CAHB Capitol Close Up
2025 General Assembly Session Kicks Off; Gov. Polis and House Speaker McCluskie call out Construction Litigation Reform in Opening Speeches
This week marked the opening of the 2025 legislative session, with speeches from legislative leaders and Governor Polis’ State of the State speech. This session, we will once again be working to address construction litigation reform as a critical piece in addressing Colorado’s housing crisis. There’s cautious optimism that 2025 may be the year that we find a legislative solution to this issue.
Governor Polis in his speech specifically called out the need for reform and challenged legislators to get behind the efforts of Rep. Shannon Bird and Senate President James Coleman, setting a goal for the General Assembly “to make condo ownership more available to more people – starting now!”
From the governor’s speech:
“To unlock housing supply, we need to allow more housing Coloradans want. This includes condos, which often start at a lower price point, providing more affordable homeownership, and with it, the foundation for wealth building, and building a nest egg for financial security. …
“In the past, this conversation about meaningful condo liability reforms that balance homeowner protections, de-risk the market, and allow for more condos to be built and sold has been stifled on both sides. Let’s turn the page and have a real dialogue about what is preventing condos from being built and solve for it. I know we can get this done in a way that protects homeowners’ rights when there is a defect but makes it less expensive and cumbersome for builders of all kinds to start projects and deliver housing.”
You can read the governor’s entire speech by clicking here.
In addition to the governor’s focus on housing, the Democratic and GOP leaders in the House made housing a significant part of their opening-day remarks, while Senate President Coleman (opening speech) and Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen (opening speech) also referenced the impact of housing affordability on Coloradans.
House Speaker Julie McCluskie (opening speech) specially called out construction-litigation reform in a list of five action items on housing, putting a call to “resolve the stalemate on construction defects reform” at the top of her list.
House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese (opening speech) noted: “While I support construction defect legislation because I believe it is important, it is not the only area where the legislature impacts housing. Everyone in Colorado should have the opportunity to achieve their American Dream, and yet laws we have passed are standing in their way.”
Government Affairs Committee Update
The CAHB GAC will begin meeting on Friday, January 24, to start reviewing legislation. More than 125 bills have already been introduced in the first few days of the 2025 session, and we expect many more that will impact housing, Colorado’s business climate, water, regulations and other issues important to our industry. Please look for Capitol Closeup emails throughout the session for key legislation and updates on activities at the state capitol. To review a complete list of the bills that the GAC will support, oppose and monitor, please visit and bookmark https://fastdemocracy.com/shared-bills/?sharing-bill-list-id=3FY3wRWxzRtZ.
BJ4C Legislative Reception Set for Tuesday, January 14
The Colorado Association of Home Builders is co-hosting the annual Building Jobs 4 Colorado (BJ4C) legislative reception next Tuesday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the lobby area of 1660 Lincoln Street, near the state Capitol.
This reception allows our members, along with others in homebuilding and construction industries, to meet with key legislators and policy makers. Its important that our members attend to share their first-hand knowledge and experiences with legislators as we work to address Colorado’s housing challenges.
If you would like to attend, please RSVP to jenn@DomeStrategies.com or
720-937-2148. For more information about BJ4C, please visit www.buildingjobs4colorado.com.
Please Review: Model Low Energy and Carbon Code
Draft Released, Comments Encouraged
The Colorado Energy Office has published the Model Low Energy and Carbon Code Draft, which will be open for public comment until February 7 at 5:00 p.m. MT. The Model Low Energy and Carbon Code Public Comment Draft #1 consists of two elements: 1) the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), as published by the International Code Council, and 2) amendments made to the 2024 IECC by the Energy Code Board. Each of those elements can be found at the following links:
1. 2024 IECC
2. Model Low Energy and Carbon Code Draft #1 Amendments
Comments may be submitted on the language of the 2024 IECC, the Energy Code Board's amendments to it, or both. Comments on the Model Low Energy and Carbon Code Public Comment Draft #1 should be submitted using this form. Comments will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. MT on February 7.
The Energy Code Board will host a live public comment session on February 11 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. MT. Members of the public interested in participating in this public comment session can register to attend via Zoom.
Information regarding the Model Low Energy and Carbon Code public comment period can also be found on CEO's Building Energy Codes & Toolkit webpage under the "Colorado's Building Energy Codes" section.
While the CAHB will be providing one set of comments on behalf of the industry, we encourage our members to also provide comments.
Please Review: Dredge and Fill Regulation Released
This is a reminder from the Water Quality Control Division to provide your feedback on the initial draft of Regulation No. 87—Dredge and Fill Control Regulation. Reference documents for reviewing and providing feedback on the draft rule are located in this public folder. You may submit comments using this Google form until Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. The Division will review your input to determine priorities and create a schedule of topics to guide our future meetings.