2026 Colorado Legislative Session Recap

During the 2026 legislative session, Colorado lawmakers considered 626 bills. Ultimately, the General Assembly passed 156 of those bills, twelve of which were then vetoed by the Governor. This article summarizes some of the highlights of the legislative session affecting affordable housing, alternative dispute resolution and litigation, the cannabis industry, construction, corporations, criminal defense, employment, homelessness, insurance, privacy and data security, public entities, real estate, and water and conservation in Colorado. Many of these new laws are complex, comprehensive, and detailed. Therefore, individuals, businesses, and property owners are encouraged to read these new laws in their entirety and consult an attorney to determine the law’s applicability to them.

Alternative Dispute Resolution + Litigation 

HB26-1236: Arbitration Reform – Vetoed

The General Assembly passed HB26-1236, which would have made several significant changes to arbitrations subject to the Colorado Revised Uniform Arbitration Act (CRUAA). However, the Governor VETOED the new law based on concerns that the bill would make it more difficult for parties to use arbitration and would complicate the resolution of legal disputes in a timely and cost-effective manner.

To learn more about HB26-1236 and what happens next, read Colorado Arbitration Reform Legislation Vetoed. 

Cannabis 

HB26-1077: Average Market Rate of Unprocessed Retail Marijuana 

HB26-1077 makes several changes to the statutory definition of “average market rate” for the purpose of imposing Colorado’s 15% excise tax on retail marijuana. These changes have the effect of creating separate “average market rates” for fresh frozen indoor unprocessed retail marijuana and fresh frozen outdoor processed retail marijuana by requiring that the initial rates for unprocessed marijuana that are allocated to extractions must be lower than the rate for unprocessed marijuana that is allocated for direct sale to consumers.

HB26-1077 takes effect on July 1, 2026, and is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 39-28.8-101 and 39-28.8-201.5.

HB26-1409: Concerning the Distribution of Money Collected from the Retail Marijuana Sales Tax 

Colorado law required 3.5% of the gross retail marijuana sales tax revenue to be distributed to local governments. HB26-1409 eliminates distribution of that revenue to local governments and reallocates that revenue to the marijuana tax cash fund, the state public school fund, and the general fund. The new law also sets new parameters applicable to distributions to the state public school fund.

HB26-1409 is effective immediately and is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 39-28.8-203 and 39-28.8-501.

SB26-007: Medical Marijuana Use in Health Facilities 

SB26-007 permits certain health facilities to allow patients who are terminally ill and who are registered in the state’s medical marijuana program to use medical marijuana within the health facility, subject to certain parameters.

SB26-007 takes effect on August 12, 2026,* and is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 25-1.5-106.1 and 25-1.5-106.

SB26-031: Use of Prescription Product with Controlled Substances 

SB26-031 exempts prescription drugs containing a Schedule I controlled substance from Schedule I subject to certain parameters. The new law clarifies that it does not apply to or affect the regulation of or lawful actions or conduct concerning natural medicine, natural medicine products, marijuana, or marijuana concentrates.

SB26-031 takes effect on August 12, 2026,* and is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-18-203.

To learn more about these new laws impacting the Cannabis industry in Colorado, read Cannabis Reform Legislation Fails: Other Measures Pass. 

Construction

HB26-1034: Modifications to Standards for Irrigation Equipment 

In 2023, the General Assembly enacted strict laws related to water and energy efficiency standards for certain appliances and fixtures sold, leased, or rented in Colorado, including water and energy efficiency standards for “irrigation controllers” and “spray sprinkler bodies.” HB26-1034 repeals the requirements applicable to irrigation controllers and spray sprinkler bodies.

HB26-1034 takes effect on August 12, 2026,* and is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 6-7.5-102, 6-7.5-104, and 6-7.5-105.

