My Approach

When I craft a bill, I’m looking for a common-sense solution to a real problem people in Colorado are facing.

For me, it starts with a simple question: What problem are we trying to solve? Before I create a new law, I want to know that the problem is real, that people are actually being affected by it, and that the bill is going to make things better, not just create another layer of government, regulation, or more words in statute.

Sometimes we see bills that sound good on paper but are really trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist, or a problem that is so rare that creating a statewide law doesn’t make sense. I call those “fake problems.”

Colorado has plenty of real challenges that deserve our attention. We should spend our time and energy solving those instead of looking for problems to legislate.

Common sense matters. A bill shouldn’t pass simply because it has a good-sounding title or because it fits neatly into a political agenda. We should look at how it will actually work, who it will affect, what it will cost, and whether there is a better way to accomplish the same goal.

I'm an engineer. My approach follows from my training: identify a real problem, listen to the people affected by it, and find a practical solution that makes their lives better. That’s the standard I use when deciding which bills are worth supporting.

Here are some of the bills I worked on in my first term and the real problems they were intended to solve.

2026 Session

HB26-1038

County Commissioner Redistricting

Requires County Commissions elected by their district electors (i.e., not elected at-large) to use an independent redistricting commission to draw their district lines. This process would help ensure that district boundaries are determined through a fair and impartial process rather than by elected officials who may have a personal or political interest in the outcome. The independent commission would be responsible for developing district maps that comply with applicable legal requirements and promote equitable representation

SB26-182

Updated Clean Energy Plan Municipally Owned Utility

Any municipal utility, including CSU, may apply for an extension on their 80% emissions reduction
target, currently due by 2030. CSU believes they can’t currently hit that target without significantly raising electricity rates. To get that extension, CSU must file a revised Clean Energy Plan by the end of 2026 with the
Colorado Air Pollution Control Division (APCD). The new plan must detail energy sources and timelines needed to get to the 80% reduction and must be verified by the APCD. The plan must also close Nixon, CSU’s remaining coal plan, by December 31, 2032 at the latest. If no new plan is submitted or a submitted plan is not approved, Nixon must close in 2029 as planned. Once a new Clean Energy Plan is approved, CSU must annually report their progress. In exchange for this delay, CSU must further reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 95%
between 2035 and 2040 as long as they can do so without impacting grid reliability.

SB26-051

Age Attestation on Computing Devices

Establishes a framework for commercial computing devices that have their own App Store and operating system linked by a user account (think Apple and Google devices) to send age bracket information to apps.
The Colorado Privacy Act, passed in 2023, requires companies to obtain parental consent before obtaining, using, sharing, or processing data from minors. This bill provides a mechanism to ensure apps can’t claim ignorance of a minor’s age. The mechanism allows parents to attest to the age of their child, meaning there is no need to upload documents such as a birth certificate or a photo of the child.

HB26-1107

Health Care in Regulated Facilities

Requires memory care facilities to use a standardized form to disclose specific information about their facility including cost structure, care received, requirements for its staff training, and guidelines for using restraints. The goal is to make it easier for families to compare facilities.

HB26-1242

Interlock Device for Impaired Drivers

Increases access to DUI ignition interlocks - a device that requires a legal blood alcohol level to start your car. The bill also increases available financial aid for interlock devices. The goal is to reduce incidents of drunk driving, especially by repeat offenders, and thus reduce injury and death from impaired driving.

SB26-172

Front Range Passenger Rail

Clears the way for the Front Range Rail District to put a sales tax for passenger rail service on the ballot this year! Voters in a municipality within a 5 mile radius of a station will have the opportunity to vote to have their municipality participate in the Front Range Passenger Rail, named the Colorado
Connector, CoCo for short. Colorado Springs has opted into having a CoCo station.

HB26-1043

Transportation Network Company Discriminatory Practices

Makes it easier for the Public Utilities Commission to punish ride-share companies like Uber for discriminating against riders who have service animals. 1043 doubles the fine, allows the PUC to
fine ride-share companies without needing a formal complaint first, and requires ride-share companies to make regular reports on ride refusal incidents.

SB26-021

Clean Fleet Replacing Aging Diesel Trucks

This bill allows the Clean Fleet Enterprise to give grants to small businesses to replace old (pre-2009) heavy duty diesel trucks (26,000 lbs and greater) with new (post-2018) heavy duty diesel trucks to to help lower emissions. Such grants are available for 5 years only with the hope that zero-emission heavy duty trucks will become commercially viable by the end of the period. The Clean Fleet Enterprise may only use up to 20% of their funds for such grants.

