For media inquiries, please contact Cynthia Eveleth-Havens at [email protected].
DENVER – A major component of the Colorado Chamber’s comprehensive legislative package to improve the state’s regulatory climate was introduced today in the Colorado Senate. The bipartisan Senate Bill 306 would place certain state agencies under regular performance audits by the state.
The regulatory reform initiative follows several years of business surveys, research, and a recent study finding that Colorado is the sixth most regulated state in the nation with 45% of regulations being deemed excessive or duplicative. This regulatory burden has created a costly economic climate for business and consumers, threatening the state’s long-term competitiveness. The Colorado Chamber has prioritized regulatory reform in its 2025 legislative agenda with support from the Governor’s Office and legislative leadership.
“Our multiple studies and surveys over the years have made it clear that Colorado’s regulatory framework is overly complex, leading to lost opportunities and jobs across the state,” said Colorado Chamber President and CEO Loren Furman. “If we want to foster a healthy long-term economic climate, it’s critical that we create a thoughtful regulatory review process, and we’re grateful to our legislative partners for paving the way to a more transparent regulatory environment.”
SB 306 would require the State Auditor’s Office to conduct performance audits on the Colorado Air Pollution Control Division (APCD) and the Division of Labor Standards and Statistics (DLSS). These agencies oversee industries that were found to have a disproportionate level of regulations compared to other states in the Colorado Chamber’s study. Performance audits address whether programs are operated in an effective and efficient manner – including whether regulations are outdated, duplicative, and accomplishing their intended goals. Neither APCD nor DLSS are currently under a regular audit schedule.
“Some industries in Colorado face up to seven times more state-level regulations than the national median,” said Senior Vice President of Governmental Relations Meghan Dollar. “We need a thoughtful and surgical approach to improving our regulatory climate – a solution that works uniquely for Colorado. By focusing on a narrow scope of agency regulations coming from the state, we believe this bill strikes the right balance in creating transparency and addressing some of the most significant pressure points for the business community.”
Senate Majority Leader Robert Rodriquez, Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer, Rep. William Lindstedt, and Rep. Rick Taggart are the prime sponsors of SB 306.
Additional sponsors on the bill include: Sen. Judy Amabile, Sen. Jeff Bridges, Sen. Scott Bright, Sen. Lisa Frizell, Sen. Larry Liston, Sen. Rod Pelton, Sen. Byron Pelton, Sen. Cleave Simpson, Sen. Marc Snyder, Rep. Ryan Armagost, Rep. Shannon Bird, Rep. Andrew Boesenecker, Rep. Max Brooks, Rep. Sean Camacho, Rep. Chad Clifford, Rep. Ryan Gonzalez, Rep. Anthony Hartsook, Rep. Rebecca Keltie, Rep. Matt Soper, Rep. Brianna Titone, and Rep. Ty Winter.
To view the bill, please click here.
###
The Colorado Chamber of Commerce champions free enterprise, a healthy business environment and economic prosperity for all Coloradans. It is the only business association that works to improve the business climate for all sizes of business from a statewide, multi-industry perspective. What the Colorado Chamber accomplishes is good for all businesses, and that’s good for the state’s economy. It was created in 1965 based on the merger with the Colorado Manufacturers’ Association.