SB26-001: Workforce Housing & Housing Tax Credit 

Under existing law, a sales and use tax exemption applies to all sales of construction and building materials to contractors and subcontractors for use in the building, erection, alteration or repair of structures, highways, roads, streets, or other public works owned and used by the federal government or the state government or its political subdivisions acting in their governmental capacities. Applicable to contractors, SB26-001 clarifies that the definition of “governmental capacities” includes the building, erection, alteration, or repair of structures for workforce housing projects undertaken by counties.

SB26-001 takes effect on August 12, 2026,* except for the minor amendments related to recapture of credits found in Colo. Rev. § 39-22-5404, which take effect on January 1, 2027. The new law is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 30-35-202, 31-15-713, 31-15-801, 29-1-204.5, 30-11-107, 39-22-5402, 39-22-5404, 39-22-5405, and 39-26-708.

SB26-155: Increase Access Homeowner’s Insurance Enterprise

Applicable to the construction industry, SB26-155 creates a grant program to provide grants to Colorado homeowners to retrofit residential property with resilient roofs to reduce insurer losses due to things like hail and windstorms. The program is to be administered by the newly created Strengthen Colorado Homes Enterprise. Among other things, the new law requires homeowners who are awarded a grant to construct a roof that meets resilient roof system standards. The new law also requires homeowners to select a contractor licensed in the state that is a member of a professional association that promotes best practices and ethical behaviors in the roofing industry. SB26-155  prohibits contractors that are awarded bids and receive grant money from the grant program from waiving homeowner’s insurance deductibles. Contractors must attest that they do not waive deductibles and agree to repair, rather than replace, roofs when appropriate in accordance with rules adopted by the Enterprise Board. Contractors must also meet any other criteria established by the Enterprise Board.

SB26-155 takes effect on August 12, 2026,* and is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 10-4-2001 to 10-4-2006 and 10-4-405.

HB26-1272: Extreme Temperatures Worker Protections 

HB26-1272 requires the Division of Labor Standards and Statistics (the Division) in the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) to begin collecting data about temperature-related injury or illness or temperature-related emergencies at worksites by January 15, 2027. The Division is further charged with developing a platform on the CDLE’s website where users can report temperature-related injury or illness or temperature-related emergencies. By July 1, 2028, the Division is also required to develop a model temperature-related injury and illness prevention plan (TRIIPP) to be made available to the public on its website.

HB26-1272 takes effect on August 12, 2026,* and is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 8-14.4-101 and 18-14.4-101.5.

To learn more about these new laws and more, read Colorado Legislature Passes Several New Laws Affecting Contractors.

Corporate and Privacy + Data Security 

HB26-1088: Business Entity Filings with Secretary of State 

Under existing Colorado law, corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, and other types of business entities must file forms and pay fees to the Colorado Secretary of State (SOS) to create and operate an entity, and/or to conduct business in Colorado. HB26-1088 makes several changes to how business entity filings with the SOS may be voided or determined to be fraudulent. For example, if an electronic payment for the entity filing fee is reversed or is not completed, the new law authorizes the SOS to mark an entity filing as “void” or remove it from the state filing system. HB26-1088 also prohibits filers from using a fraudulent entity as a registered agent in a business entity filing and amends the complaint and investigation processes related to a violation of that prohibition. In addition, HB26-1088 authorizes a person that is injured by a violation to bring a judicial action in the District Court for the City and County of Denver to dissolve the entity.

HB26-1088 takes effect on August 12, 2026,* and is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 7-90-303, 7-90-314, 7-56-715, 7-80-811, 7-90-402, 7-114-302, and 7-134-302.

To learn more about this law, read Colorado Business Entity Filing Law Changes. 

