The Colorado General Assembly closed its 2026 session the week of May 4 with 23 Bad bills advancing through one or both chambers — a final push that included new employer mandates, a government-created pesticide enterprise, Medicaid transportation expansion, and a sweeping election law rewrite.
Four tax expenditure modification bills — HB26-1221, HB26-1222, HB26-1223, and HB26-1289 — passed the House on party-line votes of 42-23 or 42-22. The bills collectively restructure deductions and credits in state income tax law, creating in some cases a new family affordability credit while eliminating or reducing other provisions. Each bill touched a different category of tax expenditure; all four moved together as a package.
HB26-1113, modifying Colorado election law, passed the House 42-22 and moved to the governor. The bill makes changes to election administration procedures and passed entirely without Republican support.
HB26-1065, creating transit and housing investment zones, passed the House 44-21. The bill establishes a new statutory framework allowing local governments to designate zones where transit and housing development receive coordinated regulatory treatment, with state oversight components attached. It adds a new layer of government planning authority over private land use decisions in designated areas.
HB26-1111, creating the Pesticide Product Disposal and Container Recycling Enterprise, passed 45-20. The bill establishes a new government enterprise — exempt from TABOR but funded through fees — to develop and administer an end-of-life program for pesticide products. Creating new government enterprises with fee authority rather than appropriated funding is a budget mechanism that avoids voter approval requirements.
HB26-1117, authorizing temporary marijuana hospitality event permits, passed 39-26. The bill allows licensed venues to permit on-site marijuana consumption under a new permit category. Expanding the scope of state-authorized marijuana consumption venues adds regulatory infrastructure and normalizes use in commercial settings.
SB26-151, modifying PERA’s allowed affiliation rules and board of trustees composition, passed 52-13. The bill changes governance of the Public Employees’ Retirement Association and expands the categories of employers that can affiliate with the system. PERA modifications that expand the system’s coverage and alter its governance structure carry fiscal implications for state taxpayers who backstop the fund.
SB26-149, the Pathways for Individuals with Mental Health Disorders bill, passed 46-19. The bill creates new treatment pathways and makes an appropriation.
HB26-1255, requiring social media platforms to provide law enforcement search warrant contact processes and report certain user content to local police, passed 36-29 — one of the narrower final-week margins. The bill mandates platform behavior and creates state-level reporting obligations on federal communication platforms.
HB26-1054, expanding worker safety protections, passed 42-23 on a party-line vote. HB26-1272, establishing extreme temperature worker protections, passed 43-22. HB26-1327, requiring large employers to support worker health-care access, passed 35-30 — the closest vote of the week. All three impose new obligations on private employers without legislative findings of market failure.
HB26-1328, expanding Medicaid nonemergency medical transportation, passed 56-9. SB26-048, removing the judicial exception that allowed minors 16 and older to marry with court approval, passed 42-22. SB26-146, restricting the distribution of single-use food serviceware, passed 39-25. SB26-113, requiring recovery residences to obtain BHA licenses, passed 48-16.
SB26-147, the lobbyist regulation bill, passed 62-2 — the broadest margin on a Bad bill this week. The bill imposes new disclosure and registration requirements on lobbyists and makes an appropriation. Despite the near-unanimous vote, expanded speech-adjacent regulation of political advocacy warrants Bad classification.
HB26-1043, addressing transportation network company discriminatory practices, passed 46-18. HB26-1141, concerning discriminatory practices in public schools, passed 42-22. HB26-1309, addressing abuse in cases of separation, passed 47-17. SB26-020, expanding child care provider licensing and quality requirements, passed 44-20.
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