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HB26-1090 • 2026

Teacher Licensing Requirements

The act requires that an applicant for a teacher license disclose misdemeanor convictions that occurred in the last 7 years, except traffic misdemeanors, unless: The misdemeanor was committed against

Children Crime Education
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Rep. S. Luck, Rep. M. Martinez, Sen. J. Gonzales, Rep. J. Mabrey, Rep. J. Bacon, Rep. A. Boesenecker, Rep. B. Bradley, Rep. M. Brooks, Rep. C. Clifford, Rep. M. Duran, Rep. R. English, Rep. L. Goldstein, Rep. E. Hamrick, Rep. J. Jackson, Rep. J. Joseph, Rep. S. Lieder, Rep. M. Lindsay, Rep. M. Lukens, Rep. B. Marshall, Rep. J. McCluskie, Rep. K. Nguyen, Rep. S. Slaugh, Rep. M. Soper, Rep. K. Stewart, Rep. E. Velasco, Rep. S. Woodrow, Rep. Y. Zokaie, Sen. J. Amabile, Sen. A. Benavidez, Sen. J. Coleman, Sen. T. Exum, Sen. N. Hinrichsen, Sen. I. Jodeh, Sen. C. Kipp, Sen. C. Kolker, Sen. J. Marchman, Sen. R. Rodriguez, Sen. M. Snyder, Sen. K. Wallace
Last action
2026-04-20
Official status
Governor Signed
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not define 'at-risk person' or provide examples, so no definition was included in terms_to_know.

Teacher Licensing Requirements for Misdemeanor Convictions

This law requires people applying for a teacher license to report misdemeanor convictions from the last seven years, excluding traffic misdemeanors unless they involve specific victims or are listed by the Department of Education as grounds for denial.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires applicants to disclose non-traffic misdemeanors that occurred in the past 7 years.
  • Excludes traffic misdemeanors from this disclosure requirement unless they were committed against a child or an at-risk person, or if the Department of Education lists them as grounds for denial, annulment, suspension, or revocation.
  • Mandates disclosure of any misdemeanor committed against a child or an at-risk person, regardless of when it happened.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People applying for a teacher license

Limits and Unknowns

  • The official text does not specify the exact effective date.
  • The specific list of misdemeanors that the Department of Education considers grounds for denial is not included in this summary.

Amendments

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

L.001

HOU Education

Passed [*]

Plain English: This amendment removes the specific rules about disclosing teacher license applicants' misdemeanor convictions from the bill.

  • It deletes all text on page 3, lines 13 through 27 of the original bill.
  • It also deletes all text on page 4, lines 1 through 4.
  • The amendment only shows which parts are deleted but does not provide any new replacement language or explain what rules will take their place.
L.002

Second Reading

Passed [**]

Plain English: This amendment changes the rules for teacher license applicants by requiring them to report specific types of criminal convictions, including all felonies and certain misdemeanors involving children or at-risk people, no matter how long ago they happened.

  • Applicants must now list any felony conviction on their application form.
  • Applicants must disclose misdemeanor crimes where the victim was a child under 18 or an 'at-risk person,' regardless of when the crime occurred.
  • The amendment adds a requirement to report specific misdemeanors that can lead to losing other professional licenses, even if they happened more than seven years ago.
  • For any conviction listed in these new categories, applicants must provide the name of the crime, the date it was convicted, and which court made the decision.
  • The amendment text does not define exactly what crimes are included under 'at-risk person' or list every specific misdemeanor mentioned in Section 22-60.5-107(2)(b), so those details must be found in other laws.
  • Some parts of the original bill text were removed and replaced, making it difficult to see exactly what rules existed before this change without comparing full versions.
L.003

Second Reading

Passed [**]

Plain English: This amendment changes the rules for teacher license applicants to require them to list all felonies and specific serious misdemeanors, regardless of how long ago they happened.

  • Applicants must now disclose any felony conviction or misdemeanor where the victim was a child under 18 or an at-risk person, no matter when it occurred.
  • The amendment adds a requirement to list certain misdemeanors that are already grounds for losing a professional license in Colorado, regardless of the date.
  • Applicants must still report other non-traffic misdemeanors if they happened within the last 7 years.
  • For every conviction listed, applicants must provide specific details including the type of crime, the date it was convicted, and which court made the decision.
  • The amendment refers to specific state law sections (like Section 24-5-101) that define how crimes are evaluated, but does not list every single crime included in those laws.
  • Some parts of the text contain editing marks and capitalization changes from the original bill draft which were simplified for this explanation.
L.004

Second Reading

Passed [**]

Plain English: This amendment changes the rules for teacher license applicants by requiring them to report all felonies and specific serious misdemeanors, regardless of how long ago they happened.

  • Applicants must now disclose any felony conviction from their entire past history.
  • Misdemeanor convictions involving victims who were children under 18 or at-risk persons must be reported no matter when the crime occurred.
  • Certain misdemeanors listed in state law as reasons to deny a license must also be disclosed regardless of how much time has passed since the conviction.
  • The amendment text uses specific legal section numbers (like Section 24-5-101) that define exactly which crimes count, but this summary cannot list every single crime without those external laws.
  • The exact definition of an 'at-risk person' is found in a separate law not included here.
L.006

Second Reading

Passed [**]

Plain English: This amendment clarifies that teacher license applicants do not need to report most misdemeanors if they apply within seven years of their conviction, as long as the offense is not a traffic violation.

  • Updates three sections of the bill to state clearly which past crimes must be reported by new teachers.
  • Excludes all non-traffic misdemeanor convictions from reporting requirements if the application happens within seven years of the case ending.
  • Confirms that traffic misdemeanors and infractions are never exempt, meaning they might still need to be disclosed regardless of time passed.
  • The amendment text only shows specific line replacements and does not explain how this change affects crimes committed more than seven years ago.
  • It is unclear from the provided text whether traffic offenses must always be reported or if they have their own separate time limit.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-20 Governor

    Governor Signed

  2. 2026-04-16 Governor

    Sent to the Governor

  3. 2026-04-16 Senate

    Signed by the President of the Senate

  4. 2026-04-16 House

    Signed by the Speaker of the House

  5. 2026-03-27 Senate

    Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments

  6. 2026-03-26 Senate

    Senate Second Reading Passed - No Amendments

  7. 2026-03-23 Senate

    Senate Committee on Education Refer Unamended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole

  8. 2026-03-16 Senate

    Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Education

  9. 2026-03-11 House

    House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments

  10. 2026-03-10 House

    House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor

  11. 2026-02-18 House

    House Second Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments

  12. 2026-02-12 House

    House Committee on Education Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole

  13. 2026-02-03 House

    Introduced In House - Assigned to Education

Official Summary Text

The act requires that an applicant for a teacher license disclose misdemeanor convictions that occurred in the last 7 years, except traffic misdemeanors, unless:
The misdemeanor was committed against an at-risk person or a child; or
The department of education has specified that the misdemeanor is grounds for denial, annulment, suspension, or revocation of a license, certificate, endorsement, or authorization.
The act requires that an applicant for a teacher license disclose any misdemeanor conviction in the 2 above categories, regardless of the date of conviction.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)