SB26-189: Automated Decision-Making Technology 

SB26-189 significantly amends the Consumer Protections for Artificial Intelligence Act governing “developers” and “deployers” (i.e., users) of automated decision-making technology (ADMT). The new law governs the development and deployment of ADMT used to “materially influence” a “consequential decision” and creates new notice and disclosure requirements for developers and deployers while providing consumers with processes for challenging decisions made by ADMT. Developers and deployers of covered ADMT must comply with the Act by January 1, 2027. However, certain types of entities are exempted from the requirements of SB26-189 to the extent they comply with other legal obligations. Failure to comply with the new law constitutes a deceptive trade practice under the Colorado Consumer Protection Act (CCPA), allowing the Colorado Attorney General (AG) to assert claims against developers and deployers and impose expensive monetary penalties for each violation. Failure to comply may also constitute discrimination, subjecting developers and deployers to anti-discrimination claims.

SB26-189 takes effect on January 1, 2027, and is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 6-1-1701 to 6-1-1709, 6-1-105, and 10-3-1104.9.

SB26-051: Age Attestation on Computing Devices 

SB26-051 establishes a detailed framework for obtaining age information on public internet websites, software applications, online services, and platforms. In short, the new law requires operating system providers to collect age information from account holders and to translate that information into certain age brackets. Operating system providers must then share the age bracket information in real time with application developers to help them determine the age range of the user, including whether the user is a minor. Application developers must then use the age information to comply with any applicable law, including the Colorado Privacy Act, which limits data processing, targeted advertising, and profiling involving minors. Failure to comply with the new law may result in monetary penalties up to $2,500 for negligent violations and $7,500 for intentional violations for each impacted minor.

SB26-051 takes effect on July 1, 2028, and all accounts created on or after that date must comply with the law; however, the required date of compliance for accounts that were set up prior to July 1, 2028, is July 1, 2029. The new law is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 6-30-101 to 6-30-105.

HB26-1031: Protections for Agricultural Products Grown in Colorado 

HB26-1031 prohibits the identification of an agricultural product as being produced in Colorado when selling, marketing, advertising, or distributing the product unless the product is grown in the state. The new law also prohibits use of the “Colorado Proud” designation or logo unless authorized by the Colorado Department of Agriculture. A violation of these prohibitions constitutes a deceptive trade practice under the Colorado Consumer Protection Act, exposing violators to significant monetary penalties and, in some instances, criminal charges.

HB26-1031 takes effect on August 12, 2026,* and is applicable to conduct on or after that date. The new law is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 35-1-122 and 6-1-105.

To learn more about these new laws, read Colorado’s Age Attestation Law: What OS Providers and App Developers Need to Know. 

Criminal Defense 

HB26-1144: Prohibit Three-Dimensional Printing Firearms & Components 

HB26-1144 prohibits knowingly manufacturing or producing a potentially functioning firearm, unfinished frame or receiver, large-capacity magazine, or rapid-fire device by means of three-dimensional (3D) printing using a 3D printer, CNC milling machine, or similar device. This prohibition does not apply to a federally licensed firearm manufacturer, an instructor or student of an accredited gunsmithing program, or an institution that operates an accredited gunsmithing program. A person who violates the new law commits unlawful 3D printing of a firearm or firearm component, which is a class 1 misdemeanor. A second or subsequent offense is a class 5 felony.

HB26-1144 is effective immediately and codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-12-119.

SB26-015: Offenses Involving Commercial Sexual Activity with a Child 

SB26-015 is bipartisan legislation intended to strengthen protection for minors. The new law changes the terminology used for “prostitution of a child” and “child prostitution” to “commercial sexual activity.” Under SB26-015, “commercial sexual activity” means sexual contact, sexual intrusion, sexual penetration, sexual exploitation of a child, or an obscene performance for which anything of value is given to, promised, or received by a person. The new terminology will now be used in the statutes describing the crimes for child prostitution, pandering of a child, keeping a place of child prostitution, pimping a child, inducement of child prostitution, and patronizing a prostituted child. SB26-015 also includes new mandatory sentencing requirements and amends some of the above-listed crimes.

SB26-015 takes effect on July 1, 2026, and is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 18-7-401 to 18-7-406, 18-3-302, 18-3-306, 18-1.3-202, 40-10-129, 16-8-115, 16-11.7-102, 16-13-303, 16-22-102, 16-22-108, 18-1.3-101, 18-3-407, 18-3-411, 18-3-412, 18-12-108, 18-17-103, and 24-4.1-302.

