HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 06/03/2025 - Memorandum from Ginny Sawyer re Legislative Review Committee 2025 Wrap – up
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City Manager’s Office
City Hall
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.221.6505
970.224.6107 - fax
fcgov.com
MEMORANDUM
Date: May 29, 2025
To: Mayor and Councilmembers
Through: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
Tyler Marr, Deputy City Manager
From: Ginny Sawyer, Project & Policy Manager
RE: Legislative Review Committee 2025 Wrap-up
The 2025 state legislative session has ended. The Legislative Review (LRC) committee met
2/month throughout the session to review bills of impact to the city and the organization.
LRC requested re-convening in July and September to consider possible bill requests and to
preview what may come forward in the 2026 session. Staff will begin scheduling those
meetings.
Attached to this memo are the May 20, 2025 draft meeting minutes, a veto letter sent regarding
HB 1300 (which as of this writing remains passed but unsigned), and the latest CML Statehouse
Report.
In 2025, the City tracked 23 bills and took positions on 14 bills. Of those 14, final votes aligned
on 6 and did not align on 8. The City sent 3 veto letters to the Governor and to date one bill was
vetoed (HB 1147 which impacted municipal court operations.)
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City Manager’s Office
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Legislative Review Committee Minutes - DRAFT
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Councilmembers present: Pignataro, Ohlson, Canonico, Gutowsky (alternate)
Staff & Guests Present: Ginny Sawyer, Tyler Marr, Megan DeMasters, Sylvia Tatman-Burruss, Dianne Criswell,
Jenn Cassell, Halee Wahl, Max Valadez
A. Meeting Called to Order at 4:06 PM
B. Approval of Minutes from April 24, 2025.
a. Moved by Pignataro, seconded by Ohlson. Motion passed 3-0.
C. Bill and Session Overview and Discussion
• A total of 637 bills were introduced this session; approximately 500 were passed.
• Two significant vetoes were issued by the Governor last Friday
SB 25-086 and SB 25-077 were considered for override but did not proceed to a vote.
• Key themes of the session included:
• The state budget deficit ($1.1B), driven by higher Medicaid utilization, school finance
backfills, and voter-approved law enforcement expenditures.
• Reactions to federal actions, including preemptive state legislation on immigration and
voting rights.
• Concerns over state overreach into local authority.
• Estimated fiscal impact to local governments: ~$138.8 million statewide (per CML).
Major Legislative Issues:
• Workers’ Rights: Aggressively advanced by labor unions.
• Voting & Elections: Changes to vacancy appointment rules.
• Gun Control: Some legislative action regarding semiautomatic weapons, passed.
• Federal Counteractions: State passed bills on immigration and voting rights in response to
federal policies.
• SB 25-1029 – Municipal Authority Over Certain Land: Passed and signed into law. Grants
municipalities full authority over open space and natural areas located outside their city limits.
• Unfunded Mandates: Around 8 bills include unfunded mandates that will impact local
governments.
• Interim Committees: Some state legislative committees will continue meeting despite budget
limitations.
City Legislative Activity:
• The City tracked 23 bills on the Position Bill Tracker.
• Took formal positions (Support/Oppose) on 14 bills:
o 6 aligned with the City’s position.
o 8 did not.
