From pet sales and lab-grown meat labelling to a new state mushroom, dozens of state laws officially go on the books this week. That鈥檚 because in Colorado, bills take effect 90 days after the end of the legislative session, unless lawmakers set a different effective date for them. This year, the 90-day deadline falls on August 6.
Here are 16 of the 216 laws taking effect on Wednesday that you should know about.
Consumer Protections
Prohibiting Price Gouging in Sales of Necessities: You may not have to worry as much about paying higher prices for necessities if you鈥檙e in Colorado when a disaster hits. cracks down on price-gouging during both natural and human-made crises. Whenever the governor declares a disaster emergency, it will be illegal for companies to increase the price of an item by more than 10% beyond what it cost before. They also won鈥檛 be able to sell a new item at a significantly higher price than other vendors.
Online Cancellation of Automatic Renewal Contracts: Canceling your auto-renewing subscriptions or services is about to get easier. Under , companies in Colorado are now required to let you cancel online if that鈥檚 how you signed up. Even if you signed up another way, like in-person or over the phone, they still have to offer a clear way to end your contract. Companies can try to keep you with discounts or perks, but only if they also include a direct link to cancel.
Misbranding Cultivated Meat Products as Meat: Lab-grown meat is still a ways from being a grocery store staple. But , shoppers will know that鈥檚 what they鈥檙e buying. requires companies to clearly label any meat that鈥檚 grown in a lab as 鈥渃ell-cultivated meat.鈥� It also lets public health authorities order food processing plants or vendors to stop selling the products if they鈥檙e mislabeled.
Energy and the Environment
Adding Nuclear Energy as a Clean Energy Resource: Nuclear is now officially a 鈥渃lean鈥� energy source in Colorado. adds nuclear to solar, wind, geothermal, small hydroelectricity, and hydrogen to the state鈥檚 list of clean energy sources. That means nuclear is now part of the mix as the state works toward its 2050 clean energy goals. It also opens the door for public funding of future nuclear projects.
Designation of State Mushroom: Colorado will have an official state mushroom thanks to . Known as 鈥淭he Emperor鈥� mushroom, the Agaricus julius grows in the state鈥檚 high-altitude spruce-fir forests and is prized by chefs for its rich flavor. So next time you鈥檙e out on a hike and spot one of these native fungi, you鈥檒l know it鈥檚 got official Colorado status.
READ MORE: Does Colorado need a state mushroom? Mycology enthusiasts say 'heck yeah'
Public Health
Labeling Gas-Fueled Stoves: Concern has been growing in recent years about on indoor air quality and the lung health of people who use them. Under , soon if you buy a gas stove in Colorado, it鈥檚 going to come with a new warning label urging consumers to be informed. The yellow label will include a URL or QR code leading to information about the health and air quality impacts of using gas-fuelled stoves indoors. Online retailers will have to include the same content on their websites. Violations will be considered a deceptive trade practice.
Schools
Communication Devices in Schools: School districts across the state will need to develop student cell phone policies, if they haven鈥檛 already. gives all public and charter schools until July 2026 to put a formal policy in place spelling out when and where students can use their phones, or whether they can use them at all. The policy has to be posted publicly on the school鈥檚 website once it鈥檚 finalized.
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Pets
Prohibiting Pet Animal Sales in Public Spaces: If you鈥檙e selling a pet or putting one up for adoption, you won鈥檛 be able to do so on the side of the road, in a parking lot, or in a public market. also makes it illegal to advertise pet sales or adoptions in those areas. If you violate the new rules, you could be charged with a class 2 misdemeanor. The measure doesn鈥檛 apply to livestock sales, licensed pet facilities, hunting dogs, or people transporting animals to exhibitions or competitions. It also doesn鈥檛 prevent local governments from regulating pet sales and adoptions in public places.
Pet Ownership Residential Housing Structures: Insurers won鈥檛 be able to deny or cancel your homeowner鈥檚 or renter鈥檚 policy, or raise your rates, based on what kind of dog you have, thanks to . However, the law does still allow them to refuse, cancel, or revise a policy if a dog has been officially deemed dangerous. Starting in 2026, it also requires public housing to allow renters to keep up to two pets.
Guns
Gun Violence Prevention and Parents of Students: As a parent in Colorado, you鈥檒l start receiving gun violence prevention materials from your child鈥檚 school this year. requires the state to develop and post those materials online so schools can share them. Your district or charter school then has to send the information to you either electronically or on paper at the start of the academic year. They鈥檒l also need to post those resources on their website.
Voluntary Do-Not-Sell Firearms Waiver (delayed): Colorado is setting up a system for people who want to voluntarily block themselves from buying a gun. would set up a 鈥渄o not sell鈥� list maintained by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Anyone would be able to submit a waiver through an online portal to have their name added to state and federal background check systems. The goal is to prevent suicides, but the program can鈥檛 launch until the state raises about $200,000 in outside funding. The money has yet to be secured, according to the CBI.
READ MORE: Colorado to consider adding 'Do Not Sell' registry to prevent suicides from firearms
Transportation
Tire Chain Traction Control Device Permit: Colorado drivers may be able to buy tire chains roadside this winter and pay to have them installed on the spot. lets the state issue permits to people or companies who install or remove chains and other traction devices at designated spots along highways. They鈥檒l be required to follow safety rules, like setting up signs and wearing reflective gear. Rental car companies also now have to warn people picking up cars about Colorado鈥檚 chain law and the consequences for ignoring it.
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Tribes
Free Access to State Parks for Colorado Ute Tribes: If you鈥檙e a member of the Southern Ute Tribe or the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, you will be able to enter state parks for free under this new law. waives entry fees for Colorado鈥檚 two federally recognized tribal nations. The goal is to expand the tribes鈥� access to state parks located on ancestral Ute lands, and the sacred sites within them. However, the proposal sparked complaints from members of tribes whose foreparents were forced out of the state, unhappy to be left out of the law. Entry fees at Colorado state parks typically range from four dollars per person to about ten dollars per vehicle, with annual passes also available.
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Federally Recognized Tribes and Construction of Laws: In an effort to better acknowledge the sovereignty of Colorado鈥檚 two federally recognized tribes, the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute officially will not automatically be subject to new state laws. clarifies that, if a law doesn鈥檛 include language covering the Tribes, it doesn鈥檛 apply within the borders of their reservations or to the Tribes鈥� officials or employees. The measure doesn鈥檛 prevent or limit the Tribes from requesting to be included in legislation.
Public Safety
Transit Worker Assault and Funding for Training: You could be charged with a crime if you interfere with a transit worker on duty. Under , purposefully getting in the way of bus drivers, train operators, ticket inspectors, or maintenance workers will be considered criminal harassment. This was already a crime within the Regional Transportation District (RTD), but the new law makes it a criminal offense across the entire state.
Child Conceived from Sex Assault Court Proceedings: Survivors of sexual assault who become pregnant as a result now have a clearer path to giving up the child in Colorado with . A woman can submit documentation, like a sworn affidavit, to the court, and if a judge agrees the case qualifies, she wouldn鈥檛 have to follow the usual legal steps. Once the court approves the request, the survivor is no longer legally responsible for the child. A standardized form to help start the process will be available by next year.
of The Colorado Sun contributed to this report.
