First Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REENGROSSED
This Version Includes All Amendments
Adopted in the House of Introduction
LLS NO. 25-0204.01 Jery Payne x2157
SENATE BILL 25-053
Senate Committees House Committees
Agriculture & Natural Resources
Appropriations
A BILL FOR AN ACT
C
ONCERNING THE CLASSIFICATION OF BISON AS WILDLIFE UNLESS101
CLASSIFIED AS LIVESTOCK, AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH ,
102
MAKING AN APPROPRIATION .103
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/
.)
American Indian Affairs Interim Study Committee. The bill
classifies bison as big game wildlife unless the bison are livestock.
Classifying bison as wildlife means that hunting or taking one is illegal
unless authorized by rule of the parks and wildlife commission.
SENATE
3rd Reading Unamended
April 17, 2025
SENATE
Amended 2nd Reading
April 15, 2025
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Danielson, Amabile, Ball, Bridges, Coleman, Cutter, Exum, Gonzales J., Jodeh, Kipp,
Kolker, Marchman, Michaelson Jenet, Sullivan, Wallace, Weissman, Winter F.
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Joseph and Velasco, Duran
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. Legislative declaration. (1) The general assembly2
finds and declares that:3
(a) The history of the American bison is deeply intertwined with4
the history of indigenous peoples in North America. Once roaming the5
continent in vast herds numbering in the tens of millions, bison are a6
cornerstone of life for many American Indians and are revered as sacred7
relatives. Many American Indians and Tribal Nations continue to rely8
upon bison for survival, including for food, shelter, and clothing.9
(b) Among many tribal nations, the buffalo is regarded as a sacred10
relative. This relationship is deeply embedded in ceremonial traditions,11
including the Sundance, the Buffalo Ceremony, and the White-Buffalo12
Calf-Woman teachings. These ceremonies are not simply historical relics13
but are actively practiced today, reinforcing the spiritual, cultural, and14
communal well-being of native people. Additionally, many other tribes15
have traditional buffalo dances and other sacred rites honoring the16
buffalo's spiritual role. These ceremonies are vital to the continuation of17
traditional ways of life and connection to the natural world.18
(c) Recognizing the bison's critical role in the livelihood of19
indigenous peoples and in the campaign to continue European claim and20
control over lands inhabited by indigenous peoples, the United States21
government implemented a scorched-earth policy, granting military22
commanders the authority to decimate bison populations;23
(d) Over a span of 40 years, more than 30 million bison were24
killed. This mass extermination was not only wasteful and inhumane but25
also a calculated effort to undermine the cultural and physical survival of26
053-2- indigenous peoples.1
(e) Colonel Richard Irving Dodge infamously declared, "Kill2
every buffalo you can! Every buffalo dead is an Indian gone." The policy3
of killing bison had devastating impacts on American Indians and Tribal4
Nations and played a significant role in the federal government' s efforts5
to destroy tribal sovereignty. The resulting food and cultural scarcity6
played a significant role in the forced relocation of the plains peoples7
from Colorado in the late 1860s. It also contributed to the pressures8
restricting the Ute people to western Colorado.9
(f) By the time Colorado achieved statehood in 1876, hunting and10
habitat destruction caused by the development of farms, cities, and11
railroads had reduced the bison population to only a few hundred south12
of the Platte river;13
(g) Colorado seeks to protect, serve, and honor the enduring bond14
between bison and American Indians and Tribal Nations by classifying15
certain bison as wildlife; and16
(h) This action represents a step toward making amends for the17
attempted genocide of American Indians through the eradication of their18
food source, the bison.19
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 33-1-102, amend (2)20
and (51); and add (2.6) as follows:21
33-1-102. Definitions - rules. As used in this title 33, unless the22
context otherwise requires:23
(2) "Big game" means elk, white-tailed deer, mule deer, moose,24
rocky mountain bighorn sheep, desert bighorn sheep, rocky mountain25
goat, pronghorn antelope, black bear, mountain lion,
BISON THAT ARE26
WILDLIFE, and all species of large mammals that may be introduced or27
053
-3- transplanted into this state for hunting or are classified as big game by the1
commission.2
(2.6) "B
ISON" MEANS THE UNGULATE CLASSIFIED AS THE SPECIES3
B
OS BISON OR BISON BISON, KNOWN AS THE AMERICAN BISON.4
5
(51) (a) "Wildlife" means wild vertebrates, mollusks, and6
crustaceans, whether alive or dead, including any part, product, egg, or7
offspring thereof, that exist as a species in a natural wild state in their8
place of origin, presently or historically, except those species determined9
to be domestic animals by rule or regulation by OF the commission and10
the state agricultural commission. Such determination within this statute11
shall not affect other statutes or court decisions determining injury to12
persons or damage to property which THAT depend on the classification13
of animals by such statute or court decision as wild or domestic animals. 14
(b) "W
ILDLIFE" DOES NOT INCLUDE:
15
(I) P
RIVATELY OWNED CATTLE , INCLUDING PRIVATELY OWNED
16
BISON, BISON LEGALLY REDUCED TO CAPTIVITY , OR BISON THAT HAVE17
ESCAPED LAWFUL CAPTIVITY; OR18
(II) B
ISON OWNED BY OR LAWFULLY REDUCED TO CAPTIVITY BY AN
19
I
NDIAN TRIBE.