Position Bills
a. HB-1029: Municipal Authority over Certain Land-Support – (Signed by Governor)
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b. HB-1039 Commercial Vehicle Muffler Requirements- Support (Passed)
c. HB- 1044: Local Funding for Vulnerable Road User Protection-Support (PI’d; new bill anticipated)
d. HB-1051: Repeal Recycled Bag Carryout Fee- Oppose (Postponed Indefinitely)
e. HB-1056: Local Government Permitting Wireless Telecommunications Facilities-Oppose (Passed
with Amendments)
f. HB-1060: Electronic Fence Detection System – Oppose (Passed-Sent veto letter) (Signed by
Governor)
g. HB-1077: Backflow Prevention Devices Requirement – Support (Signed by Governor)
h. HB-1096: Automated Permits for Clean Energy Technology – Monitor (Passed)
i. HB-1113: Limit Turf in New Residential Development – Monitor (Passed)
j. HB-1147: Fairness and Transparency in Municipal Court – Oppose (Passed-Sent veto letter)
k. HB-1224: Revised Uniform Unclaimed Property Act Modifications - Monitor (CML Amend) (Passed)
l. HB-1268: Utility On-Bill Repayment Program Financing – Support (Postponed Indefinitely)
m. HB-1272: Construction Defects & Middle Market Housing – Support (Passed)
n. HB-1276: Court Actions Related to Failure to Appear in Court – Support (Postponed Indefinitely)
o. HB-1295: Food Truck Operations – Oppose (Passed)
p. HB-1300: Workers' Compensation Benefits Proof of Entitlement Oppose (CML Oppose) (Passed-Sent
veto letter)
q. HB-1303: Funding for Motor Vehicle Collision Prevention - Monitor (CML Support) (Postponed
Indefinitely)
r. SB-001: Colorado Voting Rights Act – Monitor (Signed by Governor)
s. SB-002: Regional Building Codes for Factory-Built Structures – Amend (Signed by Governor)
t. SB-020: Tenant and Landlord Law Enforcement – Amend (Sponsor NOT open to amendments)
(Passed)
u. SB-030: Increase Transportation Mode Choice Reduce Emissions – Amend (Passed)
v. SB-077: Modifications to Colorado Open Records Act – Monitor (Governor vetoed)
w. SB-163: Battery Storage Programs – Support (Passed)
Tracked Bills
a. HB-1031: Law Enforcement Whistleblower Protection (CML Amend) (Passed)
b. HB-1032: Improving Infrastructure to Reduce Homelessness (CML Amend) (Died)
c. HB-1169: Housing Developments on Faith and Educational Land (CML Oppose) (Died)
d. HB-1225: Freedom From Intimidation in Elections (CML Amend) (Passed)
e. HB- 1239: Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CML Oppose) (Fiscal Note) (Passed)
f. HB-1273: Residential Building Stair Modernization (CML Oppose) (Passed)
g. SB-299: Consumer Protection Residential Energy Systems (Passed)
h. SB-306: Performance Audits of Certain State Agencies (Passed)
D. CC4CA/CML Policy related
E. Other Business
a. Future meetings – Discussed meting in July and in September. Staff will work to schedule
b. Proposed bills
F. Adjourned at 5:02 PM
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The CML Statehouse Report will arrive in your inbox every week during the legislative session. If
you were forwarded this email and would like to sign up to receive the Statehouse Report, click
here to opt-in through a Periodical Subscription Request. Please note, subscriptions are available
only to CML members.
May 13, 2025
Statehouse Repor t
Overview of 2025 Legislative Session
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During the 2025 legislative session, CML took positions on 85 bills. On Sine Die, CML had opposed or
sought amendments to 27 bills, of which 17 died. We were able to remove our opposition after
receiving amendments to an additional 18 bills. CML supported 29 bills, 23 of which passed the
legislature. CML did not receive amendments to allow a support or neutral position on an additional
11 bills.
In addition to this overview, please check out CML’s “Laws for immediate attention” article which
will be published in the upcoming May 16 CML Newsletter. CML’s comprehensive Laws Enacted
publication will detail all laws passed this session that have a municipal impact. The 2025 Laws
Enacted will be available mid-June.
CML priorities that passed the legislature
HB25-1029 Municipal Authority over Certain Land
HB25-1039 Commercial Vehicle Muffler Requirements
HB25-1112 Local Authorities Enforce Vehicle Registration
HB25-1152 Tech Accessibility Liability Contractor
SB25-007 Increase Prescribed Burns
SB25-023 Local Government Audit Exemption Thresholds
SB25-040 Future of Severance Taxes & Water Funding Task Force
SB25-162 Railroad Safety Requirements
SB25-305 Water Quality Permitting Efficiency
SB25-310 Proposition 130 Implementation
CML oppose priorities that did not pass or were amended to
remove CML opposition
HB25-1096 Automated Permits for Clean Energy Technology (Amended)
HB25-1067 Criminal Asset Forfeiture Act (Died)
HB25-1169 Housing Developments on Faith and Educational Land (Died)
HB25-1232 Liability When Means of Self-Defense Prohibited (Died)
HB25-1234 Utility Consumer Protection (Amended)
HB25-1295 Food Truck Operations (Amended to remove CML opposition)
SB25-132 Spirituous Liquor Manufacturer Tastings Conduct (Died)
2025 Legislative Wrap-Up
The 2025 legislative session was overshadowed by a $1.2 billion state budget shortfall. This
shortfall was driven by higher-than-anticipated Medicaid costs, revenue constraints under the
Taxpayers Bill of Rights, and other economic pressures. The Joint Budget Committee Members (JBC)
faced tough decisions on how to preserve funding for essential services like Medicaid, education,
and public safety, while cutting or delaying other programs. All legislators worked to devise
innovative strategies to pass their key bills without further straining the state budget.
