SB 137: Measures to Reduce Administrative Burdens - Colorado

Final Act → Signed Act · 3 edits · May 14, 2026

MINOR

This bill amends Colorado's rule-making process to reduce administrative burdens by clarifying that the mandatory five-year review of agency rules must occur regardless of other scheduled sunset reviews. It also adds specific criteria for agencies to consider during these reviews, such as eliminating redundancies and assessing funding appropriateness. Additionally, the bill protects the Attorney General from having to produce records held by other state agencies during litigation discovery, thereby limiting the scope of potential evidence requests against the state.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of the mandatory rule review requirement by ensuring it cannot be delayed or skipped due to overlapping sunset reviews, and it narrows the scope of discovery requests against the Attorney General by explicitly excluding records held by other state entities.

REQUIREMENT

Clarified that the mandatory five-year review of agency rules must proceed even if a sunset review is scheduled for the same year.

Added new criteria for agencies to evaluate during rule reviews, including checking for redundant rules and verifying that funding levels are sufficient.

ENFORCEMENT

Added a provision stating that the Attorney General is not required to produce records held by other state officers or agencies in response to discovery requests in lawsuits brought by the state.

Rerevised → Final Act · 4 edits · May 4, 2026

MODERATE

This bill reduces administrative burdens by mandating that state departments review their rules every five years to eliminate redundancies and outdated regulations. It clarifies that the Attorney General cannot be forced to produce records held by other state agencies during lawsuits, protecting those agencies from discovery requests. The bill also establishes a process for the legislative committee to recommend sunset reviews or audits based on these rule reviews.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of mandatory rule reviews to include specific checks for redundancy, obsolescence, and funding appropriateness, and it creates a new exception to the Attorney General's authority regarding discovery of records held by other state entities.

REQUIREMENT

Requires principal state departments to review all rules at least every five years to assess their continuing need, cost-effectiveness, and alignment with intended goals.

Mandates that rule reviews specifically check for redundant rules, outdated regulations, and whether funding levels are appropriate.

Allows the legislative committee of reference to recommend sunset reviews or audits based on the results of the mandatory rule reviews.

ENFORCEMENT

Clarifies that the Attorney General cannot be compelled to produce records held by other state officers or agencies during litigation discovery.

Revised → Rerevised · 3 edits · Apr 28, 2026

MINOR

The bill was re-revised to include all amendments adopted in the second house, updating the legislative status to reflect the latest version. The document was also updated to indicate it is the '3rd Reading Unamended' version, dated April 28, 2026. Additionally, the list of House sponsors was expanded to include six new members.

TECHNICAL

Added six new House sponsors (Boesenecker, Clifford, Duran, Flanell, Gonzalez R., Marshall, Ricks, Rydin) to the bill's sponsorship list.

Updated the document header to change 'REVISED' to 'REREVISED' and clarified that amendments were adopted in the Second House.

Added a header indicating the bill is the '3rd Reading Unamended' version, dated April 28, 2026.

Reengrossed → Revised · 3 edits · Apr 27, 2026

MINOR

The bill's title and header were updated to reflect its current status as a revised version adopted on second reading in the second house. The specific text describing the bill's purpose regarding reducing administrative burdens was removed from the first page, likely due to formatting or structural changes in the legislative document.

TECHNICAL

The descriptive text outlining the bill's intent to reduce administrative burdens was deleted from the main body of the document.

New headers indicating the bill is 'Revised' and includes amendments adopted on second reading were added.

The bill's classification was updated from 'Reengrossed' to 'Revised' to reflect its current legislative stage.

Engrossed → Reengrossed · 3 edits · Apr 13, 2026

MINOR

The bill was reengrossed to include additional Senate sponsors and updated the header to reflect that all amendments have been adopted. A significant policy change was made by removing a provision that restricted the Department of Regulatory Agencies from scheduling mandatory rule reviews during specific years following a sunset review. This removal allows the department greater flexibility to schedule these reviews without the previous statutory constraints.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding the Department of Regulatory Agencies' review schedule was narrowed by removing a prohibition on scheduling mandatory reviews during specific periods.

REQUIREMENT

Eliminated a restriction preventing the Department of Regulatory Agencies from scheduling mandatory rule reviews during the year of and the year following a sunset review.

TECHNICAL

Added additional names to the list of Senate sponsors.

Updated the bill header to change the status from 'Engrossed' to 'Reengrossed' and adjusted the amendment adoption language.

Introduced → Engrossed · 4 edits · Apr 10, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was reclassified from 'Introduced' to 'Engrossed' to reflect amendments adopted during the House of Introduction. The text was reorganized to clearly distinguish between House and Senate amendments, and the statutory language was updated to repeal an outdated subsection regarding sunset reviews while adding new requirements for eliminating rule redundancies.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on reducing administrative burdens and clarifying rule review processes, but the applicability of the sunset review exemption was technically adjusted by repealing the old subsection and replacing it with a new one.

TECHNICAL

The bill status changed from 'Introduced' to 'Engrosed', indicating it has passed the House with amendments.

Reorganized the layout to explicitly label sections as House or Senate amendments and added a date stamp for the second reading.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new requirement for departments to evaluate whether existing rules create redundancies that can be eliminated.

Removed the specific subsection detailing the sunset review exemption, replacing it with a new, streamlined version of the same rule.

Measures to Reduce Administrative Burdens

What changed between versions

How they voted

Actions timeline

Sponsors