DENVER – The Colorado Chamber of Commerce today released its 2026 Legislative Agenda ahead of the upcoming state legislative session. The top priority of the agenda continues to be state-level regulatory reform, building on the Chamber’s work from the previous legislative session.
“The priorities laid out in our 2026 Legislative Agenda highlight the Chamber’s continued commitment to improving Colorado’s competitiveness,” Colorado Chamber President and CEO Loren Furman said. “We are building on our important work in 2026 with the second phase of our regulatory relief package. Our proposal will require more transparency and review of state agency programs to ensure our regulations are meeting their intent and aren’t overly burdensome on employers. We look forward to unveiling this proactive legislation in the new year.”
Last session marked the beginning of the Colorado Chamber’s initiative to bring broad regulatory reform to Colorado state government, following a study that found Colorado to be the sixth most regulated state in the nation. In 2026, the Chamber will advance legislation to create more robust standards and criteria for how state agencies review existing regulations. This includes evaluating whether rules are outdated, duplicative, cost-effective or overly burdensome, as well as requiring those findings to be reviewed in a public forum during state agency SMART Act hearings.
“Colorado ranks among the most expensive states in the nation for homeowners’ insurance, which, combined with other cost-of-living pressures, places significant strain on the state’s economy and workforce,” said Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Meghan Dollar. “In addition to our regulatory reform legislation, this session the Chamber will introduce new proposals aimed at reducing costs for homeowners statewide.”
The Chamber’s residential resiliency package includes a proposal to leverage existing funding sources to help homeowners cover risk-reduction measures, including hail impact resistant roofing and wildfire mitigation. A second component of the package creates an incentive to support future damage mitigation expenses and insurance deductibles related to disaster damage.
The Chamber will also continue to oppose legislation that threatens to undermine the state’s economic climate. The Chamber remains committed to a “do no harm” approach to new costly regulations and mandates that could contribute to the deterioration of our business climate.
The Colorado Chamber’s 2026 Legislative Agenda is summarized below:
Regulatory Climate
- Expand and strengthen regulatory review processes and increase transparency
- Do no harm: no new mandates and regulatory burdens on employers
- Continue performance audits on certain agencies and programs
- Create more balanced regulatory framework for future laws
- Lead policy reforms through Chamber-initiated environmental sustainability working group
- Support policies that streamline and accelerate the permitting processes
- Oppose legislation that will increase costs and put the energy grid at risk
- Support feasible pathways for compliance with state and federal environmental regulations
- Oppose efforts that limit the operations of the energy sector
- Preserve Colorado’s Labor Peace Act
- Oppose efforts to over-regulate worksite climate conditions
- Protect workers’ compensation programs that ensure availability and affordability of policies for employers
- Protect and continue to promote the health of the Unemployment Insurance Fund
- Oppose attempts to interfere with employer-employee relationship
- Support rule review and performance evaluations by attorney general
- Preserve guardrails in Colorado Consumer Protection Act
- Oppose needless new private rights of action against business
Cost of Living and Competitiveness
- Expand existing funding sources for residential resiliency to homeowners to lower insurance premiums
- Create incentives to support future damage mitigation expenses through tax-exempt savings accounts
- Advance policies that make homeowners’ insurance more affordable
- Oppose fees and mandates that further increase homeowners’ insurance rates
- Support policies to increase housing in Colorado
- Oppose increased authority to levy new taxes that increase cost of doing business on the state and local level
- Oppose legislation authorizing local governments to tax short-term rentals
- Oppose legislation to allow local governments to levy vacancy taxes
- Oppose legislation allowing local governments to levy real estate transfer fees
- Oppose legislation that increases health care costs for business
- Improve access and affordability of child care
Protecting and Building Colorado’s Workforce
- Align workforce programs to ensure efficient and effective funding
- Support training in fields where workforce development is needed to boost growing sectors
- Protect workers from unintended consequences of labor regulations
- Oppose job killers
Tech Innovation and Economic Growth
- Ensure artificial intelligence laws preserve economic competitiveness
- Support policies that ensure Colorado’s tech sector continues to thrive and grow
- Support balance in consumer interests while allowing for Colorado’s tech economy to thrive
For a full explanation of each priority, view the Chamber’s 2026 Legislative Agenda here.
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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.