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Throughout the budget process, staff raised concerns about the JBC redistributing severance and
marijuana tax revenue dedicated to local grants and funding dedicated to housing programs to
balance the budget. Due to the extent of the budget shortfall, the JBC maintained their position on
these redistributions. CML estimates that municipalities will lose approximately $140 million in
funding during state Fiscal Year 2025-26 due to the redistribution of this revenue.
The budget redirects revenue from the following funds to the General Fund and state department
administrative programs:
Local Government Severance Tax Fund and Local Government Mineral Impact Fund
Affordable Housing Support Fund and Housing Development Grant Fund
Innovative Housing Incentive Program Fund
Peace Officers’ Behavioral Health Support and Community Partnership Fund
Multimodal Transportation and Mitigation Options Fund
Just Transition Community Fund
Transit-oriented Communities Grant Fund
ADU Fee Reduction and Encouragement Grant Fund
Colorado Heritage Communities Fund
Wildfire Mitigation Capacity Development Fund
Law Enforcement Workforce Recruitment, Retention, and Tuition Grant Fund
Geothermal Energy Grant Fund
Additionally, there are reductions in:
General Fund for the Defense Counsel on First Appearance Grant Program
State marijuana tax revenue share-back from 10% to 3.5%
Marijuana Tax Cash Fund for the Gray and Black Market Marijuana Enforcement Grant Program
LAND USE was less of a focus in the 2025 session than in the past two years, but the legislature still
passed a handful of land use, landlord-tenant, and construction defects bills. The Governor’s two
priority bills in this space were House Bill 25-1169, Housing Developments on Faith and Educational
Land (Yes In God’s Backyard, or YIGBY) and Senate Bill 25-002, Regional Codes for Factory Built
Structures. SB25-002 requires a technical advisory committee within the Division of Housing to
develop regional codes for modular housing that supersede local codes. While CML was opposed to
this bill, staff secured many amendments to SB25-002 related to safety (ensuring regional codes
take snow load, wind shear, etc. into account) and promoting local government voices in
developing these codes that allowed CML to move to neutral. In contrast, YIGBY represented an
unconstitutional violation of home rule authority and local control by allowing churches and schools
to circumvent local zoning and permitting processes to build residential developments on land they
own. CML was successful in killing this bill in the Senate.
In the TELECOMMUNICATIONS space, the Cell Phone Connectivity Interim Study Committee
advanced House Bill 25-1056, Local Government Permitting Wireless Telecom Facilities for the 2025
legislative session. HB25-1056 requires local governments to approve or deny permits for new
wireless facilities within 150 days. CML staff secured an amendment to allow local governments to
pause this shot clock for 45 days to process other time-sensitive permits.
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Senate Bill 25-001, The Colorado Voting Rights Act was the top priority for the Senate majority
party and leadership this year. This ELECTIONS-focused bill allows an individual or organization to
file a suit against a municipality alleging voter suppression, voter dilution, or an unlawful voting
prerequisite based on gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation. The bill empowers
the Attorney General’s office to investigate potential violations, file a suit to enforce the act, or
intervene in a private lawsuit. While CML is dedicated to ensuring free, fair, and accessible
elections, ensuring all eligible voters can participate without barriers, we could not support the
bill’s unconstitutional application to home rule municipalities’ elections. For the remaining, mostly
smaller municipalities, the bill creates a tremendous, unnecessary, and unjustifiable fiscal risk.
Staff worked on two bills impacting LOCAL LICENSING AUTHORITY that CML opposed. Senate Bill
25-132 would have allowed distilleries to purchase alcohol from wholesalers and open three bars
without adhering to the local licensing process required of all other retail liquor establishments,
such as taverns and bars. CML and many municipalities and counties opposed this bill. The bill was
postponed indefinitely and died in the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee. House Bill 25-
1295 as introduced, would have required municipalities to issue reciprocal business licenses to food
truck vendors who were licensed in other jurisdictions and limited a municipality’s ability to zone
for food truck operations. These provisions were amended out of the bill. The final version of the
bill establishes a process that food truck vendors must follow to get a fire permit and inspection
that will allow them to operate across jurisdictions without an additional permit. The bill also
makes some changes to how Denver’s food inspection program interacts with the other counties
and vice versa.
