NCLA Action Items | April 16, 2026
As legislation continues to move through the State Capitol, the Northern Colorado Legislative Alliance (NCLA) is tracking and evaluating the potential impact on businesses across our region. Below is a summary of key bills, along with our positions and rationale.
HB26-1338: Water Projects Bill
🟢 SUPPORT
What This Does
Appropriates funds to support several ongoing programs and implementation of elements related to the state Water Plan. Three projects of particular interest to Northern Colorado include loans for the repair or replacement of the Halligan Reservoir Dam in Larimer County and construction of Jurgens Reservoir in Weld County. The bill further clarifies terms of a study grant awarded to the Water Center at Colorado State University.
Why This Is Important
Securing adequate storage of water and full implementation of the state water plan are critical to securing the economic viability of our state and region.
SB26-146: Restrict Single-Use Food Serviceware Distribution
🔴 OPPOSE
What This Does
Expands the Plastic Pollution Reduction Act to prohibit food establishments and delivery services from providing single-use serviceware unless it is specifically requested by the consumer.
Why This Hurts Business
Food and delivery services routinely provide disposable utensils as a matter of customer convenience and operational efficiency. Consumers view the inclusion of necessary utensils as intuitive, exposing businesses to unfavorable public relations, customer expectations, and regulatory action if not properly executed.
SB26-155: Increase Access to Homeowners Insurance Enterprise
🔴 OPPOSE
What This Does
Creates a new enterprise that would offer grants to qualifying homeowners for the installation of hail-resistant roofing materials for the purpose of lowering risk factors for insurance providers. The enterprise would further fund the study of wildfire risk as it relates to the cost and availability of insurance coverage. Funds would derive from a 0.5% fee assessed on all homeowner insurance policies issued within the state.
Why This Hurts Business
The bill specifically precludes insurers from passing the surcharge to policy holders. If such provision can be accurately monitored and enforced, it sets a troubling precedent that might be applied more broadly to achieve public policy objectives. Ultimately, it remains unclear whether the objective of the measure can be demonstrated given the complexities of property risk assessment.
HB26-1119: Authority for Different Mill Levy Rates
🔴 OPPOSE
What This Does
Allows counties and special districts to set different mill levy rates for land and improvements, excluding agricultural and other specified uses, such that improvements are assessed a lower rate. The intended purpose is to encourage maximal use of property.
Why This Hurts Business
As the bill encompasses commercial and industrial uses, it effectively punishes various business types that require unimproved or low-intensity real estate holdings. It further complicates an already challenging property assessment process by introducing greater subjectivity in establishing mill levy rates and valuation techniques while ignoring market dynamics that dictate the intensity of real estate development.
HB26-1415: Optional Residential Construction Contractor Certification
🔴 OPPOSE
What This Does
Creates a new enterprise within the Department of Law to certify residential contractors funded through a voluntary annual fee paid by participating contractors. The expressed goals of the resulting enterprise are to lessen any damage that might result from the failure of contractors to perform according to contractual terms and to expand participation in the program.
Why This Hurts Business
The objectives of the bill duplicate licensure and registration requirements in place at the state and local level and contractual enforcement mechanisms. The nature of “voluntary” enrollment is challenged by the stated objective of directing the Office of the Attorney General to expand participation. Contractors are unlikely to distinguish encouragement from requirement, particularly if enrollment falls behind legislative expectation.
HB26-1308: Lot Splitting Approval by Subject Jurisdictions
🟡 MONITOR
What This Does
Overrides local control of the process for subdividing a residential parcel into two or more lots, allowing for smaller developments as an effort to encourage more affordable housing types and density.
What Changed
Bill sponsors have introduced amendments to clarify that lienholders and claimants to the subject property must approve the division, establish minimum standards of resulting properties, and make other refinements that address significant concern. Removing local control of subdivisions remains a concern.