HB26-1420

Wind Energy Facilities Light-Mitigating Technology

HB26-1420 Wind Energy Facilities Light-Mitigating Technology
Gives local governments the ability to give wind farms extensions on installing light-mitigating upgrades if permits are delayed by federal agencies like FCC or FAA or if there are material shortages.

HB26-1041

Electronic Vehicle Records

Allows the use of electronic certificates of title for vehicles at the purchasers’ request in all transactions, including cash purchases and out-of-state transfers. This would streamline the vehicle title process by reducing paperwork, processing times, and the need for physical title documents. The measure could also make vehicle transactions more convenient for purchasers, dealerships, and the state while providing a more efficient way to maintain and transfer vehicle ownership records.

HB26-1076

Transportation Statutory Cleanup Bill

Makes 23 statutory clarifications and changes to transportation law, including defining toll evasion to include passing in and out of the toll lane at undesignated locations, eliminating CDOT’s ability to make noise regulation rules, and clarifying that the division of transit and rail does not have “exclusive authority” over transit and rail. For full details, please look up HB26-1076 on
leg.colorado.gov!

2025 Session

Bills that passed into law.

HB25-1267

Statewide Energy Stategies

Colorado is first in the country for electric vehicle sales, yet electric vehicle chargers lack the same consistent safety and consumer protection rules as our gas stations.
This bill requires the Colorado Division of Oil and Public Safety to issue and enforce rules for electric vehicle chargers, ensuring consumers get what they pay for when they charge up their cars.

Sponsors: Rep. Paschal, Rep. McCormick – Sen. Winter, Sen. Amabile

SB25-085

Health-Related Research Test Subjects

Dogs and cats play a vital role in medical research, helping scientists test new medicines before human trials. This bill requires dogs and cats who are fit for adoption by families to be considered for adoption once their service in medical research labs is complete.
Sponsors: Sen. Kipp, Sen. Carson – Rep. Rutinel, Rep. Paschal, Bipartisan Team

HB25-1184

Community-Based Continuing Care for Seniors

This bipartisan bill allows seniors to receive health care in their homes and participate in social activities while they're waiting for a spot at a dedicated life care facility. We have a severe shortage of life care facility beds in Colorado, and this bill is one step towards helping our seniors get the care they need, no matter where they are.
Sponsors: Rep. Paschal, Rep. Hartsook – Sen. Roberts, Sen. Carson, Bipartisan Team

SB25-068

Municipal Utility Unclaimed Utility Deposit Program

The Colorado Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) is a federally funded program to assist eligible Coloradans with their winter heating costs. Colorado Springs Utilities has a supplementary assistance program called COPE which assists with electricity, gas and water. This bipartisan bill allows CSU to help fund COPE with their unclaimed deposit monies that would otherwise go to the state LEAP program.
Sponsors: Sen. Snyder, Sen. Lundeen – Rep. Pugliese, Rep. Paschal, Bipartisan Team

HB25-1165

Geologic Storage Enterprise Geothermal Resouces

Geothermal power and carbon capture and storage are cutting edge clean energy technologies. However, carbon capture currently lacks dedicated funds for stewardship of completed or abandoned sites, and there are challenges for permitting new
geothermal powerplants depending on how deep they go. This bipartisan bill requires carbon capture companies to pay into a site cleanup fund, and clarifies the legal environment for building geothermal energy, setting up Colorado to lead in new clean
energy tech.
Sponsors: Rep. Paschal, Rep. Soper – Sen. Simpson, Sen. Kipp, Bipartisan Team

HB25-1230

Violation Driver Overtaking School Bus

Despite the deadly risk of overtaking a parked school bus, many drivers continue to ignore school bus stop signs. This bill will allow school districts to install vehicle
identification cameras on school buses to identify drivers who run their stop signs.
Sponsors: Rep. Caldwell, Rep. Paschal – Sen. Winter, Bipartisan Team

HB25-1308

Office of Information Technology & Extend Annual Report Deadling

The state Office of Information Technology is preparing its first annual report on Colorado’s statewide education and workforce development data system. This bill changes the deadline for the first report from April 15th 2025 to September 15th, 2026.
Sponsors: Rep. Weinberg, Rep. Paschal, Rep. Titone – Sen. Baisely, Bipartisan Team

HB25-1035

Collaborative Management Program Updates

Collaborative management programs allow agencies who manage service provision for children and families dealing with drug and alcohol abuse to coordinate their work in the county. This bill broadens their ability to share information to more effectively provide said services.
Sponsors: Rep. Paschal – Sen. Weissman