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Second Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REENGROSSED
This Version Includes All Amendments
Adopted in the House of Introduction
LLS NO. 26-0329.01 Renee Leone x2695 HOUSE BILL 26-1010
House Committees Senate Committees
Business Affairs & Labor
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING INCREASING SUPPORT FOR OLDER ADULTS IN THE101
WORKFORCE.102
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
http://leg.colorado.gov.)
The bill increases participation, representation, and support for
individuals 60 years old or older in the Colorado workforce and in
organizations related to employment and the workforce by:
! Requiring the state work force development council
(council), the Colorado commission on the aging, and other
entities to meet twice a year, collect data, and work
HOUSE
3rd Reading Unamended
February 26, 2026
HOUSE
Amended 2nd Reading
February 25, 2026
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Willford and Jackson, Bacon, Boesenecker, Brown, Camacho, Clifford, Duran, English,
Froelich, Joseph, Keltie, Lieder, Lindsay, Mabrey, Marshall, Nguyen, Paschal, Rutinel,
Sirota, Story, Titone, Woodrow
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Danielson,
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.
collaboratively on issues related to individuals in the
workforce who are 60 years old or older;
! Requiring the department of labor and employment and the
department of human services to jointly submit a report
compiling the data collected by the council, the Colorado
commission on the aging, and other entities to the general
assembly and requiring the department of labor and
employment, during the department's annual "SMART
Act" hearings, to summarize the report to certain legislative
committees; and
! Requiring that the council, the commission on higher
education, the state apprenticeship council, and the state
board for community colleges and occupational education,
or their successor entities, each have at least one member
serving on their governing entity that is at least 60 years old
and either is actively involved in or has interest,
knowledge, or experience in advocating for the interests of
individuals who are 60 years old or older as related to the
functions of each entity.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 24-46.3-100.3, add2
(2.6) as follows:3
24-46.3-100.3. Definitions.4
As used in this article 46.3, unless the context otherwise requires:5
(2.6) "OLDER ADULT" MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS FIFTY-FIVE6
YEARS OLD OR OLDER.7
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 24-46.3-101, add8
(2.1) as follows:9
24-46.3-101. State work force development council - creation10
- membership - funding through gifts, grants, and donations.11
(2.1) FOR APPOINTMENTS TO THE STATE COUNCIL, OR A SUCCESSOR12
ENTITY, MADE ON OR AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SUBSECTION13
(2.1), AT LEAST ONE MEMBER APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR PURSUANT TO14
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SUBSECTION (2)(d) OF THIS SECTION MUST BE AN INDIVIDUAL WHO:1
(a) IS AN OLDER ADULT; AND2
(b) E ITHER IS ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN OR HAS INTEREST ,3
KNOWLEDGE, OR EXPERIENCE IN ADVOCATING FOR THE INTERESTS OF4
OLDER ADULTS IN THE WORKFORCE.5
SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 24-46.3-107 as6
follows:7
24-46.3-107. Meet with Colorado commission on aging - collect8
data - "SMART Act" hearing.9
(1) (a) BEGINNING IN 2027, AND EACH YEAR THEREAFTER, STAFF10
OR APPOINTED MEMBERS OF THE STATE COUNCIL SHALL MEET TWICE A11
YEAR WITH THE COLORADO COMMISSION ON THE AGING , CREATED12
PURSUANT TO SECTION 26-11-101, OR A WORKFORCE -RELATED13
SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COLORADO COMMISSION ON THE AGING ,14
ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SECTION 26-11-102.15
(b) T HE STATE COUNCIL SHALL INVITE REPRESENTATIVES OF16
ENTITIES WITH DEMONSTRATED INTEREST OR EXPERIENCE IN WORKFORCE17
SERVICES FOR OLDER ADULTS , INCLUDING COMMUNITY -BASED18
ORGANIZATIONS, ADVOCACY GROUPS, WORKFORCE POLICY EXPERTS, AND19
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS , TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETINGS HELD20
PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (1)(a) OF THIS SECTION.21
(2) T HE STATE COUNCIL , THE COLORADO COMMISSION ON THE22
AGING, AND ANY OTHER PARTICIPATING ENTITIES SHALL WORK23
COLLABORATIVELY TO:24
(a) P ROMOTE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND FOSTER25
SELF-SUFFICIENCY FOR OLDER ADULTS IN THE STATE;26
(b) EXAMINE ISSUES RELATED TO EMPLOYMENT ACCESS, TRAINING,27
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SUPPORT, AND SERVICES FOR OLDER ADULTS IN THE STATE;1
(c) REVIEW DATA COLLECTED THROUGH EXISTING RESOURCES AND2
PLATFORMS BY THE STATE COUNCIL OR THE COLORADO COMMISSION ON3
THE AGING RELATED TO OLDER ADULTS IN THE WORKFORCE;4
(d) DISCUSS AND DETERMINE WHETHER ADDITIONAL DATA SHOULD5
BE COLLECTED BY THE STATE COUNCIL OR THE COLORADO COMMISSION6
ON THE AGING REGARDING OLDER ADULTS IN THE WORKFORCE TO ASSIST7
IN FURTHERING THE OBJECTIVES SET FORTH IN SUBSECTIONS (2)(a) AND8
(2)(b) OF THIS SECTION; AND9
(e) P ROVIDE AN OVERVIEW TO THE DEPARTMENT AND THE10
