Colorado Legislature Passes Education Funding and AI Bills as Session Ends

The Colorado General Assembly convenes for a regular session each year that lasts about 120 days. As of Tuesday morning, lawmakers have less than 48 hours remaining before the session ends on Thursday. Leaders are using the final hours to move bills through committees, secure floor votes, and send legislation to the governor. Bills that do not clear both chambers by the deadline die automatically.

Senate Bill 135 would allow Colorado to retain billions of dollars in surplus revenue that currently must be refunded to taxpayers under the state’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. The measure only takes effect if a majority of voters approve it in the November 2026 ballot.

If voters endorse SB 135, the state could redirect billions toward K‑12 schools, higher education, and other public services without raising taxes. Failure to pass the measure would leave the surplus subject to refund requirements, limiting available funds for education.

Observers should monitor the November referendum outcome for SB 135 and the timing of Gov. Polis’s signature on SB 189, as both will shape Colorado’s fiscal and tech policy landscape for the coming years.