Another area of focus for the legislature was LABOR RELATIONS. Of the handful of bills related to
labor, House Bill 25-1300 was of most concern to CML. This bill as amended, allows injured workers
to choose their primary treating physician from a list of accredited doctors provided by the
Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. If the worker can' t or won't choose, the employer
or insurer must select the physician. The bill is expected to raise the cost of workers’ compensation
coverage for local government employers and taxpayers and create confusion for injured workers.
The bill passed and is awaiting the Governor’s signature. CML is opposed to this bill and has asked
the Governor for a veto.
LAW ENFORCEMENT and MUNICIPAL COURT-related bills were debated heavily during the session.
House Bill 25-1031, Law Enforcement Whistleblower Protection, establishes new legal protections
for whistleblowers within local law enforcement agencies, including granting officers a new private
right of action. CML staff successfully advocated amendments requiring officers to exhaust internal
procedures before pursuing legal action, adding procedural safeguards for agencies, and aligning
the burdens of proof with the existing state whistleblower statute to maintain consistency. CML had
also requested an amendment to cap potential damages at limits consistent with CGIA, but we
were not successful in getting additional changes to mirror state damage caps.
Senate Bill 25-310 implements Proposition 130, which was passed by voters in 2024. Proposition 130
mandated the allocation of $350 million in additional state funding to local law enforcement
agencies for officer recruitment, hiring, training, and retention. SB25-310 details the distribution
formula for these funds, clarifies their permissible purposes, and prohibits local governments from
using the funds to supplant or supplement other state or local funding. If utilized, municipalities
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will be required to report on the use of these funds in their annual audits or, if exempt from audits,
through a separate report. The bill also establishes the process for disbursing a $1 million death
benefit to the families of eligible first responders, a central element of Proposition 130.
House Bill 25-1147, Fairness and Transparency in Municipal Court, mandates that municipal
penalties may not exceed their state sentencing analogs, limits judicial discretion on live-
streaming, and ensures defense attorneys are present when defendants face jail time. CML opposes
the bill because, if enacted, it would significantly weaken community public safety efforts, place
added strain on Colorado’s justice system, and undermine home rule municipal authority. Although
the bill passed, CML and many business chambers and public safety groups have requested the
Governor veto the bill, which he must do within 30 days of the bill being sent to him.
Another important bill for municipalities is Senate Bill 25-276, Protect Civil Rights Immigration
Status. This bill makes numerous changes to state law regarding IMMIGRATION. Among other
provisions, public employees are prohibited from disclosing or granting access to non-public
personal identifying information for the purpose of federal civil immigration enforcement, except
when disclosure is required by federal or state law, when necessary to perform official duties, or as
required by a court-issued document. The bill also extends a $50,000 civil penalty to public
employees who intentionally violate the bill’s requirements.
In addition to these bills, many other important bills impacting municipalities were passed this
session. Please see CML’s laws for immediate attention article in the May 16 edition of the CML
Newsletter and keep an eye out for our 2025 Laws Enacted online publication coming out in June.
Thank You!
The CML Advocacy Team is indebted to our members for their expertise, witness testimony,
grassroots efforts, and general legislative assistance – all of which are key to CML’s success. Please
also take the opportunity at this year' s District Meetings to provide your input on what CML's
legislative priorities should be for the upcoming session. You can review CML's Annual Policy
Statement online or pick up a copy at a District Meeting.
For questions on legislation please contact Heather Stauffer, CML advocacy manager at
hstauffer@cml.org.
CML's Advocacy Team
Legislative Advocacy Manager Heather Stauffer
hstauffer@cml.org
Issues: Building codes; natural resources and environment; elections; governmental
immunity; oil and gas; open meetings/open records; severance tax/FML/energy impact;
water and wastewater/water quality; and wildfire.
Legislative and Policy Advocate Elizabeth Haskell
ehaskell@cml.org
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Issues: Beer & liquor; employment & labor; retirement/pensions; taxation & fiscal
policy; lottery & gaming; historic preservation; municipal debt & finance; and
purchasing.
