Colorado’s 2025 legislative session, the First Regular Session of the 75^th General Assembly, concluded on May 7, the 120^th day of session. During the final weeks of this challenging session, the Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA) team, in partnership with the Colorado Legislative Strategies team, our members, and our partners, continued to actively weigh in on key legislation and advocate on behalf of Colorado’s life sciences ecosystem. 

Of the 657 bills introduced by the General Assembly, CBSA took positions on 26 bills aligned to CBSA’s Policy Priorities, reflecting the needs of Colorado’s life sciences innovators and the patients they serve. Tracked legislation included bills focused on advancing innovation and economic development, responsibly and effectively improving healthcare access and affordability, ensuring a balanced and reasonable regulatory environment, and supporting education and workforce development.  

CBSA ultimately supported seven bills and opposed three bills, while also taking an “amend” position on seven bills and monitoring nine bills. Twenty-two of the 26 bills CBSA tracked passed the General Assembly and either have been or will be sent to Governor Polis for his signature. The Governor has until June 6, 2025, 30 days from the final day of session—to either sign or veto bills passed by the legislature. 

The table below summarizes the 26 bills CBSA tracked and engaged on in 2025. A brief summary of each bill and CBSA’s engagement follows. 

Innovation

SB25-026 – Adjusting Certain Tax Expenditures 
Sen. K. Mullica; Rep. J. Joseph, Rep. B. Marshall 
Amend → Support ǀ Passed on May 6 and will be sent to Governor Polis for his signature 
CBSA was able to add an amendment to this bill extending the Biotechnology Sales and Use Tax Refund (Biotech Refund), until January 1, 2027. The Biotech Refund allows qualified biotechnology taxpayers to claim a refund for state sales and use taxes paid on the sale, storage, use, or consumption of tangible personal property to be used in Colorado directly and predominately in research and development of certain biotechnology applications. 

HB25-1157 – Reauthorize Advanced Industries Tax Credit 
Rep. W. Lindstedt, Rep. B. Titone; Sen. M. Baisley, Sen. M. Snyder 
Amend ǀ Passed – sent to Governor Polis for his signature on May 7 
This bill reauthorizes and extends the Advanced Industries Investment Tax Credit program through 2031, providing continued support for bioscience startups and investors. CBSA advocated with our partners at Colorado’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) to stair-step the cap for the program from $2.5M back up to $4M over three years. That effort was not successful due to the difficult fiscal environment, but CBSA was able to prevent an eligibility expansion that would have watered down the tax credit for advanced industries. 

SB25-225 – Limited Gaming Fund Distribution 
Sen. J. Amabile, Sen. B. Kirkmeyer; Rep. S. Bird, Rep. R. Taggart 
Amend ǀ Passed – signed into law by Governor Polis on April 25 
CBSA worked closely with our partners at OEDIT, the Joint Budget Committee (JBC), and key legislators to protect the Advanced Industries Accelerator Grant Program amid Colorado’s widening budget shortfall. Despite our strong advocacy and widespread recognition of the grant program’s return on investment to the state, this legislation reduces the transfer from the Limited Gaming Fund to the Advanced Industries Acceleration Cash Fund for state fiscal year 2025-26 from $5.5M to $1.84M. 

SB25-264 – Cash Fund Transfers to the General Fund 
Sen. J. Bridges, Sen. B. Kirkmeyer; Rep. S. Bird, Rep. E. Sirota 
Amend ǀ Passed – signed into law by Governor Polis on April 25 
As discussed above, CBSA worked closely with our partners at OEDIT, the JBC, and key legislators to protect the Advanced Industries Accelerator Grant Program amid Colorado’s widening budget shortfall. Despite our strong advocacy and widespread recognition of the grant program’s return on investment to the state, this bill diverts $18.7M from the grant program to the General Fund over two years. CBSA raised concerns about reduced resources for early-stage bioscience companies and sought to limit the long-term impact of these cuts. 

Access & Cost

SB25-296 – Insurance Coverage for Breast Cancer Examinations 
Sen. D. Michaelson Jenet; Rep. S. Bird, Rep. K. Stewart 
Support ǀ Passed – sent to Governor Polis for his signature on May 8 
This bill increases access to medically necessary diagnostic and supplemental breast imaging by eliminating burdensome patient cost-sharing. CBSA supported this bill as it enhances early detection and access to critical breast cancer screenings.

