Under current law, a pet store in Colorado is permitted to sell or offer for sale dogs or cats if the pet store abides by certain requirements. The act removes the existing permission so that, beginning January 1, 2028, a pet store is no longer permitted to sell, lease, offer to sell or lease, barter, auction, or otherwise transfer ownership of a dog or cat. Nothing prohibits a pet store from providing space for the display of dogs or cats available for adoption if the pet store does not collect a fee from the display and if certain requirements are met. The act defines 'broker' as a person that, for profit, sells, leases, offers to sell or lease, barters, auctions, or otherwise transfers ownership of, in person or online, a pet animal bred by another person. A broker does not include a person that transfers no more than 3 single pet animals per each calendar year if the person transfers each single pet animal no more than once. The act states that a broker is not permitted to sell, lease, offer to sell or lease, barter, auction, or otherwise transfer ownership of a dog or cat. The act clarifies that the following are still permitted:The sale, transfer, or adoption of an animal, including a law enforcement animal, to a governmental agency;The sale, transfer, or adoption of a guide, signal, or service dog;The sale, transfer, or adoption of a dog or cat by an animal shelter or pet animal rescue;The sale, transfer, or adoption of a dog bred or trained for lawful hunting to or by an individual who possesses a current hunting license;The sale or transfer of a dog or cat by the original breeder of the dog or cat; andThe sale, transfer, or adoption of a dog or cat by a health-related research facility.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

In 2025, the general assembly enacted House Bill 25-1090, which requires clear and conspicuous disclosures regarding the maximum total price charged for goods, services, and property. The bill adds a requirement that a person selling goods for delivery must disclose, at the point of sale, a comparison of the total price for the delivered goods and the total price for the goods available for purchase on site at a store.The bill also prohibits a person from charging unreasonably excessive prices to a captive consumer and defines "captive consumer" as a consumer who is at a location at which a seller of ancillary goods or services does not have competitors regarding the ancillary goods or services being sold. A person that charges unreasonably excessive prices to a captive consumer engages in an unfair or deceptive trade practice in violation of the "Colorado Consumer Protection Act".(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The act authorizes landlords to use a ratio utility billing system to allocate utility charges for a residential premises to individual tenants. The landlord may charge tenants a utility bill using a ratio utility billing system if the landlord meets certain requirements, such as:The aggregate amount billed to all tenants does not exceed the amount charged by the utility provider for service to the entire residential premises;The landlord does not apply a fee or other charge to the tenant in addition to the actual charges from the utility;The utility costs for common areas or shared facilities are excluded from the charges to the tenant; andThe landlord clearly discloses the method of allocation for the dwelling unit in the tenant's rental agreement. For residential premises constructed with permits applied for on or after July 1, 2027, utility service must be metered directly by the utility provider or by a submeter.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