Legislative and Policy Advocate Jeremy Schupbach
jschupbach@cml.org
Issues: Regulated substances; hemp; criminal justice; special districts; immigration;
public safety; municipal courts; telecom/broadband/IT; utilities; and state
departments/offices
Legislative and Policy Advocate Beverly Stables
bstables@cml.org
Issues: Public health; substance abuse; affordable housing; land use and annexation; air
quality; transportation and transit; and sustainability.
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1
Ginny Sawyer
From:Bowditch & Cassell Public Affairs <jennifer.cassell@bcpublicaffairs.com>
Sent:Wednesday, May 28, 2025 3:54 PM
To:Ginny Sawyer
Subject:[EXTERNAL] 2025 City of Fort Collins Legislative Session Report
Fort Collins Session Report | May 28, 2025
2025 Legislative Session Overview
City of Fort Collins
The 2025 General Assembly was in session from January 8 to May 7. The
Democrats held the “trifecta” of control again, with Governor Polis in office and
large majorities in the Senate (23-12) and the House (43-22).
Since regaining the majority several years ago, the Democrats have continued
to focus on legislation to “save people money”; however, that was difficult this
session with a constrained budget. In order for bills to pass, they had to have
either no, or a very limited, fiscal impact. As a result, we saw very few bills
creating or extending tax incentives and grant programs.
We still saw proposed bills that would pass on expenses to Colorado consumers,
create unfunded mandates to local governments, and place requirements on
certain industry sectors in the state. Most of these initiatives were defeated, and
moderation and flexibility prevailed.
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A total of 657 bills were introduced this session with roughly 500 of them passing
the full legislative process. The Governor has already signed more than 200 bills
and has until June 6 to sign, veto, or let become law without his signature the
remaining bills. Here is a full list of action he has currently taken.
Major Policy Bills
Transportation: Improving transit and increasing its use was a main priority of the
legislature. Specifically, SB 25-030 (Increase Transportation Mode Choice
Reduce Emissions) and SB 25-161 (Transit Reform) made it through the full
legislative process. SB 25-030 requires CDOT and Metropolitan Planning
Organizations to improve transportation options by increasing mode choice
targets – the share of trips made by biking, carpooling, public transit, single-
occupancy vehicles, or walking. The other successful transit bill, SB 25-161,
updates RTD operations, requires RTD to create a 10-year strategic plan, and
creates the RTD Accountability Committee all with the goal of improving
performance and reliability.
Worker’s Rights: Both chambers introduced workers’ rights bills early in the
session, marking them as priorities. The House introduced HB 25-1001
Enforcement Wage Hour Laws to modify wage and hour laws with the goal of
preventing wage theft. In the Senate, SB 25-005 Worker Protection Collective
Bargaining was introduced, which eliminates the requirement of a second
election for employees to unionize, thereby making it easier to unionize. After
months of stalemated negotiations, the Democrats passed the bill which then
was vetoed by the Governor. Both labor and business groups have threatened
to place competing measures on the ballot in 2026.
Voting and Elections: Amid growing concerns after the 2024 presidential election,
many progressive Democrats introduced bills aimed at expanding transparency
and voting access. Senate Democrats introduced SB 25-001, creating the
Colorado Voting Rights Act and codifying the rights of equal access to voting. In
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addition, the legislature passed HB 25-1315 and HB 25-1319, which create
vacancy elections for the General Assembly and County Commissioners (in large
counties) respectively.
Gun Control: This session, Democrats successfully passed a plethora of
controversial gun-related bills. Most notably was SB 25-003 (Semiautomatic
Firearms and Rapid-Fire Devices), prohibiting the sale of certain semi-automatic
firearms unless certain conditions are met, including taking gun safety courses.
Federal Action and Reaction: Federal uncertainty was a hot topic this session,
and the Democratic caucus took preemptive measures to attempt to protect the
state against certain federal action. The Senate brought SB 25-276 (Protect Civil
Rights Immigration Status), which modifies state immigration laws and creates
guardrails concerning data privacy, information sharing, and “safe havens” for
immigrants. HB 25-1321 (Support Against Adverse Federal Action) also passed,
which will provide funding for the state's response to engage in lawsuits.
State Budget
The state budget – the Long Bill, SB 25-206 – passed the full process with much
debate and a few changes. The bill appropriates approximately $40 billion (total
funds), of which approximately $17 billion is General Fund (general tax
revenue). The FY 2025-26 budget was constrained by a $1.1 billion General
Fund shortfall. This shortfall is a result of increased Medicaid utilization, voter
approval of required expenditures for law enforcement, property tax reductions
(requiring additional state backfill for school finance), and other issues.