SB25-301 – Remove Authorization Requirement Adjust Chronic Prescription 
Sen. B. Kirkmeyer, Sen. K. Wallace; Rep. D. Johnson, Rep. S. Lieder 
Support ǀ Passed – sent to Governor Polis for his signature on May 8 
This bill allows healthcare providers to adjust dosages or frequencies of chronic maintenance drugs without prior authorization under specific conditions. CBSA supported this bill as it reduces administrative barriers, facilitating timely patient access to necessary treatments.  

SB25-048 – Diabetes Prevention & Obesity Treatment Act 
Sen. D. Michaelson Jenet, Sen. K. Mullica; Rep. K. Brown, Rep. J. Mabrey 
Support ǀ Passed on May 6 and will be sent to Governor Polis for his signature 
This bill requires large group health benefit plans to provide coverage for obesity and pre-diabetes treatments, including the National Diabetes Prevention Program, medical nutrition therapy, intensive behavioral or lifestyle therapy, and metabolic and bariatric surgery. For a large group health benefit plan offered in the state, the bill (as amended) requires carriers to offer the policyholder the option to purchase coverage for FDA-approved anti-obesity medications, including at least one FDA-approved GLP-1 medication. CBSA supported this bill as it aligns with efforts to increase access to innovative treatments, enhance preventive care, and reduce long-term healthcare costs.  

SB25-196 – Insurance Coverage Preventive Health-Care Services 
Sen. I. Jodeh, Sen. K. Mullica; Rep. J. Jackson, Rep. S. Lieder 
Monitor → Support ǀ Passed – signed into law by Governor Polis on May 12 
This bill endeavors to ensure insurance coverage for preventive healthcare services, including immunizations, as recommended by current federal guidelines—even if those federal guidelines change in the future. CBSA shifted from monitoring to supporting the bill as various considerations were addressed through amendments, in alignment with CBSA’s priorities around increasing access to innovative treatments, promoting preventive care, and improving population health outcomes.  

SB25-071 – Prohibit Restrictions on 340B Drugs 
Sen. D. Michaelson Jenet, Sen. J. Rich; Rep. M. Martinez, Rep. R. Taggart 
Oppose ǀ Passed on May 6 and will be sent to Governor Polis for his signature 
CBSA worked to educate legislators and other stakeholders about the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program, originally intended to help low-income and uninsured patients access affordable medications by requiring drug manufacturers to provide discounts to safety-net providers. However, misuse and abuse of this well-intentioned but ballooning program is driving up costs for patients, taxpayers, employers, and everyone who pays for healthcare. As passed, this misguided bill will force pharmaceutical manufacturers to provide 340B-priced drugs to an unlimited number of contract pharmacies and would bar requests for claims data. CBSA opposed the bill, expressing serious concerns about codifying unchecked expansion of a program with little oversight or demonstrated benefit to patients.  

SB25-124 – Reducing Costs of Health Care for Patients 
Sen. J. Gonzales, Sen. B. Kirkmeyer; Rep. K. Brown 
Support → Oppose ǀ Died – the Senate voted to adhere to its position on May 7, and the bill died on the calendar 
CBSA initially supported SB25-124, as it would have materially increased transparency and accountability for hospitals utilizing the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program. However, CBSA ultimately opposed the bill after multiple harmful amendments were added in the House that caused the bill to significantly deviate from its original intent in ways that didn’t align with CBSA’s priorities. SB25-124 died on the House’s calendar at the end of the legislative session after the Senate voted to adhere to its position on the bill, not accepting the House’s amendments. 

HB25-1010 – Prohibiting Price Gouging in Sales of Necessities
Rep. K. Brown, Rep. Y. Zokaie; Sen. M. Weissman 
Amend → Monitor | Passed – signed into law by Governor Polis on May 9 
This bill provides that a person engages in price gouging in the sale of certain goods or services if, after the Governor declares a disaster emergency, the price of the good or service is increased by 10% or more above the price at which a similar good or service was sold or offered for sale before the disaster began. CBSA took an “amend” position on the introduced version of the bill, but moved to “monitor” after various concerns were addressed. 