SB26-031: Use of Prescription Product with Controlled Substances 

SB26-031 exempts prescription drugs containing a Schedule I controlled substance from Schedule I subject to certain parameters. The new law clarifies that it does not apply to or affect the regulation of or lawful actions or conduct concerning natural medicine, natural medicine products, marijuana, or marijuana concentrates.

SB26-031 takes effect on August 12, 2026,* and is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-18-203.

SB26-115: Post-Conviction Relief for Certain Offenders 

SB26-115 creates a process for a person in prison to petition the court for resentencing and for a court to impose a reduced sentence if the petitioner is sixty years old or older at the time of filing the petition and has served at least twenty calendar years incarcerated for the offense. The petition must be filed within three years of August 12, 2026. A person is ineligible to petition the court if the person is incarcerated because of a conviction for a sex offense or human trafficking, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, or committed an offense involving a child younger than twelve years old or an offense against a first responder performing their duties. However, the district attorney may petition the court requesting that the court grant post-conviction relief for an ineligible individual.

SB26-115 takes effect on August 12, 2026,* and applies to individuals convicted of an offense before, on, or after that date. The new law is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-1.3-411.

To learn more about new Colorado laws impacting the criminal space, read What’s New in Colorado Criminal Law: 2026. 

Employment 

HB26-1207: Disclosure of Demographic Workforce Data

HB26-1207 requires private entities conducting business in Colorado that employ 100 or more workers to submit EEO-01 demographic workforce data currently collected by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to the Colorado Secretary of State in the entities’ periodic reports, even if the EEOC ceases to collect that information.

HB26-1207 takes effect on August 12, 2026*, but employers must comply with the new law beginning on July 1, 2027. HB26-1207 is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. § 7-90-501

HB26-1272: Extreme Temperatures Worker Protections 

HB26-1272 requires the Division of Labor Standards and Statistics (the Division) in the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) to begin collecting data about temperature-related injury or illness or temperature-related emergencies at worksites by January 15, 2027. The Division is further charged with developing a platform on the CDLE’s website where users can report temperature-related injury or illness or temperature-related emergencies. By July 1, 2028, the Division is also required to develop a model temperature-related injury and illness prevention plan (TRIIPP) to be made available to the public on its website.

HB26-1272 takes effect on August 12, 2026,* and is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 8-14.4-101 and 18-14.4-101.5.

HB26-1283: Protections Regarding Seizures of Identification Documents 

Subject to certain exceptions, an employer or an employer’s agent is prohibited from demanding, confiscating, retaining, or otherwise requiring an individual who is an employee, job applicant, or otherwise working for the employer (including a migrant worker or seasonal employee), to surrender the individual’s government-issued identification card. A person who knowingly violates the new law commits a class 2 misdemeanor and in certain circumstances may also be guilty of a bias-motivated crime, which is a class 1 misdemeanor.

HB26-1283 is effective immediately and is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 8-2-124.5, 18-5-903.5, and 18-9-121

SB26-189: Automated Decision-Making Technology

SB26-189 replaces the Consumer Protections for Artificial Intelligence Act (SB24-205), which was set to take effect on June 1, 2026, in its entirety, and significantly decreases the burden on employers who use AI to make important employment decisions about hiring, job performance, compensation, and termination. The new law governs the deployment of automated decision-making technology (ADMT) used to “materially influence” a “consequential decision” and creates new notice and disclosure requirements for employers while providing employees with processes for challenging decisions made by ADMT. Employers who deploy covered ADMT must comply with SB26-189 by January 1, 2027. Failure to comply with the new law constitutes a deceptive trade practice under the CCPA, allowing the state Attorney General to assert claims against developers and deployers and impose expensive monetary penalties for each violation. Failure to comply may also constitute discrimination, subjecting developers and deployers to anti-discrimination claims. Notably, the Act does not create a private right of action for consumers.

