A Bill for an Act
Page 1, Line 101Concerning emergency preparedness for paratransit
Page 1, Line 102services.
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/.)
Transportation Legislation Review Committee. Beginning on January 1, 2026, the bill imposes the following duties on any political subdivision of the state, public entity, or nonprofit corporation that provides paratransit services in the state, in addition to those duties otherwise provided by law:
- To establish, in coordination with local public entities providing emergency services, a plan to communicate information and provide paratransit services during emergencies;
- To ensure that fare collection technology for paratransit services is comparable to that offered for regular or fixed route services; and
- Before reducing the service area for paratransit services, to consult with affected community members and conduct an impact analysis.
- 3 legislative members, jointly appointed by the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives, with 2 members of the majority party and one member of the minority party;
- 4 members representing disability advocacy organizations, with one member appointed by and from each of the following organizations:
- Atlantis Community, Inc.;
- American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today;
- The Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition; and
- The National Federation of the Blind;
- 5 members representing transit organizations, with one member appointed by and from each of the following organizations:
- The department of transportation;
- The Colorado Association of Transit Agencies;
- The regional transportation district;
- AARP; and
- The Denver regional council of governments;
- One member representing a private company that partners with a transit agency to provide paratransit services, appointed by the governor;
- One member representing the Colorado disability opportunity office, appointed by the governor;
- One member determined by the governor to enhance and expand the expertise of the task force, appointed by the governor; and
- The lieutenant governor or the lieutenant governor's designee.
The bill also creates the paratransit task force (task force) in the department of transportation. The purpose of the task force is to study and make recommendations regarding the standardization of and best practices for paratransit services in the state. The task force consists of 16 members as follows:
The task force is required to meet at least 3 times in 2025 to study and make recommendations on the standardization of and best practices for paratransit services in the state. On or before October 15, 2025, the task force must submit a report to the transportation legislation review committee that includes a summary of the work accomplished by the task force and any recommendations to the general assembly concerning matters studied by the task force. The department of transportation must include a summary of the report and the recommendations of the task force in its annual presentation to the general assembly in January 2026.
Page 3, Line 1Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
Page 3, Line 2SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 43-1-604 as follows:
Page 3, Line 343-1-604. Paratransit services - communication duties - report
Page 3, Line 4- definitions - repeal. (1) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
Page 3, Line 5(a) "Emergency" means:
(I) A fire, rescue call, or hazardous materials incident;
Page 3, Line 6(II) A natural or human-caused disaster such as an earthquake, wildfire, flood, or severe weather event; or
Page 3, Line 7(III) An incident reasonably determined to be an emergency by a public entity providing emergency services.
Page 3, Line 8(b) "Paratransit services" means complementary parallel
Page 3, Line 9transit services for individuals with disabilities who are unable
Page 3, Line 10to utilize regular or fixed route transit services for some or all of their transit needs.
Page 3, Line 11(c) "Public entity providing emergency services" means
Page 3, Line 12any political subdivision of the state or agency of a political
Page 3, Line 13subdivision of the state that responds in a professional capacity
Page 3, Line 14to an emergency, including a law enforcement agency, fire department, or fire protection district.
Page 3, Line 15(d) "Transit agency" means any political subdivision of the
Page 4, Line 1state, public entity, or nonprofit corporation that provides paratransit services in the state.
Page 4, Line 2(2) (a) On and after January 1, 2026, in coordination with
Page 4, Line 3local public entities providing emergency services, a transit
Page 4, Line 4agency shall establish a plan to communicate information and provide paratransit services during emergencies.
Page 4, Line 5(b) The communication plan must include information on
Page 4, Line 6the number of riders who use the transit agency's paratransit
Page 4, Line 7services and the transit agency's resource capacity, including
Page 4, Line 8the number of drivers and the number of vehicles used to provide paratransit services.
Page 4, Line 9(c) (I) On or before September 1, 2026, transit agencies and
Page 4, Line 10public entities providing emergency services shall submit a
Page 4, Line 11report to the transportation legislation review committee on
Page 4, Line 12the implementation of the communication and emergency services plan described in this subsection (2).
Page 4, Line 13(II) This subsection (2)(c) is repealed, effective July 1, 2027.
Page 4, Line 14SECTION 2. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act
Page 4, Line 15takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
Page 4, Line 16ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except
Page 4, Line 17that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V
Page 4, Line 18of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this
Page 4, Line 19act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take
Page 4, Line 20effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in
Page 4, Line 21November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.