SB25-289 – Creation of a Drug Donation Program 
Sen. L. Cutter; Rep. K. Brown, Rep. E. Sirota 
Amend → Monitor | Passed on May 6 and will be sent to Governor Polis for his signature 
This bill establishes the Colorado Drug Donation Program, enabling the donation and redistribution of unused medicines—including certain veterinary drugs—to eligible patients and animal owners in need, while providing legal protections for participating entities and individuals. CBSA took an “amend” position on the introduced version of the bill, but moved to “monitor” after various concerns related to Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) drugs were addressed. 

HB25-1002 – Medical Necessity Determination Insurance Coverage 
Rep. K. Brown, Rep. L. Gilchrist; Sen. J. Amabile, Sen. B. Pelton 
Monitor | Passed – signed into law by Governor Polis on March 20 
This bill clarifies that the health benefits coverage for the prevention of, screening for, and treatment of behavioral, mental health, and substance use disorders must be no less extensive than the coverage provided for any physical illness. The bill also specifies criteria to be used for utilization review, service intensity, the level of care for covered persons, and provider reimbursement. 

HB25-1025 – Stockpile of Essential Materials Distribution 
Rep. L. Feret; Sen. L. Cutter 
Monitor | Passed – signed into law by Governor Polis on March 26 
This bill expands the authority of Colorado’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to distribute essential materials, such as personal protective equipment (PPE), from the state stockpile not only during declared disaster emergencies but also in other circumstances where distribution would benefit public health or safety. The bill also explicitly includes nonprofit and faith-based organizations as eligible recipients and mandates annual reporting on stockpile acquisitions and distributions. 

HB25-1094 – Pharmacy Benefit Manager Practices 
Rep. K. Brown, Rep. D. Johnson; Sen. B. Pelton, Sen. D. Roberts 
Monitor | Passed on May 7 and will be sent to Governor Polis for his signature 
This bill requires Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) in Colorado to adopt a flat-dollar fee compensation model, prohibits them from earning income based on the cost of a drug, and requires them to pass the income derived from a source other than a flat-dollar service fee to the health benefit plan beneficiaries—effectively implementing a “delinking” policy by severing PBM compensation from the cost of medications. The bill also prohibits PBMs from designing a formulary to favor a certain branded pharmaceutical or biologic; sets the amount that a PBM shall reimburse an unaffiliated pharmacy or a PBM-affiliated pharmacy for a drug; and requires contracts between PBMs and health benefit plans to contain a provision that requires the PBM to disclose drug cost information to the plan and a provision authorizing the plan to execute an audit to validate compliance with the contract. 

HB25-1222 – Preserving Access to Rural Independent Pharmacies 
Rep. M. Lukens, Rep. T. Winter; Sen. D. Roberts, Sen. C. Simpson 
Monitor | Passed on May 1 and will be sent to Governor Polis for his signature 
This bill establishes measures to support rural independent pharmacies in Colorado. The bill mandates that PBMs reimburse these pharmacies at rates not less than the national average drug acquisition cost plus a dispensing fee, prohibits PBMs from restricting the use of private couriers for prescription deliveries, and introduces the concept of “flex pharmacies”—allowing certain rural pharmacies to operate as telepharmacies under specific conditions. 

HB25-1270 – Patients’ Right to Try Individualized Treatments 
Rep. L. Gilchrist, Rep. R. Pugliese; Sen. L. Daugherty, Sen. B. Kirkmeyer 
Monitor ǀ Passed – sent to Governor Polis for his signature on May 2 
This bill expands Colorado’s Right to Try Act to include individualized investigational treatments, allowing eligible patients with life-threatening or severely debilitating illnesses to access investigational drugs, biological products, or devices that are uniquely tailored to their genetic profiles when not yet approved by the FDA.  

Regulatory Environment

HB25-1042 – Air Quality Control Regulation Workforce Impact 
Rep. S. Bird; Sen. L. Daugherty 
Support ǀ Died – never heard by the House Appropriations Committee  
This bill proposed the creation of a Workforce Advisory Council to assess the employment impacts of air quality regulations, but it was never heard by the House Appropriations Committee. 

