State Legislation

The bill amends wage and hour laws to expand the definition of "employer" to include individuals with at least 25% ownership. It prohibits payroll deductions below the minimum wage and allows penalties for unpaid wages to be waived under certain conditions. It increases the wage claim adjudication threshold to $13,000 by 2026, with inflation adjustments from 2028. The division must determine if violations are willful and publish violators' names. It also notifies relevant government bodies if violations are not remedied within 60 days. Employers who misclassify employees face fines up to $50,000 for repeat violations. The bill reduces the wait time for paying employees from the wage theft enforcement fund from six months to 120 days. It strengthens protections against employer retaliation, includes immigration status misuse as intimidation, and allows for attorney fees in discrimination or retaliation cases.

The bill prohibits landlords, their agents, or subcontractors from using coordinators to restrict competition among dwelling units, engaging in coordinated pricing, or entering agreements that limit competition. Violations are considered illegal restraints of trade under the "Colorado State Antitrust Act of 2023" and are subject to penalties. Additionally, the Division of Housing must create a public education program to inform residents about the bill’s provisions.

The bill creates a new refundable tax credit only if at least one qualified film festival with a multi-decade operating history and a verifiable track record of attracting 100,000 or more in-person ticket sales and over 10,000 out-of-state and international attendees (AKA Sundance) commences the relocation of the festival to Colorado by January 1, 2026. Upon relocation, for calendar years commencing on or after January 1, 2027, but before January 1, 2037, the maximum aggregate amount of refundable tax credits that any qualified global film festival entity is eligible to receive is $34 million and the maximum aggregate amount that all existing or small Colorado festival entities collectively may receive is $5 million.

The bill expands the definition of an unfair and unconscionable act under consumer protection laws to include price gouging in the sale of necessities. It presumes price gouging if prices increase by 10% or more above the average price in the 90 days before the increase. "Necessities" are defined as goods or services essential for consumers' health, safety, and welfare.

The bill introduces two income tax subtractions from 2027 to 2038: one for capital gains from converting at least 20% of a business to employee ownership, and another for worker-owned cooperatives, up to $1 million of federal taxable income. It extends the tax credit for conversion costs to 2037, raises the credit rate to 75% from 2026, and increases annual credit limits. The bill also expands eligibility for the credit to nonprofits supporting employee-owned businesses, allowing them to claim up to 75% of their costs, capped at $167,000.

The bill allows an institution of higher education or athletic association to compensate a student athlete for the use of the student athlete's name, image, or likeness. Under current law, a student athlete is prohibited from entering into a contract if it conflicts with a team contract. The bill repeals this prohibition and related provisions.

A bill to establish a workforce advisory council to discuss and consider air quality control rules that impact workforce issues in affected industries. Additionally, the council will issue recommended standard procedures for the Department of Public Health and Environment and the Air Quality Control Commission to follow when conducting workforce impact analyses for inclusion in rule-making procedures.

A bipartisan bill to incentivize the deployment of wireless telephone infrastructure in the state by requiring the Colorado Broadband Office to implement a wireless telephone infrastructure deployment grant program. The bill allows for the broadband office to allocate high-cost support mechanism (HCSM) money for the grant program to help finance the deployment of wireless telephone infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas of the state.

This bill requires businesses to disclose the full total price of goods, services, or property, excluding government and shipping charges, and prohibits misrepresenting or omitting pricing details. Landlords are banned from requiring tenants to pay certain fees, and food and beverage establishments must disclose mandatory service charges and distribute them solely to nonmanagerial employees. Violations are considered deceptive practices, and aggrieved individuals can file a civil action seeking damages of either three times the actual loss or $100-$1,000 per violation if not remedied within 14 days of a written demand.

A bill to expand the definition of anti-growth laws to include any local restrictions that impose additional limitations on specific housing types beyond existing zoning or building codes. It reaffirms that local governments cannot enforce population growth limits or restrict residential development permits unless temporarily following a declared disaster emergency. Additionally, it clarifies when local governments must allow private property owners to pay a fee instead of dedicating land if their property does not meet dedication standards.

A bill requiring Colorado businesses with over $1 billion in annual revenue to publicly disclose their greenhouse gas emissions, with reporting for scope 1 and 2 emissions starting in 2028 and scope 3 emissions in 2029. Disclosures must be independently verified by a third-party auditor, ensuring accuracy and transparency. Noncompliant entities may face civil action from the attorney general or a district attorney, with penalties of up to $100,000 per day for violations.