SB26-189 takes effect on January 1, 2027, and is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 6-1-1701 to 6-1-1709, 6-1-105, and 10-3-1104.9.

For more detailed information about the laws impacting employers and employees in Colorado, read Colorado General Assembly Passes New Laws Applicable to Employers. 

Insurance Coverage

HB26-1017: Criminal Restitution Prohibited for Insurers

Existing law allowed insurers of a victim of a crime to receive restitution payments in criminal cases. This happened when an insurer incurred a loss arising from a contractual relationship with a victim, such as paying out an insurance claim to a victim of a crime. HB26-1017 prohibits insurers (other than workers’ compensation insurers) from receiving victim restitution payments and clarifies the circumstances under which insurers may otherwise receive restitution payments in criminal cases.

HB26-1017 takes effect on August 12, 2026,* and is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 18-1.3-601 to 18-1.3-603.

SB26-155: Increase Access Homeowner’s Insurance Enterprise

HB26-155 creates a government-owned enterprise called the Strengthen Colorado Homes Enterprise (Enterprise) for the primary purpose of imposing fees on insurance companies that offer multiperil homeowners’ insurance policies in Colorado. SB26-155 also creates a grant program to be administered by the Enterprise for the purpose of providing grants to Colorado homeowners to retrofit residential property with resilient roof systems to reduce insurer losses due to hail and windstorms and sets forth the rules for administering the program. The Enterprise must also use fee revenue to conduct or contract with a third party to conduct a study to analyze insurance risk in high-risk wildfire areas of the state.

SB26-155 takes effect on August 12, 2026,* and is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§10-4-2001 to 10-4-2006 and 10-4-405.

To learn more, read Colorado Homes Enterprise and Insurance Restitution Changes. 

Public Entity 

HB26-1001: Housing Developments on Qualifying Properties 

HB26-1001, known as the HOME Act, provides that a subject jurisdiction (i.e. a local government with a population greater than 2,000 people as of the last United States census) must allow a residential development to be constructed on property owned by a school district, state college or university, board of cooperative services, housing authority, local or regional transit district or authority, or nonprofit organization that meets certain criteria beginning on December 31, 2027. However, if on December 31, 2027, the subject jurisdiction is in the process of updating its zoning or development code to comply with the new law, it has until June 31, 2028 to meet the requirements of the new law.

HB26-1001 takes effect immediately and is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 29-35-103 and 29-35-501 to 29-35-506.

HB26-1065: Transit and Housing Investment Zones

HB26-1065 is known as the Transit Investment Area Act. Beginning on January 1, 2027, the new law allows a local government or group of local governments alone or in partnership with a transit agency within a proposed transit investment area to jointly undertake a transit investment project. The Transit Investment Area Act sets forth detailed rules relating to project applications, financing, approved financing entities, transit investment authorities, hiring, apprenticeship, and workforce standards. The Transit Investment Area Act also creates the Colorado Affordable Housing in Transit and Housing Investment Zones Tax Credit, which is to be used to incentivize development of affordable housing projects in transportation and housing investment zones.

HB26-1065 takes effect immediately and is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 24-46-401 to 24-46-409, 24-35-124, 24-48.5-136, 29-1-102, 30-31-116.5, 31-25-117, 32-1-1010, 39-21-113, 39-22-5701 to 39-22-5708, and 39-26-901.

HB26-1202: Strategy to Reduce & Prevent Homelessness

HB26-1202 requires the Colorado Department of Local Affairs to submit and present a proposal in compliance with multiple statutory requirements for the development of a statewide strategy on homelessness prevention and resolution as part of its SMART Act hearing in January of 2027. Local governments may now enter into intergovernmental agreements with one another to create a Multi-jurisdictional Homelessness Response Authority, which is a new type of governmental entity. The new law also allows counties to designate a portion of certain documentary filing fees to be transferred to the county government or housing authority for the purpose of developing, preserving, or acquiring affordable housing.