HB25-1064 – Prohibition on Cultivated Meat 
Rep. T. Winter; Sen. R. Pelton 
Oppose ǀ Killed by the House Committee on Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources on January 27 
This bill sought to ban the sale and distribution of cultivated meat products in Colorado, but it was killed by the House Committee on Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources on January 27 following opposition from CBSA and various other stakeholders. HB25-1203, Misbranding Cultivated Meat Products as Meat, was introduced in its place.  

SB25-318 – Artificial Intelligence Consumer Protections 
Sen. R. Rodriguez; Rep. B. Titone 
Amend ǀ Killed by the Senate Committee on Business, Labor, & Technology on May 5 
This bill, an attempt to revise the state’s first-in-the-nation artificial intelligence law, would have eliminated important exemptions that CBSA fought to get included in the 2024 law, SB24-205. CBSA and many other stakeholders spoke out about needed amendments, and SB25-318 was tabled after stakeholder consensus could not be reached. Since SB25-318 was killed on May 5, SB24-205 (with the exemptions CBSA fought for) is set to go into effect February 1, 2026. Despite pressure from Governor Polis, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, and members of Colorado’s Congressional Delegation, a last-ditch effort to delay implementation of the 2024 law through an amendment to another bill, SB25-322, was unsuccessful.    

SB25-085 – Health-Related Research Test Subjects 
Sen. J. Carson, Sen. C. Kipp; Rep. A. Paschal, Rep. M. Rutinel 
Amend → Monitor ǀ Passed – signed into law by Governor Polis on April 22 
This legislation requires health-related research facilities to offer dogs and cats used in research for adoption before considering euthanasia and requires such facilities to submit an annual report to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) that includes the number of animals adopted out. CBSA took an “amend” position on the introduced version of the bill, but moved to “monitor” after various concerns were addressed.  

HB25-1027 – Update Disease Control Statutes 
Rep. K. Brown, Rep. L. Gilchrist; Sen. L. Daugherty, Sen. K. Mullica 
Monitor ǀ Passed – signed into law by Governor Polis on April 10 
This legislation updates various statutes related to disease control, including the repeal of outdated committees and the establishment of new guidelines for emergency response. The bill also modifies school immunization requirements and aligns hepatitis C screening standards with federal recommendations. 

HB25-1203 – Misbranding Cultivated Meat Products as Meat 
Rep. K. McCormick, Rep. T. Winter; Sen. K. Mullica, Sen. R. Pelton 
Monitor ǀ Passed – signed into law by Governor Polis on April 17 
This legislation prohibits the mislabeling of cell-cultivated meat products as traditional meat, requiring that such products be clearly labeled as “cell-cultivated meat,” and grants CDPHE the authority to inspect facilities, issue stop orders, and enforce embargoes on mislabeled products.  

SB25-163 – Battery Stewardship Programs 
Sen. M. Ball, Sen. L. Cutter; Rep. K. Brown, Rep. R. Stewart 
Monitor ǀ Passed on May 6 and will be sent to Governor Polis for his signature 
This bill establishes a statewide battery stewardship program in Colorado, requiring producers of certain batteries and battery-containing products to participate in a stewardship organization responsible for the collection, transportation, recycling, and proper disposal of these items. However, batteries contained within a medical device, as defined in 21 U.S.C. § 321(h), are exempted. 

Education & Workforce

SB25-315 – Postsecondary & Workforce Readiness Programs 
Sen. J. Bridges, Sen. B. Kirkmeyer; Rep. S. Bird, Rep. E. Sirota 
Support ǀ Passed on May 5 and will be sent to Governor Polis for his signature 
This bill modernizes postsecondary and workforce readiness programs by aligning funding and performance incentives with in-demand careers. The bill creates a postsecondary and workforce readiness funding model that includes three types of funding: start-up funding, innovation grant funding, and “sustain” funding. CBSA supported this bill as a way to strengthen the life sciences workforce pipeline and improve access to training and credentialing programs. 

HB25-1186 – Work-Based Learning Experiences in Higher Education 
Rep. M. Lukens, Rep. M. Martinez; Sen. D. Michaelson Jenet, Sen. J. Rich 
Monitor ǀ Passed on May 5 and will be sent to Governor Polis for his signature 
The bill establishes the Work-Based Learning Consortium Pilot Program within Colorado’s Department of Higher Education to integrate industry-sponsored, project-based learning into higher education curricula.