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SB26-078 • 2026

Changes to Institutions of Higher Education Statutes

The act modifies statutes relating to state institutions of higher education (institutions) in the following areas: Fiscal impact information for legislative measures, definitions related to electric

Budget Education
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Sen. J. Amabile, Sen. B. Kirkmeyer, Rep. L. Smith, Rep. R. Taggart, Sen. J. Coleman, Sen. C. Kolker, Sen. J. Marchman, Sen. B. Pelton, Rep. K. Brown, Rep. M. Duran, Rep. S. Lieder, Rep. K. Nguyen
Last action
2026-05-26
Official status
Governor Signed
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Changes to Institutions of Higher Education Statutes

The act modifies statutes relating to state institutions of higher education (institutions) in the following areas: Fiscal impact information for legislative measures, definitions related to electric and plumbing work, data policies and coordination, capital construction review processes, and bond requirements and procedures for the university of Colorado.

What This Bill Does

  • The act modifies statutes relating to state institutions of higher education (institutions) in the following areas: Fiscal impact information for legislative measures, definitions related to electric and plumbing work, data policies and coordination, capital construction review processes, and bond requirements and procedures for the university of Colorado.
  • Fiscal impact information.
  • For institutions that submit information on the potential fiscal impact of a legislative measure to the staff of the legislative council (LCS) through the department of higher education (department), the act requires the department to grant submitting institutions access to the official responses of the department and other submitting institutions at the time that the fiscal impact information is submitted to LCS.
  • Definitions.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

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

L.011

HOU Appropriations

Passed [*]

Plain English: SB078_L.011 HOUSE COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE AMENDMENT Committee on Appropriations.

  • SB078_L.011 HOUSE COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE AMENDMENT Committee on Appropriations.
  • SB26-078 be amended as follows: 1 Amend the Education Committee Report, dated April 30, 2026, page 3, 2 strike line 42 and substitute "DATA, EXCEPT THAT THE DATA ADVISORY 3 GROUP SHALL ONLY ADVISE ON THE SHARING OF STATEWIDE 4 INSTITUTIONAL AND STUDENT DATA THAT IS USED BY THE DEPARTMENT 5 FOR ITS STATUTORY DUTIES IF SUCH ADVICE IS REQUESTED BY THE 6 DEPARTMENT OR THE COMMISSION;".
  • 7 Page 5, line 1, strike "section 4" and substitute "section 5".
  • 8 Page 5, line 3, strike "section 5" and substitute "section 6".
L.012

HOU Appropriations

Passed [*]

Plain English: SB078_L.012 HOUSE COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE AMENDMENT Committee on Appropriations.

  • SB078_L.012 HOUSE COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE AMENDMENT Committee on Appropriations.
  • SB26-078 be amended as follows: 1 Amend the Education Committee Report, dated April 30, 2026, page 4, 2 line 5, strike "SHALL" and substitute "SHALL, SUBJECT TO AVAILABLE 3 APPROPRIATIONS,".
  • 4 Page 4, strike line 35 and substitute "MEET AT LEAST QUARTERLY.
  • 5 (5) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PROVISION OF THIS SECTION TO THE 6 CONTRARY, ANY ACTION REQUIRED BY THIS SECTION ON THE PART OF THE 7 DEPARTMENT OR THE COMMISSION IS SUBJECT TO AVAILABLE 8 APPROPRIATIONS.".".
L.009

HOU Education

Passed [*]

Plain English: SB078_L.009 HOUSE COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE AMENDMENT Committee on Education.

  • SB078_L.009 HOUSE COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE AMENDMENT Committee on Education.
  • SB26-078 be amended as follows: 1 Amend reengrossed bill, page 3, strike lines 5 through 14 and substitute: 2 "(3.5) (a) FOR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION THAT SUBMIT 3 POTENTIAL LEGISLATIVE FISCAL IMPACTS TO THE STAFF OF THE 4 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER 5 EDUCATION, THE DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION SHALL GRANT THE 6 SUBMITTING INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION ACCESS TO THE OFFICIAL 7 RESPONSES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND EACH 8 SUBMITTING INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION AT THE TIME THAT THE 9 FISCAL IMPACT INFORMATION IS SUBMITTED TO THE STAFF OF THE 10 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION.".
  • 11 Page 5, after line 26 insert: 12 "SECTION 4.
  • In Colorado Revised Statutes, 23-1-101.1, add 13 (1.5) as follows: 14 23-1-101.1.
L.006

SEN Appropriations

Passed [*]

Plain English: SB078_L.006 SENATE COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE AMENDMENT Committee on Appropriations.

  • SB078_L.006 SENATE COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE AMENDMENT Committee on Appropriations.
  • SB26-078 be amended as follows: 1 Amend printed bill, page 5, strike lines 13 through 18.
  • 2 Renumber succeeding sections accordingly.
  • 3 Page 6, line 12, after "GROUP" insert "FACILITATED BY THE DEPARTMENT".
L.001

SEN Education

Passed [*]

Plain English: SB078_L.001 SENATE COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE AMENDMENT Committee on Education.

  • SB078_L.001 SENATE COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE AMENDMENT Committee on Education.
  • SB26-078 be amended as follows: 1 Amend printed bill, strike page 9.
  • 2 Page 10, strike lines 1 through 12.
  • 3 Renumber succeeding sections accordingly.
L.002

SEN Education

Passed [*]

Plain English: SB078_L.002 SENATE COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE AMENDMENT Committee on Education.

