Twenty laws passed by the Colorado legislature and signed by Gov. Jared Polis earlier this year go into full or partial effect New Year's Day. They cover a broad range of topics and issues in the state, from key treatment provisions for some substance users to penalties for late vehicle registration and easier repair options for Coloradans who use electric wheelchairs.
Here's a look at some of the most impactful and important new laws that'll ring in the New Year:
Vehicle registration fees
In May, the legislature passed HB 1254 to address fees for new Colorado residents who delay registering their vehicles here. The bill requires new residents to provide documentation of their previous, out-of-state registrations and when they became Colorado residents.
The new law will also require new registrants to pay taxes and fees prorated from when they became a resident to when they applied to register their car, unless they did so within 90 days of becoming a resident, as required by law. There are also late fees for those with temporary tags who didn't get fully registered in time, according to the bill summary.
Elsewhere, a $29 charge will be added on to vehicle registration costs and renewals starting Jan. 1, which will pay for a state park pass for your car (you can opt out of this charge).
The fentanyl bill
One of the most contentious pieces of legislation from last session, some of the most significant chunks of HB 1326, like those affecting criminal penalties, have already kicked in. But some key reporting and implementation provisions will come into effect Jan. 1.
For one, the law requires that people convicted of possessing a substance containing fentanyl or similar synthetics be given a drug assessment and complete a fentanyl education program. It also seeks to steer qualifying people into treatment as a condition of probation. Much of the debate around the bill centered around lawmakers attempting to balance rising overdose rates with treating Coloradans with serious substance-use disorders.
Starting Jan. 1, jails must give qualifying inmates an opioid antagonist — to reverse potential overdoses — and medications to treat an opioid-use disorder upon their release. Jails must also help coordinate ongoing care for the person, too. People who are incarcerated and struggle with drug use are particularly vulnerable to overdose after they're released, in part because their tolerance has gone down.
The law requires jails that receive certain state funding to draft and publish their plans to provide a key form of drug treatment to those who need it upon release. Managed service organizations must also evaluate the supply and demand of certain treatments and detox services in their regions by the New Year; they must also contract with providers to offer stabilization and other services.
The state must also have contracted with an "independent entity" to study the effects of the bill by Jan. 1. That report is required to be completed by New Year's Eve 2024 and released publicly a month later. Various agencies — including sheriffs' departments and medical providers — can indicate by Jan. 1 whether they'll participate in a mapping program to better track overdoses.
Wage theft
In SB 161, the legislature set restrictions on employers who dock ex-employees' wages for materials the ex-employee may still have. Provisions of the law have already gone into effect, while others kick in on New Year's Day. Among them is a requirement that within 10 days of employment ending, the employer must give notice to their former worker of any unreturned materials or money before that employer can deduct those costs from the worker's compensation. It also requires the employer to repay the worker if the missing materials are returned within a set time period.
In other words, if your ex-boss thinks you still have a work laptop, they have to tell you about it before they can take money from your paycheck to cover it. if you return the laptop within a set time limit, any money taken to cover it is required to come back.
The law will also levy fines and other penalties on employers who violate the law or who don't turn over requested materials to — or otherwise hinder — state authorities.
Employees who allege they've been retaliated or discriminated against because they took part in a wage claim can also file a civil action against the employer under the law. The law also established a new "worker and employee protection unit" in the state's Department of Law, according to the bill's summary.
Electric wheelchair repair
Officially dubbed the "Consumer Wheelchair Repair Bill of Rights Act," HB 1031 seeks to make it easier for people who use wheelchairs to repair and maintain them. The law requires manufacturers to provide parts, embedded software, firmware, tools or certain documentation to independent repair shops or the wheelchair's owner. Failure to do so, according to the bill summary, will become a deceptive trade practice under state law.
Centralized repairs have driven up costs for Coloradans who use wheelchairs, the bill's sponsors said in March, and the bill was part of a broader effort by lawmakers, including Rep. David Ortiz, to address similar concerns.
More info on online sellers
Billed as a way to address the sale of stolen packages and goods, HB 1099 requires "high-volume third-party sellers" to provide their bank account, contact and identity information to whichever online marketplace the seller is using. A "high-volume" seller means someone who's completed at least 200 sales, totaling at least $5,000, during a 12-month period over the past two years.
Online marketplaces must verify the information provided by the sellers. If the information's not provided, the marketplace has to suspend the seller.
Larger sellers — those with at least $20,000 in annual revenues — must provide the consumer with their name, address and contact information.
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