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HB26-1189 • 2026

Uniform Community Property Disposition Death Act

Colorado Commission on Uniform State Laws. The bill clarifies what property, held by a community property spouse, the "Uniform Community Property Disposition at Death Act" applies to. (Note: This summ

Housing
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Rep. C. Espenoza, Sen. M. Snyder, Rep. M. Duran, Rep. M. Lindsay, Rep. B. Marshall, Rep. M. Soper, Sen. J. Amabile, Sen. J. Carson, Sen. J. Coleman, Sen. L. Frizell, Sen. I. Jodeh, Sen. W. Lindstedt
Last action
2026-04-02
Official status
Sent to the Governor
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The exact date when the bill becomes law depends on whether there are any referendums, which is not specified in the official source material.

Clarifying Property Rules for Community Spouses

This bill updates Colorado law to clarify which property is covered by the 'Uniform Community Property Disposition at Death Act' when a community property spouse dies.

What This Bill Does

  • Updates Colorado Revised Statutes to include personal property that can be traced back to specific types of assets.
  • Adds rules for real estate located in Colorado, even if it was acquired outside of the state and became community property later.
  • Includes income, rent, profits, appreciation, or any increase from property covered by these new rules.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Community property spouses in Colorado who have property that may be affected by the 'Uniform Community Property Disposition at Death Act'.

Terms To Know

community property spouse
A person married to someone under a community property system, where both partners own all assets acquired during marriage equally.
domiciled in this state
Living and having legal residence in Colorado.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if a referendum petition is filed against it.
  • It's unclear how the changes will affect property acquired before marriage or inherited separately by one spouse.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-02 Governor

    Sent to the Governor

  2. 2026-04-01 Senate

    Signed by the President of the Senate

  3. 2026-04-01 House

    Signed by the Speaker of the House

  4. 2026-03-24 Senate

    Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments

  5. 2026-03-23 Senate

    Senate Second Reading Passed - No Amendments

  6. 2026-03-18 Senate

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

  7. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Judiciary

  8. 2026-03-03 House

    House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments

  9. 2026-03-02 House

    House Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments

  10. 2026-02-25 House

    House Committee on Judiciary Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole

  11. 2026-02-09 House

    Introduced In House - Assigned to Judiciary

Official Summary Text

Colorado Commission on Uniform State Laws.
The bill clarifies what property, held by a community property spouse, the "Uniform Community Property Disposition at Death Act" applies to.
(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HOUSE BILL 26-1189
BY REPRESENTATIVE(S) Espenoza, Duran, Lindsay, Marshall, Soper;
also SENATOR(S) Snyder, Amabile, Carson, Frizell, Jodeh, Lindstedt,
Coleman.
CONCERNING PROPERTY HELD BY A COMMUNITY PROPERTY SPOUSE SUBJECT
TO THE "UNIFORM COMMUNITY PROPERTY DISPOSITION AT DEATH
ACT".

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 15-20-103, amend
(1)(a)(III); and add (1)(b) as follows:
15-20-103. Included and excluded property.
(1) Subject to subsection (3)(b) of this section, this act applies to the
following property of a community property spouse, without regard to how
the property is titled or held:
(a) If a decedent was domiciled in this state at the time of death:
(III) Personal property traceable to property described in subsection
NOTE: This bill has been prepared for the signatures of the appropriate legislative
officers and the Governor. To determine whether the Governor has signed the bill
or taken other action on it, please consult the legislative status sheet, the legislative
history, or the Session Laws.
________
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.
(1)(a)(I) or (1)(a)(II) of this section; AND
(b) REGARDLESS OF WHETHER A DECEDENT WAS DOMICILED IN THIS
STATE AT THE TIME OF DEATH:
(I) ALL OR A PROPORTIONATE PART OF EACH ITEM OF REAL PROPERTY
LOCATED IN THIS STATE TRACEABLE TO COMMUNITY PROPERTY OR
ACQUIRED WITH COMMUNITY PROPERTY UNDER THE LAW OF THE
JURISDICTION WHERE THE DECEDENT OR THE SURVIVING COMMUNITY
PROPERTY SPOUSE WAS DOMICILED WHEN THE PROPERTY:
(A) WAS ACQUIRED; OR
(B) AFTER ACQUISITION, BECAME COMMUNITY PROPERTY; AND
(II) I NCOME, RENT , PROFIT , APPRECIATION , OR OTHER INCREASE
DERIVED FROM OR TRACEABLE TO PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION
(1)(b)(I) OF THIS SECTION.
SECTION 2. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act
takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August
12, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13, 2026); 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
such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect unless
PAGE 2-HOUSE BILL 26-1189
approved by the people at the general election to be held in November 2026
and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of
the vote thereon by the governor.
____________________________ ____________________________
Julie McCluskie James Rashad Coleman, Sr.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE PRESIDENT OF
OF REPRESENTATIVES THE SENATE
____________________________ ____________________________
Vanessa Reilly Esther van Mourik
CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE SECRETARY OF
OF REPRESENTATIVES THE SENATE
APPROVED________________________________________
(Date and Time)
_________________________________________
Jared S. Polis
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF COLORADO
PAGE 3-HOUSE BILL 26-1189