For the purpose of criminal restitution, the act excludes from the definition of 'restitution' losses for which a victim may be compensated through a private insurance policy, except for worker's compensation insurance. Current law defines a 'victim' as any person who has suffered losses because of a contractual relationship, including an insurance company. The act excludes a person from the definition of 'victim' because of a contractual relationship but clarifies that an insurance company is a 'victim' if the insurance company is a victim of a scheme to defraud the insurance company or when the insurance company's property is damaged or stolen through a criminal act. The act authorizes the court to award a victim restitution for a deductible amount under the victim's insurance policy. The act does not prohibit an insurance company from filing a civil action or pursuing any other civil action against a defendant to recover losses the insurance company has suffered.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act adds kidney function screening services as mandated preventive health-care services for which insurance policies or contracts in the state must provide total-cost coverage. Coverage for kidney function screening services will be implemented for all large employer health benefit policies or contracts issued or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2027, and coverage will be implemented for all individual and small group health benefit plans issued or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2028, as long as the state is not required to defray the cost of the coverage of the kidney function screening services. The act permits the exclusion of the 'State Employees Group Benefits Act' from this mandate and exempts certain high deductible plans from having to provide total-cost coverage for such services.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The bill requires an individual being discharged from a nursing facility to be presumptively eligible for long-term services and supports under medicaid.The bill requires the department of health care policy and financing (state department) to determine presumptive eligibility and requires county departments of human or social services (county departments) to set up the long-term services and supports for an individual being discharged from a nursing facility prior to the individual's discharge date.The state department is required to submit an annual report to the state auditor and post the report on the state department's website detailing information about the individuals discharged from a nursing facility and the associated presumptive eligibility determinations.The bill establishes remedial measures against a county department if the county department fails to set up long-term services and supports for the individual. The bill establishes remedial measures against a nursing facility that fails to discharge an individual on the discharge date due to a failure within the nursing facility's control or fails to cooperate in good faith with the state department to ensure long-term care services and supports are in place for the individual.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The act adds a board of cooperative services (BOCES) executive director to the list of individuals covered by the public employees' retirement association (PERA) who may be employed in specified education-related positions under certain circumstances with no change in their PERA retirement benefits. The act permits local education providers to elect to have all or some of their postsecondary and workforce readiness start-up funding distribution made directly to a BOCES.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Current law provides for a diploma endorsement of biliteracy by completing certain educational requirements in English in addition to a second language. The act changes the educational requirements for the biliteracy program and creates a diploma endorsement for bilingualism for graduating high school students. The act allows high school students in local education providers that do not offer the biliteracy or the bilingualism program to access the program through other local education providers or a state institution of higher education. If the student's local education provider does not offer and chooses not to establish a program that offers the endorsement that the student is seeking, the student's local education provider may enter into an agreement with another local education provider or state institution of higher education that offers the endorsement that the student is seeking. A local education provider or state institution of higher education may charge a fee to provide the diploma endorsement program. The fee must reflect the actual and indirect costs of running the diploma endorsement program. The enrolled student's local education provider must pay the fee on behalf of the student.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act expands the Colorado commission on higher education (commission) from 11 to 13 members by adding 2 nonvoting student members who are enrolled at a state-supported institution of higher education (student members). Specifically, the act adds:One student member from a graduate research university or a 4-year institution of higher education; andOne student member from a community college, local district college, or area technical college. The governor shall make initial appointments of student members on or before July 1, 2027. Student members serve on the commission for a term of 2 years. The act shrinks the advisory committee to the commission from 13 to 12 members by removing the advisory committee member designated to represent the students of the state.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Under current law, a parent can voluntarily relinquish their child to a firefighter or hospital or community clinic emergency center staff member if the child is less than 72 hours old. The act allows a parent to voluntarily relinquish their child if the child is 30 days old or younger and requires the department of human services to adopt rules establishing a process for either parent of child who was relinquished to reunify with the child.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

As defined in the 'Colorado Charitable Solicitations Act', a 'paid solicitor' is a person that, for monetary compensation, performs a service in which contributions are solicited in Colorado for a charitable purpose or for the benefit of a charitable organization. The act excludes from the definition of 'paid solicitor' an auctioneer who provides auctioneer services to a charitable organization. As a result, the auctioneer is exempted from the requirements of the 'Colorado Charitable Solicitations Act' for paid solicitors. The exemption applies regardless of whether the auctioneer is contracted or paid to provide their auctioneer services to the charitable organization or is volunteering their auctioneer services to the charitable organization without compensation. However, for the exemption to apply, an auctioneer who provides auctioneer services to a charitable organization may not directly receive or handle contributions or charitable funding on behalf of the charitable organization for which the auctioneer is contracted or volunteering.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Under current law, a member of the public employees' retirement association (PERA) earns service credit for each year worked during which the member makes contributions to PERA. A member may purchase additional years of service credit for any previous period of public or private employment during which the member was not making contributions to PERA, subject to certain conditions. The act allows a member of PERA to also purchase service credit for previous periods of unemployment during which the member was 21 years old or older, subject to certain conditions. The act requires PERA's voluntary investment program to include options for an employee to make tax-deferred voluntary contributions and Roth voluntary contributions. The act requires PERA employers to affiliate with PERA's deferred compensation plan and requires PERA employers to offer the deferred compensation plan to employees. The deferred compensation plan must include options for an employee to make pre-tax voluntary contributions and Roth voluntary contributions.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Under current law, the Colorado job growth incentive tax credit (credit) may only be allowed by the economic development commission (commission) through state income tax year 2026. The act amends the Colorado job growth incentive tax credit to authorize the commission to allow new credit awards through state income tax year 2034. The act also extends the commission's annual reporting requirement through September 1, 2042.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Under current law, the Colorado homeless contribution tax credit (credit) may only be claimed through state income tax year 2026. The act amends the credit to allow taxpayers to claim the credit through state income tax year 2030.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act extends the repeal date of the open educational resources grant program and the Colorado open educational resources council (council) to November 1, 2031. The act increases representation from public institutions of higher education on the council from 12 to 15 members. The act extends the requirement for the department of higher education (department) to prepare and submit an annual report regarding open educational resources to December 31, 2031. The act appropriates $275,000 to the department for use by the Colorado commission on higher education and higher education special purpose programs.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)