Colorado 2025 Regular Session

Colorado House Bill HB1266 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		First Regular Session
2	2		Seventy-fifth General Assembly
3	3		STATE OF COLORADO
4		-	~~REENGROSSED~~
5		-	This Version Includes All Amendments
6		-	~~Adopted~~ in the House of Introduction
	4	+	ENGROSSED
	5	+	This Version Includes All Amendments Adopted
	6	+	on Second Reading in the House of Introduction
7	7		LLS NO. 25-0628.02 Caroline Martin x5902
8	8		HOUSE BILL 25-1266
9	9		House Committees Senate Committees
10	10		State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs
11	11		A BILL FOR AN ACT
12	12		C
13	13		ONCERNING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF COLORADO AMERICAN INDIAN101
14	14		R
15	15		ECOGNITION DAY AS AN OBSERVED STATE HOLIDAY .102
16	16		Bill Summary
17	17		(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
18	18		not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
19	19		passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
20	20		applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
21	21		http://leg.colorado.gov
22	22		.)
23	23		The bill designates Colorado American Indian Recognition Day as
24	24		an observed, but not a legal, state holiday.
25	25		Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
26	26		HOUSE
27		-	3rd Reading Unamended
28		-	March 10, 2025
29		-	HOUSE
30	27		Amended 2nd Reading
31	28		March 7, 2025
32	29		HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
33		-	Stewart K. and Garcia, Bacon, Bird, Boesenecker, Brown, Camacho, Carter, Clifford,
34		-	Duran, English, Espenoza, Feret, Froelich, Gilchrist, Hamrick, Jackson, Joseph, Lindsay,
35		-	Lindstedt, Lukens, Mabrey, Martinez, McCluskie, McCormick, Paschal, Phillips, Ricks,
36		-	Rutinel, Rydin, Sirota, Smith, Stewart R., Story, Taggart, Titone, Velasco, Willford, Zokaie
	30	+	Stewart K. and Garcia,
37	31		SENATE SPONSORSHIP
38	32		Danielson,
39	33		Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
40	34		Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
41	35		Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law. SECTION 1. Legislative declaration. (1) The general assembly1
42	36		finds and declares that:2
43	37		(a) Colorado has the responsibility to cultivate a community that3
44	38		honors and respects the diverse history of the lands making up the state4
45	39		by recognizing the history and contributions of the Nuuchiu (Ute) people5
46	40		who have called this land home since time immemorial, as they have no6
47	41		migration story, and members of other federally recognized tribes whose7
48	42		ancestors have historical ties to this state;8
49	43		(b) Colorado is the ancestral homeland of the Southern Ute Indian9
50	44		Tribe and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, the two federally recognized tribes10
51	45		having reservations within the exterior boundaries of the state. In11
52	46		addition, it has historical ties to at least 46 other federally recognized12
53	47		tribal nations, including the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Apache, Comanche, and13
54	48		Kiowa. The state recognizes their history, cultural contributions, and14
55	49		sovereignty.15
56	50		(c) Colorado recognizes that at least 48 American Indian nations,16
57	51		including the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe,17
58	52		have demonstrated resilience and continue to thrive, making significant18
59	53		cultural, social, and economic contributions to the state. Their histories,19
60	54		traditions, and contemporary achievements are integral to Colorado's20
61	55		identity.21
62	56		(d) Colorado further understands that recognizing and celebrating22
63	57		the histories and contributions of American Indian nations with ancestral23
64	58		and, with respect to the Ute tribes, legal ties to Colorado is essential to24
65	59		fostering education, cultural awareness, and reconciliation;25
66	60		(e) In addition to celebrating the myriad ways in which American26
67	61		Indians have and continue to meaningfully contribute to the state,27
68	62		1266
69	63		-2- Colorado also acknowledges the history of genocide, forced removal, and1
70	64		systemic discrimination that American Indian nations have endured, in2
71	65		Colorado and throughout the United States, the forced placement onto3
72	66		reservations, broken treaties, and the loss of traditional lands and cultural4
73	67		practices;5
74	68		(f) Specifically, Colorado recognizes the Battle of Milk Creek, in6
75	69		which Major Thomas Thornburgh and his federal cavalry violated the Ute7
76	70		Treaty of 1868 by crossing the Ute reservation. The Ute Indians defended8
77	71		their sovereignty and held off the cavalry for 6 days, resulting in the death9
78	72		of 24 Utes. The unlawful attack by Major Thornburgh led to the10
79	73		relocation of the Ute tribes to their present reservations.11
80	74		(g) Colorado further recognizes the Beaver Creek Massacre of12
81	75		1885 in which Colorado residents killed 6 adults and children who were13
82	76		members of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and wounded 2 others. They14
83	77		were seeking to hunt for food to feed their families. The Ute families15
84	78		were starving because the federal government had failed to provide16
85	79		rations in accordance with its treaty obligations.17
86	80		(h) Colorado also recognizes the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864,18
87	81		in which over 230 Cheyenne and Arapaho men, women, and children19
88	82		were brutally murdered by the 1st Colorado Infantry Regiment of20
89	83		Volunteers (US) and 3rd Regiment of Colorado Cavalry Volunteers (US); 21
90	84		(i) These acts of violence represent some of the darkest moments22
91	85		in the state's history, and their impact continues to be felt by American23
92	86		Indian communities today;24
93	87		(j) Finally, Colorado acknowledges other critical incidents in the25
94	88		state's history that have inflicted historical and ongoing trauma upon26
95	89		American Indian nations, including the removal of children to federal27
96	90		1266
97	91		-3- Indian boarding schools, the suppression of language and cultural1
98	92		practices, and other policies aimed at erasing American Indian identities;2
99	93		and3
100	94		(k) Therefore, the general assembly declares the designation of a4
101	95		state holiday to honor and celebrate the histories, cultures, and5
102	96		contributions of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, the Ute Mountain Ute6
103	97		Tribe, and all American Indian nations with historic ties to Colorado. This7
104	98		holiday will serve as an opportunity for education, recognition,8
105	99		remembrance, celebration, and appreciation, ensuring that the stories,9
106	100		legacies, and sovereignty of these nations remain an integral part of10
107	101		Colorado's past, present, and future.11
108	102		SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 24-11-119 as12
109	103		follows:13
110	104		24-11-119. Colorado American Indian Recognition Day. T
111	105		HE14
112	106		SECOND MONDAY OF OCTOBER IN EACH YEAR IS KNOWN AS "COLORADO15
113	107		A
114	108		MERICAN INDIAN RECOGNITION DAY". APPROPRIATE OBSERVANCE MAY16
115	109		BE HELD BY THE PUBLIC AND IN ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF THE STATE TO17
116	110		RECOGNIZE THE THRIVING CULTURE, ACKNOWLEDGE THE RESILIENCE AND18
117	111		PLIGHT, AND CELEBRATE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF AMERICAN INDIANS AND19
118	112		C
119	113		OLORADO'S LONGEST CONTINUOUS RESIDENTS , THE UTE PEOPLE, AND20
120	114		THEIR SOVEREIGN NATIONS, THE SOUTHERN UTE INDIAN TRIBE AND UTE21
121	115		M
122	116		OUNTAIN UTE TRIBE.22
123	117		SECTION 3. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act23
124	118		takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the24
125	119		ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except25
126	120		that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V26
127	121		of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this27
128	122		1266
129	123		-4- act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take1
130	124		effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in2
131	125		November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the3
132	126		official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.4
133	127		1266
134	128		-5-