Colorado 2026 Regular Session Status: Introduced 1 R cosponsors

SB 24 — State & Local Unmanned Aircraft Regulation

Last action — Senate Committee on Local Government & Housing Postpone Indefinitely

  1. 1
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been introduced in the Senate. Introduced January 14, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee referral and hearing.

Odds of enactment

Low chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Stalled 16% · moderate confidence

  • Introduced

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 3 sponsors

    3 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 R).

  • Mixed recorded votes

    13 passed, 1 failed in recorded votes so far.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

Summary

The bill creates the "Unmanned Aircraft Systems Rights and Authorities Act". The bill does the following:Authorizes an individual to operate an unmanned aircraft system (drone system) for recreational purposes in this state;Authorizes a person to operate a drone system for commercial purposes within this state if the business is lawful and the operation is in compliance with state and federal law;Prohibits the state or a political subdivision of the state (local government) from requiring the registration of an unmanned aircraft or a drone system beyond what may be required by state and federal law;Clarifies that the operation of a drone system in compliance with federal law does not, standing alone, give rise to legal liability;Establishes and limits the regulatory authority of the state; andEstablishes and limits the regulatory authority of a local government.In connection with establishing and limiting the regulatory authority of the state, the bill authorizes the state to regulate the use of drone systems owned by or used by the state or launching from or landing on state property. Exceptions to the state's regulatory authority are made for emergencies, maintenance, technical malfunctions, and law enforcement.In connection with establishing and limiting the regulatory authority of local governments, the bill prohibits a local government from regulating ownership, operation, design, manufacture, testing, maintenance, licensing, registration, certification, or equipment requirements or qualifications, training, or certification of a pilot, operator, or observer. A local government may regulate the use of drone systems owned by or used by the local government or launching from or landing on local government property. A local government's resolution or ordinance that is general in nature, such as a nuisance regulation, applies to a drone system.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Bill Text

  • Introduced View text Current pdf January 14, 2026

Action History

  1. Senate Committee on Local Government & Housing Postpone Indefinitely

  2. Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Local Government & Housing

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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3 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 98 not signed on · 6 voted No

Sponsors (3)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (98)

98 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 98 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Postpone Senate Bill 26-024 indefinitely using a reversal of the previous roll call. There was no objection to the use of the reverse roll call, therefore, the bill was postponed indefinitely.

Passed 5 Yea · 2 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 1200
Democrat 4000
Total 5200
% of votes cast 71%29%0%0%
How each member voted (7)
Member Party Vote
Marc Snyder Democrat Yea
Matt Ball Democrat Yea
Tony Exum Democrat Yea
William Lindstedt Democrat Yea
Janice Rich Republican Yea
Larry Liston Republican Nay
Mark Baisley Republican Nay

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety transportation technology
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does SB 24 do?
The bill creates the "Unmanned Aircraft Systems Rights and Authorities Act". The bill does the following:Authorizes an individual to operate an unmanned aircraft system (drone system) for recreational purposes in this state;Authorizes a person to operate a drone system for commercial purposes within this state if the business is lawful and the operation is in compliance with state and federal law;Prohibits the state or a political subdivision of the state (local government) from requiring the registration of an unmanned aircraft or a drone system beyond what may be required by state and federal law;Clarifies that the operation of a drone system in compliance with federal law does not, standing alone, give rise to legal liability;Establishes and limits the regulatory authority of the state; andEstablishes and limits the regulatory authority of a local government.In connection with establishing and limiting the regulatory authority of the state, the bill authorizes the state to regulate the use of drone systems owned by or used by the state or launching from or landing on state property. Exceptions to the state's regulatory authority are made for emergencies, maintenance, technical malfunctions, and law enforcement.In connection with establishing and limiting the regulatory authority of local governments, the bill prohibits a local government from regulating ownership, operation, design, manufacture, testing, maintenance, licensing, registration, certification, or equipment requirements or qualifications, training, or certification of a pilot, operator, or observer. A local government may regulate the use of drone systems owned by or used by the local government or launching from or landing on local government property. A local government's resolution or ordinance that is general in nature, such as a nuisance regulation, applies to a drone system.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Who sponsors SB 24?
SB 24 is sponsored by M. Soper, Larry Liston (Republican), and Michaelson Jenet.
What is the current status of SB 24?
This bill has been introduced in the Senate. Introduced January 14, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track SB 24?
Track SB 24 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

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