16 new Colorado laws go into effect in July

DENVER (KDVR) — Hundreds of bills were passed and signed into law during Colorado’s 2024 legislative session, and more than a dozen of them will go into effect on July 1.

The new regulations include both a ban on setting limits on the number of people living in apartment buildings and a ban on carrying weapons in certain areas.

FOX31 has compiled a list of all the new regulations that will go into effect soon.

Occupancy limits

House Bill 24-1007, “Prohibition of Residential Occupancy Limits,” stops local governments from enforcing occupancy limits in most situations.

This removes a decades-old law that limits the number of members of different families who can live together under one roof.

Gender-based crimes

Senate Bill 24-189, “Gender Biased Crimes,” adds gender identity and gender expression to the definition of a biased crime.

It also redefines sexual orientation in bias crimes.

Weapons in sensitive spaces

Senate Bill 24-131, the “Prohibition on Carrying Firearms in Sensitive Places,” prohibits people from carrying firearms in certain places.

It specifically prohibits people from knowingly carrying firearms in legislative buildings, local government buildings and courthouses. The ban also applies to parking lots in these places.

Deepfakes of candidates for office

House Bill 24-1147, “Disclosing False Information About Candidate Elections,” requires disclosure of the use of deepfakes, which are fake images of other people created using artificial intelligence, in ads and other election-related communications.

For example, if one candidate wanted to use a fake photo or video of another candidate, they would have to disclose it.

False lists of presidential electors

House Bill 24-1150, “False Rolls of Electors,” makes it a manifest crime to falsely constitute a slate of presidential electors or to serve on a false slate of electors.

It would apply to five existing felonies, each punishable by a maximum fine of $10,000.

Protecting victims of sexual crimes

House Bill 24-1072, “Protecting Victims of Sexual Crimes,” amends admissible evidence regarding alleged victims of sexual assault during criminal proceedings.

It specifically prohibits any evidence of, among other things, the victim’s clothing or hairstyle.

Other rights

Ten other acts enter into force:

• House Bill 24-1443, “Public Trustee Fees”
• House Bill 24-1449, “An Environmentally Sustainable Circular Economy”
• House Bill 24-1417, “Health Care Monetary Fund Fee Changes”
• House Bill 24-1407, “Local Food Assistance Provider Grant Program”
• House Bill 24-1411, “Increase in Property Tax Exemption Application Fees”
• House Bill 24-1360, Colorado Office of Disability Opportunities
• House Bill 24-1081, “Regulating Sodium Nitrite Transfer Sales”
• House Bill 24-1056, “Issuing Acts of the Treasurer”
• House Bill 24-1044, “PRA Supplemental Retirement Service for Schools”
• House Bill 24-1030, “Railroad Safety Requirements”

The next group of bills passed during this year’s legislative session will enter into force on August 7.