Colorado Substance Abuse Treatment Licensing Extended

CO Legislature Bill Search

Published September 1st, 2026

Detected March 21st, 2026

Summary

Colorado HB26-1214 extends the licensing of substance abuse treatment programs until September 1, 2041. The bill modernizes definitions related to substance use disorders and withdrawal management, aligning them with current treatment concepts and regulatory recommendations.

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What changed

Colorado House Bill HB26-1214 extends the sunset date for the licensing of controlled substances act, specifically for substance abuse treatment programs, from September 1, 2026, to September 1, 2041. The bill implements recommendations from the 2025 sunset report by the department of regulatory agencies, including modernizing the definition of "substance use disorder" to better reflect treated conditions and the practitioners who diagnose them. It also introduces a new definition for "withdrawal management," replacing older terms like "detoxification treatment" and "maintenance treatment," and refines terminology related to opioid use disorder treatment for identity verification purposes.

This legislative change requires licensed healthcare providers and facilities in Colorado that offer substance abuse treatment to be aware of the extended licensing period and the updated definitions. Compliance officers should review their internal policies and documentation to ensure alignment with the modernized terminology and definitions of "substance use disorder" and "withdrawal management." While no immediate compliance deadline is specified beyond the existing licensing framework, entities should prepare for potential updates to licensing requirements or guidance that may follow these definitional changes.

What to do next

Review updated definitions for "substance use disorder" and "withdrawal management" in Colorado HB26-1214.
Ensure internal policies and documentation reflect the modernized terminology.
Confirm continued compliance with licensing requirements under the extended sunset date of September 1, 2041.

Source document (simplified)

HB26-1214

Sunset Substance Abuse Treatment Program Licensing

| Type | Bill |
| --- | --- |
| Session | 2026 Regular Session |
| Subjects | Human Services |
Concerning the continuation of the Colorado licensing of controlled substances act, and, in connection therewith, implementing the recommendations contained in the 2025 sunset report by the department of regulatory agencies.

Recent Bill (PDF) Recent Fiscal Note (PDF) Bill Summary:

Sunset Process - House Health and Human Services Committee. The Colorado licensing of controlled substances act (act) is set to repeal September 1, 2026.

The bill implements the department of regulatory agencies' recommendations to:

Continue the act until September 1, 2041;
Modernize the definition of "substance use disorder" in the act to more accurately reflect the type of conditions being treated by behavioral-health-administration-licensed facilities and the practitioners who may diagnose these conditions;
Adopt a new definition of "withdrawal management" that considers the full spectrum of treatment concepts, and replace the definitions of and references to "detoxification treatment", "maintenance treatment", and "withdrawal treatment" in the act with the term "withdrawal management";
Replace the terms "substance use disorder treatment program" and "substance use disorder" with "opioid treatment program" and "opioid use disorder", respectively, as the terms pertain to identity verification for individuals taking part in withdrawal management; and
Remove defined terms that are no longer referenced in the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)