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 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.