  • SB078_L.002 SENATE COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE AMENDMENT Committee on Education.
  • SB26-078 be amended as follows: 1 Amend printed bill, page 4, strike lines 11 through 15 and substitute 2 "campuses; AND 3 (b) The institution whose campus is established under and 4 specified in section 23-20-101 (1)(b); but limited to EXCEPT THAT, FOR 5 BUILDINGS LOCATED WITHIN THE GROUNDS OF THE AURARIA HIGHER 6 EDUCATION CENTER CREATED IN PART 70 OF THIS ARTICLE 23, "QUALIFIED 7 STATE INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION" MEANS ONLY THOSE 8 BUILDINGS THAT ARE CONSTRUCTED OR WHOLLY RENOVATED FROM 9 MONEY HELD BY THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT DENVER AND THAT 10 ARE CURRENTLY OWNED, OPERATED, AND MAINTAINED BY THE 11 UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT DENVER, INCLUDING the buildings located 12 in Denver at 1380 Lawrence street, 1250 Fourteenth street, and 1475 13 Lawrence street; and 1191 LARIMER STREET, 1201 LARIMER STREET, AND 14 1355 TWELFTH STREET.".
  • 15 Page 5, strike lines 3 through 7 and substitute "campuses; AND 16 (b) The institution whose campus is established under and 17 specified in section 23-20-101 (1)(b); but limited to EXCEPT THAT, FOR 18 BUILDINGS LOCATED WITHIN THE GROUNDS OF THE AURARIA HIGHER 19 EDUCATION CENTER CREATED IN PART 70 OF THIS ARTICLE 23, "QUALIFIED 20 STATE INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION" MEANS ONLY THOSE 21 BUILDINGS THAT ARE CONSTRUCTED OR WHOLLY RENOVATED FROM 22 MONEY HELD BY THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT DENVER AND THAT 23 ARE CURRENTLY OWNED, OPERATED, AND MAINTAINED BY THE 24 UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT DENVER, INCLUDING the buildings located 25 in Denver at 1380 Lawrence street, 1250 Fourteenth street, and 1475 26 Lawrence street; and 1191 LARIMER STREET, 1201 LARIMER STREET, AND 27 1355 TWELFTH STREET.".
  • 28 Strike "means" and substitute "means:" on: Page 4, lines 6 and 25.
L.013

Second Reading

Passed [**]

Plain English: SB078_L.013 Amendment No.

  • SB078_L.013 Amendment No.
  • ___________ SB26-078 HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENT Second Reading BY REPRESENTATIVE Brown 1 Amend the Education Committee Report, dated April 30, 2026, page 4, 2 strike line 38 and substitute: 3 ""SECTION 10.
  • Appropriation.
  • For the 2026-27 state fiscal 4 year, $48,098 is appropriated to the department of higher education for 5 use by the Colorado commission on higher education and higher 6 education special purpose programs.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-26 Governor

    Governor Signed

  2. 2026-05-20 Governor

    Sent to the Governor

  3. 2026-05-20 House

    Signed by the Speaker of the House

  4. 2026-05-20 Senate

    Signed by the President of the Senate

  5. 2026-05-13 Senate

    Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass

  6. 2026-05-12 House

    House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments

  7. 2026-05-11 House

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

  8. 2026-05-09 House

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

  9. 2026-04-30 House

    House Committee on Education Refer Amended to Appropriations

  10. 2026-04-20 House

    Introduced In House - Assigned to Education

  11. 2026-04-20 Senate

    Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments

  12. 2026-04-17 Senate

    Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee

  13. 2026-04-17 Senate

    Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole

  14. 2026-03-02 Senate

    Senate Committee on Education Refer Amended to Appropriations

  15. 2026-01-28 Senate

    Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Education

Official Summary Text

The act modifies statutes relating to state institutions of higher education (institutions) in the following areas: Fiscal impact information for legislative measures, definitions related to electric and plumbing work, data policies and coordination, capital construction review processes, and bond requirements and procedures for the university of Colorado.

Fiscal impact information.
For institutions that submit information on the potential fiscal impact of a legislative measure to the staff of the legislative council (LCS) through the department of higher education (department), the act requires the department to grant submitting institutions access to the official responses of the department and other submitting institutions at the time that the fiscal impact information is submitted to LCS.

Definitions.
The act modifies definitions in statutes relating to performing electric and plumbing work on the campuses of the university of Colorado and the Colorado state university to remove existing restrictions so that the university of Colorado can perform work on buildings that the university owns or leases.

Data policies and coordination.
The act codifies the existing data advisory group facilitated by the department. The data advisory group is made up of representatives from the department and the institutions. The data advisory group must meet quarterly and is charged with advising on the development of policies and procedures for the collection, storage, and use of data from institutions. The act requires the Colorado commission on higher education (commission) to consult with the data advisory group to establish certain data policies. The act also adds one member of the data advisory group, selected by the commission, to the advisory committee to the commission.

Capital construction.
The act increases the dollar-amount threshold from $2 million to $5 million for exceptions from the requirements for program and physical planning, exceptions from commission approval and capital development committee (CDC) and joint budget committee (JBC) review of capital construction projects funded from certain sources, and exceptions from commission approval of capital construction projects funded from cash funds. The act also exempts from the review and approval of the commission, the CDC, and the JBC any capital construction or capital renewal project funded solely from cash funds held by an institution that are not derived from student fees, so long as the institution has not participated in the higher education revenue bond intercept program for at least the preceding 5 years.

Bond requirements and procedures.
The act modifies certain bond requirements and procedures specific to the university of Colorado to align with current practice.
For the 2026-27 state fiscal year, $48,098 is appropriated from the general fund to the department for use by the commission and higher education special purpose programs. The appropriation is based on an assumption that the commission will require an additional 0.5 FTE and may be used by the commission for administration.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)