Colorado Bill: Hiring Preference for Coal Transition Workers

CO Legislature Bill Search

Published January 1st, 2026

Detected March 3rd, 2026

Summary

Colorado Bill SB26-052 establishes a hiring preference for coal transition workers for certain businesses in coal transition communities. The bill also expands investment options for public entities managing just transition funds. It requires covered businesses to make good faith efforts to hire qualified coal transition workers.

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What changed

Colorado Bill SB26-052 mandates that businesses involved in constructing or operating railroads, utilities, energy generation facilities, or advanced manufacturing in coal transition communities must provide a first and preferred hiring opportunity to qualified coal transition workers. This preference applies unless no qualified worker applies or all qualified workers decline a job offer. Covered businesses must report annually on their hiring efforts to the Department of Labor and Employment, which will develop implementation policies. The bill also allows public entities to deposit or invest just transition funds in a broader range of investments, subject to an approved investment policy.

Employers operating in designated coal transition communities must revise their hiring practices to incorporate this new preference, ensuring they document good faith efforts and annual reporting. Existing employees placed in new positions or relationships governed by collective bargaining agreements are exempt. Compliance with these new hiring requirements is expected to begin with the 2026 regular session. Failure to comply could lead to reporting requirements and potential scrutiny from the Department of Labor and Employment, though specific penalties are not detailed in this summary.

What to do next

Review business operations in Colorado coal transition communities for applicability of SB26-052.
Update hiring policies and procedures to include a good faith effort for a hiring preference for qualified coal transition workers.
Establish a system for annual reporting to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment regarding hiring preference efforts.

Source document (simplified)

SB26-052

Coal Transition Community Investment

| Type | Bill |
| --- | --- |
| Session | 2026 Regular Session |
| Subjects | Labor & Employment |
Concerning coal transition communities, and, in connection therewith, providing a hiring preference for coal transition workers in coal transition communities and expanding the allowable ways in which a public entity may deposit or invest just transition money.

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

The bill establishes a first and preferred opportunity for available employment for coal transition workers (hiring preference). A business entity located in a coal transition community that is engaged in the business of constructing or operating railroads, utilities, energy generation facilities, or advanced manufacturing facilities (covered business) is required to comply with the hiring preference. A covered business does not include the state government or a local government.

A covered business is required to make good faith efforts to provide a hiring preference to a coal transition worker who meets the minimum qualifications for an employment position (qualified coal transition worker). A covered business may hire an individual who is not a qualified coal transition worker only if either a qualified coal transition worker did not apply for employment with the covered business or each qualified coal transition worker declined a job offer from a covered business.

~~A~~ If a qualified coal transition worker applies for employment with a covered business, ** the covered business is required to report annually to the executive director of the department of labor and employment or their designee (executive director). The executive director is required to adopt policies and procedures to implement the bill. A hiring preference does not apply if a covered business places an existing employee in another employment position with the covered business or to the extent that a hiring preference conflicts with the terms of a collective bargaining agreement that applies to the relationship between a covered business and its employees.

Currently, a public entity is not allowed to invest public funds in certain types of investments, such as equity instruments, instruments convertible to equity, or equity interests, or to deposit public funds with any person except certain depository institutions, which are primarily banks. The bill authorizes a public entity to deposit or invest, either directly or through an investment firm or other third party authorized by the public entity, public funds from a payment or settlement that the public entity has received to offset the socioeconomic impacts to a community or government from the closure of a coal mine or coal power generating station in any investment permitted by an investment policy approved by the public entity.

(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)

(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Prime Sponsors

Senator

Dylan Roberts
Senator

Marc Catlin
Representative

Meghan Lukens
Representative

Tisha Mauro

Committees

Senate

Agriculture & Natural Resources

House

Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources

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Status

Passed

Introduced

Passed

Related Documents & Information

| Date | Version | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 02/26/2026 | Final Act | PDF |
| 02/23/2026 | Rerevised | PDF |
| 02/20/2026 | Revised | PDF |
| 02/11/2026 | Reengrossed | PDF |
| 02/10/2026 | Engrossed | PDF |
| 01/27/2026 | Introduced | PDF |

| Date | Version | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 02/06/2026 | PA1 | PDF |

| Date | Version | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 01/30/2026 | FN1 | PDF |

| Activity | Vote | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Refer Senate Bill 26-052 to the Committee of the Whole. | The motion passed on a vote of 11-2. | Vote summary |
Hearing Summary | Committee Report: PDF
| Activity | Vote | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Refer Senate Bill 26-052, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole and with a recommendation that it be placed on the consent calendar. | The motion passed on a vote of 7-0. | Vote summary |
Committee Report: PDF
| Date | Calendar | Motion | Vote | Vote Document |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 02/24/2026 | House Amendments | REPASS | 29 AYE 2 NO 3 OTHER | Vote record |
| 02/24/2026 | House Amendments | CONCUR | 29 AYE 2 NO 3 OTHER | Vote record |
| 02/11/2026 | Third Reading | BILL | 29 AYE 3 NO 3 OTHER | Vote record |

| Date | Calendar | Motion | Vote | Vote Document |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 02/23/2026 | Third Reading | BILL | 45 AYE 17 NO 3 OTHER | Vote record |

| Date | Amendment Number | Committee/ Floor Hearing | Status | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 02/20/2026 | L.006 | Second Reading | Passed [] | PDF |
| 02/20/2026 | L.005 | Second Reading | Passed [] | PDF |
| 02/20/2026 | L.004 | Second Reading | Passed [*] | PDF |
| 02/05/2026 | L.003 | SEN Agriculture & Natural Resources | Passed [] | PDF |
* Amendments passed in committee are not incorporated into the measure unless adopted by the full House or Senate.

** The status of Second Reading amendments may be subsequently affected by the adoption of an amendment to the Committee of the Whole Report. Refer to the House or Senate Journal for additional information.

| Date | Location | Action |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 03/02/2026 | Governor | Sent to the Governor |
| 03/02/2026 | House | Signed by the Speaker of the House |
| 03/02/2026 | Senate | Signed by the President of the Senate |
| 02/24/2026 | Senate | Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass |
| 02/23/2026 | House | House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments |
| 02/20/2026 | House | House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Floor |
| 02/19/2026 | House | House Committee on Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole |
| 02/12/2026 | House | Introduced In House - Assigned to Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources |
| 02/11/2026 | Senate | Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments |
| 02/10/2026 | Senate | Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Committee |
| 02/05/2026 | Senate | Senate Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources Refer Amended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole |
| 01/27/2026 | Senate | Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Agriculture & Natural Resources |
Prime Sponsor

Sen. M. Catlin | Sen. D. Roberts

Rep. M. Lukens | Rep. T. Mauro

Sponsor

(None) Co-Sponsor