Colorado Fire and Police Pension Association Disability Benefits Recodification

CO Legislature Bill Search

Published January 1st, 2026

Detected March 13th, 2026

Summary

Colorado Bill SB26-039 recodifies and reorganizes disability and survivor benefits statutes for the Fire and Police Pension Association. The bill clarifies language, removes outdated provisions, and modifies requirements for medical exams and rehabilitation programs, without changing benefit amounts or eligibility periods.

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What changed

Colorado Bill SB26-039, concerning the administration of disability and survivor benefits by the Fire and Police Pension Association, recodifies and reorganizes existing statutes. Key changes include replacing the requirement for three independent medical exams with the authorization for a medical advisor to assess applicants, allowing the board to adopt rules for streamlining appeals and administering mental health claims, and enabling the association to require rehabilitation and retraining for occupationally disabled members. The bill also clarifies cost-of-living adjustments for total disability recipients, eligibility for benefits, and repeals a statute making employers liable for pre-employment disabilities under certain conditions. Members will now be required to complete a health history form prior to employment.

While the bill does not alter benefit amounts or employment eligibility periods, nor does it impose new costs on the state, employers, or members, it introduces procedural and administrative changes. Regulated entities, specifically employers and the Fire and Police Pension Association, should review the updated statutes to ensure compliance with the new procedures for disability and survivor benefit administration, including the health history form requirement for new members. The effective date for these changes is January 1, 2026.

What to do next

Review updated statutes for disability and survivor benefits administration.
Ensure new members complete the required health history form prior to employment.
Familiarize with new procedures for medical assessments and rehabilitation programs.

Source document (simplified)

SB26-039

Fire and Police Pension Association Disability and Survivor Benefits

| Type | Bill |
| --- | --- |
| Session | 2026 Regular Session |
| Subjects | Local Government State Government |
Concerning the administration by the fire and police pension association of disability and survivor benefits.

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

The fire and police pension association (association) currently provides disability retirement and survivor benefits (disability and survivor benefits) for eligible members of the association (members) who become disabled or die. The bill recodifies and reorganizes the disability and survivor benefits statutes, removes outdated provisions, and clarifies ambiguous language. In addition, the bill makes the following modifications to the disability and survivor benefits statutes:

Removes the current requirement that the association require every member who applies for disability retirement benefits to have 3 independent medical exams and instead authorizes the board of the association (board) to appoint a medical advisor to assess the needs of each applicant for disability retirement benefits;
Authorizes the board to adopt rules to streamline the appeal process for disability retirement benefit applicants who are denied benefits and rules to better administer members' mental health claims;
Allows the association to require a member who is occupationally disabled to participate in a rehabilitation and retraining program to help the member gain additional skills and knowledge so the member can earn a wage doing a job other than being a police officer or firefighter;
Clarifies that a member who is a total disability retirement benefit recipient will begin receiving a cost of living adjustment when the member starts receiving a total disability retirement benefit;
Clarifies eligibility for a member to apply for disability retirement benefits;
Repeals the statute that makes an employer liable for the payment of disability retirement benefits if a member's disability existed at the commencement of employment, the employment was not ordered by a court, and the employer failed to require the member to complete and file a health history form prior to commencing employment; and
Requires members to fill out a health history form, which notifies the association of any preexisting health conditions, prior to employment. The bill does not change the amounts of disability retirement and survivor benefits or the length of time a member must be employed to be eligible for a benefit, nor does it require additional money from the state, employers, or members.

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

Prime Sponsors

Senator

Marc Snyder
Senator

Byron Pelton
Representative

Andrew Boesenecker
Representative

Rick Taggart

Committees

Senate

Finance

House

Finance

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Status

Under Consideration

Introduced

Under Consideration

Related Documents & Information

| Date | Version | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 02/10/2026 | Reengrossed | PDF |
| 02/09/2026 | Engrossed | PDF |
| 01/27/2026 | Introduced | PDF |

| Date | Version | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 01/30/2026 | Initial Fiscal Note | PDF |

| Activity | Vote | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Refer Senate Bill 26-039, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. | The motion passed on a vote of 10-0. | Vote summary |

| Activity | Vote | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Refer Senate Bill 26-039 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 9-0. | Vote summary |
Hearing Summary | Committee Report: PDF
| Date | Calendar | Motion | Vote | Vote Document |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 02/10/2026 | Third Reading | BILL | 32 AYE 0 NO 3 OTHER | Vote record |

| Date | Amendment Number | Committee/ Floor Hearing | Status | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 03/12/2026 | L.002 | HOU Finance | Lost | PDF |
| 03/12/2026 | L.001 | HOU Finance | 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 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 03/12/2026 | House | House Committee on Finance Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole |
| 02/11/2026 | House | Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance |
| 02/10/2026 | Senate | Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments |
| 02/09/2026 | Senate | Senate Second Reading Passed - No Amendments |
| 02/06/2026 | Senate | Senate Second Reading Laid Over to 02/09/2026 - No Amendments |
| 02/03/2026 | Senate | Senate Committee on Finance Refer Unamended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole |
| 01/27/2026 | Senate | Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance |
Prime Sponsor

Sen. B. Pelton | Sen. M. Snyder

Rep. A. Boesenecker | Rep. R. Taggart

Sponsor

(None) Co-Sponsor