HB 25-1163: Free Access to State Parks for Colorado Ute Tribes - Colorado

Rerevised (05/06/2025) → Revised (05/02/2025) · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was revised to update its status from 'Rerevised' to 'Revised' following second reading in the Senate. Substantive changes were made to the bill's preamble to explicitly recognize the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe as the oldest continuous residents of Colorado and to acknowledge that most state parks are located on their ancestral lands, which may include sacred sites.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include explicit recognition of Native American tribal sovereignty and historical ties to Colorado state parks, establishing a foundation for potential future provisions regarding access or benefits.

SCOPE

Added language recognizing the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe as the oldest continuous residents of Colorado with significant cultural ties to the majority of the state's land.

Added language stating that the vast majority of Colorado's state parks are located on ancestral lands of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe.

Added language acknowledging that these ancestral lands may include sacred sites of the tribes.

Added language beginning to establish free access to Colorado State Parks for members of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe.

TECHNICAL

Removed Senate sponsorship names (Roberts and Simpson, Amabile, Bridges, Coleman, Frizell, Kirkmeyer, Liston, Lundeen, Michaelson Jenet, Mullica, Rodriguez, Snyder) and updated version status from 'Rerevised' to 'Revised'.

PA1 (04/04/2025) → Rerevised (05/06/2025) · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was revised to include all amendments adopted in the Second House, expanding the list of co-sponsors in both the House and Senate. The substantive policy content regarding free park access for Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute tribal members remains unchanged, though some explanatory text was removed and formatting was updated to reflect the official revised version.

Scope change

No change to the bill's scope or applicability; the policy provisions remain the same.

TECHNICAL

Added co-sponsors to both House and Senate sponsorship lists to reflect all adopted amendments.

Removed explanatory text about the bill summary availability date and location.

Removed detailed Findings and Declarations text (paragraphs 6-19) that explained the historical and cultural context for the free access provision.

Removed the specific outreach requirement deadline (June 1, 2026) from the text.

Added reading status headers (3rd Reading Unamended, 2nd Reading Unamended, Amended 2nd Reading) to indicate legislative progress.

Final Act (05/12/2025) → PA1 (04/04/2025) · 3 edits

MINOR

This bill was reorganized from a final act format to a preliminary draft version, adding committee information, bill summaries, and formatting headers while retaining the core legislative text unchanged. The substantive policy content regarding free state park access for enrolled members of the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute Tribes remains identical to the original version.

TECHNICAL

Added formal bill headers including session information, committee assignments, and bill summary explaining the purpose of the legislation.

Removed final act notation indicating the bill was prepared for signatures and removed page numbering from the original layout.

Reorganized document structure to match standard bill introduction format with legislative declaration and statute amendment sections clearly marked.

Signed Act (05/29/2025) → Final Act (05/12/2025) · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill was finalized and prepared for official signatures by the Governor and legislative officers. The substantive policy content regarding free park access for Colorado Ute tribes remains unchanged from the signed version, with only formatting and signature block adjustments made during the finalization process.

TECHNICAL

Added a note indicating the bill is prepared for signatures and directing readers to consult legislative status sheets for Governor action.

Adjusted formatting of the title and sponsor lists to align with final act conventions.

Corrected minor formatting inconsistencies in the legislative declaration section and statute text.

Updated signature block formatting with proper spacing and corrected name spelling from 'Mc'Gluskie' to 'McCluskie'.

Reengrossed (04/14/2025) → Signed Act (05/29/2025) · 5 edits · May 29, 2025

MODERATE

This bill was amended to add new Senate sponsors and significantly restructure the legislative declaration section by combining and renumbering subsections. The core policy of providing free state park access to enrolled members of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe remains unchanged, but the language was consolidated and the effective date section was added to the final version.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains the same, but the legislative declaration section was reorganized to combine related findings and clarify the scope of free access.

ELIGIBILITY

Added new Senate sponsors (Amabile, Bridges, Frizell, Kirkmeyer, Liston, Lundeen, Michaelson Jenet, Mullica, Rodriguez, Snyder, Coleman) to the bill sponsorship list.

DEFINITION

Reorganized the legislative declaration section by combining subsections (g) and (j) into a single subsection (I) and adding a new subsection (II) to consolidate findings about ancestral lands and sacred sites.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new subsection (4) requiring the Division to conduct outreach and engagement with tribal governments and Indigenous communities by June 1, 2026, with reporting requirements in January 2026 and 2027.

TIMELINE

Added Section 3 establishing the effective date as 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly, with provisions for referendum petitions.

TECHNICAL

Removed the original bill summary and committee listings, replacing them with standard enacted language and formatting consistent with signed acts.

Engrossed (04/11/2025) → Reengrossed (04/14/2025) · 4 edits · May 6, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was reengrossed to add more co-sponsors and update the header information. A significant substantive change was made to the tribal park entrance fee exemption section, removing the requirement for an intact photo on tribal identification cards and deleting several subsections regarding rules and regulations.

Scope change

The scope of the tribal park entrance fee exemption was narrowed by removing the photo requirement for tribal ID cards and deleting related regulatory subsections.

TECHNICAL

Added multiple co-sponsors to the House sponsorship list, including Bird, Brown, Caldwell, Camacho, Clifford, Espenoza, Feret, Froelich, Gonzalez R., Hamrick, Jackson, Keltie, Lindstedt, Lukens, Mabrey, McCluskie, Phillips, Rutinel, Titone, Valdez, and Velasco.

Updated the header from 'Engrossed' to 'Reengrossed' and added a note indicating the bill summary applies to the reengrossed version as of April 14, 2025.

ELIGIBILITY

Removed the requirement that enrolled members of the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute Tribes present a tribal identification card with an intact photo to enter state parks.

REQUIREMENT

Deleted subsections regarding observance of state park rules and regulations and the requirement to build on existing infrastructure by June 1, 2026.

Introduced (02/03/2025) → Engrossed (04/11/2025) · 4 edits · May 6, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was amended to add Appropriations to the House committee assignments and changed the bill title to include a repeal of existing legislative declarations. The most significant substantive change is the replacement of the original effective date provision with a new requirement that the Division must build on existing infrastructure by June 1, 2026.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include Appropriations as a House committee, and the legislative declaration section was modified to include a repeal provision.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new requirement that the Division must build on existing infrastructure by June 1, 2026, replacing the previous effective date and referendum petition provisions.

TIMELINE

Removed the original effective date clause that allowed for a 90-day period after adjournment and referendum petition procedures, replacing it with a specific June 1, 2026 deadline.

SCOPE

Added Appropriations to the House Committees list, expanding the bill's committee oversight.

DEFINITION

Modified the legislative declaration section to include a repeal provision for existing declarations regarding the Ute tribes and state park access.

Free Access to State Parks for Colorado Ute Tribes

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