HB 1427: Uniform Antitrust Pre-Merger Notification Update - Colorado

Final Act → Signed Act · 5 edits · Jun 4, 2026

MODERATE

This bill updates Colorado's antitrust pre-merger notification laws to align with a newer national uniform act. It primarily adds a formal definition for the act and modifies existing rules regarding how the Attorney General handles confidential documents and fees. The changes ensure Colorado's laws match current national standards for business mergers.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope by formally incorporating the updated 'Uniform Antitrust Pre-Merger Notification Act' into state law, replacing older text with the new uniform version.

DEFINITION

Added a specific definition for the 'Uniform Antitrust Pre-Merger Notification Act' to clarify which version of the law applies in Colorado.

REQUIREMENT

Updated the requirement for the Attorney General to provide a secure means for receiving and storing electronic copies of merger forms.

Refined the confidentiality rules, requiring other states to provide specific assurances before Colorado shares sensitive merger information with them.

ENFORCEMENT

Clarified that the Attorney General cannot charge fees for filing or providing the required merger notification forms.

TIMELINE

Adjusted the deadline for the Attorney General to destroy or return confidential documents after a merger concludes.

Rerevised → Final Act · 6 edits · Jun 2, 2026

MODERATE

This bill updates Colorado's Uniform Antitrust Pre-Merger Notification Act to align with recent federal and uniform law standards. It clarifies the definition of the act, mandates that the Attorney General provide a secure system for receiving merger documents, and establishes strict timelines for destroying or returning confidential materials. The legislation also formalizes a reciprocity agreement allowing the sharing of merger data with other states that have similar laws, provided confidentiality is guaranteed.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of Colorado's antitrust pre-merger notification process by explicitly including a reciprocity clause that allows information sharing with other states and clarifies the definition of the Uniform Act.

DEFINITION

Added a specific definition for the 'Uniform Antitrust Pre-Merger Notification Act' to clarify its legal source and scope.

REQUIREMENT

Requires the Attorney General to provide a secure means to receive and store electronic copies of Hart-Scott-Rodino forms within one business day of federal filing.

Mandates that the Attorney General cannot charge fees for filing or processing the required merger notification forms.

Establishes a strict deadline for the Attorney General to destroy or return confidential materials 120 days after the transaction closes or legal proceedings end.

Creates a reciprocity mechanism allowing the Attorney General to share merger information with other states that have equivalent laws, contingent on those states providing confidentiality assurances.

ENFORCEMENT

Clarifies that civil penalties for non-compliance are only imposed after a written notice and a three-business-day period to cure the violation.

Revised → Rerevised · 1 edit · May 12, 2026

MINOR

The bill was re-revised to include all amendments adopted in the second house and updated the legislative date to May 12, 2026. Substantive text was removed from the section defining the close of a transaction, specifically deleting the requirement to include the conclusion of related legal proceedings.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding the definition of transaction closure was narrowed by removing a specific condition related to legal proceedings.

DEFINITION

Deleted the requirement that the transaction close must include the conclusion of any legal proceedings directly related to the transaction.

Reengrossed → Revised · 3 edits · May 11, 2026

MINOR

The bill text was updated to reflect its progression from the House to the Senate, changing the status from 'Reengrossed' to 'Revised' and adding specific reading dates. A significant portion of the text concerning reciprocity agreements with other states was removed, likely because it was a House-only amendment not adopted by the Senate.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding reciprocity with other states was narrowed by removing a specific section that outlined how Colorado could share antitrust information with other states that have similar laws.

REQUIREMENT

Deleted a section requiring the Attorney General to share antitrust documents with other states that have adopted the Uniform Antitrust Pre-Merger Notification Act, provided those states offer equivalent confidentiality protections.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill header to indicate it is 'Revised' rather than 'Reengrossed' and added Senate reading dates, reflecting the bill's movement through the legislative process.

Removed a section defining the conclusion of legal proceedings related to the transaction, which appears to have been a House-specific addition not carried forward to the Senate version.

Engrossed → Reengrossed · 4 edits · May 7, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was reengrossed to include additional sponsors and updated the legislative status to reflect amendments adopted in the House of Introduction. A new notice was added to clarify that the current summary applies only to the original version, with an updated summary expected for the reengrossed version by May 7, 2026.

TECHNICAL

Added four new sponsors (Bacon, Carter, Duran) to the House sponsorship list.

Updated the document header from 'ENGROSSED' to 'REENGROSSED' and adjusted the description of included amendments.

Inserted a notice indicating the summary applies to the unamended version and that a new summary will be available for the reengrossed version by May 7, 2026.

Deleted a line containing confidentiality assurance requirements regarding document information.

Introduced → Engrossed · 4 edits · May 6, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was formally reclassified from 'Introduced' to 'Engrossed,' indicating it has passed its initial reading and includes all amendments adopted by the House. Substantive content changes include minor formatting adjustments to the bill number and the addition of a date stamp, while a section regarding the attorney general's notice requirements for disclosures was removed from the text.

TECHNICAL

The bill status changed from 'Introduced' to 'Engrossed' to reflect its progression through the legislative process.

The bill number was updated to remove the 'HB26-' prefix, leaving only '1427' in the page headers.

A date stamp reading 'May 6, 2026' and a '2nd Reading Unamended' notice were added to the document.

REQUIREMENT

A provision requiring the attorney general to provide at least two business days' notice before disclosing confidential documents was deleted.

Uniform Antitrust Pre-Merger Notification Update

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