To address the budget shortfall, JBC reduced or eliminated various state
programs, such as:
Reducing funding for Senior Services.
Eliminating High Income Tutoring Programs.
Reducing funding for Substance Abuse Recovery Peer Services.
Reducing General Fund transfers for multimodal transportation projects.
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Despite General Fund reductions, the JBC:
Increased funding for K-12 education by over $265 million.
Increased funding for higher education and capped resident tuition
increases at 3.5 percent.
Increased Medicaid Provider Rates by 1.65 percent.
City of Fort Collins Bills of Interest
The City of Fort Collins was very busy this session. First and foremost, we
introduced and passed our own bill, HB 25-1029 (Municipal Authority Over
Certain Land). Current law grants cities full power and authority over land that it
acquires outside its municipal limits for use as parks, parkways, boulevards, or
roads. This bill clarifies that cities can use municipal police to enforce laws on all
city-owned land, including open space and natural areas. While a simple piece
of legislation, this bill stirred up quite the fight in the Senate, but with help from
city staff, targeting specific legislators, securing a Republican co-sponsor, and
fighting off opposition, we prevailed.
It was an engaging session for local governments – many bills were introduced
that place unwarranted mandates on local authorities. Some of these bills include
HB 25-1056 (Local Government Permitting Wireless Telecommunications
Facilities), HB 25-1060 (Electronic Fence Detection Systems), and HB 25-1295
(Food Truck Operations). Fort Collins was very engaged in the effort to amend
these bills, much of which proved successful. We joined a coalition led by
statewide local government organizations to modify HB 25-1056. After working
with various legislators and lobbying local government champions, the coalition
was successful in adopting an amendment to add a tolling period to approve or
deny telecom applications and to extend the shot-clock to 90 days to approve
permits for most projects. While still imposing a mandate on local governments,
the proponents and sponsors were unwilling to move any further with
amendments, so the coalition thought the bill ended up in the best place possible.
We also joined the local government coalition in opposition of HB 25-1060. This
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bill did place a mandate on local governments, but the bill was amended to make
the regulation of electronic fences as alarm systems permissive. Because of this,
HB 25-1060 did pass the full legislature against the opposition and collective
efforts of local governments to still kill the bill. Lastly, we opposed HB 25-1295,
a bill that creates a reciprocal food safety license between Denver and local
governments, regardless of a local governments’ own food safety program. We
worked alongside CML to kill the bill, and fortunately the bill was amended to only
impact Denver. All in all, Fort Collins played a big role in changing these pieces
of legislation for the better.
It was also a busy session on the housing front. This year, construction defect
reform finally passed the full legislature in the form of HB 25-1272 (Construction
Defects & Middle Market Housing). After much stakeholding, the bill now creates
a program with warranties as an incentive for homebuilders to build starter
condominiums. However, an amendment was added to the bill that awards
attorney’s fees to construction defect claimants, which would be a deterrent for
homebuilders to enter into the program. This amendment was pushed by the trial
lawyers, and there is now concern that the bill may not have its intended effect.
Although concerns with the effectiveness of this bill still exist, the threshold
increasing to 65 percent of homeowners to vote to engage in litigation remained
in the bill and is a victory. The other big housing bill of the 2025 session was one
of Governor Polis’ priority bills, HB 25-1169 (“Yes in God’s Backyard” - YIGBY).
This bill would have required local governments to allow the construction of
residential developments on properties owned by faith-based organizations,
school districts, or state colleges or universities. Local governments were
concerned with the overall implications of the bill as it overrode local zoning laws,
posed questions regarding religious discrimination, and did not include enough
affordability standards. We expressed concern to Representative Boesenecker
and worked on clarifying amendments; however, the bill was killed by Senate
leadership late in session as it did not have the votes to pass. This was a big
deal for the local government coalition. We also took an amend position on two
housing bills that were introduced early in session, SB 25-002 (Regional Building
Codes for Factory Built Structures) and SB 25-020 (Tenant Landlord Law
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Enforcement). On SB 25-002, we were initially concerned with not having enough
local government representation on the technical advisory committee and the
unfunded mandate to study building codes; however, these parts of the bill were
remedied. SB 25-020 allows local governments to initiate enforcement actions to
regulate tenant and landlord law, which is a benefit for the city. We were seeking
an amendment to add hotels to the classification of property disputes, but it was
determined to be outside the scope of the bill.
