Colorado 2025 Regular Session Status: Enacted Bipartisan · 25 D · 13 R cosponsors

SB 25-305 — Water Quality Permitting Efficiency

Last action — Governor Signed

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

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced April 23, 2025. Enacted.

Signed by Governor Jared Polis (Democratic) on June 04, 2025.

Odds of enactment

High chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high 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

Likely to advance 78% · moderate confidence

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 40 sponsors

    4 primary, 36 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (25 D · 13 R) — cross-party backing.

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

Summary

Current law requires the division of administration (division) within the department of public health and environment to report annually to the water quality control commission (commission) and to include in the report any regulatory or legislative recommendations the division may have. The act requires the report to also include: Information on the division's timing in considering and issuing water quality permits (permits); and For the report submitted in 2026, a detailed discussion of how the division has prioritized reducing the permit backlog, implemented recommendations from water quality permittees (permittees) for permitting efficiency, and increased safe drinking water program inspections. The act requires the division, upon receipt of an application to modify a permit, to limit its review and its approval or denial of the application to the scope of the specific requests contained in the application. The act requires the commission to adopt rules on or before December 31, 2026, that establish procedures whereby the division, prior to giving public notice of a complete permit application for an individual permit and the division's preliminary analysis of the application, may provide a period of public notice and review of a preliminary draft prepared by the division. If a period of public notice and review is required by rules of the commission, the period of public notice and review may not exceed 14 days, and the purpose of the review is limited to identifying errors in the division's preliminary draft. On or before December 31, 2027, the division must propose rules to the commission that establish a time frame during which the division will either grant or deny applications for each type of permitting action. On or before June 30, 2028, the commission shall adopt rules based on the division's proposal. The rules must establish the time frames for permitting actions. The act requires the division to consider current debt service on existing local government water infrastructure when developing schedules of compliance for new effluent limits in local government permits. Any schedule of compliance for new effluent limits in local government permits must, consistent with state and federal law, consider the local government's financial capability to repay existing debt on water infrastructure or to fund water infrastructure upgrades before requiring new water infrastructure upgrades. To the extent allowable under federal law, the division may issue compliance schedules in a local government permit for a new effluent limit in excess of 20 years. The act states that, on and after May 1, 2026, after an application for permit modification or permit renewal has been pending before the division for 60 days, or for any application for permit modification or permit renewal that is pending before the division as of May 1, 2026, or if the division informs an applicant that the division will not process an application for preliminary effluent limitations, the applicant and the division may mutually agree to use a qualified and independent nongovernmental contractor (contractor) under the direction of the division to provide the division with technical assistance in completing the permit action. An applicant shall bear the contractor's costs for any technical assistance provided by the contractor and shall pay the contractor for such costs. The division may charge an applicant an additional fee in an amount not exceeding 10% of the contract amount for contract administration, technical review, and additional permit processing, which fee is credited to the clean water cash fund. The act requires the division, upon a permittee's request, to make available to the permittee all documents, data, and information the division relied upon in developing the permittee's permit modification or permit renewal, except to the extent that such materials are protected by an applicable privilege or exception. The act makes the following transfers of money: On July 1, 2025, $111,000 from the water quality improvement fund to the drinking water cash fund; On July 1, 2025, $3,518,564 from the perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances cash fund to the clean water cash fund; On July 1, 2026, $3,002,435 from the perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances cash fund to the clean water cash fund; and On July 1, 2026, $516,129 dollars from the perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances cash fund to the drinking water cash fund. For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $2,904,599 to the department of public health and environment. This appropriation consists of $446,315 from the drinking water cash fund and $2,458,284 from the clean water cash fund. For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $160,611 to the department of law. This appropriation is from reappropriated funds received from the department of public health and environment. The act also makes and reduces certain appropriations as adjustments to the 2025 general appropriations act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

23 added · 17 removed

Plain-language change summary

The recent changes to Bill SB 25-305 include a shift in the title to clarify that this is a reengrossed version, reflecting all amendments adopted by the House. Additionally, the summary now acknowledges that a new bill summary will be created if the bill passes its third reading. This matters because it ensures that all parties involved are kept informed of the latest updates and amendments to the bill, which can influence discussions and decisions in the legislative process.