HB26-1202 takes effect on August 12, 2026,* and is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 24-32-3901, 24-32-3902, 29-1-204.7, and 39-13-102.

HB26-1313: Adjust Requirements Statewide Affordable Housing Fund 

HB26-1313 changes some of the requirements for local and tribal governments receiving funding from the statewide affordable housing fund.

HB26-1313 takes effect immediately and is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 29-32-102, 29-32-104, and 29-32-105.

SB26-001: Workforce Housing & Housing Tax Credit

SB26-001 allows counties and municipalities to sell and dispose of property owned by them to provide affordable housing and allows a municipality to enter into a long-term rental or lease agreement for the development of affordable housing. The new law also allows a county to use ad valorem tax revenue for housing authorities, housing programs, and workforce housing. In addition, SB26-001 provides that an entity subject to income tax to which a middle-income housing tax credit is transferred by a governmental entity or quasi-governmental entity may claim the credit without owning an interest in a qualified project. The new law also clarifies that the definition of “governmental capacities” for purposes of sales and use tax exemptions on certain public projects includes the building, erection, alteration, or repair of structures for workforce housing projects undertaken by counties.

SB26-001 takes effect on August 12, 2026,* except for the minor amendments related to recapture of credits found in Colo. Rev. § 39-22-5404, which take effect on January 1, 2027. The new law is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 30-25-202, 31-15-713, 31-15-801, 29-1-204.5, 30-11-107, 39-22-5402, 39-22-5404, 39-24-5405, and 39-26-708.

Colorado lawmakers continue to push big changes in housing and affordability. To learn more about these new laws, read What Local Governments Need to Know at the Close of CO’s Legislative Session. 

Real Estate & Housing 

HB26-1045: Disabilities Housing Protections 

HB26-1045 provides that permitting an assistance animal in housing is presumed to be a reasonable accommodation, so long as a housing provider has been given an opportunity to engage in an interactive accommodation process with the individual requesting the accommodation. The new law provides that the complete prohibition of assistance animals in housing is presumed to be discriminatory but a housing provider does not engage in a discriminatory housing practice solely by requesting reasonable documentation to support the claim of disability or disability-related need for an assistance animal or by engaging in a good faith interactive process to evaluate a request for an assistance animal, unless the disability or disability related need is obvious.

HB26-1045 takes effect on August 12, 2026,* and is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 24-34-301, 24-34-501 to 24-34-502.2.

HB26-1099: Protect Financial Condition of Homeowners Association 

The Colorado Common Interest Ownership Act (CCIOA) governs the formation, transfer of control, and management of homeowners associations. HB26-1099 amends portions of CCIOA. For example, the new law provides that prior to transfer of control from a declarant to the association of a planned community or condominium, the declarant must commission and pay for a reserve study for the planned community or condominium which meets specific statutory requirements, and the study must be made available by the association to all unit owners within set time frames. HB26-1099 also requires an association management company to deliver all association property and records to the association or its new management company within forty-five days of termination or non-renewal. Failure to do so may result in an award of significant monetary damages to the association, particularly if the failure is found to be willful.

HB26-1099 takes effect on August 12, 2026,* and is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 38-33.3-209.2, 38-33.3-209.4, 38-33.3-303, and 38-33.3-317.

HB26-1196: Tenant Data Information 

HB26-1196 requires transparency in landlords’ tenant screening practices and requires landlords to protect tenants’ personal identifying information in eviction proceedings.

HB26-1196 takes effect on January 1, 2027, and is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 13-40-110.2 and 38-12-904.

HB26-1224: Protections for Mobile Home Park Residents

HB26-1224 makes several detailed changes to the laws governing mobile home parks. For example, HB26-1224 clarifies that a landlord may pursue the termination of a tenancy on the grounds that a homeowner failed to comply with local ordinances and state laws and rules relating to mobile homes and mobile lots only if a local government, the state, or an agency or division of a local government or the state has issued a final order finding that a violation occurred. Furthermore, a landlord that is temporarily prohibited from increasing rent or issuing a notice of rent increase must notify all residents in writing that their rent shall not be increased while the prohibition is effective and give the reason for the temporary prohibition. HB26-1224 also requires landlords to include additional information in notices sent to homeowners when landlords intend to sell their mobile parks.