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES , ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1, 2027,11
AND ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1 OF EACH YEAR THEREAFTER , OF THE12
DATA COLLECTED PURSUANT TO THIS SUBSECTION (2).13
(3) B EGINNING IN 2028, AND EACH YEAR THEREAFTER , THE14
DEPARTMENT AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES SHALL JOINTLY15
SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY COMPILING THE DATA16
COLLECTED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION AND SUMMARIZING THE STATE OF17
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND EMPLOYMENT ACCESS FOR OLDER18
ADULTS IN THE STATE , AND THE DEPARTMENT SHALL SUMMARIZE THE19
REPORT IN ITS PRESENTATION TO THE SENATE BUSINESS , LABOR , AND20
TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES BUSINESS21
AFFAIRS AND LABOR COMMITTEE , OR THEIR SUCCESSOR COMMITTEES ,22
DURING THE HEARINGS HELD PURSUANT TO THE "SMART ACT", PART 223
OF ARTICLE 7 OF TITLE 2.24
SECTION 4. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 26-11-105, add (2)25
as follows:26
26-11-105. Duties of commission - report.27
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(2) B EGINNING IN 2027, AND EACH YEAR THEREAFTER , THE1
COMMISSION, OR A WORKFORCE -RELATED SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE2
COMMISSION, SHALL MEET TWICE A YEAR WITH AND WORK3
COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE STATE WORK FORCE DEVELOPMENT4
COUNCIL, CREATED IN SECTION 24-46.3-101, TO PERFORM THE DUTIES SET5
FORTH IN SECTION 24-46.3-107.6
SECTION 5. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 8-15.7-105, add7
(1)(b)(II.5) as follows:8
8-15.7-105. State apprenticeship council - created - members9
- powers and duties.10
(1) (b) The SAC:11
(II.5) ON AND AFTER JANUARY 1, 2027, MUST INCLUDE, AS ONE OF12
THE REPRESENTATIVES OF EMPLOYER OR EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATIONS OR13
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC REQUIRED TO BE INCLUDED BY SUBSECTION14
(1)(b)(II) OF THIS SECTION, AN INDIVIDUAL WHO:15
(A) IS AT LEAST FIFTY-FIVE YEARS OLD; AND16
(B) E ITHER IS ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN OR HAS INTEREST ,17
KNOWLEDGE, OR EXPERIENCE IN ADVOCATING FOR THE INTERESTS OF18
INDIVIDUALS WHO WORK IN APPRENTICESHIP POSITIONS AND ARE19
FIFTY-FIVE YEARS OLD OR OLDER;20
SECTION 6. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 23-1-102, amend21
(3)(b) as follows:22
23-1-102. Commission established - terms of office.23
(3) (b) The governor shall select WHEN APPOINTING the members24
of the commission, THE GOVERNOR SHALL ENSURE THAT:25
(I) THE MEMBERS ARE SELECTED on the basis of their knowledge26
of and interest in higher education;27
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(II) At least one member of the commission must reside RESIDES1
west of the continental divide;2
(III) O N AND AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SUBSECTION3
(3)(b), AS AMENDED, THE GOVERNOR MAY APPOINT AT LEAST ONE MEMBER4
OF THE COMMISSION THAT IS AT LEAST FIFTY-FIVE YEARS OLD AND EITHER5
IS ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN OR HAS INTEREST, KNOWLEDGE, OR EXPERIENCE6
IN ADVOCATING FOR THE INTERESTS OF INDIVIDUALS ENGAGED IN HIGHER7
EDUCATION WHO ARE FIFTY-FIVE YEARS OLD OR OLDER; AND8
(IV) No THE COMMISSION DOES NOT HAVE more than a minimum9
majority of the members of the commission may be affiliated with the10
same political party at any time.11
SECTION 7. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 23-1-103, amend12
(1)(c); and add (1)(d) as follows:13
23-1-103. Advisory committee to the Colorado commission on14
higher education.15
(1) There is hereby established an advisory committee to the16
commission for the purpose of suggesting solutions for the problems and17
needs of higher education and maintaining liaison with the general18
assembly and the governing boards for state-supported institutions of19
higher education. The advisory committee shall consist of not less than20
thirteen members, to be designated as follows:21
(c) Not more than four additional members representing22
educational or other groups may be selected and designated by the23
commission to serve on the advisory committee; AND24
(d) THE COMMISSION SHALL SELECT AND DESIGNATE ONE MEMBER25
WHO IS AT LEAST FIFTY-FIVE YEARS OLD AND EITHER IS ACTIVELY26
INVOLVED IN OR HAS INTEREST, KNOWLEDGE, OR EXPERIENCE IN27
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ADVOCATING FOR THE INTERESTS OF INDIVIDUALS ENGAGED IN HIGHER1
EDUCATION WHO ARE FIFTY-FIVE YEARS OLD OR OLDER. 2
SECTION 8. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act3
takes effect January 1, 2027; except that, if a referendum petition is filed4
pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the state constitution against this5
act or an item, section, or part of this act within the ninety-day period6
after final adjournment of the general assembly, then the act, item,7
section, or part will not take effect unless approved by the people at the8
general election to be held in November 2026 and, in such case, will take9
effect January 1, 2027, or on the date of the official declaration of the10
vote thereon by the governor, whichever is later.11
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