Lawmakers started the session on Jan. 8 with a flurry of bills. In the first few days of session, 134 bills have been introduced.
Among the first hundred bills in the 2025 session is a bill that would prohibit landlords from coordinating with each other on housing pricing. Violating the provisions of the bill would be an illegal restraint of trade.
Another bill introduced the first day of session would require the Behavioral Health Administration to provide funding to jails to administer complementary behavioral health services. In that same vein, lawmakers introduced a separate bill that would clarify that health benefits coverage for behavioral and mental health matters must be no less extensive than the coverage the provider allows for any physical illness.
Also this week, legislators addressed the issue of price gouging for necessities. A bill introduced the first day of session would add price gouging necessities by more than 10% above the average price as an unfair act.
Bill Number: HB25-1004
Title: No Pricing Coordination Between Landlords
Introduced: Jan. 8
Sponsors: S. Woodrow, J. Mabrey
Summary: The bill prohibits a landlord or an agent, a representative or a subcontractor of a landlord from subscribing to, contracting with or otherwise exchanging any form of consideration in return for the services of a coordinator. It also prohibits a coordinator from facilitating an agreement among landlords that restricts competition with respect to dwelling units, which includes performing a coordinating function or two or more landlords from engaging in consciously parallel pricing coordination. A violation is deemed to be an illegal restraint of trade.
Bill Number: HB25-1002
Title: Medical Necessity Determination Insurance Coverage
Introduced: Jan. 8
Sponsors: K. Brown, L. Gilchrist, J. Amabile, B. Pelton
Summary: The bill clarifies that the health benefits coverage for the prevention of, screening for and treatment of behavioral, mental health and substance use disorders must be no less extensive than the coverage provided for any physical illness.
Bill Number: HB25-1008
Title: Complementary Behavioral Health Services in Jails
Introduced: Jan. 8
Sponsors: M. Bradfield, R. English, L. Cutter, D. Michaelson Jenet
Summary: Under existing law, the Behavioral Health Administration in the Department of Human Services administers the jail-based behavioral health services program. The bill requires the BHA to provide funding to jails to administer services that complement a person’s primary course of treatment for a behavioral health disorder (complementary behavioral health services) to persons in custody in the jail as part of the program.
Bill Number: HB25-1010
Title: Prohibiting Price Gouging in Sales of Necessities
Introduced: Jan. 8
Sponsors: Y. Zokaie, K. Brown, M. Weissman
Summary: Under current law, a person engages in an unfair and unconscionable act or practice in violation of consumer protection laws if the person engages in price gouging during a declared disaster. The bill adds engaging in price gouging in the sale of necessities as an unfair act and creates a presumption that, if the price of a necessity is increased by 10% or more above the average price that the necessity cost during the 90 days preceding the price increase, the price increase amounts to price gouging.
Bill Number: HB25-1013
Title: Department of Corrections Visitation Rights
Introduced: Jan. 8
Sponsors: R. English, J. Bacon, J. Coleman
Summary: The bill establishes social visitation as a right for a person confined in a correctional facility. The Department of Corrections may adopt rules to govern the administration of social visitation but shall not restrict social visitation beyond what is necessary for routine facility operations or for the safety of the facility and public. The bill requires the department to permit a person to file a grievance with the department if the person is not being allowed social visitation.
Bill Number: HB25-1019
Title: Third-Party Administration of Division of Housing Programs
Introduced: Jan. 8
Sponsors: E. Sirota, N. Hinrichsen
Summary: The bill specifies that a third-party contractor or grantee may administer a program in the Division of Housing in the Department of Local Affairs for persons experiencing homelessness. The division may negotiate reasonable administrative or project delivery costs for contractors or grantees to administer the program in addition to the 5% retained by the division for program administration and oversight.
Bill Number: HB25-1020
Title: Earned-Wage Access Service Provider
Introduced: Jan. 8
Sponsors: S. Camacho, M. Duran, L. Frizell
Summary: The bill prohibits an entity from providing earned-wage access services without a license on and after Jan. 1, 2026. Earned-wage access services are services that deliver consumer access to earned but unpaid income and provide consumer access to earned but unpaid income that is based on employment, income or attendance data obtained directly or indirectly from an employer or an employer’s payroll service provider.
Bill Number: HB25-1026
Title: Repeal Copayment for Department of Corrections Inmate Health Care
Introduced: Jan. 8
Sponsors: M. Carter, L. Garcia
Summary: Current law requires the Department of Corrections to assess a copayment for inmate-initiated visits to providers of medical, dental, mental health and optometric care services. Current law permits a waiver or reduction of the copayment under a range of circumstances. The department’s current administrative regulations assess fees when an inmate fails to attend or refuses a scheduled healthcare appointment. The bill eliminates the copayment and prohibits the department from assessing a fee when an inmate fails to attend or refuses a healthcare appointment.
Bill Number: HB25-1049
Title: Communication Rights for Persons in Custody
Introduced: Jan. 8
Sponsors: L. Garcia, J. Amabile, J. Gonzales
Summary: Current law allows a person in custody the right to communicate with an attorney or family member by making a reasonable number of telephone calls or through any other reasonable manner. The bill adds the right for a person in custody to receive a reasonable number of telephone calls or other reasonable communications and to communicate through interactive audiovisual conferencing, if available.
Bill Number: SB25-014
Title: Protecting the Freedom to Marry
Introduced: Jan. 8
Sponsors: J. Danielson, S. Jaquez Lewis, L. Garcia, B. Titone
Summary: Colorado statute states that a marriage is valid only if it is between one man and one woman. That provision has been unenforceable since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges. The bill removes the provision.
Bill Number: SB25-024
Title: Judicial Officers
Introduced: Jan. 8
Sponsors: D. Roberts, L. Frizell
Summary: Starting July 1, the bill increases by one the number of district court judges in the 8th, 13th, 19th and 23rd Judicial Districts. It also increases by two the number of district court judges in the 4th, 17th and 18th Judicial Districts and increases by one the number of county court judges in Douglas, La Plata, Larimer, Mesa, Weld, Eagle, Adams and Arapahoe counties. It would make additional increases in judge positions in 2026.
Bill Number: SB25-041
Title: Competency in Criminal Justice System Services & Bail
Introduced: Jan. 8
Sponsors: D. Michaelson Jenet, J. Amabile, M. Bradfield, R. English
Summary: Under existing law, when criminal charges are dismissed against a person receiving inpatient restoration services from the Department of Human Services, DHS must stop providing services to the person. The bill permits DHS to continue to provide services for up to 90 days after the person’s case is dismissed because the person is incompetent to proceed. DHS is permitted to enter into an agreement with an organization to provide permanent supportive housing in qualifying cases.
Bill Number: SB25-043
Title: Deflection Supports Justice-Involved Youth
Introduced: Jan. 8
Sponsors: D. Michaelson Jenet, J. Amabile, M. Bradfield, R. English
Summary: Current law establishes the youthful offender system in the department of corrections as a sentencing option that provides a continuum of services. Among other provisions, Section 1 of the bill revises certain legislative declaration provisions to emphasize lasting behavioral changes in preparation for reentry, accountability, healthy relationship building and offender and staff safety. It also adds language related to housing arrangements and equitable treatment for youthful offenders, including youthful offenders with disabilities and adds a requirement for rehabilitative treatment and life skills programming.
Law Week’s legislative tracking is done through State Bill, a product of our publisher, Circuit Media.