HB26-1224 takes effect on January 1, 2027, and is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 38-12-201.5, 38-12-203, 38-12-204, 38-12-217, and 38-12-1106.

SB26-053: Colorado Housing and Finance Authority Mortgage Post Officers First Responders

SB26-053 makes “first responders” eligible for mortgage loans through the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority. The new law defines “first responder” to include peace officers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians. The new law defines the term “peace officers” to include a noncertified deputy sheriff, an emergency communications specialist, a corrections officer, a port of entry officer, or a wildlife officer. HB26-053 also sets an income limit for families made eligible for mortgage loans under the new law.

SB26-053 is effective on August 12, 2026,* and is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 29-4-703 and 29-4-712.

SB26-177: Access Adjoining Property to Repair or Maintain 

SB26-177 provides that if a requesting property owner seeks to make repairs to or complete maintenance on the requesting property owner’s property, but the repairs or maintenance cannot reasonably be accomplished without entering onto an adjoining owner’s property, and the adjoining owner refuses to permit entry onto the adjoining owner’s property for the purpose of the repair or maintenance, the requesting owner may petition the district court of the county in which the properties are located to permit the requesting owner to enter into the adjoining owner’s property for the purpose of the repair or maintenance of the owner’s property. However, this rule does not apply if the adjoining owner is owned or controlled by the federal government, the state, or a political subdivision of the state.

SB26-177 is effective on August 12, 2026,* and is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-20-1304.

To learn more about these new laws, read New Laws Affecting Landowners, Landlords, and HOAs. 

Water & Conservation 

HB26-1034: Modifications to Standards for Irrigation Equipment 

In 2023, the General Assembly enacted strict laws related to water and energy efficiency standards for certain appliances and fixtures sold, leased, or rented in Colorado, including water and energy efficiency standards for “irrigation controllers” and “spray sprinkler bodies.” HB26-1034 repeals the requirements applicable to irrigation controllers and spray sprinkler bodies.

HB26-1034 takes effect on August 12, 2026,* and is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 6-7.5-102, 6-7.5-104, 6-7.5-105.

HB26-1145: Mobile Home Park Water Quality

Under existing law, the Colorado Water Quality Control Division (Division) tests for and remediates water quality issues for mobile home parks. HB26-1145 amends several sections of that law, imposing new requirements on mobile home park owners, increasing the Division’s enforcement authority for water quality and remediation requirements, and increasing the potential monetary penalties that may be imposed against mobile home park owners.

HB26-1145 takes effect on August 12, 2026,* and is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 25-8-1001 to 25-8-1003, and 25-8-1007.

SB26-016: Prohibit Discharge Preproduction Plastic Materials 

SB26-016 prohibits the discharge of plastic pellets or other preproduction plastic materials from a facility that makes, uses, packages, or transports plastic pellets or other preproduction plastic materials in Colorado. SB26-016 also provides that the state shall not issue a permit for the discharge of plastic pellets or other preproduction materials into state waters.

SB26-016 takes effect on August 12, 2026,* and is codified at Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 25-8-1101 to 25-8-1103, 25-8-501, and 25-15-329.

For more information about these laws impacting water and conservation in Colorado, read Three Laws Affecting Energy, Water, and the Environment in Colorado. 

Our Team

If you have questions about any of the new legislation passed by the Colorado General Assembly in 2026 and its potential effect on you, your business, or your property, please contact BHGR today.

*All bills discussed in this article that are effective on August 12, 2026 are, in fact, effective on that date unless a referendum petition related to the new law is timely filed and voted on in the November 2026 general election. Should that happen, the new law will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.