HB26-1043 • 2026

Transportation Network Company Discriminatory Practices

Under current law, the public utilities commission (commission) may assess a civil penalty in an amount up to $550 against a transportation network company (TNC) if the TNC had written notice of a TNC

Education

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Rep. A. Paschal, Rep. G. Rydin, Sen. C. Kipp, Rep. J. Bacon, Rep. A. Boesenecker, Rep. K. Brown, Rep. C. Clifford, Rep. M. Duran, Rep. R. English, Rep. M. Froelich, Rep. J. Jackson, Rep. B. Marshall, Rep. J. McCluskie, Rep. K. Nguyen, Rep. N. Ricks, Rep. M. Rutinel, Rep. E. Sirota, Rep. T. Story, Rep. J. Willford, Rep. Y. Zokaie, Sen. A. Benavidez, Sen. J. Coleman, Sen. L. Cutter, Sen. T. Exum, Sen. J. Gonzales, Sen. N. Hinrichsen, Sen. I. Jodeh, Sen. C. Kolker, Sen. J. Marchman, Sen. T. Sullivan, Sen. K. Wallace
Last action: 2026-06-01
Official status: Governor Signed
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill text does not explicitly define 'service animal' beyond referencing existing prohibitions; the definition used relies on general understanding of state law.

HB26-1043: Rules for Ride-Sharing Companies on Discrimination

This law changes how ride-sharing companies are punished if their drivers discriminate against riders, adds new rules about training and reporting refusals to transport passengers, and requires public data sharing.

What This Bill Does

Removes the rule that a company must have written notice of discrimination before facing fines.
Increases the maximum fine for violations from $550 to $1,300.
Requires companies to teach drivers about transporting riders with service animals within six months of joining or by June 2027, whichever is later.
Changes reporting rules so most companies must send data on driver refusals to regulators every month instead of once a year.
Mandates that apps include an easy way for riders to report discrimination directly through the platform.
Requires regulators to combine and hide personal details from these reports before sharing them with the public.

Who It Names or Affects

Transportation network companies (ride-sharing services) operating in Colorado, except those whose main business is providing transportation under contracts with school districts or schools.
Drivers who work for transportation network companies.
Riders using transportation network company apps.

Terms To Know

Transportation Network Company (TNC): A business that uses a digital app to connect drivers with riders for transportation services.
Service Animal: An animal trained to perform tasks or work for people with disabilities, which cannot be denied transport by drivers under this law.
Civil Penalty: A fine that the Public Utilities Commission can charge a company for breaking discrimination rules.

Limits and Unknowns

The new training and reporting rules do not apply to companies whose main business is providing transportation under contracts with school districts or schools.
School-contract companies must report refusals every three months instead of monthly, but they are still subject to other parts of the law unless explicitly exempted.
This law takes effect on January 1, 2027, unless voters approve a referendum petition that delays it until after an election.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

L.001

HOU Business Affairs & Labor

Passed [*]

Plain English: This amendment requires ride-share companies in Colorado to train drivers about service animals, create anti-discrimination policies, and report refusals of transport more frequently.

Ride-share companies must provide mandatory training for all new drivers on how to legally accept riders with service animals within six months of joining the platform.
Companies are required to write a policy against discrimination based on disability or service animals and share it with every driver and post it online.
Instead of reporting incidents once a year, companies must now send monthly reports to state officials about any drivers who refused to transport passengers because they had service animals.
The maximum fine for breaking these rules increases from $550 to $13,000.

Companies that mostly provide transportation services under contracts with schools are exempt from the monthly reporting and some training requirements mentioned in this amendment.
The exact details of how drivers will be trained or what specific questions they must answer during education sessions are not described in this text.

L.002

Second Reading

Passed [**]

Plain English: This amendment creates a new rule stating that transportation network companies providing services under subsection (1)(p) are governed mainly by their contracts, while still requiring them to follow state and federal laws against discrimination.

