Patient Advocacy Support

COS 2026 Legislative Report

The Colorado Legislative Session has concluded, and we wanted to provide this update from Carrick Strategies, our contract lobbyist in Colorado:

The 2026 Colorado Legislative Session was one of the most challenging in recent memory, marked by growing tensions across key policy areas, continued uncertainty surrounding federal decision-making, and the backdrop of an upcoming election cycle. Over the course of 120 days, representatives and senators introduced more than 700 bills, resolutions, and memorials spanning artificial intelligence (AI) regulation, energy policy, health care reform, data privacy, immigration, and more.

Among the many factors shaping the 2026 session, one overarching challenge stood above the rest: mounting budget pressure that made this one of the more fiscally difficult sessions in years. Legislators grappled with an approximately $1.5 billion budget shortfall, resulting in cuts to critical services that will have meaningful impacts on some of Colorado's most vulnerable populations. The structural challenges facing the state budget were a point of consideration in nearly every major policy debate this year.

As Gov Jared Polis concluded his final legislative session in his current role, he drew disapproval from members of both parties, with his veto total expected to approach a personal record of 15 or more. Legislators also expressed deep frustration with the Executive Branch more broadly, singling out the management of certain departments, including the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing and the Department of Corrections. Those frustrations stemmed from both budgetary and substantive policy concerns.

Despite this friction with the Governor's office, Republicans and Democrats alike maintained strong conviction in pursuing consequential legislation. Decisions at the federal level continued to serve as an undercurrent across nearly every policy area, from AI to health care to immigration.

Legislators were, and remain, largely focused on managing a significant budget deficit, responding to ongoing federal policy shifts under the Trump administration, and positioning themselves ahead of the 2026 election cycle.

COS took a position on one bill this legislative session, SB26-162. COS engaged heavily with sponsors and other stakeholders on this bill, and while we took a support position, the bill ultimately failed. We expect the work on this policy idea to continue through the interim and next session. COS will certainly remain an integral part of this conversation as it evolves.

You can see the full report attached here.