CAHB Capitol Closeup 4/9/2025

House Bill 25-1272 sponsored by Rep. Shannon Bird (D-Westminster) and Senate President James Coleman (D-Denver) cleared the House and is now headed to the state Senate. The construction-litigation reform bill is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Local Government and Housing Committee on Thursday, April 17. We are working closely with Senator Coleman and other bill sponsors to craft additional amendments to ensure that HB25-1272 meets the goals of not doing any harm while encouraging condo and townhome development.

One important change from the House amendments is that the "Multifamily Construction Incentive Program" is set as an opt-in program. Builders will not be required to participate. The proposed program seeks to protect builders from a construction-defects claim if they provide a warranty that covers defects and damages at no cost to homeowners and allow third-party inspections. The CAHB will continue working with bill sponsors on this provision, as well as other critical items in the bill.

The second draft of the Model Low Energy and Carbon Code was released yesterday, starting the second round of public comment on the proposal. Only written comments are being accepted for this round, and comments must be submitted by May 2.

CAHB encourages members to provide their own comments concerning the impact this draft code will have on their ability to provide attainable housing. CAHB will be reviewing the current draft and submitting another comment on behalf of the industry. We will be sure to share those comments with CAHB members as soon as possible.

Comments can be submitted online by clicking here. The updated draft of the energy codes is available online by clicking here. They include highlighted sections where changes and additions have been made.

The Colorado Association of Home Builders has been working with the state’s Energy Code Board on the drafting of the Model Low Energy and Carbon Code. CAHB submitted comments in February asking the Board to adopt the unamended 2024 IECC in Colorado in lieu of the currently proposed draft.

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.

The GAC met last Friday and received updates on several introduced and proposed bills. The GAC did not take positions on any bills. To review a complete list of the CAHB's legislative positions--including bills that the GAC supported, opposed and monitored, please visit

https://fastdemocracy.com/shared-bills/?sharing-bill-list-id=3FY3wRWxzRtZ.

We would like to share that Senate Bill 25-157, sponsored by Senators Mike Weissman (D-Aurora) and Julie Gonzales (D-Denver), was rejected by the state Senate last week. Seven Democrats joined Republican senators in rejecting the bill. Had SB25-157 become law, it would have established that evidence that a person or business engaged in an unfair or deceptive trade practice constituted a significant impact to the public. This would have opened the door to triple damages and attorneys’ fees, significantly increasing liability for businesses and likely leading to increased cost for insurance.