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First Regular Session Seventy-fifth General Assembly STATE OF COLORADO ENGROSSED This Version Includes All Amendments Adopted on Second Reading in the House of Introduction LLS NO.
First Regular Session Seventy-fifth General Assembly STATE OF COLORADO REENGROSSED This Version Includes All Amendments Adopted in the House of Introduction LLS NO.
25-1052.01 Richard Sweetman x4333 SENATE BILL 25-305 SENATE SPONSORSHIP Kirkmeyer and Bridges, Amabile HOUSE SPONSORSHIP Bird and Taggart, Sirota Senate Committees House Committees Appropriations A BILL FOR AN ACT C ONCERNING THE PROCESS BY WHICH THE DIVISION OF ADMINISTRATION IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT ISSUES PERMITS RELATING TO WATER QUALITY , AND ,IN CONNECTION THEREWITH ,MAKING AND REDUCING AN APPROPRIATION .
25-1052.01 Richard Sweetman x4333 SENATE BILL 25-305 SENATE SPONSORSHIP Kirkmeyer and Bridges, Amabile, Bright, Catlin, Frizell, Jodeh, Liston, Marchman, Pelton B., Pelton R., Roberts, Simpson HOUSE SPONSORSHIP Bird and Taggart, Sirota Senate Committees House Committees Appropriations A BILL FOR AN ACT C ONCERNING THE PROCESS BY WHICH THE DIVISION OF ADMINISTRATION IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT ISSUES PERMITS RELATING TO WATER QUALITY , AND ,IN CONNECTION THEREWITH ,MAKING AND REDUCING AN APPROPRIATION .
Bill Summary (Note:
d d Bill Summary e 5 E a 0 A U , (Note:
This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does notreflectanyamendmentsthatmaybesubsequentlyadopted.Ifthisbill 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/.) g Joint Budget Committee.
This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does N i l notreflectanyamendmentsthatmaybesubsequentlyadopted.Ifthisbill S a p R A passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that r applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at 3 http://leg.colorado.gov/.) Joint Budget Committee.
Current law requires the division of d administration (division) within the department of public health and e 2 T R 2 A 2 5 Shading denotes HOUSE amendment.
Current law requires the division of i a 5 administration (division) within the department of public health and E R 0 T d , N 2 2 Shading denotes HOUSE amendment.
E d i Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
S e r Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.n Ap Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.
e A environment to report annually to the water quality control commission (commission) and to include in the report any regulatory or legislative recommendations the division may have.
e A A environment to report annually to the water quality control commission (commission) and to include in the report any regulatory or legislative recommendations the division may have.
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Amendments

1 amendment

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Action History

  1. Governor Signed

  2. Sent to the Governor

  3. Signed by the President of the Senate

  4. Signed by the Speaker of the House

  5. House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments

  6. House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole

  7. House Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments

  8. Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments

  9. Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations

  10. Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole

  11. Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee

  12. Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Appropriations

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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4 sponsors · 36 co-sponsors · 61 not signed on

Sponsors (4)

Co-sponsors (36)

Not signed on (61)

