Bill Summary
HB26-1140 creates a formal, limited window in the legislative process for local governments to testify about how certain bills will affect counties and cities, before the normal public testimony begins.
- Legislative leadership may each select up to 5 legislative measures per regular session for a “local government impact hearing.”
- The impact hearing takes place at the beginning of a scheduled committee hearing for that measure.
- The impact hearing must be at least 1 hour and no more than 2 hours.
- During that window, local governments and statewide organizations that represent local governments may use the full time to testify, without other limitations on testimony length.
- Legislative Council staff must place the impact hearing on the committee calendar once leadership selects it.
- The Legislative Council director of research must develop procedures and memorialize them in an annual letter beginning no later than December 1, 2026.
Position: Support
Colorado keeps passing bills “for the public good” that quietly dump costs, mandates, and paperwork on counties and cities. HB26-1140 is a small, practical check on that habit.
It does not stop bills. It does not give local government a veto. It simply requires the legislature to hear local impacts early, for a limited time, on a limited number of measures.
Why I Am Taking This Position
If you have served locally, you know this truth: the state can make a mess in one vote, and counties get handed the mop. That is not drama. That is what happens when policy is written far from the people who have to administer it.
HB26-1140 is modest and targeted. Four leaders may each pick up to five measures per session for this added hearing. That keeps it focused on the bills most likely to hit local budgets and day-to-day operations.
I also like the structure. The impact hearing is at the beginning of the committee meeting, not tacked on at the end when time is short. It is time-boxed to one to two hours. The chair sets the exact length, then the committee moves into normal public testimony with the usual rules. That is orderly, predictable, and fair.
The bill also matters because it allows local governments and statewide organizations that represent local governments to testify during that window “without other limitations” on testimony length. Too often, local officials get the same brief time slot as everyone else, and then they are told to “figure it out” later. A couple of minutes is fine for general opinion. It is not enough to explain real implementation impacts.
Two items are worth watching as this moves forward. First, the bill defines “local government” as a county, city and county, or municipality, and does not mention special districts. Second, it allows “other interested party” to request that leadership select a measure. That is workable, but leadership needs a good filter so this stays focused on real local government impacts, not gamesmanship.
Bottom line: this is not big government. It is basic accountability. When state law changes, local governments carry the load. The least the state can do is listen clearly and early.
Call to Action – What You Should Do!
Contact your state representative and state senator and ask them to support HB26-1140.
Also ask legislative leadership to keep these hearings focused on real, on-the-ground local government impacts and implementation costs, not political theater.
