2026 Legislative Report Available

Highlights

The second and final regular session of the 75th General Assembly kicked off in January with a Democratic majority at the helm. With the midterm election quickly approaching, Democrats currently control both the House and the Senate with 43-22 and 23-12 majorities respectively. All eyes were focused on the tough votes surrounding labor, pesticides, private property, wildlife, and state regulation. Legislators introduced 632 bills, sending 453 of them to the Governor, all while navigating a contentious budget debate surrounding a $1.5 billion deficit for fiscal year 2026-2027.

CFB took official positions on 37 bills reflecting our 2026 Policy Priorities adopted at Annual Meeting covering Animal Care, Farm Policy and Trade, Infrastructure, Natural Resources, Energy & Environment, Rural Business, Water, and Wildlife and Public Lands.

Of the 14 bills CFB supported, 13 were passed and signed into the law or passed and awaiting the Governor's signature. Seven of the eight bills CFB worked to oppose were postponed indefinitely/defeated. For a more in depth overview, check out the Bill Tracker on our website, ColoradoFarmBureau.com/billtracker .

Policy Priorities

Animal Welfare

Livestock husbandry policy was relatively quiet this year, with only two major bills garnering substantial attention. The first, SB26-123 Prohibit Ventilation Shutdown for Poultry, died in its initial committee hearing 5-1. The measure, opposed by CFB, sought to ban the use of Ventilation Shutdown and Ventilation Shutdown Plus as a management tool for poultry farms during Avian Flu outbreaks.

The second bill, HB26-1067 Diseased Livestock Indemnity Fund, which has been signed into law, offers a much more pragmatic approach to animal welfare and disease management. It authorizes the use of fund dollars for preventive measures in addition to paying indemnity to livestock owners.

Farm and Trade Policy

Three major pieces of legislation dominated farm policy conversations under the dome this year.

The year-round Water Resources and Agriculture Review Committee introduced HB26-1031 Protections for Agriculture Products Grown in Colorado which was signed into law late in session. This CFB backed legislation will strengthen deceptive trade practice enforcement for those bad actors that sell out of state produce using the good name of Colorado or those who fraudulently use the Colorado Proud Logo.

For producers looking to take advantage of the Conservation Easement Tax Credit, HB26-1230 extends the program five years at current funding levels until 2037.

HB26-1270, Ownership of Agriculture Data, sought to establish a dense regulatory framework for the sale, transfer, and use of agriculture data. While AFBF policy supports general privacy and ownership of on-farm data, CFB took a monitor position to work through the complexities of the introduced legislation. The bill died in committee, but it is expected that this conversation will continue as producers, agricultural technology companies, equipment manufacturers, and dealers seek pragmatic and appropriate guardrails for a growlingly complex policy space.

Infrastructure

CFB was proud to support and commends the passage of the 2026 Water Projects bill: HB26-1338. The measure, sponsored by Representatives McCormick and Winter, alongside Senator Roberts, funds water projects for fiscal year 2026-2027 put forward by the Colorado Water Conservation Board.

Natural Resources, Energy, and Environment

Pesticide use and regulation was highly debated this legislative session and resulted in wins across the board for Colorado Farm Bureau.

Most significant was the defeat of SB26-065, Systemic Insecticide Use Limitations. The bill, which was killed in the Senate Agriculture Committee, attempted to create a quasi-ban on the use of neonicotinoid treated seeds, unless approved by a third party "verifier." Proponents cited questionable water and soil quality data along with anecdotal examples of negative pollinator impacts and "successful" sector wide efforts in New York and Quebec, where outright bans are in place. CFB ensured that the true impacts to production practices and food security were truly understood. Ultimately, lawmakers agreed with the safety, efficiency, and efficacy of treated seeds.

Similarly, SB26-062, Rodenticide Use Restrictions, set out to ban the use of Second Generation Anticoagulants Rodenticides (SGARs). While this measure did make its way out of the Senate, it stalled and was ultimately postponed indefinitely in the House Agriculture Committee. This came after several failed attempts by the proponents to amend the bill and appease skeptical legislators as well as the wide opposition coalition including school districts, local governments, healthcare providers, restaurants, and the agriculture industry.

Rural Business

Labor regulation reform was one of the most contentious issues at the Capitol this year. CFB was successful in addressing the overtime provisions from SB21-087. Led by Senators Rodriquez and Simpson and Representatives Martinenz and Winter, SB26-121 was passed by both the Senate and the House and was signed into law. Effective January 1, 2027 the overtime threshold will increase from 48 hours to 56 hours-for all agriculture operations and employees. At the same, CFB was successful in thwarting an attempt to reduce the threshold to 40 hours as proposed in SB26-081.

Coupled with the loss on overtime, Labor Advocates walked away even more frustrated at the end of session due to the defeat of HB26-1054 Protections for Worker Safety and the pairing down of HB26-1072, Extreme Temperatures Worker Protections. HB26-1054 sought to create a statewide OSHA program in response to the federal reform efforts while HB26-1072 was watered down from its initial mandate to a study effort that will result in a voluntary Temperature-Related Injury and Illness Prevention Plan (TRIIPP) available as a resource to employers. The passage and signing of SB26-010, Agricultural Property Tax Definitions, was an exciting victory for a bill that CFB supported since its early discussions in the Water Resources and Agriculture Review Committee. It ensures all pasture based operations qualify for the agriculture designation for property tax and reaffirms that all agriculture is agriculture.

Water

HB26-1340, Revegetate or Dry Farm Formerly Irrigated Agriculture Land, dominated water and private property conversations at the Capitol and in our rural communities this spring. The final version of the bill codifies current state law requiring revegetation standards to be included in water decrees for change use cases, but requires that the new water right owner pay for the project and introduces additional sideboards around the criteria to determine and the enforcement mechanisms for revegetation projects. Leadership and staff worked hard to strike a balance between private property rights and responsible land and water use as it is critical to lay a common sense foundation for future statewide efforts.

Wildfire and Public Lands

In light of the widely covered and controversial Parks and Wildlife Commission actions as of late, CFB scored major wins for wildlife management.

HB26-1323, Wildfire Resiliency Prohibiting Taking of Beavers, was killed by the house agriculture committee by a decisive 10-3 vote. The "Beaver Bill" attempted to ban the hunting of beavers on both state and federal lands. Outside of legislation, CFB was proud to aid in the defeat of two of Governor Polis' controversial appointees for the CPW Commission. John Emerick and Christopher Sichko withdrew their nominations after pressure from sportsmen, farmers, ranchers, and recreationalists.

Support the PAC

The Political Action Committee (PAC) is our political war chest. It helps elect ag-friendly candidates on state and local levels, and gives Colorado Farm Bureau and its members additional opportunities to engage with legislators.

You do not have to be a Colorado Farm Bureau member to donate! If you want to support agriculture and legislators who work to protect it, donating to the PAC is a great way to do that.

​

The more money we receive, the more money we can give! Colorado law stipulates that a PAC can only accept up to $725 per election cycle per donor.

Give here.