Gov. Jared Polis signed 25 bills into law Monday, bringing changes that will affect workers, families, schools, and local governments across Colorado.

The new laws deal with a range of issues – from overtime rules for farmworkers to limits on lawmakers holding multiple offices, along with school safety upgrades and new standards for dementia care facilities.

These measures — some technical, others sweeping — reflect the wide array of issues lawmakers tackled during a session defined by tight budgets and competing priorities.

No double-dipping

As introduced, Senate Bill 59 would have prohibited state lawmakers — including newly elected members of the Colorado General Assembly — from holding a second elected office at the same time.

The issue has surfaced repeatedly over the past decade, as several legislators have simultaneously served on city councils, town councils or school boards.

In the 2026 General Assembly, Rep. Lori Goldstein, D‑Westminster, serves both as chair of the Adams 12 school board and as the representative for House District 29. Rep. Max Brooks, R‑Castle Rock, who represents House District 45, also sits on the Castle Rock Town Council.

Both Brooks and Goldstein voted “no” on the bill.

However, the original bill was amended to remove the language referring to members-elect.

Under the version signed by the governor, the bill requires any lawmaker who holds another elected office to resign from that position upon being sworn into the Colorado General Assembly.

The law includes a few exceptions: lawmakers may finish out the other term if less than a year remains, if they serve on a special district board, or — if they are senators — when they are in the middle of their legislative term.

Not all legislators holding another government kept those positions upon joining the legislature.

Rep. Kenny Nguyen, D-Broomfield, a member of the Broomfield City Council when he was chosen earlier this year by a vacancy committee to replace Rep. William Lindstedt, resigned his city council seat shortly before being sworn in at the Capitol.

Overtime pay on farms

Senate Bill 121 raises the overtime threshold for agricultural workers from 48 hours to 56 hours per week.

Supporters argued that many employers currently cap workers at 48 hours to avoid paying overtime, citing studies showing the policy reduces overall earnings and forces some workers to take second jobs.

Opponents of the measure countered that agricultural workers should be subject to the same overtime rules as other workers, rather than having a separate standard.

The bill overturns a portion of a 2021 law that has been modified twice. Last year, Polis signed into law a bill that repealed the provision allowing anyone, including union organizers, to enter the private property of farmers and ranchers without permission.

Similar language from a California law was declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court three days before Polis signed the 2021 bill.

School safety measures

Polis also signed into law Senate Bill 104, which requires schools to install exterior key boxes accessible to law enforcement in each building and room on the school grounds. 

While no one testified against SB 104 at its two committee hearings, it imposes an unfunded mandate on schools, with an estimated cost of $500 to $1,000 per school.

Schools, however, can seek funding from a state school security disbursement program.

Dementia care

The governor also signed House Bill 1107 into law, approving new requirements for dementia care facilities and updating the standards for how they disclose information to residents and families.

The bill became notable during the 2026 session after Rep. Lisa Feret, D‑Arvada, made an unusual offer — she said she would personally pay the costs of implementing the new regulations if necessary.

The proposal originally included updated disclosure requirements, as well as new education and training standards for LPNs and CNAs seeking authorization to administer intramuscular injections.

However, the bill carried an $88,000 price tag at a time when lawmakers were grappling with more than a $1 billion in general fund shortfall. Even after removing the injection‑training provisions and scaling back parts of the disclosure requirements, the cost remained at $36,000.

In the House Health & Human Services Committee, Feret introduced an amendment directing the state to rely on gifts, grants, and donations to cover the expense.

The bill’s final fiscal note later stated that the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment could create the required disclosure form using existing appropriations.