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HB26-1413 • 2026

Sick & Military Leave for Certain Public Servants

Current law limits the number of sick days that an employee in the state personnel system can earn to 10 days per fiscal year. The bill repeals the 10-day limit. In addition, current law limits the nu

Labor
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Rep. K. Brown, Rep. E. Sirota, Sen. J. Amabile, Sen. J. Bridges, Rep. E. Hamrick, Rep. J. Jackson, Rep. M. Lindsay, Rep. K. Nguyen, Rep. L. Smith, Rep. R. Stewart, Rep. Y. Zokaie
Last action
2026-04-14
Official status
Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation included a statement about requiring employers to allow an additional week of military leave, which is implied but not explicitly stated in the official bill summary.

Sick & Military Leave for Certain Public Servants

The bill removes limits on sick days for certain public employees and increases military leave from three weeks to four weeks per year.

What This Bill Does

  • Removes the limit of 10 sick days that an employee in the state personnel system can earn each fiscal year.
  • Increases the number of weeks of military leave allowed to officers and employees from 3 weeks to 4 weeks per leave year.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Employees in the state personnel system who earn sick days.
  • Officers and employees of the state or any political subdivision, municipal corporation, or other public agency of the state who are members of the National Guard, military forces, or reserve forces of the United States.

Terms To Know

fiscal year
A period used for budgeting and financial reporting that is one year long.
leave year
The time period established by an employer during which leave can be taken, usually a calendar or fiscal year.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify how the increased sick and military leave will be funded.
  • Applies only to certain public employees in Colorado as defined by the bill.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-14 Senate

    Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole

  2. 2026-04-13 Senate

    Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Appropriations

  3. 2026-04-11 House

    House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments

  4. 2026-04-10 House

    House Third Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments

  5. 2026-04-09 House

    House Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments

  6. 2026-04-08 House

    House Second Reading Special Order - Laid Over Daily - No Amendments

  7. 2026-04-07 House

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

  8. 2026-04-06 House

    Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations

Official Summary Text

Current law limits the number of sick days that an employee in the state personnel system can earn to 10 days per fiscal year. The bill repeals the 10-day limit.
In addition, current law limits the number of weeks of military leave allowed to an officer or employee of the state or of any political subdivision, municipal corporation, or other public agency of the state (officers and employees) to 3 weeks per leave year, as established by the employer. The bill increases military leave allowed to officers and employees to 4 weeks per leave year.
(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 
Second Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REENGROSSED
This Version Includes All Amendments
Adopted in the House of Introduction
LLS NO. 26-0993.01 Nicole Myers x4326 HOUSE BILL 26-1413
House Committees Senate Committees
Appropriations
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING LEAVE TIME ALLOWED TO CERTAIN PUBLIC SERVANTS.101
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.)
Current law limits the number of sick days that an employee in the
state personnel system can earn to 10 days per fiscal year. The bill repeals
the 10-day limit.
In addition, current law limits the number of weeks of military
leave allowed to an officer or employee of the state or of any political
subdivision, municipal corporation, or other public agency of the state
(officers and employees) to 3 weeks per leave year, as established by the
employer. The bill increases military leave allowed to officers and
HOUSE
3rd Reading Unamended
April 11, 2026
HOUSE
2nd Reading Unamended
April 9, 2026
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Sirota and Brown, Hamrick, Jackson, Lindsay, Nguyen, Smith, Stewart R., Zokaie
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Amabile and Bridges,
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.
employees to 4 weeks per leave year.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 24-50-104, amend2
(7)(a) as follows:3
24-50-104. Job evaluation and compensation - state employee4
reserve fund - created - study - report - definitions.5
(7) Leaves.6
(a) No employee shall earn more than ten days of sick leave per7
fiscal year. No employee may retain accumulated sick leave in excess of8
forty-five days at the end of any fiscal year; except that any employee9
who had accumulated sick leave prior to July 1, 1988, shall retain such10
leave and may accumulate a maximum of forty-five additional days. Any11
excess accumulation may be converted to annual leave at the rate of five12
days of sick leave to one day of annual leave up to a total of two days per13
fiscal year. A medical certificate form from a health-care provider shall14
be required for absences of more than three full consecutive working15
days, or the use of sick leave shall be denied.16
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 28-3-601, amend (1)17
as follows:18
28-3-601. Public employees - annual military leave.19
(1) Subject to the conditions prescribed in sections 28-3-601 to20
28-3-607, any officer or employee of the state or of any political21
subdivision, municipal corporation, or other public agency of the state22
who is a member of the National Guard or any other component of the23
military forces of the state organized or constituted under state or federal24
law or who is a member of the reserve forces of the United States,25
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organized or constituted under federal law, is entitled to leave of absence1
from the officer's or employee's public office or employment without loss2
of pay, seniority, status, efficiency rating, vacation, sick leave, or other3
benefits for the entire time the officer or employee is engaged with such4
organization or component in training or active service ordered or5
authorized by proper authority pursuant to law, whether for state or6
federal purposes, but not exceeding the equivalent of three FOUR weeks7
of work on the officer's or employee's regular work schedule in the leave8
year established by the employer. The employer shall allow the leave if9
the required military service is satisfactorily performed, which is10
presumed unless the contrary is established.11
SECTION 3. Effective date. This act takes effect July 1, 2026.12
SECTION 4. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,13
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate14
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for15
the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state16
institutions.17
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