Adds a new section labeled (11) to the bill's rules for transportation network companies.
States that companies using specific service types under subsection (1)(p) must follow their contract terms instead of most other parts of this law, unless explicitly exempted.
Clarifies that an existing rule in subsection (7) does not apply to these specific services but remains active for all other company services.
Confirms that companies and drivers must still obey state and federal laws regarding nondiscrimination and public accommodation.

The amendment refers to 'subsection (1)(p)' without explaining what type of service it describes, so the exact scope is unclear from this text alone.
It mentions specific legal codes like Part 6 of Article 34 of Title 24 but does not define those laws in detail.

Bill History

2026-06-01 Governor
Governor Signed
2026-05-20 Governor
Sent to the Governor
2026-05-20 Senate
Signed by the President of the Senate
2026-05-20 House
Signed by the Speaker of the House
2026-05-11 Senate
Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
2026-05-08 Senate
Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments
2026-05-07 Senate
Senate Committee on Finance Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
2026-05-07 Senate
Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance
2026-05-06 House
House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
2026-05-05 House
House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor
2026-05-01 House
House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
2026-03-12 House
House Committee on Finance Refer Unamended to Appropriations
2026-02-19 House
House Committee on Business Affairs & Labor Refer Amended to Finance
2026-01-14 House
Introduced In House - Assigned to Business Affairs & Labor

