Read the full stored bill text
SENATE BILL 26-047
BY SENATOR(S) Danielson and Marchman, Amabile, Ball, Cutter,
Daugherty, Exum, Gonzales J., Jodeh, Kipp, Kolker, Lindstedt, Mullica,
Roberts, Snyder, Sullivan, Wallace, Weissman, Coleman;
also REPRESENTATIVE(S) Camacho and Phillips, Duran, Bacon,
Boesenecker, Brown, Carter, Clifford, Espenoza, Froelich, Garcia,
Goldstein, Hamrick, Jackson, Lieder, Lindsay, Mabrey, Nguyen, Ricks,
Rutinel, Smith, Stewart K., Story, Valdez, Velasco, McCluskie.
CONCERNING CHANGES TO THE DEFINITION OF A GENERAL ELECTION FOR
THE PURPOSE OF SUBMITTING A QUESTION TO THE VOTERS TO ALLOW
FIREFIGHTERS TO COLLECTIVELY BARGAIN WITH THEIR PUBLIC
EMPLOYERS.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 29-5-203, amend (11)
as follows:
29-5-203. Definitions.
As used in this part 2, unless the context otherwise requires:
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.
(11) "General election" means a general REGULAR municipal
election, regular special district board election, statewide primary election,
or statewide general election, OR COORDINATED ELECTION AS DEFINED IN
SECTION 1-1-104 (6.5).
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 29-5-206, amend (1)
as follows:
29-5-206. Vote of the citizens to obligate a public employer to
engage in collective bargaining.
(1) If a petition signed by at least five percent of the number of
persons who voted in the last general REGULAR municipal election, general
district election, or the total votes of each party's general election in the case
of a fire authority, unless petition requirements are otherwise outlined by
city charter or local ordinance, asks the public employer to engage in
collective bargaining with a named employee organization, the public
employer shall place on the ballot at the next general election the following
question for a yes or no vote: "Should the firefighters employed by the
[name of the public employer] be covered by the 'Colorado Firefighter
Safety Act'?". If a majority of the registered electors voting on this question
vote "yes", the public employer is obligated to engage in collective
bargaining pursuant to this part 2, and the employee organization named in
the petition becomes the exclusive representative of the firefighters of that
public employer. If a majority of the registered electors voting on this
question vote "no", the public employer will not be obligated to engage in
collective bargaining under this part 2, and the meet and confer process in
section 29-5-205 will continue to apply to that public employer.
SECTION 3. 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-SENATE BILL 26-047
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.
____________________________ ____________________________
James Rashad Coleman, Sr. Julie McCluskie
PRESIDENT OF SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES
____________________________ ____________________________
Esther van Mourik Vanessa Reilly
SECRETARY OF CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE
THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APPROVED________________________________________
(Date and Time)
_________________________________________
Jared S. Polis
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF COLORADO
PAGE 3-SENATE BILL 26-047