The Colorado General Assembly sent a wave of legislation toward Governor Jared Polis the week of April 27, including the state’s $43 billion annual budget, the Cover All Coloradans immigrant health insurance program, and more than a dozen additional bills that cleared both chambers or emerged from conference committee.
The Long Bill — HB26-1410, the 2026-27 state budget — passed both chambers and cleared conference committee. The budget funds the executive, legislative, and judicial departments for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026. Senate conferees were Senators Bridges, Amabile, and Kirkmeyer. House conferees were Representatives Sirota, Brown, and Taggart. Both chambers voted to allow the conference committee to go beyond the scope of differences between the two houses.
HB26-1411, the Cover All Coloradans program changes, also cleared conference. The bill modifies health insurance benefits for certain low-income individuals ineligible for Medicaid due to immigration status. The conference committee adopted amendments reducing the appropriation from the House-passed version, with the final figures adjusted on page 11 from $15,006,358 to $12,914,525. The House passed the conference report 60-0. The Senate passed it 32-2.
HB26-1363, temporarily reducing the general fund reserve, emerged from conference and awaits the governor’s action. The bill adjusts the statutory reserve requirement as part of the broader budget package. HB26-1399, eliminating the annual transfer from the general fund to the multimodal transportation and mitigation options fund, and HB26-1405, transferring money from certain cash funds to the general fund, both cleared conference and are enrolled.
HB26-1412, authorizing HCPF to use statistical sampling and extrapolation to recover Medicaid overpayments, cleared conference. HB26-1409, redistributing retail marijuana sales tax revenue, and HB26-1380, repealing the office of the judicial discipline ombudsman, also cleared conference committee and are awaiting the governor.
SB26-116, modifying the qualified-senior primary residence property tax benefit and adjusting business personal property taxation, passed both chambers and was transmitted to the governor. SB26-135, the K-12 education funding bill increasing appropriations up to two percent annually for ten years, passed the Senate 35-0 and cleared the House.
SB26-163, expanding the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission and allowing voluntary sports betting self-exclusion, cleared both chambers and was transmitted to the governor. SB26-160, protecting employee rights in the workplace, passed both chambers on the consent calendar.
SB26-095, measures to support victim-survivors of crimes, cleared after the Senate voted to concur in House amendments. SB26-120, law enforcement missing persons procedures, passed the House 60-3 and was enrolled. HB26-1281, criminal homicide offense alignment, passed both chambers and moved to enrollment.
HB26-1276, the immigrant protection bill, passed the House 42-21 and moved to the Senate. HB26-1335, abortion medication access on college campuses, passed the House 41-22 and moved to the Senate.
Governor Polis signed six bills during the week. HB26-1002, requiring insurers to allow any qualified provider to participate in health insurance networks, was signed April 27. HB26-1023, establishing political party liability for accessibility requirement violations, was signed April 27. HB26-1024, raising the age at which a parent may voluntarily relinquish a child, was signed April 27. HB26-1039, adding municipal jails to county jail oversight requirements, was signed April 27. HB26-1089, enacting the Uniform Mortgage Modification Act, was signed April 27. HB26-1134, requiring fairness and transparency in municipal court proceedings, was signed April 27.
Earlier in the week, the Senate delivered SB26-019, SB26-040, SB26-059, SB26-060, SB26-083, SB26-085, SB26-109, SB26-121, and SB26-122 to the governor for signature on April 27.
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