Official Summary Text

Under current law, the public utilities commission (commission) may assess a civil penalty in an amount up to $550 against a transportation network company (TNC) if the TNC had written notice of a TNC driver's violation of certain prohibitions against discriminating against riders and the TNC failed to reasonably address the violation. Additionally, a driver is required to report to the TNC any refusal by the driver to provide services to a rider, and the TNC is required to annually report all such refusals to the commission.
The act removes the condition that a TNC first have written notice of a driver's violation of the discriminatory prohibitions before a civil penalty may be assessed against the TNC, increases the maximum civil penalty to $1,300, and requires the commission to consider certain mitigating and aggravating factors in determining whether to assess a civil penalty and the amount of a penalty assessed. The act also requires:
A TNC to mandate and provide education to drivers concerning the transportation of riders with service animals;
A TNC to provide monthly, rather than annual, reporting to the commission regarding drivers' refusal to provide services;
A TNC to provide a mechanism to allow a consumer to report a driver's refusal to provide transport to the consumer directly on the TNC's digital platform, which information must be included in the TNC's monthly report; and
The commission to aggregate and anonymize the TNCs' monthly reports and make the anonymized reports available to the public.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HOUSE BILL 26-1043
BY REPRESENTATIVE(S) Rydin and Paschal, Bacon, Boesenecker,
Brown, Clifford, Duran, English, Froelich, Jackson, Marshall, Nguyen,
Ricks, Rutinel, Sirota, Story, Willford, Zokaie, McCluskie;
also SENATOR(S) Kipp, Benavidez, Cutter, Exum, Gonzales J.,
Hinrichsen, Jodeh, Kolker, Marchman, Sullivan, Wallace, Coleman.
CONCERNING MEASURES TO ADDRESS DISCRIMINATORY CONDUCT ENGAGED
IN BY TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANY DRIVERS IN PROVIDING
SERVICES TO RIDERS.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 40-10.1-605, amend
(7) and (9); and add (6)(e) and (11) as follows:
40-10.1-605. Operational requirements -rules.
(6) (e) EXCEPT FOR TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANIES THAT
PROVIDE A MAJORITY OF SERVICES FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS OR SCHOOLS
PURSUANT TO A CONTRACT REQUIRED BY SUBSECTION ( 1 )(p) OF THIS
SECTION:
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material added to existing law; dashes
through words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law and such material is not part of
the act.
(I) A TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANY SHALL MANDATE AND
PROVIDE EDUCATION TO DRIVERS CONCERNING THE TRANSPORTATION OF
RIDERS WITH SERVICE ANIMALS, INCLUDING EDUCATION ON THE PROHIBITION
AGAINST DENYING A SERVICE ANIMAL FROM ACCOMPANYING A RIDER
PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION ( 6)( c) OF THIS SECTION;
(II) A DRIVER SHALL COMPLETE THE MANDA TORY SERVICE ANIMAL
EDUCATION NO LATER THAN SIX MONTHS AFTER THE DRIVER IS FIRST
ONBOARDED ON THE TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANY'S DIGITAL
PLATFORM OR SIX MONTHS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SUBSECTION
( 6)( e ), WHICHEVER IS LATER;
(III) A TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANY MAY RESTRICT OR
SUSPEND A DRIVER'S ACCESS TO ITS DIGITAL PLATFORM IF THE DRIVER FAILS
TO COMPLETE THE MANDATORY SERVICE ANIMAL EDUCATION WITHIN THE
SIX-MONTH PERIOD DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (6)(e)(II) OF THIS SECTION;
AND
(IV) AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE, A TRANSPORTATION NETWORK
COMPANY SHALL ADOPT A POLICY THAT PROHIBITS UNLAWFUL
DISCRIMINATION, AS DESCRIBED IN THIS SUBSECTION (6), AND SHALL:
(A) PROVIDE THE POLICY TO EACH DRIVER ON THE TRANSPORTATION
NETWORK COMPANY'S DIGITAL NETWORK; AND
(8) POST THE POLICY ON THE TRANSPORTATION NETWORK
COMPANY'S WEBSITE.
(7) (a) A trnnsportation netwotk company is not liable fut a dtivet's
violation of subsection (6) of this section unless the dt iv et 's \1 iolation has
been pteviously reported to the trnnsportation netwotk company in writing,
and the tt ansportation network company has failed to t easonably addt ess the
alleged violation. The commission shall affotd a trnnsportation netwotk
company the same due pt ocess rights affm ded transportation providers in
defending against THE COMMISSION SHALL TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION A
TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANY'S GOOD FAITH EFFORTS, INCLUDING
EFFORTS DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (6), (9)(b), OR (9)(c) OF THIS SECTION,
TO REMEDIA TE A DRIVER'S FIRST VIOLATION OF SUBSECTION ( 6) OF THIS
SECTION AND THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VIOLATIONS BY A TRANSPORTATION
NETWORK COMPANY THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN THE PRECEDING TWELVE
