SB 189 Colorado Senate · 2026 Regular Session

Automated Decision-Making Technology

Summary
In 2024, the general assembly enacted Senate Bill 24-205, which created consumer protections in interactions with artificial intelligence systems. The act repeals and reenacts those provisions with new requirements regarding the use of automated decision-making technology in consequential decisions.     The act defines an 'automated decision-making technology' (ADMT) as a technology that processes personal data and uses computation to generate output, including predictions, recommendations, classifications, rankings, scores, or other information that is used to make, guide, or assist a decision, judgment, or determination concerning an individual. The act defines a 'consequential decision' as a decision that relates to an individual's access to, eligibility for, or compensation related to education, employment, housing, financial or lending services, insurance, health-care services, or essential government services and public benefits.     The act requires the developer of an ADMT (developer) that is used to materially influence a consequential decision (covered ADMT), starting January 1, 2027, to provide a deployer of a covered ADMT (deployer) with technical documentation describing the covered ADMT's intended uses, categories of training data, known limitations, and instructions for appropriate use and human review. Developers must notify deployers of material updates or modifications to the covered ADMT. Both developers and deployers are required to retain records necessary to demonstrate compliance with the act for at least 3 years.     The act establishes consumer notice requirements, mandating that deployers provide clear and conspicuous notice to consumers at the point of interaction with a covered ADMT. A deployer is required to provide a consumer with a plain language description of a covered ADMT's role within 30 days after the covered ADMT makes a consequential decision that results in an adverse outcome for the consumer. The attorney general must adopt rules to clarify these post-adverse outcome disclosure requirements by January 1, 2027.     Consumers have the right to request personal data and correction of factually incorrect personal data used by a covered ADMT. The act also grants consumers the right to request meaningful human review and reconsideration following a covered ADMT making a consequential decision resulting in an adverse outcome.     The attorney general is directed to enforce the act through the 'Colorado Consumer Protection Act', and a violation of the act is deemed a deceptive trade practice. Before initiating an action before January 1, 2030, the attorney general must provide the developer or deployer with a 60-day notice and opportunity to cure the alleged violation, if a cure is deemed possible. The act does not create a new private right of action but establishes how fault is allocated between developers and deployers in civil actions alleging unlawful discrimination under existing law.     Specified entities are exempted from the requirements of the act to the extent the entities comply with other legal obligations.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
May 2026
Committee Review
May 2026
Senate Passage
May 2026
House Passage
May 2026
Signed into Law
May 2026
Introduced May 1, 2026 Signed May 14, 2026
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What changed between versions

Rerevised Final Act · 4 edits · May 12, 2026
MODERATE
The bill was transitioned from a draft version to a final act ready for signature, incorporating specific formatting and content updates. The most significant substantive change is the expansion of the definition of 'consumer' to explicitly include employees and job applicants, broadening the bill's protection against automated decision-making in employment contexts. Additionally, the final text clarifies various exclusions, such as routine administrative tasks and cybersecurity tools, to ensure the law targets high-stakes consequential decisions rather than everyday software functions.
Scope change
The scope of applicability was expanded to explicitly cover employees and job applicants, whereas the draft summary focused more broadly on general consumers. The final act also provides more detailed exclusions for routine business processes and specific technologies to narrow the definition of covered systems.
DEFINITION

The definition of 'consumer' was modified to explicitly include employees and job applicants who are Colorado residents or whose opportunities are evaluated in Colorado.

A detailed list of technologies excluded from the definition of 'automated decision-making technology' was added, including anti-malware, databases, spell-checking, and spreadsheets requiring human analysis.

Specific exclusions for 'consequential decisions' were added, clarifying that routine scheduling, customer service triage, and cybersecurity activities do not trigger the bill's requirements.

TECHNICAL

The document structure was updated to reflect final act status, including the addition of a note for legislative officers and the removal of draft-specific bill summaries and reading dates.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
15
Key actions
7
Committee
4
Amendments
1
May 14, 2026
Signed into law
Governor Signed
executive
May 12, 2026
Lower · Passed
Signed by the Speaker of the House
lower
May 12, 2026
Upper · Passed
Signed by the President of the Senate
upper
May 12, 2026
Introduced
Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
upper
May 9, 2026
Lower · Passed
House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
lower
May 8, 2026
Lower · Passed
House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
lower
May 8, 2026
Committee
House Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to Appropriations
lower
May 7, 2026
Introduced
Introduced In House - Assigned to Judiciary
lower
May 7, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
upper
May 6, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
upper
May 5, 2026
Committee
Senate Committee on Business, Labor, & Technology Refer Amended to Appropriations
upper
May 1, 2026
Introduced
Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Business, Labor, & Technology
upper
6 primary · 39 co-sponsors

Sponsors