only matter to be decided at the election is who will be director of the director district, there are not more candidates than positions for director, and the only individuals who may vote are the eligible electors within the director's district. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act makes the following changes to the "Colorado Open Records Act" (CORA): Excludes from the definition of a "public record" a written document or electronic record that is produced by a device or application that is used to assist an individual with a disability or individuals with a language barrier to facilitate communication if the written document or electronic record has been produced to facilitate communication in lieu of verbal communication; Changes the reasonable time to respond to a CORA request, except for requests from a mass medium or a newsperson, from 3 working days to 5 working days and changes the extension of time for the response period if extenuating circumstances exist from not exceeding 7 additional days to not exceeding 10 additional days; Adds an extenuating circumstance that allows for an extension of the response period when the custodian is not scheduled to work within the response period; Requires public entities to post any rules or policies adopted pursuant to CORA, including, if the public entity has one, the public entity's records retention policy, and to post information for members of the public regarding how to make a public records request; If public records are in the sole and exclusive custody and control of someone who is not scheduled to work within the response period, requires a custodian to provide all other available responsive public records within the response period and notify the requester of the earliest date on which the person is expected to be available or that the person is not expected to return to work. The requester may make a subsequent request for additional responsive records, if any, on or after the date the custodian provides. Allows a custodian, subject to certain exceptions, to determine that a request is made for the direct solicitation of business for pecuniary gain, requires the custodian to provide written notice of the determination to the requester, allows the custodian a 30-day response period for such a request, permits the requester to submit a signed statement affirming that the request is not for the direct solicitation of business for pecuniary gain that the custodian must consider in making their determination, permits the requester to appeal the determination that the request is made for the direct solicitation of business for pecuniary gain to the district court, and allows a custodian to charge the requester for the reasonable cost of directly responding to the request notwithstanding the allowance for the first hour of research and retrieval to otherwise be free of charge and notwithstanding the statutory cap on fees, which otherwise would apply; In addition to the prohibition on disclosing public elementary or secondary school students' addresses and telephone numbers, prohibits disclosure of any other information of such a student that could be used by a person to directly contact, address, or send a message to the student through any means or method; Clarifies that if a custodian imposes any requirements concerning the prepayment of fees or the payment of fees in connection with a request for inspection of public records, the requirements must be in accordance with the custodian's adopted rules or written policies and must not be inconsistent with the provisions of CORA; Allows a requester to ask a custodian for a reasonable break-down of costs that comprises the fee charged for the research and retrieval of the requested public records; Modifies the requirement that, if a custodian of records for a public entity allows members of the public to pay for any other service or product provided by the custodian with a credit card or electronic payment, then the custodian must allow a requester of a public record to pay any fee or deposit associated with the request with a credit card or electronic payment, to instead require that the custodian allow for payment in this manner if the public entity allows members of the public to pay for any other service or product provided by the public entity; and Allows a custodian to treat a CORA request made within 14 calendar days of another CORA request for information pertaining to facially similar content made by the same person as one request for purposes of calculating the fee that the custodian may charge the requester for research and retrieval of responsive public records. VETOED by Governor April 17, 2025(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act requires an individual who completes a certificate of death to record the decedent's sex to reflect the decedent's gender. If an individual who completes a certificate of death is presented with a document memorializing the decedent's gender (gender document), the individual must record the decedent's sex to reflect the gender indicated in the gender document. If a gender document is not presented and an individual with the right to control the disposition of the decedent's remains objects to the sex recorded by the individual who completes the certificate of death, the individual with the right to control the disposition of the decedent's remains may state their objection to the individual who completes a certificate of death before the certificate of death is filed, and the individual who completes the certificate of death must record the sex as the gender reported by the individual with the right to control the disposition of the decedent's remains. If a gender document is presented to the office of state registrar of vital statistics in the department of public health and environment (state registrar) for a decedent that died in the state, the state registrar must issue an amended certificate of death for the decedent that changes the decedent's sex to reflect the gender indicated in the gender document. The state registrar must also amend the certificate of death to reflect a legal name change if the appropriate legal name change documentation is submitted to the state registrar. An individual with the right to control the disposition of a decedent's remains may file a claim seeking an order of the court to amend the information recorded on the decedent's certificate of death. The act requires the department of public health and environment to add a gender field to the certificate of death form and the electronic death registration system. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)