A proposal to add new inspection requirements for detention centers and increases the civil liability for sharing information with federal immigration authorities passed both chambers of the Colorado Legislature.

The proposal is now headed to Gov. Jared Polis’ desk.

House Bill 1276 expands a current law prohibiting employees of state agencies or political subdivisions from disclosing an individual’s immigration status to federal authorities by extending the civil penalty liability to the employer.

The bill also expands the Colorado Department of Health and Environment’s inspection authority over immigration detention centers by requiring more frequent visits to ensure — backers said — that standards for food safety, water quality, and confinement conditions are met.

It’s among a slew of proposals to come out to come out of the state Capitol, which has embraced so-called “sanctuary laws” that limit or prohibit cooperation with federal authorities on enforcing immigration laws.

Colorado currently has one immigration detention facility in Aurora, but there are several temporary holding facilities across the state.

“We have seen consequences of a system that prioritizes cruelty, profit, and enforcement quotas over human lives,” said Sen. Iman Jodeh, D-Aurora, one of the bill’s sponsors. “At the core of this bill, we are making sure that if our political subdivisions share persons’ identifying information not related to a criminal matter, that both employee and employer can be held responsible.”

The bill’s other sponsors include Reps. Elizabeth Velasco, D-Glenwood Springs, and Lorena Garcia, D-Adams County, and Sen. Weissman, D-Aurora/

While the Senate advanced the bill without debate, House Republicans highlighted the large number of amendments and raised worries about its fiscal note.

Rep. Ryan Gonzalez, R‑Greeley, argued that lawmakers should focus on issues like deteriorating roads, strained health care systems, lagging K‑12 performance, and budget pressures, rather than federal immigration policy.

“I wanted to get to a yes — I really did — but I just couldn’t get there,” he said.

Sponsors have argued that the bill would be budget‑neutral because its costs are supposed to be covered by new fee revenue from immigration‑detention facilities. If that revenue does not materialize, the state could end up paying more than $131,000 in FY 2026‑27 and more than $72,000 in FY 2027‑28.

The measure passed the House on a 42-21 party-line vote last month. It met a similar fate in the Senate on Monday, with 23 Democrats voting in favor and 12 Republicans voting against.

Additionally, it requires the state’s Peace Officers Standards and Training Board to train law enforcement officers on federal immigration law and mandates the Attorney General’s Office to develop policies on the sharing of personally identifying information with federal immigration authorities.

The state’s drug “sanctuary” label comes amid rising tensions between local and federal law enforcement in Colorado, especially after the state attorney general last year filed a lawsuit against a Mesa County sheriff’s department deputy for providing a woman’s personal information to federal officials during a traffic stop.

The woman arrested, a University of Utah student, was born in Brazil, came to the U.S. under a tourist visa when she was 7, and has been living in Utah for 12 years. She overstayed her visa about a decade ago and has a pending asylum case.

Backers of the non-cooperation law have long argued that Colorado’s local police officers should not be commandeered to conduct the work of federal immigration authorities. Others have raised worries about violating due process rights for immigrants living illegally in the country who might be swept up in the Trump administration’s illegal immigration crackdown.

Critics of the “sanctuary” statutes, meanwhile, countered that they are making it more difficult for local law enforcement to work with federal agents to interdict crime, and that, ultimately, negatively affects residents, whether they are in the country illegally or not.

Polis is expected to sign HB 1276 into law.