Week of February 15-21, 2026
GOOD BILLS KILLED (Unfortunately Defeated)
HB26-1097: Register & Drive Surplus Military Vehicles
Sponsor: Rep. Ty Winter (R-Greeley)
Killed: House Transportation, Housing & Local Government Committee, Monday, February 17 (Vote: 8-4)
Rep. Winter’s bill would have allowed Coloradans to register and operate surplus military vehicles on public roads. Current law prohibits operation of most military vehicles obtained through federal surplus programs even though private citizens can legally purchase them.
The bill addressed property rights and government overreach. When citizens legally purchase surplus military vehicles through federal auctions, Colorado law effectively renders that property unusable on public roads. Owners who paid fair market value cannot operate vehicles they legitimately own.
Colorado already regulates vehicle safety through inspection programs and equipment requirements. Military surplus vehicles—including Humvees, cargo trucks, and utility vehicles—often meet or exceed civilian safety standards. Many were designed for on-road use and feature modern safety equipment including seat belts, lighting systems, and braking systems comparable to commercial trucks.
The bill would have required surplus military vehicles to pass the same safety inspections as any other vehicle. Owners would need proper insurance and licensing. The legislation imposed no special exemptions from existing traffic laws or safety requirements—it simply allowed legal operation of legally owned property.
The Transportation Committee’s decision to kill this property rights measure leaves Colorado among states that prohibit operation of surplus military vehicles despite their legal ownership and safe operation in neighboring states. Veterans who purchase familiar military vehicles and collectors who maintain historic equipment cannot use their property.
Does prohibiting operation of legally purchased, safety-inspected vehicles on public roads raise constitutional questions about property rights and equal protection? The committee provided no evidence that military surplus vehicles present unique safety hazards compared to commercial trucks or recreational vehicles already permitted on Colorado roads.
HB26-1087: Safeguard Minors from Sex-Altering Interventions
Sponsor: Rep. Rose Bottoms (R)
Killed: House Health & Human Services Committee, Wednesday, February 18 (Vote: 5-7, Postponed Indefinitely)
The House Health & Human Services Committee killed legislation prohibiting medical providers from performing sex-change surgeries on minors or prescribing puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to children. Democrats voted 7-5 to block the bill after three-and-a-half hours of testimony from physicians, detransitioners, and parents.
The bill would have prohibited surgery on minors or prescribing hormones or puberty blockers to alter biological sex characteristics. It banned mental health therapy that promotes or affirms a minor’s belief they were born in the wrong body. The legislation protected parental rights, created a 20-year statute of limitations for civil actions, and established Class 5 felony penalties.
Rep. Bottoms cited European evidence. Sweden, Finland, Norway, and the United Kingdom have restricted pediatric gender medicine after systematic reviews found insufficient evidence of benefit. The UK’s Cass Review found puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones rest on “remarkably weak” evidence.
Dr. Travis Murrell, representing Colorado Principled Physicians, testified he has prescribed gender-affirming care for adults and knows physicians who performed these procedures on children but “later changed their mind and regretted it.” Murrell said at least 1,000 mastectomies have been performed on children under 17, with 50 to 100 on children under 12.
Mary Louise Fidler testified about growing up as a tomboy. “When I grew up, I became a woman and I became feminine,” she said. She’s thankful she “was born in a time where I didn’t have to question whether I was a woman or not.”
Multiple witnesses testified about detransitioners who underwent medical transition as minors and now regret irreversible changes.
Rep. Dylan Richardson (R-Arapahoe) said physicians testified about unknown outcomes. “If physicians don’t know what the outcomes can be, I don’t know how they can properly inform a patient of what they’re giving consent to,” Richardson said. “These are treatments where informed consent cannot be given.”
Rep. Brandi Bradley (R-Littleton) said parents aren’t receiving informed consent. “Countries and medical organizations worldwide are saying no more to pediatric gender medicine, yet Colorado physicians continue these interventions,” she said.
Rep. Karen McCormick (D-Montrose) cited a Harvard study claiming little utilization of gender-affirming surgeries by transgender minors. Rep. Monica Frey (D-Broomfield) objected that the bill would prohibit mental health counseling. Rep. Kyle Stewart (D-Douglas) said his values of “compassion, kindness, and acceptance” guided his vote against the bill.
The committee voted 5-7 along party lines and postponed the bill indefinitely. Supporters indicated they will pursue ballot initiatives in November 2026.
GOOD BILLS THAT PASSED COMMITTEE
SB26-015: Commercial Sexual Activity with a Child Offenses
Sponsors: Sen. Byron Pelton (R-Sedgwick), Sen. Dylan Roberts (D-Eagle), Rep. Jarvis Caldwell (R-Walden), Rep. Monica Duran (D-Wheat Ridge)
Passed: Senate Judiciary Committee (Referred Amended to Appropriations)
Bipartisan legislation updates Colorado law to replace outdated “child prostitution” terminology with “commercial sexual activity involving a child,” recognizing that minors cannot consent to commercial sexual exploitation. The bill expands elements of certain crimes, increases penalties, and requires courts to impose minimum presumptive sentences for specified convictions.
Current law treats some offenses involving child sexual exploitation with lower penalties than warranted by the harm. The bill increases penalties for internet luring of a child to a class 3 felony when committed with intent to meet for commercial sexual activity and mandates minimum presumptive sentences.
