Colorado Bills

signed · Colorado · Senate May 30, 2025

SB 25-309: Authorize Legislative Fellows

The act authorizes the legislative council to approve agreements between the director of research of the legislative council and nonpartisan organizations to place nonpartisan legislative policy fellows (fellows) in the legislative council staff. The act also specifies the types of work that fellows may do, requires the director of research to retain supervisory authority over fellows, including over the terms and conditions of the fellowship, and requires any work product produced by a fellow during the fellowship to remain the property of the general assembly during and after the conclusion of the fellowship. The legislative council is prohibited from approving any agreement between the director of research of the legislative council and a nonpartisan organization that is registered as a lobbyist with the secretary of state to place a fellow in the legislative council staff. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

signed · Colorado · Senate May 30, 2025

SB 25-312: American Rescue Plan Act Funds

In 2021, the state received money from the federal coronavirus state fiscal recovery fund pursuant to the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" (ARPA money). ARPA money was deposited into the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" cash fund, transferred to various other cash funds (recipient funds), and appropriated from recipient funds for various programs. House Bill 24-1466, concerning exchanging money received from the federal coronavirus state fiscal recovery fund with state money, enacted in 2024, refinanced appropriated ARPA money with state money (state refinance money). The act transfers ARPA money to recipient funds to cover the costs of projects funded with ARPA money and transfers unspent state refinance money from recipient funds to the general fund. The act adjusts existing appropriations to reflect spent ARPA money and unspent state refinance money and amends program statutes to align with the appropriations adjustments. ARPA money must be obligated by December 31, 2024, and spent by December 31, 2026. Under federal law, as explained in guidance from the United States department of the treasury, the state may reclassify obligated but unspent ARPA money after December 31, 2024, upon the occurrence of certain events (qualifying events). The act reverts money upon a qualifying event from the recipient fund to the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" cash fund and appropriates that money to the governor for an alternate eligible use for which a general fund appropriation was made. Under existing law, the general fund appropriation is reduced by the amount of ARPA money spent for the line item of appropriation. The act repeals the requirement for the department of public health and environment to engage in recruitment and re-engagement of workers in the health-care profession because the act ends the appropriation of money for that purpose. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

signed · Colorado · Senate May 30, 2025

SB 25-144: Change Paid Family Medical Leave Insurance Prog

With regard to the family and medical leave insurance program (program), the act extends the duration of paid family and medical leave, up to an additional 12 weeks, for a parent who has a child receiving inpatient care in a neonatal intensive care unit. The act also changes the premiums financing the program benefits by extending the current premium amount, 0.9% of wages per employee, through 2025 and setting the premium amount for the 2026 calendar year at 0.88% of wages per employee. For each subsequent calendar year, the director of the division of family and medical leave insurance (director) is required set the premium on or before September 1 of the preceding year, in a manner such that: At the end of the year, the balance of the family and medical leave insurance fund (fund) is not less than 6 months' worth of projected expenditures from the fund required for performance of the functions and duties of the director; The volatility of the premium rate is minimized; and The premium amount does not exceed 1.2% of wages per employee.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

signed · Colorado · House May 30, 2025

HB 25-1304: Extension of Restitution Deadlines

Current law gives a trial court judge 91 days from the day a conviction enters in a criminal case to order restitution, which is the monetary loss a victim suffers due to a defendant's criminal conduct, in a criminal case. The act grants the prosecuting attorney 63 days to submit restitution information to the trial court judge following a conviction if the information is not available on the day a conviction enters, and then grants the trial court judge an additional 63 days following the submission of restitution information to order restitution after it receives the information from the prosecuting attorney. The act applies to defendants sentenced on or after the act's effective date. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

signed · Colorado · Senate May 30, 2025

SB 25-174: Sunset Outfitters & Guides

The act implements the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies (DORA) in its sunset review and report concerning the regulation of outfitters and guides by the division of professions and occupations (division) within DORA. Specifically, the act: Continues the regulation of outfitters and guides for 9 years, until 2034; Allows the director of the division to take disciplinary action against an owner of an outfitter entity regardless of the owner's ownership share percentage; Credits one-half of the money that is collected as fines to the general fund rather than to the division; Exempts motor carriers and third-party booking agencies from regulation under the outfitters act; Adds provisions prohibiting an individual from working as a guide or receiving or renewing a registration as an outfitter if the individual has a license or registration suspended or revoked by the division of parks and wildlife or by an agency of any member state of the "Wildlife Violator Compact" for a violation of a law concerning wildlife; and Repeals certain language concerning the punishment for a person that engages or offers or attempts to engage in activities as an outfitter without an active registration.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

signed · Colorado · Senate May 30, 2025

SB 25-272: Regional Transportation Authority Sales & Use Tax Exemption

The act establishes a sales and use tax exemption for contractors and subcontractors that purchase, store, use, or consume construction and building materials for use in the building, erection, alteration, or repair of structures owned and used by a regional transportation authority (authority) to house authority employees or contractors. The act authorizes an authority or an authority's board to build, erect, alter, or repair such structures for the purpose of housing employees or contractors of an authority. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

signed · Colorado · Senate May 30, 2025

SB 25-298: Remove Term Homosexuality from Criminal Code

The act removes the term "homosexuality" from the definition of sexual conduct in the sexually explicit materials harmful to children part of the "Colorado Criminal Code". (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