The bill prohibits using an automated driving system to drive a commercial motor vehicle unless an individual who holds a commercial driver's license is in the vehicle, monitors the vehicle's driving, and intervenes, if necessary, to avoid illegal or unsafe driving. The penalty is $1,000 for a first offense, $2,000 for a second offense; and doubles for each subsequent offense.

A bill that standardizes apprenticeship requirements for public and energy sector public works projects, mandating that contractors and subcontractors performing mechanical, electrical, plumbing, or construction laborer work participate in a registered apprenticeship program with specified graduation standards. It also aligns enforcement provisions, requiring lead contractors to identify and certify all subcontractors, include apprenticeship requirements in contracts, provide compliance documentation, and allow waivers under certain conditions. Additionally, the bill permits government agencies to require project labor agreements for public projects, which, if applied to all construction work, would exempt the project from apprenticeship and prevailing wage requirements. Finally, it allows counties to opt into state apprenticeship and prevailing wage requirements, collaborating with state agencies through intergovernmental agreements for enforcement and implementation.

A bipartisan bill to extend the advanced industry investment tax credit from December 31, 2026, to December 31, 2031, while expanding eligibility in 2028 to include manufacturing sector small businesses that meet specific economic criteria. It revises the definitions of "qualified investment" and "qualified investor," clarifying eligibility restrictions and excluding certain individuals and entities, such as C corporations and major stakeholders, from receiving the credit. Additionally, the bill reduces the annual credit cap from $4 million to $2.5 million starting in 2027 and requires qualified small businesses to report on the credit’s impact for five years, with penalties for noncompliance.

A bipartisan bill that expands the economic development rate program, which allows investor-owned utilities to offer reduced electricity rates to commercial and industrial customers that relocate or expand in Colorado. It increases the maximum duration of the discounted rate from 10 to 25 years, raises the allowable load for qualifying projects from 20 to 40 megawatts, and streamlines the application process by requiring commission approval within 120 days. Additionally, the commission must consider the broader economic benefits of these projects for other utility customers and the surrounding community.

The bill introduces a four-installment payment option for property taxes on qualifying residential and improved commercial properties, beginning in the 2025 tax year. Taxpayers can pay in four equal installments due in February, April, July, and September, provided at least half is paid by April 30. The bill also extends the tax lien sale notice deadline from September 1 to October 15 to align with the new payment schedule.

The bill requires local governments with minimum wages higher than the states to implement a tip offset for food and beverage employees, ensuring tipped wages account for the difference between state and local minimum wages plus $3.02. Starting October 1, 2026, local governments can adjust the tip offset but cannot reduce it below $3.02 or decrease it by more than $0.50 annually. This measure aims to balance local wage increases while maintaining a standardized approach to tipped wages.

A bill that establishes whistleblower protections for workers involved in developing and/or training foundation artificial intelligence models, preventing retaliation from the developer for reporting safety or security concerns. Developers must provide notice of these rights, create an anonymous internal reporting process, and update workers monthly on the status of their concerns. Violations could result in legal action, with potential penalties including reinstatement, greater of either $10,000 or lost wages, punitive damages, and attorney fees.

The bill prohibits utilities from sharing personal data with third parties or government entities, except for assistance programs, and expands restrictions on utility service disconnections, preventing shutoffs during extreme weather, poor air quality, or medical emergencies. Additionally, it requires that funds collected from the energy assistance system benefit charge are used year-round for direct bill payment assistance, including for low-income customers.

A bill that consolidates damages provisions for individuals with disabilities who experience an unfair housing practice, discrimination in places of public accommodation, or a violation of their civil rights with the general protections under the Colorado anti-discrimination act (CADA) for all protected classes. The bill standardizes available remedies, including compliance orders, monetary damages, attorney fees, and a $5,000 statutory fine per violation, while capping noneconomic damages at $50,000, with reductions for small businesses that promptly correct violations. Additionally, it extends the deadline for filing public accommodation or discriminatory advertising complaints from 60 days to one year.

The bill requires owners or operators of facilities that emit air pollutants to maintain compliance records and make them publicly accessible on their websites. In addition, the bill mandates the owners or operators of such facilities to maintain records that will help the public determine whether the owner or operator is in compliance with rules establishing applicable air quality control regulations. The bill also mandates that the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment provide a link on its website directing the public to these records.

The bill increases legal requirements for construction professionals by mandating extensive documentation disclosures, including personal information, plans, maintenance recommendations, and insurance policies. It also requires an automatic 8% prejudgment interest for prevailing claimants and voids contract provisions that limit group lawsuits. Additionally, the bill expands the ability of homeowner associations to pursue construction defect claims.