61 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 61 →

"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

Subjects

public-safety finance environment
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 25-305 do?
Current law requires the division of administration (division) within the department of public health and environment to report annually to the water quality control commission (commission) and to include in the report any regulatory or legislative recommendations the division may have. The act requires the report to also include: Information on the division's timing in considering and issuing water quality permits (permits); and For the report submitted in 2026, a detailed discussion of how the division has prioritized reducing the permit backlog, implemented recommendations from water quality permittees (permittees) for permitting efficiency, and increased safe drinking water program inspections. The act requires the division, upon receipt of an application to modify a permit, to limit its review and its approval or denial of the application to the scope of the specific requests contained in the application. The act requires the commission to adopt rules on or before December 31, 2026, that establish procedures whereby the division, prior to giving public notice of a complete permit application for an individual permit and the division's preliminary analysis of the application, may provide a period of public notice and review of a preliminary draft prepared by the division. If a period of public notice and review is required by rules of the commission, the period of public notice and review may not exceed 14 days, and the purpose of the review is limited to identifying errors in the division's preliminary draft. On or before December 31, 2027, the division must propose rules to the commission that establish a time frame during which the division will either grant or deny applications for each type of permitting action. On or before June 30, 2028, the commission shall adopt rules based on the division's proposal. The rules must establish the time frames for permitting actions. The act requires the division to consider current debt service on existing local government water infrastructure when developing schedules of compliance for new effluent limits in local government permits. Any schedule of compliance for new effluent limits in local government permits must, consistent with state and federal law, consider the local government's financial capability to repay existing debt on water infrastructure or to fund water infrastructure upgrades before requiring new water infrastructure upgrades. To the extent allowable under federal law, the division may issue compliance schedules in a local government permit for a new effluent limit in excess of 20 years. The act states that, on and after May 1, 2026, after an application for permit modification or permit renewal has been pending before the division for 60 days, or for any application for permit modification or permit renewal that is pending before the division as of May 1, 2026, or if the division informs an applicant that the division will not process an application for preliminary effluent limitations, the applicant and the division may mutually agree to use a qualified and independent nongovernmental contractor (contractor) under the direction of the division to provide the division with technical assistance in completing the permit action. An applicant shall bear the contractor's costs for any technical assistance provided by the contractor and shall pay the contractor for such costs. The division may charge an applicant an additional fee in an amount not exceeding 10% of the contract amount for contract administration, technical review, and additional permit processing, which fee is credited to the clean water cash fund. The act requires the division, upon a permittee's request, to make available to the permittee all documents, data, and information the division relied upon in developing the permittee's permit modification or permit renewal, except to the extent that such materials are protected by an applicable privilege or exception. The act makes the following transfers of money: On July 1, 2025, $111,000 from the water quality improvement fund to the drinking water cash fund; On July 1, 2025, $3,518,564 from the perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances cash fund to the clean water cash fund; On July 1, 2026, $3,002,435 from the perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances cash fund to the clean water cash fund; and On July 1, 2026, $516,129 dollars from the perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances cash fund to the drinking water cash fund. For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $2,904,599 to the department of public health and environment. This appropriation consists of $446,315 from the drinking water cash fund and $2,458,284 from the clean water cash fund. For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $160,611 to the department of law. This appropriation is from reappropriated funds received from the department of public health and environment. The act also makes and reduces certain appropriations as adjustments to the 2025 general appropriations act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Who sponsors SB 25-305?
SB 25-305 is sponsored by Garcia Sander, Ty Winter (Republican), Jenny Willford (Democrat), Elizabeth Velasco (Democrat), Alex Valdez (Democrat), Brianna Titone (Democrat), Katie Stewart (Democrat), Lesley Smith (Democrat), Manny Rutinel (Democrat), Chris Richardson (Republican), Karen McCormick (Democrat), Julie McCluskie (Democrat), Tisha Mauro (Democrat), Matthew Martinez (Democrat), Meghan Lukens (Democrat), Sheila Lieder (Democrat), Junie Joseph (Democrat), Dusty Johnson (Republican), Eliza Hamrick (Democrat), Meg Froelich (Democrat), Monica Duran (Democrat), Chad Clifford (Democrat), Jarvis Caldwell (Republican), Andrew Boesenecker (Democrat), Cleave Simpson (Republican), Dylan Roberts (Democrat), Rod Pelton (Republican), Byron Pelton (Republican), Janice Marchman (Democrat), Larry Liston (Republican), Iman Jodeh (Democrat), Lisa Frizell (Republican), Marc Catlin (Republican), Scott Bright (Republican), Emily Sirota (Democrat), Judy Amabile (Democrat), Rick Taggart (Republican), Shannon Bird, Jeff Bridges (Democrat), and Barbara Kirkmeyer (Republican).
What is the current status of SB 25-305?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced April 23, 2025. Enacted.
Where can I track SB 25-305?
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