Updates to State Emergency Response Departments and Divisions

Colorado Legislative Events

Published April 6th, 2026

Detected April 7th, 2026

Summary

Colorado Governor signed HB26-1252 into law on April 6, 2026, updating state entities responsible for emergency response situations. The bill passed the House 52-7 and was referred to the Senate State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee. Three amendments (L.001, L.002, L.003) were adopted during the legislative process, reflecting collaborative drafting among Republican and Democratic sponsors.

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What changed

House Bill 26-1252 enacts updates to Colorado's state emergency response departments and divisions, making organizational and procedural changes to how the state manages emergency situations. The bill passed with bipartisan sponsorship from representatives Mary Bradfield, Tisha Mauro, Andrew Boesenecker, and others, and was signed into law on April 6, 2026. Three amendments were adopted during committee review, indicating substantive modifications to the original introduced version.

State emergency response agencies and departments should review the final enacted text and any implementing regulations to understand how their operations, reporting requirements, or coordination protocols have been modified. While no specific compliance deadline or penalties are stated in the bill, entities within the emergency response framework should monitor for implementing rules from the Colorado Department of Public Safety or related agencies that may establish operational requirements. The bipartisan passage suggests widespread legislative support for the changes.

What to do next

Review the enacted HB26-1252 text and implementing regulations from Colorado emergency management agencies
Coordinate with state emergency response departments to identify updated operational protocols
Monitor for any implementing rules or agency guidance from the Colorado Department of Public Safety

Source document (simplified)

ChangeBridge / Colorado / HB1252 Signed by Governor HB1252 House Bill Signed by Governor 2026-04-06

Updates to State Emergency Response Departments & Divisions

Concerning updates to state entities responsible for responding to emergency situations.

Bill Details

State Colorado

Session 2026 Regular Session

Chamber House

Committee State, Veterans, & Military Affairs

Official Source leg.colorado.gov/bills/HB26-1252

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Action History

2026-04-06 S Introduced In Senate - Assigned to State, Veterans, & Military Affairs 2026-03-17 H House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments 2026-03-16 H House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor 2026-03-12 H House Committee on State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole 2026-02-18 H Introduced In House - Assigned to State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs

Votes

2026-03-12 House State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs: Refer House Bill 26-1252, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. Yea: 8 Nay: 3 2026-03-17 House: Third Reading Bill Yea: 52 Nay: 7 2026-03-12 House State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs: Adopt amendment L.001 (Attachment B). Yea: 11 Nay: 0 2026-03-12 House State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs: Adopt amendment L.002 (Attachment C). Yea: 11 Nay: 0

Committee Referrals

2026-02-18 H State, Civic, Military and Veterans Affairs 2026-03-12 H Committee of the Whole 2026-04-06 S State, Veterans, & Military Affairs

Amendments

2026-03-12 House State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs Amendment L.001 Adopted 2026-03-12 House State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs Amendment L.002 Adopted 2026-03-16 Second Reading Amendment L.003 Adopted