The act establishes a first and preferred opportunity for available employment for coal transition workers in coal transition communities (hiring preference). A business entity located in a coal transition community that is engaged in the business of constructing or operating railroads, utilities, energy generation facilities, or advanced manufacturing facilities (covered business) is required to comply with the hiring preference. A covered business does not include the state government or a local government. A covered business is required to make good faith efforts to provide a hiring preference to a coal transition worker who meets the qualifications for an employment position (qualified coal transition worker). A covered business may hire an individual who is not a qualified coal transition worker only if a qualified coal transition worker did not apply for employment with the covered business, each qualified coal transition worker declined a job offer from a covered business, or a qualified coal transition worker's qualifications did not meet the qualifications of other candidates for the same job. If a qualified coal transition worker applies for employment with a covered business, the covered business is required to report specified information annually to the just transition office. The executive director is required to adopt policies and procedures to implement the act. A hiring preference does not apply if a covered business places an existing employee in another employment position with the covered business or to the extent that a hiring preference conflicts with the terms of a collective bargaining agreement that applies to the relationship between a covered business and its employees. Currently, a public entity is not allowed to invest public funds in certain types of investments, such as equity instruments, instruments convertible to equity, or equity interests, or to deposit public funds with any person except certain depository institutions, which are primarily banks. The act authorizes a public entity to deposit or invest, either directly or through an investment firm or other third party authorized by the public entity, public funds from a payment or settlement that the public entity has received to offset the socioeconomic impacts to a community or government from the closure of a coal mine or coal power generating station in any investment permitted by an investment policy approved by the public entity.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Colorado SB 52 (2026A) — Coal Transition Community Investment
The act establishes a first and preferred opportunity for available employment for coal transition workers in coal transition communities (hiring preference). A business entity located in a coal transition community that is engaged in the business of constructing or operating railroads, utilities, energy generation facilities, or advanced manufacturing facilities (covered business) is required to comply with the hiring preference. A covered business does not include the state government or a local government. A covered business is required to make good faith efforts to provide a hiring preference to a coal transition worker who meets the qualifications for an employment position (qualified coal transition worker). A covered business may hire an individual who is not a qualified coal transition worker only if a qualified coal transition worker did not apply for employment with the covered business, each qualified coal transition worker declined a job offer from a covered business, or a qualified coal transition worker's qualifications did not meet the qualifications of other candidates for the same job. If a qualified coal transition worker applies for employment with a covered business, the covered business is required to report specified information annually to the just transition office. The executive director is required to adopt policies and procedures to implement the act. A hiring preference does not apply if a covered business places an existing employee in another employment position with the covered business or to the extent that a hiring preference conflicts with the terms of a collective bargaining agreement that applies to the relationship between a covered business and its employees. Currently, a public entity is not allowed to invest public funds in certain types of investments, such as equity instruments, instruments convertible to equity, or equity interests, or to deposit public funds with any person except certain depository institutions, which are primarily banks. The act authorizes a public entity to deposit or invest, either directly or through an investment firm or other third party authorized by the public entity, public funds from a payment or settlement that the public entity has received to offset the socioeconomic impacts to a community or government from the closure of a coal mine or coal power generating station in any investment permitted by an investment policy approved by the public entity.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Version chain
The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.
Refer Senate Bill 26-052 to the Committee of the Whole. — pass (pass) · upper
REPASS — pass (pass) · lower
Refer Senate Bill 26-052, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole and with a recommendation that it be placed on the consent calendar. — pass (pass) · upper
Sponsors
D. Roberts — primary (person)
M. Catlin — primary (person)
M. Lukens — primary (person)
T. Mauro — primary (person)
A. Boesenecker — cosponsor (person)
A. Paschal — cosponsor (person)
B. Kirkmeyer — cosponsor (person)
B. Titone — cosponsor (person)
C. Clifford — cosponsor (person)
C. Kipp — cosponsor (person)
C. Simpson — cosponsor (person)
D. Michaelson Jenet — cosponsor (person)
E. Sirota — cosponsor (person)
I. Jodeh — cosponsor (person)
J. Amabile — cosponsor (person)
J. Bacon — cosponsor (person)
J. Bridges — cosponsor (person)
J. Coleman — cosponsor (person)
J. Gonzales — cosponsor (person)
J. Marchman — cosponsor (person)
J. McCluskie — cosponsor (person)
K. Brown — cosponsor (person)
K. McCormick — cosponsor (person)
K. Mullica — cosponsor (person)
K. Nguyen — cosponsor (person)
K. Stewart — cosponsor (person)
K. Wallace — cosponsor (person)
L. García — cosponsor (person)
L. Goldstein — cosponsor (person)
L. Liston — cosponsor (person)
L. Smith — cosponsor (person)
M. Ball — cosponsor (person)
M. Duran — cosponsor (person)
M. Froelich — cosponsor (person)
M. Lindsay — cosponsor (person)
M. Martinez — cosponsor (person)
M. Rutinel — cosponsor (person)
M. Snyder — cosponsor (person)
N. Hinrichsen — cosponsor (person)
N. Ricks — cosponsor (person)
R. Pelton — cosponsor (person)
S. Lieder — cosponsor (person)
S. Woodrow — cosponsor (person)
T. Exum — cosponsor (person)
T. Story — cosponsor (person)
T. Sullivan — cosponsor (person)
W. Lindstedt — cosponsor (person)
Timeline
The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.
2026-03-09 Governor Signed executive-signature
2026-03-02 Sent to the Governor executive-receipt
2026-03-02 Signed by the Speaker of the House passage
2026-03-02 Signed by the President of the Senate passage
2026-02-24 Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
2026-02-23 House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments passage, reading-3
2026-02-20 House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Floor
2026-02-19 House Committee on Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole committee-passage, referral-committee
2026-02-12 Introduced In House - Assigned to Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources introduction
2026-02-11 Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments passage, reading-3
2026-02-10 Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Committee reading-2
2026-02-05 Senate Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources Refer Amended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole committee-passage
2026-01-27 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Agriculture & Natural Resources introduction
Source
OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/f5f80367-6a40-4f0d-9af7-1e2a6e50a541. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Colorado legislature records).
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