20
SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 33-4-102, add21
(1.4)(cc) as follows:22
33-4-102. Types of licenses and fees - rules. (1.4) Except as23
otherwise provided in subsections (1.5) and (1.6) of this section, the24
division may issue the following resident and nonresident licenses and25
shall collect the following fees:26
Fees 27
053
-4- Resident Nonresident 1
(cc) B
ISON
374.22 2,756.742
SECTION 4. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 33-6-109, amend3
(3)(b) and (3.4)(a)(VII); and add (3.4)(a)(VIII) as follows:4
33-6-109. Wildlife - illegal possession. (3) A person who THAT5
violates subsection (1) or (2) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor6
and, depending upon the wildlife involved, shall be punished upon7
conviction by a fine or imprisonment, or both, and license suspension8
points or suspension or revocation of license privileges as follows: 9
(b) For each
BISON, bald eagle, golden eagle, rocky mountain goat,
10
desert bighorn sheep, American peregrine falcon, or rocky mountain11
bighorn sheep, a fine of not less than one thousand dollars and not more12
than one hundred thousand dollars, or by imprisonment for not more than13
one year in the county jail, or both such fine and such imprisonment, and14
an assessment of twenty points. Upon conviction, the commission may15
suspend any or all license privileges of the person for a period of one year16
to life. A person who THAT possesses all or a part of a bald eagle or17
golden eagle shall not be in violation of this section if the possession is18
authorized by 50 CFR 22.19
(3.4) (a) In addition to the criminal penalties listed in subsection20
(3) of this section, there may be assessed a further penalty in the21
following amount for each of the following big game animals illegally22
taken:23
(VII) For each pronghorn antelope with a horn length of at least24
fourteen inches, four thousand dollars;
OR
25
(VIII) F
OR EACH BISON, TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS.
26
SECTION 5. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 33-6-110, amend (1)27
053
-5- introductory portion and (1)(a) as follows: 1
33-6-110. Division action to recover possession and value of2
wildlife unlawfully taken. (1) The division may bring and maintain a3
civil action against any person, in the name of the people of the state, to4
recover possession or value or both possession and value of any wildlife5
taken in violation of articles 1 to 6 of this title TITLE 33. A writ of replevin6
may issue in such an action without bond. No previous demand for7
possession shall be necessary. If costs or damages are adjudged in favor8
of the defendant, the same shall be paid out of the wildlife cash fund9
CREATED IN SECTION 33-1-112. Neither the pendency of such civil action10
nor a criminal prosecution for the same taking shall be a bar to the other;11
nor shall anything in this section affect the right of seizure under other12
provisions of articles 1 to 6 of this title TITLE 33. The following shall be13
considered the minimum value of the wildlife unlawfully taken or14
possessed and may be recovered in addition to recovery of possession of15
the wildlife:16
(a) For each
BISON, eagle, member of an endangered species,
17
rocky mountain goat, moose, rocky mountain bighorn 18
sheep, or lynx ...........................................................................$ 1,00019
SECTION 6. Appropriation. For the 2025-26 state fiscal year,20
$75,000 is appropriated to the department of natural resources for use by21
the division of parks and wildlife. This appropriation is from the wildlife22
cash fund created in section 33-1-112 (1)(a), C.R.S. To implement this23
act, the division may use this appropriation for wildlife operations.24
SECTION 7. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act25
takes effect January 1, 2026; except that, if a referendum petition is filed26
pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the state constitution against this27
053
-6- act or an item, section, or part of this act within the ninety-day period1
after final adjournment of the general assembly, then the act, item,2
section, or part will not take effect unless approved by the people at the3
general election to be held in November 2026 and, in such case, will take4
effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the5
governor.6
053
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