Legislation affecting municipal courts was a hot topic this session, and Fort
Collins was a player in this arena. Specifically, Fort Collins was involved in HB
25-1147 (Fairness & Transparency in Municipal Court), and we officially opposed
the legislation. This bill prohibits municipalities from superseding the right to
counsel for indigent defendants and prevents municipalities from establishing
their own sentencing requirements. It also includes transparency measures to
livestream court proceedings, which requires resources from the city. Despite
pushback from local governments, the bill sponsors were unreceptive to
amendments and HB 25-1147 passed the full legislature. On a positive note, the
Governor vetoed the bill after the session, but we do expect the issue to come
back next year. On the other hand, we supported the CML sponsored legislation,
HB 25-1276 (Court Actions Related to Failure to Appear in Court). This bill would
have allowed municipal courts to take certain actions when defendants fail to
appear after two or three times. This flexibility would have helped courts manage
public safety issues. Unfortunately, the bill sponsors postponed indefinitely
(killed) the bill in House Judiciary Committee, as hostile amendments had been
drafted to remove municipal courts from the bill, which eliminated the legislation’s
entire purpose. While the bill died this year, CML and the bill sponsors are
committed to continuing this conversation and bringing it back next year.
The legislature also took on several insurance bills this session. Specifically, HB
25-1300 (Workers’ Compensation Benefits Proof of Entitlement) was introduced.
Under a worker’s compensation claim, this bill allows an employee instead of an
employer to choose a physician in worker’s compensation cases, which would
dramatically alter the current system. We joined a coalition of employers, local
7
governments, and insurance providers and worked together to either kill the bill
or amend it into a more acceptable place. We had a conversation with Senator
Kipp to express our concerns and request amendments to the bill, in addition to
lobbying legislators and testifying against the bill in committee, but to no avail.
Ultimately, it proved too challenging to defeat the perception that “choice” is a
good thing in the work comp system. Hard work went into improving this bill, but
the unwillingness of the sponsors and proponents to alter this legislation
prevented any progress, and unfortunately the bill passed both chambers without
the changes desired by the coalition. The bill was amended to extend
implementation to 2028 in an attempt to appease the Division of Workers’
Compensation. A small chance remains that the Governor will veto the bill, which
is to be determined.
We were also busy with general government legislation. Specifically, we opposed
HB 25-1051 (Repeal Recycled Paper Carry Out Bag Fee). This bill would have
repealed the requirement that retail establishments charge a fee for providing
recycled paper carryout bags. We testified against this bill in committee, as it
would have been a loss of revenue for the city and a “step back” on an important
environmental issue. We were successful, and the bill was killed. Lastly, we
supported a bill that fixed an issue stemming from the 2024 session. Under
current law, experts who install, remove, inspect, test, or repair backflow
prevention devices are subject to the licensure requirements for plumbers. HB
25-1077 (Backflow Prevention Devices Requirements), removed this
requirement and allows local governments to go back to the status quo -
inspection, testing, or repair of backflow prevention devices does not require
licensure from DORA. This bill passed early in the session.
Overall, the 2025 legislative session was successful for the City of Fort Collins.
Our biggest successes were in housing and general government policy, and
because of our relationships and willingness to come to the table, we achieved
many of our big priorities this year.
Looking Toward 2026
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Next session, both chambers will look the same. The energy of the 2026
legislative session will be different, as this will be the last year of the Polis
administration and legislators will be gearing up for the 2026 election.
This summer and fall, legislators will be busy with interim committees,
stakeholder work, and preparation for what 2026 has to offer. Due to a lack of
funding, only a select few interim committees will be meeting this summer,
including: Transportation, Water Resources and Agriculture, Wildfires, and
Treatment of Persons with Behavioral Health Disorders in the Criminal and
Juvenile Justice Systems.
It has been predicted that the budget situation for next year will be just as bad, if
not worse than the 2025 budget. With this in mind, the JBC and budget experts
will be preparing and strategizing on how to keep state funded programs afloat.
Whispers of a special session on budget changes have already been floating
around as more federal funding changes roll out. The 2025 interim is already
shaping up to be busy!
For a full list of bills tracked, click the first blue button below. For a PDF version
of this report, click the second blue button below.
PDF End of Session Report
Fort Collins Bill Report
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