Sen. Janice Rich

Maddy summaryThis bill designates April 9, 2026, as "Home Education Day" in Colorado to honor parents who educate their children at home. It does not change any laws or affect how education is administered but serves as a symbolic recognition of home schooling within the state. The resolution highlights the number of home-educated students in Colorado and the estimated financial savings to taxpayers associated with this educational choice. Ultimately, the measure is a ceremonial gesture that celebrates home educators without altering existing policies or regulations.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Joint Resolution formally recognizes the 43rd anniversary of the sister-state relationship between Colorado and Taiwan while expressing support for their ongoing trade and academic exchanges. The bill highlights recent cooperation in emerging technologies such as quantum computing and semiconductors, and it advocates for Taiwan's participation in international organizations like the World Health Organization and the United Nations. Additionally, the resolution commends Taiwan's democratic system and supports the signing of a U.S.-Taiwan agreement on avoiding double taxation. As a non-binding legislative statement, it does not alter laws or budgets but serves to publicly endorse these diplomatic and economic ties.

The concurrent resolution submits a constitutional amendment to the voters of the state at the 2026 general election that adds to the nonexclusive list of inalienable rights of all persons the right to direct the upbringing, education, and care of their children.(Note: This summary applies to this concurrent resolution as introduced.)

Under current law, the department of personnel and a statutorily created preservation trust committee oversee the Colorado veterans' monument preservation trust fund (trust fund). The act moves oversight of the trust fund to the state historical society (history Colorado) and repeals the preservation trust committee. The act also expands the allowable uses of the trust fund, which were previously restricted to maintaining and enhancing the Colorado veterans' monument and any fallen heroes memorials in Lincoln veterans' memorial park, to include the maintenance, enhancement, and repair of monuments and memorials both in Lincoln veterans' memorial park and on the state capitol building grounds. History Colorado may expend principal from the trust fund for these purposes once every 20 years beginning in state fiscal year 2027-28, subject to appropriation by the general assembly, and for unexpected necessary maintenance costs that are not covered by insurance. On or before December 31, 2026, and on or before each December 31 thereafter, history Colorado must submit a report to the state capitol building advisory committee (CBAC) that includes information on:History Colorado's plans to maintain, enhance, and repair monuments and memorials in Lincoln veterans' memorial park and on the state capitol building grounds; andThe actual and planned use of money in the trust fund.     The act also requires the CBAC, before recommending a proposal for the placement of a memorial or an object of art on the state capitol building grounds to the capital development committee and the governor for approval, to ensure that the proposal includes funding sufficient to provide lifetime maintenance of the proposed memorial or object of art. Only a proposal that dedicates at least 5% of its total budget to maintenance includes funding sufficient to provide lifetime maintenance of the proposed object of art or memorial.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Maddy summarySJM 1 is a joint memorial resolution honoring Senator Faith Winter, who died in November 2025. It recognizes her career as a Colorado legislator representing Adams, Broomfield, and Weld Counties, her work on environmental justice, women's leadership initiatives, and legislative achievements like the Paid Family and Medical Leave Act. The resolution expresses the legislature's condolences to her family and commemorates her legacy of advocacy for climate action, healthcare access, and community-centered policies. This procedural resolution does not create new laws or affect any policies.

The act allows the state department of education (CDE) to issue a professional teacher license to a teacher with at least 3 years of successful teaching experience in another state or country for which CDE has granted reciprocity. The act eliminates the requirement that an applicant have the successful teaching experience within the previous 7 years.     The act creates a temporary licensing process for teachers from states that participate in the 'Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact' (Compact). The process requires that CDE:Issue an initial teacher license within 30 days of receiving a complete teacher license application from a person licensed by a Compact state when the applicant passes a criminal history record check and holds an unencumbered eligible license issued by a Compact state that is equivalent to an eligible license in Colorado; and Publish an annual table showing how out-of-state licenses correspond to Colorado endorsement areas.     The act repeals the temporary licensing process when CDE begins issuing licenses pursuant to the Compact.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Colorado law exempts the owner of a motor vehicle who is a member of the United States armed forces (member) from motor vehicle registration fees and sets the specific ownership tax at $1 while the member is serving outside the United States. This applies to personal motor vehicles and intrastate trucks, truck tractors, trailers, and semitrailers used to transport property. To qualify, the member must show the military order or evidence acceptable to the department of revenue (department) demonstrating that the member served outside the United States. The act repeals a requirement that the member sign an affidavit to qualify for the $1 specific ownership fee or to be exempt from the motor vehicle fee.     Colorado law exempts members from paying late fees for failing to renew a registration for a vehicle if the member was serving outside the state when the registration period expired. The act sets the requirement to qualify for a late fee exception by requiring the member to show the military order or evidence acceptable to the department demonstrating that the member served outside of the state.     The department will notify the member that the vehicle or motor vehicle must not be driven during deployment.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

For marking a land survey or monumenting a platted subdivision, the act permits setting a reference monument where setting a monument or marker is unsafe due to its position on a traveled road within a federal, state, or other public right-of-way. The act also requires land surveyors to submit monument records in electronic format and allows counties to maintain monument records in electronic format.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act exempts from schedule I a prescription drug product containing a schedule I controlled substance (product) if the product is:Approved for prescription use by the United States food and drug administration;Designated or rescheduled by the United States drug enforcement agency (DEA); Dispensed by a pharmacy or prescription drug outlet, or administered by an authorized practitioner; andPossessed by a person who is authorized to possess a controlled substance.     The exemption applies upon the DEA's designation or rescheduling.     The act requires that the product be controlled in Colorado in the same manner as the product is controlled by the DEA and state law.     The act clarifies that its provisions do not apply to or affect the regulation of or lawful actions or conduct concerning natural medicine, natural medicine product, marijuana, or marijuana concentrate.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Current law requires a legal notice or advertisement (notice) to be published in a newspaper within the county in which the notice is required to be published that satisfies certain requirements, including a publication period requirement and a periodicals license with paid distribution (legal newspaper). If a legal newspaper does not exist in a county, the notice may be published using certain alternatives.     The act clarifies the order of priority of the type of newspaper in which the notice should be published. First, the notice should be published in a newspaper in the county that satisfies the requirements for publication and that has been published for at least one year. Second, the notice should be published in a newspaper in the county that would otherwise satisfy the requirements for publication but for the fact that it lacks a periodicals license, and that has been published for at least one year. Third, the notice should be published in a newspaper in the county even if it does not have a periodicals license or has not been published for at least one year. If there is no newspaper in the county or an adjoining county, notice may be published in a newspaper that satisfies the requirements for a legal newspaper chosen with primary consideration for geographic proximity.     Additionally, the act gives municipalities and special districts with territory in two counties permission to publish notice in a newspaper in either county, so long as the newspaper meets the legal requirements for publication.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)