PAGE 2-HOUSE BILL 26-1043
MONTHS IN DETERMINING WHETHER TO ASSESS CIVIL PENAL TIES AND THE
AMOUNT OF THE civil penalties assessed by the commission PURSUANT TO
SUBSECTION (7)(b) OF THIS SECTION.
(b) The commission may assess a civil penalty IN AN AMOUNT up to
fi~e hundred fifty ONE THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED dollars under this
subsection (7) FOR A TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANY'S VIOLATION OF
SUBSECTION (6), (9)(b), OR (9)(c) OF THIS SECTION.
(9) (a) A driver shall immediately report to the transportation
network company any refusal to transport a passenger pursuant to paragraph
(a) of subsection (6) SUBSECTION (6) of this section. and
(b) The transportation network company shall annually report aH
such refusals ANY REFUSALS TO TRANSPORT IN VIOLATION OF SUBSECTION
( 6) OF THIS SECTION to the commission ON A MONTHLY BASIS in a form and
manner determined by the commission; EXCEPT THAT A TRANSPORTATION
NETWORK COMPANY THAT PROVIDES A MAJORITY OF SER VICES FOR SCHOOL
DISTRICTS OR SCHOOLS PURSUANT TO A CONTRACT REQUIRED BY
SUBSECTION (l)(p) OF THIS SECTION SHALL SUBMIT THE REPORTS ON A
QUARTERLY BASIS.
(c) EXCEPT FOR TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANIES THAT
PROVIDE A MAJORITY OF SERVICES FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS OR SCHOOLS
PURSUANT TO A CONTRACT REQUIRED BY SUBSECTION ( 1 )(p) OF THIS
SECTION, A TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANY SHALL PROVIDE A
MECHANISM TO ALLOW A CONSUMER TO REPORT DIRECTLY ON THE
TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANY'S DIGITAL PLATFORM A DRIVER'S
REFUSAL TO TRANSPORT THE CONSUMER IN VIOLATION OF SUBSECTION ( 6)
OF THIS SECTION. THE REPORTING MECHANISM MUST BE ACCESSIBLE AND
EASILY NAVIGABLE ON THE DIGITAL PLATFORM. THE TRANSPORTATION
NETWORK COMPANY SHALL INCLUDE ANY CONSUMER REPORTS RECEIVED
PURSUANT TO THIS SUBSECTION (9)( C) IN THE TRANSPORTATION NETWORK
COMPANY'S MONTHLY REPORTS SUBMITTED PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (9)(b)
OF THIS SECTION.
( d) THE COMMISSION SHALL AGGREGATE AND ANONYMIZE THE DAT A
INCLUDED IN THE MONTHLY REPORTS SUBMITTED PURSUANT TO
SUBSECTIONS (9)(b) AND (9)(c) OF THIS SECTION; INCLUDE IN THE
AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED MONTHLY REPORTS INFORMATION ON THE
PAGE 3-HOUSE BILL 26-1043
ANNUAL NUMBER OF REFUSALS TO TRANSPORT IN VIOLATION OF SUBSECTION
( 6) OF THIS SECTION AND THIS SUBSECTION (9), INCLUDING THE NUMBER OF
INVESTIGATIONS AND REMEDIATIONS MADE; AND MAKE THE AGGREGATED,
ANONYMIZED MONTHLY REPORTS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
(11) (a) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTIONS (l l)(b) AND (l l)(c)
OF THIS SECTION, A TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANY THAT PROVIDES
SERVICES PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION ( 1 )(p) OF THIS SECTION IS GOVERNED
EXCLUSIVELY BY THE TERMS OF THE CONTRACT; THIS PART 6, EXCEPT
WHEREIN A TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANY THAT PROVIDES SERVICES
PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (l)(p) OF THIS SECTION IS EXPLICITLY EXEMPTED
FROM A PROVISION OF THIS PART 6; AND RULES THAT THE COMMISSION
ADOPTS PURSUANT TO THIS PART 6.
(b) SUBSECTION (7) OF THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO
TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANY SERVICES PROVIDED PURSUANT TO
SUBSECTION ( 1 )(p) OF THIS SECTION, BUT APPLIES TO ALL OTHER
TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANY SERVICES.
(c) THIS SUBSECTION (11) DOES NOT LIMIT A TRANSPORTATION
NETWORK COMPANY'S OR A DRIVER'S OBLIGATIONS UNDER APPLICABLE
ST A TE OR FEDERAL NONDISCRIMINATION OR PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION LAWS,
INCLUDING PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION LIABILITY LAWS UNDER PART 6 OF
ARTICLE 34 OF TITLE 24, FOR DENIAL OF SERVICES OR OTHER PROHIBITED
DISCRIMINATORY BEHAVIOR.
SECTION 2. Act subject to petition - effective date -
applicability. (1) This act takes effect January 1, 2027; except that, if a
referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the state
constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act within the
ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly, then the
act, item, section, or part will not take effect unless approved by the people
at the general election to be held in November 2026 and, in such case, will
take effect January 1, 2027, or on the date of the official declaration of the
vote thereon by the governor, whichever is later.
PAGE 4-HOUSE BILL 26-1043
(2) This act applies to conduct occurring on or after the applicable
effective date of this act.
Juli~
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES
v~~
Vanessa Reilly
CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES
atnes Rashad Coleman, Sr.
PRESIDENT OF
THE SENATE
Esther van Mourik
SECRETARY OF
THE SENATE
APPROVED d"' YYl ,n JAd J ~ I r f 2.0.u, ...i-u: OD4l'YI
( ate and Time)
V
STATE OF COLORADO
PAGE 5-HOUSE BILL 26-1043