With the second half of the 2025 legislative session officially underway, Colorado Chamber Tax, Labor & Employment and Health Care Policy Councils met to take positions on key legislation and receive updates on upcoming bills.
The Labor and Employment Council was joined by Misti Ruthven, strategy officer for the Office of Economic Development and International Trade, and Ed Sealover, vice president of strategic initiatives for the Colorado Chamber. They discussed ongoing workforce initiatives including the Opportunity Now program and upcoming Regional Talent Summits, which bring together state and regional stakeholders to address workforce shortages and economic needs.
The Health Care Council spoke with Colorado Insurance Commissioner, Michael Conway, who serves as the chief executive of the Division of Insurance and oversees the regulation of the insurance industry in Colorado. Conway discussed introduced legislation that would impact the health insurance industry and answered questions from members.
The Colorado Chamber took positions on the following bills:
Tax Council Positions:
HB 1296: Oppose
The bill makes several changes to state tax expenditures, including taxing software, modifying the regional home office tax credit, capping the enterprise zone tax credit at $2 million while excluding certain industries, and limiting the business personal property tax credit, among other adjustments.
The Chamber is opposed to the bill because tax credits play a crucial role in attracting businesses and encouraging growth in Colorado. Limiting or eliminating these incentives undermines the state’s competitiveness and discourages businesses from investing and expanding here.
Labor & Employment Council Positions:
HB 1264: Oppose
The bill prohibits automated decision systems from using surveillance data to determine individualized pricing for consumers or wages for workers. The Chamber is opposed to the legislation due to the overreaching nature of the bill.
Health Care Council Positions:
HB 1297: Oppose
The bill authorizes an increase to the health insurance affordability fee assessed on insurance carriers by up to one percentage point to fund the health insurance affordability enterprise (HIAE). The Chamber is opposed to the bill as it will increase costs on health care industries and employers.
SB 198: Oppose
The bill updates requirements for notifying the attorney general about mergers, acquisitions or affiliations involving health care or long-term care facilities. Parties must submit notice at least 60 days in advance and any modifications must also be reported. The attorney general can review transactions for public interest concerns and, if necessary, initiate an antitrust investigation. The Colorado Chamber took an opposed position due to the overreaching nature of the legislation and the broad impact the bill could have on the health care industry.
SB 83: Amend to Monitor
The bill modifies the rules for non-compete and non-solicitation agreements. It prohibits non-compete agreements for highly compensated health care workers and bans covenants that prevent health care providers from informing patients about their continued practice, new contact details or a patient’s right to choose another provider. The Chamber successfully amended the bill to clarify certain language regarding the banning of some covenants.