Governor Polis has signed 26 bills from the 2026 Colorado legislative session into law through March 27. Additional bills that cleared both chambers this week await his action. Here is what Colorado citizens face from the legislation that has completed the full legislative process.
Polis signed two housing bills on March 25 that override local government authority. HB26-1001 allows nonprofits, schools, transit agencies, and housing authorities to bypass local zoning and build residential developments on their land. Every Republican legislator voted against it. The Colorado Municipal League called it a one-size-fits-all policy that guarantees no affordable housing while stripping communities of land-use control.
SB26-001 allows counties to redirect property tax revenue to government housing programs. The bill allows counties to sell public property for workforce housing development. It expands the Middle-Income Housing Tax Credit to entities without ownership interest in a project. Representative Richardson, a Republican from Elbert County, co-sponsored the measure, which passed with bipartisan support.
Both housing laws take effect August 12 unless otherwise specified. Citizens in communities above 2,000 residents will see qualifying organizations build housing on their land through an administrative approval process. That process begins December 31, 2027. Counties may redirect property tax revenue currently funding roads, public safety, and infrastructure.
SB26-052 allows coal transition communities on the Western Slope to invest funds received from coal mine and power plant closures. Senator Marc Catlin and Senator Dylan Roberts carried the bipartisan bill. Polis signed it March 9. The law provides flexibility for communities facing economic disruption as coal operations wind down across the region.
SB26-064 expands the Colorado Agricultural Future Loan Program. The bipartisan bill helps new farmers access financing and protects at-risk farmland. HB26-1067 allows the Diseased Livestock Indemnity Fund to cover preventative measures against emerging disease threats. Polis signed both on Agriculture Day, March 24.
HB26-1177 ended the nursing provider wage enhancement payment program. The bipartisan bill passed with support from Representatives Brown and Taggart and Senators Amabile and Kirkmeyer. Polis signed it February 27 along with three supplemental appropriations bills adjusting current-year budgets for Agriculture, Corrections, and Health Care Policy.
On March 26, Polis signed 19 additional bills administratively. HB26-1182 repealed the Veterinary Pharmaceutical Advisory Committee per the sunset review recommendation. SB26-013 removed cohabitation from the elements of bigamy, reducing government regulation of personal relationships. SB26-046 updated property tax administrative procedures.
The remaining March 26 signings were largely administrative. HB26-1020 addresses colorimetric field drug tests used in drug possession cases. HB26-1041 modernizes electronic vehicle records. HB26-1068 establishes remote participation policies for joint legislative committees.
HB26-1115 modifies prepaid wireless telecom charges. HB26-1035 enacts the Colorado Revised Statutes 2025 as the positive law of the state.
Budget-related bills signed the same day include HB26-1170 through HB26-1179, covering supplemental appropriations for Transportation, Treasury, capital construction, information technology, school finance mid-year adjustments, the READ Act, a fourth-year innovation pilot modification, expenditures exceeding appropriations, and a general fund transfer to the IT capital account. HB26-1174 adjusts school finance with bipartisan sponsorship from Representatives Taggart and Brown.
SB26-110, revising public assistance final disposition expense terms, passed both chambers unanimously and awaits the Governor’s action. Additional bills reaching final passage this week through third reading votes will join the queue.
The agricultural bills support farmers with financing and disease prevention tools. The administrative and budget bills update existing systems and adjust current-year spending. The housing bills shift land-use decisions from local governments to the state.
Several bills still moving through the process affect constitutional rights. HB26-1144, criminalizing 3D printed firearms and digital design files, passed the House and sits on the Senate calendar. SB26-043, creating criminal penalties for firearm barrel transfers, reached House final passage this week. HB26-1005 returned to the Senate after Polis vetoed the identical collective bargaining bill last session.
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