The bill prohibits businesses from using automated decision systems, including artificial intelligence (AI), to set individualized prices for consumers or wages for workers based on surveillance data, such as personal characteristics or behaviors. It allows the attorney general, district attorneys, or affected individuals to take legal action against violations, seeking civil penalties, damages, and attorney fees. Additionally, violations are classified as deceptive trade practices under the Colorado Consumer Protection Act.

The bill requires the Colorado Energy Office to establish a state utility on-bill repayment program, allowing utility customers to finance energy efficiency and electrification upgrades through their monthly utility bills. Large investor-owned utilities must submit plans for these programs to the Public Utilities Commission for approval. To fund the initiative, the state treasurer will issue a $100 million interest-free loan from the unclaimed property trust fund, to be repaid by 2045.

The bill updates energy benchmarking and performance standards for certain building owners, requiring compliance with new 2040 emissions targets set by the Air Quality Control Commission. It also authorizes alternative compliance mechanisms for building owners to allow for compliance with certain performance standards and significantly increases civil penalties owed for a violation of the benchmarking and performance standard requirements. Additionally, this bill would establish a Building Decarbonization Enterprise to provide financial and technical assistance, funded by an annual fee at quadruple the rate of the current fee, on covered building owners. Lastly, it exempts local governments with an approved wildfire resiliency code from energy code adoption requirements.

The bill targets the construction of middle market housing through a series of proposals, including: 1) establishing a rebuttable presumption that a property is defect-free if a state agency or local government has issued a certificate of occupancy, 2) requiring a claimant to file an affidavit of a third-party licensed professional indicating the negligence or other action, error, or omission of the construction professional, and 3) requiring that a construction professional must offer to settle the claim or specify why the defect does not require repair. Additionally, the bill extends the statute of limitations to 10 years, raises the homeowner association approval threshold for filing claims from 50% +1 to 65%, and allows a construction professional that meets specified requirements to use certain affirmative defenses.

The bill prohibits a retailer from selling or displaying certain fuel products without labeling fuel products with the statement "Combustion of this product releases greenhouse gases known by the state of Colorado to be linked to global heating and significant health impacts." Failure to comply would be considered a deceptive trade practice under the Colorado Consumer Protection Act.

The bill imposes new restrictions on payment card networks, limiting their ability to set or adjust interchange fees, requires merchants to accept all cards from a network, or charge fees on disputed transactions before resolution. It also caps interchange fees for charitable contributions at 0.2% for debit cards and 0.3% for credit cards. Violations could result in civil lawsuits, with penalties including actual damages, attorney fees, and in cases of bad faith, triple damages.

The bill requires employers to implement protections for workers who are exposed to extreme hot and cold temperatures at the worksite, including temperature mitigation measures, rest breaks, and temperature-related injury and illness prevention plans. This bill allows courts to impose penalties on employers found guilty of discriminatory, retaliatory, or adverse employment practices, including compensatory and punitive damages, however, includes a carve out on punitive damages if an employer can prove good faith efforts were made to comply with the law.

The bill removes the jurisdiction of state plumbing, electrical, and fire suppression boards over factory-built structures once the state housing board adopts related rules. By July 1, 2026, an advisory committee must develop regional building codes for these structures, which the board will adopt to supersede conflicting local laws unless local governments adopt the board's rules. The board will also establish rules for inspections, manufacturer accountability, and third-party design plan approvals.

The bill would eliminate Colorado’s 81-year-old Labor Peace Act, removing the requirement for a second election after a workplace unionize before all employees could be required to pay union dues or fees regardless of whether they want to join the union.

The bill authorizes the state treasurer to invest up to $50 million of state money in bonds that may have below-market interest rates that are issued by a quasi-governmental entity if the proceeds of the bonds are used for the creation of affordable for-sale housing that otherwise would not be created without the state's investment. Money from redemption of such bonds may be reinvested by the state treasurer for the same purpose.

A bill that focuses on the enforcement of certain landlord-tenant laws including, clarifying that the Attorney General has the power to initiate civil and criminal actions to enforce such laws as well as expanding this power to counties, cities and counties, and municipalities. In addition, the bill establishes a receivership mechanism as a remedy for violations by the landlord. This mechanism allows for the attorney general, counties, or municipalities to request a district court to appoint a receiver to manage multifamily residential properties when owners violate laws or regulations. The bill outlines the steps for appointing and terminating receiverships after a minimum of 180 days.

A bill that tasks the Colorado School of Public Health with analyzing draft model legislation for implementing a single-payer, nonprofit, publicly financed, and privately delivered universal health-care system in Colorado, with a report due to the General Assembly by December 31, 2026. It also establishes the Statewide Health-Care Analysis Collaborative, a 20-member group of experts, legislators, and officials, to advise the school during the analysis.