First Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
INTRODUCED
LLS NO. 25-0625.02 Jery Payne x2157
HOUSE BILL 25-1258
House Committees Senate Committees
Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources
A BILL FOR AN ACT
C
ONCERNING REQUIRING THE PARK S AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION TO101
USE THE BEST AVAILABLE SCIE NCE TO MANAGE WILDLIFE .102
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
http://leg.colorado.gov
.)
In Colorado's wildlife statutes, the legislative declaration commits
the state to use hunting, trapping, and fishing as the primary methods of
effecting wildlife harvests. The bill requires the parks and wildlife
commission to use the best available wildlife and ecological science to
adopt rules that benefit wildlife, whole ecosystem health, and all
Coloradans.
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Story and Velasco,
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
(None),
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 33-1-101, amend (4)2
as follows:3
33-1-101. Legislative declaration. (4) The state shall utilize MAY4
AUTHORIZE hunting, trapping, and fishing as the primary methods of5
effecting necessary wildlife harvests IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BEST6
AVAILABLE WILDLIFE AND ECOLOGICAL SCIENCE TO BENEFIT WILDLIFE ,7
WHOLE ECOSYSTEM HEALTH , AND ALL COLORADANS.8
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 33-1-104, amend (1)9
as follows:10
33-1-104. General duties of commission. (1) The commission11
is responsible for all wildlife management, for licensing requirements,12
and for the promulgation ADOPTION of rules regulations, and ISSUANCE OF13
orders concerning wildlife programs. T
HE COMMISSION SHALL APPLY, IN14
ITS DECISION-MAKING, THE BEST AVAILABLE WILDLIFE AND ECOLOGICAL15
SCIENCE TO ADOPT RULES THAT BENEFIT WILDLIFE , WHOLE ECOSYSTEM16
HEALTH, AND ALL COLORADANS.17
SECTION 3. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act18
takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the19
ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except20
that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V21
of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this22
act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take23
effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in24
HB25-1258-2- November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the1
official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.2
HB25-1258
-3-