The Supreme Court in New York v. Ferber (1982) held that states have compelling interests in protecting children from sexual exploitation and can prohibit activities that harm minors even when similar conduct involving adults receives First Amendment protection. Colorado’s existing statutes recognize this principle but use terminology that fails to capture the coercive nature of child sexual exploitation.
The bill’s language changes matter. Calling it “child prostitution” suggests minors engage voluntarily in commercial sexual activity. The new terminology—”commercial sexual activity involving a child”—accurately reflects that children cannot consent to sexual exploitation regardless of circumstance. This aligns with federal trafficking law and modern understanding of child exploitation.
The legislation increases accountability for those who exploit children sexually. By raising penalties for internet luring when commercial sexual intent exists, the bill addresses predators who use technology to identify and groom child victims. Mandatory minimum sentences ensure serious consequences for those convicted of exploiting children.
The Judiciary Committee’s approval demonstrates rare bipartisan consensus on protecting children from sexual exploitation. Two Democrats and two Republicans sponsored the measure, recognizing that defending children from predators transcends partisan divisions.
SB26-046: Property Tax Administrative Procedures
Sponsors: Sen. Lisa Frizell (R-Montrose), Sen. Chris Richardson (R-Arapahoe), Rep. Matt Ball (D-Denver), Rep. Yara Zokaie (D-Larimer)
Passed: Senate Finance Committee (Referred Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole)
Bipartisan legislation modernizes Colorado’s property tax administration by standardizing deadlines, reducing paperwork requirements, and authorizing electronic transmission of official documents. The bill doubles the threshold for state review of local tax abatements and refunds from $10,000 to $20,000, reducing bureaucratic oversight of routine local government decisions.
Current property tax administration dates to an era when all documents required physical copies and mail delivery. The bill authorizes electronic transmission of abstracts of assessment and tax certifications, reducing printing costs and delivery delays. Counties gain flexibility to modernize their operations without statutory obstacles.
The legislation standardizes application windows for senior and disabled veteran property tax exemptions, setting regular deadlines at July 15 and late applications at August 15. This uniformity simplifies administration across Colorado’s 64 counties and helps taxpayers understand their filing obligations.
The bill adjusts protest timelines, moving real property deadlines to June 1 and aligning personal property hearings for counties using alternate procedures. These changes reduce confusion and ensure adequate time for both taxpayers and assessors to prepare for dispute resolution.
Raising the state review threshold from $10,000 to $20,000 respects local government authority. The 2006 threshold has not kept pace with property value increases. Small tax adjustments and refunds should not require state-level approval—counties can handle routine matters without state oversight. The change reduces administrative burden on both local governments and state agencies.
The Finance Committee’s approval with bipartisan sponsorship demonstrates that sensible administrative improvements can attract support across party lines. Modernizing outdated procedures and reducing unnecessary bureaucracy serves taxpayers and local governments without controversy.
HB26-1103: Report Child Sexual Assault & Courtroom Testimony
Sponsors: Rep. Lori Goldstein (D-Arapahoe), Rep. Lorena García (D-Adams), Sen. Lisa Cutter (D-Jefferson)
Passed: House Judiciary Committee 11-0, Wednesday, February 18 (Referred to Committee of the Whole)
The House Judiciary Committee unanimously approved legislation expanding protections for child sexual assault victims after amending the bill to remove language that raised Sixth Amendment concerns. The final version requires law enforcement to notify child advocacy centers within one week of receiving reports and allows judges to permit remote testimony for witnesses under 18.
The original bill created a “rebuttable presumption” that testimony in a defendant’s presence would cause trauma to child witnesses. James Carbach of the Office of State Public Defender testified this violated Supreme Court precedent. The Court held in Maryland v. Craig (1990) that denying face-to-face confrontation requires case-by-case judicial findings proving necessity, not blanket presumptions.
“The confrontation clause prefers in-person, face-to-face testimony,” Carbach explained. “A presumption of harm would be a constitutional problem.” Amendment L002 struck the presumption language. The revised bill requires judges to make specific findings when granting or denying remote testimony—preserving defendants’ confrontation rights while protecting vulnerable witnesses.
The Sixth Amendment guarantees defendants the right “to be confronted with the witnesses against him.” Remote testimony denies face-to-face confrontation. Courts can permit it when necessary to prevent witness trauma, but the Supreme Court in Craig established that such determinations must occur individually for each witness based on evidence, not through statutory presumptions.
The bill requires law enforcement to report alleged sex offenses against children to child advocacy centers within one week and collaborate on forensic interviews when “necessary and appropriate.” Judges may allow witnesses under 18 to testify via closed-circuit television when in-person testimony would cause serious emotional distress. Current law applies only to witnesses under 12.
Diana Goldberg, executive director of Sungate Kids Child Advocacy Center, testified that Colorado’s 19 centers provide trauma-informed forensic interviews across all 23 judicial districts. Single coordinated interviews prevent children from retelling traumatic events repeatedly to multiple agencies. The one-week notification timeline allows trauma symptoms to calm before interviews.
Rachel Pickerel-Hawkins testified about her children who must face their father—a retired Aurora police officer charged with seven counts of child sexual assault by a person in position of trust—at trial scheduled for March 24, 2026. “This bill may not be in place for my family, but it can prevent unnecessary trauma for other Colorado children,” she said.
The committee adopted four amendments addressing constitutional concerns. Amendment L001 extended the reporting deadline from 24 hours to one week with exceptions for extenuating circumstances. Amendment L004 clarified forensic interviews are required only when “necessary and appropriate.” Amendment L003 added legislative declarations. The unanimous vote followed these revisions.
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