signed · Colorado · House May 30, 2025

HB 25-1215: Redistribution of Lottery Fund

The act creates the strategic outdoor recreation management and infrastructure cash fund (infrastructure cash fund), requires a specified percentage of lottery fund money to be distributed to the infrastructure cash fund in state fiscal years when available lottery fund money exceeds $20 million, and continuously appropriates the money in the cash fund to the division of parks and wildlife for specified outdoor recreation and management purposes. The act also creates the outdoor recreation economic development cash fund (development cash fund); requires a specified amount and, in state fiscal years when available lottery fund money exceeds $20 million, an additional specified percentage, of lottery fund money to be distributed to the development cash fund; subject to annual appropriation, allows the outdoor recreation industry office to spend money from the development fund; and requires the following transfers to be made to the development cash fund on June 30, 2025: $176,830 from the damage prevention fund; $83,839 from the dispute resolution fund; $6,784 from the youthful offender system surcharge fund; $118,741 from the professional development center cash fund; $21,278 from the immunization fund; $83,354 from the family support services fund; $5,348 from the department of military and veterans affairs fund; $9,648 from the publications fund; $85,901 from the tax lien certification fund; $4,413 from the wholesale and distributing subcontractor license fund; $5,963 from the moving outreach fund; and $121,389 from the disabled parking education and enforcement fund. Law in effect before the passage of the act distributed, to the extent available, the first $3 million of the lottery fund to the outdoor equity fund, the next $3 million to the public school capital construction assistance fund, and any remaining money as follows: 25% to the wildlife cash fund; 25% to the parks and outdoor recreation cash fund; and 50% to the public school capital construction assistance fund. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year and each state fiscal year thereafter, the act redistributes, to the extent available, the first $4 million of the lottery fund to the outdoor equity fund, the next $3 million to the public school capital construction assistance fund, the next $750,000 to the development cash fund, and any remaining money as follows: If the total amount of lottery fund money available is $20 million or less: 50% to the public school capital construction assistance fund; 20% to the parks and outdoor recreation cash fund; 20% to the wildlife cash fund; and 10% to the outdoor equity fund; or If the total amount of lottery fund money available is more than $20 million: 50% to the public school capital construction assistance fund; 15% to the parks and outdoor recreation cash fund; 15% to the wildlife cash fund; 10% to the outdoor equity fund; 5% to the development cash fund; and 5% to the infrastructure cash fund. For state fiscal year 2025-26, the act appropriates $723,488 from the development cash fund to the office of economic development for use by the outdoor recreation industry office. If not fully expended in state fiscal year 2025-26, the appropriation remains available for expenditure for state fiscal years 2026-27 and 2027-28. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Environment

signed · Colorado · House May 30, 2025

HB 25-1301: Authorizing Voice Court Reporter to Give Oath

Current law does not allow a voice court reporter to administer an oath or affirmation. The act adds voice reporters to the list of professionals who may administer an oath or affirmation. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

signed · Colorado · Senate May 30, 2025

SB 25-285: Updating Food Establishment Inspection Fees

The act updates the ongoing schedule of annual fees imposed on retail food establishments, which fees are imposed to cover the cost of required health and safety inspections under current law. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

signed · Colorado · Senate May 30, 2025

SB 25-228: Enterprise Disability Buy-in Premiums

Under current law, there are 2 programs available to low-income individuals to buy in to the state medical assistance program: One for adults with disabilities and one for children with disabilities (medicaid buy-in programs). Individuals who participate in either program pay a premium based on their family income. The premiums are credited to the medicaid buy-in cash fund. The premiums credited to the medicaid buy-in cash fund are used to offset the costs of providing the medicaid buy-in programs. The costs of providing the medicaid buy-in programs are also offset by the money in the healthcare affordability and sustainability fee cash fund in the Colorado healthcare affordability and sustainability enterprise (CHASE) within the department of health care policy and financing (HCPF). The act repeals the existing medicaid buy-in cash fund and creates the healthcare affordability and sustainability medicaid buy-in cash fund (buy-in cash fund) within CHASE and directs that individuals who participate in the existing medicaid buy-in programs pay their premiums into the buy-in cash fund. The act creates a medicaid buy-in enterprise support board within CHASE to support the existing enterprise with the implementation of the medicaid buy-in program, including consulting with HCPF and the state medical services board on the amount of the premiums for and other components of the medicaid buy-in programs. Because CHASE is an enterprise for purposes of the Taxpayer's Act of Rights, its revenue does not count against the state fiscal year spending limit. For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, $6,660,761 is appropriated from the buy-in cash fund to HCPF for medical and long-term care services for medicaid-eligible individuals. The act also decreases in a corresponding amount an appropriation to HCPF from the existing Medicaid buy-in cash fund and adjusts similar appropriations to HCPF for the 2024-25 state fiscal year. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Healthcare

signed · Colorado · Senate May 30, 2025

SB 25-292: Workforce Capacity Center

The act requires the department of health care policy and financing (state department), in collaboration with the behavioral health administration, to establish the workforce capacity center to train providers in evidence-based or supported models as part of the system of care for children and youth. The act requires the state department to include updates on and milestones achieved by the workforce capacity center and information about trainings and certifications by the workforce capacity center in its quarterly report to the joint budget committee. The act repeals the workforce capacity center, effective July 1, 2027. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Bill results