Colorado has about 20 new laws taking effect on January 1, everything from protecting wild bison to streamlining marijuana regulations. State lawmakers pass hundreds of bills during the annual legislative session, and their implementation dates vary. We’ve rounded up a few of them here.
Right to repair electronics
Coloradans will have more options for repairing broken cell phones, computers, and other electronic devices starting Jan 1. The law requires manufacturers such as Samsung and Apple to provide “documentation, software, data, and other tools” to device owners and independent repair shops to help people fix equipment. The goal is to save money and get repairs done faster. It does include some exemptions such as video game consoles due to piracy and security concerns.
Democratic Representative Brianna Titone of Arvada was the bill’s main sponsor and says it also applies to sales between businesses and with the government.
“This will save companies a ton of money because companies will be able to hire their own in-house people if they want, or a third party service provider to do the work of fixing their equipment. And they don't have to go have the expensive contract that the manufacturer requires them to really have.”
Colorado’s law is one of the most expansive in the country. The state already has a right to repair a wheelchair law, and a right to repair agricultural equipment.
Additional paid family leave days for neonatal care
Colorado’s paid family leave program, FAMLI, allows workers to receive a significant portion of their pay if they need to take up to 12 weeks off of work for a serious family health or personal issue. It’s a popular program that voters approved by a wide margin at the ballot. And now lawmakers have expanded it for families with a baby in neonatal intensive care. Those families could apply for an additional 12 weeks of leave.
Democratic Sen. Jeff Bridges was one of the main sponsors, and it was inspired by his own personal experience. His son was in intensive care which he said was “terrifying and consuming.”
“We need to make it easier for parents with kids in the NICU,” he said.
The measure largely passed along party lines, with opponents worried about increased costs to businesses and workers who pay into the FAMLI program.
Gun show requirements
Operators of gun shows will now be required to submit a security plan to local law enforcement and to hold liability insurance. The plans will have to include a list of vendors, a floor plan, which areas are under video surveillance, and the estimated number of attendees. Gun show operators must also enforce age limits for attendees to 18 years or older, unless a minor is attending with a parent, grandparent, or guardian. Gun shows must also ensure that all purchases follow the state’s background check requirements and the state’s three day waiting period law.
Screening for renters and fee transparency for consumers
Landlords would not be allowed to ask prospective tenants using a housing subsidy to submit a credit history or credit score as part of the screening process.
A separate bill aims to make prices for products and services more transparent for consumers. The goal is to standardize prices up front so people aren’t hit by hidden fees later on. The law also restricts the kind of fees landlords can pass on to tenants.
Protecting wild bison
Colorado will now classify wild bison as big game wildlife, instead of only as livestock, which will provide added protections for the animals. The law would make it mostly illegal to hunt or poach wild bison, also known as buffalo. The bill was brought to the state legislature at the request of some tribal communities. The law does not apply to privately owned bison that are in captivity, or bison owned by an American Indian tribe.
According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife the state does not have any confirmed wild bison herds, although sometimes bison from Utah’s Book Cliffs herd occasionally cross into the state.