First Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REENGROSSED
This Version Includes All Amendments
Adopted in the House of Introduction
LLS NO. 25-0735.01 Christopher McMichael x4775
SENATE BILL 25-141
Senate Committees House Committees
Transportation & Energy
A BILL FOR AN ACT
C
ONCERNING AN EXEMPTION FOR CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES FROM THE101
REQUIREMENT TO ADOPT AN ENERGY CODE FOR RESIDENTIAL102
BUILDINGS.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
.)
Under current law, every governing body of a municipality that has
adopted and enforced a building code after July 1, 2023, is required to
adopt and begin enforcing an energy code for residential buildings. The
bill creates an exemption for municipalities with a population of less than
2,500 residents from having to adopt and enforce an energy code for
SENATE
3rd Reading Unamended
March 6, 2025
SENATE
2nd Reading Unamended
March 5, 2025
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Pelton R., Baisley, Bright, Carson, Catlin, Daugherty, Frizell, Kirkmeyer, Liston, Lundeen,
Mullica, Pelton B., Rich, Roberts, Simpson
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Winter T.,
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. residential buildings.
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) Rural and frontier communities are the most remote and4
sparsely populated communities in Colorado;5
(b) These communities have low population density and are6
isolated from population centers and services;7
(c) As such, rural and frontier communities have difficulties8
building housing at an affordable cost for their residents because of the9
cost of providing materials, infrastructure, and labor to the most isolated10
areas of the state;11
(d) Rural and frontier communities are also typically located in12
depressed or even inverted housing markets, making the cost of building13
homes in these communities financially unfeasible;14
(e) Increased building code and energy code regulations create15
burdens for rural and frontier communities, such as additional16
construction requirements and specific certifications, which increase the17
cost of housing in rural and frontier communities; and18
(f) Established state building, plumbing, and electrical codes are19
more than sufficient at protecting the health, safety, and welfare of20
Coloradans who live in rural and frontier communities, and using the21
established codes will reduce the cost of housing for people in those22
communities.23
(2) Therefore, the general assembly further declares that it is in24
the best interest of the state to exempt rural and frontier communities25
141-2- from additional energy code requirements in order to promote the1
building of homes and reduce the cost of housing in rural and frontier2
communities.3
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 31-15-602, add (3.7)4
as follows:5
31-15-602. Energy efficient building codes - legislative6
declaration - exemption for certain municipalities - definitions -7
repeal. (3.7) N
OTWITHSTANDING SUBSECTIONS (3) AND (3.5) OF THIS8
SECTION, A MUNICIPALITY WITH A POPULATION OF LESS THAN TWO9
THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED RESIDENTS , ACCORDING TO THE MOST RECENT10
FEDERAL DECENNIAL CENSUS , IS NOT REQUIRED TO ADOPT AN ENERGY11
CODE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SECTION .12
SECTION 3. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act13
takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the14
ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except15
that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V16
of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this17
act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take18
effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in19
November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the20
official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.21
141
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